By Marc Topkin and Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers
Sunday, October 2, 2011

ALDS (best of 5) Rays vs. Rangers

When/where: 5:07 today; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: TBS; 970-AM, 1040-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Tickets: Sold out for today; limited number available for Tuesday via raysbaseball.com, Ticketmaster, Tropicana Field box office, Tampa team store

Starting pitchers

Rays: LH David Price (12-13, 3.49)

Rangers: RH Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40)

Watch for …

Price problems: Price hasn't won since Aug. 28, coming up short in several big games. He has never beaten the Rangers, 0-5, 5.48 in eight starts, including two in the 2010 playoffs.

October ace: Lewis, who returned to MLB in 2010 after two seasons in Japan, is 3-0, 1.71 in four career postseason starts, though all at home. He is 3-0, 4.15 in four games vs. the Rays, with a streak of 13 scoreless innings.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Lewis

Johnny Damon 4-for-13

Casey Kotchman 2-for-10

Evan Longoria 0-for-3

Rangers vs. Price

Adrian Beltre 5-for-17

Josh Hamilton 2-for-13

Mike Napoli 2-for-11

On deck

Tuesday: Game 4, vs. Rangers, 2:07, TBS. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.95); Rangers — Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39)

Wednesday: Workout day at Rangers Ballpark, Arlington

Marc Topkin and Joe Smith, Times staff writers

Compliment of the day

LHP David Price hasn't beaten the Rangers in eight career starts, regular season or postseason. That leaves him frustrated but also respectful of the Texas lineup. So much so, he offered an interesting analogy: "It's a very tough lineup to pitch to. They essentially have five Longos in their lineup that are hitting the ball out of the park."

Adjustment of the day

RHP Brandon Gomes would be the one Ray who might not have wanted to see rookie Matt Moore make his Game 1 start. With Moore leaving the bullpen and Alex Torres and Dane De La Rosa not on the playoff roster, Gomes re-inherited duties — as the reliever with the least service time — to carry the pink Dora the Explorer suitcase out to the bullpen each day and keep it filled with snacks. But given the outcome, Gomes had no hard feelings. "Trust me," he said. "I wanted to see him start."

Game 3 schedule of events

2:37: Gates open

2:30-3:30: Rays batting practice

3:30-4:20: Rangers batting practice

4:40: Grounds crew prepares field

4:44: Rangers starting lineup announced

4:48: Rays starting lineup announced

4:53: Presentation of colors

4:54: National anthem (Saxophonist B.K. Jackson)

4:58: Ceremonial first pitch (Lee Roy, Christopher and Brandy Selmon, children of the late Lee Roy Selmon)

5: Honorary bat kid

5:05: Rays take the field

5:07: First pitch

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas — Matthew Stafford took the final snap, dropped to a knee and tucked the ball under his jersey for safekeeping.

He wanted a souvenir to remind him of his first NFL game in his hometown — not that he, or anyone else involved, is likely to forget this one.

A week after erasing a 20-point halftime deficit in an overtime win at Minnesota, the Lions provided further proof they're a legitimate contender Sunday, turning a 24-point, third-quarter deficit into a 34-30 victory over the Cowboys.

Detroit's defense started the rally with interceptions returned for touchdowns on consecutive drives. Stafford and Calvin Johnson took over from there, hooking up for two touchdowns in the final quarter, including the 2-yard winner with 1:39 left.

"It's crazy how it happens," Stafford said. "When it was 27-3, we knew we had to start making plays. Once we did, we started catching fire."

Detroit is 4-0 and has won an NFL-best eight straight games. This also was its franchise-record fifth straight road win, avenging a loss here in November that had been its NFL-record 26th straight road loss.

In the opener, Tony Romo and the Cowboys squandered a 14-point fourth-quarter lead for the first time in franchise history, and this was their largest lead blown ever. On Nov. 28, 1965, Dallas led Washington 21-0 in the second quarter and lost 34-31.

Romo had two interceptions returned for TDs, and an interception with 4:13 left set up Detroit's winning score. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was quick to defend his quarterback, saying: "I have a lot of faith in Romo. This doesn't touch that."

Dallas' final offensive play was wacky, too, with Felix Jones catching a short pass with no one around him on fourth and 20, then running out of bounds after only gaining 8 yards.

"Today and over the next week or two, it's going to be difficult to look back at it, but at some point here, we're going to move on," Romo said. "There's a lot of guys doing a lot of good things."

Stafford had dozens of relatives and friends in the crowd, including his high school coach. But his first pass to Johnson was intercepted, leading to Dallas' first touchdown. The defense was constantly in his face, forcing rushed throws or throwaways, and he was 9-of-23 at the half.

But he and Johnson connected on a 23-yarder in the end zone, as Johnson reached over three defenders, to make it 30-24. After a third interception by Romo led to a 51-yard field goal by Jason Hanson, Stafford and Johnson connected for the winner. It came against tight coverage on a play when there were 12 Cowboys on the field.

