By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Former Florida Gators safety Ahmad Black, the team's fifth-round pick, signed a four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today.

"It's official!'' Black said on his Twitter account.

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors-Fitness Editor
Thursday, July 28, 2011

By Terry Tomalin

HONEYMOON ISLAND — Seth Leto said we should have been there yesterday.

"They were biting real well," he tried to explain. "They must have moved on."

But that's often the story when you're fishing for snook. One day it's hot. The next day it's not.

Snook has confounded many an experienced angler. Just when you think you've figured out their pattern, a front rolls through and all bets are off. You've got to start over with a new game plan.

August is traditionally one of the best months of they year to catch these fish along local beaches and in the passes. Even with the population drastically lower as a result of a series of recent freezes, the fishing has been good throughout most of the Tampa Bay area.

Snook season is closed for at least another year, but that doesn't mean you can't target these fish as long as you practice catch and release. Most anglers would rather catch one or two monster fish purely for sport. These big, breeding females, regardless of the regulations, should be released anyway, just to insure the future of the stock.

So I didn't worry about the momentary lull in the action. I knew the Tarpon Springs fishing guide would find his snook. I'd be satisfied with one good fight and call it day.

A tropical fish

Tampa Bay anglers should consider themselves lucky. Technically, snook range from South Carolina to Brazil. But these fish are only found in large numbers in this area and south.

Snook are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures and become lethargic and even die if temperatures drop suddenly. Last year's fish kill was not as bad as one that occurred in 1977 (the year it snowed in Miami) but it was worse than one that happened in 1989, an event still relatively fresh in many anglers' minds.

The difference, however, between 1977 and 2011 is the number of anglers that now fish for snook. An exact figure is unavailable — the saltwater license law did not take effect until 1990 — but most experts agree the increase in angling pressure has been dramatic

State biologists estimate that before the freeze, Florida had about 1.7 million snook. About 500,000 lived in the state's Atlantic waters, while 1.2 million snook lived in the state's Gulf of Mexico waters.

A new stock assessment is due later this year. At that time fishery managers will have a better idea how badly the snook population suffered and when the season will reopen.

Until then, we anglers must be satisfied with the thrill of the hunt.

A rising tide

All fish feed when the water moves. Anglers may debate which is better, an incoming or outgoing tide, but all will agree that the slack tide is to be avoided.

Here on the Gulf Coast, where the water may fluctuate only one to two feet on the grass flats, tides play a particularly important role. All the things fish love to eat — crabs, minnows and shrimp — get caught up in the current on a strong tide. And snook, like any other fish, will wait at an ambush point for the food to come to them.

From his vantage point on the bow of the flats skiff, Leto could see the shadows of snook lined up in the shallows, waiting for the buffet line to begin. I tossed a pinfish up current and it drifted back to the impact zone where it was instantly consumed.

Knowing I might have only one chance at the fish (and a picture), I kept the drag loose and the rod tip high. The snook sped off the flat and jumped as it tried to shake the hook. The fish circled the boat a couple of times but finally tired itself and succumbed to the ritual photo and release. I watched from the bow as the snook lingered for a while and then swam back to the shallows to rejoin his friends.

Live another day

There was a time when if the season had been open I might have considered keeping that snook. They are the best tasting fish in the ocean. But my days of eating snook may be over.

Down in Everglades National Park, where fishing is tightly regulated and the local guides view snook as a sustainable resource, catch rates have skyrocketed during the past three decades. Prior to the freeze, anglers were catching an average of five snook per trip.

"If you kill a lot of snook, it is like shooting yourself in the foot," said Florida Guides Association president Pat Kelly, who guided out of Everglades City for 19 years. "If you put it in the cooler, that is the last time you will be catching that fish."

Luiz Barbieri, head of fisheries for the state's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, said that in areas where recreational anglers and guides promote catch and release, snook populations have improved dramatically.

"In areas such as the Everglades the catch rate has just been phenomenal," He said. "The fishing experience has greatly improved. You find more fish. You find larger fish. Right before the cold kill it was snook paradise."

Times staff
Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Tampa Bay Rays scored seven times in the seventh inning to erase an early five-run deficit and beat the A's 10-8 this afternoon in Oakland.

The win allowed Tampa Bay to avoid a sweep of the four-game series.

Conor Jackson's two-run home run highlighted a five-run first inning for the A's, whose Nos. 3-6 hitters greeted Rays starter Wade Davis with a single, double, triple and home run, in that order.

Davis recovered, not allowing a run over the next five innings before giving way to Joel Peralta in the seventh. Davis finished with six strikeouts while allowing five runs on six hits. He did not walk a batter.

