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.
APATLANTA - Another year, another division title for the Atlanta Braves.
Bobby Cox has guided the Braves to a record 12 consecutive division crowns. On Thursday, Atlanta can extend that streak to 13 with a win coupled with a loss by the Florida Marlins.
The Braves (89-63) had a chance to clinch a tie for the National League East title on Wednesday, but closer John Smoltz yielded five ninth-inning runs in an 11-8 loss to Cincinnati.
But the loss merely delays the inevitable, which is yet another division crown for the Braves, who host the Reds Thursday night while the defending champion Marlins (79-72) play Philadelphia. The Braves started the streak with three NL West crowns before switching to the East, which they have ruled since 1995.
Atlanta’s string of success is overlooked because the Braves have won just one World Series title in that span.
But the latest division title may be the most satisfying one for Cox since the Braves lost three prominent players - pitcher Greg Maddux, outfielder Gary Sheffield and catcher Javy Lopez - in the offseason and were predicted by many to finish behind Philadelphia and Florida.
But the team received big contributions in 2004 from outfielder J.D. Drew, who was acquired from St. Louis, and Jaret Wright, a 15-game winner.
Wright has played a huge role in the Braves’ success this season, however he has struggled against Cincinnati.
Wright will look to overcome those problems against the Reds as he faces them in the finale of their series at Turner Field.
Major shoulder problems had limited Wright to 22 starts from the start of the 2000 season, and he served solely as a reliever for the Braves last year. Wright, a strong candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, has been the Braves’ most effective starter this season, leading the team with 15 victories.
Wright is 13-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 22 starts since May 27, and the Braves are 16-6 in those games.
However, Cincinnati — which posted an 11-8 win over Atlanta on Wednesday night — has been a nemesis for him during his career.
Wright is 1-3 with a 9.31 ERA in six games — four starts — against the Reds, including going 0-3 with a 25.31 ERA in his last four games, two of which came in a starting role.
In two appearances against the Reds this week, Smoltz has given up seven hits and six runs in 1 1-3 innings. He earned his 40th save Tuesday night despite giving up three hits and a run, but he couldn’t escape again Wednesday night
The St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins were the first teams to secure division titles. The Cardinals locked up the National League Central Division title, while the Twins captured the American League Central Division for the third straight season on Monday.
Major League Baseball’s postseason starts October 5. The three division leaders in each league plus the team with the next best record will compete in opening-round best-of-five series.
Based upon the American League’s victory in the All-Star Game, it will have home-field advantage in the World Series for the third straight year.
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.