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.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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
HOUSTON - Nearly every seat in the stadium was filled more than 30 minutes before the first pitch and chants of “Let’s Go, Astros” broke out as soon as the national anthem ended.
Then came “the moment we’ve been waiting for, for 44 long seasons,” as public-address announcer Bob Ford put it.
“Here come your National League champion Houston Astros,” Ford said to even louder cheers and a whiteout of clicking cameras.
The first World Series game in Houston and the state of Texas got off to a roaring start Tuesday night, even if the Astros came into Game 3 having lost the first two to the Chicago White Sox.
“It’s exciting to see the fans so enthusiastic about it,” said local hero Nolan Ryan, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Jeff Bagwell.
They were spurred on by a welcome sight: the banner drop in center field, changing from a back-to-back Wild Card champions flag to one that boasted 2005 NL Champions, with “We Believe!” below it.
Not even Major League Baseball’s decision to have the roof open could dampen the spirit of longtime team executive Tal Smith. He joined the club in 1965 and, like everyone who has followed the club since its birth in ’62, he’s been waiting a long time for this night.
|
On the left side of his blazer, Smith clipped a pin featuring the words “World” and “Series” around the team’s old logo that featured baseball orbiting the iconic shape of the Astrodome. It was made in 1980 and was supposed to be destroyed after the Astros lost the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies. All but one were.
“I knew exactly where it was,” said Smith, now the team’s president. “I had it put away with some other keepsakes, so to speak, and made a point to get it out. I hadn’t forgotten.”
Smith said he’s been through a lot of emotions since the team clinched the NL title in St. Louis on Wednesday, including being at their first Series game Saturday in Chicago.
“But tonight is even more special because it’s a home game — first one in Houston, first one in the state,” he said.
|
“I think this really validates what the organization has accomplished over the years,” he said. “Let’s face it, you have to get to the World Series to say things have gone well.”
Hall of Fame officials were on hand looking for keepsakes to commemorate this night in Cooperstown.
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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
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.
