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.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
AP
TAMPA, Fla. - Yankees manager Joe Torre hasn’t spoken with Alex Rodriguez about the opt-out clause in the New York third baseman’s contract.
Rodriguez, a two-time AL MVP, is entering the seventh season of his $252 million, 10-year contract, a deal he signed with the Texas Rangers. He can opt out of the agreement after the season and become a free agent.
“I hope he doesn’t add that to everything he has to deal with at this point in time. It’s tough enough playing this game without looking for the finish line to soon,” Torre said before Wednesday night’s game against Minnesota.
“Whatever the result is at the end, you have to make a decision. I’m sure he’s going to be asked on a daily basis about what’s going to happen at the end. I know it’s not going to be easy for him to say I’m not thinking about it.”
Rodriguez told reporters Tuesday night that he wanted “100 percent stay in New York. Period.” In an interview earlier Tuesday on WFAN radio’s Mike and the Mad Dog program, Rodriguez indicated the fans reaction this season could be a determining factor.
“The fans are a pretty good indication on a daily basis on how they feel about you,” Torre said. “But again, they’re here to enjoy themselves. They’re not here to necessarily make you feel good about yourself. They’re going to give you an instant reaction to how you’re doing.”
Torre believes many of the questions involving A-Rod would subside if he joined the likes of former Denver quarterback John Elway, who won a Super Bowl late in his Hall of Fame career.
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“I think a big portion of all the questions that are being asked would go away,” Torre said. “Elway, to me, was a perfect example of a Hall of Famer that always had a but attached to his name.”
Notes: The Yankees reassigned top pitching prospect, RHP Phil Hughes, to their minor league camp. “You can only benefit from this experience,” Hughes said. “I got a lot of good things out of it.” He is slated to start the season at Triple-A Scranton. ... Torre said RF Bobby Abreu (strained right oblique) could take BP in the cage this weekend. ... Pitching coach Ron Guidry said RHP Chien Ming-Wang, who experienced minor tightness in right forearm-wrist during his last outing, is scheduled to make his next start Friday. ... C Wil Nieves (right biceps) resumed throwing and might swing a bat Thursday. ... RHP Humberto Sanchez (right elbow inflammation) was fine after throwing 20 pitches off a half-mound.
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.
