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'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.
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.
AP
CHICAGO - The thought of wearing a skintight swimsuit in public makes many people cringe.
But gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps said he wouldn’t be surprised if he dons his Speedo when he hosts the Sept. 13 season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.”
“I’d probably be more comfortable,” Phelps joked in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Phelps was in Chicago to tape the season premiere of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” with a host of other Olympians and to show his support for the city’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
It’s all part of the whirlwind tour Phelps has been on since he snagged a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics last month. Besides Winfrey’s show and his “SNL” gig, Phelps has been feted with a parade at Walt Disney World, filmed a cameo for HBO’s “Entourage” and will be a presenter at the 2008 Video Music Awards.
The 23-year-old Phelps knows his is not the typical swimmer’s life, where name recognition doesn’t extend beyond the pool.
“I’m living a dream right now, so I want to have fun and enjoy it,” he said.
Chicago Olympic organizers are banking on the international attention Phelps brings to the city’s bid. And Phelps is ready to work to convince the International Olympic Committee the city should get the games.
“I’ll do anything I can do, anything I can do to help,” he said, with his lanky swimmer’s body cloaked in a Chicago 2016 polo shirt and jeans.
Chicago is a finalist for the 2016 games along with Tokyo; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Madrid, Spain. The IOC will pick a host city next year.
The swimmer attended events promoting Chicago’s Olympic bid the rest of Wednesday, including an evening reception with Mayor Richard Daley and a short live streaming Web chat for Chicago 2016.
Phelps told participants he intends to help bring the Olympics to the U.S. even though he won’t compete in 2016 himself. He said he hopes to compete in one more Olympics, but he won’t swim after age 30.
He described how he lived on pasta, pizza, fruit and Snickers bars while in Beijing. When asked what he would be if he wasn’t a swimmer, he answered, “A couch potato, I’m lazy.”
In a few days, Phelps starts preparing for his “SNL” debut. He told The AP he’s more excited than nervous.
“It’s not going to be easy because I’m not used to that kind of stuff, but I think it’s going to be fun,” he said.
And that’s not all Phelps is up to. He has announced he will use a $1 million bonus he got for his record-breaking swimming to start a foundation that promotes water safety and youth swimming.
He said he wants to “try to get more people in the water, to be comfortable around the water” because that can help in drowning prevention.
Phelps says his coach wants him back in the pool training early next year. In the meantime, he plans to keep up his travels and try to take some time to relax — including spending some valuable time on the couch watching television.
“I like to just live my life,” he said.
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.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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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.
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The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.