The Lions especially enjoyed Johnson being the late-game star because last week Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Johnson would only be Dallas' third-best receiver.

"He got a lot of respect for him for not being the best receiver on their team," Stafford said. "(Ryan) throws a couple of guys on him here and there."

Bobby Carpenter's leaping interception and weaving 35-yard return for a score closed the gap to 27-10.

"The key play of the game was Bobby Carpenter," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "We had no juice before that. It wasn't the game-winner, it didn't turn the tide completely. But it did give us the spark and got things going a little bit."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 2, 2011

TAMPA — Josh Freeman and all his rowdy friends are finally here on Monday Night Football.

It's significant because despite winning 10 games last season, the Bucs' 23-year-old quarterback and his teammates failed to reach the playoffs and lacked a big-game buzz and prime-time vehicle to garner much national recognition.

For that matter, Bucs players are not household names in the bay area. Tonight's sold-out game against the Colts at Raymond James Stadium breaks a string of 14 local television blackouts.

Cornerback Ronde Barber, 36, is the only active player who participated in the Bucs' last MNF home appearance, against the Giants on Nov. 24, 2003. In their last MNF road appearance, the Bucs played Carolina in 2008, the first of four straight defeats that resulted in the firing of coach Jon Gruden.

NFL fans might be unaware of the extreme makeover of the Bucs' roster, the youngest in the league. They also might not be familiar with Raheem Morris, their fist-pumping, chest-bumping 35-year-old coach.

All that could change by the time Hank Williams Jr. hits the last note on the opening theme.

"We were good back in the '90s. We were good in the early part of this decade," Barber said. "We were pretty well known. We had a lot of name guys, guys who were popular across the league. We've yet to have that kind of exposure to get the guys in this locker room that kind of attention. So this is huge for us.

"We have an identity here. It's just that nobody has recognized it yet. (Local reporters) know we've got great football players on this team, great young players. This is their chance. I think they really are going to embrace it. I think they're all excited about getting this opportunity."

Certainly, the hubbub will be different. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is recovering from his third neck surgery and will not play. Instead, it will be third-year pro Curtis Painter making his first start.

That's a huge break for the Bucs, who allowed Manning to erase a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit and win in overtime on MNF in Tampa in 2003.

Over the past four decades, the nation's Monday night habits have centered around the premier game of the week. Freeman said he has rarely missed watching MNF since his youth in Kansas City, Mo.

"It'll be pretty cool," he said. "But at the same time, I think it'll come down to what we do on the field."

To add some spice to the telecast, Gruden will call the game as an analyst for ESPN alongside Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski. Gruden said he was emotional visiting One Buc Place on Saturday for the first time since being fired after the 2008 season. He is impressed with many of the Bucs' players, including Freeman.

"I'm jealous," Gruden said Saturday.

But the exposure won't just benefit Freeman. NFL fans from Anchorage to Anclote Key will see Mike Williams catch, LeGarrette Blount run, Donald Penn block and Mason Foster tackle.

"It's an honor to get on Monday Night Football being such a young team and having such a young coaching staff," linebacker Adam Hayward said. "You kind of get to see our Tampa Bay swagger and how we do things. And that's what's going to be fun; seeing Freeman, our young No. 5, go to work. People will wonder who is this guy. Now they get to see him and watch him work.

"They haven't seen Raheem get a celebration penalty because he's out there having fun with his guys and all our coaches running up and down the field. They're going to see how energetic it is and fun. We try to bring that fun in football. It's going to be awesome."

Morris has tried to walk a tightrope between telling players to treat it like any another game and reminding them to put on a good show.

"I said that in the locker room," Morris said. "It's an opportunity to show everybody what they've been missing."

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

NEW YORK — The matchup of aces is back on.

LHP CC Sabathia is scheduled to start today for the Yankees against Tigers RHP Justin Verlander in Game 3 of their American League Division Series in Detroit. The perennial All-Stars squared off in the opener Friday night at Yankee Stadium, but the game was suspended after 1½ innings because of rain, disappointing fans who were geared up for a pitchers' duel.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland immediately said Verlander would be back on the mound today, but Yankees skipper Joe Girardi did not confirm his plans for Sabathia until Sunday.

"I feel pretty good, played light catch (Saturday)," Sabathia said. "I'm ready to go."

Girardi said RHP A.J. Burnett would start Game 4.

"I'm looking forward to going out and helping this team, you know?" Burnett said. "Give us a chance to get a 'W.' "

E-UMP: Diamondbacks 2B Aaron Hill had an apparent double wiped out when an umpire missed a fair-or-foul call.

Hill hit a drive down the line in the first inning that leftfield umpire James Hoye ruled foul. Replays showed the ball hit on the fair side of a yellow stripe on the wall.

