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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had 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.
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.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The New York Giants and suspended star receiver Plaxico Burress are close to an agreement that will cut his fine for missing a team meeting last week.
Burress still will have to sit out the team-mandated one-game suspension against Seattle on Sunday.
The two sides worked over the weekend on an agreement, Richard Berthelsen, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, said during a visit to Giants Stadium on Monday.
“We are in the process of completing a settlement relating to several issues involved in the Burress matter,” the players association said in an e-mail late Monday.
Berthelsen had said earlier in the day he believed the dispute had been resolved, but there were some legal issues still to be settled.
Berthelsen also said he does not think the receiver who caught the winning pass in the Super Bowl will face league disciplinary action for failing to report two domestic violence incidents earlier this year.
CBS reported on Sunday that the league was investigating Burress’ off-the-field problems. The league can suspend players for violating its personal conduct policy.
“There’s no basis for that, that I’m aware of,” Berthelsen said. “There hasn’t been any discussion of the personal conduct policy in the case we’re discussing.”
Burress’ wife Tiffany obtained two restraining orders against him earlier this year, but they were later thrown out by a state court, Totowa Police Chief Robert Coyle said Monday.
“There haven’t been any problems since,” Coyle added.
The Giants on Wednesday suspended Burress for a game and told him to stay away from the team until Oct. 5. Because the ban came during a bye week for New York (3-0), the punishment cost the nine-year veteran two checks, or roughly $235,000. He makes a base salary of $2 million.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus appealed the suspension to the players association.
Jason Rosenhaus said his brother was taking a flight and was not immediately available for comment. Drew Rosenhaus did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.
“The Plaxico situation is right where it has been,” coach Tom Coughlin said after practice on Monday. “There is nothing more for me to add to it.”
Berthelsen was at Giants Stadium on Monday to preside over the election of a player representative to the association.
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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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.
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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