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.
AP
AKRON, Ohio - Sarah Whitaker overcame rain and wind to make her family proud by racing to victory at the 72nd All-American Soap Box Derby.
The 10-year-old, the 15th member of her family to race in the national finals, was one of four girls to claim championships in the six divisions Saturday.
“It’s beyond words, but I can say I just love it,” said Whitaker, from the Akron suburb of Norton, who jumped into her uncle’s arms after climbing out of her race car at the finish line.
Other girls to win were Megan Thornton, of Cleveland, in the Masters Division; Maija Liimatainen, of Madison, Wis., in Super Stock; and Megan Hydutsky, of Pottstown, Pa., in the Rally Masters.
Two 12-year-old boys also won championships. Tyler Fleck, of Perkasie, Pa., won the Rally Stock competition, and Alex Seither, of Mason, Ohio, claimed the Rally Super Stock title.
Whitaker’s uncle Jon Underwood, who competed in the finals in 1976 and 1978, said his niece had “made us all very, very proud.” His dad, John Underwood, was an All-American champion in 1946.
Whitaker said a steady drizzle during the finals caused her car to swerve slightly.
“I don’t know if the track was wet, it was from the wind or just being in Lane 3,” the fifth-grader said. “I always like Lane 1. There’s nothing like being No. 1.”
A near-record 599 finalists, seven fewer than in 2008, competed for a total of $29,000 in college scholarships.
Liimatainen, the first All-American champion from Wisconsin, said she intends to use her $3,000 scholarship to study to become an engineer — but first has plans to return to Akron to try to win another title.
“My sister Clarissa finished third one year, and my brother Aaron was second, so this is a great feeling,” said the 11-year-old. “It’s a family thing. We just love the Derby.”
Hydutsky, a 17-year-old high school senior, won in her final year of eligibility.
She was far from the oldest racer to coast down the venerable track. Three former drivers totaling 262 years old opened the day by driving in the ceremonial Oil Can Derby.
Mike Politz, 89, who never made it out of his local heats in the 1934 race in Akron, beat 91-year-old John Frasier and 82-year-old Claude Smith, the 1941 All-American champ.
“My biggest thrill today was being called the kid in our race,” Smith said.
Politz finally found the thrill of victory 75 years after he first competed.
“It was worth the wait,” he said.
Track officials worked hard throughout the afternoon to put the program back on schedule after a one-hour rain delay in the midmorning. A light drizzle fell for the final hour of races.
Race general manager Jeff Iula said there’s never been a rainout.
“It’s the 17th time we’ve had a rain delay at the finals, not counting the little 5-minute sprinkle we had a year ago,” Iula said.
Iula estimated attendance at 16,000, up about 1,000 from a year ago, but admitted this year’s event was affected by the national economy.
“We could use some more sponsors,” Iula said. “The interest is as great as ever from kids all over the world. Hopefully, some corporations will recognize that these boys and girls are our future.”
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.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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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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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.