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.
APAny way you look at it, today’s announcement that Danica Patrick will dip her toes into the stock car-racing pool will be good for NASCAR.
It already is good news, actually, as every racing writer I know is planning their day around the big event in Phoenix.
And I guess that is the positive which will come out of this months-old dance -- so let's dwell on that for a while.
By about every impartial measure, NASCAR’s popularity is in ebb right now. Television numbers, ticket sales and interest levels have all been sliding backward the last couple of years.
It could be the economy, it could be dull racing, it could be a mass defection by the old guard of fans, it could be the cars with spoilers and splitters, it could be unabated commercialization, it could be Jimmie Johnson’s beard and it could be solar activity.
Whatever.
NASCAR could use a jolt right now. A big one. A positive one. Probably two or three.
Importing Patrick from the open-wheel scene will provide a jolt and the thought here is a pretty big one.
While there are major doubts about Patrick’s prospects for a successful on-track career in NASCAR, there are very few about her ability to attract attention.
The attention that she will bring is the kind which all forms of entertainment crave. Crossover attention. Earnhardt Jr.-caliber attention but more of it.
Many females will be pulling for her, most old-schoolers will be rooting against her and all males will be ogling her.
Those out there who were merely curious about NASCAR in the past, will surely keep a closer eye on Speed Weeks this season. In fact, they will likely not have a choice about that as Danicamania 2.0 will be everywhere.
The media will converge on her like ants on spilled syrup. Every movement will reported. Some will run countdown clocks reading: Time remaining until Danica fires up her first stock car engine.
Virtually every broadcast piece and every print notes package from Speed Weeks will include Danica news. Morning network “news” shows will have crews in Daytona.
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And it should all be good for the sport – if you believe that when it comes to publicity, more is better.
Then the racing will start and then ... well, that’s another opinion for another time. Today, we welcome Danica to NASCAR.
Jim Pedley is managing editor of Racin' Today. Read more NASCAR news at racintoday.com.
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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.
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.
