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.
APIf you know Manuel’s personal history it’s no mystery at all why he backed Lidge.
Manuel was a .198 career hitter who got only 244 big league at-bats after playing more than 1,000 games at the minor league level. So he acutely understands what it means to scuffle. He went on to spend six seasons in Japan, where he finally found a niche as a bit of a home run hitter, but not before playing here for Billy Martin and Walter Alston. Both legendary managers affected how Manuel manages his teams.
Manuel has said from the understated Alston he learned the importance of treating everyone from the stars to the scrubs on his teams with respect. Today’s Phillies players rave about Manuel’s calmness. Manuel’s relationship with the volatile Martin was far different. Last season Manuel told The New York Times a story about how Martin chose him to pinch-hit one day in a big spot, though he had better hitters on the bench. When Manuel asked why, Martin snapped that he figured even if Manuel got out he would at least pull the ball and get the runner over to third.
“I never forgot that,” Manuel said.
That Manuel would have an upbeat view of that exchange is typical of him: He felt Martin had actually seen something good in him and trusted him despite his flaws. Manuel said he tries to make his players feel the same way. Everyone has something to contribute.
This baseball postseason is already full of other promising storylines. The Angels are dedicating this run to their late teammate Nick Adenhart, who was killed in April by a drunk driver. The Yankees are resurgent behind the best lineup money can buy. The Dodgers’ Torre is just one series win away from a possible World Series matchup against the Yankees franchise that gave him the bum rush toward the door. But how much Manuel continues to call on Lidge will be fascinating to watch too.
We’ve already seen hotter closers like Minnesota’s Joe Nathan, Boston's Jonathan Papelbon and Colorado’s Huston Street blow saves that cost their teams their division series.
But Brad Lidge is 2-for-2 and Charlie Manuel’s Phillies are moving on.
Crazy, right?
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.