Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

Pirates 6, Cardinals 5

PITTSBURGH — Pedro Ciriaco hit a tiebreaking double to cap a three-run rally in the eighth inning, and Pittsburgh damaged St. Louis' playoff chances. The Cardinals had won five in a row.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

NEW YORK — Forecasting nobility in sports is tougher than predicting the weather, which mercifully held, despite a slight chance of rain, for the U.S. Open final Monday between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

In 2010, after Nadal defeated Djokovic in four sets in Queens to complete a career Grand Slam, a debate raged about whether he or Roger Federer deserved to lead the greatest-player-of-all-time conversation.

A year later, the talk has turned like pages in a history book to a discussion of whether Djokovic is having the all-time greatest season. The top-ranked Djokovic might have settled that debate with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1 dethroning of Nadal.

Djokovic is 64-2 this year, with three majors (four overall).

"I've had an amazing year," he said, "and it keeps going."

"What you did this year is probably impossible to repeat," Nadal told him. "So well done."

The match lasted 4:10 and featured one 17-minute game, a few 30-stroke rallies and numerous can-you-top-this shotmaking.

Before the fourth set, Djokovic was face-down on the court receiving medical treatment for a strained muscle. After striking the last of his 20 forehand winners on his first championship point, Djokovic ended up on his back, howling at the full moon.

"Djokovic didn't arrive this year, no?" Nadal said. "For me it is a little bit strange about the people here talking about Djokovic, about his big new improvement. Djokovic was here before, no? Djokovic played fantastic before. He had fantastic potential to be where he is today."

Of all the improvements in Djokovic's game — he cites his serve, fitness and confidence — none served him better Monday than his unflappability. Djokovic used to be easily taken out of his game. In 2008, he played American Andy Roddick in an Open quarterfinal and the partisan crowd burrowed under his skin.

On Monday, some fans were calling balls "out" during points, and Djokovic did not come unglued. He kept his composure in the third set when he was down 3-4 and 30-40 on his serve and faulted on his first attempt. Fans who were rooting for a longer match responded with lusty cheers, but Djokovic remained stone-faced.

He left it to chair umpire Carlos Ramos to say something to the fans and then put his second serve into play and hit a backhand winner on the 30th stroke on his way to a hold.

Djokovic had a strong return game. He repeatedly sent serves back at Nadal's feet, forcing errors or taking control of the point, accumulating 26 break points and converting 11.

In the first two sets, Nadal jumped to 2-0 leads only to have Djokovic come storming back with penetrating groundstrokes. He finished with 55 winners and 51 unforced errors to put an exclamation point on a singular Grand Slam season.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 12, 2011

BALTIMORE — Andrew Friedman is rumored to be of major interest to the Cubs, Astros and perhaps other teams looking for a general manager. But Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said Monday he doesn't expect Friedman to go anywhere.

"Andrew is a partner here, he's a partner of mine. And he treats this organization even better than I possibly can. There's nothing to report on that," Sternberg said.

"We've been at it now, it'll be six years, and it doesn't feel like six years, and I would think we would keep the band together another six years."

Sternberg said he hadn't heard anything more than the media speculation, and that no team has requested permission to talk to Friedman.

In answering questions for 20-plus minutes, he also said a few other interesting things:

• On the possibility of a 2012 payroll increase (from the current $41 million): "I don't know, but we've clearly fallen short on our financial projections. … I could not have projected our attendance would be down what it was. I don't think anybody would have thought that, either. … Nothing happened positive financially this year. … We were last (and still are, averaging 18,549). I didn't forecast last."

• On the status of manager Joe Maddon, whose contract expires after 2012: "I have no reason to think he wouldn't be here, just like I didn't last time (when he was extended) or the time before that."

• On weekend attendance (average 22,756) at the Trop: "It can only help our performance, the team's performance, the more people that get behind us in the stadium cheering them on."

• On the stadium issue, with nothing new: "I'm glad there's discussion going on."

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

HOUSTON — Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer off former teammate Roy Oswalt, and the Astros beat the Phillies 5-1 on Monday night.

Despite the loss, Philadelphia's magic number for gaining at least a wild-card spot dropped to one when the Cardinals lost. The Phillies are trying to make the playoffs for the fifth straight year. They won the World Series in 2008 and lost it in 2009.

