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.
ASSOCIATED PRESSSOUTH BEND, Ind. - Three years ago, after Brady Quinn threw what seemed like his umpteenth touchdown of the day in a lopsided win over BYU (actually, he only threw six TDs that day), one observer turned to another and wondered the obvious.
What receiver in his right mind wouldn't want to play in Charlie Weis' high-octane offense?
Surprisingly, for a couple years at least, the nation's top prep receivers weren't exactly elbowing each other out of the way to get to South Bend.
That, however, appears to be changing. And the trailblazer may turn out to be a somewhat reserved freshman whose play on the field has been loud.
Michael Floyd, one of the most coveted receivers in a last year's recruiting class, a class that was considered rich in pass-catchers, has helped re-open eyes to Notre Dame's passing attack, an attack that last year floundered in the first year of the post-Quinn Era.
Rivals.com honored Floyd on its Freshman Midseason All-America Team, and that is just the beginning of honors for the product of Cretin-Derham Hall High in St. Paul, Minn.
And as Floyd gets noticed, other standouts appear to be noticing the Irish.
Shaquelle Evans, a standout at Inglewood (Calif.) High School, has planned an announcement for Friday afternoon, and it looks like a two-horse race between the Irish and USC.
There has been speculation that Evans had been silently (without public acknowledgement) committed to USC. But the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Evans reportedly backed off that promise-ring pledge after officially visiting Notre Dame for its Sept. 27 victory over Purdue. Evans had a good visit, and the feeling has been that the sooner Evans makes an announcement, the better ND's chances.
Last month, Notre Dame received a verbal commitment from New Jersey product Nyshier Oliver, a one-time Tennessee commit who also could play other positions. Evans, however, would be the jewel at the position in this class, as Floyd was last year.
Notre Dame already has a receiver nucleus in Floyd and speedster Golden Tate, a high school running back whose acrobatic receptions this season have many also dubbing him a star. Sophomore Duval Kamara had a slow start this season, but has the build of an NFL receiver and remains an important cog in the Irish passing game.
And waiting in the wings for ND is Deion Walker, a classmate of Floyd's who also was a coveted prospect last season. Walker, however, wasn't as college-ready as Floyd and needs to work on adding strength as well as polishing his skills as he spends his freshman season likely redshirting.
What could become a glut of receivers next season, if Evans commits, seemed tough to envision little over a year ago. Notre Dame at one time was believed to have a silent verbal of its own from Arrelious Benn, then the nation's top receiver, but he ended up at Illinois where he is now a sophomore star.
Also in that class was Greg Little, who publicly committed to the Irish. But on signing day, Little ended up inking with North Carolina, his home-state school. Little is now a running back for the Tar Heels.
But Floyd committed last year on the weekend the Irish were 38-0 losers to USC, and with Jimmy Clausen showing marked improvement over his freshman season, the Irish passing game appears to be set for the next few years. And perhaps beyond.
It took a while for the light bulb to go on, but when it did, Jonas Gray finally showed the talent many had expected from the blue-chip prospect from Detroit. In a recent interview, Gray, who is rehabbing an ACL injury to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine, expressed the confidence and support he has for head coach Brian Kelly.
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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 |
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.
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