Desmond Jennings got two runs back with a home run in the sixth before the Rays, who went four innings before getting their first hit, broke the game open in the seventh.

Matt Joyce started the rally with an RBI single. Sean Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk. Jennings had a two-run single. Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch. Johnny Damon added a run-scoring single, and Longoria capped the inning with a solo homer.

Oakland got one run back on Kurt Suzuki's home run in the bottom half of the inning, but B.J. Upton offset it with one of his own in the eighth.

The A's got the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Kyle Farnsworth struck out Cliff Pennington to end the game.

The Rays now travel to Seattle, where they will open a three-game series against the Mariners on Friday.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Making news

fire in their eyes, paddle in their hands

More than 2,000 paddlers representing 17 countries will churn the waters around Harbour Island in Tampa beginning at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday when the 2011 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships start. Teams of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer will guide the 41-foot-long boats along the Seddon Channel course. As a warm-up for fans, the amateur Pan American Club Crew Championships run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The club-level crews that didn't qualify for the world championships will compete in smaller 10-paddler boats. Winners qualify for the World Club Crew Championships next year in Hong Kong. For information, visit tampabaydragonboats.com.

Regulations

Complete hunting dates listed online

The 2011-12 Florida hunting season dates were released for the state's different zones. The dates in each zone for archery, deer-dog training, crossbow, muzzleloading, general gun, antlerless deer, fall turkey, quail and gray squirrel, bobcat and otter and spring turkey seasons are all available at MyFWC.com.

Things to Do

Pier Aquarium to start Shark Month

The Pier Aquarium in St. Petersburg is celebrating Shark Month with a family program Aug. 6. Book Nook by the Bay will begin at 10:30 a.m. with activities for kids, a shark tank presentation and a book reading. For information, call (727) 803-9799.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Solunar table

AM PM major minor major minor

7/29 4:50 10:55 5:05 11:25

7/30 5:40 11:50 6:00 0

7/31 6:30 12:15 6:55 12:45

8/1 7:30 1:15 7:55 1:40

8/2 8:20 2:10 8:55 2:40

8/3 9:20 3:05 9:50 3:35

8/4 10:15 4:05 10:45 4:30

By Larry Blue, Times Correspondent
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sharks: Sharks strike fear in some people and excitement in others. If fishing for really big sharks is your pleasure, your first task is to capture enough fresh bait. One of the best is Spanish mackerel, but be sure to catch enough to change bleached-out baits often.

Tactics: Bigger sharks will find a comfort zone. At night they ply shallow waters looking for something to eat, but during the day they want to escape the heat and sun to deeper water. The best place for this is along portions of the shipping channel off Tampa Bay. When fishing this area, anchor near the channel but a safe distance from the shipping lanes to avoid passing freighters. Earlier this week we hooked an 11-foot female hammerhead. The battle took 58 minutes, and we covered more than a half mile before catching and releasing it.

Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit CaptainLarryBlue.com.

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

CLEARWATER — For six months, Calvary Christian High School administrator David Kilgore surveyed the chaos of construction, walking past rocks and dirt buried beneath bulldozers and cranes.

Now the rubble has given way to a nearly complete $4.2 million football stadium and athletic facility.

This is no ordinary high school complex, which has been named "The Rock." The glass-enclosed weight room comes equipped with Hammer Strength machines. The 40 individual lockers for football players will arrive soon, along with high-definition televisions on which players can watch game tape.

State-of-the-art FieldTurf has been rolled out, the first field in Pinellas County and just the third in the area to have an artificial playing surface. The electronic scoreboard capable of video replays has been installed.

"It's pretty amazing how quickly everything has come together," Kilgore said.

This opulent football cathedral, which is adjacent to Calvary Baptist Church, raises the bar for future high school stadiums and provides a model for how other private schools might try to not only persuade fans to flock to their games, but students to enroll.

"We haven't had to do a lot of advertising for our school, " Kilgore said. "This facility is the biggest advertising vehicle we have right now. It's generated some buzz and has a wow factor."

Calvary Christian is not the only bay area private school to raise its profile with recent upgrades.

• Jesuit High School renovated its gym and added a new weight room. The school was the first to install a turf field in the football stadium, and a $2 million baseball park was completed in the spring. This week, the school received a private donation of $150,000 to finance a giant video scoreboard on the football field.

• Berkeley Prep has added new baseball fields for its upper and middle divisions as well as a new softball field. The football stadium field was re-sodded with high-quality celebration Bermuda grass sod last year. In August, the school is scheduled to break ground on a two-story fieldhouse that will include a new football team locker room, a gymnasium with three full-length courts for basketball and volleyball, as well as a fitness room, dance studio and alumni room.

Even public schools have opened pocket books for better facilities. Plant High has a privately-funded $650,000 synthetic field turf.

In a time in which student numbers are dwindling among private schools, a high-stakes game has emerged to pour as much money as possible into athletic complexes to boost enrollment.

"Once you reach a certain student population you need to add facilities to keep up," Berkeley Prep athletic director Bobby Reinhart said. "Will that help with enrollment? Probably. And the end result will help market the school. But that's not the pure driving force. We want to have top-notch facilities because it's something our constituents would expect from us."

Calvary Christian's complex is the most expansive — and expensive. Every amenity imaginable has been added. There is a playground for children. A rubberized track to host big meets. And an area in front of the ticket booth has been reserved for tailgating and live music on football game days.

The enrollment at Calvary Christian, a 9-12 school, the past few years has stayed mostly steady at around 200 students. That number increases for the 2011-12 school year, according to Kilgore, with 60 new students registered, the most the school has had at one time in its 11-year existence.

"We expect even more once this facility is completed and people have a chance to come and see a game," Kilgore said.

Football has always been used as a marketing campaign for students at Calvary. That is why the school added the sport six years ago. The team had played games at a nearby youth complex, where there were no lockers and players carried their uniforms home to wash.

"The kids have toughed it out for quite a while," coach Dave Bonchi said.

A football stadium was in the school's long-range plans, but the funds were never there — until this year. Dr. Pit Gills, a member of the church, helped accelerate the time table by donating $4 million. Gills' father, Dr. James Gills, is the founder and director of St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute and owned the Ironman brand for 18 years before selling it to a private equity firm for an undisclosed sum in 2008.

"God laid it on our hearts to help out the high school sports," Pit Gills said. "It's a great mission field in our own back yard."

Calvary Christian is not finished making improvements. Plans are in the works to add a baseball stadium. And the school has been aggressive the past three months in landing successful public school coaches to fill vacancies, including Seminole High baseball coach Greg Olsen and Palm Harbor University golf coach Jim Fuller.

"High schools nowadays are competing for kids, especially among private schools," Clearwater Central Catholic football coach John Davis said. "And if somebody thinks better facilities don't matter, they don't know much about athletics. The facility at Calvary is going to attract students. They're already getting students. Countryside is going to lose students there. So is Dunedin. We're going to lose some students, too.

"It's going to hurt schools that don't have it. And I'm a little disappointed that we haven't moved a little quicker on building something here."

By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Students from Charlene's School of Dance in Spring Hill recently attended the International Dance Challenge in Chicago and were among the most successful academies in the nation, walking away with 12 awards.

Headed by instructor Charlene Harris, the school won Junior Ultimate Challenge Champion honors for its performance of Bailando Caliente. The team also took first runnerup for its performance of Like, Totally '80s.

P.J. DiGaetano was named Junior Male Solo Challenge Champion for his dance All I Need is the Girl. The school also was named Senior Small Group Challenge Champion for Over the Rainbow.

Other first-place honors included Junior Production Challenge Champion (Bailando Caliente), Senior Production Challenge Champion (Mortal Kombat) and Junior Entertainment Challenge Champion (Like, Totally '80s).

Madison Harris was the second runnerup in the Senior Female Solo Challenge division for her performance of Run to You.

Sarah Lewandowski of Erin's Danceworks, also of Spring Hill, was third runnerup in the Senior Female Solo Challenge division. Her dance was Don't Rain on My Parade. The Erin's Danceworks competition team is taught by Erin Messaris and Kelli Gill.

Charlene's won second runnerup in the Senior Duo-Trio Challenge division with a dance to Two of a Kind.

In the large group divisions, Charlene's took second runnerup for Blessed Assurance on the junior side and first runnerup for Little Bird on the senior side. The Junior and Senior Line Challenge divisions saw the school walk away with two more second runnerup trophies.

PBA SPRING HILL OPEN: Pro bowlers are returning to Spring Hill Lanes this weekend for the 23rd annual Spring Hill Open.

A stop on the Professional Bowlers Association Southern Region Tour, the tournament is the only regular professional event in Hernando County.

In years past, it has featured some of the best bowlers in the sport, including Walter Ray Williams Jr., Jason Couch and Patrick Allen.

Friday, local bowlers can compete alongside the pros in the nine-pin No-Tap Pro-Am.

For an entry fee of $17 for junior bowlers (youth league competitors), $25 for senior bowlers (age 55 or older) or $30 for all others, amateurs can bowl on the same lanes with three professionals. Winners will receive trophies, scholarships or cash prizes.

Starting Saturday, about 125 of the tour's best bowlers will battle for the championship. The finals should start about 2 p.m. Sunday.

Last season, St. Petersburg native and Tallahassee resident Richard Langton won the tournament for the first time, and he is expected to return to defend his crown.

For information, call Spring Hill Lanes at (352) 683-7272.

SENIOR SOFTBALL: The West Hernando Softball Club for Seniors League recruiting members for the season that starts in September.

The league is open to players 55 and older. Games are played Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at Veterans Memorial Park in Spring Hill.

For information, call Tony Passanesi at (352) 686-6812.

MORE SENIOR SOFTBALL: The Senior Softball Invitational League will start its season in September and needs new players.

The league meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Veterans Memorial Park in Spring Hill.

The fee is $60 for approximately 40 games, and a player must be 50 or older.

For information, call Sal Ficarra at (352) 688-1605.

ACE PERFORMANCE TENNIS: Ace Performance Tennis is hosting two events this summer.

QuickStart Drills will be offered from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Delta Woods Park in Spring Hill. The cost is $10 per class. There will be drills and games designed for beginning players, using USTA-approved strategies for 60-foot court players. Participants will learn to play tennis quickly with age- and size-appropriate equipment and modified courts.

Ladies Night Out will be offered from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays at Delta Woods Park. The cost is $10 per class. Women of beginning and intermediate skill levels will learn to play in a social setting.

Call John or Louise Downey at (352) 666-0658 or visit­ louisedowney.usptapro.com.

BROOKSVILLE BULLDOGS: The Brooksville Bulldogs is recruiting players for the coming baseball season, which runs from September through February.

The team plays doubleheaders in Brooksville and tournaments in the Central Florida area. The two age divisions are 13-and-under and 14-and-under.

Call Bruce Price at (813) 714-1054 for information or send an e-mail to bruce67price@hotmail.com.

UMPIRE CLINICS: The Hernando-Sumter Umpires Association has scheduled its annual baseball/softball umpires clinics.

The clinics are designed to train anyone who wants to become an umpire, and the sessions also can help seasoned umpires improve. Local clinics will take place at the Anderson Snow Sports Complex in Spring Hill on Aug. 21 and 28.

The sessions are open to men and women age 16 and older. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. each day, with the clinics starting at 1 p.m. There is a $20 charge for each participant, and everyone will receive a Major League Baseball rule book, along with other handouts.

Visit hernandosumterumpire.com to register. For information, call (352) 593-6998 or send e-mail to clinics@hernandosumterumpire.com.

ADULT BASKETBALL LEAGUE: The Brooksville Parks and Recreation Department is playing host to an adult basketball league at the Jerome Brown Community Center in Brooksville, beginning Aug. 23.

The league is open to participants 18 and older. Games will take place at 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. The registration deadline is Aug. 12, and players will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $400 per team, with an eight-player minimum.

Call (352) 540-3835.

To notify us of community sports achievements or coming events, contact Derek J. LaRiviere at derekjlariviere@gmail.com or (352) 584-6337.

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sprint Cup

What: Brickyard 400

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 1 p.m.); Saturday, practice (ESPN2, 10 a.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 2 p.m.); Sunday, race (ESPN, 1 p.m.); Indianapolis

Fast facts: Crown Royal is the new title sponsor of the Brickyard 400. Track and company officials did not provide financial details, saying only it was a multiyear contract. Starting in 2012, the race will be renamed the Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Goes Here" 400 at the Brickyard. The company plans to hold a contest to select the fan's name that will be incorporated into the title. … Indiana native Tony Stewart won the 2005 and 2007 races. … Jeff Gordon has a series-high four victories at the track. … Scott Speed is attempting to qualify in Max Q Motor­sports' No. 37 car.

Standings: 1. Carl Edwards, 652; 2. Jimmie Johnson, 645; 3. Kurt Busch, 641; 4. Kevin Harvick, 637; 5. Kyle Busch, 632; 6. Matt Kenseth, 626; 7. Gordon, 587; 8. Ryan Newman, 586; 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 577; 10. Denny Hamlin and Stewart, 570

Nationwide

What: Kroger 200

When/where: Saturday, practice (ESPN2, 11:30 a.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.), race (ESPN, 7:30); Clermont, Ind.

Fast facts: Action sports star Travis Pastrana is making his series debut.

Standings: 1. Reed Sorenson, 702; 2. Ricky Stenhouse, 697; 3. Elliott Sadler, 688; 4. Justin Allgaier, 672; 5. Aric Almirola, 631

Trucks

What: AAA Insurance 200

When/where: Today, practice, qualifying (Speed, 4:30 p.m.), race (Speed, 7:30); Clermont, Ind.

Fast facts: Josh Richards is driving Kyle Busch's No. 18.

Standings: 1. Johnny Sauter, 431; 2. Austin Dillon, 413; 3. James Buescher, 389; 4. Cole Whitt, 388; 5. Timothy Peters, 384

Formula One

What: Hungarian Grand Prix

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 8 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed, 8 a.m.); Budapest

Fast facts: Defending series champion Sebastian Vettel was fourth last week, the first time this season he failed to finish first or second.

Standings: 1. Vettel, 216; 2. Mark Webber, 139; 3. Lewis Hamilton, 134; 4. Fernando Alonso, 130; 5. Jenson Button, 109

NHRA

What: Fram-Autolite Nationals

When/where: Today, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 5:30 p.m.); Sunday, eliminations (ESPN2, 11 p.m.); Sonoma, Calif.

Standings: Top Fuel — 1. Del Worsham, 1,057; 2. Spencer Massey, 989. Funny Car — 1. Mike Neff, 1,062; 2. Robert Hight, 870. Pro Stock — 1. Jason Line, 912; 2. Mike Edwards, 906. Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Karen Stoffer, 599; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 566

IndyCar

Next: Honda Indy 200, Aug. 7, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio

Standings: 1. Dario Franchitti, 388; 2. Will Power, 350; 3. Scott Dixon, 282; 4. Tony Kanaan, 253; 5. Oriol Servia, 244

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

TAMPA — Protecting quarterback Josh Freeman is the most important job in the Bucs' organization.

The front office knows it. Coaches do as well. Perhaps it's why Freeman was surrounded by guard Davin Joseph and tackle Jeremy Trueblood, two of the team's premier unrestricted free agents, as they dined Wednesday night at 717 South, a trendy, upscale restaurant near Hyde Park.

The reason for the gathering, according to general manager Mark Dominik, was to wine and dine the two free agents and provide them with the experience they might receive by visiting other NFL teams.

But the table also was set for Freeman to brief offensive coordinator Greg Olson on the progress he and his teammates made participating in players-only workouts organized by the 23-year-old captain during the lockout.

"Oh yeah. We went to dinner, had a real long conversation about the offseason, about what we had going on," Freeman said of the dinner, which also was attended by coach Raheem Morris, offensive line coach Pat Morris and Dominik. "I mean, the only way we could keep up was through the media; (Olson) could check up on what we were doing. But we caught up, we talked about stuff we went over, plays, protections, shifts, motions, a lot of different things. I feel like we got a lot accomplished, and we're right where we should be.

"We talked about it before, before the lockout hit. We had a pretty good plan going into it, pretty much stuck to that plan and got it done."

How much of a bite did the lockout take out of the team?

That's the question most players were asked as they reported to training camp Thursday at One Buc Place.

Time will tell, but Freeman and his teammates made it clear that the sailing will be a lot smoother in 2011 if the team can re-sign Joseph and Trueblood, the club's first and second-round picks, respectively, in 2006.

By late Thursday, Joseph and Trueblood refuted reports that deals were completed. As close as they are on the field on the right side of the offensive line, they remain even closer friends and both have expressed a preference to remain in Tampa Bay.

"I had a really good time at dinner. I've always really respected and liked our coaching staff, so catching up with them was very enjoyable," Trueblood said. "It was fun to talk to every person who was at that table. We had quality conversations about everything, really, including football. But the business end is what my agent, Tom Condon, is for. I already knew I would like to play for a great organization like the Bucs. All the pieces just need to fall back in place."

Joseph has been adamant that the Bucs' effort to re-sign Trueblood will impact his decision about where to play. Trueblood, 28, missed four games with a knee sprain last season and lost his starting job to James Lee in the process. Joseph, 27, missed the final month with a broken foot. Pat Morris' power man-blocking scheme will favor both players, who are now healthy.

"Going against him every day is what made me get better throughout the year," said defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick last year. "If I'm trying to have a big comeback year, I'm going to need him out there. Not just me but the whole team."

Especially Freeman, who doesn't need to worry about protection since he has enough on his plate.

"Those two guys, they're huge," Freeman said. "They're a huge part of our offense. Those two guys, veteran guys on this team. Both leaders. Yeah, man, it would be great to get both those guys back."

"(Dominik) is definitely keeping me in the loop as far as what we have going. But as far as our offense goes, we're pretty content with the guys that we have. We've got a lot of guys who can go out and make plays, and we know we can win with the guys we have. It's exciting, obviously there are some pieces in free agency you really want to get back."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

TAMPA — Protecting quarterback Josh Freeman is the most important job in the Bucs' organization.

The front office knows it. Coaches do as well. Perhaps it's why Freeman was surrounded by guard Davin Joseph and tackle Jeremy Trueblood, two of the team's premier unrestricted free agents, during dinner Wednesday night at 717 South, a trendy, upscale restaurant near Hyde Park.

Late Thursday, the Bucs took a big bite out of the salary cap by signing their two premier free agent offensive linemen.

Joseph agreed to terms on a seven-year, $52.5 million deal with $19 million guaranteed. Trueblood reached an agreement on a two-year deal. No financial details were available.

"It's official," Joseph said on his Twitter account shortly before midnight. "I'm a Buccaneer."

Tampa Bay also signed former Falcons punter Michael Koenen to a six-year deal.

The table was set Wednesday for both players to return during a dinner that included Joseph, Trueblood, Freeman, coach Raheem Morris, general manager Mark Dominik, offensive coordinator Greg Olson and new offensive line coach Pat Morris.

Joseph and Trueblood were first- and second-round selections, respectively, by the Bucs in 2006. Joseph had been the team's priority entering free agency with a league-most $59 million under the salary cap. He had been adamant that the Bucs' effort to re-sign Trueblood would impact his decision about where to play. Trueblood, 28, missed for games with a knee sprain last season and lost his starting job to James Lee in the process. Joseph, 27, missed the final month with a broken foot. Morris' power man-blocking scheme will favor both players, who are now healthy.

"I had a really good time for dinner. I've always really respected and liked our coaching staff, so catching up with them was very enjoyable," Trueblood said. "It was fun to talk to every person who was at that table. We had quality conversations about everything, really, including football. But the business end is what my agent, Tom Condon, is for. I already knew I would like to play for a great organization like the Bucs."

Dominik has stuck to his plan of focusing his efforts in free agency on re-signing the team's players. Linebacker Quincy Black agreed to terms on a five-year, $29 million deal Wednesday.

So far, Keonen is the exception. In six seasons, all with the Falcons, he owns a 42-yard punting average and a career net of 38.8. He also is among the NFL's best kickoff specialists and has been used in long-distance field goals, with a long of 58 yards.

Perhaps nobody will benefit more from Thursday's signings than Freeman, who remained upright long enough last season to throw 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

But Joseph's return will make other teammates better.

"Going against him every day is what made me get better throughout the year," said defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick last year. "If I'm trying to have a big comeback year, I'm going to need him out there. Not just me but the whole team."

Freeman used Wednesday night's dinner to catch Olson up on the team's progress during the lockout.

"Oh yeah. We went to dinner … had a real long conversation about the offseason, about what we had going on," Freeman said. "I mean, the only way we could keep up was through the media, (Olson) could check up on what we were doing.

"But we caught up, we talked about stuff we went over, plays, protections, shifts, motions, a lot of different things. I feel like we got a lot accomplished and we're right where we should be.

"We talked about it before, before the lockout hit. We had a pretty good plan going into it, pretty much stuck to that plan and got it done."

Meanwhile, Dominik stuck to his plan by getting the contracts for Joseph and Trueblood done.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

He said it

"This team's definitely taken about 10 years off my life. I'm sure of it."

Giants and former Rays slugger Aubrey Huff, after teammates in played a practical joke and convinced him his credit card was stolen and used to buy explosives in Mexico

Joke of the day

"Football's back on. I'm not sure a lot of the players really understand this new agreement. When he heard the NFL lockout had ended, Plaxico Burress said, 'Does this mean I have to back to prison?' "

Tonight Show host Jay Leno

Number of the day

2 hours, 50 minutes.

Length of the average major-league baseball game this season, about 20 minutes longer than 30 years ago, according to Sports Illustrated.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

TAMPA — About this time last year, Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount was reporting to camp — with the Titans.

It wasn't until days after the final roster cuts that he joined Tampa Bay, which had claimed him off waivers after his release from Tennessee. And his late arrival was the chief reason it took many weeks for the team's eventual leading rusher to have any meaningful impact.

Although the NFL lockout has robbed Blount of precious preparation, he has a full training camp in which to sharpen his knowledge of the offense.

"Hopefully this will help," he said. "I know that I won't be thrown into the fire so early. I know I have (five) weeks to get prepared for a 16-game season instead of having three weeks of sitting on the bench and the sidelines watching everybody else."

Training camp, Blount said, "is definitely more of a teaching setting. And I'm going to have guys here like last year who can teach me more about the offense."

Blount, who didn't debut until Week 3 last season and had just 21 carries in the first six games, finished with a flurry. He totaled 1,007 yards and was among the leaders of starting backs with 5 yards per carry.

He enters camp presumably as the No. 1 tailback, but Blount is expecting to have to earn his carries. The Bucs have Kregg Lumpkin and Kareem Huggins returning, drafted USC's Allen Bradford and could re-sign Cadillac Williams or another free agent back.

"They're going to be ready to compete and take somebody's job," Blount said. "It's my job to not let them."

And if he does that and plays wire to wire, it's tempting to think about the possibilities.

"I'm very anxious to see what I can do," Blount said. "I'm ready to go out there and actually play 16 games as a starter and rack up as many yards as possible and lead us to victory."

ROOKIE CLASS ROLL: The team continued to plow through signings of its rookie class, reaching deals Thursday with fourth-round pick Luke Stocker, fifth-rounder Ahmad Black and seventh-rounder Anthony Gaitor.

There are high hopes for Stocker, a tight end from Tennessee, whom the Bucs traded up 12 spots for. Look for him to be paired with TE Kellen Winslow in certain sets. Black, a safety from Florida, figures to help on special teams and compete for a spot in the safety rotation. Gaitor, a cornerback from Florida International, will have to fight to make the final roster but is considered a tough-nosed defender who plays bigger than his size (5-10, 177 pounds).

The lone unsigned draft pick is Bradford.

LONG ROAD FOR LONG SNAPPER: LS Andrew Economos, who sustained a ruptured Achilles' tendon in the offseason and had surgery in April, said he has progressed quickly but doesn't know how his injury will affect his place on the roster.

"There's no real concrete time when I'm supposed to be back, but I'm pretty close," he said. "I'm ahead of the curve for sure."

The team signed a pair of long snappers among the 16 college free agents acquired Wednesday.

Getting FLAGGED: For several years an iconic image has greeted visitors upon arrival at One Buc Place: A Bucs flag that is believed to be the largest non-American flag flying in the United States.

But it fell victim to a vicious afternoon thunderstorm Thursday, leaving the flag torn from end to end. Team officials quickly took the flag down.

STICKING UP FOR RUUD: Free agent LB Barrett Ruud seems unlikely to return, but some teammates hope he does.

"I don't know what's going on with Barrett Ruud's situation, but it'd be very disappointing to see him leave," Winslow said. "He's one of our key leaders on this team. I know the guys in that locker room want him back. … We would hate to see him leave."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Guest reporter of the day

DT Gerald McCoy, one of the most colorful Bucs, took his turn as a member of the media Thursday on reporting day, borrowing a photographer's camera to take shots of T Donald Penn. Then McCoy used a microphone to ask QB Josh Freeman a question.

"Mr. Freeman, do you think it'd be a good idea to tell the offensive coordinator to get Gerald in on goal line (situations) so he can go out for a pass? I think I've got a better touchdown dance than (former Bucs DT Warren) Sapp." Freeman laughed but played to his audience: "I put you in the top five hands on the team. Sure, we've got to get Gerald some touches."

Scouting report of the day

Though fans might not know too much about recently signed undrafted free agent RB Mossis Madu (Oklahoma), DT Gerald McCoy has a good feel considering he has known him since he was a freshman in high school.

"He's more of a scat back," McCoy said of Madu, above. "He's not one of those, 'Give him the ball every down and let him run.' You can bring him in there and let him run the ball, give him a screen. … There's lots he can do, a lot of different things. He's got some moves, so it'll be fun to see him."

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Walk this way

DT Gerald McCoy acknowledged the benefits of the new CBA, especially cutting down on the number of padded practices. "I just added four years to my career," he quipped. But he said morning walk-throughs without pads, like the Bucs will have today, are very helpful.

"What made us so good last year was our walk-throughs," he said. "We got out there and practiced for an hour and 20 minutes, but most people didn't realize we were walking through for an hour and a half in the morning. That's when you can actually get your fits, can go back and say, 'All right, let's actually learn what we're doing and why.' "

Quote of the day

"We're about to turn some more heads. … People around are really going to know what the Bucs are talking about next year."

T Donald Penn

Public practice

When: Today, 5:15-7:15 p.m.

Where: One Buc Place, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., just east of Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Admission: Free

Et cetera: All practices are weather permitting and subject to change. Go to buccaneers.com for updates.

Practice and games schedule

Public practices

Saturday: 2:30-4:35

Sunday: 5:15-7:15

Monday: 5:15-7:15

Wednesday: 2:30-4:35

Aug. 5: 2:30-4:35

Aug. 6: 7-9 (Raymond James Stadium)

Aug. 9: 2:30-4:35

Aug. 14: 2:30-4:35

Preseason

Aug. 12: at Kansas City, 8, Ch. 13

Aug. 18: Patriots, 7:30, Ch. 10*

Aug. 27: Dolphins, 7:30, Ch. 10*

Sept. 1: at Redskins, 7:30, Ch. 10

Regular season

Sept. 11: Lions, 1, Ch. 13*

Sept. 18: at Vikings, 1, Ch. 13

Sept. 25: Falcons, 4:15, Ch. 13*

Oct. 3: Colts, 8:30, ESPN*, Ch. 28*

Oct. 9: at 49ers, 4, Ch. 13

Oct. 16: Saints, 4:15, Ch. 13*

Oct. 23: Bears (London), 1, Ch. 13

Nov. 6: at Saints, 1, Ch. 13

Nov. 13: Texans, 1, Ch. 10*

Nov. 20: at Packers, 1, Ch. 13

Nov. 27: at Titans, 1, Ch. 13

Dec. 4: Panthers, 1, Ch. 13*

Dec. 11: at Jaguars, 1, Ch. 13

Dec. 17: Cowboys, 8:20, NFLN*, TBD*

Dec. 24: at Panthers, 1, Ch. 13

Jan. 1: at Falcons, 1, Ch. 13

* Broadcast subject to NFL blackout rules

Deja vu of the day

While the prolonged lockout made for fewer team-organized workouts, T Donald Penn was quick to point out he's used to a more condensed offseason. "I did the same thing I did the last two years when I held out," Penn said, smiling. "It was normal to me. So I'm walking into it like, 'I'm used to this.' "

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2011

. UP NEXT

At Mariners

Tonight-Sunday

What's new: The Mariners ended their team-record 17-game losing streak Wednesday in New York and have lost 21 of 26 overall to drop from the fringe of the AL West race to last place. … Rookie 2B Dustin Ackley has been a smash since his June 16 promotion, hitting .301 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 33 games. … SS Brendan Ryan is on an 11-game hitting streak. … Overall, the offense is the majors' worst with a .226 average, though the starting pitching is among the best. Sound familiar?

Key stat: The Mariners lost the lead the last eight times they had scored first before hanging on to beat the Yankees.

Connections: Rays 1B Casey Kotchman spent a rough 2010 in Seattle. … Mariners INF Chone Figgins (Brandon) and RHP Chris Ray (Hillsborough) are Tampa Bay area products.

Series history: Mariners won three of four in June, lead 68-51 overall, 36-29 in Seattle.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Marlins 5, Nationals 2

WASHINGTON — The Marlins' Mike Stanton homered for the second straight game and now has eight in 12 games at Nationals Park dating to 2010. "(The Nationals) ought to trade for him," manager Jack McKeon joked. "They'd have to give up the Lincoln Memorial."

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mets 10, Reds 9

CINCINNATI — Lucas Duda and Jason Bay each drove in three runs with bases-loaded doubles as the Mets pounded the Reds for 30 runs in a four-game sweep. "They left 12 points higher," said Reds manager Dusty Baker, referring to the Mets' batting averages.

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Angels 12, Tigers 7

DETROIT — Angels rookie Mark Trumbo homered, tripled, doubled and drove in a career-high five runs. "Power and production are what I need to do," said Trumbo, hitting .256 with 19 homers and 53 RBIs this season. "That's what first basemen are known for."

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Royals 4, Red Sox 3

BOSTON — Billy Butler hit a three-run homer and Luke Hochevar pitched seven strong innings as Kansas City split the four-game series. With one out and one on in the ninth, Boston's Carl Crawford hit a long fly to right, but the ball got caught in a breeze and Jeff Francoeur made a basket catch. "Good thing there's no Green Monster in rightfield," Francoeur said, "or we'd be talking about a 5-4 Red Sox win."

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Brewers 4, Cubs 2

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun had three hits, including a home run, to lead Milwaukee to its first sweep of Chicago at home since May 2005. Braun, who had missed time with a calf injury, has five homers in 12 games since his return. "I feel like my approaches have been good and I've been swinging at strikes," he said. "When I do that, the results are usually pretty good."

Times wires
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Padres 4, Diamondbacks 3

SAN DIEGO — Jesus Guzman had two RBIs and rookie Luis Martinez drove in the go-ahead run as San Diego avoided a three-game sweep. Martinez and Orlando Hudson each had an RBI single in the sixth as the Padres erased a 3-2 deficit. Daniel Hudson contributed to Arizona's troubles with two walks and a hit batter in the inning.