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.
Getty Images fileQ: Kentucky is coming off an 8-win season capped with a spanking of Clemson in the Music City Bowl. They return every major offensive weapon and their best defensive player and have a good class (by UK standards) coming in. Yet, they seem to garner no respect when it comes to preseason rankings. Do the experts think last season was a fluke, or do they think the schedule will be too demanding to repeat last season's success?
— Rob L. from Louisville
A: Kentucky is definitely on the upswing, Rob, but the Wildcats still have a major geographic problem. Location, location, location. They compete in the SEC East. Even with gradual improvement in its program, Kentucky is still looking up at the division’s perennial Big Three of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. And let’s not overlook Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks, who might be poised to make a move.
That being said, Kentucky certainly could have a repeat of last season’s success. The next logical step would be playing in a New Year’s Day bowl (say, Orlando or Tampa), but that’s a stretch. So another eight-win season should sit well with the Commonwealth faithful, who have endured far worse.
You’ve got to like Wildcats quarterback Andre Woodson (the SEC’s best? Maybe) and he has decent weapons with running back Rafael Little and wide receiver Keenan Burton. Kentucky’s biggest focus should be consistency on both sides of the line.
I’ve got Sept. 15 (Louisville at Kentucky) penciled in as a potential upset. But the real story of Kentucky’s season should be told in the final two weeks with a trip to Georgia and a home date with Tennessee. For Kentucky to truly make a quantum leap, it needs a split in that pivotal two-week stretch.
Q: How do you think the Hoosiers will fare in 2007? Their offense has been steadily improving and they have a relatively easy conference schedule, but they also have been reeling from the death of Coach Terry Hoeppner. Do you see a bowl game this season, finally?
— Trevor from Bloomington, Ind.
A: Indiana will be on the verge of bowl qualification, Trevor, and that is a well-deserved distinction for a program that desperately needs some things to go right. Hoeppner, 9-14 in two seasons, was changing the culture and upgrading the talent pool. His death was tragic, and no doubt, his players will be inspired to honor the memory of their fallen leader as they play on for Bill Lynch, the offensive coordinator.
Emotion can only carry Indiana so far, though. The Hoosiers’ place in the Big Ten standings probably depends on the progress at Illinois (is Coach Ron Zook’s program ready to make a move?) and Michigan State (how will the Spartans perform under new coach Mark Dantonio?).
Let’s go ahead and say it right now: Indiana’s home date with Illinois on Sept. 22 is a must-win game. The Hoosiers would’ve made their first bowl appearance since 1993 had they defeated Purdue in the season finale, but the Boilermakers prevailed 28-19. So the Nov. 17 home game with Purdue also looms large.
Even though Indiana dodges Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten schedule, the Hoosiers should be skating somewhere around the 6-6 mark. Again, Illinois at Indiana could ultimately determine the Big Ten’s final bowl slot.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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.