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.
APWhen game-day is finally over — or perhaps the next day — take a free trip to the beach in Florida to enjoy the sunset, or visit one of a small handful of free or affordable museums like the Dunedin Historical Museum with some Blue Jays memorabilia; the Sports Immortals Museum in Boca Raton; and the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum in Daytona.
If you’re looking for a unique restaurant for a great meal, great baseball memorabilia on its walls and perhaps a chance encounter with a ballplayer or two on the town, check out Capogna’s Dugout in Clearwater, Fla., or Don & Charlie’s in Scottsdale, Ariz.
And in the Grand Canyon State, there are 12 teams in Metro Phoenix, so you may be in luck if you want to make Ernie Banks proud and catch two games in one day, as some teams play night games and are less than a 30-minute drive away. If not, take in a wallet-friendly college baseball game at Arizona State in Tempe, which is in metro Phoenix near the Angels spring training complex, or at the University of Arizona down in Tucson. ASU alums include Reggie Jackson, while Terry Francona and Trevor Hoffman are UA alums.
A couple more tips: Pack a windbreaker for night games in Arizona and some day games in Florida, as it can be a tad nippy and windy. For a day game, don’t forget to wear a hat or sunscreen, or you’ll look like a lobster come nightfall.
Also, if your schedule allows, try and visit spring training toward the end of March, especially if you want to see your favorite player get more than just one or two at-bats. In the first week of spring, a lot of the projected starting lineup sees limited action. But as the docket creeps closer to Opening Day, starting pitchers will go about five to six innings, and the projected starting lineup will usually take three-to-four at-bats per game.
Airlines, rental car companies, hotel chains and restaurant owners all want your business, and in this down economy, they’re offering great deals to earn it. For those with a little money to spend, 2009 may just be the best year in recent memory to visit Arizona or Florida for spring training on the cheap.
Joe Connor is a freelance writer. He’s the author of "A Fan's Guide To The Ultimate Spring Training Experience” which is available for purchase exclusively at his Web sites: www.modernerabaseball.com and www.mrsportstravel.com.
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.
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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.