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
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Q: Do you think the trade for Trevor Ariza will be enough to keep Chris Paul with the Hornets, or at least make him happier?
— Mark, Lafayette, La.
A: I've seen this four-way deal summed up by numerous outlets as a win-win-win-win proposition. I'm not buying.
From the Hornets' perspective, my question would be this: Would New Orleans have made this trade if it would have been a straight-up-deal sending out Darren Collison and acquiring Ariza?
My suspicion is the Hornets would not have made such a move.
Collison has far greater upside, at a position that is far more crucial to success.
The deal appears to have been made because it also allowed the Hornets to unload the final two years on James Posey's contract, when he was due $6.5 million and $6.9 million.
To me, that makes New Orleans' end of the deal a salary dump. If you are Paul and your team is involved in salary dumps, how could that create optimism for your team's near-term outlook?
Yes, Collison and Paul play the same position. And, yes, Paul is the franchise cornerstone. But it's not as if the Hornets are playing for the championship this season. And it is quite possible that if Collison backed up his rookie play with a strong second-year effort, his value would have been even greater.
The thing is, Posey could have helped the Hornets this season. It would have been one thing if New Orleans had been unable to unload Peja Stojakovic's salary in a Collison trade.
Ariza is not a game-changer. He is a complementary piece. The Lakers learned that by winning without him; the Rockets learned that by not winning with him.
Collison showed last season he had the chance to be a game changer.
Rare are the times when a No. 21 draft pick emerges as such a contributor. Now, the Pacers instead will reap the benefits.
Combine the Collison move with management's decision that Julian Wright was, essentially, a bust, and it hardly adds up to a positive outlook for Paul, as the Hornets' clock ticks toward the 2012 trading deadline.
Q: Why would Rod Thorn resign as Nets GM and then join the 76ers in a similar position?
— Dave, Newark, N.J.
A: The sense I've long gotten from Thorn is that he is a traditionalist, albeit one with roots in the ABA.
The new Nets' regime, led by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, appears intent on reinventing the team's approach.
With the 76ers, Thorn not only can remain with a more traditional ownership structure, but also has the familiar face of Ed Stefanski in place.
When Thorn is somewhere in the NBA, the league is better because of it.
With Thorn and Doug Collins, the 76ers have reason to be encouraged about a potential turnaround.
Q: Could the Heat, like the Celtics did, win a championship in their first year with their "big three"?
— Kevin, Philippines.
A: Not only could they, but they almost have to, based on all the rhetoric coming from the recreated roster.
Heck, Jeff Van Gundy essentially said it's already a done deal.
Will they win the 2011 title? The Lakers are the proven quantity. The Celtics have the chemistry. And Stan Van Gundy consistently has driven his Magic deep into the playoffs.
This will come down to matchups in the postseason, with the Heat featuring enough question marks at center and point guard to keep it from being a sure thing.
When the Celtics won in 2008, they had Rajon Rondo at point guard and Kendrick Perkins at center. This rendition of the Heat doesn't have anything nearly as substantial at those two positions.
Q: As a Lakers fan, I like to see another three-peat. What do you think is the key for this?
— Jimmy, Diamond Bar, Calif.
A: As with the Heat, health is paramount.
I did like Jeff Van Gundy's line the other day on the radio, when he said the Heat should break its post-practice huddles by going, "One! Two! Three! Health!"
I can't see how the acquisitions of Matt Barnes and Steve Blake make the Lakers anything but a better team.
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.
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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.
