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.
APMelvin’s stoicism often has been mistaken as weakness. Because he doesn’t berate players publicly or kick over buffet, it’s been said he lacks fire.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Melvin hates to lose as much as any man in the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse.
“His passion and competitiveness are very much there,” general manager Josh Byrnes said. “He just chooses not to show it in the dugout.”
Melvin will express his feelings privately, though. He berated the team when it lost three of four to Milwaukee in mid-July, and he has had closed-door sessions with several players.
The private chats serve two purposes: Melvin gets his point across, and the players respect him for keeping the conversation from the prying eyes and ears of the media.
“He holds us responsible,” first baseman Tony Clark said. “You may not see it, but he lets us know if we’re not doing what he wants us to do.”
One of Melvin’s best attributes — besides his communication skills, which Clark has said is the best of any manager he’s played for — is his ability to make the right decisions when it comes to personnel and in-game strategy.
The best example: The Diamondbacks lost two straight games to the Pittsburgh Pirates the final week of the season, slicing their lead over the San Diego Padres to one game.
Ace Brandon Webb was scheduled to pitch the third and final game of the series, but the weather forecast called for rain. Melvin, looking ahead to Arizona’s final three games in Colorado, didn’t want to use Webb and then have rain possibly wash out his start.
So he gave the ball to rookie Micah Owings in the most important game of the year and saved Webb for the series opener against Colorado.
The result: Owings tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings in an 8-0 win, and Webb beat the Rockies the next day to clinch a playoff berth for Arizona.
“He’s made a lot of shrewd and gutsy moves,” Byrnes said.
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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.