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.
APThat doesn’t mean two players on radically different plateaus are assessed only by titles. Kurt Rambis has four rings from his days with the Lakers. Karl Malone has none. Yet only one is Hall of Fame material.
But in this comparison, Bryant still has some catching up to do. And he could do it.
Jordan won his six titles with one other star in Scottie Pippen (and partly with another, if you count madman Dennis Rodman), but with an impressive array of role players. Michael’s achievements are viewed with widespread admiration. The glistening bling of those years still keeps the basketball populace in awe.
Kobe won three titles with more help, so those are not viewed predominantly as his doing. He had Shaq, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Robert Horry and others, not to mention Phil Jackson. He was not the perceived leader of that team, even though he was an indispensable and vital presence.
But if he happens to lead this Lakers team to paydirt against Boston, it will spit-shine his “Best Ever” credentials. A year ago, this assemblage was a contestant for the No. 8 seed in the West — if not the lottery. This season it finished as the top seed in the conference and has outclassed Denver, Utah and San Antonio. And Kobe Bryant is the primary reason.
And next year, the Lakers should be even better, with Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza back and perhaps another addition or two. That means if they win these Finals, it’s possible they could continue building a dynasty.
Kobe might actually catch Michael in rings. In fact, it’s not lunacy to suggest Kobe could even surpass him.
Then what?
That would throw the “Greatest Player Ever” debaters into a tizzy. But for now, maybe it would be wise if we slipped the name “Kobe Bryant” into the discussion, just to be safe.
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
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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.
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.
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