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.
AP
ZURICH, Switzerland - Venus Williams won the Zurich Open on Sunday for her second singles title of the season.
Williams beat Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (1), 6-2 to take the tournament she last won as a teenager in 1999.
The win should seal the 28-year-old American’s place at the season-ending WTA Tour Championship in Doha next month. She also won at Wimbledon this year.
“I love the pressure,” Williams said. “I need it in my life.
“It is great to come here and play my best tennis of the week in the final against someone who is playing as well as she is.”
Pennetta had upset top-ranked Jelena Jankovic in the second round and went in with a 3-1 career record against Williams after beating her in Moscow last week.
“She just played unbelievable today,” the 17th-ranked Pennetta said. “It is tough to play against someone who serves like she did today. I didn’t have any chance to make any breaks.”
The first set stayed on serve, with neither player allowing a break point opportunity.
Williams dominated the tiebreaker, racing to a 6-0 lead. Pennetta saved one set point but then netted a backhand.
Williams created her first break chance at 1-1 in the second set, and Pennetta netted another double-fisted backhand.
In the next game, Williams delivered four straight aces.
“I have never had one of those games before,” she said. “That was obviously a great moment.”
Serving at 5-2, Williams let her first match point slip away when she allowed a backhand from Pennetta to pass her, thinking it would land long.
A forehand winner created a second chance, and her next serve was too powerful for Pennetta to handle.
Williams said she would return to Florida before the Nov. 4-9 Tour finale in Qatar.
“I will go home and rest a little bit and continue to prepare and get ready for Doha,” she said.
Williams is expected to climb one place to No. 8 when the new WTA rankings are published Monday; Pennetta hopes to rise three spots to a career-best 14th.
The 26-year-old Italian was trying to become the third player to beat Williams for a fourth straight match. Only Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport have achieved the feat.
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.
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 |
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.
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.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.
