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.
NEW YORK - There’s money in those pinstripes.
The New York Yankees’ value increased 17 percent in the past year to $1.2 billion, Forbes magazine said Thursday in its annual estimates of franchise worth.
The Florida Marlins, given the lowest value at $244 million, had the highest operating income at $43.3 million, according to the magazine.
“As usual, the franchise valuations and operating income numbers are pure fantasy and based on no correct information,” Marlins president David Samson said. “To comment on such irresponsible journalism would only give it more credit than it deserves.”
The magazine defended its article.
“Forbes compiles its annual valuations of Major League Baseball franchises based on information obtained from team executives, sports bankers, public documents, and other sources believed to be reliable,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Wasden said. “We stand by our figures, and the content published.”
Despite the record evaluation for the Yankees, Forbes said they were the only ones to post an operating loss after revenue sharing last year. The magazine estimated the Yankees were $25.2 million in the red on operating revenue of $302 million, after revenue-sharing payments to the commissioner’s office. The Yankees estimate their revenue-sharing bill for 2006 will be about $70 million.
“I am gratified at the Forbes valuation of the Yankees,” New York owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. “We are continuing to build a worldwide brand for the people of New York and Yankee fans everywhere.”
The New York Mets were given the second-highest value ($736 million), followed by the Boston Red Sox ($724 million), the Los Angeles Dodgers ($632 million), the Chicago Cubs ($592 million), World Series champion St. Louis ($460 million), San Francisco ($459 million), Atlanta ($458 million) and Philadelphia ($457 million).
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Franchise values did not include provisions for television networks owned in whole or part by teams, such as the YES Network (Yankees), NESN (Red Sox) and Comcast SportsNetChicago (Cubs), Forbes associate editor Kurt Badenhausen said.
The Dodgers had the second-highest operating income at $27.5 million, followed by Pittsburgh ($25.3 million), Cleveland ($24.9 million), the Mets ($24.4 million), Colorado ($23.9 million), Cincinnati ($22.4 million), the Cubs ($22.2 million), Seattle ($21.5 million), Milwaukee ($20.8 million) and Tampa ($20.2 million).
Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president of labor relations, criticized Forbes’ figures last year but declined comment Thursday.
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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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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
