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.
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.
APPart of the fun of the NCAA tournament is the sudden-death nature of the event. One and done is the way of the March Madness world. Hot Cinderellas can easily dispatch a super power on a bad day. But for the most part, the NCAAs are the ultimate proving ground where the best teams or the hottest teams end up in the Final Four.
But this is one of those rare Final Fours where, at least going into the weekend, it looks like all teams are created equal. How do you choose between four teams that are so evenly balanced both in talent, depth, experience and coaching?
Izzo is one of my favorite basketball guys. He’s a certifiable hoop junkie and a man of Final Four letters (four trips, one title). He can vividly recite every pitfall or advantage that can come from being a wide-eyed Final Four neophyte or a frustrated veteran of multiple unsuccessful championship trips.
So at the start of the tournament, he thought he had it all figured out.
“I had Kansas and UCLA in the championship because they have the talent, depth, defense and experience,” said Izzo. “Yet as I watched the tournament play out, the two teams who are the hottest and are playing the best are the other two teams, Memphis and North Carolina, so go figure.”
Izzo and nearly all of the other coaches think this is going to be such a dizzy, delicious and competitive Final Four — the sort of championship semifinals and final that will see every game go down to anxious last-second plays. And that’s exactly how I was thinking until I had a brief conversation with Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. I found Pearl at the Adolph Rupp coach and player of the year presentation as the national coach of the year. He is responsible for the only loss on Memphis’ resume, and also got to see North Carolina up close as the Heels blitzed through the East Regional (UT lost in the Sweet 16 to Louisville).
“I’m not so sure it’s going to be that close,” he said.
Domination and blowouts at this Final Four?
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“I think there’s a chance that one of these teams could dominate this weekend,” said Pearl. “I don’t know who they are, but there is that chance one of these teams could just flat out take control of this thing and win it easy.”
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.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.
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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 |
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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