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.
AP
JUPITER, Fla. - The Cardinals wanted to make sure Albert Pujols didn’t get away.
One of the team’s few homegrown stars in recent years, Pujols would have been eligible for free agency after the 2006 season. To keep him, the Cardinals gave Pujols a $100 million, seven-year contract on Friday, a deal that would be worth $111 million if St. Louis exercises an option for 2011.
“One of the best moments of my life,” Pujols said. “It’s great to be here today and not in Arizona. Everything was nice and smooth, everybody agreed on it. I’m just happy.”
Pujols had been scheduled for an arbitration hearing Friday in Phoenix. Just 24, he hit a major league-best .359 last season with 43 homers and 124 RBIs. He topped the majors with 51 doubles and was second to San Francisco’s Barry Bonds in National League MVP voting.
All at the bargain price of $950,000.
“This deal not only recognizes Albert for his accomplishments over the past three seasons,” general manager Walt Jocketty said. “But all along, we felt that it was important to retain a player such as Albert who came up through our farm system, and see to it that he remained a part of the club’s nucleus well into the future.”
Since arriving in 2001 Pujols has hit 114 homers, matching Ralph Kiner’s record for most home runs by a player during his first three seasons. He is the only player in major league history to bat .300 or better with 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in each of his first three seasons.
Pujols is just the ninth baseball player to receive a $100 million contract.
“The money will mean something in a small way with my family, but it won’t change the way I play baseball,” he said.
Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said the signing of Pujols is important as the team prepares to move to a new ballpark in 2006.
“Albert’s accomplishments for the past three years are truly historic,” DeWitt said. “Albert has a great work ethic and it epitomizes winning.”
Pujols is expected to play first base, following the trade of Tino Martinez to Tampa Bay. Pujols spent most of last season in left field but has also played first base and third base.
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.
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.