Oswalt, who pitched 10 seasons for the Astros, faced his former teammates for the first time at Minute Maid Park since he was traded to the Phillies in July 2010.

Rightfielder Hunter Pence, traded by Houston to the Phillies in July, also returned for the first time and got two hits off Brett Myers.

Oswalt and Pence received warm ovations on their first plate appearances.

Myers pitched eight strong innings and has allowed three earned runs in his past 222/3 innings.

J.D. Martinez opened the fourth inning with a double and scored on a single by Brian Bogusevic. Humberto Quintero's double scored Bogusevic for a 2-1 lead.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

Cubs 12, Reds 8

CINCINNATI — Starlin Castro homered, scored four runs and drove in three while extending his career-best hitting streak to 13 games for Chicago. The Cubs won a third straight game for the first time since Aug. 15.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

After just one week of the NFL season, a few teams are already having to go to Plan B because of injuries.

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason, Chiefs safety Eric Berry and Chargers kicker Nate Keading — all Pro Bowl selections within the past two seasons — are out for the season after being injured Sunday during their teams' opening game.

Beason, a former college standout at Miami, tore his left Achilles' tendon against the Cardinals. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker hadn't missed a game in his first four seasons and signed a $51 million, six-year deal this summer, including a $20 million signing bonus.

"You can pretty much imagine what it's going to be like to lose a leader like Jon," said Carolina outside linebacker Thomas Davis, who missed much of the previous two seasons with a torn knee ligament. " … It's going to be extremely tough for us."

Berry, a Pro Bowl safety last season as a rookie, tore the ACL in his left knee in Kansas City's loss to Buffalo. He was hurt on a block by Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson on the third offensive play of the game.

Kaeding hurt his left knee on the opening kickoff against the Vikings during Percy Harvin's touchdown return and is believed to have torn his ACL. Chargers coach Norv Turner said only that the kicker tore ligaments and would have surgery. The seven-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowl selection entered the season as the most accurate kicker in league history, having made 173 of 200 field goal attempts (86.5 percent).

Cowboys defend Romo

IRVING, Texas — Twice in the final 10 minutes Sunday night, all Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had to do was throw the ball away, or fall down.

Instead, he fumbled 3 yards from the end zone and threw an interception that set up a field goal, leaving the Cowboys with a different kind of stunning finish: a last-minute, 27-24 loss to the Jets that marked the first time in 248 tries that Dallas lost a fourth-quarter lead of at least 14 points, according to STATS LLC.

"I cost us a football game," Romo said.

Cowboys fans and critics took to the Internet and airwaves Monday to agree, dredging up all his past mistakes.

Inside the locker room Monday, the view was different.

Teammates insisted the Cowboys wouldn't have been in position to win had Romo not played so well the first 50 minutes and that there were plenty of other mistakes.

"That is him trying to create his identity and show, 'I am going to be responsible for how far this team goes,' " defensive end Marcus Spears said. "I think that is something he put on his shoulders, and I personally like it. … It will only help him to feel that way."

BEARS: Running back Marion Barber (left calf muscle) is expected to return to practice Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

BENGALS: The team did not violate the substitution rule Sunday when it caught Cleveland off guard for a touchdown, the AP reported. Cincinnati quickly snapped the ball to backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who threw a 41-yard pass to rookie A.J. Green with 4:31 left for the winning score in a 27-17 victory while the Browns were just breaking their defensive huddle.

COLTS: Peyton Manning will not return to practice until doctors say he's 100 percent, vice chairman Bill Polian said. Manning is expected to miss at least two months after having surgery Thursday to fuse two bones together in his neck.

49ERS: Former Boise State running back Ian Johnson joined the practice squad. He gained fame by proposing to his girlfriend on national television immediately after his team's Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in January 2007.

GIANTS: Receiver Hakeem Nicks (knee) was being evaluated, coach Tom Coughlin said.

RAMS: The team is likely to be without four starters Monday at the Giants, including running back Steven Jackson. He strained his right quadriceps, and coach Steve Spagnuolo characterized Jackson as week-to-week. Quarterback Sam Bradford expects to play despite a bruised right index finger. Cornerback Ron Bartell is likely out for the season with two breaks in his neck. Cornerback Bradley Fletcher (sprained toe) and offensive tackle Jason Smith (sprained left ankle) are also likely out.

