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Marion's defense critical for Mavs

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

DALLAS — Of all the players on the Mavericks roster, Shawn Marion has been given the most difficult assignment in this year's playoffs.

It's not as tough as riding a raging bull. But by NBA standards, what Marion has been asked to do the past six weeks has been about as difficult as trying to contain Michael Jordan night after night after night.

Marion has gone from guarding Portland's Brandon Roy in the first round to defending All-Stars Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Thunder) and now the Heat's LeBron James. That's about as tough as it gets in the NBA.

The rugged defensive challenges, however, don't faze Marion.

"Somebody's got to guard these guys, and I'm going to take the challenge to do what I've got to do and make it hard as I can for these guys," Marion said Saturday. "All of them are different and all of them get a lot of shots, so it's just a matter of how many shots are you going to let them get.

"I'm going to contest every shot I can and keep them off the free-throw line. It is what it is."

The Mavs are hoping Marion will be at his defensive best when they host Miami in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at 8 tonight at American Airlines Center.

This best-of-seven series is tied at 1, and since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format in 1985, the Game 3 winner is 11-0 when the series was tied after two games.

It's essential that Marion continues playing superb defense in order for the Mavs to win their first NBA title. His importance at the defensive end is unparalleled.

"We wouldn't be here without Shawn Marion's defense," Mavs backup center Brendan Haywood said. "His defense has been great, and that's probably one of the underrated parts of his game.

"He's really accepted the challenge to guard a lot of really, really tough offensive players in this league."

Other than defense, the Mavs also expect Marion to hold his own at the offensive end of the floor.

After Marion struggled and scored just seven on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 4 of the Western Conference final, his teammates challenged him to step up his offensive game. Marion responded by pouring in 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting in the Game 5 closeout contest while also holding Durant to 23 points on 8-of-20 shooting.

"That's why he or whoever nicknamed himself the Matrix," center Tyson Chandler said. "When you give yourself a nickname like that, I guess you've got to be able to do it on both ends."

Marion is averaging 18 points and nine rebounds in the two games against the Heat while almost playing James to a draw. Marion also surprisingly has more free-throw attempts — he's 6-of-7 from the line — than James.

By contrast, James is averaging 22 points and 8.5 rebounds and is 4-of-6 from the line.

"I think Shawn Marion has done a great job, especially offensively," James said. "His activity throughout the first two games has been pretty good."

James, however, refused to credit Marion for anything he has done on defense.

"I don't feel like there's one guy in this league that can stop me one-on-one," James said. "There's always a defense that's looking at me when I have the ball.

"He's the guy that's guarding me, but there's no one-on-one guy that can guard me."

HAYWOOD HOBBLED: Dallas center Haywood, who came out of Game 2 with a strained right hip flexor, spent much of practice riding a stationary bicycle. Other than that, he was limited to spot-up shots and free throws with no contact or full-speed work. His status for tonight was uncertain. Coach Rick Carlisle said well-rested Ian Mahinmi would be ready to play.

NBA Finals

Heat 1, Mavericks 1

Game 1: Heat 92, Mavericks 84

Game 2: Mavericks 95, Heat 93

Tonight: at Dallas, 8, Ch. 28

Tuesday: at Dallas, 9, Ch. 28

Thursday: at Dallas, 9, Ch. 28

June 12: at Miami, 8, Ch. 28 *

June 14: at Miami, 9, Ch. 28 *

* If necessary


Biffle feeling Cup heat

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas Speedway might be the best place for Greg Biffle to cool off after an extremely hot and miserable weekend in Charlotte.

Less than 20 laps into Sunday's Coca Cola 600, Biffle reported that his cooling system was malfunctioning — on a day when temperatures approached 140 degrees on the track.

The system wasn't just broken, either. It was pumping scalding hot air into Biffle's helmet and burning the side of his head, even with his visor flipped up to provide ventilation.

Biffle's crew eventually got his cooling system sorted out during an extended stay in the pits, and he pushed his way back from 34th to the front with 50 laps left. But what could have been the best car in Charlotte finished 13th following a late pit stop.

"We took a really, really fast car and finished 13th with it. We got the wave around twice and the lucky dog once," Biffle said Friday in Kansas, where the Sprint Cup resumes today. "If we would have had a mediocre car we would have finished about 30th."

If Biffle can bring another fast car to the 1.5-mile Kansas track today, history suggests the No. 16 Ford could be the among the ones to beat.

