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.
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.
ASSOCIATED PRESS7. Matt Jones, receiver
Jones entered the league with plenty of hype and fanfare in 2005, as a converted quarterback who was taller than a tight end and faster than a flanker.
Though he has yet to become the dominant figure many believed he would be, Jones had a strong season in 2008. But his most recent blunder (a positive alcohol test) was the last straw, and the Jaguars cut him loose.
Jones recently emerged from a drug diversion program in Arkansas, and he is free and clear of all suspensions.
He also remains free and clear of employment, but that could soon change — especially if the guy who drafted Jones, former Jags V.P. of player personnel James "Shack" Harris, can persuade the powers-that-be in Detroit to pair Jones with Calvin Johnson.
8. Kevin Carter, defensive end
A fixture in the NFL since being drafted in 1995, Carter is expected to eventually re-sign with the Buccaneers, the team with which he has spent two seasons.
But it's surprising that no one else has pursued him. He has appeared in every game of every season in which he has played, failing to start only four of them.
He'll probably be back for at least another season. If the Bucs wait too long, however, they might blow their chance to keep him.
9. Adam "Pacman" Jones, cornerback
It's been a quiet offseason for Pacman Jones. For the first time in his career. He was cut earlier this year by the Cowboys, and rumors persist that he'll land in Dallas again.
If not there, it's unclear where Jones might play. There's a good chance he simply won't get another chance, even though he only has been in the league four years.
10. J.P. Losman, quarterback
To date, Losman is the only member of the four-member first-round quarterback class of 2004 who has not worked out at the NFL level. (The others — Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger — have done fairly well, to say the least.)
And though the Adam Sandler look-a-like apparently has had opportunities to compete for a spot at the bottom of an NFL depth chart, Losman has been linked to the UFL, where he would undoubtedly be a starting quarterback — and where he would be tutored by former NFL coach Jim Fassel.
Though the money that the UFL is offering doesn't look all that great, Losman might be wise to take a short-term reduction in order to cash in later.
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.
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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.