RAVENS: Coach John Harbaugh said rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith will miss a few weeks with a high left ankle sprain.

SEAHAWKS: Fullback Michael Robinson and rookie cornerback Byron Maxwell (both second-degree ankle sprains) aren't expected to play this week at Pittsburgh.

STEELERS: Offensive tackle Willie Colon is due to have surgery today on a torn triceps and is likely out for the season, his agent, Joe Linta, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

MIAMI — Tom Brady threw his first interception since October, so he wasn't perfect in the Patriots' opener.

He was close, though.

Brady threw for a team-record 517 yards and four touchdowns, including a 99-yarder to Wes Welker, and the reigning AFC East champs started with a victory for the eighth consecutive season Monday night by beating the Dolphins 38-24.

New England gained 622 yards, the most in franchise history and most allowed by Miami.

Miami's Chad Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards. The 906 net yards passing by both teams (933 passing yards minus 26 yards lost to sacks) was an NFL record. Last season, Houston's Matt Schaub and Washington's Donovan McNabb combined for 871 in the Texans' 30-27 overtime win.

Brady, who went 32-for-48, became the 11th quarterback to throw for at least 500 yards.

"We're pleased to have him on our side," teammate Danny Woodhead said with a smile.

The capper came with 5:44 left and the Patriots up 31-17. After they stopped Miami on downs at the 1-foot line, Brady threw from his end zone to Welker, who had slipped behind Benny Sapp and sprinted untouched for the longest play in Patriots history.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

MIAMI — Tom Brady shook off a rare turnover to throw for a team-record 517 yards and four touchdowns Monday night, including a 99-yarder to Wes Welker, as the Patriots defeated the Dolphins 38-24.

Defensive end Jared Odrick picked off a deflected pass to set up a Miami touchdown and end Brady's league-record streak of 358 passes without an interception.

New England gained 622 yards, the most in franchise history and the most allowed by Miami.

Miami's Chad Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards. The 906 net yards passing (933 total minus 26 yards worth of sacks) by both teams was an NFL record. Miami's Dan Marino and Ken O'Brien of the Jets amassed 884 net passing yards in a 1986 game that went overtime.

Brady, who went 32-of-48, became the 11th quarterback to throw for at least 500 yards. Norm Van Brocklin set the record of 554 yards in 1951.

"Embarrassing," Miami safety Yeremiah Bell said. "That can't happen."

The capper came with 5:44 left and the Patriots up 31-17. After they stopped Miami on downs at the 1-foot line, Brady threw from his end zone to Welker, who had slipped behind Benny Sapp near the 30-yard line and ran in for the longest play in Patriots history.

"I only threw it 25 yards. Wes did all the work," Brady said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, September 12, 2011

BALTIMORE — B.J. Upton knows how much he enjoyed being in the playoffs two of the previous three seasons. And now he's doing whatever he can to help the Rays continue their improbable run back.

Upton led the way again Monday — setting two team offensive records along the way — as the Rays showed no signs of a letdown or letting up, winning their fifth straight by beating the Orioles 5-2.

The win pulled the Rays within three games of the Red Sox, the closest they've been to the wild-card spot since July 8. And with the Red Sox Nation already in full panic mode during an off day, and Boston general manager Theo Epstein putting the onus on his team to prove itself, the drama for the four-game weekend series in Boston is building.

"Being there twice and actually being in the World Series, I think that's what you play the whole season for," Upton said. "I know a lot of people wrote us off about a month, a month-and-a-half ago, but here we are right in the thick of things. And we've got those guys (the Red Sox) head-up one more series. I think it's important we win as many games as possible."

Upton did his part, walking twice and doubling twice and scoring three of the five runs. After his four-hit and a walk game Sunday, he broke the team record by reaching base in nine consecutive plate appearances. The walks also topped the franchise mark of 373 held by Carlos Peña. Add in his wide-ranging defense and he's having a major impact at the right time.

"He's been fantastic," manager Joe Maddon said. "His play in centerfield has been really high end of late. Everything he's been doing has been maybe as good as I've seen him honestly.

"He's playing with a lot of focus and intensity right now, and it's fun to watch because this is how good he can be."

Upton had help, of course, as Jeff Niemann worked 72/3 innings and J.P. Howell and Joel Peralta took it from there.

Niemann teetered along the way but scattered only six hits to pick up his 10th victory. That makes the Rays the third team in the majors with five starters in double-digit wins, joining the Rangers and Brewers.

Niemann ran into trouble in the fifth, enough that Maddon got the bullpen going when the O's, having cut the lead to 4-1, had men on second and third with one out. But Niemann, coming off a pair of rough starts against the Rangers, rallied, striking out Matt Angle and getting J.J. Hardy on a grounder to short.

"That was the big moment in tonight's game for us," Maddon said.

The bullpen, with Kyle Farnsworth sidelined indefinitely with elbow tenderness, will be a nightly puzzle. Monday, they needed to get only four outs. Lefty J.P. Howell — a curious choice with right-handed slugger Vlad Guerrero at the plate — got a weak groundout to end the eighth, and Peralta handled the ninth, striking out the side.

The announced attendance was 11,924, and there appeared to be fewer than 5,000 fans in once-vibrant Camden Yards.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

Tigers 14, White Sox 4

CHICAGO — Jhonny Peralta and ex-Durant standout Ryan Raburn hit back-to-back homers in the second for Detroit, which won its 10th straight for the first time since 1968 and reduced its magic number to six for winning the AL Central.

Times wires
Monday, September 12, 2011

Marlins 5, Braves 4

12 innings

ATLANTA — Mike Stanton's pinch-hit single in the 12th drove in the go-ahead run.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Yankees 9, Mariners 3

SEATTLE — Robinson Cano hit a three-run double, Mark Teixeira and Chris Dickerson homered and New York did most of its damage against Felix Hernandez, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner. The Yankees increased their AL East lead to a season-high four games over idle Boston. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera didn't get a chance at his 600th save.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Athletics 6, Angels 3

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Willingham hit his 25th home run and drove in four runs to help the Oakland chase starter Joel Pineiro early again. Willingham's three-run shot in the first inning off Pineiro began a second straight brief outing (three-plus innings) for the right-hander at the Coliseum. In his previous start in Oakland, Pineiro gave up eight runs in one-third of an inning on July 17.

Times wires
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Giants 8, Padres 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Carlos Beltran, Cody Ross and Pablo Sandoval homered for San Francisco. Ross also singled, doubled and scored three times to back a solid outing by rookie left-hander Eric Surkamp. The Giants still have slim postseason hopes; the Padres are out of contention.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Florida Gators LB Darnavius "Dee" Finley appeared in an Alachua County Courtroom this morning and was released on his own recognizance after his arrest on Monday for driving with a suspended license and resisting a police officer with violence– a third degree felony.

During the court proceeding this morning, the Alachua County State Attorney's Office said that after consulation with the University Police Department, charges of resisting with violence would be reduced to resisting without violence, which is a misdemeanor.

Alachua County Judge Denise Ferrero ordered Finley not to drive any motor vehicle without a valid license and orderered his release.

"I am optimistic that this incident is going to get Mr. Finley's attention to the point that we will not have this happen again,'' his attorney Huntley Johnson said after the court proceeding.

According to a UPD police report, the sophomore from Alabama drove his scooter around a barricade near the football stadium and was pulled over by police. Finely did not comply with requests for his license and registration. Instead, he turned his scooter on and attempted to leave the scene, the report says.

A UPD police officer tried to stop him by grabbing his wrist, but Finley allegedly pushed the officer's hand away. After being told a Taser would be used, he complied with the officer's requests.

According to DMV records, Finley's license is suspended for failure to pay multiple fines and attend court appearances. Finley is a reserve linebacker who has played in 16 games, including two this season.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

RHP James Shields is the Tampa Bay Rays nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to a player "who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.''

Shields and his wife, Ryane, are involved in efforts to help foster children.

He has worked with Eckerd and the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco over the past five seasons, and last season created the Big Game James Club, which includes a suite at the Trop for kids to watch games.

Per the MLB release:

"The club creates normalcy and a sense of stability and belonging for foster children served by Eckerd. BGJC members get to watch a series of Rays games from the designated Big Game James Club suite. Throughout the season, they celebrate birthdays, get surprise visits from Rays mascot Raymond and are treated to special on-the-field team days where they meet and interact with James and other Rays players.

The suite also serves as an event space for Eckerd and the Heart Gallery to host "Match Events." Potential parents are invited to Rays games to meet and interact with children available for adoption in a non-threatening, fun environment. Since its inception in 2010 the program has been credited for creating at least two "forever families."

