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.
USC already has the luxury of having two of the top class of 2008 players in California — and the nation — already committed to play for the Trojans.
Superstar receiver D.J. Shoemate and offensive tackle Matt Kalil have already made it clear that they're heading to USC.
Get the scoop on several of the top class of 2008 prospects in this week's version of the Pac-10 Blitz.
Arizona
The Wildcats are wasting little time getting started on the class of 2008. Arizona already has a commitment from superstar athlete Gerell Robinson, a member of the Rivals.com 100 to watch list. The Wildcats are also already being aggressive in Texas and California by extending several early offers. In Arizona, the Wildcats have already offered running back Ray Polk. He is a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder that is considered one of the West’s best backs. They have also offered tight end Dion Jordan, who might be one of the nation’s top tight ends. Offensive lineman Zach Schlink is one of the top junior offensive guards in the West, and the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder from Peoria, Ariz., already has an offer.
Arizona State
Just like the Wildcats, the Sun Devils will be more aggressive early under new coach Dennis Erickson. The Devils have already extended offers to several high-quality players, including star tight end Blake Ayles out of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran. ASU’s great tight end tradition might be something that appeals to Ayles, but many people assume he’s USC’s to lose. Quarterback Jerry Davis of Fresno, Calif., lists ASU as his one of his top teams. The 6-foot-1, 183-pounder is considered one of the top players in Northern California, and the Devils were first to offer him. ASU is going to recruit more nationally, and the Sun Devils have already been listed as offering Lakeland (Fla.) Katheleen receiver T.J. Lawrence.
California
The Bears have already jumped out of the gate with an impressive commitment for 2008. Chico (Calif.) Pleasant Valley offensive lineman Tyler Rigsbee was recently offered a scholarship and committed shortly thereafter. "Cal is building a nice pipeline in to this area and Tyler is definitely looking forward to continuing that,” Pleasant Valley coach Sterling Jackson said. “He's really a very good prospect with a ton of upside. He's so smart and really understands the game. His dad was the OL coach at Butte Junior College for years and is one of the best line coaches I've ever been around. So Tyler already has a great understanding of the game and is so advanced technique wise.”
Oregon
Oregon landed the No. 2 recruiting class in the Pac 10 in 2007, and the Ducks hope to maintain that momentum by getting an early start on 2008. Blue-chip dual-threat quarterback Darius Banks of Culver City, Calif., has received plenty of attention, but he said Tuesday night that he has already made his choice. "I've been hearing a lot from Oregon and UCLA, but I'm going to end up committing to Oregon," Banks said. "I haven't committed to them yet, but I'm pretty much committed. I'm going to take a trip first. I'm going to call them … to try and set up a trip and then as long as I like it out there I'm going to commit." While there are many things that Banks likes about Oregon, there was one thing that sold him on the Ducks. "It's the spread offense, which is what we run, " Banks, who is 6 feet 2 and 175 pounds, is ranked by Rivals.com as one of the top 100 juniors to watch.
Oregon State
One key recruit for the Beavers in the 2008 class will be the top player in Oregon – defensive end Ethan Johnson out of Portland Lincoln. The 6-foot-4, 253-pounder is considered one of the nation’s top 100 juniors to watch and already has attracted offers from teams like Colorado, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State and Virginia. "They're all good schools, and people ask me and everything but I'm not going to make one a favorite right now," Johnson said. "I definitely want to visit the places first and see what feels comfortable because I'm going to be there for four-to-five years. It'd be foolish to commit when colleges are just starting to offer."
Southern California
The Trojans already have the luxury of having two of the top players in California – and the nation – already committed to them. Superstar receiver D.J. Shoemate and offensive tackle Matt Kalil have already made it clear that they’re heading to USC. They are considered two of the best prospects in the Golden State for the class of 2008. Shoemate might be the best player in the state, but he missed his junior season with an injury. He was considered one of the top players in Orange County when he was a sophomore, and he’s expected to have a monster senior season.
Stanford
The Cardinal will be more aggressive with new coach Jim Harbaugh at the controls. They’ve already extended scholarship offers to Utah tight end Austin Holt and Ohio tight end Brandon Moore. They have also offered offensive tackle Kenneth Page of Columbia, S.C., and inside linebacker Jon Major out of Parker, Colo. Major is considered the top player in Colorado, and many believe Holt is one of the top players in Utah. All of the kids the Cardinal has offered are included in the Rivals250 to watch for the class of 2008.
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.
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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.