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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has 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.
CHICAGO - The Cubs placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list Thursday for the 12th time in his 10-year career because of a blister on his pitching hand.
Wood, who has 24 saves in 29 chances and was selected to the NL All-Star team, has a blister on his right index finger that has kept him out since July 11. Chicago general manager Jim Hendry hopes Wood can return Tuesday at Milwaukee when he is eligible to be activated. He was put on the DL retroactive to July 14.
“He is making progress. He is getting better. But I think with the amount of time off he’s going to need a little work, whether it’s a couple of (bullpen sessions),” Hendry said. “I just talked to him. He’s hopeful he will be ready by Tuesday with some work under his belt.”
Wood is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA. He sat out the All-Star game last week at Yankee Stadium because of the blister.
“I think we all felt like we weren’t worried about it at all before the break,” Hendry said. “We thought the break would do him good, skipping New York would be great, and be ready to go in Houston. But obviously, he wasn’t. But we all know the way Woody’s been his whole life. If it gets to the point where he will just have to pitch through it with the discomfort, then I’m sure that’s what he will do.”
The Cubs, who opened a series against Florida on Thursday night, will make a corresponding move before Friday’s game. Triple-A Iowa starter and former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija is among the candidates.
“It’s a possibility. We will probably see how the game goes,” Hendry said. “He will be considered.”
Samardzija, who signed a $10 million, five-year contract with the Cubs in 2007 despite speculation that he could have been a first-round pick in the NFL draft, made his debut for Iowa on June 24.
Samardzija is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA for Iowa in six starts. He has 40 strikeouts in 37 1-3 innings.
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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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.
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.
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