The Diamondbacks did not argue the call. Hill singled on Brewers RHP Zack Greinke's next pitch.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "They were chanting my name, but I don't know why. My name is on the back of my uniform. So it's nice to know they can read." — Cardinals RF Lance Berkman on Phillies fans chanting, "Berk-man, Berk-man," in the eighth inning Saturday.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 2, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Johnny Damon approached Matt Joyce before Friday's AL Division Series opener in Texas with a few words of somewhat simple advice.

They were in the postseason now, Damon said, and in order to succeed the Rays were going to have to do more with their bats.

"We need power in the lineup," Damon said. "You need to hit homers in the playoffs."

Damon spread the message to a few others around the clubhouse, and it apparently got across. In the first two ALDS games, the Rays — including Damon and Joyce — have hit five, and scored 15 runs.

And as they head into Game 3 against the Rangers this afternoon at Tropicana Field, that's the latest indication of improvement in an offense that for most of six months was slotted somewhere between impotent and inconsistent.

"That's awesome," said starter David Price. "You know, it's the right time for it. If they want to get hot right now, obviously that's what we need. And that's the team that's going to probably go out there and win a championship, is the team that's the hottest in the month of October.

"So if we can continue to swing the bats the way we're swinging right now, and if our pitchers can pitch the way we have pitched pretty much all year, we'll be all right."

Damon's words of advice were the latest of a series of small maneuvers over the past few weeks that seem to have made a difference, though there is no prevailing explanation.

Some are as nuanced as individual hitters making better decisions on which pitches to take, leading to improved at-bats. Others were more obvious, such as moving B.J. Upton up to second in the batting order, which had a noticeable impact on his performance as well as Evan Longoria behind him.

The signs of progress have been building. The Rays have scored 23 runs in their past three games, something they'd done only four times all season. They've hit 17 home runs over their past seven games, which they hadn't done since September 2010. They averaged 4.89 runs a game in September, an increase of more than half a run over the previous five months.

Hitting coach Derek Shelton joked that there is no "logical answer," but then suggested one that made a lot of sense: the improvement in the quality of at-bats — illustrated by the patience, determination and selectivity of the hitters on a pitch-by-pitch basis.

The first two games against the Rangers, he said, were filled with prime examples, such as Kelly Shoppach battling through eight pitches for a bases-loaded walk to put the Rays ahead in Game 2 on Saturday.

"I can honestly tell you the consistency of our at-bats had been really good, especially these first two games of the playoffs," Shelton said. "I thought we've done a real good job with our approach one through nine, and stayed with it throughout the game and adjusted with it throughout the game."

It helps that Upton and Longoria, in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots, are both sizzling, and feeding off each other. "I think it started with B.J. and Longo," manager Joe Maddon said. "Those two guys have really been on top of their games."

Also, that the Rays hitters understand that they have to do their part, whether it's hustling to first on ground balls such as Damon or driving the ball as Joyce has been, lest their typically tremendous pitching and dazzling defense go to waste. That was the case in last year's ALDS, when they scored only 13 runs in the five-game loss to the Rangers.

They certainly didn't want to see that unfold the same way again.

"I think it was understood coming into the series against a club like Texas, who is an offensive ballclub, that we were going to need to score some runs," Longoria said. "Our pitching staff is good, but the reality of it is that those guys score runs over there. When we have a game like Matt (Moore) pitched the first game (a 9-0 Tampa Bay win), that's a welcome change, but is that really going to happen against them every night? Probably not.

"So we've got to go out there and score some runs, and we knew that coming in."

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

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Rodgers runs way to win (throws too)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers star Aaron Rodgers likes to remind people that he's more athletic than he sometimes gets credit for.

So even when he threw for a career-high 408 yards and tied a career best with four touchdown passes, Rodgers was perhaps most pleased with his two rushing touchdowns in unbeaten Green Bay's rout of the Broncos.

"I enjoy those times, to try to make it look semi-athletic," he said.

Backup Tim Tebow, the former Heisman winner at Florida, made only a brief early appearance at quarterback that Denver coach John Fox said "didn't prove to be real beneficial.'' Fox didn't blame starter Kyle Orton for the loss.

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

San Diego KOs Henne, Dolphins

SAN DIEGO — The Chargers are 3-1 for the first time in five seasons under Norv Turner, doing it with workmanlike performances rather than a lot of flash and dash.

Philip Rivers threw for 307 yards and one touchdown and the Chargers knocked out Miami quarterback Chad Henne.

The Bolts were 1-3 in Turner's first season, 2007, then had three straight 2-2 starts.

Henne hurt his left shoulder on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He went to hand off to Lex Hilliard, who wasn't ready for the ball. Henne was hit by Shaun Phillips.

"It always seems like one play, one player does one thing, another guy does another thing," said Henne, whose status was uncertain. "We're not all doing the right thing."

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Brady milestone comes in Pats win

OAKLAND, Calif. — Tom Brady grew up in northern California's Bay Area rooting for Joe Montana so it was fitting that in his first game there in nine years he passed the Hall of Famer in career touchdown passes.

