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.
APWith the crowd chanting “Let’s Go Z,” Zambrano got a third strike past Matt Kemp for the first out. Blake DeWitt hit a hard grounder to second that was made for a double play, but DeRosa fumbled it — the error allowing Ethier to score and putting runners at first and second.
Next, Lee muffed Casey Blake’s grounder to first for another error, loading the bases before Billingsley struck out. But Rafael Furcal dragged a bunt past the pitcher’s mound toward second and beat DeRosa’s throw for an RBI single and a 2-0 lead.
With the bases still loaded, Martin drove a three-run double to left-center and a crowd of 42,136 at Wrigley Field fell silent as L.A. went ahead 5-0.
“It allowed me to be more aggressive,” Billingsley said. “I didn’t have to be too fine and I was still attacking hitters and keeping them off balance. That was a big thing for me to get the off-speed across.”
Chicago’s third error, this one on third baseman Aramis Ramirez, allowed Billingsley to reach in the fourth.
Manny Ramirez hit a solo shot in the fifth and Kemp had an RBI double off Neal Cotts in the seventh to make it 7-0.
Zambrano worked 6 1-3 innings, giving up seven runs — three earned — with seven strikeouts.
In the fifth, Ramirez leaned into the ivy-covered wall in left field to catch Jim Edmonds’ fly. He flipped the ball to center fielder Kemp, who playfully slapped Ramirez on the shoulder.
Furcal and Ramirez each had an RBI single in the eighth.
The Cubs’ postseason losing streak dates to the 2003 NLCS. They squandered a 3-1 lead against Florida, losing Game 6 when they were five outs from the World Series. Chicago dropped three straight to Arizona in the first round last year and now is in jeopardy of being swept again.
Chicago ended the shutout bid in the seventh when DeRosa and Edmonds hit consecutive two-out doubles. After Geovany Soto singled to make it first and third, Cory Wade came in to retire Kosuke Fukudome.
DeRosa added a two-run double in the ninth.
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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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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.