Chevrolet will donate $7,500 to a charity of Shields' choice during a pregame ceremony on Saturday, September 24. He has chosen to split the donation between Eckerd and the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco.

ESPN.com, Associated Press
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Former Tampa Bay Ray Manny Ramirez was released from jail Tuesday after authorities arrested him for allegedly slapping his wife during a dispute at their South Florida home.

Ramirez was released from the Broward County Jail on $2,500 bail on the domestic battery charge. Broward Circuit Judge Jon Hurley ordered that he have no direct contact with his wife.

Broward sheriff's officials say the 39-year-old Ramirez was arguing Monday afternoon with his wife, Juliana, when he slapped her face, causing her to hit her head on their bed's headboard. She told the deputy she was afraid the situation would escalate.

Authorities say Ramirez denied hitting his wife.

On the tape of the 911 call, released Tuesday by the Broward Sheriff's Office, Juliana Ramirez tells the sheriff's dispatcher, "My husband just hit me."

She told the dispatcher she was struck on her face and head and had a bump on her head. Later, she declined medical attention.

Ramirez was met by several family members when he left the jail just before noon ET Tuesday, getting into a white Cadallic Escalade.

A knot of reporters and television cameras had followed him to the parking lot, but he refused to answer questions saying, "Let me see, where's my family?"

When a reporter said, "You have to give us something," Ramirez replied, "Not my problem."

He spoke to another TV reporter in Spanish and put his arm around two of the female reporters. He was wearing a tight T-shirt and dark, low-slung pants.

One woman, who identified herself as his sister, spoke briefly.

"He's my brother, we love him no matter what. He's an amazing guy and we love him no matter what," she said before rolling up the window. She refused to give her name.

Ramirez retired in April from the Tampa Bay Rays after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Rather than face a 100-game suspension for a second violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy, the 12-time All-Star left the game.

Ramirez previously served a 50-game ban in 2009 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Second-time offenders get double that penalty.

Ramirez was named MVP of the World Series in 2004 and helped the Boston Red Sox end an 86-year title drought.

He was selected 13th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the 1991 amateur draft out of New York City and rose quickly through the minor leagues with a youthful exuberance and natural charisma.

He broke into the majors in 1993 and played his first full season the following year, when he finished second to the Royals' Bob Hamlin in voting for rookie of the year honors.

He signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in December 2000, helping the long-suffering franchise win the World Series a few years later, then doing it again in 2007.

The Red Sox traded him to the Dodgers in July 2008. He instantly became a fan favorite on the West Coast, with "Mannywood" signs popping up around town, as he led Los Angeles to the NL West title and a sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs. The clutch performances earned Ramirez a $45 million, two-year contract.

All of that goodwill fizzled the following May, when Ramirez tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a banned female fertility drug often used to help mask steroid use.

The Rays had hoped Ramirez could add some pop to a lineup that lost several key pieces off last year's AL East champions, but he played in only five games for the Rays, with one hit in 17 at-bats.

Ramirez was a .312 career hitter with 13 seasons of 100-plus RBIs and 555 home runs, 14th on the all-time list.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Rules being rules, Raheem Morris deserves to be punished. He has been caught cell-handed, as they say. He has exceeded the parameters of his phone-a-friend option.

For that, Morris should be fined, oh, about $12.

For the more grievous error of not making his phone calls longer and his game plan more clear, however, he should be fined about $100,000.

After the Bucs' opening weekend, a call for help in itself, it is clear the problem is not that Morris has over-communicated with his team. He hasn't communicated enough. Did you see Sunday's game, when the Bucs' offense was a huddle full of wrong numbers and the defense was a collection of dropped calls? If anyone suspects Morris was trying to gain an edge, it's the perfect alibi.

Let's face it, if Morris was going use his cell phone in violation of the rules, he should have worn the darn thing out. He should have made so many calls that Verizon should have considered making him the company spokesman. He should have texted, he should have tweeted, he should have left messages on Josh Freeman's Facebook page. Anything to get his message across.

He should have called Freeman, just to talk about touchdowns.

He should have called his defense, just to talk about first downs.

He should have called LeGarrette Blount, just to introduce himself.