Biffle, 11th in Sprint Cup points, has won twice here, first in 2007 and last fall when he took first to pull out of a deep hole in the Chase for the Championship.

He also has six top-five finishes in nine Kansas races.

"This race track's a lot of fun," Biffle said. "There are a lot of options and it has a little slower corner speeds and you have to be a little technical, which plays into my hands over the years I guess."

He's in the mix for a spot in the Chase with NASCAR's regular season reaching its midway point after the STP 400. But Biffle has yet to win this season and has just one top-five finish in 12 starts. If he's going to make a push up the standings, Kansas would be appear to be a great place to start.

"It's getting harder to sleep at night when you're right there on the verge of the points, especially when you have runs like you did last week," Biffle said. "You've got to start having solid top-fives every week. If you have a solid top-five every week, then forget about it. We're not there yet. We picked up another spot in points but that didn't really do a whole lot. We didn't move very far."

As long as Biffle doesn't have scalding hot air blowing in his face, he said he's fine.

"What happened last week was really unique," he said. "The thing turned into a heater."

KURT BUSCH ON POLE: Kurt Busch, the only driver with a sub-31-second lap, took the pole at 174.752 mph (30.901 seconds) to edge Juan Montoya (174.154). Busch said he was lucky that his Penske Racing team could repair damage to the nose of his car after a spin Friday in practice. "It bent the nose back on the car when we hit the grass," he said.

Allgaier sputters to Nationwide win

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

JOLIET, Ill. — Justin Allgaier passed Carl Edwards on the final lap to win the Nationwide series STP 300 as both cars ran out of fuel Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway.

Edwards led most of the night, but Allgaier sped past coming into the third turn, and Edwards couldn't respond because he was out of fuel.

Seconds later so was Allgaier, who coasted to the finish line to win at his home track with Edwards second. Tampa's Aric Almirola finished fourth.

BOWYER'S HOME JOY: Clint Bowyer put behind him runnerup finishes in NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at his home track with a dominant win in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 truck race at Kansas Speedway.

"We've gotten close here and had good runs here, but we've just never been able to seal the deal," Bowyer said. "It was fun to be able to do a burnout on that front straightaway in front of that crowd. This is big, man."

Bowyer, of Emporia, Kan., led 124 of 167 laps en route to the first win by a Kansas native at the decade-old 1.5-mile tri-oval.

Meanwhile, NASCAR was investigating a post-race physical altercation involving team owner Richard Childress and driver Kyle Busch in the garage.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Childress, 65, approached Busch, 26, and struck him with his fist. Busch and Childress driver Joey Coulter bumped on the final lap while fighting for fifth. Coulter beat him, and Busch finished sixth.

Officials with Busch and Richard Childress Racing declined comment.

GRAND-AM: Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli earned their second Rolex Series victory in six days, winning the Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen, N.Y., in a Chevrolet/Dallara.

NHRA: Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) led their classes in qualifying for today's Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J.

In flash, Canucks control Cup final

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

VANCOUVER — Everybody knew Alex Burrows was fast. Just not this fast.

With the second-speediest overtime goal in NHL playoff and final history, Vancouver's bitingly talented forward moved the Canucks halfway to their first Stanley Cup title.

Burrows circled the net and scored a stunning goal 11 seconds into overtime, and Vancouver took a 2-0 lead in the Cup final with a 3-2 victory over the Bruins on Saturday night.

Right after the opening faceoff of overtime, Burrows got a pass from Daniel Sedin and streaked down the side, eluding Boston captain Zdeno Chara behind the net. He extended his stick for a wraparound shot, beating out-of-position goaltender Tim Thomas for his second goal of the game.

"As soon as I got the puck, I knew I was going to fake a shot and then try to beat him," Burrows said. "I lost the puck in front of Tim Thomas, but I got it back, and I got it in."

Only four teams have rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to win the Stanley Cup in 46 tries, though Pittsburgh did it against Detroit in 2009.

Mark Recchi and Milan Lucic scored for the Bruins, who trailed 2-0 in the first round of these playoffs against Montreal — losing both games at home — before rallying to win the series in seven games. The Bruins also defeated the Lightning in seven in the East final.

"It was better today than in Game 1, and we're going to have to keep that up if we want to score some more goals," Lucic said.

Burrows' winner nearly was the fastest OT goal in final history, taking just a bit longer than Brian Skrudland's goal for Montreal nine seconds into Game 2 against Calgary on May 18, 1986.

