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 Images FILEBOSTON CELTICS: Everybody thought Gary Payton and the Celtics were warming up to each other in preparation for a long-term relationship via a contract extension for The Glove. Everybody thought wrong. That high-pitched shriek of anguish you heard sometime Thursday was Payton finding out he was being traded to Atlanta, a city that is to the NBA what Chernobyl is to the Ukraine. In return for Payton, the Celtics reunited with Antoine Walker. That second shriek of anger you heard after Payton’s was Walker realizing he’d have to work for Danny Ainge again. What’s to say about this? This brings the Celtics back to square one – a two-man show with Paul Pierce and Walker. The only difference is that Doc Rivers will have to serve as mediator this time instead of Jim O’Brien. Walker’s 20 points per game will help Boston keep pace with Philly in the race for the Atlantic Division crown. For that alone, it’s a decent move. GRADE: B.
NEW YORK KNICKS: Isiah Thomas loves to take on payroll. It appears his goal is to amass the same sized payroll with a 12-man roster that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has with a 25-man roster. This time he acquired Maurice Taylor from the Rockets in exchange for Vin Baker and Moochie Norris. Thomas also got Malik Rose and two first-round picks from the Spurs for Nazr Mohammed and Jamison Brewer. If you want to make sense of this, you have to try to think like Isiah Thomas, and if you try that, make sure to have aspirin nearby. Taylor and Rose are effective role players, but Mohammed was a reliable center who was averaging 10 points and eight boards a night. It appears the Knicks made themselves worse and at the same time took on more payroll. Isiah will get at least one vote for Executive of the Year, as long as he votes for himself. GRADE: C MINUS.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Baron Davis wanted out of New Orleans in the worst way, and I guess you can’t blame him. When you think about all that delicious food down there, and all the wild partying, and the guy still wants out, that tells you the basketball environment must be particularly poisonous. Davis was acquired by the Warriors in exchange for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis. With Baron Davis playing the point alongside Jason Richardson, the Warriors suddenly have one of the top backcourts in the land. Baron has been nursing some minor injuries this season, but when he’s at the top of his game there may not be a better point guard out there. The Warriors still have a way to go before they reach a level of prominence in the NBA, but this was a fabulous step forward. GRADE: A.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: I know it’s difficult to find someone who will take on a scorer with a checkered past who is currently overpaid and hurting his team by pouting about not getting a contract extension. But that’s why they pay Kevin McHale the big bucks. And the Wolves’ GM stood pat. The T-Wolves desperately needed to change their dynamic. They should have shipped either Latrell Sprewell or Sam Cassell out of town. But they didn’t, and now they go down the stretch with the same roster that was so disappointing in the first half. Ugly. GRADE: C.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: They picked up a hard-working center in Nazr Mohammed and only had to give up Malik Rose and one first-round pick of their own to do it. Rose had fallen out of favor with Gregg Popovich last year. As for the first-round pick, it will be low, and this will be a weak draft, so no biggie. This wasn’t a blockbuster, but a deft move to add depth for the stretch. GRADE: B PLUS.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: There was a rumor about a proposed trade in which the Lakers would have sent Caron Butler and Devean George to Utah for Carlos Boozer, but it was either bogus to begin with, or the Jazz got cold feet, depending on whom you believe. Either way, the Lakers did nothing to help themselves for the final push toward a playoff berth, and they needed to do something. GRADE: C.
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS: It would have been grand if the Sonics strengthened their club’s depth for the playoffs with another scorer or inside banger. But they didn’t. They’re going to go with their mad bomber perimeter approach. So far, it’s working, so their inactivity around the deadline is not a crime, merely a vote of confidence for their current collection. GRADE: C.
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS: Baron Davis was the only thing standing between this franchise and the contents of a large cesspool. Davis was traded to Golden State. Now there is nothing standing between them. GRADE: F.
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
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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.