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.
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Just two years ago, the Warriors pulled off an energizing playoff upset of the Mavericks in the first round. Then during the 2007-08 season, the Warriors racked up 48 wins, barely missing the playoffs in the stacked West. It was the first time since 1992 that the team finished with a winning record in consecutive years.
Of course, it all unraveled during the 2008-09 season, starting with the defection of Baron Davis to the Clippers, failed attempts to land free agents Gilbert Arenas and Elton Brand, and a mysterious ankle injury suffered by rising guard Monta Ellis that turned out to be the result of a moped accident. For two years, we had a new, tougher version of the Warriors. But this past season, as the front office took a pounding in the press and reports of in-fighting popped up, we saw the team revert to the old Warriors — young and talented, but always finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot. Or, in this case, run their foot over with a moped.
Look over the Golden State roster and (try not to roll your eyes, Warriors fans) it’s hard not to wonder whether, finally, this group can bump the woebegone franchise into a period of sustained success. It’s possible — but youth must be served.
“There is talent on this team,” said rookie guard Stephen Curry. “I am sure everyone knows the history and all of that. But it doesn’t matter. Top to bottom, we have a lot of talent.”
It’s young talent. Ellis, healthy again, is 23. So are sharpshooter Anthony Morrow and center Andris Biedrins. Curry, who showed some point guard skills in summer league, is 21. Underrated swingman Kelenna Azubuike is 25.
And there’s the potential crown jewel: lanky forward Anthony Randolph, who is 6-10, moves fluidly and spent the summer adding shooting touch. He’s only 20, and though he’s shown promise, his experience as a rookie last season should also serve as a red flag for what could go wrong here. In the early going, Randolph struggled to get along with coach Don Nelson and was relegated to a limited role. Only after outside parties negotiated better communication between coach and player did Randolph blossom. He started 22 games near the end of the year, and in those starts, he averaged 10.6 points and 8.5 rebounds.
But that’s the big problem here. (Well, that and the lack of defense.) Nelson is a Hall-of-Fame-caliber coach, with the second-most wins in NBA history. But he’s 69 and, to steal one of his favorite phrases, isn’t buying green bananas anymore. He doesn’t do well when it comes to the coddling and nudging young players need. With Nelson, you’re either in the penthouse or the doghouse, and youth must be handled more delicately than that. The Warriors will, of course, use Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson as their anchors. But trusting the youth, and helping it grow, is the key to this team. It will be a challenge.
“I think when you come in as a young player, you are not really sure what you are doing, how you should be approaching practices, what you have to do to get on the floor,” Randolph said. “Those were some things that I needed to figure out. Once Coach and I got on the same page, it all worked out better. But it took a little time. I don’t think that will happen again.”
Better not. The bottom of the West isn’t as imposing as it once was. It’s not unrealistic for the Warriors to think playoffs. But to do so, they’re going to have to figure out how to get the most from some very young pieces.
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.
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.
