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.
AP
CHICAGO - Time and again, the Seattle Seahawks couldn’t come up with the big plays.
Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception and bobbled a snap. Shaun Alexander couldn’t deliver on fourth-and-one.
Fourth-quarter failures ended Seattle’s hopes to advance to the NFC title game, and the Seahawks were left stunned after a 27-24 loss to the Chicago Bears.
“It was right there for us,” Hasselbeck said, his eyes red and moist. “We just didn’t get it done.
“I think we’re in a little bit of shock right now.”
The Seahawks, who finished 10-8, still haven’t won a road playoff game since 1983.
With 2 minutes left in regulation, Hasselbeck bobbled a snap on fourth down, costing Alexander a chance at a first down and a potential touchdown.
“I think if that snap was smooth, I could have run for a touchdown,” said Alexander, who ran for 108 yards.
Hasselbeck was playing with an injured, non-throwing hand that has bothered him on exchanges with first-year starter Chris Spencer. Hasselbeck refused to use that as an excuse, though, and didn’t blame the snap on Spencer.
Hasselbeck, who finished 18-for-33 for 195 yards with one touchdown and an interception, said he simply bobbled the exchange.
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Hasselbeck began the second half 5-for-7 passing, as Seattle rallied from a 21-14 halftime deficit into a 24-21 lead entering the final period. But his eighth throw of the half, early in the fourth quarter, was his worst of the day.
He scrambled left and passed, hoping Bobby Engram would come back to the ball. Engram didn’t. That left Ricky Manning Jr. to make an easy interception at the Seattle 32 — one play after Pete Hunter intercepted a pass by Rex Grossman on a deflection off Mushin Muhammad’s chest to turn away Chicago.
It was Hasselbeck’s 18th interception in 14 games this season.
“Really, really bad play by me,” he said. “Very poor.”
The Seahawks’ final, fatal mistake came in overtime, when Jordan “Big Play” Babineaux was involved in a big play that helped the Bears.
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“My fault,” Babineaux said. “I’m supposed to knock him off his route. I retreated too fast.”
In the first quarter, Babineaux let a sure interception go through his hands for a 37-yard catch by Davis. That set up Chicago’s first touchdown.
“We had this game,” a dejected Babineaux said in a church-quiet Seattle locker room.
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.
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.
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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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
