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.
AP
TAMPA, Fla. - Joba Chamberlain and the New York Yankees were not concerned about his first outing of the year.
Chamberlain allowed five runs, three hits and three walks over 1 1-3 innings Friday in New York’s 12-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Slowed by flulike symptoms this week that cost him eight pounds, Chamberlain threw just 14 of 33 pitches for strikes in relief of Phil Hughes, competing with him to be the fifth starter
“I’m not going to make too much out of it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He had to fight through it. Physically, I don’t think he was 100 percent.”
Chamberlain replaced Hughes to the start the third and gave up three runs, two hits and two walks during the inning. He left with runners on second and third, and one out in the fourth.
“I’m just trying to get back into the flow of things,” Chamberlain said. “You’re not going to win the battle in one game. It’s what you do before the game, how you prepare yourself, how you’re getting better. I know there’s guys out there battling, so you’ve got to come in tomorrow and get after it.”
Hughes allowed one run and one hit in two innings, Sean Rodriguez’s solo homer in the first.
“I’m just worried about what I’m doing,” Hughes said. “I feel like if I just get myself ready, that’s all I can ask for. If it’s not good enough, it’s not good enough.”
Rodriguez went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, falling a single shy of the cycle. He has five hits, including three homers, in six overall at-bats.
Jason Bartlett and Reid Brignac each drove in three runs for the Rays.
Tampa Bay left-hander David Price allowed two hits over 1 2-3 scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked one.
“With all of our young pitchers, one of the process driven goals is to be able to pitch 200 innings,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “If he and the other guys can get 200 innings under their belts, so you get a thousand innings out of our starting pitching, that would be kind of impressive. David is among the five and we’re looking for that.”
Price struck out Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada.
Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria went 0 for 2, but did drive in a run on a third-inning grounder.
Yankees spring training instructor and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra talked with Longoria before the game and said the All-Star third baseman’s conduct on and off the field reminds a bit of Joe DiMaggio’s.
“A good kid,” Berra said. “I like him.”
Notes: Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer made the trip and spent time with Berra and Girardi. ... Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had his third bullpen session and will know Saturday whether he have another mound session or throw batting practice for the first time on Sunday. ... Maddon said closer Rafael Soriano and LHP J.P. Howell will make the first of their six or seven appearances in mid-March. ... New York 1B Nick Johnson (stiff back) could return on Monday. ... Alex Rodriguez had nothing new to report regarding his pending interview with federal investigators who are conducting a probe into a Canadian doctor accused of selling an unapproved drug.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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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.
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.
