Super Bowl XLVI
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.
Adreian Payne scored 15 points, Draymond Green added 12 and No. 11 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State 58-48 Saturday night, ending the Buckeyes' 39-game home winning streak.
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.
Getty ImagesTo buy or to sell? That is the question numerous teams have to answer before next Friday's non-waiver trading deadline.
For front-runners such as the Red Sox and Yankees, the decision to buy — that is, to take on salary to improve the roster for the stretch run — is obvious. For clubs less certain about staying in contention, the decision is tougher.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik says at least 10 factors are considered, including, "How many clubs do you have to climb over? What physical condition are you in, and what physical condition are the clubs ahead or behind you in? What is your financial situation? What status does it leave your organization in for the years to come? To add a piece, you must ask: 'What piece are you getting in return and is it big enough to make that impact you need?' What are other ballclubs offering you in return for what you give up? If you overpay, how big is that overpay? If you rent a player, what is the compensation, if any, for that player if he is a free agent?"
In other words, "A lot goes into a simple question," adds Zduriencik, whose club is among those with a choice to make.
Mariners
Where they stand: Seattle has been one of the season's best stories. They are seven games over .500 a year after losing 101 games. Pitching has made the difference, as the Mariners own the American League's best ERA (3.65). But their paltry offense — practically a two-man show with right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and first baseman Russell Branyan — puts the Mariners at a significant disadvantage in their pursuit of the division title and the wild card.
Bottom line: The Mariners should sell one of their lefthanded starters, Jarrod Washburn or Erik Bedard, for young bats. Both southpaws will be free agents after the season, and the club probably can't afford both, especially considering it already is on the hook for at least two more years and $23 million for righthander Carlos Silva. Washburn's value never has been higher, and he would make a solid Plan B for a club that misses out on Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.
Mets
Where they stand: Injuries to three (center fielder Carlos Beltran, shortstop Jose Reyes, first baseman Carlos Delgado) of their four best hitters have derailed their season. At six games under .500, the Mets trail the Phillies by 10.5 games and are tied for eighth in the wild-card chase. But after falling just short of the postseason the past two years, the Mets are reluctant to give up hope. If their big bats can return in August, they still would have time to make a charge to save their season and manager Jerry Manuel's job.
Bottom line: Any move the Mets make should be as much about next season as this one. They are unlikely to become sellers, though, for two reasons: Giving up on the season does not play in New York, and they don't have much to deal.
Marlins
Where they stand: After a roller-coaster start — 11-1 followed by 8-24 — the Marlins have won 16 of their past 27 games to close within 3 1/2 games of the N.L. wild-card lead. But this isn't the first time the Marlins have teased. They often have the talent but rarely the experience to win the big games down the stretch.
Bottom line: With last week's ground-breaking, the Marlins finally can do more than dream about a new ballpark. But the park isn't scheduled to open until 2012, so they remain unlikely to take on any significant salaries for another year or two. One Marlin drawing interest from contenders: outfielder Cody Ross.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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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.
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.
Trae Golden scored 17 points, Jeronne Maymon added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tennessee upset No. 8 Florida 75-70 Saturday, ending the Gators' home-winning streak at 19.
