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.
APIt will still be compelling to watch Earnhardt give it one last shot, and it was riveting to watch him Sunday night in California.
He was red-faced and spent after driving his wheels off for 500 miles in 100-degree heat, and the twinge in his voice made his words sound like a concession speech. Earnhardt is leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season, and this is his final opportunity to win a Cup title in his beloved No. 8 Chevrolet.
“I would like to thank my team,” Earnhardt said. “I like to think they can run just as good without me, but I would never be able to run that good without them.”
It will be interesting to see if Harvick can stop his slide. The Daytona 500 winner has plummeted from seventh to 12th the past six weeks.
He’ll claim he’s not concerned, and the sensible part of him knows it will be awfully hard for Earnhardt to gain 128 points on him in one final race. But he’s clearly on edge.
“We’re in the race,” he growled, when asked if he was concerned about the Chase following his 14th-place finish Sunday night. “You make a story about it and jerk everybody around and make them feel it’s a good story. I feel like you’re asking me stupid questions because we’re in good shape.”
Unlike last year, when defending champion Tony Stewart stunningly missed the Chase, or 2004 when Jeremy Mayfield won Richmond to earn his berth, there shouldn’t be much drama beyond Harvick’s snarls and Earnhardt’s effort.
Only 10 drivers made the Chase in its first three seasons, and the field was expanded to 12 this year. After one season, it appears adding the two spots has watered down the field and taken all the air out the “Race to the Chase.”
Yet it’s way too early to call it a bust — the Chase may still be fantastic. And there’s still time to hope it produces a fraction of the IRL’s fireworks.
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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.
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.