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.
 | Slide show |
 |
more photos |
The early stages of Saturday’s race figure to be a cat-and-mouse game that will be key in determining the outcome.
Only one other horse in the field, the Nick Zito-trained Da’Tara, possesses the early foot to challenge Big Brown over the first half mile of the race. Dutrow could tell Desormeaux to “send” Big Brown from the rail, but it’s far more likely that the jockey will settle Big Brown inside and behind Da’ Tara down the stretch and around the first turn, with Desormeaux doing whatever he needs to do to keep the sand out of his mount’s face.
By the time the field reaches mid-backstretch, Desormeaux will likely guide Big Brown to the outside of Da’ Tara, to ensure that they don’t get caught in a pocket if one of the closers makes a premature move.
As Da’ Tara rounds the far turn, he and rider Alan Garcia figure to become aware of a presence on his right shoulder. That will be Big Brown, still under wraps but gobbling up ground with a lengthening stride.
Big Brown should hit the front about the time he straightens for home, but Desormeaux will keep him in cruise control for as long as he can to save the colt’s most potent weapon: That explosive burst of speed that allows him to blast away from his rivals in just a few strides.
This will be the other key point in the race: If no other horse engages Big Brown before he turns for home, the race will almost certainly be over.
Casino Drive looked like the horse most likely to challenge Big Brown at the top of the stretch, but with his scratch it now seems that it will fall to Tale of Ekati to test the champ at the top of the stretch, if anyone does. He caught the leaders at that point in the Kentucky Derby, only to watch Big Brown sprint away to a 4 ¾-length victory.
If Big Brown doesn’t deliver his A race on Saturday, Tale of Ekati, who finished fourth in the Derby, could put him into a situation he has never before encountered: a stretch duel. If that happens, the fans at Belmont will experience a thrill they will later have a hard time describing and we’ll all find out if Big Brown is made of the same stuff as the great ones he’s trying to join.
But I see no reason to think Tale of Ekati will be able to stick with Big Brown when he unleashes his big move.
|
By the time they hit the wire, I see Big Brown geared down and winning by four lengths as late-running Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati fight it out for second.
As for betting the race, I’m going to be a complete contrarian and bet a $2 exacta box using four horses – Tale of Ekati, Denis of Cork, Macho Again and Da’ Tara – for a total of $24. That way, if Big Brown’s hoof is hurting him or he otherwise doesn’t fire, I’ll have a good chance of a payday that will ease my disappointment.
And if Big Brown runs the race I expect him to, I can just sit back and enjoy it with the tens of thousands of fans who will roar and scream and, just for a moment, turn back the clock 30 years.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
 | INTERACTIVE |
 |
| Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
 | Video |
 | Mad Dog Minute: Bite off! June 2: Christopher Russo has had enough of Big Brown and Rick Dutrow and will be cheering on Casino Drive at Belmont. |
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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
