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 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.
In past contract negotiations, general managers had to convince Marian Hossa that their franchise was the right place for Hossa to sign long term.
The Atlanta Thrashers couldn't do it, despite opening their books to the talented Slovakian forward last season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't do it despite offering an opportunity to play beside Sidney Crosby for the next seven years.
Now in Detroit, Hossa has found the city where he wants to retire and a team that wants to keep him. But the current economic state of hockey and an uncertain salary cap has complicated negotiations between the Detroit Red Wings and Hossa, who is scheduled to be hockey's top unrestricted free agent on July 1.
"I trust my agent and (Detroit GM) Ken (Holland) are going to work something out," an optimistic Hossa told Sporting News.
Hossa sounded at ease when talking about the contract negotiations on Friday and his agent is optimistic. In an e-mail to Sporting News, Hossa agent Ritch Winter wrote both sides continue to work on a deal that balances the Red Wings cash flow and pays Hossa a salary in line with comparable players.
That's no easy task in today's market, especially considering the limited flexibility the Red Wings have because of the salary cap.
"It takes time to work through these things," Winter wrote in an e-mail. "The discussions are more complex under the current system. Both parties favor a deal versus not — that is the plan. Time will tell. I am optimistic."
While the Hossa camp is optimistic, Holland sounds cautious. He told Booth Newspapers this week that he will postpone talks until after the playoffs if something doesn't get done by the first week of April.
Hossa told Sporting News that he'd rather have an extension reached now rather than waiting until the offseason. That means the two sides have about a week to get it done.
"It would be nicer if I can maybe get something done before the end of the season," Hossa said. "But I'm not really rushing it."
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
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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.
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.
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.
