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.
Getty ImagesAlthough some games seem to stem from childhood pastimes (or boredom), sports come about for all sorts of reasons. The World Series of Elephant Polo, for example, played over several days each in Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka, was created to raise money for elephant conservation.
Yes, this sport can look freakish. Elephants move surprisingly fast (remember that on your next walking safari), but they’re not exactly maneuverable. Mahouts sit on the neck to “steer” the creature while players swing extra-long mallets. Adding to the spectacle are local teams, which in Thailand has included “ladyboys” clad in pink shirts and Diesel shoes (there are even rules for stopping play if their “falsies” fall out). Sure, they get trounced by the pros, but the point is make money for elephants — and to have fun. Postgame drinking is mandatory.
Other sports are created for more commercial reasons. Australia’s Lion Nathan Brewery, for example, was looking to throw some marketing money into sports. Foster’s already had a lock on regular cricket matches, so Lion Nathan got in touch with Justin Ricketts at Octagon, a sports marketing company, about creating a new sport. Ricketts had actually been mulling just such an idea: beach cricket. The beer guys loved it. “Without them,” said Ricketts, “the idea would have just sat there or been rolled out in a small way.”
Just 14 months in the planning, with rules adapted from indoor cricket and equipment invented for the sandy field, beach cricket became a hot item, with 7.2 million Aussies tuning in to the tournament last year — pretty good for a country with 20 million residents.
Octagon now wants to take the game to other cricket-friendly countries, following a trend of sports border-hopping. One example: Wife-carrying (yes, you read that right), where a man negotiates an obstacle course with his wife (or any willing female) draped over his body. The Finns created this spectacle in the 19th century, and it’s proved popular in other cold climes, like Wisconsin and Maine.
Best of all, wife-carrying is anything but exclusive: Anyone can enter. Chess boxing takes a bit more skill, but right now organizers are looking for fighter/players to compete in Los Angeles this May. Interested? Chess boxers can win by checkmate or knockout. Just don’t forget which game you’re playing.
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 (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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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.