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 ImagesBIG EAST: Tyler Lorenzen, Sr., Connecticut
On the sideline, in the huddle and at the line, Tyler Lorenzen, a junior college transfer, spent parts of last preseason lost in the UConn offense. He needed a guide, yielding at times to receiver and former QB D.J. Hernandez for in-the-moment assistance.
The confusion helped lead to a mess on offense in the fall. Opponents stacked the line every Saturday, and the Huskies averaged 185.8 passing yards per game, good for 97th in the nation. But teammates and coach Randy Edsall insist things have changed.
"Last summer, going into seven-on-seven, D.J. pretty much helped him out, calling the plays," cornerback Darius Butler says. "Now, Tyler calls the plays. He does everything."
A spring strengthening his arm and studying film with offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose has left Lorenzen much more confident.
"I just feel like I have a better grasp of the offense," he says. "I think I can offer something to it this year."
Edsall says the Huskies will remain a run-first outfit, a nod to his team's lack of flashy playmakers and the cold weather they play in late in the year. Still, UConn's hopes for a second straight bowl appearance, something the young program has never accomplished, rest on Lorenzen's ability to balance the offense.
"We'll be fine," Edsall says. "When we need to throw it, we can throw it."
PAC-10: Nate Longshore, Sr., California
When Nate Longshore's ankle buckled at Oregon last September, Cal's hopes for a national championship crumbled with it. Longshore returned two games later, but the Bears, once ranked No. 2 in the nation, bumbled through the rest of the regular season, finishing 1-6 and fading to the Armed Forces Bowl. The low point came in the game after Longshore was hurt, when the Bears melted down late against Oregon State with Longshore watching from the sideline.
Longshore is healthy again, but there's a different Cal team around him. Playmakers DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins are gone, and Kevin Riley, who led the Bears to a bowl victory over Air Force, will challenge for Longshore's job in training camp. Coach Jeff Tedford is expected to name a starter on the eve of the opener against Michigan State.
"Nate has played in a lot of games and won a lot of games for us," Tedford told reporters at Pac-10 media days. "Kevin Riley had a couple opportunities last season. It's going to be very competitive."
But for Cal to contend in the conference, it must be Longshore who elevates his play. Three starters return on the offensive line, but a slew of young skill players makes the fifth-year senior vital to the Bears.
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.
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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.