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.
APHe decided to go to the pros because that’s supposedly a higher level of coaching. I’m not sure that’s true. The level of play may be higher, but coaching is coaching no matter where you do it. The real difference is that in the pros, the job never ends and a coach’s hands are tied by the draft and the salary cap, while in college, there’s plenty of time for golf outings and vacations and the family.
The guys who should stay in the pros are those who don’t like schmoozing the alumni and boosters, and have no stomach for recruiting. Can you picture Bill Belichick making nice to the parents of a hotshot quarterback prospect? Sucking up to the president and athletic director? I can’t, either.
But guys like Saban who are outgoing and personable and people-oriented are made for college. When they succeed in the pros, they’re heroes and can even become legends. When they succeed in college, they’re gods.
That’s why I’ve never understood why any great college coach in either football or basketball would want to go to a pro league, especially the NFL. Assemble a great team in the NFL and within a couple of years big and important pieces of it go floating off into free-agency, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. If the personnel guys draft a quarterback who doesn’t work out, you can’t run out and recruit another one; you’re stuck with the bum and whatever retread you can pick off another team’s scrap heap.
In college, if one guy doesn’t work, you go out and recruit another. Sure, there’s constant turnover, with players staying four years and moving on, but the kids coming in are as good as your salesmanship skills. Get a good program going, and it becomes self-sustaining.
That’s what can happen in Alabama under Saban. It would be great for the school, great for college football, which needs its historically great programs to thrive, and great for him.
As for Miami, given the offensive deficiencies, I’m sure the Dolphins can find somebody else who can finish third in the AFC East just as well as Saban can.
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.
CollegeFootballTalk headlines |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
Saban in charge of Crimson Tide |
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.
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings