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.
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.
APSeveral other teams were interested in Soriano, including the Phillies. Soriano said he met Washington officials after his one standout season with the Nationals but said he didn’t receive a later phone call to discuss a deal.
“I was waiting for those guys to call me, but they never did. They never called. I had a good time in Washington. Now, I’m part of the Chicago Cubs,” he said.
Soriano had 46 homers, 41 stolen bases and 41 doubles last season with Washington, while batting .277 with 95 RBIs. He became the fourth member of the 40-homer, 40-steal club in major league history.
Hendry said reports that the Cubs’ parent company, Tribune Co., is entertaining offers to sell part or all of its holdings has had no bearing on his offseason spending.
“We’re here to win, try to win quickly, and all things that are way above me with the company certainly I’m certainly not privy to or would I expect to be,” Hendry said. “I just want to go out and get the best team we can together, and he certainly was the best player available.”
Hendry said the Cubs will continue to be busy as they try to add pitching to turn around a nearly century-long drought without a championship. They haven’t won the World Series since 1908 and finished last in the NL last season with a 66-96 record.
In addition to hiring Piniella to replace Dusty Baker and re-signing Ramirez, the Cubs acquired lefty reliever Neal Cotts in a trade with the White Sox, added second baseman Mark DeRosa ($13 million over three years) and re-signed pitchers Kerry Wood ($1.75 million) and Wade Miller ($1.5 million), and backup catcher Henry Blanco ($5.25 million over two years).
Putting Soriano in the same lineup with Ramirez and Derrek Lee should make the Cubs a quick contender in the NL Central.
“I think the GM and the manager talked and they know what they want. I said, ’I think that’s the team because those guys want to win and they’re working hard to win.’ I want to be a little piece of this group. That’s why I’m coming to Chicago,” Soriano said.
Primarily a second baseman during a career that began with the New York Yankees in 1999, the 30-year-old Soriano made the switch to left field last season, his first and only one in Washington.
Soriano played his first five seasons in New York and then was traded to the Texas Rangers in the 2004 deal that brought Rodriguez to the Yankees. Soriano was dealt again two seasons later to the Nationals.
When he joined the Nationals, Soriano was switched to the outfield because Washington already had Jose Vidro at second. It was a move Soriano initially rejected. But gradually he became comfortable with the switch and made an All-Star team for the fifth straight season, this time at his new position.
“He can play anywhere out there and play it above average,” Hendry said.
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.
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
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.