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.
APJust a couple of months ago, old mentor James “Poo” Johnson called Vick to ask if he could get some equipment for a Boys & Girls Club tournament. No. 7 sent the stuff right along and said he would try to attend the event.
“He’s being portrayed now sort of like a monster, but that’s not him,” said Johnson, who first met Vick two decades ago. “I know his heart.”
After being drafted by the Falcons, Vick spent one season as a backup and took over as the starter in 2002, leading Atlanta to the playoffs for the first time in four years. They made it all the way to the NFC championship game two seasons later.
“Mike did everything we asked him to do,” said Dan Reeves, Vick’s first pro coach. “He was never any trouble, and he had a great attitude, particularly for a young player drafted as high as he was.”
Vick was hardly a dominating presence in the locker room, largely keeping to himself and a close circle of friends.
“It seems like he’s had the same circle of friends he had as a kid,” said Reeves, who was fired during a dismal ’03 season that fell apart when Vick broke his leg in the preseason. “Maybe that’s because he kept hanging out with a few guys he grew up with instead of making more friends on the team.”
Colwell, the sociology professor, said it’s not unusual for someone coming from a poor neighborhood to stick with those he grew up with, even after going on to fame and fortune. If anything, the bonds to the past are especially comforting when one is suddenly faced with a drastic change in lifestyle.
“You’re asking a lot out of a person to divorce themselves from their background,” Colwell said. “Your identity is rooted in actual people. You’re asking someone to be someone else, to essentially say, ’Ignore everyone that cares for you and you’ve come to know.’ It can feel a little like jumping off into an abyss.”
Last year, as Marcus Vick prepared for the NFL draft after getting kicked out of Virginia Tech for repeated misbehavior, his big brother seemed to be stable influence. Michael admonished his little brother, telling him to clean up his act and start taking responsibility for his actions.
“He needs to realize that he’s a grown man now,” Vick said at the time. “This is his livelihood.”
Maybe Vick should have heeded his own advice.
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.
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 What's next for Michael Vick? Aug. 27: NFL star Michael Vick publicly apologizes for his role in a dogfighting ring. NBC's Kevin Corke reports. |
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.