Six-time All-Star Lance Berkman is retiring after 15 seasons in the major leagues. Berkman almost left the game last offseason before signing with the Texas Rangers. The 37-year-old Berkman was Houston's first-round draft pick in 1997 out of Rice, and played 12 seasons for the Astros. He played 1,879 career games, all but 287 for Houston, finishing a .293 career hitter with 366 home runs and 1,234 RBIs.

So much for all the hand-wringing about a snowed-in Super Bowl. What if the NFL decided to postpone its championship game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks for 24 hours? If the National Weather Service's forecast is correct, the buzz about a blizzard at the first cold-weather, outdoor Super Bowl - the official host committee logo features a snowflake - will turn out to be just talk. ''It would have been cool in the snow,'' Seattle linebacker Heath Farwell said.

Alexander Steen's production is back, even though he's not close to 100 percent from a concussion complicated by a lower-body injury that's kept him from practicing lately with the St. Louis Blues. They are out of a lull and again among the NHL's best teams, dueling the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks for the Central Division lead. After Tuesday's games, St. Louis and Chicago were tied for first in the division and for second overall in the NHL with 77 points apiece. The Blues have won three in a row since an embarrassing 7-1 loss at New Jersey.

The Phoenix Coyotes will become the Arizona Coyotes starting in the 2014-15 season. The team has been known as the Phoenix Coyotes since moving to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996. The team played its home games in downtown Phoenix before moving to Glendale in 2003, but kept the Phoenix name. Coyotes President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc said the ownership group, IceArizona, wanted to change the name so it could be recognized as a team for the entire state instead of just Glendale or Phoenix.