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.
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
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost his appeal of a 25-point penalty and $10,000 fine for using a vulgarity during a postrace TV interview.
Instead of leading the Nextel Cup standings Monday by a point with five races to go, Earnhardt trails leader Kurt Busch by 24 points.
“NASCAR had issued repeated warnings to contestants regarding the use of inappropriate language during live event broadcasts,” the National Stock Car Racing Commission said Monday. “The infraction occurred on-air at the racetrack during the live broadcast of a NASCAR event, not in a casual private conversation or offsite activity.”
NASCAR punished Earnhardt on Oct. 5, two days after he won a race at Talladega and was interviewed by NBC.
In its denial of the appeal, the three-person panel called Earnhardt an important ambassador of the sport and a role model.
There was no immediate response from Earnhardt or his team. They have the option of making a final appeal to commissioner Charles D. Strang.
Meanwhile, the Parents Television Council, an advocacy group to protect children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment, filed an indecency complaint against NBC with the Federal Communications Commission.
It wants the FCC to levy a fine against every NBC affiliate that aired the interview.
Attempts to reach someone at NBC Sports were not immediately successful.
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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.
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.