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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
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.
APAmid all the celebration of Navy's victory over Notre Dame this past weekend, service academy administrators accepted a bid in the Texas Bowl. The news kick-started college football's annual postseason jockeying, a process sure to create at least a few compelling matchups. With the help of a spreadsheet and some wishful thinking, here are 10 head-to-heads we'd love to see this holiday season:
10. Kentucky vs. Kansas State
Where: Independence Bowl
Why: Even the most ardent college football fans would struggle to name five guys in this game. But the meeting would celebrate the work of two old-guard coaches—Bill Snyder and Rich Brooks—doing amazing work in tough situations. Look for Metamucil to jump in late for a sponsorship.
9. California vs. Utah
Where: Las Vegas Bowl
Why: Bears offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig bailed on the Utes after last year's undefeated season. The move stunk for both sides—the Bears bottomed out against USC and Oregon; Utah changed play-callers a couple weeks back to spark its offense.
8. Georgia Tech vs. Northwestern
Where: Champs Sports Bowl
Why: The Yellow Jackets run the ball five times for every pass they throw, highlighting Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer in the triple option. Northwestern needs to start passing five times for every run with the Mike Kafka-Zeke Markshausen connection.
7. USF vs. UCF
Where: St. Petersburg Bowl
Why: Despite UCF's objections and the schools' geography, these programs have abandoned an annual series that would seem to build a natural Interstate 4 rivalry. Bowl organizers might need to take the Bulls to lock in a strong crowd.
6. Oklahoma State vs. LSU
Where: Cotton Bowl
Why: Les Miles gets his first crack at the school he left to take the LSU job five years ago. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy spent a year under Miles as his offensive coordinator before ascending to the lead spot. If only a few of Miles' recruits were still around Stillwater ...
5. Florida vs. Cincinnati
Where: Sugar Bowl
Why: After two rough seasons as a minor league baseball player, Florida coach Urban Meyer turned to football and became a Bearcats defensive back. He has visited UC's spring practices and has a sister working as a vice provost and associate professor at the university.
4. Oklahoma vs. Arizona
Where: Holiday Bowl
Why: A brother vs. brother coaching duel would provide great stories during the lead-up and a solid four hours of television on game day. With the way the teams are playing, Mike's Wildcats might have an edge over Bob's slumping Sooners.
3. Georgia vs. Florida State
Where: Music City Bowl
Why: Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt clashed in a Sugar Bowl when both teams seemed on an uptick. Now, they'd both stumble into a lower-tier game, with fans of the 'Noles and 'Dogs clamoring for change. Let the Richt-to-FSU speculation begin.
NBCSports.com
2. Stanford vs. Texas Tech
Special feature
Where: Sun Bowl
Why: Heck, cancel the game and air more of the press conferences. Two of the more candid coaches in America are featured here. College football needs more guys like Jim Harbaugh and Mike Leach — lots of points and lots of laughs in the post-game presser.
1. Notre Dame vs. Miami
Where: Gator Bowl
Why: The new generation of football fans have no memories of the way these two schools rumbled back in the 1980s. This pairing would provide an excuse to resurrect tales from "Catholics vs. Convicts" and set up what would figure to be a shootout in Jacksonville.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
