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Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
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Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
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.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
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
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Lou Piniella will not return as manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays next season, a decision that had long been expected after he questioned ownership’s commitment to winning.
Piniella has one season remaining on a $13 million, four-year contract he signed in October 2002 but, according to the terms of a buyout announced Friday, will be free to pursue other jobs after the Devil Rays conclude the season Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles.
The buyout, one of the worst-kept secrets in baseball, was finalized two weeks ago and calls for Piniella to receive $2.2 million of the $4.4 million he was due next season, as well as $1.25 million in deferred salary from 2003.
If the 63-year-old manager accepts a job with another team, the Devil Rays could recoup some or all of the money owed for next season.
“Lou is a great baseball man and friend. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays thank him for his service to the team and wish him well in his future endeavors,” managing general partner Vince Naimoli said in a team statement.
The Devil Rays offered no timetable for naming a replacement.
Piniella’s agent, Alan Nero, began discussions on a possible buyout after the manager criticized the club’s new ownership group led by New York investor Stuart Sternberg for being more concerned about the future than trying to win now.
He never backed off the statements, but said in June that he planned to honor the remainder of the contract he signed after a highly successful 10-year run as manager of the Seattle Mariners.
The Devil Rays went 63-99 in his first season, then won a franchise-best 70 games and finished out of last place for the first time in club history in 2004.
Tampa Bay began this season with the lowest payroll in baseball — just over $29 million on opening day — and Piniella’s frustration mounted during a dismal first half that saw the Devil Rays stumble to a 28-61 record before the All-Star break.
The manager challenged his young players to continue playing hard and guided an impressive turnaround the second half, playing the role of spoilers down the stretch against the playoff-contending Yankees, Red Sox and Indians.
Piniella was teary-eyed last week after the team clinched a winning record for the second half, however the encouraging finish wasn’t enough to change his mind about wanting out.
“It is evident by the team’s play in the second half of the season that this club is moving in the right direction,” Piniella said through the club.
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With three games remaining in his 19th season as a manager, Piniella has a career record of 1,519-1,417, including a 200-282 mark with the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay was 67-92 going into Friday night’s game against the Orioles.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
