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.
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Manuel, who acknowledged that several Phillies are fighting flu symptoms, did announce a decision. He picked Joe Blanton to start Game 4 rather than Lee on short rest or rookie J.A. Happ, who will stay in the bullpen.
Lee tossed a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks for a 6-1 victory in the opener at Yankee Stadium, improving to 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in four starts this postseason. But he’s never pitched on three days’ rest.
First, the Phillies turn to Hamels, last year’s World Series MVP against Tampa Bay.
A sure thing last October, the 25-year-old Hamels has struggled this season. He went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three NL playoff starts.
“It’s been a growing process,” Hamels said. “It’s just coming back and delivering, and I still have an opportunity to help this team out and win some big games.”
Saturday will be a big one, indeed. Nine of the last 10 teams to win Game 3 when the World Series was tied 1-all went on to take the title.
Hamels said that when he was growing up he emulated Pettitte, who set a major league record with his 16th postseason win when he beat the Los Angeles Angels to clinch the AL championship series.
The 37-year-old Pettitte is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA this postseason and 3-4 with a 3.82 ERA in 11 World Series starts.
“He doesn’t seem fazed by anything,” Jeter said. “He’s pitched in every kind of big game you can think of.”
Indeed, Pettitte sounded perfectly relaxed one day before his outing, detailing how upset his daughter is that he won’t be home for Halloween.
“My wife is flying up here to be with me, but my kids, they want to be home for Halloween and go around trick-or-treating and do the things that they normally do,” he said. “I’m not going to mess with that with them if that’s what they want to do.”
The Yankees, of course, had some World Series luck on Halloween in 2001, when Jeter’s 10th-inning homer capped a Game 4 comeback against Arizona.
“I remember that,” Pettitte said. “That was special.”
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.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.