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.
Getty ImagesAfter Fleury the team’s No. 2 priority is Malone. He is a very important piece in the Penguins’ success. He’s big and strong and has turned into a player who imposes his physical will on opponents. The kind of power-forward mentality Malone brings to the ice is needed by the Penguins.
Malone grew up in Pittsburgh and his dad played for the Penguins so he has strong ties to the city but also knows his leverage to earn big dollars will most likely never be greater than it is now. His will be a very interesting case for the Penguins because if he gets to unrestricted free agency he could perhaps get a more lucrative and longer offer than the Penguins will be able to make but also Malone might take less money to stay with Pittsburgh. Again it will be very interesting to see how his situation plays out.
Orpik is also an important player for the Penguins as he is their most physical defenseman. They are going to want to sign him to a new deal but it’s going to cost them as he’s in line for a big raise from his current salary which is just over $1 million this season.
Both Malkin and Staal are rising young stars and the Penguins would much rather get new deals done with both before either becomes a restricted free agent. Look for Shero to take steps between now and next summer to reach new agreements with both. Rather than having to eventually choose between the two look for Shero – if needed -- to get rid of salary in any other way he can so as to be able to keep both young stars in Pittsburgh.
Malkin’s price will be higher than Staal’s but if the Penguins can lock them both up then with Crosby, Malkin and Staal (ages 20, 21 and 19 respectively) they will have power and excellence down the middle that no other team can come close to matching.
As valuable an addition as Marian Hossa (obtained in late February from Atlanta) has been to the Penguins don’t look for him to be with Pittsburgh next season. As an unrestricted free agent this summer he’s looking at his ultimate payday and could very well command a long-term deal of maybe as high as $8 million per year. The Penguins wouldn’t compromise their ability to sign Malkin and Staal to new deals by spending that kind of money on Hossa.
If the Penguins are successful in keeping their core players they can make a run at becoming a modern-day NHL dynasty, which in this era equates to winning at least three championships in five years and doing so without a major overhaul of the roster.
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.
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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.