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.
Yes, the Tampa Bay Rays are well aware of the New York Yankees' drunken-sailor spending spree this offseason.
It's impossible not to notice when a division rival spends $423.5 million to sign three free agents: starting pitchers A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia and first baseman Mark Teixeira.
"Of course, we monitor closely what the Yankees do," said Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay's executive vice president of baseball operations. "With a 20-game winner retiring and losing a number of free agents, it's no surprise that they've reloaded.
"In the AL East, we would expect nothing less."
The East is different now. The Rays are the defending champion, and the Yankees can hand out nearly half a billion dollars and not be much better than the distressed team that finished third in the division last season.
As Friedman referred to, the Yankees lost a 20-game winner when Mike Mussina retired. Sabathia and Burnett, the most questionable of all signings in the offseason, will do well to equal what Andy Pettitte and Mussina did for the rotation last season.
Mussina and Pettitte were battle-tested by life in the Bronx. Sabathia and Burnett must go through the first-year hazing process.
Teixeira is a big upgrade, but the Yankees have significant questions at catcher and in center.
As the Yankees scramble to plug holes, the Rays stay the course. Last season's success and the developments of the offseason have not changed the club's development-first-and-always philosophy, Friedman said.
"Our goal from the beginning has been to achieve success that we can sustain for many years, and the heart of that will continue to be scouting and development," Friedman said. "When it makes sense for us, we won't shy away from short-term additions to supplement our core, but we will always build from within."
The Rays are a young and talented team that is only going to get better. That said, the Rays have not clung to the status quo. They have churned the roster since the World Series and would like to do more before spring training opens.
The No. 1 need, manager Joe Maddon said, is to help the offense, and they reportedly made a move to do that by signing Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 million deal. Burrell will play DH.
Tampa Bay finished 11th in RBIs from DHs last season with 78, but that was better than right field. It placed 13th with 74 RBIs.
If Burrell does not work out, the Rays gave themselves an option by obtaining outfielder Matt Joyce from Detroit. Not considered a prospect going into last season, Joyce reached the majors and had 12 homers with a .492 slugging percentage in 242 at-bats with the Tigers. He also had 65 strikeouts in 242 at-bats.
"You break us down from last year, and it was primarily done through pitching and defense," Maddon said. "I would like us to remain that constant forever and ever. But you could also see areas where you can improve offensively."
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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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.
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.
