Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
APBecause of the wacky new system of seeding teams instituted this season — which is actually more fair than the insane system the league used last year that produced a Dallas-San Antonio semifinal even though they had the two best records in the conference — the Cavs and Bulls are locked in a ferocious fight for that No. 2 seed, even though neither will win the Central Division title. That belongs to Detroit.
The Bulls have the edge. After pulverizing the weakened Wizards on Sunday afternoon, they’re at 49-32, with one game remaining on Wednesday at New Jersey. If they win that, they’re No. 2. And they also own the tiebreaker with the Cavs because of a better division record.
The Cavs have two contests left, both against lame opposition: on Tuesday at Philadelphia, and Wednesday at home against Milwaukee. Cleveland will have to pray it can dispatch the Sixers and Bucks and that the Nets can do them a favor against the Bulls.
Kudos to the Toronto Raptors, who not only are going to the postseason for the first time in five years but earned the home court in the first round. A statue outside their arena in tribute to Chris Bosh can’t be too far behind.
The Pistons, who have clinched the top seed in the East, will probably play the Orlando Magic in the first round. The Magic nailed down a playoff spot, likely No. 8, by winning a squeaker over the Celtics Sunday night. It’s the Magic’s first postseason appearance in four years. Keep a close eye on this team during the playoffs, because if you don’t you may miss its participation in the tournament. The Pistons should erase them quickly.
Yet a Pistons-Magic series would be compelling for the matchup between geezer Chris Webber of Detroit and young dynamo Dwight Howard of Orlando. The Pistons will likely trounce the Magic with their experience, but Howard will get a bigger stage to show off his greatness.
Orlando is in partly because Indiana is out. The Pacers folded at home against the Nets Sunday night, causing them to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
So if you’re looking for any remaining suspense over the final three days of the NBA’s regular season, just start from the bottom.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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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.
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.