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.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had 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.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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.
APThe Giants, who had the day off Monday, begin a six-game road trip Tuesday through Philadelphia and Milwaukee. After that, it’s back home for nine against the NL West: three each with San Diego, the Dodgers and Rockies.
San Francisco didn’t have anybody with 20 home runs last season, but Sandoval hit his 20th on Friday night against the Rockies and his 21st Saturday.
“I don’t care about the numbers,” Sandoval said. “I just try to do my job and try to help my team. It’s September, the pennant race, and we’re trying to play good ball.”
The Giants went 72-90 last season, including a disappointing 37-44 at home, to finish fourth in the NL West. In 2007, they were last in Bochy’s first year. The two previous years, third.
“It’s something new to some players,” roving instructor and former Giant Shawon Dunston said of contending. “The game changes. That’s why you play ’till the end. At least we’re in it. I was on a whole bunch of teams where we were out in June.”
Zito won Saturday night to chants of “Barry! Barry!” and even received a rare curtain call, a highlight during a difficult tenure since he signed a $126 million, seven-year contract before the 2007 season. Renteria came back out of the dugout to acknowledge the sellout crowd following his grand slam Sunday.
No question there’s hope again at China Basin.
San Francisco lost to the Angels in seven games in the 2002 World Series, then was eliminated in the division series by the Florida Marlins in ’03 — the first time since 1936-37 the Giants reached the postseason in consecutive years.
“It’s September now,” Uribe said. “It’s nice. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do.”
That’s exactly what Bochy wants his players to remember: Don’t change what’s already been working.
“You want them to play with the freedom and the looseness that you need as a player,” Bochy said. “Even though they’re important games (and) you’re going to be amped up — that goes with the territory — you still have to be loose and relaxed to play like you’re capable of playing. One thing you want to stay away from is any tension. This is what you play the game for. You worked hard to get to this point.”
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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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.