"Burr comes in to make a sick play," said NHL scoring champion Sedin, who tied it with 10:23 left in the third period. "It was crazy. Outreach a 6-(foot)-9 player? I didn't think he was going to be able to score from where he was. I don't know what happened, but it was really nice to see it go in."

Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for the Canucks, but the night belonged to Burrows, who avoided suspension for this game after being accused of biting Boston's Patrice Bergeron in Game 1. He scored on a power play in the first period, and he even set up Sedin's tying goal with a sharp pass from the slot.

Thomas stopped 30 shots for the Bruins, but his trademark aggressiveness put him too far away from his net in OT. Burrows used his speed to elude the 6-9 Chara before slipping the puck into Thomas' unguarded net.

"We knew our scouting report on Thomas," Burrows said. "We know he likes to come out and challenge and freeze you, so if I shoot there, I think he stops it and covers all the angles, so I wanted to walk around."

Recchi put the Bruins ahead in the second with a power-play goal just 2:35 after Lucic scored Boston's first goal of the series. Recchi, the NHL's oldest active player at 43, ended the Bruins' 5-for-68 power-play drought with a deflection from the slot.

"I think we lost the game ourselves," Boston forward David Krejci said. "Obviously they played well, but we had the game in our hands and we just gave it away."

The Canucks got a pregame boost from the inspirational return of center Manny Malhotra, who hadn't played since a career-threatening eye injury on March 16. The Canucks also played without top defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who missed his first game of the playoffs after getting hurt midway through Game 1 while delivering a check. Andrew Alberts filled in, playing his first game in four weeks.

Canucks10113
Bruins02002

First1, Vancouver, Burrows 8 (Higgins, Salo), 12:12 (pp). PenaltiesChara, Bos (interference), 10:24.

Second2, Boston, Lucic 4 (Boychuk, Krejci), 9:00. 3, Boston, Recchi 3 (Chara, Bergeron), 11:35 (pp). PenaltiesBieksa, Van (delay of game), 1:03; Rome, Van (holding), 10:26; Rome, Van (interference), 18:59.

Third4, Vancouver, D.Sedin 9 (Burrows, Edler), 9:37. PenaltiesSeidenberg, Bos (tripping), :52. First Overtime5, Vancouver, Burrows 9 (D.Sedin, Edler), :11. PenaltiesNone. Shots on GoalBoston 11-14-5-0—30. Vancouver 11-10-11-1—33. Power-play opportunitiesBoston 1 of 3; Vancouver 1 of 2. GoaliesBoston, Thomas 12-8-0 (33 shots-30 saves). Vancouver, Luongo 14-6-0 (30-28). A18,860 (18,810). T2:35. Referees—Dan O'Halloran, Kelly Sutherland. LinesmenJay Sharrers, Jean Morin.

WINNIPEG HITS GOAL: Fans in Winnipeg, who got an NHL team back last week, helped the club hit its goal of 13,000 season tickets sold in a matter of minutes. True North Sports and Entertainment, which bought and relocated the Atlanta Thrashers, had said it hoped to sell 13,000 packages before the NHL board of governors votes to approve the transaction June 21. The tickets sold out in 17 minutes, but the company said the online queue was full in two minutes. The remaining 15 minutes were required to process the sales.

Padres 6, Astros 3

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

Padres 6, Astros 3

SAN DIEGO — Aaron Harang pitched into the seventh, former Ray Brad Hawpe had a two-run double and the Padres won consecutive home games for the first time this season. San Diego won for just the 11th time in 32 games at Petco Park and scored at least six runs at home for the third time this season.

Yankees 3, Angels 2

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Times wires
Saturday, June 4, 2011

Yankees 3, Angels 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — CC Sabathia came within one out of his second complete game in three starts, Alex Rodriguez hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Robinson Cano also went deep for the Yankees. Rodriguez snapped a tie at 1 in the sixth with his 623rd career homer, driving Ervin Santana's 1-and-1 pitch into the rock pile in left-center after Curtis Granderson's leadoff walk. The two RBIs increased Rodriguez's total to 1,864, tying Mel Ott for ninth place all time. Derek Jeter tied Sam Rice for 28th place with his 2,987th hit.

Former Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen dies

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By Craig Basse, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 5, 2011

TAMPA — Tom McEwen, the Tampa Tribune's longtime sports columnist, often credited with helping to make Tampa a major sports city, has died at age 88, according to Linda McEwen, his wife of 41 years.

She said he had become weak after battling skin cancer. Still, she thought he would pull through.

"I'm as surprised as anybody," his wife said. "I thought we had him strong."

Mr. McEwen, who had a hand in many of the area's major sports events in recent decades, died at 3 this morning at his home.

Widely renowned for the power he wielded in Tampa, he was once listed among the 25 most influential people in the area by Tampa Bay Life magazine.

He was credited with helping to get Tampa Stadium built and with bringing a National Football League franchise and two Super Bowls to the facility. The stadium press box was named for him.

He was a 19-time Florida Sportswriter of the Year and a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1991, he was inducted into the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame.

"My axiom has always been to work hard and be fair," he said shortly before his induction. "I've tried not to stray from that. And I've tried to teach the same principles to the people who have worked with me. Write for the people, not to the people."

The Tribune's sports editor since 1962, when he took over a department with a staff of seven, he stepped down in 1992 as overseer of 57 staffers. He continued to write a column for the newspaper and to respond to letters in his Sunday Hey, Tom! feature.

His final column appeared Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4, 2001.

"This is my decision and I believe it is mutually beneficial to the Tribune, a near-lifetime romance of mine, and to me and my family," Mr. McEwen said at the time.

Before becoming sports editor of the now-defunct Tampa Times in 1958, Mr. McEwen was a sportswriter at the St. Petersburg Times for four years. He was a former sports editor of the Fort Myers News-Press.

He came to the Times in 1954 from the Philippine Islands where he worked for the U.S. government.

Born in Tampa and reared in Wauchula, Thomas Masey McEwen graduated from the University of Florida school of journalism.

In January 2001, as he was wrapping up his long career, he took a visitor to his Davis Islands home on a tour, pointing to wall after wall of a career's proximity to greatness: Framed photos of himself with Johnny Unitas, Bear Bryant, Jesse Owens and other sports superstars.

Evoking other memories was a black-and-white photo of himself with the tiny Tampa Tribune sports staff in the early 1960s, at the start of his 30-year reign as sports editor, before he became a force in helping build Tampa's sports temples like the Ice Palace, Legends Field, Raymond James Stadium.

His credits, which led the city to name a street after him, included the Super Bowl, once ridiculed as an absurd dream. As he was leaving the scene, the Super Bowl was arriving for a third time.

It was on his porch, two years earlier, that Tribune sports editor Paul C. Smith broached a painful topic: Mr. McEwen's exit from the newspaper he had dominated as editor and columnist.

Smith knew the stakes for Mr. McEwen. He had heard Mr. McEwen joke that he planned to quit writing when he dropped dead on his keyboard at a Bucs game.

"It's a dope. It's an addiction," Mr. McEwen said of his work. And more: Representing the Tribune had been his undisputed role for so long, he was the paper for thousands of readers.

In that job, McEwen did far more than cover local institutions; he helped build them. And in the process, he became an institution himself.

Mr. McEwen threw his weight behind a host of highly publicized causes, from landing an NFL franchise to moving the Yankees' spring training facility to Tampa. Many credited him with bringing the Buccaneers, the National Hockey League and pro soccer.

Yet, in the final years of his long career, Mr. McEwen's reputation was causing the Tribune embarrassment with the boosterism and insider maneuvering drawing sneers in the newspaper industry.

In the Tribune's commemorative section dedicated to Mr. McEwen, the veteran sports writer declared:

"I've had critics of my style and I do understand their criticism. At the same time, I'm me, not them. I have done it my way. Through most of that time, it was with the full backing of my publisher and newspaper. And if my influence helped to make this sports community a little better, I don't see anything wrong with that."

Information from Times files was used in this obituary.

Former Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen shaped bay area landscape

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By Andrew Meacham, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 5, 2011

TAMPA — Tom McEwen, the wise-cracking, dealmaking former sports editor and columnist for the Tampa Tribune, who shaped the landscape of sports in the Tampa Bay area in a way no one else could, died at 3 a.m. Sunday at home. He was 88.

Mr. McEwen had struggled with cancer and other recent health problems that resulted in the amputation of a leg and loss of sight in an eye.

He will be remembered as a legendary sportswriter, a 19-time Florida Sportswriter of the Year and member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame — but perhaps even more so as a maestro of human relations whose old-time political skills greased the tracks for professional football, soccer and hockey teams coming to the area, as well as the New York Yankees' spring training facility.

