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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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
MINNEAPOLIS - The Yankees left New York last week for a 10-game road trip, clearly aware their streak of 13 straight playoff appearances was in jeopardy.
After going 3-7, they’re stumbling back to the Bronx in even worse shape.
“It’s pretty late for us,” said Johnny Damon, who went 0-for-4 with a pair of popups in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Minnesota.
Delmon Young hit a three-run homer for the second straight day for the Twins. Meanwhile, the Yankees were sloppy in the field, outpitched and outhit — problems that kept cropping up in their swing through Texas, Anaheim and the Metrodome.
“We have to play better. I know we played some pretty good teams, but we’re going to have to beat the good teams if we’re going to be able to get to the playoffs,” Damon said.
Kevin Slowey (9-8) smoothly worked the corners of the strike zone over six strong innings for Minnesota, surrendering three hits, one run and one walk against a lineup missing Derek Jeter. Joe Nathan sealed the victory in the ninth with his 32nd save, and the Yankees went 17-for-80 with runners in scoring position on the trip.
While praising Slowey, Damon gave the perfect summary of his team’s struggles during this injury-filled, inconsistent season.
“It seemed like he had an easy time with us, and nobody should have an easy time with us,” Damon said.
The Twins and their overworked bullpen, threatening to negatively affect their own pennant chase, held on. After a run scored on a wild pitch by Dennys Reyes in the eighth, Jesse Crain came in and retired Alex Rodriguez on a flyout with men on first and third.
That dropped Rodriguez’s average with two outs and runners in scoring position to .204 in 49 at-bats.
“There are just so many hitters that can go up there and hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said, “we just tried to get through it.”
The Twins were reeling from Rodriguez’s tiebreaking solo homer in the 12th inning of Tuesday night’s 9-6 win by New York. But with catcher Joe Mauer back in the lineup after night off — he had a stiff neck — the Yankees failed to build any momentum.
Story of their season.
“There’s a lot of professionals in here. Everybody’s still up. I think we’re going to be fine,” said starter Darrell Rasner, who pitched five decent innings except for Young’s big hit.
Mauer walked to start the fourth and Justin Morneau followed with a bouncer to third base, and Robinson Cano drew an error for leaving the base to catch Rodriguez’s throw. One out later, Young sent a ball soaring over the right-field wall for his seventh homer and a 3-1 lead against Rasner (5-9).
Rodriguez hit a two-out double and Jason Giambi drove him in with a single, the first time this year Slowey gave up a run in the first inning. He had gone a team-record 18 straight starts without allowing one.
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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