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.
AP file
WASHINGTON - Freddy Adu was traded Monday from D.C. United to Real Salt Lake, ending a sometimes tumultuous three-year run in Washington for the highly touted teenager who clashed with his coach and was often frustrated by his role.
The 17-year-old will move to an MLS franchise in need of a marketable star as it hopes to boost attendance and gain support for a new stadium. He will also get to be an attacking midfielder, a position he never played consistently with United.
“It will be fun to be reunited with him. It will be even more rewarding to have him score goals for us instead of against us,” said Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger, Adu’s former coach on the U.S. Under-17 club.
Adu’s stated goal is to play for a European team, and he becomes eligible to transfer to a club outside the United States once he turns 18 on June 2. He recently spent two weeks working out with Manchester United in England.
Salt Lake general manager Steve Pastorino said Real hopes getting Adu into a new environment will keep him happy and stateside.
“Our intent is to keep him here for several years,” Pastorino said.
D.C. United also sent goalkeeper Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake. In return, D.C. United will receive a major player allocation, the rights to goalkeeper Jay Nolly and future considerations.
Adu became the youngest player in MLS history when D.C. United chose him No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft, but his youthful temperament showed almost immediately when he was used mostly as a substitute early in the season.
In Salt Lake, he won’t be coming off the bench.
“Freddy is a pretty lethal player,” Ellinger said. “I think he’ll definitely make us a pretty potent offense.”
Although he ended up starting 14 games as a rookie and 16 in his second season, he complained publicly both years about playing time and said the team had ruined his chances of making the U.S. team for the 2006 World Cup. Coach Peter Nowak suspended Adu for a 2005 playoff after one such outburst.
“It is never easy to part with players, especially one like Freddy,” Nowak said. “Freddy desired to play a different role than the one we offered here at D.C., so we hope this move can aid that wish.”
This year, Adu had a regular spot in the lineup and started 29 of United’s 32 games, but he played on the wing instead of his preferred position in midfield. He was dejected when Nowak removed him for a substitute in the 65th minute of D.C. United’s final game, a playoff loss to New England, and afterward said there were “serious talks” in the works to have him playing elsewhere next season.
|
“He’s very happy about a fresh start,” Ellinger said. “Pretty much everybody loves him wherever he goes.”
Adu finished with 11 goals and 17 assists in 87 appearances for United, and helped the team win the MLS Cup during his rookie season.
He has played regularly for U.S. youth national teams and became the youngest player to appear for the full U.S. team last Jan. 22 against Canada, although he was never a serious candidate for the World Cup team.
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.
Alex Morgan's 2 goals, including the winner in stoppage time, lift the U.S. past New Zealand 2-1.
 | Slideshow |
 |
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.
