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?
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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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -England defender Joleon Lescott preserved Manchester City's two-point lead in the Premier League by scoring a second-half winner in a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday.
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.
Looper said he felt something during the third inning, but managed to get through the fourth allowing an unearned run.
“That’s about the weirdest inning I’ve ever pitched,” Looper said. “I felt great and was locating the ball. It was pretty frustrating the way it transpired. That many runs in an inning is frustrating. It kept getting worse and then it was like a toothache; always there.”
Even as Cavazos was pitching, La Russa had made the decision to use Spiezio. The Cardinals’ last four losses have been by six or more and they’ve dropped 18 games by at least five runs. St. Louis has allowed at least eight runs in five of its last seven games.
“They had already scored enough,” La Russa said. “I’m pleased it didn’t turn into a big crooked number which would have made it a real farce. It was already a tough enough loss. He threw three outs.”
Spiezio became the first Cardinals position player to pitch since Cody McKay on April 8, 2004.
“He told me in the seventh to go out and warm up,” Spiezio said. “When he approached me I thought I was going to pinch hit or play in the field. They told me to throw nothing but fastballs. Tony told me to go out there and have some fun. I haven’t done it since high school.”
Juan Encarnacion extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single in the second. Chris Duncan followed with an RBI double and two outs later Aaron Miles singled home a run to put the Cardinals up 2-0.
The A’s also batted around in the seventh, with Johnson’s homer the big shot. Kotsay drove in two and Swisher singled in a run.
Notes: The A’s agreed to terms with five more players from the June draft: RHP Travis Banwart, 1B Dan Hamblin, SS Michael Richard, LHP Aaron Jenkins and OF Herbert Hudson. ... A’s INF Donnie Murphy was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for RHP Ruddy Lugo, who was claimed off waivers Thursday. ... The A’s recorded their 8,000th franchise victory.
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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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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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.