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.
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.
AFP/Getty ImagesNEW YORK - Here are five things to watch in Day 8 action at the 2010 U.S. Open.
1) Sharapova looks to slow down No. 1 Wozniacki
No. 1 seed and last year's U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki is on a mission to capture her first Grand Slam title, but No. 14 seed Maria Sharapova will be standing in her way in what could easily be the match of the day. Wozniacki has been absolutely dominating her opposition thus far, dropping a mere three games in her first three matches. Sharapova, though, should be up to the task to give her a little more competition. Sharapova, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, dropped the first set of the tournament but has been rolling along ever since. She made short work of American Beatrice Capra in the third round, winning 6-0, 6-0. She's gotten better in each Grand Slam tournament this year and is looking for her first Grand Slam title since winning the 2008 Australian Open.
2) Will Federer run into first real test?
Roger Federer has been cruising through the U.S. Open thus far, defeating Brian Dabul, Andreas Beck and Paul-Henri Mathieu in straight sets. After winning five U.S. Opens in a row, Federer was last year's runner up, falling to Juan Martin del Potro. It's a safe bet he's hungry to regain the title, which could mean bad things for his fourth round opponent, Jurgen Melzer. The No. 13 seed is currently playing the best tennis of his career, though, so Federer would be wise not to look past the 29-year-old veteran. Melzer struggled to win his first two matches in five sets, but he bounced back to oust Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets. Will he be able to put up a fight against Federer?
3) American Fish looks to pull off upset against Djokovic
No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic has bounced back nicely after needing five sets to win his first match of the U.S. Open against Viktor Troicki. Djokovic hasn't dropped a set since, defeating Philipp Petzschner and American James Blake in the process. He'll face his biggest test of the tournament so far, though, when he takes the court against No. 19 Mardy Fish. The American should have the crowd firmly on his side, which could be a difference maker. Fish has looked dominant at times, but he's also needed five sets to win two of his matches. Due to a rib injury, Fish missed last year's U.S. Open, but he was a quarterfinalist in 2008, so fourth round action isn't something new to him.
4) Wimbledon champ looks to keep winning at U.S. Open
No. 7 seed Vera Zvonareva was the Wimbledon runner up, so the big stage certainly doesn't bother her. This is the third time she's made it to the fourth round, but her previous trips have all resulted in losses. She'll look to reverse that trend against Andrea Petkovic. This is the first time Petkovic has made it past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament, so unlike Zvonareva, this is uncharted territory. Will Zvonareve bust through the fourth round?
5) An all-French fourth round match
Gael Monfils may be the highers seeded Frenchman (No. 17), but he's had a much tougher time at the U.S. Open thus far than Richard Gasquet. Monfils needed five sets to win two of his matches, while Gasquet has breezed through three straight sets wins.
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.
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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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.
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.
