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.
Getty ImagesSoto became the first National League rookie catcher to start an All-Star game. In addition to his productive hitting all season, he did a nice job handling a Cubs pitching staff that compiled a 3.87 ERA, third-best in the NL. He even caught a no-hitter by Carlos Zambrano.
Soto credited backup catcher Henry Blanco and other veteran teammates for giving him advice and pep talks that guided him through a “roller coaster” year.
“That’s what helped me have a strong season all the way around,” Soto said. “I did try to act very sure about myself, very secure. But I had doubts.”
After his injury, Longoria, who turned 23 last month, returned in time for Tampa Bay’s playoff run. He homered in his first two postseason at-bats against the White Sox, then connected four times against Boston in the AL championship series to set a rookie record with six homers in one postseason.
But his offensive tear ended in the World Series, when Longoria went 1-for-20 with nine strikeouts and two RBIs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat Tampa Bay in five games.
“Obviously, I would have loved to play well and help the team,” Longoria said. “I was still pretty content that we had a great year.”
The 25-year-old Soto had a disappointing October after his team compiled the best regular-season record in the National League. Bothered by a nagging hand injury, he went 2-for-11 (.182) with no RBIs as Chicago was swept in the first round by the Dodgers, leaving the Cubs without a World Series title since 1908.
Balloting for BBWAA awards is conducted before the postseason. Votto garnered 21 second-place votes and 76 points to Soto’s 158. Atlanta pitcher Jair Jurrjens came in third.
“I worked really, really hard in past years,” Soto said. “I feel very, very special right now. It’s a very good moment in my life.”
The NL Cy Young Award will be announced Tuesday.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
HBT: Prince Fielder is gone and Ryan Braun will likely miss a third of the season because of a failed PED test. Can Milwaukee stay in contention until he gets back?
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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.
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.