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.
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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.
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MIAMI - Don Shula used softer language Thursday, but stuck by his belief the New England Patriots’ success this season is diminished by the spying scandal that prompted stiff punishment from the NFL in September.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Shula laughed when asked if the Patriots deserve an asterisk if they finish 19-0.
“That’s not for me to say,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach said. “They were penalized, after the first game, wasn’t it? They had a No. 1 draft choice taken away, and (coach Bill) Belichick was fined, and the team was fined. ...
“Since then they’ve been playing within the rules, and their accomplishments should be recognized. But if there was something that happened to diminish what they’ve accomplished, then that has been noted.”
Shula coached the Miami Dolphins to a 17-0 record in 1972, still the NFL’s only perfect season. He caused a stir when he first made critical comments regarding the Patriots scandal to the New York Daily News on Monday.
“You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it,” Shula told the newspaper. “I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds’ home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No. 1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment.”
However, Shula declined to make the Bonds comparison when asked about it by the AP.
“I don’t know enough about Barry Bonds,” Shula said.
And Shula backtracked Thursday when discussing the Patriots on ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”
“If they run the table, and they win all the games, then they are doing it within the rules of the National Football League,” Shula told ESPN. “And there shouldn’t be any asterisk to it. That would be the accomplishment that they made. It would be the best in all of sports.”
Following the Patriots’ season opener, the NFL determined the team used a video camera to spy on opposing coaches and steal signals. Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick next year.
The Patriots are 9-0 this season after defeating previously unbeaten Indianapolis last Sunday.
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.
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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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.