He should have called Matt Millen, who always knew how to stop the Lions. He should have called Barrett Ruud, just to say that, yes, tackles 7 yards downfield are better than those 12 yards downfield. He should have called Mark Dominik, just to double check to see if there was enough speed out there to make anyone rethink the "no-free agent'' approach.

And so on.

Yeah, yeah. Morris made a few calls, which in the lockout wilderness of the time was against the rules of Roger Goodell, the NFL's head operator. But let's get real. This wasn't Spygate. This wasn't sinister. If you watched Sunday's opener against the Lions, this certainly wasn't about gaining a competitive advantage.

If that was the purpose, it is clear Morris needs another plan, and perhaps another phone. The point isn't how many times Morris dialed long distance; it's that the Bucs' offense could not.

So, no, I don't expect the league to come down too hard on Morris or on the Bucs. This wasn't like Bill Belichick channeling Martin Scorcese. This was a silly violation of a silly rule during a silly lockout. As rules-breaking goes, it was somewhere between illegal procedure and a baseball team stealing its opponents signs.

This isn't meant to defend Morris. He was wrong. But in the admission of rules-breaking, sometimes the rest of us tend to lose perspective. We wear solemn looks and talk in stern voices. This time, however, you should be more amused than outraged. So the NFL found out that Morris made a few bad calls in the offseason? Hah. It should have checked him out on Sunday.

Here's a question: How does the NFL get wind of a story like this? Does the "Can you hear me now'' guy leak it? Or does the NFL now have a Phone Posse? Are retired referees currently poring over the cell phone records of the other 31 coaches in the league. If so, how many times are they going to come across the late-night number for Pizza Hut? (And as long as we are investigating, is "a large with pepperoni and sausage'' really a code word for a blitz pickup?) Is the league also checking to see if there was communication through phony Twitter Accounts and Fake Facebook pages?

Given the competitive nature of the NFL, given the tenuous status of coaches, given the length of the lockout, it's a little hard to believe that Raheem's phone was the only one with speed dial. Guess what? Fans don't care. They would prefer to believe that their coaches wanted to make their teams better.

Or, at least, to congratulate the tight end on fatherhood.

Just a guess, but given Morris' energy, the lockout probably drove him crazy. He is a coach who is extremely close to his players, which is much of the reason they are so loyal to them. So he made some calls he shouldn't have. Hey, the same thing happened to Lady Antebellum. I make three calls a week I shouldn't make by sitting on my phone.

So how do you punish someone for using a cell phone when they aren't supposed to? At my house, we take the teenager's phone away. That seems to work. Maybe you could make Morris pay for his own roaming charges. Tell you what, let's just make Morris watch the video of Lady GaGa's song Telephone for four hours straight. That'll teach him. He may never go near his cell again.

When it comes to Raheem, I think it's safe to say we all want to see better calls. As for the NFL, they need to dial it down. Unless there is evidence that Morris was trying to improve the odds, pursuing this is a bad call. It makes a league look petty.

This time, Goodell should just hang up and go away.

As Jim Croce once told an operator, you can keep the dime.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

TAMPA — They don't get the prestige or the spotlight of starting on offense or defense, but Skip Holtz has thrown a bone to his proud band of special-teams regulars: They get to eat first at team meals.

Holtz calls the group "The Dirty Dozen," and after two solid weeks of big plays, he's hoping for more from a core group of kick-coverage specialists, who recovered a fumbled punt at Notre Dame's 20-yard line, then recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff for a huge touchdown Saturday against Ball State.

"Special teams takes a rare breed," Holtz said. "There's not a lot of glory in special teams, but if we can find a group of 12 to 15 guys that are all backups — I don't want any starters on the Dirty Dozen — if they can play 20 plays a game, over the course of the entire season, they're going to play 250 plays."

That group is led by a pair of junior LBs — Armando Sanchez, a special-teams leader last year and again this fall with seven tackles in two games, and Mike Jeune, a hard-hitting junior college transfer who joined the Bulls in January and has matched Sanchez's total with seven tackles. RB Marcus Shaw already has three tackles, and S Spencer Boyd made an auspicious debut Saturday, forcing the Ball State fumble on the first play of his college career, which Mark Joyce recovered and returned for a 17-yard touchdown.

Jeune and Boyd helped create the 7-0 lead just eight seconds into the game, but Sanchez was right behind them on the collision, and LB Reshard Cliett, having had his helmet pop off in making a block, aggressively chased after the play despite his bare head.

