By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 17, 2011

TAMPA — Jeff Vinik said he has no immediate plans to ask Hillsborough County to reimburse him, not even in part, for the $40 million renovation to the St. Pete Times Forum he is financing.

"Not on my horizon," the Lightning owner said Monday. "What matters now is that we did what's right for the community and what's right for the building."

Fans got their first full-scale look at the cleaned-up Times Forum that has, among other things, new seats, fresh paint, a gut-shaking organ and not-yet-operational Tesla coils that are supposed to shoot 20 feet of lightning to celebrate goals.

Vinik said the renovation has "blown away my expectations."

"I'd say the feel, the culture," he said of what he's most proud of in the building. "This building now has a soul. I think this is a very special place, and I'm proud we were able to achieve this."

Still, Vinik is putting his money into a county-owned building.

"This building has great bones," said Vinik, who owns the lease to operate the 15-year-old Times Forum. "But it needed money put into it, and it needed to have a soul and it needed to be such that everybody who is in this place knew it was in Tampa Bay, so putting money into the facility is the right thing to do and right for the community and for all our constituencies."

CAPACITY: Losing two 300-level sections for a party space and organ and eight suites to create sight lines from the lower concourse into the arena bowl dropped the Times Forum capacity to 19,204 from 19,758.

IN TOUCH: The message wasn't just for Vinny Lecavalier, but as captain he must carry it to the team. So, in a five-minute talk during the morning skate, coach Guy Boucher told Lecavalier he must play with more urgency.

"He's the captain," Boucher said. "He's a big part of this. Guys are going to follow him."

"Now it goes from me to doing it," Lecavalier said. "The most important thing is not to say it in the dressing room; it's about doing it. People will follow that.

"We need to sustain pressure and get them tired in their zone," added Lecavalier, whose goal Monday cut Tampa Bay's deficit to 4-3 with 3:39 left in the second period. "It doesn't mean we just stay in the corner and battle. We have to bring it to the net."

RETURNING: RW Teddy Purcell and LW Ryan Shannon were back in the lineup after being scratched Saturday at Florida.

Boucher gave Shannon a bit of a pass, saying the free agent signee is struggling to grasp Tampa Bay's system. As for Purcell, who had three shots and scored against the Panthers, Boucher said, "I need his battle level where it's supposed to be."

Asked about the message from the coaching staff, Purcell said, "There wasn't any message. I wasn't playing, so I knew myself what was going on. I don't need to be babied and held. I knew what I did wrong and what I needed to do better."

ODDS AND ENDS: The game was the 100th between the clubs. The Lightning is 35-45-10 with 10 ties. … RW Steve Downie received a 10-minute misconduct in the first period for diving during Tomas Fleischmann's hooking call, Boucher said. … Forwards Blair Jones and Tom Pyatt and D Bruno Gervais were scratched.

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

boxing

Hopkins plans to keep fighting

PHILADELPHIA — Bernard Hopkins, 46, said he will not retire and has appealed a controversial loss to Chad Dawson on Saturday night that cost him his WBC light heavyweight championship.

A decision by the WBC is expected next week.

Hopkins faces rehabilitation for a significant left shoulder injury.

"I am going to fight again because I'm still the champion," he said. "My career has no reason to end."

His next fight might have to wait until deep into next year depending on the severity of the injury.

Et cetera

nba: The league and the players' association are scheduled to meet today with federal mediator George Cohen, and commissioner David Stern has said without a labor deal today he believes Christmas games would be canceled. Stern wants to bring a deal to owners Wednesday, when they open two days of meetings. … French club Asvel said Knicks center Ronny Turiaf will play for it during the lockout. Turiaf will join Spurs guard and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who is a part owner of Asvel and has agreed to play for the club during the lockout. Turiaf said he has recovered from a left hand injury that kept him out of the European Championship during the summer.

pan am games: Matt Rawlings and Emily Caruso won shooting golds for the United States in record-setting performances in Guadalajara, Mexico. Rawlings broke his Pan Am record in 10-meter air rifle qualification, scoring 595 points. He then set a games record in the final with 696.7 points. Caruso equaled the games record in qualifying for the women's event with 396 points then set a final record with 497.8 points.

high schools: Texas public high school football players will likely have far fewer two-a-day practices starting in 2012 under rules approved that would give the state some of the strongest guidelines in the country to protect athletes from heat-related injuries. Texas recently finished the hottest summer on record, and the rules approved by the University Interscholastic League would ban the traditional two-a-day practices in the first four days of training camp.

olympics: All 193 United Nations member states agreed to co-sponsor a U.N. resolution urging countries to stop all hostilities and observe a truce during next summer's Olympic Games in London.