Brady bounced back from a four-interception performance by throwing for two touchdowns as the Patriots beat the Raiders.

"I'll never be in Joe's category," said Brady, who was at Candlestick Park in 1982 when the 49ers' Montana hit Dwight Clark on "The Catch" in the NFC title game. "We throw the ball a lot more than they threw it back then."

Brady has 274 touchdown passes, ninth all time and one more than Montana. Next is former Buc Vinny Testaverde at 275.

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

DOVER, Del. — Kurt Busch left a rocky start to the Chase and his fiercest rival behind him.

Busch stormed into contention for a second Sprint Cup championship, holding off fellow Chase drivers Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards to win the AAA 400 Sunday at Dover International Speedway, tightening the leaderboard in a playoff where no driver has emerged as a clear-cut favorite.

Busch, though, is in the mix.

His No. 22 Dodge seemed to get stronger over the 400-mile race, and he beat Johnson, his longtime antagonist, on the final restart to take the checkered flag for the second time this season.

"To win a Sprint Cup race in the Chase, this is what it's all about," said Busch, who went from ninth to a tie for third in the standings, nine points out of first. Only 15 points separate the top eight drivers with seven races left.

Edwards and Kevin Harvick share the points lead in the Chase for the Championship. Harvick is seeded first because of a tiebreaker.

Busch, the 2004 champion, started the Chase seventh in the standings and opened with a solid sixth at Chicagoland Speedway, but he struggled at New Hampshire and finished 22nd. He found the right combination at Dover.

"We've got such a long way to go in this Chase," said Busch, who won his 24th career race. "That's what we're really focused on."

After a tough start to the Chase, Johnson led the majority of laps and proved the No. 48 is far from finished.

"Are we out of this?" said the defending five-time champion, rubbing his chin and smiling.

Johnson struggled on the last two restarts, spinning his tires on the first and mistiming when Busch accelerated on the second.

"I hate leaving points on the table, and we have these first three (races)," Johnson said.

Busch made his move off the final restart with 42 laps to go, leaving Johnson and the rest of the field in the mirror.

That move against Johnson made the victory more meaningful for Busch. Two of the sport's top drivers have developed a long, simmering rivalry — trading paint and barbs — over the years. It reached a boiling point at Richmond when Busch called Johnson a "five-time chump."

"To beat your arch nemesis, that's just icing on the cake. That's pretty sweet," Busch said.

Johnson, who led 157 laps, was second and Edwards third. Edwards dominated most of the race until a pit road speeding penalty cost him a lap.

"I definitely took myself out of position to fight for the win by doing that," he said. "It's something that's painful."

Chase drivers dotted the rest of the field, including Matt Ken­seth and Kyle Busch, fifth and sixth, respectively. Harvick was 10th, and Tony Stewart lost the points lead he built after winning the first two Chase races and finished 25th. He's tied with Kurt Busch for third in the Chase.

Times wires

Detroit Tigers hold off New York Yankees to tie ALDS
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Yankees 1, Tigers 1

Game 1: Yankees 9, Tigers 3

Game 2: Tigers 5, Yankees 3

Tonight, 8:07: Yankees (Sabathia, 19-8, 3.00) at Tigers (Verlander, 24-5, 2.40)

Tuesday, 8:37: Yankees (Burnett, 11-11, 5.15) at Tigers (Porcello, 14-9, 4.75)

Thursday, 8:37: Tigers (Fister, 11-13, 2.83) at Yankees (TBA) *

All games on TBS. * If necessary



NEW YORK — Jose Valverde and the Tigers nearly let this one slip away.

Instead, they're on solid footing with ace Justin Verlander set to start back home at Comerica Park tonight.

Detroit and its excitable closer held off the Yankees' furious rain-soaked rally in the ninth inning and beat New York 5-3 on Sunday, evening the best-of-five AL Division Series at 1.

Down 5-1, the Yankees scored twice in the ninth and had a chance to win it after catcher Alex Avila lost his balance on the slick on-deck circle while chasing Curtis Granderson's two-out foul popup.

"It's tough to win games here, especially in the playoffs," Avila said. "You get what you can and get ready for the next game and that's all you can think about."

After his pop landed untouched, Granderson walked. With two on, Robinson Cano came to the plate.

Cano, who hit a grand slam and had six RBIs as the Yankees won the opener, wiped away raindrops from his helmet while Valverde tried to get a good grip.

With the crowd roaring, Cano hit a routine ground ball to end it.

"All of a sudden, against anybody — but particularly against a team like them with the short porch in rightfield — it was not a good feeling," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "But it worked out okay."

Tigers starter Max Scherzer pitched no-hit ball into the sixth before Cano blooped an opposite-field single to left.

Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer in the first off Freddy Garcia gave Scherzer an early edge, and the Tigers took a 4-0 lead into the eighth.

Granderson hit a solo homer off former Ray Joaquin Benoit in the eighth. Pretty soon, the rain — and all the drama — filled Yankee Stadium.

