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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
AP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Andy Roddick won’t defend his title in Dubai next week because he doesn’t agree with the United Arab Emirates’ decision to deny Israeli Shahar Peer a visa to play in a women’s tournament.
“There were a lot of factors why I should probably go, and obviously having played well there doesn’t make it any easier,” Roddick said after beating fellow American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.
The mixing of politics and sports was a big part of Roddick’s decision to pull out of Dubai where he won his second of three titles in 2008. Roddick said he has enjoyed himself when visiting the UAE but was disappointed to see the government make a decision that reflects poorly on a great tournament.
“I don’t think you make political statements through sports,” Roddick said.
In Memphis, he will play Lleyton Hewitt, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Belgian Christophe Rochus. That sets up the first meeting of former world No. 1s in the semifinals at this event with Hewitt having won six of their first nine meetings.
But Roddick currently is ranked sixth in the world and this will be Hewitt’s first ATP semifinal since Cincinnati in August 2007 as he works back from hip surgery last August. He hasn’t beaten a top-10 player since May 2007 in Hamburg — an 0-10 stretch.
“For me, it’s about getting the matches,” Hewitt said. “I can’t emphasize it enough. I’ve got to get out there and play week in and week out, and the results will take care of themselves.”
Roddick said not traveling to Dubai probably will help him prepare for Davis Cup action against Switzerland in March. In reaching his fourth straight semifinal, Roddick had to overcome an overrule in the second set.
He had the advantage in the fifth game when umpire Fergus Murphy ruled a ball out, resulting in deuce. Roddick yelled that the umpire couldn’t call a ball on the far side, then Querrey won the next two points to break Roddick’s serve and go up 3-1. Roddick was so disgusted he threw his racket in the direction of the umpire.
The umpire gave Roddick a warning, prompting Roddick to yell out that Murphy had to have “Go-Go Gadget eyes” to see far enough to overrule.
Not that Roddick, the top seed in this tournament, commented later because he didn’t want to be fined. He is in favor of all ATP World Tour 500 series events, like Memphis, having the Hawkeye replay system.
“At the end of the day, you don’t have questions about how a match was decided,” he said.
Querrey had the bigger serve with 15 aces to 11 for Roddick. But Roddick was more effective, winning 78 percent of his first serves. He broke Querrey in the ninth game of the first set and won 6-4 in 30 minutes. He kept complaining to the umpire during a changeover after going down 1-4, then fought off two break points to hold serve.
Roddick broke Querrey in the second game of the third set and improved to 16-3 this year.
On Saturday, Czech Radek Stepanek breezed past qualifier Dudi Sela of Israel 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals.
Stepanek, trying to become the ATP Tour’s first three-time winner this year, needed just 57 minutes to get into the finals for the second straight week. He is off to a career-best 16-2 start that includes wins at Brisbane and San Jose.
Stepanek, who turned 30 in November, didn’t win his 16th match until May last year.
“I’m feeling great on the court,” Stepanek said. “With every match, the confidence grows and grows. I’m very happy for that. I’m healthy, I’m not having problems with my body, which is very important for me, and I can build on that. ... Every match I’m feeling very well with my game. I hope I can keep it up with a whole season and do my best to get another title tomorrow.”
Sela was trying to become the first qualifier to reach the final in Memphis. He won two qualifying matches to play his way into the tournament this week.
The Israeli said he couldn’t push himself through the semifinal.
“He didn’t give me any chances,” Sela said. “I think he’s playing very well, and I think he’s going to win the tournament. If he’s playing like that, he’s going to be tough to beat.”
Stepanek blew away Sela with his accurate serve, losing only eight points. He closed out the second set in just 25 minutes with his eighth ace.
“It’s not that hard but very good location, placement,” Sela said of Stepanek’s serve. “And he didn’t miss any short balls ... and came in. That’s the two points in his game that’s tough to play him.”
Stepanek came into this year with only two career titles. But he spent the winter working with coach Petr Korda on his conditioning. The Czech said the difference was he started earlier than he had before in his career and stayed healthy, allowing him to work throughout the offseason.
“I’m feeling great,” he said. “I never felt like I’m tired during the matches. Also, when you’re physically fit, it gives you a confidence itself.”
Not bad for someone who started hearing from people after his birthday on how tennis players go downhill and wrap up their careers after turning 30. Stepanek has joked that he’s like a fine wine that gets better with age, but said he didn’t turn professional until his early 20s.
“Pressure? Right now, I don’t feel any,” Stepanek said.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
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Swiss star needs to try something to get back to winning big events |  |
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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 |
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
