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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has 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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
ReutersMatsuzaka, the first Japanese pitcher to win a World Series game, was worth every penny of the $103 million the Red Sox spent to lure him last winter. He pitched shutout ball into the sixth and wound up allowing two runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings. He also drove in two runs with his first big league hit.
Matsuzaka left after consecutive walks with one out in the sixth, and Javier Lopez allowed consecutive RBI singles to Hawpe and Yorvit Torrealba that made it 6-2. Mike Timlin escaped when pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs flied to the center-field warning track and Jeff Baker, another pinch hitter, lined to leaping shortstop Julio Lugo.
Holliday had Rockies fans thinking comeback with his home run into the Rockpile, which ended a streak of 17 1-3 scoreless innings in the postseason for Okajima and closer Jonathan Papelbon. Todd Helton followed with a single, but Okajima recovered to strike out Garrett Atkins and Hawpe, then retired Torrealba on a comebacker. Papelbon retired Holliday on a flyout to left with two outs in the eighth and finished for his second save of the Series.
Boston’s burst in the third had quieted the crowd of 49,983. Ortiz doubled to put Boston ahead, Mike Lowell’s single up the middle made it 3-0 and Varitek hit a one-out single to left, where Holliday made a strong throw home to just catch Ramirez — who signaled himself safe as umpire Ted Barrett called him out. Matsuzaka’s single made it 5-0 lead and Ellsbury drove in another run with his second double of the inning.
Rockies relievers retired 14 of the next 15. But it turned out the six runs were enough.
After the close call, Boston isn’t thinking party, not just yet.
“These guys won 20 out of 21 and now have lost three in a row,” Youkilis said. “You can’t look at the past.”
Notes: Lester overcame lymphoma, while Cook came back from a blood clot. ... Before Saturday, the highest altitude for a Series game was 1,117 feet in Phoenix. ... Arizona’s Matt Williams doubled twice in an inning against the Yankees in Game 6 in 2001. ... Matsuzaka became the first pitcher to drive in runs in the Series since Florida’s Brad Penny had two RBIs against the Yankees in Game 5 in 2003.
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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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.
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.
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