Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
APTreat it like a special time
This should be the time you should remember for the rest of your life. You’re not going to remember your fifth start in 1982. But you will remember your success or failure in the postseason more than anything.
Competing in the playoffs is a time to cherish. There is pressure, of course, but I always say that pressure is nothing more than what you put on yourself. This is a dream that you had as a kid when you first picked up a baseball, and you just don’t want it to end.
You can play 20 years and never compete in a playoff game, and there are great players — guys like Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Ernie Banks and Ted Williams — who never won a World Series. You think of some of the greats who never played on a championship team and it really hits home how important it is to make the most of every chance.
People always ask me what was my favorite moment of my career. Was it the no-hitter, or winning all those games or getting all those strikeouts? But it’s none of those things. It’s winning championships in 1979 and 1987, because we did it as a team. That can never be taken away from me. It’s something I will have for the rest of my life, and will be passed on from generation to generation.
If you were to walk into my family room, you would see a wall covered with baseballs on display. Baseballs from my victories and milestones. But in the middle of the wall, with the lights shining down on them, are the two World Series trophies. They represent 23 years of my career. That’s the main focus.
After you win a World Series, the feeling is incredible. Your body experiences something like you’ve never experienced before. It’s that same high, almost, like the birth of your child.
But even then, it really does not hit home until Opening Day the next year when they present you with your ring in front of the fans. That is just awesome. That’s what you play for.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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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.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.