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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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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Watch out for Murray at Aussie Open Jan. 14: There are many strong contenders for this year's men's singles title in Melbourne, but Harry Cicma thinks Andy Murray will stay hot. |
Federer doesn’t think Murray will benefit from the bookmakers’ prognostications, thinking expectations could weigh him down.
He thought pressure might also affect Djokovic, the 21-year-old Serbian defending a Grand Slam title for the first time.
Taking himself out of the equation, he picked Nadal to have the best chance of the others. Nadal lost to Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Muhammad Ali lookalike, in the semifinals last season.
Murray “put himself in a position, but winning a Grand Slam is a different animal,” Federer said. “Not many guys have been able to win a Grand Slam in the last few years. Rafa and me took a lot of them. ... They don’t come easily.”
Djokovic lost his opening match at the Brisbane International last week, his first tournament with a new racket sponsor. He accepted a wild-card entry for Sydney, where he lost in the semifinals 6-4, 7-6 (3) to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen on Friday.
“I’m aware of the pressure and expectations that are behind me as the defending champion,” Djokovic said. “But look, on the brighter side, I will have a big challenge in front of me.
“I have to get used to that if I want to stay in the top of the men’s tennis. Hopefully I’m going to be a couple of times in this situation as a defending champion.”
Murray thinks he’ll get that experience, too, now that he’s overcome the nerves and is 5-2 career against Federer.
“It doesn’t make any difference whether people expect you to win or not. It doesn’t change my mentality,” he said. “The more matches you play, you realize what the bookies are saying doesn’t make any difference once you get on court, whether they are saying good things or bad things.”
Murray, who was placed in the top half of the draw with Nadal and wouldn’t face Federer until the final, said he had no fear of the Swiss star.
“The more you play against him the less fearful you are, you’re not scared to win the match,” he said. “Now when I play him I don’t get nervous and if I play my best tennis I can beat him.
“I’m going to enjoy being one of the favorites and give it my best. I’ve got a lot more Grand Slams to play. I’m really chilled out.”
Federer is thinking along the similar lines, and isn’t ruling out becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in a calendar year.
On the eve of Friday’s draw, he was asked how many more Grand Slam events he was capable of winning. His answer, delivered in his matter-of-fact manner: “Plenty.”
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.
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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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 | Hot times Down Under Jan. 14: Roger Federer is getting used to the hot temperatures in preparation for the Australian Open. |
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.
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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.
