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.
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.
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.
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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
APWinning the NBA title
If you’re putting money on the Celtics to win the East, then you may as well put some more on them to take the NBA crown at the same time. At least that’s the angle taken by Covers.com’s Ashton Grewal, based on the current disparity between the East and West.
“Boston gets a free pass to the Finals because of the Conference they play in,” Grewal says. “That's why I feel more confident picking them to win the championship than San Antonio. Phoenix, Dallas or Houston could all beat (San Antonio) in the playoffs.”
It’s a valid argument for bettors to consider. The West is a crapshoot this year, with the Spurs as defending champs but Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki starting the season with huge chips on their collective shoulders.
Add the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors to the mix and betting the Western champ seems like a losing proposition. So why not roll the dice on what appears to be the clear-cut best team in the East?
I can’t recommend Boston to take the title, however, even at 10-1. The holes that the Celtics can cover up against Eastern opponents will be uncovered and exploited by the majority of Western teams noted above.
Imagine the Celtics and Spurs meet in the NBA Finals in June 2008. You get Garnett matching up with Tim Duncan and Pierce and Allen facing off with Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen. Then what? I’ll tell you what you get after that: uneven bench strength, Doc Rivers trying to match wits with Gregg Popovich and another Finals MVP for Tony Parker, that’s what.
Some bettors will argue that the Western representative will be tired after slugfests in the first three rounds. That’s likely true. But the Celtics, if they advance that far, won’t be spring chickens in the Finals either. Garnett, Pierce and Allen will play 40 minutes a night for the 100 games leading up to the Finals. They don’t have a choice – Boston’s lack of depth demands it.
So as intriguing as Garnett’s addition is to the Celtics and as happy as I am that basketball means something in Boston again, I can’t bank on the Celts to take the 2008 NBA title. There’s something more than a little scary about Leon Powe and Glen Davis getting important minutes in the months ahead.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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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.
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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.