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.
NEW YORK - Donnie Walsh won’t say how long Stephon Marbury will be gone before he’s gone for good.
The New York Knicks president has ordered Marbury not to attend practices or games while they are working toward a buyout, but said Tuesday it wasn’t a punishment. Walsh just felt the point guard shouldn’t be around the team while both sides are seeking a way to get him off of it.
“It’s more the fact that you’re in the midst of a conversation about buying out, then I don’t think that’s part of the what the team is doing, so in that sense the situation could be a distraction,” Walsh said.
Walsh said he didn’t consider his action to be disciplinary, and refused to say if Marbury agreed with the decision or even needed to. The NBA allows teams to take this type of action, as the Indiana Pacers are doing with Jamaal Tinsley, but the players’ association could choose to file a grievance.
Walsh said he had “no idea” if his decision would bring union action. Of course, there’s not much to gain by an appeal. Marbury already made it clear he no longer wants to be a Knick, twice declining coach Mike D’Antoni’s offers to play, then ripping the coach, teammates and Walsh in a pair of stories in the New York Post.
Marbury and Walsh met Monday, but their discussion didn’t go far. The point guard was in the Knicks’ practice facility for only about 20 minutes, and the players’ association attorney advising him exited about 20 minutes later and said the issue was “not resolved.”
Walsh said the sides will continue to talk, but won’t say when he expects the matter to be resolved.
“I don’t think you go into any kind of negotiation with a timetable,” Walsh said. “Obviously I think both sides would like to see this happen as fast as it can happen.”
A quick resolution would help the Knicks, who are wasting a roster spot on Marbury while being short-handed in the backcourt, where Nate Robinson and Cuttino Mobley are unavailable and Chris Duhon is playing with a bad back.
Plus, the organization seems fed up with the whole thing. D’Antoni and the players are tired of being asked about someone who hasn’t played a minute all season, and Walsh had talked for less than 90 seconds Tuesday before saying he was done answering Marbury questions.
Walsh added he didn’t consider suspending Marbury again for his public criticisms.
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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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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.