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.
Triumph and downfall on biggest stage
Regardless, his triumph and subsequent downfall occurred on horse racing’s biggest stage — in two of only a handful of races that still draw the attention of people who know nothing about thoroughbreds. That helps explain why the level of sympathy for the colt was so visceral, why it retains such unprecedented stamina and why it may be perversely connected to remorse.
The British actress Helen Mirren, winner of two Golden Globe awards on Monday night, including one for her role as Elizabeth II in the movie “The Queen,” was quoted recently in the New York Times describing the public’s response to Princess Diana’s death. “I didn’t see it as grief, but as addicts having their drug taken away,” she said.
In Barbaro’s case, the day-to-day triumphs and setbacks may be producing the opposite effect and giving the public a badly needed opiate.
In a country that is suffering through wars gone wrong and regularly assailed by manmade disasters, Richardson and the Jacksons represent getting it right. And it feels good each time Barbaro emerges from his latest setback to fight another day. A horse that’s supposed to be dead is indeed beating the odds.
What no one is talking about
But nobody wants to talk about the fact that this daily drama comes at the expense of the Jacksons and, more important, the horse. Nobody wants to talk about the fact that they might have to put this horse down if he takes another sudden turn for the worse.
Moreover, people who own racehorses need to accept that the sport involves casualties and be willing to do whatever is necessary to alleviate unfortunate participants from unbearable pain.
The Barbaro tragedy and its subsequent medical saga have focused our attention on competence and compassion — qualities in rare supply in today's world. As a result, Barbaro may now be better remembered for the courage he showed during his long battle against his injuries than what he accomplished in May.
But despite his valiant struggle, eventually, and regrettably, the ode to Barbaro – now a folk song — may become a requiem.
We should not be afraid of that. Euthanasia, under the right circumstances, is the right call. And if and when that time comes, sentiment must not obscure what is important, which is to give Barbaro a decent end.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
 | INTERACTIVE |
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 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
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.
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