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 Images fileSouthern California’s wealth of talent has not gone unnoticed.
The Trojans were easily named the No. 1 team in the preseason coaches'/USA Today college football poll on Friday, receiving 45 of the 60 first-place votes.
USC, which had an 11-2 campaign end with a victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, received 1,481 points, more than 100 ahead of No. 2 Louisiana State (1,372).
The Trojans return starting quarterback John David Booty to go along with a stellar defense that includes tackle Sedrick Ellis, end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Keith Rivers.
USC, likely most teams in the nation, start the season on Sept. 1. The Trojans are a roughly 45-point favorite over Idaho.
The Tigers, who wrapped an 11-2 season with a 41-14 rout of Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl last season, was awarded four first-place votes.
Defending national champion Florida is third with nine first-place votes and 1,278 points. Texas is fourth with 1,231 points, followed by Michigan, which received the final two first-place votes and 1,218 points.
West Virginia is sixth, ahead of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and national runner-up Ohio State.
Louisville, which finished off a 12-1 campaign with a victory in the Orange Bowl, is 11th, followed by California, Georgia and Auburn.
Tennessee is 15th, Rutgers 16th and UCLA, which was not ranked in last season’s final poll, is 17th.
Penn State is 18th, ahead of Nebraska, Arkansas, Florida State, TCU, Boise State and Hawaii.
Texas A&M rounds out the poll.
Notre Dame was not ranked in the top 25.
The Associated Press Top 25 poll will be released later in the month.
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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 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
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TERRIFIC TROJANS Since 2002, USC has finished in the top 4 in every final AP poll. No other school has finished in the top 12 every year. In fact, USC, Ohio St., Oklahoma and Texas are the only schools to end each of the last seven seasons in the Top 25. |
| Season | AP | Coaches |
| 2008 | 3 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| 2002 | 4 | 4 |
Mike Celizic on college football |
Don't laugh, USC's Carroll on rise — and Rockne could relate |  msnbc.com |
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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.
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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