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.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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 title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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
CHICAGO - With A-Rod out, the Yankees still powered their way past the White Sox.
Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh, Johnny Damon added a three-run shot in the eighth and Jason Giambi also homered, helping Chien-Ming Wang get his 50th career win in a 9-5 victory Tuesday night.
“The guys did a good job of getting on base and we scored eight of our runs off home runs,” Damon said. “When you are able to get a grand slam and a three-run homer, it makes things a lot easier.”
The Yankees had struggled scoring runs with only 85 in their first 20 games. But with the injured Alex Rodriguez missing his first game while in Miami for the birth of his second daughter, New York’s offense took off.
“We’re supposed to score runs. We’re an offensive team. That’s what we’re here for,” said Abreu, who’s used to having Rodriguez bat behind him.
“You have a guy like behind you like Alex, they are going to just come right at you. It’s a different thing. You just have to get yourself prepared when Alex is not here,” Abreu said. “I just make my adjustments and that’s pretty much what it is.”
Abreu connected for his seventh career grand slam off Octavio Dotel with two outs in the seventh to rally New York from a 3-2 deficit. It was his sixth homer in only 14 games at U.S. Cellular Field.
“I like to hit here. It’s a very nice ballpark to hit. The first time I came here it felt good,” Abreu said.
For Dotel, it couldn’t have been worse. He struck out Derek Jeter with the bases loaded for the second out of the inning, but then fell behind Abreu.
“I don’t want to walk him in that situation. I wanted to throw a strike and he got me,” Dotel said. “I didn’t want to be perfect. I just wanted a strike and he didn’t let me get to that point.”
Wang (4-0) worked six innings, allowing 10 hits and three runs, to become the first Yankees starter to win his first four decisions since Kevin Brown won his first five in 2004.
Rodriguez, who strained his quadriceps Sunday in Baltimore, will rejoin the team Thursday when his injury will be re-evaluated.
Joba Chamberlain, in the headlines the last two days after Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said the hard-throwing 22-year-old should be in the rotation and not the bullpen, relieved with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.
With New York leading 6-3, he struck out Carlos Quentin, walked Joe Crede to force in a run and then got Juan Uribe to foul out to catcher Jorge Posada to end the inning. Chamberlain allowed a hit in 1 2-3 innings.
Jose Contreras (1-2) took a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh, but walked Morgan Ensberg and gave up a single to Melky Cabrera before Boone Logan relieved. Damon beat out an infield single to load the bases before Dotel came in and struck out Jeter. But Abreu delivered.
“Fortunately, I put the ball in the air. I wasn’t looking for it. I was just trying to hit the ball well,” Abreu said.
Contreras, 0-3 against the Yankees last season, gave up seven hits and was charged with four runs in 6 1-3 innings.
The White Sox took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Orlando Cabrera singled, Jim Thome walked and Paul Konerko hit an RBI double.
Damon’s leadoff groundball went off Konerko’s glove and down the right-field line for a double in the first. He moved to third on Abreu’s single and scored on Hideki Matsui’s fielder’s choice grounder.
Giambi, batting just .109 entering the game, hit his third homer leading off the second for a 2-0 Yankees lead off Contreras.
Chicago bunched three hits off Wang to tie it in the bottom of the inning as Quentin singled, Crede doubled and Uribe hit a two-run double.
A.J. Pierzynski homered off Kyle Farnsworth in the ninth.
Notes: Giambi was removed in the bottom of the eighth as a precautionary measure when he had swelling in his right thumb. He hurt it going for Pierzynski’s infield single in the seventh. ... In his 85th career start, Wang became the quickest major leaguer to record 50 wins as a starter since Dwight Gooden got No. 50 in his 82nd start for the Mets on June 29, 1986, against the Cubs. Wang is also the fastest Yankees starter to 50 wins since Ron Guidry got there in his 82nd start in 1979 against Texas. ... Posada made his first start behind the plate since April 8 because of a sore right arm. ... White Sox pitchers gave up three homers Tuesday night after yielding just five in the first 18 games. ... Wang is 3-0 in his career against the White Sox in four career starts, all in Chicago.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green added 12 and defense-minded No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State 58-48 Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 39-game home winning streak.