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Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
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.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
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.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Josh Morgan will test the free agent market before agreeing to a new deal in San Francisco.
Morgan (broken leg) told the Associated Press he's "sprinting again" and expects to be at full speed for OTAs. Coveted for his blocking skills as opposed to playmaking ability, the 49ers could look to upgrade opposite Michael Crabtree this offseason. CSN Bay Area's Mike Maiocco believes it's still "more likely than not" Morgan will be re-signed, possibly as the No. 3 receiver.
Free agent WR Josh Morgan (broken leg) has resumed sprinting.
Barring a setback, he will be ready for OTAs. CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco believes it's more likely than not Morgan will re-sign with the 49ers.
The 49ers have reportedly blocked DBs coach Ed Donatell from interviewing for the Bucs' defensive coordinator vacancy.
It's something new Bucs coach Greg Schiano is getting used to, as he was blocked from interviewing two offensive coordinator candidates before settling on Giants QBs coach Mike Sullivan. The Broncos DBs coach in 2009-10 before joining the Niners last season, Donatell also has seven years of NFL coordinating experience.
49ers signed GM Trent Baalke to an extension through 2016.
The NFL's 2011 Executive of the Year as voted by the Pro Football Writers of America, Baalke was promoted from 49ers VP of Player Personnel to GM in 2011. A scout going since 1998, Baalke looks to have nailed his first draft class. First-rounder Aldon Smith and third-rounder Chris Culliver are long-term building blocks, while Kendall Hunter (fourth round) and Bruce Miller (seventh) made major rookie-year impacts. The 49ers also got a promising young QB in freakishly strong-armed, athletic second-round pick Colin Kaepernick.
Free agent FS Dashon Goldson would be "shocked" if he's not back with the 49ers in 2012.
"I think those guys are excited about me being there and I'm sure they want me back," Goldson said. "They've expressed how much they want me back. I want to be back there." Goldson is coming off his first Pro Bowl season at age 27. He should be back in San Francisco via the franchise tag or a long-term deal.
49ers LE Ray McDonald was arrested Wednesday for an outstanding warrant stemming from his 2010 arrest for suspicion of DUI.
McDonald was pulled over for a traffic violation at 2AM Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Police learned of McDonald's old warrant upon inspection of his record, and released him from jail at 7AM. McDonald is the second 49er to be arrested in the last 12 days, joining OLB/DE Aldon Smith. A high-impact and underrated defender, McDonald had 2.5 sacks in San Francisco's NFC title game loss to the Giants after racking up 5.5 in the regular season.
Coach Jim Harbaugh insists that the organization unanimously stands behind free agent Alex Smith as the 49ers' preferred quarterback.
"We're all in lockstep as an organization that Alex Smith is our guy," said Harbaugh. "It's well-documented. You saw the way he played this year. (He is a) tremendous leader on our football team." Harbaugh will officially open the QB job to competition after re-signing Smith, though Colin Kaepernick isn't a serious threat to start Week 1. Don't expect the Niners to chase Peyton Manning, either.
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.
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.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.