Times wires

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

METAIRIE, La. — As the Saints cope with Sean Payton's injury, the coach's recovery could be the hardest part.

While team doctors were pleased by the results of surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus and broken tibia in Payton's left leg, there remained several questions pertaining to how the Saints will adapt to their head coach's inability to walk normally for weeks.

"It'll be interesting how that all plays out," quarterback Drew Brees said, adding that he was confident Payton would find a way to turn the situation to the Saints' advantage. "It's uncharted territory for all of us."

Payton is not expected to be able to put weight on his injured leg for about eight weeks, said Dr. Deryk Jones, the team's orthopedic surgeon who operated on the coach. Jones said a full recovery could take 3-6 months.

So it will be a while before Payton again paces the sideline, where he usually juggles the responsibilities of calling offensive plays, coaching up players on certain assignments and sometimes not so cordially seeking clarification from referees about officiating decisions.

"He's just got a kind of presence and moxie that when you're on the sideline you look for," guard Carl Nicks said. "He's yelling and he's calling the plays. He's getting everybody situated. You can take it for granted. He's our leader, you know? So it's kind of weird" not having Payton roaming in front of the bench.

Payton was hurt during New Orleans' 26-20 loss at the Bucs on Sunday when Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was tackled into his coach along the sideline.

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Rangers know whom they're playing in the World Series.

Yet, the American League champions don't really know the Cardinals.

"They don't know much about us other than what they see on TV, and we don't know much about them other than we see on TV," Rangers manager Ron Washington said Monday. "We've got to rely on our scouts, rely on our sight when we see them, and our gut. … That's a great way to play baseball."

In the age of interleague games, this is an old-school World Series: a fresh matchup of teams from different leagues with little if any history between them before meeting with a championship on the line.

Over the 51 seasons of the Rangers franchise history that started as the expansion Washington Senators, there have been only three games played against the Cardinals.

"I don't know much about it," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Is there a rivalry?"

Michael Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 11th season, is the lone player left in Texas who took part in the only series between the teams. That was in 2004, when St. Louis won twice in a three-game set at Rangers Ballpark.

"Let's see, I think Carpenter pitched one of those games," Young said, when asked what he remembered from that series. "That's about it. That's a long time ago."

The Rangers will open their second straight World Series when they play a game in St. Louis for the first time. Game 1 is Wednesday night.

After getting a day off following their six-game AL Championship Series win over Detroit, the Rangers held a workout at home late Monday afternoon. They fly to Missouri today, when most of the Texas players get their first glimpse of the new Busch Stadium.

Three Texas players were part of the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis: Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Young.

Cruz, selected MVP of the ALCS after a postseason record six homers and 13 RBIs against the Tigers, was the home run derby runnerup at Busch Stadium.

C.J. Wilson, the left-hander who replaced the departed Cliff Lee as the Rangers' No. 1 starter, goes to the mound Wednesday hoping to turn things around. Since winning his playoff debut in Game 2 of the 2010 AL Division Series against the Rays, free agent-to-be Wilson is 0-4 with a 6.42 ERA in his past six postseason starts.

"He's my No. 1 guy; my feelings haven't changed," Washington said. "We expect C.J. to step up, and we really believe he will. … What I expect to see out of C.J. is for him to go out there and keep the ball for seven, eight innings and have us to just turn it over to the bullpen late."

Except that hasn't happened for any of the Rangers starters this postseason.

Only two Texas starters have pitched even six innings in the playoffs, and the starting staff has a combined 5.62 ERA. In the ALCS, the Rangers became only the second team in a best-of-seven playoff series to have relievers get all four victories.

"Yeah, I'm a little surprised. I expect those guys to go deeper than they have," Washington said. "But the bottom line is however deep they went, they kept us in the ball game, and we (were) able to pull some of them out. … I think my hook has been right on time. If it happened to be in the third inning, so be it."

Times staff, wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State's long-term injured list grew by one over the weekend, as the Seminoles lost a piece of their defensive line.

