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?
LIVE VIDEO: NBCSports.com shows Washington-New York, with alternate camera angles, HD views and more.
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' national 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 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.
Opinion: Changing managers won't quickly solve why England hasn't won a major trophy since '66.
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
NEW YORK - Record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez and shortstops Rafael Furcal, Omar Vizquel and Edgar Renteria were among 19 players who filed for free agency Monday.
Pitchers Brandon Lyon and Paul Byrd also joined the list. Of the 178 players potentially eligible for free agency, 149 have filed since the World Series ended last week.
Rodriguez went 62-for-69 on save chances for the Los Angeles Angels, breaking the record of 57 saves set by Bobby Thigpen in 1990. K-Rod was 2-3 with a 2.24 ERA for the only team in the majors to win 100 games.
Vizquel filed after San Francisco declined a $5.2 million option, choosing to pay a $300,000 buyout.
Tampa Bay declined options on a pair of players who helped the Rays win the AL pennant: designated hitter Cliff Floyd and relief pitcher Trever Miller.
Floyd hit .268 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 72 starts this season. The Rays held a $3 million option with a $250,000 buyout on the 35-year-old slugger, who was on the postseason roster until a right shoulder injury sidelined him for the final two games of the World Series loss to Philadelphia.
The club held a $2 million option with a $400,000 buyout on Miller, who was 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA and two saves in 68 games. The 35-year-old lefty has made at least 60 appearances in each of the past six seasons.
Floyd and Miller are in the group of players still eligible to file for free agency by the Nov. 13 deadline. Free agents can start negotiating money with all clubs the following day.
Mike Cameron’s $10 million option was exercised by the Milwaukee Brewers, preventing him from becoming eligible to file. The Brewers could have paid a $750,000 buyout to the three-time Gold Glove winner, who batted .243 with 25 home runs and 70 RBIs this season.
The Kansas City Royals and catcher Miguel Olivo exercised a mutual $2.7 million option. He batted .255 with 12 homers, 22 doubles and 41 RBIs in 84 games this year.
Also, San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said at the GM meetings in California that the Padres probably will exercise outfielder Brian Giles’ $9 million option by Saturday’s deadline and are trying to work out an agreement to keep closer Trevor Hoffman.
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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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.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.