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The Lions will not sing an anthem in South Africa this summer - 'The Power of Four', that excruciating mix of politburo and classical pop played before matches on the last trip four years ago, has been quietly ditched - but 'Ireland's Call' would be an apt refrain. The captaincy is a choice between Paul O'Connell and Brian O'Driscoll, and if the head coach, Ian McGeechan, stands by his own words he will take the side of Munster's ginger monster. Either way, the Grand Slam champions should be well represented in the squad to be named at a Heathrow hotel on Tuesday.

Rangers 3B Chris Davis continues to have titanic struggles from the plate to start the season. On Saturday, Davis went 0-for-4 from the plate with three strikeouts. He has now struck out 18 times this season and has only two walks.

Tim Lincecum was back in form Saturday -- striking out 13 in eight scoreless innings -- but it still was not enough for the Giants. Chris Young hit a two-run double in the ninth off Brian Wilson as the Arizona Diamondbacks won 2-0 on Saturday.

By CHAREAN WILLIAMS CARROLLTON — Defensive ends Marcus Spears and Chris Canty started 49 games together after being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2005. Canty, though, signed a six-year, $42 million contract with the New York Giants this off-season.While Spears is happy for Canty, he is sad for himself.'It hurt me bad,' Spears said Saturday during a break at Randy White’s Big Man Camp. 'But that’s the business of football, and you’ve got to understand that guys have to do what’s best for their family and maximize that opportunity they have at that time. That turned out to be real fortunate and substantial decision that he made.'Spears knows that could be him a year from now. He is entering the final year of the five-year, $9.35 million contract he signed as a rookie after the Cowboys made him the 20th overall pick in 2005. Team officials have not approached his agent about an extension, Spears said.'I think they’ve got to get 94 [DeMarcus Ware] ta

After beginning his season with a soaring home run on opening day in Arizona, catcher Chris Iannetta has crash landed.

As befitting a man weaned on the Dean Smith/North Carolina Tao of Hoops, George Karl happily points out one of the ways the NBA playoffs differ from games played between October and April.

DETROIT -- Brian Rafalski, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Jiri Hudler scored, Chris Osgood posted his 14th NHL playoff shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference series.

Ireland lock Paul O'Connell is favourite to lead the 2009 British and Irish Lions on their tour to South Africa.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Paul Konerko homered and drove in three runs, Mark Buehrle pitched effe...

As a freshman last season, Illinois' Paul Ruggeri struggled to be even the fifth best gymnast on the parallel bars on his own team. A year later, he was the nation's best on them. Ruggeri, the 2008 horizontal bar champion, defended his title and won the...