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?
LIVE VIDEO: NBCSports.com shows Washington-New York, with alternate camera angles, HD views and more.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
Reuters fileQ: What actually happens when a pitcher is said to pitch a simulated game?
— Chuck Hartkaub, Portland, Ore.
A: A pitcher — usually one who is coming back from an injury — will throw as he would in a real game, facing a group of hitters from his own team. There won’t be any fielders on the diamond, so any ball hit is judged to be a hit or an out. The pitcher will throw a half-inning, then rest for about five-10 minutes (as if his team was batting), then go back out and pitch another half-inning, and so on until he reaches whatever inning or pitch limit has been set for him. The simulated game is a step in the process to getting back on the mound for real, usually coming before a minor-league outing or two on a rehabilitation assignment.
Q: Why is it that the Texas Rangers find it difficult to get good pitchers?
— Billy Moon, Brunswick, Maine
A: You’re from Maine, so I assume you’re a Red Sox fan, and certainly must know that Fenway Park is a great place for hitters. It’s much the same case in Arlington, where Ameriquest Field is one of the best hitters’ parks in the game, right there with Coors Field in Denver, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. The ball carries out to right-center, the grass is cut low and the infield is baked hard by all the sun and summer heat, so all conditions favor offense. Pitchers obviously know that, too, so they are hesitant to sign there as free agents, unless overpaid to do so, as was Chan Ho Park. The rest is on the Rangers organization to develop more quality pitchers, as they have done in the past with Kevin Brown, Kenny Rogers, Bobby Witt and others. Chris Young has a chance, and the top starting pitching prospects are Thomas Diamond, John Danks and Edison Volquez.
Q: I saw that the White Sox played an extra-inning game under protest the other day. What is the point of playing a game under protest?
— Alan, Springfield, Mass.
A: The only reason for a team to protest a game is because it believes that the umpires have made an incorrect interpretation of the rules, didn’t apply a rule correctly or allowed something against the rules. You can’t file a protest over an umpire’s judgment call, such as safe/out, ball/strike or fair/foul.
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.
HardballTalk headlines |
 | Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
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.