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' national 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.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame, already without its most prolific pass receiver, could face Purdue on Saturday with its quarterback and leading rusher both hobbled.
Jimmy Clausen, second in the nation in pass efficiency with a rating of 188.55, did not practice Tuesday because of turf toe on his right foot, coach Charlie Weis said. Tailback Armando Allen Jr., who has rushed for 100 yards in consecutive games, also did not take part in practice because of a sprained right ankle.
As he did Sunday, Weis tried to make light of the Clausen injury.
“Rumors of him having a broken foot and being done for the year are incorrect,” he said. “But he does have a turf toe.”
Clausen, who was not available for comment Tuesday, missed only two plays after being injured Saturday against Michigan State. He has been seen walking around campus in a protective boot, and will have a plate placed in his shoe that lifts the toe up to take pressure off the injured area, Weis said.
Weis said the plan is to give backup Dayne Crist, who did not play as a freshman last season, the majority of the time in practice on Tuesday, but also give third-stringer Evan Sharpley — the backup the past three years — some plays “to knock off a little bit of the rust.”
The plan is to practice Clausen some on Wednesday and for him to take the majority of the snaps on Thursday. Weis plans to take a similar course with Allen, who has rushed for 326 yards in three games.
“I would expect both of them to play,” Weis said.
Weis has said he has confidence in Crist. Crist is 3-of-4 passing this season for 16 yards and an interception on a long bomb to end the first half against Michigan State.
The surgery on star receiver Michael Floyd, who was second in the nation in receiving yards before breaking his left collarbone against Michigan State, went well, Weis said. Floyd had a plate put in his shoulder.
Weis joked that Floyd, a sophomore, thinks he’s a coach now.
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“He’s been all over everyone. He was in the training room this morning hammering on Clausen, ’Get out of that boot. Let’s get going,”’ Weis said. “He was getting on Armando for wanting a day off today.”
Weis said doctors have told him that Floyd coming back in two months would be “optimistic,” saying there’s an “outside shot” he could be back before a possible bowl game.
Weis agreed, when asked, that it is unlikely Floyd would seek a medical redshirt because of his NFL aspirations.
“I would let him make the call on that one, but I don’t think that would be much of a call,” Weis said. “I hope to have him two more years, let alone three more years. If you give me him for two, I’d sign up for that right now.”
Weis also said fullback James Aldridge, who missed the past two games with a sprained right shoulder, likely will be out until the game against USC on Oct. 17.
It took a while for the light bulb to go on, but when it did, Jonas Gray finally showed the talent many had expected from the blue-chip prospect from Detroit. In a recent interview, Gray, who is rehabbing an ACL injury to get ready for the NFL Scouting Combine, expressed the confidence and support he has for head coach Brian Kelly.
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Penalty plays for Notre Dame Sept. 22: The Irish committed 11 penalties for 99 yards against Michigan State, including several for late hits. |
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 | Notre Dame 2011 schedule See when all the big matchups will take place with Notre Dame's 2011 schedule. NBCSports.com |
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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.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
