Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
APQ: Haven’t heard much from June Jones and SMU this season. What’s it going to take for him to turn around the Mustangs?
— James from Lake Oswego, Ore.
A: Well, James, there’s good reason why you haven’t heard much about SMU this season. The Mustangs are 1-6 and sort of, um, challenged defensively (allowing 40.7 points per game).
June Jones knew this wouldn’t be an easy task after leaving Hawaii’s Sugar Bowl team. It’s going to take patience (the Mustangs led unbeaten Tulsa heading into the fourth quarter, but lost 37-31). It’s also going to require some imagination (Jones is big on offensive ingenuity).
A good combination of both could transform SMU into an annual bowl team again.
There’s an entire generation of fans who probably have no idea that SMU was once a big-time force in college football. SMU is surrounded by a formidable recruiting base. If Jones builds an entertaining offense and the Mustangs begin to win games consistently in Conference USA, things will turn around. It’s going to take a season or two (or three).
And until then, on a national scale, you’re simply not going to hear much about SMU.
Q: What’s gone wrong with Arizona State?
— T. R. from Lexington, Ky.
A: Here’s what’s wrong. (And who thought this would EVER be said of Arizona State?)
The Sun Devils (2-4) — synonymous with moving the ball and putting pressure on opponents — are struggling offensively.
Arizona State lost 28-0 against USC (the first shutout for the Sun Devils since 2004). The Sun Devils are averaging 19.2 points per game, the program’s lowest total since 1988 (17.5).
More grisly numbers: Arizona State is ranked 116th nationally (out of 119 teams) in rushing, 96th in scoring and 82nd overall.
Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said he’s sticking with senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter, instead of going young and looking to next season. He also said Arizona State’s next game (Oct. 25, Oregon) will be viewed as a season opener. That’s how anxious Erickson is to forget about the season’s first half.
You could argue that Arizona State has played a killer schedule — with games against USC, Cal (24-14 loss) and Georgia (27-10 loss). But the Sun Devils were supposed to be a Top 25-caliber team, a factor in the Pac-10 race, not a 2-4 underachiever.
If Erickson can coax a bowl appearance out of this bunch, at this point, it might be an even bigger surprise (although a get-well swing against Washington and Washington State is ahead in November).
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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 | Slideshow: A look at Paterno's legendary career Take a look back at legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno through the years. NBCSports.com |
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.
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.