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 for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
 | Special feature |
 |
NBCSports.com |
There's a certain indignity in signing for anything less than you feel you're worth.
That goes for any profession, in any day and age.
If Allen Iverson is wondering how the current recession didn't hurt Anderson Varejao or Marcin Gortat, he needs only to consider the unfortunate reality that he's not 7-feet tall.
It doesn't help that he's coming off a disastrous stint in Detroit, complete with a supposed debilitating back injury to ward off most potentially interested teams.
As it stands, he's got three of the league's biggest perennial bottom-feeders vying for his services, and by vying, I really mean not running the other way at the prospect of his acquisition.
The L.A. Clippers are intrigued. Memphis wants him to be its sideshow freak and Charlotte wouldn't mind reuniting him with Larry Brown to help some of those hideous orange and Racing Day blue jerseys fly off the shelves.
If nothing else, Iverson can sell merchandise.
But if he wants to do more than play some bad team's Crazy Eddie for the full mid-level, Iverson should look to the one likely playoff team interested in his services, the Miami Heat.
Problem is, Miami is adamant about not offering the full mid-level of $5.7 million since it's stuck paying dollar-for-dollar for going into luxury tax territory. The Heat are looking to stay in the $3-4 million range, won't give Iverson more than a year and are unlikely to guarantee him Mario Chalmers' starting spot opposite Dwyane Wade.
Already uncomfortable with the massive pay cut heading his way, it's going to take Iverson swallowing very hard to take even less to sign with the Heat.
He needs to, though. Miami represents the best situation for Iverson if redemption is what he craves.
At this stage in his career, the 34-year-old has two options: ride into the sunset as one of the greatest scoring guards to play the game or hang around, accept a diminished role and chase a ring and one last fairly lucrative multi-year deal.
Since it doesn't seem like he's interested in retirement, this season looms as a means to an end. He's got to prove himself once again to benefit in 2010.
So, what's more impressive? Going down to Memphis and competing with O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph for shots on a team destined to lose at least 50 games or venturing to South Florida and proving he can play a second fiddle to a legitimate star like Dwyane Wade on a playoff squad?
What's going to be more reassuring to a front office, watching Iverson stay out of trouble on Beale Street or on South Beach? He's still going to make his appearances on the party circuit, but the days of him burning the candle at both ends like a young pup are waning. At this point, he's more likely to make an appearance at a party he's "hosting" then he would be spending hours making it rain in the VIP.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
 | Slideshow |
 |
The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
ProBasketballTalk tweets |
|
Source: Twitter. For more, follow @basketballtalk. |
 | Video: NBA from NBC Sports |
 Lin on on 'Linsanity' Knicks guard Jeremy Lin discusses the hype surrounding his recent rise in New York. |
 | Slideshow |
 |
more photos |
Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman |
Do you have a burning NBA question? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag. |  |
| Special feature |
 |
Who will be MVP? Interactive: Rank each player on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 = best player, 0 = barely worthy of consideration). NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 |
more photos |
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
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.