Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
APInstead of getting on with real life, he reinvented himself as an outfielder. He went back to the low levels of the minor leagues to begin refining his natural hitting skills and learn to play the outfield. Almost no one thought he had a chance of making it, but the Cardinals were patient. If nothing else, the officials admired his tenacity.
He began last season at Class AAA Memphis and put together a nice season, hitting .267 and leading the Pacific Coast League with 32 home runs before he was recalled to the big leagues.
"He does things at the plate that should require more major league at-bats than he has," La Russa said. "His transformation isn't complete. He is only going to get better. He is dedicated and works very hard."
As the Cardinals went into the 2008 season, they generally were picked to finish near the bottom of the NL Central. They had four starting pitchers, with 355 victories combined, on the disabled list and had an everyday lineup that consisted of Albert Pujols and ...
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Never underestimate La Russa's ability to both judge talent and create the correct mindset.
And then there's Ankiel, a reluctant interview, unwilling to dig into the past.
"Things are going in a positive direction," he told the Post-Dispatch. "I'm happy about where I am. I learn something new every day. I love the game, and I'm fortunate that the Cardinals gave me an opportunity to see if I could make the switch. I've reached a point where they are comfortable, and I am comfortable."
He's comfortable and productive in a way a lot of people never expected. He's a good lesson on why heart and desire is almost as important as talent. Turns out, he has plenty of both.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
HBT: Prince Fielder is gone and Ryan Braun will likely miss a third of the season because of a failed PED test. Can Milwaukee stay in contention until he gets back?
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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.
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.
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.
