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 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.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
APCongratulations, Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade. Carlos Boozer wants to head your way. If this starts the dominoes falling, then Dwyane Wade will agree to an extension, and we'll have that much less to talk about in the electronic gossip media.
Boozer is very good. I still believe that, if he'd remained in Cleveland, that team would have a championship by now. On paper, he gives Wade a top-tier low-post presence who can rebound and score like crazy. But basketball is not a two-man game, and so you have to wonder ... what exactly happens around Wade and the Booze?
Most crucially, what about that Michael Beasley kid the team took second overall in 2008? Contrary to popular belief, Beasley's rookie season did have a lot of promise to it, along with the expected frustrations surrounding thinking straight and playing defense. However, there's no doubt that Beasley could turn into something valuable if used correctly. It's doubtful he'll ever be able to guard small forwards, which throws him into a big-man muck with (potentially) Boozer, Udonis Haslem, the rickety Jermaine O'Neal and shot-blocker Joel Anthony.
Now, to make things even more extreme: what if the Heat also succeed in wooing Lamar Odom? He's capable of playing small forward — hell, he can do anything — but is at his most effective at power forward. The dream, or nightmare, scenario would have a frontline of Boozer, Odom and either Anthony or O'Neal at center. Haslem would be likely traded, which leaves Beasley the odd man out. Unless you want me to write about Mark Blount.
In theory, this season could be Boozer's tryout for a long-term deal beyond his 2009-10 option. But if he's being brought in to placate Wade, wouldn't both players want to see an extension? It almost seems like Beasley's development, which is admittedly a less-than-obvious proposition at this point, runs counter to the Heat becoming a contender. As in, they have to choose between what Wade wants or bringing along Beasley. When you put it that way, the choice is obvious.
But the more Beasley is marginalized, the more disposable he seems, and thus the harder it is to get any real value for him. The ideal situation involves using the second-year forward as a chip in one of these veteran acquisitions; a few months ago, there were insinuations that Miami could get Bosh if they were willing to part with Beasley; that was before the Hedo Turkoglu signing. I don't quite see Beasley as a Jerry Sloan kind of guy, although it would make a great production for stage and screen in 1931.
And this isn't just a big-picture problem. When it comes to simple matters of the rotation, there could be a perfectly good rationale to give Beasley almost no playing time. Of course, that would reduce him to a non-entity. Even on a micro-level, the Heat's future might come down to having to decide whether to cut their losses on Beasley or move full-steam ahead with Wade's championship plans. If he signs that extension, they get some breathing room.
But if not, Miami needs to realize how to put the best spin on Beasley's dwindling value and visibility. The question is, do they need to sell other teams, or just other teams' fans, on whatever party line they come up with.
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.
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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.
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.
Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green added 12 and defense-minded No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State 58-48 Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 39-game home winning streak.