"What made him stand apart was that at the height of his profession, at the top of his game, he was also the top community advocate there was for trying to bring sports and grow sports in the Tampa Bay area," said Rich McKay, former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and president of the Atlanta Falcons. "And that's unusual. Tom used his pulpit to really advocate for the community, and he had a great impact."

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer great Lee Roy Selmon called Mr. McEwen a longtime friend and supporter who caused him and many other former players to move to Tampa and stay. "His legacy reaches out to so many people, from the community to the state of Florida and across the nation," Selmon said.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn released a statement eulogizing "our friend and legendary sportswriter Tom McEwen. He chronicled our sports world and shaped our city's history."

The evidence of his influence lies everywhere, from a press box at the St. Pete Times Forum and a road named after him near Raymond James Stadium to scholarships in his name at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.

He built his accomplishments on relationships.

"Tom was always there for us," said Leonard Levy, one of a group of Tampa businessmen in the early 1970s to lobby the NFL for a pro football franchise. "If we had a difficult time, Tom would always get that door opened for us."

Mr. McEwen, for his part, championed the idea in his daily "The Morning After" columns, worked the phones to line up a coach and financiers, and accompanied the business group to New York.

"We wouldn't have gotten it done if it hadn't been for Tom McEwen," Levy said.

The Tribune's sports editor since 1962, when he took over a department with a staff of seven, he stepped down in 1992 as overseer of 57 staffers. He continued to write a column for the newspaper and to respond to letters in his Sunday "Hey, Tom!" feature.

He worked just as hard at civic causes related to sports, and pressed Tampa to build more baseball fields and swimming pools for young people.

"He made sports fans out of us. We initially were not a sports community, but he made us into one," said former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt, who sat on the board when Legends Field, Raymond James Stadium and the St. Pete Times Forum were built.

"He was the cheerleader for all of them," Platt said. "He would write about them and be on TV speaking about them. And he would be at the events."

Before becoming sports editor of the now-defunct Tampa Times in 1958, Mr. McEwen was a sportswriter at the St. Petersburg Times for four years. He was a former sports editor of the Fort Myers News-Press.

He soon saw the city of Tampa as an untapped field of dreams.

"I won't forget driving that road at the old Cass Street Bridge," Mr. McEwen said in a recent interview with the St. Petersburg Times. "Looking to my right and seeing the old (University of Tampa) Phillips Field. Looking to my left and seeing Plant Field. And saying, 'We need to make this place grow."

Thomas Massey McEwen grew up in Wauchula, part of a pioneer family. As a child, he wanted to be an engineer.

"They tell me I wanted to be known for building a bridge from New York to Paris," Mr. McEwen said. "So I guess I have been a dreamer and a thinker all my life."

At 18, he was serving with the Army in the Philippines during World War II, where he became a second lieutenant in charge of 2,000 Japanese prisoners. He remained in the Philippines for six years, also working as an investigator for the Veterans Administration.

"As a young man it probably shaped him," said Tampa businessman Frank Morsani of the prison camp experience. "He had to take a lot of responsibility for his actions."

He graduated from the University of Florida school of journalism, and remained loyal to the Gators throughout his life.

One of the more complex tasks he would undertake involved the effort to land a professional football team in Tampa. Getting the NFL's support meant staging three pro football exhibition games in Tampa, the first of which was held at Phillips Field between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Colts. The game sold out. Two subsequent games at Tampa Stadium also sold well, and the potential market for football in the Tampa Bay area was set.

He was there when the Tampa Bay Lightning got its name.

Lightning founder "Phil Esposito called me to talk about the team," Mr. McEwen said. "We were walking out of the Tampa Tribune and lightning struck. We said, 'That's the name!' "

He continued to write a column for the Tribune after stepping down as sports editor, and wrote his last column for the paper in 2001.

In 2001, he took a visitor to his Davis Islands home on a tour, pointing to wall after wall of a career's proximity to greatness: framed photos of himself with Johnny Unitas, Bear Bryant, Jesse Owens and other sports superstars.

At times, his work to promote causes he was writing about and friendships with politicians and business leaders triggered criticisms of crossing an ethical line between journalists and sources.

"I've had critics of my style and I do understand their criticism," Mr. McEwen once said. "At the same time, I'm me, not them. I have done it my way."

In 1992, his wife's travel agency landed a contract to handle to the Lightning's travel arrangements. No one accused Mr. McEwen of profiting from his influence, but the relationship raised eyebrows.

"You've got to understand, it was a different era," said Skip Perez, a one-time Tribune stringer mentored by Mr. McEwen who recently retired as executive editor of the Ledger of Lakeland. "That could never happen today in this environment, and it's probably a good thing that it couldn't happen."

But arm's-length relationships were not his style. Recently, Mr. McEwen was asked to describe his proudest accomplishment.

"To have made contributions to this wonderful place in which we live," he replied. "A let's-do-it attitude. Let's try it anyway. Let's try to get it done."

Times researcher Caryn Baird and staff writer Danny Valentine contributed to this report, which also used information from Times files. Andrew Meacham can be reached at (727) 892-2248 or ameacham@sptimes.com.


Hubert Mizell remembers Tampa Tribune's Tom McEwen

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By Hubert Mizell, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, June 5, 2011

For 27 years, we were competitors. Tom McEwen was the sports voice, indeed the town crier, for the Tampa Tribune. I wrote a sports column for the St. Petersburg Times. My newspaper was always larger, but my friend Tom tended to "diminish" when glancing west across Tampa Bay. To his eyes, nothing was bigger or brighter than what he called "My Tampa."

We butted heads on a multitude of issues, like "Who should be USF's first football coach?" and "Where should a stadium be built for a Tampa Bay major-league baseball team?" Beginning in 1976, we traveled the NFL shoulder to shoulder, delivering ink that was stained with pain and love and occasional sarcasm. Chronicling setbacks and searching for cures as the Buccaneers of coach John McKay wobbled through an 0-26 beginning.

When word came of McEwen's death, I winced as though it was a beloved family member that I'd be seeing no more. Joking with no more. Trading chides with no more.

Competing with no more. As ravenous as Tom and I were to get major stories for our newspapers, and get them first, we were also each other's best counsel.

We discussed sources, and their credibility. When I first met Tom in the late '50s, I was a teen-aged part-timer at my hometown Jacksonville newspaper, the Florida Times-Union. He was becoming a force at the Tribune, a looming journalistic power long before there were Bucs, Lightning, Bulls or Rays.

McEwen was fond of saying, "Mizell and I are good at double-teaming guys for interviews. Hubert is so big, and I'm so little, he is our lead blocker in crowded, smelly locker rooms. Eventually, it's him to the left of the source, me on the right. We must've sandwiched McKay a hundred times. John's respect was hard earned, but we had it. Together, Hubes and I grilled 'em good."

As his competitor, it could seem as though Tom was a member of every Tampa/Hillsborough political function as well as the Tampa Sports Authority. He appeared to walk arm-in-arm with every policymaker. When there were back-room, out-of-the-sunshine huddles, the paranoid side of me figured that McEwen was probably serving the coffee and sweet rolls.

McEwen operated, openly and proudly, with guidelines that my newspaper refused to endorse. He flew on aircraft owned by Florida Gators boosters to UF games at Auburn or Knoxville or Baton Rouge. "Have a good commercial flight home tomorrow," he would tell me upon hurrying out of some press box, minutes after a game. "By 8 tonight I will be at home on Davis Islands having dinner with wife Linda." I would growl and type on.

But here's the bottom line on McEwen the reporter — and this paragraph should be printed in flashing neon — he always wanted the biggest and best for Tampa/Hillsborough, whether it concerned pro sports or college happenings. I have known most of America's high-impact newspaper sports columnists of the last 50 years and none among the Smiths, Murrays, Bishers, Popes, Sherrods, Lupicas, Wilbons or Kindreds was more revered and beloved. McEwen was, without question, "Mr. Tampa."

My hiring by the Times was in December 1973. McEwen had been a newspaper pro in the area more than a quarter century, beginning with a few semesters at the Times. When I moved in, it was already clear that Tampa Bay would be awarded an NFL franchise. McEwen was a major factor in that accomplishment. Tom was a master of cocktail-party conversation and squeezing the right hands, at home or in Tallahassee, Washington or New York. In effect, an unelected politician with a notepad.

He buddied smoothly with NFL owners from the Rooneys to the Maras to the Rosenblooms. McEwen could've been elected Tampa mayor but Tom saw his column as a higher calling.

When the Super Bowl first came to his city, McEwen said to me, with that impish grin, "Mizell, I did that." He had big help but to a considerable degree it was a Tom mission. When the NCAA basketball Final Four made a 1999 appearance at the dome in St. Petersburg, and knowing I had a deep experiences with the event, Tom was kind enough to say, "This one belongs to you, Hubes."

In the good, old days of airline travel, before the clamps were triggered by 9/11, and before economic desperation among airlines, McEwen and I would often come home from Bucs or college football games on first-class night flights. Deal was, if your employer paid for a "day coach" ticket, it could then be swapped for an upgrade on a night flight. So we sat among the big dogs where drinks and were free. Yes, youngsters, there were such days. Tom used to say, "Mizell and I had a pact. I let him have my food as well as his, but being a non-drinker he pushed all the booze my way."

McEwen was a buddy of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, a Tampa resident. Both wanted a Tampa Bay franchise to be anchored in Hillsborough County. Neither ever accepted the decision to erect Tropicana Field and create the Rays. McEwen often referred to Pinellas County as "over there." And who knows for sure, if St. Petersburg really was the better choice; evidence is still being gathered.

Tom campaigned for bringing football to the University of South Florida. I came out against it. My argument was, there had been just one non-military school to make a Division I splash in half a century — Florida State, born in 1947. So how could it make financial sense for USF? I was wrong, McEwen was right, and Tampa Bay has a solid plus in the Bulls.

But, on the USF coach, I won out. McEwen, with strong lifetime ties to the University of Florida, pushed hard for an old Gator player — NFL assistant coach Jack Burns. I got word that a Pinellas native, Jim Leavitt, wanted badly to get the chance. I endorsed the co-defensive coordinator from Kansas State, a school that rose from oblivion to become a Big 12 power. Leavitt was hired, taking a pay cut from $90,000 to $75,000 and built a solid program for USF.

Our priorities could differ, me and McEwen. So too our methods. But, both at dawn and twilight, Tom and I were friends. Two old newspaper blokes who would both be elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. Knowing the Times' operating principles, and seeing them as ultra-demanding, Tom would refer to my publication as "God's Newspaper."

McEwen was an accomplished after-dinner speaker and emcee. At a gathering of the Tampa Bay Sports Club, which put us both into its Hall of Fame, Tom said in the '80s, "Mizell is a fine writer, and his arrival at the Times 'made' me get better. Hubes and I do things a bit differently, but both our methods are effective. I hope our newspapers know they are damn lucky. We have been good for each other."

To that, I give a hearty nod and a robust thumbs-up. Sadly, I never told McEwen how much I appreciated those comments, especially before "his crowd" in a Tampa banquet hall.

I saw McEwen two times last football season — not knowing we would get together no more. Tom had lost an eye to illness. His face was distorted. A leg was amputated due to long-running medical ailments. Linda McEwen pushed him in a wheelchair, so Tom could sit on press row in Raymond James Stadium. We shared the Bucs-Atlanta game and also Florida's win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

Despite his condition, McEwen's mind was as sharp as long ago. We traded stories on the Bucs, the Gators, the Rays and all the press boxes we had occupied together since 1974, Tom's humor was forever. So too his passion, especially for Linda and Tampa and the life he had lived.

Replacement for McEwen? There'll be none.

My deepest, most sincere condolences to Linda and all associated with the McEwen family, which should include hundreds of thousands in "My Tampa" and millions across Florida and America.

It was a personal pleasure and professionally energizing and seldom dull to know and compete with Tom McEwen. Let us celebrate him. The enormous loss is the McEwen family's and Tampa's and Hillsborough's but also Tampa Bay's and Florida's and mine.

Hubert Mizell retired in 2001 and now lives in Gainesville.

He said it

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 5, 2011

He said it

"I do plan on entertaining you for the next 19 years, whether that's TNT, ESPN, CNN. Whoever wants to hire me, my offices open up on Monday. Give me a call."

Shaquille O'Neal, who announced his retirement last week and surely will get the phone calls today

Number of the day

12 U.S. metropolitan areas, now that Atlanta has lost the Thrashers, that have a team in all four major sports — MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL. The cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco bay area, which includes Oakland and San Jose.

He wrote it

Maybe Brad Richards would take less to return to Tampa Bay, maybe living a life with less daily stress than everyone of us who lives in New York routinely encounters just isn't for him. That doesn't make him a bad person any more than Cliff Lee taking less to play for the Phillies rather than the Yankees.

Larry Brooks, New York Post

Dr. Remote

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Baseball draft: 7 p.m. on MLB Network. Live pick-by-pick coverage of the first round of the Major League Baseball draft.

Canucks at Bruins: 8 p.m. on Versus. The Stanley Cup final switches to Boston and from NBC to Versus for Game 3.

Late Show With David Letterman: 11:35 p.m. on Ch. 10. Indy 500 winner and sometimes St. Petersburg resident Dan Wheldon is one of the scheduled guests.

Captain's Corner: June full moon brings best time to catch tarpon

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By Doug Hemmer, Times Correspondent
Sunday, June 5, 2011

What's hot: June 15 is a full moon, and three days after will be the best tarpon tides of the year. The afternoon outgoing tide will be strong. The fast-moving water will flush crabs out of the flats and into the passes. Tarpon will school in the passes to feed on the large number of crabs. The best spot is the Egmont Key Island. The north and south points will hold the most crabs and fish.

Joining the crowd: There will be numerous boats working in a tightly packed bunch. You'll want to start a drift up-current on the inside of the island. During the drift, free-line a crab in front of the boat. You'll have no problem dipping crabs to use as bait. Use a long-handle dip net and look for crabs along the weed lines. When you see crabs is when the tarpon start feeding. During the drift wait for the rod to bend and the line to begin moving off the reel. This is when you set the hook. Give the rod one or two hard hook sets, then lower it before the tarpon makes its first jump. If you keep the rod high and bent, the tarpon usually will throw the hook on the first jump. When you reach the end of a drift, idle to the outside of the pack before getting on a plane. Return to the top of the drift and repeat this until you catch a tarpon. With the high number of sharks in the area, release your fish quickly to increase its chance of survival.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 347-1389.

Giants 2, Rockies 1

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Giants 2, Rockies 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Vogelsong pitched eight strong innings and Andres Torres singled home the tiebreaking run to lead the Giants. Vogelsong matched his career high with eight innings, giving up a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Freddy Sanchez drove in a run for the Giants, who won their fourth in five games. Chris Iannetta homered for the Rockies, who are 4-12 in their past 16 games and have not won back-to-back games since May 16-17.

Cardinals 3, Cubs 2, 10 innings

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Cardinals 3, Cubs 2

10 innings

ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols hit a walkoff home run in extra innings for the second straight day, beating the Cubs with a leadoff shot in the 10th inning. Pujols hammered a 2-and-1 belt-high fastball from Rodrigo Lopez an estimated 446 feet to left for his 10th career game-ending homer. The Cardinals earned a three-game sweep over the scuffling Cubs, who have lost nine of 11.

Brewers 6, Marlins 5, 11 innings

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Brewers 6, Marlins 5

11 innings

MIAMI — Josh Wilson homered with two out in the 11th inning to lead the Brewers, and Tim Dillard escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. The Marlins have lost four in a row, all by one run.


Yankees 5, Angels 3

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Yankees 5, Angels 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mark Teixeira homered twice, Nick Swisher went deep and the Yankees won the three-game series. Bartolo Colon allowed three runs and six hits in 51/3 innings as the Yankees concluded a 6-3 trip and maintained their one-game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. Derek Jeter had a single in five at-bats to remain in 29th place on the career hits list at 2,986.

Phillies 7, Pirates 3

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Phillies 7, Pirates 3

PITTSBURGH — Roy Halladay pitched seven effective innings and the Phillies snapped a season-high four-game skid. Halladay (8-3) had six strikeouts and one walk in tying for the most wins in the majors. Ryan Howard had three RBIs for the Phillies.

Dodgers 9, Reds 6

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Dodgers 9, Reds 6

CINCINNATI — Pitcher Chad Billingsley drove in a career-high three runs with a homer, a double and a bases-loaded walk to lead the Dodgers, who took two of three in the series. Matt Kemp added a two-run homer — his third in a sequence of five at-bats — as the Dodgers improved to 28-10 against the Reds since 2006.

Rangers 2, Indians 0

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Rangers 2, Indians 0

CLEVELAND — C.J. Wilson pitched into the eighth inning, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus homered, and the Rangers earned their first four-game sweep in Cleveland in nearly 33 years. Wilson allowed three hits over 72/3 innings, striking out seven and walking two. The Rangers have won five in a row and eight of nine to extend their lead in the AL West. The slumping Indians still lead the AL Central despite dropping nine of 12.

Blue Jays 7, Orioles 4

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Times wires
Sunday, June 5, 2011

Blue Jays 7, Orioles 4

BALTIMORE — Adam Lind went 4-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs to back another winning effort by left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes for the Blue Jays. Yunel Escobar also homered and Edwin Encarnacion had three hits for the Blue Jays, who roughed up Jeremy Guthrie and took two of three in the series. The Orioles have lost seven of nine since reaching .500 on May 26.

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