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.
AP
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Rick Dutrow slept in Sunday morning, and who could blame him?
After enjoying one of the greatest days of his career, the trainer is looking forward to even bigger and better times, perhaps on the first Saturday in May.
Big Brown had Dutrow in awe following a five-length victory in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The win came a few hours after Dutrow won twice in Dubai — a $2 million race with Benny the Bull and a $1 million race with Diamond Stripes.
Dutrow, though, has the Kentucky Derby on his mind after Big Brown made it three romps in three career races. The imposing bay colt will show up at Churchill Downs in five weeks as one of the favorites — if not the top choice.
"I wouldn't trade horses with anyone,'' Dutrow said Sunday afternoon, his voice raspy after a Saturday full of celebrations. "I haven't seen one 3-year-old anywhere in the world that can beat Brown. ... and I've watched them all run.''
Dutrow's other big day came in the 2005 Breeders' Cup, when he won the BC Classic with eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam and the BC Sprint with Silver Train.
Now comes the possibility of a win with his first Derby starter.
"I'm very happy with where we are,'' Dutrow said, adding Big Brown came out of the race in fine shape. "He's healthy. He's fine.''
Pyro, the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby winner, remains No. 1 on this week's Run to the Roses' Top 10 list, but Big Brown zooms to No. 2 after being unranked. Big Brown is scheduled to remain at Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla., for his next workout, and then it's on to Kentucky.
War Pass, meanwhile, moves to No. 3. The front-running colt seems ready to re-establish himself as a top Derby contender following his last-place finish - and first loss - in the Tampa Bay Derby. He has been training sharply, according to trainer Nick Zito, and will headline the field for next Saturday's Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where likely challengers will be Court Vision, Tale of Ekati and Texas Wildcatter.
Zito is looking for a big effort three weeks after War Pass got off to a poor start and never got a chance to move into the lead as is his style.
"I still think he's my best horse,'' Zito said. "And I promise you, nobody will be in War Pass' way early. Whether he makes it or not, I don't know what the outcome will be. But I can tell you one thing - he'll be on the lead.''
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Also set for next Saturday is the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Park, featuring unbeaten Denis of Cork.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
 | INTERACTIVE |
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 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
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.
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.
