Super Bowl XLVI
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.
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.
Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi scored shootout goals to give Detroit a 2-1 win over Anaheim on Friday. The victory was the Red Wings' 19th consecutive at home, one shy of the NHL record.
Jeremy Lin had the most astounding performance of his remarkable week, scoring a career-high 38 points and outdueling Kobe Bryant as the New York Knicks held off the Los Angeles Lakers 92-85 on Friday night.
Arc's weekend preview: The way you beat Kentucky is by getting physical with their big guys, and the Wildcats don’t have much depth up front.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Despite an injury scare and a few missed opportunities at Monterey Peninsula CC, Tiger Woods remains in contention at the AT&T.
John Isner jolted Roger Federer with his big serve and booming groundstrokes Friday, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to give the United States a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup.
Manchester City will find at least three highly motivated players in its way Sunday when it tries to improve upon its flagging away form in the Premier League at Aston Villa.
All that stuff about the Olympic ideal, how it's all about taking part, not winning, can often seem like so much hot air, rendered hopelessly quaint and outdated by the ultra-competitive and mercenary world of modern sport. Until, that is, you speak to Kieran Behan.
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.
AP
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - When an infant in the stadium stands began to cry during a rally Sunday, Lindsay Davenport won the point anyway. Motherhood hasn’t diminished her focus at work.
Still gaining momentum in her career comeback after becoming a parent, Davenport upset second-ranked Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 in the third round at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Davenport left the women’s tour in late 2006 to have her first child, then came back last summer. The three-time Grand Slam champion is 17-3 this year with two titles, and she rated the win over Ivanovic as her best since returning.
“It’s quite rewarding,” said Davenport, 31. “In this comeback, for lack of better words, I’ve not made a fool of myself. I’ve done pretty well for my age and for what I’ve been through. Obviously days like today just give me more incentive to keep going.”
Hampered by injuries in recent years, Davenport is playing at Key Biscayne for the first time since 2003. She next faces No. 13 Dinara Safina, who rallied past No. 18 Sybille Bammer 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.
Serena and Venus Williams also reached the fourth round, as did top-seeded Justine Henin. Four-time champion Serena Williams had the toughest time, overcoming 60 unforced errors and a 3-0 deficit in the second set to beat No. 27 Flavia Pennetta 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2.
Williams said a rain delay when she trailed 3-2 in the second set helped.
“My mom called me,” Williams said. “She knows my game really well. She was like, ‘Stay up. Don’t get behind the baseline.’ I’m like, ‘Are you here? Are you watching on TV?’
“She’s like, ‘No, but I know you.” So I was like, ‘OK.’ I just tried to listen.”
No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova also needed a comeback. In the second set she overcame a 5-2 deficit and a match point, and she swept the final 11 games to beat No. 25 Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 7-5 6-0.
Venus Williams, seeded sixth, defeated wild card Marina Erakovic 6-2, 6-1. Henin beat Sara Errani by the same score.
No. 4 Jelena Jankovic won her second match in 18 hours, beating Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-1. The victory came after Jankovic played past midnight Saturday night, saving five match points in a third-set tiebreaker to beat Sofia Arvidsson.
On the men’s side, No. 2 Rafael Nadal never faced a break point and beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-4. No. 9 James Blake outlasted 35-year-old Fabrice Santoro, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4.
The 20-year-old Ivanovic was the Australian Open runner-up and won Indian Wells this month. But her game unraveled against Davenport, who repeatedly swatted deep service returns and broke six times.
“She played like a top 10 player easily today,” Ivanovic said. “I must say I haven’t played against many players who can return so well and so deep, so she puts a lot of pressure on my serve.”
Davenport relied on her customary power but also showed surprising finesse, winning 13 of 14 points at the net.
“I picked the right shots to come in on,” she said, laughing.
Henin had more trouble with the sunny, 85-degree weather than with her opponent. The Belgian won 19 of 20 points on her first serve, including five with aces, and she was glad to get off the court after only 63 minutes.
“It’s very hot out there,” Henin said. “It was quite difficult to breathe. I usually like when it’s hot, but I haven’t been in this heat for a long time. Even in Australia it wasn’t that hot this year, so it’s quite difficult.”
Henin swept the final three games of the first set and won the final four games of the second set. She’s a seven-time Grand Slam champion, but is seeking her first title at Key Biscayne.
Venus Williams is trying for her fourth Key Biscayne title, and her first since 2001. She has lost only 10 games in two matches and was pleased with her latest performance.
“I played consistent and not too many errors, which is great for me,” she said. “I was just winning all of the important points.”
Ai Sugiyama edged No. 7 Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-5. Other seeded women eliminated were No. 11 Patty Schnyder, No. 22 Katarina Srebotnik and No. 24 Amelie Mauresmo.
John Isner jolted Roger Federer with his big serve and booming groundstrokes Friday, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 to give the United States a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in the first round of the Davis Cup.
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Jeremy Lin had the most astounding performance of his remarkable week, scoring a career-high 38 points and outdueling Kobe Bryant as the New York Knicks held off the Los Angeles Lakers 92-85 on Friday night.
Plenty of people are telling the Jeremy Lin story, because it's just a good story. The underdog, the unexpected and the first player since LeBron James nearly a decade ago to put up at least 20 points and eight assists in his first two NBA starts.
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.