"We proved that we can compete. (Today) is going to be a different story," Benoit said. "We go home, we're going to play in our home ballpark, which is a little bit more fair."

The Yankees lost three of four this year at Detroit and are 22-25 at Comerica Park since it opened in 2000. It's one of only two AL stadiums where New York has a losing record.

"The mentality here is everything is high, we feel good, and we just lost a tough one here today," said Nick Swisher, who homered on Valverde's first pitch.

Making his postseason debut, Scherzer, 27, excelled. He was lifted for Benoit with a 4-0 lead after allowing a walk and a single to Jorge Posada to open the seventh inning as ominous clouds settled over the ballpark.

"I had confidence I was going to pitch well," Scherzer said. "I was just very relaxed and was able to slow everything down and it allowed me to pitch my game."

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Best premonition

NFL Network's Kurt Warner, below, is a broadcaster worth listening to. Every week on the NFL GameDay Morning pregame show, he seems to make a prediction that comes to fruition later in the day. And he isn't making just wild guesses — he is giving educated foresight.

Take Sunday, when Warner said: "When I watch (Steelers QB) Ben Roethlisberger play, he's not the same Ben Roethlisberger. He looks confused; he's making bad decisions. … This offense is struggling right now, and I believe they struggle (Sunday) against Houston."

What happened? Roethlisberger was a pedestrian 16-of-30 for 206 yards with an interception, and the Steelers stumbled to a 17-10 loss to the Texans.



tom jones' two cents

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.



Best analyst of the weekend

T he television MVP of the weekend was Fox NFL Sunday's Terry Bradshaw. • Some dismiss Bradshaw as a serious analyst because of his country-bumpkin routine, which Bradshaw always has overplayed for the sake of shtick. He actually is a sharp guy and quite tuned in to what is going on in the NFL. On Sunday, he took two topics that have been beaten to death and came up with two theories that make lots of sense.

For starters, there's the gunslinger style of Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who alternates between great passes and costly interceptions. Maybe, Bradshaw contends, it's because Romo spent three years on the taxi squad.

"On the taxi squad, you're taught to throw it down there, and he plays like that," Bradshaw said. "He plays like he's on the taxi squad."

Meanwhile, regarding the controversy of Eagles QB Michael Vick being hit so often, Bradshaw, left, came up with a theory that hasn't been discussed. Maybe it's because Vick is only 6 feet tall.

"Michael Vick is a short quarterback,'' Bradshaw said. "For a short quarterback to drop back and see over 6-foot-5 offensive linemen is nearly impossible, so he has to get deeper. Also, if you set deeper, you can't run quick slants or quick outs, therefore the routes have to be medium to long, therefore you end up holding the ball longer. That's the problem."

New ideas. Fresh takes. Outstanding analysis.

Best coverage

Sun Sports saved the best for last. Its coverage of the final night of the Rays' regular season was equal to that of the team it was covering.

Some might think that it's hard to mess up a night as dramatic as the Rays' come-from-behind victory to make the playoffs, but that's not true. In the end, the night was made all the more special because of Sun Sports' coverage.

The direction and production were first-rate, the announcing of Dewayne Staats and Brian Anderson was equally informative, stirring and entertaining, and sideline reporter Todd Kalas showed great hustle and knowledge, especially during an extremely well-done and must-watch postgame show that ruined many bedtimes in Tampa Bay.

It's a shame Sun Sports can't continue televising Rays games in the playoffs. You understand why it can't. The networks pay a ton of money for playoff rights, and they aren't going to lose their biggest audiences to the local stations. Still, it's disappointing that the biggest games of the year can't be shown by the network and announcers that cover the team the best.

Worst cheap shot

I've always been a big fan of ESPN's Howard Bryant, especially his work on shows such as Outside the Lines and Sports Reporters. His opinions, even if you disagree with them, always seem well thought out, sensible and objective. Unlike so many of ESPN's talking heads, Bryant isn't a fly-off-the-handle type of analyst. When he talks, I listen.

That's why it was disappointing to hear him take a cliched cheap shot at Rays attendance during Sunday morning's Sports Reporters on ESPN2. Bryant was at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night for the Rays' dramatic victory against the Yankees.

Or as Bryant put it, "Me and 15 other people."

True, the Rays didn't sell out. They drew just fewer than 30,000. Bryant's crack about attendance had nothing to do with the point he was making. It was just a cheap shot for a cheap laugh. The point is, he's better than that.

Then again, as long as the Rays don't draw well while putting a winning product on the field, this area always will be the target of such wisecracks, even from the intelligent and classy voices in the national media like Bryant.

Most forced story

Fox looked silly because of Pam Oliver's piece on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show about Cowboys QB Tony Romo. Supposedly, Romo's courage of playing through injuries has, according to Oliver and Fox, turned Romo doubters into fans over the past couple of weeks.

