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.
AP
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong plans to speak with star quarterback Pat White about the player's accusations that the Mountaineer baseball team doesn't pursue black athletes.
White made his comments Tuesday at the Big East football media day in Newport, R.I. The comments were first reported by Adam Zagoria of SportsNet New York on his Web site, www.zagsblog.net.
White was asked about the possibility of playing baseball in college. He has been selected three times in baseball's amateur draft, including last month by the Cincinnati Reds.
White's comments came the same day the Mountaineers were chosen to win the Big East football championship.
When asked whether he had spoken with WVU baseball coach Greg Van Zant, White said Van Zant "wasn't interested" in having him on the team.
There were no blacks on the 2008 WVU baseball roster and about one-third of the players were from West Virginia, where blacks make up just 3.3 percent of the population.
"In my knowledge of West Virginia baseball, there's not been many players of my race on his team. (Van Zant's) not too high on it," White said.
Van Zant, the baseball team's head coach for 14 seasons, didn't immediately return telephone messages seeking comment Wednesday and White was unavailable for comment. WVU's football players are on break until they report for the start of fall practice on Saturday in Morgantown.
White, the university's highest-profile athlete, finished sixth in last year's Heisman Trophy balloting. He rushed for 1,335 yards and threw for 1,724 in leading the Mountaineers to an 11-2 record, including a win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and a No. 6 final ranking.
First-year football coach Bill Stewart has allowed some players to pursue a second sport. Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown played on the basketball team this past season and punter-kicker Pat McAfee practiced briefly with the soccer team.
Pastilong said in a statement Wednesday that the university is committed to racial diversity.
Pastilong pointed to oneWVU, a university-backed program promoting racial equality and justice. It was spearheaded by men's soccer coach Marlon LeBlanc, the university's only black head coach.
The program includes signs on campus, newspaper ads, a Web site and a video message shown at football games. The university plans to use the program in student orientation and training for faculty and staff.
"Our coaches and staff also are committed to an atmosphere of community for our student-athletes," Pastilong said. "I look forward to speaking with Pat more about his thoughts."
LeBlanc said he was aware of White's comments.
"My conversations with Pat have always been great. He's a respected, well spoken young man. When I read the article, my initial response was 'I don't know what this actually means,"' LeBlanc said Wednesday. "I know our athletic department is very supportive of all of our diversity initiatives."
Jennifer McIntosh, executive officer of the WVU President's Office of Social Justice, said she plans to monitor any discussions involving race with White.
"I think that's his opinion and he's entitled to it," McIntosh said Wednesday. "If you look nationally, indeed baseball has very few blacks on those teams."
A report issued in April by Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, showed only 8.2 percent of major league baseball players in 2007 were black, the lowest level in at least two decades.
Another Lapchick report showed that among Division I college baseball players, 5.7 percent were black in the 2005-06 academic year, the latest available. That was down from 6.5 percent in 2004-05.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
 | Special feature |
 |
NBCSports.com |
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
CollegeFootballTalk headlines |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
 | Video |
 | Big East coaches fired up July 30: Dave Wannstedt, Greg Schiano and other coaches from the conference talk about the upcoming season. |
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings