Marc Staal's injured eye, suffered Tuesday when the Rangers defenseman took a puck to the eye, could easily have been prevented by a visor. So why aren't we getting rapid implementation of a required-visor rule in the NHL? One word: Fights. More»

The NHL lockout is over and regular-season play is on its way, yet it's hard to be excited. It's difficult to discern why the sport needed a lockout, and it's essentially impossible to determine that this one solved anything. Did the NHL just waste four months of our time? More»

The NHL lockout is a great disappointment, and not just for the usual sports-lockout reasons, but also because the 2011-12 season ended with a Los Angeles Kings playoff triumph that testified so well to what the NHL can do when it's at its best. More»

The Nationals suffered a heartbreaking exit in the 2012 NLDS, but they're already helping to ensure that won't happen again. By acquiring Denard Span and Dan Haren, Washington has positioned itself as the favorite in the NL East. More»

For all my blessings, Thanksgiving has never worked out just right for me -- we've never had football on. That changed this year, and I finally got to watch not just any old football, but my own New York Jets, in a crucial game against New England. More»

Why did Jeff Kent want to go on 'Survivor?' He doesn't need money, and he has nothing to sell us. He wasn't playing for charity, either. He was in it for the love of the game. So what was it that Kent loved? I watched a whole show and tried to figure that out. More»

Gary Sheffield is a professional negotiator. He always has been, whether in Little League or the major leagues, on the field or off. He understands the game in a way that few do, and he's putting it to use ... as a player agent. Why? Oh, he'll tell you. More»

Alex Rodriguez's steroid use opened the door for a misreading of his decline. People now think A-Rod stopped being A-Rod because he stopped using performance-enhancing drugs. But years of baseball history suggest that is not the case at all. More»