Fox should have waited a few weeks just to make sure Romo didn't turn back into, well, Romo. Less than three hours after the piece ran, Romo had thrown three interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, and the Cowboys blew a 24-point lead in a 34-30 loss to the Lions.

Go back to Dallas today and see what folks are saying about Romo. And, is it just me, or does it seem like most of Oliver's stories are about the NFC East?

Three things that popped into my head

1. If the NBA season is locked out, TNT, TBS and ESPN/ABC should just show random regular-season games from like 30 and 40 years ago in its place. Think how cool it would be to see games with players such as Wes Unseld, Bob Love, Clyde Frazier and Dave Cowens.

2. If I were a Red Sox fan, I would be furious that Terry Francona, left, the manager who brought the Sox their only two championships of the past 93 years, is no longer the manager.

3. Brilliant move by baseball to end the regular season on a weekday as opposed to a Sunday, as it has done traditionally. Wednesday's incredible night of baseball might have lost a bit of its oomph nationally had the Rays, Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves competed against the NFL.

Best team (and best line)

Yikes, did you see Alabama dismantle Florida on Saturday night? That has to be the No. 1 team in the country, doesn't it? Or as New York Times columnist Bill Rhoden said on ESPN's Sports Reporters, "If there was a number higher than that … "

Strongest opinion

CBS NFL Today pregame analyst Boomer Esiason isn't buying that Eagles QB Michael Vick is going to bring a champion­ship to Philadelphia.

"They're not going to the Super Bowl with Michael Vick," said Esiason, left. "I'm sorry. He's not going to make it through the season. Just the way that he plays, he's reckless."

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

EDMONTON — The Oilers made their final cuts Sunday. And none were Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the top overall pick in June.

Nugent-Hopkins, 18, led Edmonton with six points (one goal and five assists) during the preseason. If he plays nine or fewer games, he can be sent to his junior team without it counting toward his NHL service time.

Forwards Gilbert Brule, Josh Green, Ryan Keller and Ryan O'Marra were waived. If they are not claimed by another team, they will be sent to the American Hockey League. Of the four, only Brule was a surprise.

Two seasons ago, Brule, the sixth overall pick by the Blue Jackets in 2005, was the third-leading scorer for the Oilers with 37 points, including 17 goals. But because of injuries, he played in just 41 games last season while scoring seven goals.

During the preseason, Brule had a giveaway that led to a goal. And Friday, his cross-checking penalty negated a third-period goal that would have put Edmonton ahead.

Brule is entering the final season of his contract that pays him $1.8 million whether he plays in the NHL or AHL.

Game highlights: Mike Green had a goal and an assist to lead the host Capitals past the Blackhawks 4-1. … Gustav Nyquist had two goals and an assist to lead the host Red Wings past the Penguins 3-2.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, October 2, 2011

GAINESVILLE — As if Florida's 38-10 loss to now No. 2 Alabama wasn't bad enough, things could get much worse this week.

With Saturday night's injury to starting QB John Brantley, Florida might have to rely on freshman Jeff Driskel as it heads to Baton Rouge to face No. 1 LSU on Saturday.

With 35 seconds left in the first half, Brantley's right leg twisted during a sack. He did not return.

Coach Will Muschamp said he expected to know more about the senior's injury Sunday, but the school did not release any updated information.

"We've got to push through it," Muschamp said after the game. "Injuries are part of the game, and you're never going to hear me talk about that or youth. That's part of the game. We've got to go to the next guy. It's unfortunate."

Muschamp said he believes Driskel, who had appeared in relief in three previous games, is ready to start if necessary. He was 2-of-6 for 14 yards Saturday.

This will be the second straight week the Gators have faced a Top 5 opponent — and a staunch defense. LSU is ranked ninth in Division I-A in total defense.

Last season, Florida's loss to Alabama started a three-game skid. It could be in for more adversity if Brantley can't play.

"We'll find out a lot about our football team (today) in how we respond to the situation," Muschamp said.

POLL DROP: With the loss, Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC) fell five spots to No. 17 in the Associated Press writers' poll and six to No. 18 in the USA Today coaches' poll released Sunday.

RUN DEMISE: The Gators rushed for just 15 yards after entering Saturday averaging 259. Seniors Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey combined for 8, which Demps said was extremely "frustrating."

"We just didn't execute," Demps said. "Alabama played great, and hats off to those guys. We thought we were going to come in and run the ball pretty effectively. But we're just going to … try to get a little better with it."

DEBOSE'S BIG DAY: The outcome wasn't what he hoped for, but sophomore WR Andre Debose finally showed signs of becoming the impact player many expected. He had a career-high 90 yards on catches of 65 (a touchdown on the game's second play) and 25 yards.

"(Offensive coordinator Charlie) Weis told me that he was just going to go at me first play and try to make something happen," he said.

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Crucial call falls in favor of Giants

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Eli Manning needed less than a minute, and some good fortune, to turn a sad afternoon into a sweet victory.

