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 ImagesGordon relieved Tanyon Sturtze and got Edgar Renteria and David Ortiz to pop up to the infield to end the eighth. Gordon gave up Manny Ramirez’s homer and walked Kevin Millar to start the ninth before giving way to Rivera, who has saved 23 consecutive games since blowing his only two against Boston in the first week of the season.
Trot Nixon hit a potential double-play ball to second, but Robinson Cano threw the ball into left field. Pinch-hitter Jason Varitek singled in a run to make it 5-3, then Bill Mueller blooped a single into right field to load the bases.
Alex Cora followed with a sharp grounder to third to start a 5-2-3 double play, with the throw barely beating the batter at first. Damon grounded out to second to end the game.
Leiter was 3-7 with a 6.64 ERA in 17 games for the Marlins before they designated him for assignment last week. Desperate for pitching, the Yankees acquired him and most of the cash to pay the $2.8 million left on his 2005 contract.
“This was a move out of necessity,” said general manager Brian Cashman, who went looking for another pitcher after losing 17-1 behind Triple-A callup Tim Redding on Friday. “I’m happy, not just for the Yankees but for him (Leiter). He wanted the opportunity to show everybody he still had some gas left in the tank.”
Leiter was the 11th starter used by the Yankees this season — most in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Leiter went 16 years, 82 days since his last Yankees start, on April 26, 1989. It’s the longest gap for them since Babe Ruth went 9 years, 107 days — playing the outfield — between starts for the team, according to Elias.
“I just had a difficult time accepting that was it,” Leiter said of his time with the Marlins.
When Leiter walked Doug Mirabelli with one out in the seventh, manager Joe Torre came out to get him. The rest of the Yankees infield came to the mound to pat him on the back, and even the rival Red Sox fans applauded politely for his performance when he left the field.
Sturtze got Mueller to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Notes: The Yankees purchased the contract of right-hander Aaron Small from Triple-A Columbus and is scheduled to start Wednesday against Texas. New York also optioned struggling OF Melky Cabrera to Columbus. ... Red Sox closer Keith Foulke was expected to be examined by doctors on Monday to check his progress in recovering from knee surgery. ... Sheffield’s homer, the 434th of his career, tied him with Juan Gonzalez for 32nd on baseball’s all-time list. Rodriguez’s homer, the 407th of his career, tied him with Duke Snider for 39th on the all-time list. ... Ramirez’s homer was the 414th of his career, tying Darrell Evans for 37th on the all-time list. ... Leiter’s previous win for Yankees was on April 14, 1989, when he started against Frank Viola at Yankee Stadium, threw 162 pitches and won with nine walks and 10 strikeouts. Twelve days later, he lost to Kansas City in a game that Gordon got the win. ... Boston 2B Mark Bellhorn jammed his thumb and left the game in the eighth.
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.