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
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Alex Smith’s season is over with another shoulder injury. The high-priced quarterback’s short career with the San Francisco 49ers is probably finished as well.
The 49ers put Smith on injured reserve Wednesday with a broken bone in his right shoulder, though coach Mike Nolan claimed to know little about the injury. Smith, the top pick in the 2005 draft, probably will require more surgery, but Nolan provided no specifics.
“I feel sorry for him,” said running back Frank Gore, a third-round pick in Smith’s draft. “He was a great teammate and worked hard. I just hope the best for him, and hope he gets well.”
After paying Smith more than $31 million during his four years with the 49ers, the bleak realities of NFL salary cap life mean the club is likely to release him before next season. General manager Scot McCloughan said last week that San Francisco can’t risk paying $9 million in base salary to a backup quarterback in 2009, and Smith lost his starting job to journeyman J.T. O’Sullivan in training camp.
“I’m not going to answer any hypothetical questions about the future,” said Nolan, who had an embarrassing public spat with Smith last year over the severity of the quarterback’s shoulder injury. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. My focus right now is on (Sunday’s game against) Seattle.”
Smith had surgery on his shoulder in December to repair three torn ligaments, the product of a separated shoulder from a game in late September 2007. He appeared to be at full strength in training camp, but experienced severe pain in his shoulder last Friday while making a long throw during practice.
Dr. James Andrews, who performed Smith’s last surgery, apparently confirmed the team’s diagnosis of a broken bone in Smith’s shoulder, though the quarterback and the team still don’t know how it happened. Smith already was struggling to fit into new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s system, falling into the backup job behind O’Sullivan during the preseason.
The 49ers signed 38-year-old Jamie Martin, a veteran of Martz’s system who was out of football, to back up O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill.
“He worked so hard to get back, and then to have this happen to him now is so unfortunate,” said Hill, who backed up Smith along with Trent Dilfer for the past two seasons. “Obviously, it’s not an easy thing for him. Even last year, Trent and I were excited for what he was going to do. ... I don’t think he’s a bust at all. Injuries hampered him.”
Smith passed for 4,679 yards with 31 interceptions and 19 touchdowns in his first three seasons with the 49ers, who selected the former Utah star with the first draft pick of Nolan’s regime. Smith went 11-19 as a starter, never finding a consistent NFL groove while playing for four offensive coordinators in four seasons and throwing to one of the league’s worst collections of receivers.
San Francisco’s offense finished last in the NFL in 2005 and 2007, with Smith receiving a share of the blame even though he played only part of his rookie season and missed most of 10 games last year.
In 2006, his only full season as a starter, Smith took every snap and posted respectable numbers for offensive coordinator Norv Turner while the 49ers went 7-9. Turner then left to become San Diego’s head coach.
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.
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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.