"Everybody was going nuts," special teams coordinator Vernon Hargreaves said. "Those are the kinds of things you have to have on that team. You've got to have guys willing to sell out, to give it up because there's going to be a collision. You'd rather be the hammer than the nail."

Hargreaves has his own set of obscure statistics — kickoff coverage guys aim for T-20s, or tackles inside the 20 — to give players specific things to aim for in games. The opening fumble came on such a play, and Shaw had a tackle at the 20 and Sanchez at the 18.

"Some guys, like Armando, that's what they live for," Hargreaves said. "It's so cool to have a guy like that, that really loves doing it. Every play is the end of the world for them."

THIS AND THAT: USF has scored on nine of 10 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line, but out of 67 schools in BCS automatic-bid leagues, the Bulls are one of just five teams that have more field goals (5) than touchdowns (4) in the red zone. ... USF women's golf coach Marci Kornegay has hired Janice Olivencia, 29, as an assistant. Olivencia, the Big 12 Player of the Year at Texas in 2002, was the first Puerto Rican to play in the U.S. Women's Open in 2009. ... USF hasn't released its 2012 softball scheduled yet, but Florida will play in Tampa on the opening weekend of the season, with national powers Michigan and Florida State also coming to Tampa. ... USF baseball coach Lelo Prado could get a big boost from an surprising source: RHP Derrick Stultz, a Wharton graduate who hasn't pitched since 2009, has recovered from shoulder surgery as a fifth-year senior.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/usf and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

BRANDON — We may never know if Lightning wing Mattias Ritola actually had, or has, Meniere's disease.

There are no tests that indicate it, head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan explained, so any diagnosis is one of "exclusion," where other afflictions are ruled out.

What we do know is Ritola hasn't had an attack since Feb. 3. And his career — which he believed over in December, when headaches, dizziness and ringing in his right ear were so severe it made flying nearly impossible — gets a healthy re-start Friday when training camp opens at the Ice Sports Forum.

"I don't even have to worry about it," Ritola, 24, said Tuesday, "and that's the biggest relief."

The biggest surprise was how little it took to alleviate the symptoms, which surfaced in September 2010 after Ritola was claimed off waivers from the Red Wings.

Ritola took several medicines and wore earplugs on planes to mitigate pressure changes believed to spark attacks. He wore a hearing aid in his right ear, the drum of which he ruptured last summer diving into a pool while vacationing in Turkey.

But what finally did the trick, Ritola said, were some neck-cracking sessions with Brad Robinson, a chiropractor who works with Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate in Norfolk to where Ritola was demoted Feb. 9, six days after an attack kept him out of a game with the Maple Leafs.

"When Mattias came in and explained what was going on, I said, 'Let me take a look at your neck.' " Robinson said. "I felt what was going on, a big muscle spasm on the right side.

"Any time you have a tense muscle compared to the other side that means the spine is distorted and that leads to pressure on the nerves. The nerves supply the upper cervical spine, which leads to the skull and into the ear and sinuses. That's what gives those kinds of symptoms."

Robinson said Ritola's misalignment likely was from the abuse a body takes from hockey.

"I moved the bone back into proper alignment and took the pressure off the nerves," Robinson said. "The muscles balanced out, the nerve supply was restored back into the skull and the body started working the way it is supposed to."

The story still has loose ends.

Mulligan said Ritola had received chiropractic treatment from the Lightning, though Ritola said he could not recall. And given what happened in Norfolk, Ritola said he doesn't believe he had Menier's. But Mulligan isn't discarding the diagnosis of Tampa Bay's doctors.

"Since he improved with the chiropractic, does that mean he doesn't or didn't have Meniere's? No," Mulligan said. "It could be a situation where he is in a dormancy period and that was enough to put him over the edge. Whether it's related to the chiropractic, we'll never know."

Whatever happened, Ritola said he is ready to show the Lightning what he can do.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Swede had four goals and eight points in 31 games last season for Tampa Bay, most of which were played while he stressed over his health. He had nine goals and 27 points in 17 games for Norfolk.

"The biggest thing for him is he's got very good hands and protects the puck extremely well," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. "That's a huge asset."

"When I was not having problems last year, I felt like I could play here," Ritola said. "Now I'm cured. I feel good. There's not much more to say."

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.