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'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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods both greeted Sunday with unbridled optimism. But the day would end happily only for Mickelson.
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 ImagesThey voted in record numbers, so you can't fault the effort. But when the 34 million votes from fans picking NHL All-Star starters were finally tabulated, the injustice of the system shined through.
The best teams in each conference, at least according to point totals, were completely shut out. Neither Boston nor San Jose, despite their on-ice dominance, has a player who will crack the starting lineup on Jan. 25 in Montreal.
Not that they're sweating it.
"We know they're some of the best players in the league," San Jose GM Doug Wilson told SportingNews.com last week. "We know that they know that, the people in the game of hockey are aware of that."
If we had it our way, here's how the staring lineups would shape up:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Forwards
The fans pick: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (1,713,021 votes)
Our pick: Marc Savard, Boston: We get the importance of Sidney Crosby playing a big part in the game, but Savard has been outstanding in centering Boston's emergence as the best team in the East.
The fans pick: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (1,585,936 votes)
Our pick: Malkin: The fans got this one right. Malkin is our first-half Hart Trophy winner. In the 2008 calendar year, Malkin led all NHL players with 125 points in 81 games played.
The fans pick: Alexei Kovalev, Montreal (1,343,301 votes)
Our pick: Alex Ovechkin, Washington: After a slow start Ovechkin has been dominant in leading the Southeast leading Capitals to the top of the standings despite a slew of injuries to teammates.
Defense
The fans pick: Andrei Markov, Montreal (1,443,091 votes)
Our pick: Markov: Hard to argue with the production Montreal is getting from Markov, one of the most underrated players in the league.
The fans pick: Mike Komisarek, Montreal (1,373,628 votes)
Our pick: Zdeno Chara, Boston: A huge presence on the ice, Chara (plus-18) and teammate Dennis Wideman (plus-26) are one-two in plus/minus among defensemen.
Goalie
The fans pick: Carey Price, Montreal (1,515,885 votes)
Our pick: Tim Thomas, Boston: Thomas wasn't even on the ballot, but he was the game's best goalie in the first half.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Forwards
The fans pick: Patrick Kane, Chicago (917,551 votes)
Our pick: Jarome Iginla, Calgary: Iginla has led the Flames to the top of the Northwest division and leads all Western conference forwards with 45 points.
The fans pick: Jonathan Toews, Chicago (809,599 votes)
Our pick: Joe Thornton, San Jose: Thornton is the best forward on the best team in the West.
The fans pick: Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim (716,569 votes)
Our pick: Getzlaf: We like the Getzlaf selection, who barely edges Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa in our opinion.
Defense
The fans pick: Brian Campbell, Chicago (784,476 votes)
Our pick: Shea Weber, Nashville: Weber has raised his game to another level now that he's healthy. And if we had to pick a Chicago defenseman, it'd be Duncan Keith.
The fans pick: Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim (637,316 votes)
Our pick: Dan Boyle, San Jose: Boyle's trade to the Sharks had a huge impact both on his new team and the one he left behind in Tampa Bay.
Goalie
The fans pick: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim (617,241 votes)
Our pick: Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota: Having a nice contract year (17-12-2, 2.28 GAA, .924 save percentage), but barely edges the surging Steve Mason as our All-Star starter.
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.
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.
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All-Star Game preview Jan. 18: Sunday's contest in Montreal should prove to be another great display of skill. |
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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 |
NHL All-Star Game |
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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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
