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 three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
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.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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 swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
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
Kenny Williams was asked whether Manny Ramirez would be a good fit for the Chicago White Sox.
“He’s not that kind of guy,” the general manager of the World Series champions said Thursday. “We have a certain kind of chemistry.”
Point made. Boston will not be dealing Ramirez to Chicago.
While he had 45 homers and 144 RBIs for the Red Sox last season, there appears to be a limited market for Ramirez, who asked Boston to explore trade options because he’s uncomfortable living there.
New Philadelphia GM Pat Gillick said there’s no room for the 33-year-old Ramirez in the Phillies’ outfield, which has Bobby Abreu in right and Pat Burrell in left.
“Our corners are pretty good,” Gillick said. “In high school he played center, but I don’t think he can play center anymore.”
Last July, the Red Sox and New York Mets held trade talks about Ramirez, and both sides agreed they didn’t get very far. The Los Angeles Angels, who want a power hitter, could be a match. Perhaps Ramirez would want to return to the Cleveland Indians, his former team.
Ramirez is owed $57 million during the next three years and has the right to block trades, so the Red Sox and his agent pledged to work together.
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General managers completed the formal part of their meetings Thursday, delaying until their December meeting in Dallas a decision on whether to move back the amateur draft until late June.
Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner’s office, said commissioner Bud Selig was asked during Wednesday’s sessions whether he expected any change in the designated hitter rule, which is used in the American League but not in the National.
“He said for the foreseeable future we’ll be doing the same thing we have been doing,” Solomon said.
During the week, GMs bandied about big names for possible deals, including Ramirez, Florida first baseman Carlos Delgado, Texas second baseman Alfonso Soriano and Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said teams always are interested in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang and second baseman Robinson Cano, rookies who performed well last season with low salaries.
“That’s what November, December and January are for, exploration of the possibilities of big ideas, big trades, transformations of rosters,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said.
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Starting Friday, 183 free agents will be able to negotiate contracts with all teams. The final seven eligible players filed Thursday night, including Houston’s seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Roger Clemens.
The market could go up significantly for relief pitchers, who appear to be coveted. While closers such as Billy Wagner and B.J. Ryan figure to get big money, there’s likely to be a trickle-down to setup men such as left-hander Scott Eyre and right-hander Bobby Howry.
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.
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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.