Junior DE Jacobbi McDaniel will miss the remainder of the season with a dislocated ankle, coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday. Surgery is scheduled today.

"That's disappointing because he was getting better and really getting in with his group and his play," Fisher said.

McDaniel left Saturday's game against Duke on the first drive, when a teammate rolled onto him during a scramble for an interception. DE Bjoern Werner tipped a pass into the air as DT Everett Dawkins came down with the turnover.

McDaniel joins WR Willie Haulstead, RB Chris Thompson and OT Andrew Datko as players expected to miss the rest of the season. Fisher said Datko might medically redshirt.

Hopkins honor: PK Dustin Hopkins was named ACC specialist of the week. Against Duke, he made both field-goal attempts, one a 48-yarder into a stiff breeze. He converted all of his point-after attempts to post a school-record 110 consecutive PATs made. Hopkins is one shy of tying Graham Gano's 18 consecutive field goals streak set in 2005.

USF: Turnovers key

TAMPA — Coming off a game in which his team committed four turnovers while forcing only two, USF coach Skip Holtz said takeaways will be a major challenge Saturday against Cincinnati, which is second nationally in that key statistic.

"The thing that's probably the most impressive is they're No. 2 in the country in turnover margin," Holtz said. "Turnovers are a huge indicator in the win-loss column, more so than probably any other statistic. We were able to outgain Connecticut by maybe 80 yards but still lost the game. We finished minus-2 in the turnover battle."

Last season, the Bulls won 38-30 at Cincinnati and didn't commit a turnover. In the Bulls' best win this season, the opener at Notre Dame, USF had five takeaways and committed no turnovers. Holtz said correcting turnovers will go a long way toward getting out of an 0-2 Big East start.

"Right now, everybody's scratching their heads a little bit: 'What do we need to do to win?' I talked about the turnover battle and how important that is," Holtz said. "We're here as an 0-2 football team in the league, and we're minus-3 in our last two games. When we can stop turning the ball over and eliminate some of the penalty yards, so many of the problems we had were self-inflicted."

GIDDINS HONORED: Sophomore DE Ryne Giddins was named to the Big East honor roll after getting a career-best 11 tackles, including two sacks, and a forced fumble Saturday. UConn's Byron Jones, who returned a Darrell Scott fumble 10 yards for the winning touchdown, was named league defensive player of the week.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

UCF: Quick turnaround

ORLANDO — With a Thursday night game at UAB, the Knights don't have much time to rebuild confidence after dropping to 3-3 with a loss at SMU.

Coach George O'Leary said coaches and players equally contributed to the loss.

"Collectively, we didn't play well," O'Leary said, repeatedly accepting the blame.

UCF has been in this hole before. The Knights started the 2007 season 3-3, rallying to win the C-USA championship. UCF started the 2009 season 3-3 and earned a spot in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

O'Leary said it's important to stay positive and wants seniors to provide leadership to inspire a midseason turnaround.

Iliana Limon, Orlando Sentinel

UM: Apologetic return

CORAL GABLES — Miami DE Olivier Vernon apologized to the school, coach Al Golden, president Donna Shalala, his teammates and UM fans for his involvement with former booster Nevin Shapiro.

Having completed a six-game suspension from the NCAA for accepting impermissible benefits, Vernon will make his season debut Saturday against Georgia Tech.

With the regular season half over, "I feel like it's a JV season in high school. I have to not expect anything big but do what I have to do," said Vernon, who's listed behind Marcus Robinson and Shayon Green on the depth chart. "It's tough, but things happen. I've just got to work with what I've got."

Vernon said he was "baffled" and "shocked" when he learned his suspension would be six games. Of the eight UM players suspended for their involvement with Shapiro, Vernon's punishment was the most severe. He said he appealed about three weeks ago to get his suspension reduced, but the NCAA denied his request.

Issue at left tackle: Golden has been disappointed with LT Brandon Washington. There is now an open competition between Washington and Seantrel Henderson.

South Florida Sun Sentinel

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

Conference realignment was back in the news Monday, with the New York Times reporting that a decision from Missouri on submitting an official application for membership in the SEC is "inevitable and imminent" and other reports saying that Big East leaders voted to double the league's exit fee to $10 million.

Missouri appears confident it has the votes necessary to leave the Big 12 and gain entry into the SEC. Nine schools must approve membership.

The Big East is hoping the move by its presidents will lead to adding six teams, including Boise State as a football-only member.

