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.
AFP/Getty ImagesIf you’re in the Southern California area and you love mixed martial arts, don’t miss the first North American Mixed Martial Arts Exposition.
Randy Couture is just one of many mixed martial arts stars appearing at the first NAMMAE expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim this weekend.
“This is the very first of its kind,” said Tamara Suguitan, spokesperson for NAMMAE. “Our purpose was to bring the world of MMA together and let the public know how big it has become. Right now it’s the fastest growing sport in the world.”
Suguitan said organizing an MMA expo was the brainchild of Brian Paul Jaus, who dabbles in the sport and is the founder of NAMMAE and its parent organization Dead Mans Hand Athletics, a clothing apparel company.
“It also gives fans a chance to meet with some of the biggest names in MMA,” said Suguitan.
Couture, the UFC heavyweight champion, hosts an MMA seminar on Sunday and many other MMA fighters are expected to appear including Dan Henderson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Matt Lindland, Joe Stevenson, Tito Ortiz, Sean Sherk, Jason Miller, Karo Parisian, Tyson Griffin and others.
“We just got confirmation that Brandon Vera is coming down with his wife Lisa Vera who is also a fighter,” said Suguitan. “Other girl fighters are coming down too like Gina Carano the most popular girl fighter.”
Aside from providing fans a chance to meet their heroes for autographs and photographs, the expo also allows an outlet for all other groups and companies connected to the fast-growing sport.
“It benefits everybody in MMA from the fighters to the consumers from the ring girls to the apparel companies,” Suguitan said.
Jujitsu expert Eddie Bravo recently published a book and is also giving a seminar on the grappling technique on Saturday.
There’s also going to be a female kung fu exhibition, law enforcement technique seminars, the International Fight League awards ceremony and the first Miss NAMMAE will be named.
Amateur tournaments will also take place for both children and adults on both days beginning at 10 a.m. There will be a $500 prize and trophies awarded.
“It’s a trade show and consumer expo,” Suguitan said.
For more information call (714) 765-8950 or go to www.nammae.com
UFC 79 fighter changes
Earlier this week Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Dana White revealed during a telephone press conference that UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra suffered an injury and was forced to pull out of his UFC 79 “Nemesis” match against former champion Matt Hughes.
Now replacing Serra is the man he beat Georges St. Pierre, who beat Hughes last year. The two will be fighting each other for the third time on Dec. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Hughes beat St. Pierre in 2004 early in the Canadian’s career so this fight will break the tie.
Hughes and Serra both appeared on the Ultimate Fighter reality television show where they displayed open animosity toward each other. Too bad the fight won’t happen. But it doesn’t mean that St. Pierre is less a great opponent. It’s a fight that should have taken place immediately after their second encounter more than a year ago.
Also on the same fight card are two extremely enticing light heavyweight match ups featuring Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell meeting Pride standout Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and undefeated Lyoto Machida against once-beaten but quickly rising Rameau Sokoudjou who fights out of California.
That’s three main events in one if you ask me.
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.
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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