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?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had 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.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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 fileGirardi was interested in the opening with his hometown Chicago Cubs, but they hired Lou Piniella this offseason. The former catcher also interviewed with the Washington Nationals, but pulled out of the running before they chose Manny Acta.
“There’s no secret to what I’m looking for. I really want to manage again because I love it,” Girardi said. “It has to be right not only for me, but for my family. ... I believe my opportunity will come again.”
The 61-year-old Leyland appears firmly entrenched in Motown after winning his third Manager of the Year award — and first in the AL. He also won with Barry Bonds and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1990 and ’92.
“It’s obviously a big thrill for me. These are individual honors but it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Leyland said. “I really share this award with the entire organization because that’s what it really stands for.”
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Gene J. Puskar / AP Jim Leyland returned to the dugout last season following a six-year hiatus, taking over a foundering Tigers team that went 71-91 in 2005. Two seasons before that, Detroit lost an embarrassing 119 games — an AL record. |
But with a deft touch and demanding approach, the cigarette-puffing Leyland led the surprising Tigers to a terrific start. They struggled mightily down the stretch and squandered the AL Central title, losing out to Gardenhire’s Twins on the final day of the regular season.
Still, Detroit captured the wild card for its first postseason berth in 19 years, then upset the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs before sweeping Oakland in the AL championship series.
Finally, the run ended. Playing in the World Series for the first time since 1984, the Tigers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games.
“I could go on and on and on with praise about him,” Detroit outfielder Craig Monroe said. “His fun spirit, passion for the game and a straight-shooting style made you want to go the extra mile for him.”
Though the Tigers finished behind Minnesota, that didn’t prevent Leyland from beating out Gardenhire, a runner-up for this honor three of the past four years.
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“It’s well-deserved because he did a great job of stepping right in and giving our club the leadership it needed,” Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “He communicated very well with our players and made good decisions, showing again that he’s one of the best managers in the game, if not the best.”
Leyland is the third manager to win the award in both leagues, joining four-time winners Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa.
“Anytime you’re mentioned in that company you’ve got to feel awful good about it,” Leyland said.
Oakland’s Ken Macha came in third and Torre finished fourth.
In the NL, San Diego’s Bruce Bochy, now manager of the San Francisco Giants, finished third with five first-place tallies. Los Angeles’ Grady Little also got a first-place vote and was fourth.
La Russa became the first manager to win a World Series and not receive a vote. Leyland got just one third-place vote when he led Florida to the 1997 title.
Voting is completed before the postseason and tabulated on a 5-3-1 basis.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
