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
NEW YORK - A dreadful bullpen is making it awfully difficult for the New York Mets to avoid another September meltdown.
It seems manager Jerry Manuel has tried nearly every reliever in multiple roles. So there’s not much left for him to do besides hand someone the ball and cross his fingers.
Fill-in closer Luis Ayala gave up a go-ahead homer to pinch-hitter Greg Norton, and the Atlanta Braves rallied for five runs in the ninth inning Sunday and a 7-4 victory. The Mets’ lead in the NL East was cut to one game by Philadelphia, which swept a doubleheader from Milwaukee.
“These are tough losses, especially this time of the year,” Manuel said. “We’ve been dealt many tough blows. We’ve got to see if we can make it back.”
Wasting two homers by David Wright and a strong start from Oliver Perez, the Mets lost for the ninth time in 30 games.
The Mets squandered a seven-game cushion with 17 to play last year, letting Philadelphia charge past them for the division title in one of the worst collapses in baseball history.
Desperately trying to erase those painful memories, New York had 17 games remaining coming into this series and dropped two of three to the fourth-place Braves (67-83).
“Coming down the stretch at this point, every loss will probably be a reminder of what happened last year,” Manuel said. “What we have to do as a team is get through it. We’ve got to finish.”
That’s been a problem all season.
The Mets have 27 blown saves — they began the day tied for third-most in the majors. This was their 11th blown save in the ninth inning. New York entered Sunday tied for third-most in that category as well, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“We need to pick each other up. We all know they’re trying to do their best,” Carlos Beltran said. “Right now, things aren’t working for them, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to pitch better.”
Missing injured closer Billy Wagner for the rest of the year, the bullpen failed to hold an eighth-inning lead for Johan Santana in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader and flopped again Sunday.
Despite the deflating loss, New York had some fun after the game with a familiar hazing ritual. Young players were dressed up as Olympic swimmers — fake medals, goggles, skintight swimsuits — as the team left town for its final road trip of the season.
“The next Michael Phelps,” a smiling Pedro Martinez said, pointing at 6-foot-7 Mike Pelfrey. “Don’t rip it. You’re still going to have to wear it.”
Ayala (2-9) began the ninth with a 4-2 lead but allowed consecutive singles to Casey Kotchman and pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson. Norton then drove a full-count delivery into the Mets’ right-field bullpen — appropriately — for a 5-4 Atlanta edge.
It was Norton’s third pinch-hit homer this season.
“I tried to throw my sinker down and away. The ball stayed in the middle,” Ayala said.
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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