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.
APNFC NORTH
Joe’s favorite training camp: The Bears and Vikings have great, festive camps, but nothing compares to the Packers experience in Green Bay. If you’re unwilling or unable to fork over hundreds of dollars for a regular season game ticket in Green Bay, this is the closest you can get to the uniqueness that is the Packers fan experience.
CHICAGO BEARS
Road tripping: Interestingly, the Bears last three road games are at division rivals: Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay. Before then, Chicago goes south to Miami, Carolina and Dallas, and east to New York and Toronto (where the Bills will be the home team).
Recommended road trips: Before old man winter buries you, it’s hard to resist a pre-holiday excursion down to Miami on Nov. 18 when the Bears visit the Dolphins. Or you could save your pennies for an early season visit to Dallas when Chicago plays at retractable-roof Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 19. A third idea is a little off-the-wall, but closer to home: a flight to see some NFL outside the U.S. as the Bears battle the Bills in Toronto, Nov. 7. Like Dallas and Miami, you won’t have to worry about the weather inside Rogers Centre, and Toronto is one of the world's most beautiful and most cosmopolitan cities. If you’re a hockey fan, visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and try and catch a Maple Leafs game. To get the season kick-started, head to sunny San Diego for the Aug. 14 preseason game.
Visiting training camp (open to the public): Chicago practices 60 miles south of the Windy City at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. The Bears draw extremely well for camp, so you will have no problem making new friends as you enjoy watching practice across five fields. There isn’t a ton to do in the area besides football, but nearby Kankakee River State Park is an outdoor paradise for biking, canoeing, fishing and more. For more information, including practice access, visit www.chicagobears.com.
DETROIT LIONS
Road tripping: Unlike the Bears, whose last three road games are against divisional opponents, the Lions’ first three away games are against Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay. The rest of the slate? The Lions make two trips to the Sunshine State, with visits to Tampa and Miami, coupled with stops to the Giants, Buffalo and Dallas.
Recommended road trips: Lions fans should love the NFL schedule makers this year. What could be better than a Dec. 19 game at Tampa followed by a Dec. 26 contest at Miami? Time to book that beachside Christmas condo for the week! If the holidays aren’t suitable, consider a trip to the Big Apple as the Lions visit the Giants at the New Meadowlands Stadium, Oct. 17. The fall foliage should be in full bloom and this is as good a time as ever to visit the city so nice they named it twice. To get started on the season, head to one of the NFL’s best venues for the Aug. 14 exhibition tilt at Pittsburgh.
Sporting News
Visiting training camp (open to the public): Detroit practices in suburban Allen Park, Mich. In the past, the Lions have limited to the number of fans that can catch practice due to space restrictions. For more information, including the process of getting into practice, visit www.detroitlions.com or call 313-262-2882. 
Slideshow
2010 NFL preview
Anquan Boldin will have a huge impact with Ravens, but that's just one of the storylines in this year's camp previews. Click here for more.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Road tripping: Outside of annual jaunts to Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota, the Cheeseheads hit the eastern seaboard with authority in 2010, playing at the Jets, New England, Philadelphia, Washington and Atlanta.
Recommended road trips: The Packers open the season Sept. 12 in the City of Brotherly Love against the Eagles, and the strategic location enables fans to see more than just the Sunday tilt. Some 95 miles up I-95, the Jets open their season at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Sept. 13 on Monday Night Football against the Ravens (but the Pack will also play the Jets at the new stadium on Halloween, so keep that in mind).
Another east coast trip to consider is a visit to Washington on Oct. 10 as Green Bay visits the Redskins. The next day, Oct. 11, the Giants play a Monday night game at the New Meadowlands Stadium — against Minnesota (which might be motivation enough for Packers fans to make the pilgrimage to feverishly root against the purple and gold).
Visiting training camp (open to public): If you can’t afford a ticket to a game at Lambeau Field, NFL training camp is probably the closest you’ll get to the Packers experience. Green Bay practices right in town at Ray Nitschke Field across from the team’s historic home stadium. And what an experience it is — but get there early. The Packers usually have open practices the first three weeks of camp.
Similar to the old days at Dodgertown in Vero Beach when Manny Mota and others road their bikes from the clubhouse to the field during baseball spring training, Packers players do the same thing, from the locker room at Lambeau Field to the practice field and back. The main difference? Local kids have their bikes there before and after practice. The players jump on the bikes and the kids ride on the back, or on the handlebars. Nitschke Field has seating for up to 1,500, but there’s also plenty of standing room.
What’s also convenient about Packers camp experience is that you can really make the day of it here and take a break to cool off from the sun. The Packers’ stellar Hall of Fame is inside the Lambeau Field complex where there’s also a restaurant with plenty of food and drink with distinctly Packer-themed names. For more information, visit www.packerstrainingcamp.com.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Road tripping: The Vikings play at the Giants, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington, in addition to annual roadies to Detroit, Chicago and Green Bay.
Recommended road trips: Who turns down an opportunity to visit the Big Easy opening night, especially when Minnesota is seeking sweet revenge against the Saints? Not you, Vikings fan. Minnesota opens the NFL season on Sept. 9 inside the Superdome as the Saints raise their championship banner (and the purple hope to spoil the party).
|
Visiting training camp (open to the public): The Vikings hold camp at Minnesota State University in Mankato, about 80 miles south of Minneapolis. The purple and gold have a rich tradition here, dating back more than 40 years. The atmosphere is enjoyable and fairly fan-friendly, with autographs usually available after morning practices. There’s a small fee to park on campus. Mankato has a college summer league baseball team, the Moondogs in town. A park with waterfalls, Minneopa State Park, is just five miles outside of town. Also, if you’re planning to visit Aug. 5-8, enjoy Hickory Street RibFest downtown. For more information, including practice access, visit www.vikings.com.
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.
| Slideshow |
 | Super Bowl XLVI shots See the best moments before, during and after the Giants' win over the Patriots more photos |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Getty Images |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
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.