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 for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
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
Roger Clemens will open the All-Star game for the National League, throwing the first pitch to his nemesis, New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza.
“I’m glad I’m throwing to him and I don’t have to face him,” Clemens said Monday.
Clemens, 10-3 with a 2.62 ERA for his hometown Houston Astros, was selected to start Monday by NL manager Jack McKeon of the Florida Marlins. Oakland’s Mark Mulder was picked to start by AL manager Joe Torre of the New York Yankees.
Clemens, then with the New York Yankees, beaned Piazza in July 2000. In Game 2 of the World Series that October, he threw the jagged barrel of a shattered bat in the direction of Piazza, earning a $50,000 fine.
While the pair aren’t warm to each other, they repeatedly have said they didn’t foresee a problem working with each other. On Monday, Clemens called the controversy a media creation.
“It’s not that big a deal. It’s not an issue,” he said.
“I’m sure we’ll go over the first handful of hitters,” Clemens said.
Clemens said he hasn’t thought about whether he wanted to play in 2005. Then he alluded to the poor first half of the Astros, who are 44-44, 10½ games behind NL Central-leading St. Louis.
“It’s not a lot of fun when you see your teammates are down and not happy with the way they are playing,” he said.
Mulder, overshadowed by Clemens, is tied with Texas’ Kenny Rogers for the major league lead with 12 wins, going 12-2 with a 3.21 ERA.
Ichiro Suzuki leads off for the AL and plays center field, followed by Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez, Anaheim right fielder Vladimir Guerrero, Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Texas second baseman Alfonso Soriano and Mulder.
St. Louis shortstop Edgar Renteria leads off for the NL, followed by Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, San Francisco left fielder Barry Bonds, Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen, Chicago Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa, Piazza, Houston center fielder Lance Berkman, Astros second baseman Jeff Kent and Clemens.
Berkman replaced injured Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.
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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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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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.