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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has 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.
Maddon will also have to be creative again in his handling of the closer-less bullpen.
Closer Troy Percival recently had back surgery. The Rays hope Percival will be ready by opening day, but he is 39 and broke down during the second half last season. Percival did not have a save after Aug. 13 and was inactive throughout the playoffs.
"If we're going to get back to the postseason, we really have to make sure the 'pen is as strong or stronger than it was," Maddon said.
To do that, the Rays need depth in the bullpen.
Depth allows Maddon to follow his belief that the fifth and sixth innings can be as important as the eighth and ninth. Depth will allow the Rays to weather the inevitable downturn that at least one reliever will experience this season. The volatile nature of bullpens indicates that not every Rays reliever will perform as well as he did this season.
To help the depth, the Rays signed free-agent righthander Joe Nelson, who pitched well out of Florida's bullpen last season. Nelson can be effective, when healthy. He has had four major surgeries in the last decade.
The Rays obtained righthander Grant Balfour under similar circumstances before last season, and he became a pillar of the bullpen.
Balfour's success served as an example of Maddon Mojo, which may continue into 2009.
That mojo looks to extend even beyond his own team. Maddon is part of a small group: avid fans of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals last weekend won a playoff game for the first time since 1998. With two more wins, Arizona would reach the Super Bowl, to be played in Tampa.
Maddon is into Year Two of an enchanted ride. All the Yankees' money cannot beat that magic.
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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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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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.