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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
Reuters fileWhile Rodriguez won the AL MVP award for the second time in 2005, he was booed for stretches at Yankee Stadium last season, when he hit made 24 errors. Some thought that if Jeter spoke out on A-Rod’s behalf, fans would go easier on him.
“Derek can’t stop the fans from booing. They boo all of us,” catcher Jorge Posada said.
And then came another abysmal postseason for Rodriguez. He’s 4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his last 12 playoff games dating to 2004. He got just one hit in last year’s playoff loss to Detroit.
“I stunk. And when you stink, sometimes, you have to call it,” he said. “I went 1-for-14 last year with an error and that’s pretty lousy.”
As the Yankees were eliminated in Game 4, he was dropped to eighth in the batting order for the first time in a decade.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “Yes, I was embarrassed.”
Rodriguez is entering the seventh season of his $252 million, 10-year contract, a deal he signed with the Texas Rangers. He can terminate the agreement after the season, forfeit the $72 million owed in the final three years and become a free agent. He also could pressure New York for an extension.
He said he wants to remain a Yankee, but wouldn’t promise that he will. Like Mariano Rivera, he is thinking ahead to the new ballpark scheduled to open in 2009.
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“My goal is to go in with Derek and Mo and open the new stadium. I’m saying it pretty clear, fellas,” he said.
Steve Swindal, the Yankees’ general partner, saw it the same way.
“I would love to see him end his career here. He’s great. He’s the real deal,” was his reaction.
Rodriguez knows his contract has made him a target, adding to his burden. Still, he doesn’t mind.
“I love being the highest-paid player in the game. It’s pretty cool. I like making that money. You get crushed, but you know what? It’s pretty cool. I enjoy it,” he said. “I was poor and broke when I grew up. I didn’t have that type of money to help out children. Now I get a chance to help out children. Whatever you say is important. People listen to you. That’s pretty cool. Nobody used to listen to me before.”
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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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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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.
