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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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 title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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
TORONTO - Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett won’t face the New York Yankees on Tuesday after skipping a bullpen session Saturday because of continued numbness and tingling in his pitching arm.
Manager Terry Francona said Beckett has “inflammation” in his elbow and likely won’t start again until next Friday, when the Red Sox return home to open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, out since Aug. 7 with tightness behind his right shoulder, threw in the bullpen Saturday and will come off the disabled list to start Tuesday when the Red Sox begin their final regular-season series at Yankee Stadium. Wakefield is 7-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 23 starts.
Beckett, who took Thursday off, threw in the outfield for the second straight day Saturday and won’t throw off a mound until Tuesday. He said the decision to push his start back was made after he felt numbness and tingling in his hand again Friday.
“It’s gotten better,” he said. “We had the one day (Friday) where it kind of came back. That’s why we decided to do what we did. It has gotten better. The treatment and stuff is definitely working.”
Francona intends to be “overly cautious” with Beckett, who is 11-9 with a 4.34 ERA in 23 starts.
“We’re talking about a guy’s pitching arm,” Francona said. “Let’s make sure it’s perfect.”
Beckett first reported numbness and tingling in his right hand after sleeping on his arm the night before his latest start, Aug. 17, when he gave up eight runs and eight hits in 2 1-3 innings in a 15-4 loss to Toronto. He’s now sleeping with a special sleeve to prevent a recurrence of the problem.
“It’s like a cast,” Beckett said. “So we’re dealing with that, too. The doctors say it’s going to help, so we’re going with it.”
Concerned that taking Thursday off might have contributed to the numbness returning, Beckett intends to do light throwing every day.
“I think that was part of the problem yesterday, having that whole day off and not doing any treatments,” he said.
Beckett didn’t mind not pitching in what could be Boston’s final visit to Yankee Stadium.
“There’s a last time for everything,” he said. “This didn’t happen to be it.”
After Saturday’s 11-0 loss to Toronto, Boston said right-hander David Aardsma (groin) will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, with right-hander David Pauley coming up from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Aardsma and shortstop Julio Lugo, on the DL since July 12 with a strained quadriceps, are headed back to Boston, where they will have MRI exams Monday.
Aardsma, 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA in 42 games, missed 17 games with the same injury earlier this season. He last pitched Wednesday at Baltimore, so the move is retroactive to Aug. 21.
“It was getting a lot better and then the other day it jumped back up on me,” Aardsma said.
Lugo, batting .268 with one homer and 22 RBIs, had a setback Tuesday, delaying his rehab stint.
“It’s disappointing when you have a setback like that,” Lugo said. “We’ll see what’s going on before we start pushing it again. It’s not worse, it’s just not getting better.”
Alex Cora has been playing shortstop in recent games with Jed Lowrie taking over at third base for Mike Lowell, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 13 with a strained muscle on his right side.
Right fielder J.D. Drew, who had an MRI and was diagnosed with a herniated disk Friday, missed his fifth straight game Saturday.
“He’s pretty sore,” Francona said.
Drew is batting .280 with 19 homers and 64 RBIs.
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.
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green added 12 and defense-minded No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State 58-48 Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 39-game home winning streak.