Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
LIVE VIDEO: NBCSports.com shows Washington-New York, with alternate camera angles, HD views and more.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP file
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said Monday that team morale is high despite a disappointing season and that he doesn’t regret making his youngest son, Jeff Bowden, the team’s offensive coordinator.
But fan impatience with the younger Bowden has increased after a half-dozen years of mounting losses and declining offensive production.
“I don’t think he’d get half the criticism if his name ain’t Bowden,” Bobby Bowden said Monday.
“How can I have nine coaches and it’s always one guy’s fault?” the elder Bowden asked Monday. “We’re a team. We win and we lose. We don’t point fingers.”
Bowden called a meeting Monday of his unity council as well to take the pulse of morale among a half-dozen key players, including quarterback Drew Weatherford, after the Seminoles’ 24-19 loss Saturday to Boston College. It was Florida State’s seventh loss in its past dozen games dating to last November.
Bowden created the unity council after the 2002 season, when the team split over whether Chris Rix or Adrian McPherson should be playing quarterback shortly before McPherson’s removal from the team over gambling questions.
Weatherford had words with quarterbacks coach Daryl Dickey during Saturday’s game in the second half when he was warned he could be replaced by Xavier Lee.
“I wasn’t pleased,” Weatherford said. “I just asked him what I should be doing out there ... probably not in such a moderate tone. I just wanted an answer.”
Lee didn’t get into the game.
“I feel like the coaches are kind of confused about what we’re best at,” said Weatherford, who contends the offensive line and skill players largely prefer being in a spread formation. “We’re still trying to get an identity on offense.”
But the sophomore also took some of the blame for throwing an interception that Boston College scored on and then missing a wide-open Greg Carr in the second half for a sure touchdown.
Jeff Bowden, meanwhile, said his father and brothers Terry and Tommy, who is Clemson’s coach, have all been criticized during their careers.
|
“I’m not immune to it,” he said. “They’re not immune to it in Gainesville. They’re not immune to it in Miami. They’re not immune to it in any town where they lose a ball game.”
But seven in less than a calendar year? The Seminoles are 4-3 overall this season, and 2-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“I don’t like it. That’s just the nature of the game,” Bobby Bowden said. “When you lose, you’re in bad shape. When you win, everybody’s happy.”
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
CollegeFootballTalk headlines |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
