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 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.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Back in the New York area, Isiah Thomas got a hostile welcome that was more than a little out of line with his new job as coach of Florida International.
Yes, the former Knicks coach and executive left a lot of bad memories.
"I'm used to being in hostile arenas," Thomas said. "As an athlete and as a former 'Bad Boy,' every place we went to was kind of this kind of environment. So I'm used to dealing with tough environments."
Thomas failed for the second straight time Friday to earn his first college coaching win when Florida International was trounced by Monmouth 99-70 Friday night.
Travis Taylor led the Hawks (1-0) with 18 points. Marvin Roberts led FIU (0-2) with 21.
Thomas was greeted by derogatory chants from the student section at times and he indicated that an adult fan said something to him after the game, but security interceded.
"There was a gentleman that I don't even think he goes to school here and he's not even in college, but he got out of line and security put him back in line, which was good," Thomas said. "He didn't grab me. If he did that, then I would have had the right to go Charles Barkley on him.
"I think the students were well in line and in-bounds in terms of the chants and the things they were saying. It was all in good spirit.
"But for someone who was older to act that way and conduct himself in that manner, particularly at a college game and a college environment, he should have known better."
The Golden Panthers have just one starter back from last year's team and dropped their opener 88-72 at defending national champion North Carolina on Monday, the day his mother, Mary, underwent open-heart surgery in Chicago. Thomas said she's doing much better.
"It's been a stressful week," he said.
The Hawks didn't help. They made nine of their first 11 shots to take a 23-13 lead and went into halftime up 41-33.
Roberts drove for the first basket of the second half to cut it to six, but Monmouth quickly pushed the advantage back into double figures and to finish the rout.
"It's a very humbling experience," Roberts said. "I've learned a lot so far. I'll learn everything he has to teach me. I'm all ears."
Thomas took over as Knicks president of basketball operations on Dec. 22, 2003, and eventually was head coach for two seasons. Donnie Walsh took over the organization in 2008 and dismissed Thomas as coach after the Knicks tied a franchise record with 59 losses.
Thomas' tenure with the team included no winning years, personnel moves that backfired, a sexual harassment lawsuit and conflicts with players.
FIU hired Thomas on April 14 to turn around a program that went 13-20 in 2008-09, its ninth consecutive losing season.
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FIU forward Nikola Gacesa went down in the left side of the lane with 5:22 left in the first half clutching his right knee and was helped off to the locker room.
Monmouth coach Dave Calloway was optimistic about the former Detroit Pistons star's attempt to turn the Golden Panthers right side up. Florida International's next game is at Tulsa on Sunday.
"It takes time," Calloway said. "Recruiting is a big part of it. Guys are going to want to go play for him because he's an NBA guy. Everybody wants to play in the NBA."
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 title chances now.
Beyond the Arc: No. 11 Michigan State ends No. 3 Ohio State's 39-game home winning streak with a 58-48 victory.
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 | College hoops power rankings A look at the top teams in college basketball based on performance and potential. NBCSports.com |
Latest from Beyond the Arc |
Five up, five down from college hoops’ huge day4 hr 8 min ago Michigan State sure shook up Big Ten by beating Buckeyes4 hr 53 min ago UNLV’s thrilling win vs. SDSU adds spice to MWC race9 hr 20 min ago |
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 Getty Images Highlights: No. 14 UNLV 65, No. 13 SDSU 63 Mike Moser scored 19 points, and UNLV forced three turnovers in the final 42 seconds to win. |
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 | NBCSports.com |
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.
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.
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.
