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.
APThe Wizards would know. They’ve played the Cavaliers in the first round of playoffs the past three seasons, series typified by rough play and rowdy crowds.
Cleveland’s home streak has caught their eye.
“It’s very impressive,” forward Antawn Jamison said. “History has shown only one other team has had only one loss at home. This team is on the verge of that. You have to give it up to not only this team, but the fans and the way they make this a very difficult place to come in and try to win. These guys feed off the home crowd.”
Tying the Celtics’ 24-year-old record isn’t the only thing on the Cavaliers’ agenda.
With a win at Philadelphia on Friday, they can clinch the Eastern Conference’s best record and No. 1 playoff seed, plus home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Cleveland, which has four games left, holds a one-game lead over the Lakers for the league’s best mark.
The top team at the end of the regular season would host the first two and last two games of the finals, the only postseason series with a 2-3-2 format.
Right now, the Cavs’ focus is on Philadelphia, a playoff-bound team they’ve beaten twice this season and will play two times in the next five days. The Celtics will come calling Sunday for a possible preview of the Eastern finals. Boston, which hosts Miami on Friday, has a one-game lead over Orlando for the No. 2 spot.
“There’s a lot hanging for both teams,” Ilgauskas said. “They are fighting for positioning and we’re fighting for home court. Both teams are going to want to send a message for the playoffs. This is the last time you can do it.”
The Cavs are the first team since the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls to win 38 of their first 39 at home. Those Bulls went 39-2 at home and won the NBA championship. So did the ’85-86 Celtics.
The chance to win a title is what brought Smith back. He bought out the remainder of his contract with the Thunder in early March for a chance to rejoin the Cavs, who reluctantly traded him last summer in the deal that brought guard Mo Williams to Cleveland.
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“Shhh,” he said. “Don’t jinx me.”
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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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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.