Manning threw two touchdowns within 58 seconds as the Giants rallied to stun the Cardinals. TD passes to Jake Ballard and Hakeem Nicks erased a 27-17 deficit in the final five minutes.

On the play before Nicks' 29-yard TD put the Giants ahead to stay, Manning threw 29 yards to Victor Cruz, who stumbled, got up and left the ball on the ground. Arizona insisted it was a fumble but officials ruled Cruz "gave himself up" and therefore was down.

"We got a break on that one I think," Manning said. "I thought it was going to get ruled a fumble and I saw it pretty clear. I don't know what the call was or why."

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

CARY, N.C. — After nearly withdrawing following his sister's death Saturday night, Kenny Perry won the SAS Championship on Sunday for his first Champions Tour title.

Kay Perry, 59, died of breast cancer, two years to the day after their mother, Mildred Perry, died of cancer.

"When I heard the news last night, it was a long night," Perry said. "I didn't sleep a lot, thought about just getting on a plane and heading home. But Dad was great. He called me, he said, 'Son, you just need to go out there and represent Kay (Sunday).' "

He did, making a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th en route to 2-under 70 and a one-stroke win over Jeff Sluman (70) and Palm Harbor's John Huston (71).

"I was very calm all day. I had no nerves," Perry said. "Normally, I'm a little jumpy, a little jittery, tense. (Sunday), I was just — I felt like I was on a low. I was really down. I was kind of depressed, and my swing was in rhythm. It wasn't fast, and I had great control of the golf ball."

Perry, 51, a 14-time winner on the PGA Tour, finished at 11-under 205, the highest winning score in event history.

Perry rallied after making double-bogey 7 on the 12th hole after hitting his approach shot into the water.

"Normally, I get pretty frustrated and pretty upset over that type of deal, and they get to me inside," Perry said. "I was able to just plod along, just play along.

"I really wasn't thinking a lot about winning. I just wanted to make her proud and somehow, you know, the eagle fell in the bottom of the cup on 17, and I felt like I know they are watching. I felt like I had some help up there. Excited to win, but I'd rather have my sister back."

Na pulls away late for first PGA Tour win

LAS VEGAS — Kevin Na won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open for his first PGA Tour title, birdieing Nos. 15-17 to pull away for a two-stroke victory over Nick Watney.

Na, 28, shot 6-under 65 to finish with a tournament-record 23-under 261 in the fall series opener. Watney, a two-time winner this year, shot 67.

Tied for the lead with Watney entering the round, Na sealed the victory with a 42-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. Both parred the par-4 18th.

"I'm just very excited about my first win," said Na, who started playing golf a year after his family moved to the United States from South Korea when he was 8. " … It looked like any time (Watney) was going to make a move, and I tried the best that I could to stay one step ahead of him."

European: Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey edged countrymen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to win the Dunhill Links Championship by two shots in St. Andrews, Scotland. Hoey birdied three of the last four holes for 4-under 68 to finish at 22-under 266, a tournament record. McIlroy (65) finished second, two shots clear of McDowell (69) and Scotland's George Murray (67).

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Falcons hold on after scary ending

SEATTLE — Matt Ryan was left with that stomach-churning, helpless feeling. After doing everything right in a brilliant first half, Atlanta's star was on the sideline watching Seattle line up for an unlikely field goal that would cap a massive Falcons meltdown.

But Steven Hauschka missed a 61-yard attempt with 13 seconds left and the Falcons escaped with a win over the Seahawks.

"When you're not on the field and have to watch the defense go down, it's always nerve-racking," Ryan said.

Atlanta nearly let a 27-7 lead slip away over the final 28 minutes.

Ryan threw for 291 yards and had 26 yards rushing — more than Seattle starting running back Marshawn Lynch.

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

Pro Basketball

Stern confirms Talks tiff with Wade

As NBA owners and the players union continued negotiations to end their lockout, commissioner David Stern confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he and Heat guard Dwyane Wade had a tense moment during Friday's session in New York. Wade reportedly shouted down Stern, admonishing him for pointing a finger in his direction.

"I would guess that neither of us remember, but there was a heated exchange of some kind," Stern told reporters at a New York hotel. "I feel passionately about the system that we have and what it has delivered and what it should continue to deliver for the players and the owners. And he feels passionately, too. And I think that if anyone should step up on that, it's my job on behalf of the owners to make the points that need to be made."

Heat owner Micky Arison, who was in the session, brushed off the incident, calling it "a friendly chat" on his Twitter account.

Wade and Heat teammate LeBron James left the negotiations to play in Hornets guard Chris Paul's charity exhibition in Winston-Salem, N.C.



More Basketball

Minnesota seizes WNBA Finals opener

Rebekkah Brunson had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Seimone Augustus added 22 points to lead host Minnesota to an 88-74 victory over Atlanta in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

The Lynx turned a close game into a runaway with a 13-0 run to open the fourth quarter.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

Horses

Blind Luck won't run at Breeders' Cup

Blind Luck will miss the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic next month, although Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer says last year's 3-year-old filly champion isn't injured.

