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' national 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 fileELMONT, N.Y. - Neil Howard made official Friday what he has been hinting at for the last week: Mambo in Seattle, the hard-luck loser of the Travers Stakes, will face Curlin in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.
Following his nose loss to Colonel John in the Travers, Mambo in Seattle was being pointed to this Saturday’s Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. But the extra week, combined with how well Mambo in Seattle has been training over Belmont Park’s main track, convinced Howard and owner Will Farish to try the Gold Cup, a race they won five years ago with Mineshaft.
“I know a week doesn’t seem that long to the average Joe, but a week can mean the world sometimes going from race to race, especially off the strenuous type of races,” Howard said. “At the same time, we agreed he should be training as good or better going into this race as he was for the Travers, and surprisingly enough I feel that he has.”
Since the Travers, Mambo in Seattle has worked three times at Belmont, including a seven-furlong move in 1:27.44 last Sunday.
“That work last Sunday was the most important thing he was going to do between the races,” said Howard, who plans an easy half-mile move Tuesday. “He came out of that good.”
Last year as a 3-year-old, Curlin upset Lawyer Ron, who was coming off a victory in the Woodward at Saratoga. Curlin comes out of a victory in the Woodward at the Spa on Aug. 30.
“As good as we feel the horse is doing, when are you ever doing good enough to take on a horse like Curlin?” Howard said. “We have nothing but the utmost respect for him, like everybody else does. We agree he ran a good race; we didn’t see any blemishes anywhere.”
Howard said Edgar Prado will ride Mambo in Seattle. Robby Albarado, who rode Mambo in Seattle in the Travers, is the regular rider of Curlin.
Others pointing to the Gold Cup are Frost Giant, Merchant Marine, Timber Reserve, and Wanderin Boy.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
DAILY RACING FORM |
 |
 | INTERACTIVE |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
 | 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.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.