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.
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BIG 12
Burning question: Who will be basketball's Texas Tech? As in, which team will play third wheel to keep the Big 12 from being Texas' and Oklahoma's playground? The answer, likely, is no one. But if any team is going to do it, it'll be Baylor. Led by Curtis Jerrells, the 10-1 Bears are building off last season's tournament appearance.
Team to beat: When it's this close, go with the team with the best player. That's Oklahoma, which will be in every game because of the dominating presence of Blake Griffin.
Top challenger: Texas is only a step behind. The Longhorns might have more depth, but they need to get that point guard transition from A.J. Abrams to Justin Mason settled. If Mason turns out to be more consistent than Oklahoma freshman Willie Warren, these two teams could be flipped.
Dark horse: Texas A&M has gone largely overlooked since Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky, but if the Aggies keep winning, they'll be harder to ignore than that absurd map of Texas on their court. There's not a ton of heft behind the 10-1 record, but the Aggies are coming off a win over previously undefeated LSU, and that one-point win against Arizona is looking better and better by the day.
Game to watch: Texas at Oklahoma, Jan. 12. That whole, "team to beat" debate gets settled the old-fashioned way, on the court. In case you're wondering, the rematch in Austin is on Feb. 21. No computers necessary.
PAC-10
Burning question: Is Stanford as good as its record indicates? The Cardinal were an afterthought after Trent Johnson left to take the LSU job and the Lopez twins bolted for the NBA. Behind new coach Johnny Dawkins, the Cardinal (8-0) are one of the 10 remaining undefeated teams. But where's the quality victory? Colorado? Northwestern? Stanford might be perfect, but it doesn't have a resume worthy of a tournament spot ... yet.
Team to beat: It's the same old story, with UCLA leading the way. The Bruins aren't anywhere near where they were projected, but that preseason ranking had more to do with their recruiting class and their laundry than their roster. If those freshmen grow up, the Bruins are going to be a tough out in March.
Top challenger: This should be Arizona State's spot, but they've been sleep-walking lately. Sophomore James Harden will attract legitimate All-American consideration, and he probably could beat most Pac-10 teams single-handedly as the league struggles through a down year.
Dark horse: Washington State won't sneak up on anyone after back-to-back strong seasons under Tony Bennett. But with Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver and Robbie Cowgill gone, the core that lifted the Cougars to new heights is gone. Still, the way Bennett's teams defend, Wazzu will be competitive in just about every game it plays. All three of the Cougars' losses came to ranked teams, so if they can hold their own in conference play, they could sneak a spot in March.
Game to watch: Arizona State at Stanford, Jan. 2. This will require staying up past your bedtime, but it should be a good indication of how these teams stack up. The Sun Devils need to prove they can win consistently outside of Tempe, while the Cardinal need to defend their home court and prove they can win against a quality opponent.
SEC
Burning question: Is Kentucky setting itself up for a repeat of last year? Wildcats fans must've been suffering flashbacks when Kentucky replicated its nightmarish start of last season with a home loss to VMI. The difference is, this time last year the 'Cats were under .500. Now they're 9-3, with three wins against BCS opponents and two easily defensible losses. If the Wildcats can pull the upset of struggling Bluegrass rival Louisville on Jan. 4, Kentucky will have sufficient momentum to poach enough wins against a weak SEC to play March basketball once again.
Team to beat: Tennessee, but not because of anything they've done in particular. The Volunteers own nice wins over Georgetown and Marquette, and Tyler Smith has the inside track on SEC Player of the Year. Bruce Pearl has yet to find a definitive answer at point guard, which means this team is screaming as a candidate to play below its seed come March. Sounds familiar, huh?
Top challenger: Maybe this should be the burning question. Stated simply, nobody has played a challenging enough schedule for anyone to know how good these teams actually are. Florida was supposed to run neck-and-neck with Tennessee, but the Gators failed their two significant nonconference tests.
Dark horse: If Alabama can stay healthy (read: if Ronald Steele can stay healthy), the Crimson Tide could make noise in the conference's down year. If McDonald's All-American JaMychal Green can learn how to stay on the floor, Alabama will have as much talent as anyone outside of Tennessee and Florida. Granted, that's a lot of "ifs." Mississippi seemed poised for this spot, but knee ligaments are on back order in Oxford.
Game to watch: Kentucky at Tennessee, Jan. 13. The Wildcats don't have to win this game to prove they'll be a factor in the SEC, but if they do, it will serve notice to the whole conference.
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.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.
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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 |
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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.
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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.