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.
Getty ImagesBettman guaranteed that all NHL teams would survive the shutdown and contraction wasn’t an issue. "With the right economic system, we can have 30 competitive, healthy franchises," he said.
Whether anyone will care about some of those teams is an entirely different matter.
"I’m really afraid for the game in the U.S.," Detroit associate coach Barry Smith said. "It’s already in such a fragile state in many places."
Former NHL coach Don Cherry, star of Hockey Night In Canada’s Coach’s Corner, disagreed with Bettman’s projection of 30 viable teams.
"I really believe there’s going to be two or three franchises that bite the dust over this," Cherry said. "Some of the franchises in the States are precarious at best."
Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks boldly predicted there would be a 2005-06 season and Bettman echoed those sentiments.
"No one should assume anything other than we’re going ahead with a 2005-06 season," Bettman said. "It’s something we’ll begin to discuss with the owners in the next few weeks."
With or without the players?
It would seem so.
"When it’s all over with, I hope (the players) think it was worth it," Bettman said.
Many NHL people were predicting that the best offer the players could hope to get was the one they turned down Tuesday.
"I shudder at the thought of the next deal," former NHL coach and Hockey Night In Canada broadcaster Harry Neale said. "The offer might be a lot worse than this one for the players.
"I can’t imagine missing an entire year and the players having any clout come next September."
Naturally, the players disagree and still think resolution can be found that will satisfy both parties.
"We are very confident that a fair deal is out there," Goodenow said.
When that might be is something nobody knows. Just as no one can be certain as to when the talks will resume.
The season was officially cancelled Wednesday. They came so close to resolution.
Today, chances of a new CBA seem very far away.
"It’s going to take awhile," Edmonton Oilers winger Ryan Smith said.
He’s not kidding.
That waiting game is only beginning.
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.
Check out highlights from the Rangers 3-2 win over the Capitals.
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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.
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.
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