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'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.
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.
AP
LONG POND, Pa. - Rain didn’t entirely spoil Tony Stewart’s week.
He will start Sunday’s Pocono 500 from the pole after a downpour Friday washed out qualifying for Stewart’s first race since he catapulted to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings this season.
Stewart earned a nice consolation prize after his charity race was also rained out earlier this week.
Still, Smoke is on a roll in his first season as an owner and driver.
“It has been a honeymoon to this point,” Stewart said Friday. “I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can.”
Jeff Gordon and his achy back will start second. The four-time Cup champion said that he’ll be OK for Sunday’s race at the “Tricky Triangle,” though he does need about an hour of treatment each day to ease the pain.
Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman round out the top five in a Pocono lineup set on the point standings.
They’re all looking up at Stewart, who’s fashioned a surprising run for a third career Cup title in his inaugural season with Stewart Haas Racing.
“I still think Tony is crazy for starting up his own team, but he’s doing a great job with it,” said Johnson, who nipped Stewart to win last week at Dover.
Stewart’s schedule has been washed out since then, including the charity race at a dirt track he owns near the western Ohio village of Rossburg that had been postponed Wednesday because of rain. It was rescheduled for Sept. 9.
Friday’s rainout at Pocono, though, allowed him more time to get back to Eldora Speedway to enter qualifying there for Saturday’s Dirt Late Model Dream race.
“Make it quick, I’m actually trying to make it back to qualify in case I didn’t stress that enough,” Stewart joked in the media room after Friday’s Pocono washout became official.
The pole winner is usually the last driver to talk to reporters, though Gordon graciously switched places with Stewart to allow him to fly out earlier.
“You earned it man, you’re the points leader,” Gordon told Stewart with a smile after the two exchanged handshakes as Stewart left the stage. Stewart is the first driver/owner to lead in points since Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 Cup championship.
Other drivers didn’t plan quite as extensive a schedule.
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Johnson wanted to just sit in his bus and eat.
“Usually you just sit in the bus and eat all day,” the three-time defending champion said, drawing laughs. “My bus driver found a gym down the road, so at least I’ll go get a workout and then eat so I feel better about myself.”
Sunday’s race will also mark the first one with double-file restarts in a Cup points race. The format had been used in non-points races.
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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.
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The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.
