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.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
Getty ImagesAFC EAST
Joe’s favorite training camp: Bills camp at St. John Fisher College is quaint and intimate to experience all the hard-hitting action up close, but Jets camp is also going to fun this year as the HBO series, “Hard Knocks” follows Gang Green.
BUFFALO BILLS
Road tripping: The Bills visit Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Green Bay and Minnesota, in addition to stops at division rivals New England, Miami and the Jets.
Recommended road trips: Buffalo visits historic Lambeau Field for the Sept. 19 road opener. Be sure to get there early to soak in the game day experience, including the Packers Hall of Fame. If you’re got some time, get into the Dairy State a few days earlier and make the journey to Madison for one of the best college game day experiences at the University of Wisconsin, home to rabid football fans and the unique “fifth quarter” band celebration. The Badgers host Arizona State on Sept. 18 at historic Camp Randall Stadium, built in 1917. If you fly into Milwaukee, the Brewers are home starting Sept. 20.
A few alternative trips include Dec. 19 in Miami to shake off the early winter Buffalo blues; celebrating New Year’s in New York, then watching the the Bills visit the Jets at the New Meadowlands Arena on Jan. 2; and Nov. 7 as the Bills are the home team in Toronto against the Bears (they’ll also play an exhibition game there against the Colts on Aug. 19).
Visiting training camp (open to the public): The Bills practice 75 miles east of Buffalo at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y., a Rochester suburb. Bills practices are open to the public unless it rains when the team trains indoors (and the public is not invited). Buffalo has one of the more old-school camps in the NFL, with diehard fans making their way here. The sight lines are really good.
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While in Rochester, check out a minor league baseball game at downtown’s Frontier Field. It’s one of my favorites. Also, historic Oak Hill County Club is in Rochester, which has hosted the U.S. Open, one of golf’s four major championships. For more information on Bills training camp, visit: www.buffalobills.com/team/training-camp/practice-schedule.html or call 877-BB-TICKS.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Road tripping: The Fins visit Baltimore, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Green Bay and Oakland, in addition to stops in New England, Buffalo and the Jets.
Recommended road trips: The Dolphins visit Cincinnati Oct. 31 and Baltimore the following week, so fans might consider taking the time to explore the cities separated by little more than 500 miles — and neighboring ones, too. For example, Indianapolis — two hours from Cincinnati — hosts Houston on Nov. 1, and Washington, is just south of Baltimore. Other suggestions include a trip out to the San Francisco Bay area Nov. 28 as the Dolphins visit Oakland; a jaunt to Lambeau Field, Oct. 17; or even a trip up to Buffalo Sept. 12 to see the Fins open the season against the Bills and explore nearby Niagara Falls. And if that wasn’t enough, the Fins play at Dallas Sept. 2 in their last exhibition game.
Visiting training Camp (open to the public): You can’t blame Fins fans for passing on the opportunity to catch camp at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., just 20 miles up I-95 from Miami. After all, summer in South Florida is H-O-T, which means almost everyone’s either indoors or in the bathtub that is the Atlantic Ocean by the beach. If you go, be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and stay hydrated. The west side of the practice fields boast bleachers, but that aluminum isn’t the equivalent of an ice cold cushion. For more information on camp, visit www.miamidolphins.com or call the practice hotline at 954-452-7004.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Road tripping: On top of trips to Buffalo, Miami and the Jets, the Pats visit Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and San Diego.
Recommended road trips: The powerhouse Patriots visit the Steel City on Nov. 14. Fans who can take the week off should consider flying into Cleveland for the Nov. 7 game at the Dog Pound (Cleveland and Pittsburgh are just 130 miles apart). An additional adventure: the Bengals host the Steelers on Nov. 8, enabling Pats fans to get a preview of their next opponent in person. There’s plenty to do in both cities, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and — who knows — maybe Lebron James will be back. In Pittsburgh, the Penguins new hockey arena will be open by then and check out the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum and the Roberto Clemente Museum.
Two other travel suggestions, each at opposite ends of the travel extreme: a drive down I-95 to the New Meadowlands Stadium as the Pats visit the Jets Sept. 19, or a trip way out to sunny and splendid San Diego, Oct. 24.
Visiting training Camp (open to the public): The Pats hold camp 30 miles from Boston at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Mass., with the team practicing on the upper fields outside Gillette Stadium, their NFL home stadium. It isn’t the most fan-friendly camp as sight lines of the practices are poor compared to other camps. You can try and get there early to find a spot on a little hill beyond the end zone, or enjoy the action from the sideline where there are bleachers along one side.
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NEW YORK JETS
Road tripping: The Jets fly to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Denver, in addition to annual roadies to New England, Buffalo and Miami.
Recommended road trips: The Jets play Oct. 17 at Mile High in Denver. It's one of the NFL's best cities and game day experiences. If you can, get into town a day earlier and head up to Boulder to enjoy a game at scenic Folsom Field. For a wild road trip adventure, head to Cleveland Nov. 14 when the Dog Pound will be rocking. After the game, drive two hours back toward the Empire State, dipping south into western Pennsylvania and destination Pittsburgh as the Steelers host the Patriots in prime time. (the Jets don’t visit Pittsburgh until Dec. 19. Brr!).
Visiting training camp (open to the public — and cable viewers nationwide): Gang Green will have some nationwide company this year at camp as the HBO series, “Hard Knocks,” films the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets! The reality documentary series’ seventh season will follow the team’s rookies and veterans, including newcomers Santonio Holmes, LaDainian Tomlinson and others. The Jets train at the State University of New York at Cortland, 215 miles north of the Big Apple and 30 miles south of Syracuse. Cortland is a small town of about 18,500 and the school plays Division III football, but the facilities are superb and a new practice field will be in place for this year’s camp, too.
For things to do in the area, enjoy the great outdoors or check out some of the unique towns nearby, including Ithaca, 20 miles away. Syracuse and nearby Auburn also have minor league baseball. Bills camp is 110 miles east in Pittsford. The Jets report to camp Aug. 1 and the first practice is slated for Aug. 2. For more information on Jets training camp, visit www.newyorkjets.com/training_camp/faq or call 973-549-4844.
Joe Connor is a contributor to NBCSports.com and author of the annually-updated online training camp and stadium guide, “A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate NFL Travel Experience” which is available for purchase exclusively at his Web site: www.mrsportstravel.com.
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.
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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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.
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.
