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.
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.
APWith his rants about practice, his run-ins with former coach Larry Brown, his arrests and failed rap career, Iverson was often a magnet for trouble.
Iverson and Brown were a volatile combination during the six seasons they spent together in Philly. Brown criticized Iverson for taking too many shots and accused him of being selfish at times.
Iverson often arrived late for practice or missed them entirely. In one infamous blowup at the end of the 2002 season he repeated the word “practice” nearly 20 times during a rambling monologue. He now pokes fun at the memorable meltdown.
Brown and Iverson eventually reconciled and the coach made his former guard co-captain of the 2004 Olympic men’s basketball team.
While some have predicted his all-out style means he’ll wear out sooner rather than later, Iverson still ricochets around the court like a pinball. He had 15 40-plus point games in 2005-06, including his 10th-career 50-point game.
Though Iverson’s name was often part of trade rumors, the guard out of Georgetown, nicknamed “The Answer,” used to say he wanted to end his career in Philadelphia. “I truly wanted to retire a 76er,” he said after he was banished by the 76ers on Dec. 8.
Iverson’s years in Philadelphia were marred by arrests in 1997 for carrying a concealed weapon and for possession of marijuana and in 2002 over a domestic dispute with his wife. He was sentenced to community service in 1997 and all charges were dropped against him five years later.
Then there was the never-released rap album, which drew criticism from civil rights groups and got Iverson a reprimand from NBA commissioner David Stern because of its offensive lyrics.
“Don’t get me wrong, there’s some bad stories out there,” Karl acknowledged. “As I told ’Melo when I got here, there’s some stories about me out there, too. There’s a lot of positives.
“One thing I hear on a consistent basis, his teammates love him. I think we need better chemistry on my basketball team. I think we need more leadership. I think we need more emotional maturity, I think we need some mental toughness, some intensity, an every game, every possession mentality. I think everything I said there, Allen Iverson has.”
While Iverson’s maybe a half-step slower than he was 10-plus years ago as a rookie, that’s still a step quicker than most players in the league. He still was too quick to guard 1-on-1 and beat teams with his killer crossover.
Perhaps in Denver, he won’t have to shoulder the scoring load, as he always did in Philadelphia.
The 76ers can only hope trading this superstar doesn’t end up as lopsided as their last two franchise-shifting deals. No one in Philly can forget the 76ers only getting Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry for Charles Barkley in 1992. But that wasn’t the worst. In 1968, the 76ers traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers in 1968 for Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark and Darrall Imhoff.
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
Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 95-91 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls, who were without star guard Derrick Rose.
 | FREE VIDEO |
 | 'One of the greatest players ever' Dec. 19: Philadelphia 76ers team president Billy King thanks Allen Iverson, and chairman Ed Snider says the team had no choice. |
| NBC VIDEO |
 | 'We will be receiving Allen Iverson' Dec. 19: At a news conference to announce the trade for Allen Iverson, Nuggets G.M. Mark Warkenstein says “to say that we’re excited is an understatement.” |
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.
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.