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
VARESE, Italy - Lance Armstrong might not be able to start his comeback in January in Australia because of the doping rules that apply to riders coming out of retirement.
Elite riders need to be in the sport’s anti-doping program for six months before they can race, cycling’s governing body said Saturday. The UCI will discuss with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency whether the seven-time Tour de France winner has met that requirement. The UCI said it will decide next week if Armstrong can race in the Tour Down Under set for Jan. 20-25.
On Sept. 8, USADA confirmed to the Associated Press that Armstrong was part of its out-of-competition testing pool and said he would be eligible for elite competition on Feb. 1, 2009.
UCI president Pat McQuaid said Saturday “the rules must be respected.”
Rule 77 of the International Cycling Union’s anti-doping program outlines when riders can begin their comeback in official races.
“A rider who has given notice of retirement from cycling to the UCI may not resume competing at international level unless he notifies the UCI at least 6 months in advance before he expects to return to international competition and is available for unannounced out of competition testing at any time during the period before actual return to competition,” the rule says.
Armstrong has run marathons and competed in small races since retiring.
“We have to look into that,” McQuaid said. “I am not sure what the exact dates are that he started the program.”
The issue is the official day of return that has been recorded in the anti-doping books.
On Aug. 9, Armstrong finished second in the Leadville-100 “Race Across the Sky,” a lung-searing 100-mile mountain bike race through the Rockies.
Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens said Armstrong had registered with USADA before that, but could not specify further.
Armstrong officially announced on Sept. 9 that he was returning to cycling after three years in retirement in a bid to win the Tour de France for an eighth time. That date was less than five months before the start of the Tour Down Under.
Armstrong has joined the Astana team directed by his former manager, Johan Bruyneel, and made drug testing a cornerstone of his comeback. He had been hounded by doping suspicions during the time he dominated the Tour.
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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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.
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.