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.
Getty Images for NASCARIs Jimmie Johnson's grasp on the Championship any more tenuous today than it was a week ago?
I was doing a radio spot this morning and somebody "texted" the host saying that if Jimmie finished 14th or worse at Phoenix and Mark Martin won and led the most laps, then Mark would have the lead going into Homestead-Miami. That's a lot of "ifs," but here's what it would look like:
Mark Martin, 195 points
Jimmie Johnson, 121
195 – 121 = 74
Jimmie's current points lead is 73.
While the prospect of a 14th place finish for Jimmie doesn't seem that far-fetched, you must remember that we're talking about Phoenix International Raceway. In 12 races there, Jimmie has only finished out of the top ten twice. In both instances, he brought the 48 home in 15th.
It is less far-fetched to think of Mark Martin finding Victory Lane at PIR. He's done so twice, including a win from the pole back in April of this year.
Oh yeah, there are just two drivers with Phoenix finishing averages better than 10th ... Jimmie Johnson (5.4!!) and Mark Martin (9.0). How likely, then, is the scenario outlined above?
Even looking toward Homestead-Miami, which is supposedly one of Jimmie's "weaker" tracks, fails to open the door for Mark. In eight races there, Jimmie only has three finishes outside of the top 10. One was his rookie season, one was the result of a crash in 2005 and one was last season when you might say he had little reason to push.
No, my friends, Jimmie still has a lead-pipe lock on his fourth straight Championship.
What Messrs. Hornish and Reutimann did by taking the 48 out at Texas was simply toy with our emotions. They gave us hope when there is none to be had.
Mathematical possibilities have little to do with actual probabilities. The perception that the Championship is once again in play is just not the reality. Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will not have three mediocre races in a row.
Buzz Cutler is a co-host of Rowdy.com. For the best NASCAR community on the internet go to Rowdy.com.
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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.
