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.
Cody Hodges takes over the system next Saturday against Florida International. He’ll become the third straight fifth-year senior to start at quarterback.
Kliff Kingsbury began Tech’s record-setting QB lineage under Leach, setting more than a dozen NCAA records from 2000-02. After Symons took over in ’03, Sonny Cumbie followed and led the nation in passing with 4,742 yards and 32 touchdowns last year. Waiting in the wings now is Graham Harrell, a redshirt freshman who is Texas’ career high-school passing leader.
Leach demands a lot from his quarterbacks, but he gives them leeway to improvise based on what the defense is doing.
“He expects perfection every play, whether it’s in a game or in practice,” Hodges said. “I could go out tomorrow and complete every pass, but he’s still going to be like, ’You know, you could have done this or done this better.’ “
The 44-year-old Leach grew up in Cody, Wyo., then played rugby while attending BYU. He got a law degree at Pepperdine and planned to be a lawyer after coaching for a few years. But he was hooked on football after his first job as an assistant at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
His ideas were influenced by several NFL schemes, the BYU teams of the 1970s and 1980s and his time as offensive coordinator for Hal Mumme at Valdosta State and Kentucky. He also ran Bob Stoops’ offense for one season at Oklahoma before taking over at Tech.
In Lubbock, he replaced popular coach Spike Dykes, Sonny’s father and a West Texas icon. The transition was rough at first — certainly for players and team supporters — but winning has cured everything.
In April, Leach received a contract extension through 2009. And Tech has sold more season tickets this year than ever before.
“I think as our alumni and fans have gotten to know Mike, they have come to appreciate him even more,” athletic director Gerald Myers said.
It all seems to support another of Leach’s philosophies, one that might even sound like something his folksy predecessor might’ve said:
“Different’s not always better, but if you want to go different, better make sure it’s better, not just different.”
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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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.