Blind Luck, who was considered a leading contender in the Nov. 4 race, finished last in the $250,000 Lady's Secret Stakes on Saturday in California, beaten by 19 lengths. It was the first time in 22 career starts that Blind Luck finished worse than third.

More horses: Acclamation extended his winning streak to five races at the $150,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., keeping him on course for the Breeders' Cup. It has not yet been decided if he will run in either the Turf or the Classic.

Et cetera

Tennis: Li Na lost her first match before home fans since winning the French Open, falling 6-4, 6-0 to qualifier Monica Niculescu in the first round of the China Open in Beijing. … Fourth-ranked Andy Murray claimed his 19th career title, beating American Donald Young 6-2, 6-0 in the Thailand Open final in Bangkok.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

MILWAUKEE — The biggest momentum swing for the Brewers involved no swing at all.

Jonathan Lucroy — "Mr. Squeeze" to his teammates — drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt and Milwaukee broke away from the Diamondbacks 9-4 Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in their NL Division Series.

"It's a free RBI if you execute and I really work hard to get that down," Lucroy said. "A safety squeeze, all you've got to do is get it down to the right area."

Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer and fellow slugger Prince Fielder added an RBI single for Milwaukee. But the brawny Brewers excel in other ways, especially Lucroy.

"The little things matter," said Jerry Hairston, who scored on Lucroy's bunt. "When you have guys like Braunie and Prince with the big power, the little things add up."

The Brewers now hold a 2-0 lead in a postseason series for the first time in franchise history and will go for the sweep in Arizona on Tuesday.

Lucroy keyed a five-run sixth inning, delivering right after Diamondbacks reliever Brad Ziegler became angry about a balk call on a pickoff attempt to second. That's when rookie Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke put on a play; he'd already seen Lucroy successfully bunt a few times this season.

"Good teams always take advantage of the other team's mistakes," Braun said. "There's no doubt coming into that inning, they had the momentum."

With the score tied at 4 and runners at the corners with one out, Hairston took a couple of half-steps and sprinted home as Lucroy bunted toward first. Ziegler's awkward flip went wide of catcher Miguel Montero for an error and the Diamondbacks imploded from there, with Milwaukee taking a 9-4 lead.

"It was crazy," Montero said. "I didn't even get a chance to second-guess myself. It was like, 'Okay, here we go — boom, boom, boom, boom.' I'm like, 'What's going on over here?' "

Brewers starter Zack Greinke struggled in his first postseason appearance, giving up three homers. He was 11-0 at Miller Park, helping the Brewers win a majors-best 57 games at home.

Times wires
Sunday, October 2, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — The slogan of the city of Philadelphia is "Life, Liberty and You," which leaves out another inalienable right in the Declaration of Independence: the pursuit of happiness. When a famous person chooses to pursue his happiness here, it means a lot.

Cliff Lee understands. Last winter he directed agent Darek Braunecker to make a deal with the Phillies, even if they guaranteed him less money than the Yankees and the Rangers. That decision, and Lee's spirited, electrifying performances, have probably made him the most popular athlete here in years.

"We went to dinner (Saturday) night, and as we were leaving the restaurant, 50-year-old guys were coming up to him, just wanting to shake his hand and say thank you," Braunecker said Sunday before Lee started Game 2 of the Phillies' NL Division Series against the Cardinals. "I've probably heard it 200 times, just being in his company when I'm here. Instead of saying, 'Good luck,' they say, 'Thank you.' "

Sunday's game had not ended by press time. For the result, visit sports.tampabay.com.

Lee, who signed for five years and $120 million, could have made more but preferred to return to the Phillies, who traded him less than two months after he beat the Yankees twice in the 2009 World Series.

"For him to choose to come back over a place like New York, over a team that he went to the World Series with in Texas — the fans just love that," general manager Ruben Amaro said.

The intense atmosphere in Philadelphia is part of what lured Lee back.

"They come, they pack the house, they understand the game," Lee said. "That's a big part of it. Without the fans coming and selling out every game, they probably couldn't have been able to assemble the team that they have here now. So they deserve a lot of the credit for the support that they put out."

At dinner Saturday, Braunecker said, he talked with Lee's wife, Kristin, about her husband's appeal. Why is Lee so revered that fans stand and cheer simply for running out ground balls? They deeply respect Halladay, but he's so stoic and serious that fans might wonder how much he enjoys what he does.

With Lee, there is no doubt. He bolts from the dugout to the mound and bounds back down as soon as the inning is over. He is rhythmic in his delivery — pulls on the back of his cap, tugs on the bill, fires and repeats — but stylish, too.

"Those people in the stands played the game as a child," Braunecker said, "and I think they look at Cliff the way they remember themselves when they were 12 years old on the Little League field, when everything was fun."

Sunday, October 2, 2011

American League Division Series | Series tied 1-1