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.
AP
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Straight-faced Payton Purvis was trying to answer a question when he heard Dalton Carriker giggling to his right.
Purvis and Carricker had plenty to be happy about after they helped Warner Robins, Ga., beat Walpole, Mass., 8-1 on Wednesday at the Little League World Series.
Georgia (2-1) clinched a berth in the U.S. semifinals and learned later Wednesday that its opponent would be Chandler, Ariz., which defeated Coon Rapids, Minn. 9-2.
The other U.S. semifinal will feature unbeaten Lubbock, Texas, against Lake Oswego, Ore.
In the international bracket Wednesday, Mexicali, Mexico lost both ends of a day-night doubleheader, 4-2 to Taichung, Taiwan and 11-1 to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Also, Willemstad Curacao, defeated White Rock, British Columbia, 6-2.
Japan will face Taiwan in one international semifinal Thursday, with Venezuela vs. Curacao in the other matchup.
Purvis, who drove in two runs with a single, said his team’s accomplishments haven’t sunk in yet.
“It will really settle in when the whole tourney is over and you realize you are one of the four best teams in the country,” the 12-year-old outfielder said.
That’s when Carriker and teammate Micah Wells burst into laughter, burying their faces in their hands. Purvis stared at them and feigned a punch at Wells, sitting next to him.
“Stop laughing,” Purvis said. “You’re making me laugh!”
Carriker was the star with a three-run home run in the second that landed far beyond the 225-foot sign down the right-field line at Volunteer Stadium, bouncing in front of a driveway.
Carriker also struck out seven in four-plus innings, finishing a game that had been suspended in the top of the second inning Tuesday night because of rain.
The youngster spent a restless Tuesday night in his dorm room after manager Mickey Lay told him before their 11:30 p.m. bedtime that he would take over in relief when the game resumed.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Carricker said. “I was ready to throw.”
Down 6-0, Walpole mounted a brief threat in the third after Patrick Hayes Jr. doubled, hustled to third on a fly out and scored on a double by Matthew Bender. Carriker got the next hitter, John Adams, to ground out to end the inning. Walpole (1-2) was eliminated.
“Even though we lost, I think the 13 kids fulfilled their dream by making the Little League World Series,” Walpole manager Brian Oberacker said.
Rain wreaked havoc on the entire first-round, especially for Mexico, which was forced to play a day game against Taiwan and a night game against Venezuela.
Little League president Stephen Keener said it was the first time he could remember a team playing a doubleheader in the World Series.
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Venezuela’s Omar Villalobos hit his third homer of the series — this one a three-run blast to deep right-center — and Alberth Castillo struck out eight of the first 11 Mexico batters as Venezuela remained unbeaten (3-0). Mexico’s Antonio Pantoja ended the no-hitter with a homer.
Earlier, Kai-Ying Chen hit a home run on the second pitch of the game and Jen-Cheih Liu also homered for Taiwan.
Mexico manager Andres Martinez said sitting out for so long affected his team more than having to play two games in a day.
“Too much rest, not doing anything at all,” he said through translator Sergio Guzman. “The last two days just shut us down.”
Curacao 6, Canada 2
Three pitchers combined on a four-hitter and Juremi Profar hit a two-run homer for Curacao (2-1). Kirvin Moesquit added two hits for Curacao, the Carribean region champs. Canada (1-2) was eliminated.
Chandler, Ariz. 9, Coon Rapids, Minn. 2
Kyle Pechloff and Connor Woods had clutch hits in a seven-run fifth inning to lead Chandler (2-1). Arizona sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth, breaking open a 2-2 game.
Seth Fretheim went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs. Tanner Lowe was 2-for-3 and drove in a run for Coon Rapids (1-2), which was eliminated.
“You never know with our team,” Fretheim said. “You could strike out the side in the first inning, but we could come back in the next inning and every one of us will have a hit.”
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.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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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.
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