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.
INDIANAPOLIS - Larry Fitzgerald’s goals were a little different than most 14-year-old boys.
In five years as a ballboy for the Minnesota Vikings, Fitzgerald figured he’d catch a few passes and scout his future opponents.
For Fitzgerald, the NFL was never a distant dream; it was an expectation.
“I was out there sizing the competition up,” he said Friday at the NFL’s scouting combine. “I knew I was going to be out there one day.”
In those days, Fitzgerald enjoyed impressing the Minnesota receivers and coaches who were watching. Now Fitzgerald is impressing everyone.
The Heisman Trophy runner-up has catapulted past Texas’ Roy Williams and Oklahoma State’s Rashaun Woods and is regarded almost unanimously as the top receiver in this year’s draft class. Fitzgerald is expected to be a top five pick April 24.
He’s also one of two sophomores at the combine, joining Maurice Clarett.
But Friday, Fitzgerald provided a marked contrast to Clarett, who fought his way into the draft by winning a court challenge against the NFL’s rule requiring players to spend three years out of high school before becoming eligible.
Fitzgerald checked in at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds — the same playing weight he had at Pittsburgh. Clarett was seven pounds overweight.
Fitzgerald also showed more humility and said he would have gladly returned to the University of Pittsburgh if the NFL hadn’t let him in the draft.
“You don’t want to fight the NFL,” he said. “It would have been in my best interest to go back to school.”
Instead, Fitzgerald will spend this fall playing with or against some of the players he once handed balls to — Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper — and he hopes to show he’s learned a few things.
“Coach (Dennis) Green and all the coaches would tell me, ’You’ve got good ability. Don’t let it go to waste,’ “ Fitzgerald said.
He could also be reunited with Green, whose Arizona Cardinals have the third pick.
Another look
Coaches Tony Dungy and Brian Billick made no secret of their disdain for instant replay last season.
But it doesn’t appear they are about to get their wish.
Owners are expected to vote next month on whether to keep replay. Rich McKay and Jeff Fisher, both on the competition committee, believe it will return.
“It’s something we’re going to push very hard to keep,” said McKay, president and general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. “If you’re asking if we’ll have replay back next year, I think the answer is yes.”
The bigger question may be whether there will be changes to the challenge system, which allows coaches two challenges per game and costs a team a timeout if the call is not reversed.
Cleveland coach Butch Davis said he favors replay, but would like to see teams keep their challenge if they make the right call.
Even with so many different views, Fisher believes there are enough votes to keep replay.
More changes?
The NFL may consider expanding the practice squad rosters by as many as three players.
New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi addressed the topic Thursday, saying he would like to have more players practicing with the team than going to NFL Europe.
McKay concurred Friday, adding that veteran-laden teams sometimes run out of practice players late in the season.
“I’d say it’s a serious issue,” McKay said. “There has been discussion about it and the competition committee for a number of years has endorsed expansion. In my mind, it would be by two or three players.”
Another issue the committee could consider is a change to the interviewing process for assistant coaches. Last year’s rule allowed assistants on playoff teams to interview during the bye week if their team was not playing. Otherwise, they could not be contacted until after their team finished.
Some believe that prevented New England’s two coordinators, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis, from getting jobs.
But that change could prove more difficult.
“I think what they’re trying to do is protect the organization,” Fisher said. “It will be discussed extensively.”
Rumblings
Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said he would like to re-sign cornerback Fernando Bryant, but believes Bryant will test the free agent market.
“I remain optimistic,” Del Rio said. “We’d like to have everybody back, but we have to be responsible.”
The Jaguars aren’t the only team trying to complete some quick negotiations.
The Browns are trying to redo quarterback Tim Couch’s deal, and Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe said the Bills might try to rework Drew Bledsoe’s contract.
San Diego has another issue — deciding what to do with the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said even with Doug Flutie and Drew Brees on the roster, they were looking to upgrade at quarterback, possibly by using the No. 1 pick.
“We think Drew is a fine young quarterback,” Smith said. “But he’s a big boy. He’s been through this. And Doug has been around, he can handle it. Our position is we are looking to upgrade there.”
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.
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.
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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.