Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
Q: Who’s going to win the scoring title? Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin?
— Mike from Cincinnati
A: With less than two weeks left in the regular season, Mike, Malkin led the race, 107-100, and I don't see any reason — other than the ever-present threat of injury — for him to lose his grip on the No. 1 spot.
Remember, Malkin only finished six points behind Ovechkin, 112-106, for last year's title. They are both tremendous talents and Ovechkin is sure to win the goal-scoring title for a second straight season — all the more impressive considering A.O.'s slow start over the first four weeks of the season.
Too bad we won't see them go head-to-head here again in the regular season. The two clubs wrapped up their season series on March 8. Given that these two could run neck-and-neck for the scoring title for a number of years to come, the NHL schedule maker might want to keep that in mind for future seasons.
Q: Potential first-round matchup you’re dying to see?
— Austin B. from Worcester, Mass.
A: Well, Austin, given that we are both from the Bay State, I say bring on Boston-Montreal one more time. They played a scintillating first-rounder last year, with the Habs prevailing in seven games.
If it happens this year, it could be billed as the Trading Places series. Last year, Montreal finished first in the East, with the Bruins taking the No. 8 seed. Right now, it looks as if Boston will take the regular-season title, with the Habs holding on for dear life to cop that final seed in the conference.
And because of Mssrs. Malkin and Ovechkin (see above), it sure would be great to see a Pittsburgh-Washington matchup.
Oh, and with Sean Avery back in Manhattan, the thought of a Rangers-Devils matchup is all the more tantalizing, especially after last year when Avery literally got in Martin Brodeur's face, waving his stick in front of the goalie's mask to take him off his game.
In the West, if Anaheim could slip into a No. 7 or 8 spot, an all-California series with the Sharks would be fun. The Ducks decided not to deal defenseman Chris Pronger at the deadline, and it would be fun to see how he handles big bodies Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton in a best-of-seven set.
Q: Which coaches most likely won’t be back next season?
— Sharon T. from Ypsilanti, Mich.
A: Right now, Sharon, I'd have to guess Craig MacTavish will be sent packing if the Oilers miss the postseason for a third season in a row. He's first on the endangered species list, for sure, even though he is close to Oil owner Daryl Katz.
I doubt Jacques Lemaire will choose to stay on behind the Wild bench. He took a while to figure out last season if he would do it again this year, and a third DNQ in five years won't be much of an enticement for him to come back. Time for a change there after eight years of all Jacques all the time.
I thought Tony Granato was a curious choice to leads the Avs when he was named there last May. I'd find it even more curious if he were retained after this lackluster campaign.
As for the East, right now it looks like only Bob Gainey, the Habs GM who took over the bench when he canned Guy Carbonneau, will be the only non-returnee.
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
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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 |
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.
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.
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.