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 ImagesHe fielded all three and threw out Bonds.
“If they hadn’t had the shift on, I’d be 4-for-4,” Bonds said. “I hit balls good. Nothing you can do about it.”
San Francisco starter Russ Ortiz (2-3) hit a grounder off Hudson’s right calf in the third. But Hudson shook it off, just as he shook off a mediocre 2006 season to recapture the form that made him one of the AL’s most dominant pitchers before he was traded to Atlanta.
Hudson hasn’t lost since June 19 and has lasted at least six innings in all but one of his 10 starts during the winning streak. He might have gotten tossed in this one if not for quick thinking by Teixeira, who stepped in when he saw the pitcher making a move toward Hernandez after the second balk.
“I lost it a little bit,” Hudson said. “But I realized the game was more important than trying to prove a point. I put it behind me.”
He also had a good night at the plate. Hudson went 2-for-3, including a run-scoring single in the second that gave the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Bob Wickman worked the ninth for his 20th save in 26 chances, though it wasn’t easy. He gave up a walk and a hit before pinch hitter Benjie Molina hit one toward the seats in center. Andruw Jones hauled it in against the wall.
Bonds cleared the wall in virtually the same place, tying the game at 2 in the sixth. But the Braves surged back in front with four runs in the bottom half, matching a four-run sixth they had in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Giants.
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Ortiz was lifted after walking Teixeira and hitting Brian McCann. Jeff Francoeur followed with a single off Scott Atchison, who then threw a wild pitch to bring home the go-ahead run. Andruw Jones, struggling and hurting, followed with a two-run double into the left-field corner.
Willie Harris finished off the outburst with a sacrifice fly to the wall in left against the third pitcher of the inning, Jack Taschner.
Notes: Hudson leads Braves pitchers with seven RBIs. He also had his second multi-hit game of the season. ... Ortiz pitched for the Braves in 2003-04. He was a 21-game winner his first season in Atlanta. ... The Giants had one hit off Hudson in each of the first six innings.
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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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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