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.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame walked off the field following a 17-0 loss at Boston College a year ago with Eagles fans mockingly chanting: "Where's your heart? Where's your heart?"
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis doesn't expect to be hearing that chant this year. Midway through the season, he says heart is the biggest asset going for the Fighting Irish (4-2).
"They're a bunch of guys that have shown intestinal fortitude. They're tough," he said.
He points to Notre Dame playing five games decided in the final minute, including coming back from an 11-point deficit against Michigan to take a fourth-quarter lead before losing 38-34 and trailing USC by 20 and still having a chance to tie it with three passes into the end zone in the final 9 seconds before losing 34-27 on Saturday.
Mental toughness was emphasized during the offseason after the Irish blew double-digit leads to North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Syracuse last season.
"This team gets it," Weis said Tuesday. "I think that when you get to the point when the team gets the thing about mental toughness, you have a chance every week."
The problem for the Irish, though, is that they've had a chance to lose every week except for the opening game, a 35-0 win over Nevada.
Some might see the disappointing loss against USC, the eighth straight to their rivals, as setting the Irish up for a letdown this week. Weis doesn't think that will happen against Boston College (5-2).
"How can be you flat when you are playing a team that just beat you six times in a row?" Weis asked.
The Eagles' streak has evened the series at nine victories each after the Irish won eight of the first 10, with the 1993 win by the Eagles costing Notre Dame a national championship. The Irish haven't beaten Boston College since a 28-16 win in 2000.
Four years ago, following a 34-31 loss to the Trojans, Weis announced their next game at BYU was the opener of the season's second half and told the media that neither he nor the players would be answering questions about earlier games. He took no such steps this week, saying the circumstances are different.
The Irish head into the second half of this season with an outside shot of earning a Bowl Championship Series berth, although they likely would have to win the rest of their games - a feat the Irish have yet to accomplish under Weis. They went 5-1 in their last six games in 2005 and 2006 and 2-4 in each of the last two seasons.
Weis believes the Irish still have a chance to show how good they are.
"We've got six opportunities to make a statement," he said. "The first step is Boston College."
Wide receiver Robby Parris is doubtful for Saturday after injuring his right hip, knee and ankle while making a 13-yard catch on a fourth-and-10 play with 32 seconds left when he was hit by two USC players. Parris, who had a career-high nine catches for 92 yards in the game, said he is feeling better daily and hopes to play.
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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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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.