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.
APMattingly wants him to get back to the Giambi of old, who hit to all fields. Giambi isn’t trying for homers. He’s not approaching batting practice the way he treats the All-Star Home Run Derby and says he won’t this spring.
“Maybe just one round goofing around, to see how many I can hit,” he said.
He’ll be a designated hitter for the first three weeks of exhibition games, so he can get as many at-bats as possible, and Tino Martinez will play first base.
But will Giambi regain the form that earned him the 2000 AL MVP award? Did performance-enhancing drugs cause his body to break down? Can he be a top player without using steroids?
“As far as really trying to learn something, I think it’s too early now,” Torre said. “He takes batting practice for about five days or so, I think you can start getting a feel on how comfortable he is.”
Giambi felt his legs under him while hitting for the first time since the illnesses. He joked with Jeter in the batting cage and acted like just another guy.
But for him to have a renaissance, it will take more than just feeling right.
“It’s a rebuilding of the confidence and the ego and that sort of inner conceit you need to be successful,” Torre said.
Giambi is sure to receive a hostile reception on the road, especially at Fenway Park. A December report in the San Francisco Chronicle said he told a federal grand jury that he used steroids, and fans are sure to needle him about that.
But In New York’s own ballpark, fans have backed him.
“For the fans to give me that kind of support, look at you as a human being, that’s special,” Giambi said.
He took grounders at first base along with Martinez, back with the Yankees for the first time since the seven-game World Series loss to Arizona in 2001. Giambi, signed to a $120 million, seven-year contract, took over at first from Martinez. Giambi recruited him when Martinez faced the Yankees.
“Every time he got on first base, he’d say, ‘We have to get you back here,”’ Martinez said.
Giambi spent the winter working out twice a day. He ran, threw and hit in the morning, then did lifting in the afternoon. His body looked sturdier this week — his uniform pants even seemed a bit tight around the thighs as he pulled them on.
He says he has no doubts he can do it. In many ways, he has to in order to prove himself, if not to everyone else, to Jason Giambi.
“When you’re a player at this level, you expect to be great,” he said. “I’m always going to have that expectation level.”
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.