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.
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.
AP
CHICAGO - Chipper Jones’ power isn’t exactly a secret. Still, Monday’s display surprised him.
Jones hit two two-run homers, the second in the ninth inning off reliever Kerry Wood, and Tim Hudson pitched his first complete game of the season to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
It was Jones’ first multihomer game since Aug. 25, 2004, against Colorado, and the 31st of his career, and it came on a night the wind was blowing in at Wrigley Field.
Marcus Giles singled with one out in the ninth. Jones then connected on a 2-2 pitch from Wood (3-4), sending his 13th homer over the wall in right-center.
“I never would have thought that I would have hit home runs off of both those guys,” said Jones, who homered in the fourth off starter Carlos Zambrano. “Both those guys have dominant, No. 1-type stuff. It was just one of those nights where I got a couple of pitches that I was looking for.”
Wood credited Jones with hitting a good pitch.
“It really wasn’t that bad of a pitch. It was a backdoor breaking ball,” he said. “It was up just a little bit.”
Hudson (10-7) allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked one in his first complete game since Aug. 17, 2004.
“I had a really good (split-fingered fastball) and a good sinker,” Hudson said. “It feels like I’m getting more into a groove. It’s the first time in a long time that I had a really good splitter.”
Zambrano allowed two runs and three hits, struck out 10 and did not walk a batter before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. He retired the last 14 batters he faced. The only inning he allowed a baserunner was the fourth, when Jones’ two-run homer broke a scoreless tie.
“That was like the old days — the old hookups with two outstanding pitchers,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “(Hudson) had his ‘A’ game going tonight. You can’t possibly throw any better than he threw tonight. He just placed the ball exactly where he wanted to with live stuff. This one was special.”
Chicago’s Derrek Lee led off the seventh with his 37th homer, tying the game at 2. With that, he also tied Ernie Banks for the most home runs in a season by a Cubs first baseman.
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.