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.
Getty Images for NASCARIf you caught the New Hampshire race and missed the action at Dover, you didn't miss much when it comes to the performance of the competitors in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. However, you did miss a harrowing wreck involving Joey Logano, which I suggest you YouTube. Logano walked away frightened but unscathed.
Here's the breakdown of the top 12 after Sunday's AAA 400.
1. Mark Martin, 5,400 points
Martin said he was just a little bit off at Dover, a race he still finished second. But for a little perspective, let's turn this around a bit. He still was better than 41 other cars with less than his peak.
2. Jimmie Johnson, 5,390
Like Martin, Johnson's average finish in the first two Chase races is 1.5. The No. 48 team's ability to raise its game during the Chase four years running is utterly remarkable. And if Martin is pushing Johnson, the average finish to win the Chase may need to be better than the 5.7 Johnson posted last year.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya, 5,335
Montoya finished fourth to post his second straight top five and third in the last four races. This Brian Pattie-led team deserves significant credit for rising to third in points, especially when Earnhardt Ganassi Racing appeared to have fallen behind NASCAR's powerhouse teams.
4. Kurt Busch, 5,325
He's dealt with all kinds of adversity in his NASCAR career (his spat with Jimmy Spencer, his less-than-amicable departure from Roush Racing, his words with Roger Penske), so this latest bout with crew chief Pat Tryson leaving at season's end must seem like small potatoes to him. If he can compartmentalize for eight more races, it shouldn't be surprising.
5. Tony Stewart, 5,294
Remember Stewart's string of seven top-five finishes in eight races, beginning at Dover and ending at Indy? Stewart needs a run like that instead of the two he's posted thus far (14th, 9th) to give himself a chance. He could use a little better luck, though. He had nowhere to go when he rear-ended Joey Logano.
6. Denny Hamlin, 5,292
The top points-earner of the past 11 races entering Dover, Hamlin struggled to a 22nd-place finish with a car that just wasn't fast. Now comes a track in Kansas where Hamlin has yet to notch at top-10 finish. It's a huge weekend for him.
7. Ryan Newman, 5,290
It was great to see Newman lead 29 laps at Dover, but his car's performance was still a little bit off. He finished 10th to notch a fifth-straight top 10, but too many other competitors are dialed in for Newman to top-10 his way to the title.
8. Jeff Gordon, 5,278
A problem with an air gun cost Gordon valuable spots on pit road, but he battled to ultimately finish sixth. Thing is, the difference between finishing sixth and second, which is where Gordon felt he should have been, is 20 points. When every point is huge, this was a lost opportunity.
more photos
9. Greg Biffle, 5,262
Slideshow
The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.
Biffle rued the fact that Johnson and Juan Pablo Montoya were among those able to do a tire test at Dover earlier this summer, especially in light of where both finished. While there is truth in Biffle's beef, it's hard to believe it would have mattered for Biffle in the long run. Roush cars just haven't had it this year.
10. Brian Vickers, 5,249
None of the changes Vickers and his crew tried on their car worked, and the result was an 18th-place finish. A reasonable goal for Vickers now is to see how many Chasers he can finish ahead of by season's end.
11. Carl Edwards, 5,247
Edwards has 11 top-10 finishes in 28 races this year -- and none over the last five races. He had 11 top 10s after 15 races in 2008. His broken foot is not to blame.
12. Kasey Kahne, 5,211
Kahne finished a respectable eighth at Dover, but he's still last in this competition. That's what a DNF does to your Chase chances.
 | Slideshow |
 |
NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | Earning a trip to victory lane Take a look at every NASCAR driver who has claimed a checkered flag this racing season. NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | Revved up for racing Take a look at how some NASCAR fans express their dedication to the drivers and to the sport. NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
 | INTERACTIVE |
 | NASCAR wives and girlfriends They're fixtures in pit row, but they don't drive on the track or work on the cars. Take a look at some notable NASCAR wives and girlfriends. |
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.