The conference's plan to have 12 football members also includes adding Navy and Air Force just for football and Central Florida, SMU and Houston in all sports.

There is no Big East timetable for extending invitations and no guarantee all the targeted schools will join. Upping the exit fee signals the league will be stable long term.

Missouri's board of curators has a regularly scheduled meeting set for Thursday and Friday.

Adding Missouri would give the SEC 14 members. It's unclear if Missouri would join in 2012 or 2013.

It is expected that the SEC presidents will tie the same caveat about legal entanglements to Missouri's application that they did to Texas A&M's. The SEC has made it clear it wants no part of any legal problems, which held up Texas A&M's admission for more than a month.

The loss of Missouri would leave Big 12 membership at nine, meaning a likely expansion of one or three universities, prompting more uncertainty on the collegiate landscape.

georgia-vandy dispute: The SEC is looking into a confrontation after Georgia's victory over Vanderbilt. Commodores coach James Franklin was looking for Bulldogs coach Mark Richt to shake hands when he had a heated exchange with Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. A police officer pushed Grantham away from Franklin, who on Monday talked with Richt.

Grantham said in a statement that he feels a responsibility to stand up for his players, but his actions "were not representative of what this institution stands for."

In Vanderbilt basketball news, center Festus Ezeli was suspended for the first six games for accepting a meal and hotel room from an alumnus.

colorado: Tailback Rodney Stewart (severely sprained knee) is out for two to four weeks, which will prevent him from surpassing the school record for rushing yards (3,940) held by his position coach, Eric Bieniemy.

Louisville: In what coach Charlie Strong called a mutual parting, offensive coordinator Mike Sanford is no longer with the program. Sanford's future with the team has been in doubt since Oct. 7 when he did not travel for a game at North Carolina.

Michigan: Denard Robinson will remain the starting quarterback. Coach Brady Hoke said there had not been consideration to giving backup Devin Gardner a full series or a quarter: "We're 6-1, and a lot of that is because Denard is our quarterback." In a loss to Michigan State, Robinson posted his lowest completion percentage (37.5) and rushing total (42 yards) as a starter. Spartans players said they kept bringing defensive pressure because Robinson "can't throw."

Middle Tennessee: Kayla Hockett, the girlfriend of ex-offensive coordinator Willie Simmons, said in a police report that he put his hands around her neck and briefly choked her before letting her leave. Simmons resigned Friday after being charged with aggravated assault Wednesday.

North Carolina: Starting linebacker Ebele Okakpu was dismissed for conduct detrimental to the team. Sophomore Darius Lipford will likely start at Clemson on Saturday.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers will stick with junior quarterback Tino Sunseri after having little success using Sunseri and freshman Trey Anderson in recent weeks.

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kyle Wellwood scored eight seconds into the game, and the Jets earned their first win by beating the Penguins 2-1 on Monday.

That leaves the Rangers and Blue Jackets as the only winless teams.

Tanner Glass netted Winnipeg's other goal, Alex Burmistrov had two assists, and Ondrej Pavelec stopped 28 shots.

Zbynek Michalek had the only goal for Pittsburgh, which got 33 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury.

avs finish trip 5-0: David Jones scored on a rebound 1:11 into overtime to give the Avalanche a 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Colorado was 5-0 on its longest road trip of the year.

cherry apology accepted: Three former NHL enforcers said they have accepted Don Cherry's apology for calling them "pukes," "turncoats" and "hypocrites" on a Hockey Night in Canada telecast Oct. 6.

Cherry, a cantankerous analyst, apologized during the show Saturday and called Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan and Jim Thomson, "my type of guys."

Grimson, Nilan and Thomson issued a statement through a Nashville law firm where Grimson is a lawyer: "Messrs. Grimson, Nilan and Thomson wish to state that they appreciate the words Mr. Cherry used and that the apology is accepted."

In light of the apology, they do not plan to sue Cherry.

around the league: Canucks center Ryan Kesler, who last season won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, said he is ready to return tonight against the Rangers almost three months after surgery for a torn hip labrum. … Center Jeff Carter, the Blue Jackets' major offseason acquisition, has a hairline crack on the top of his right foot and might sit tonight against Dallas. He is day to day. … Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. … Blues forward Andy McDonald went on injured reserve with a concussion sustained Thursday.

First Period—1, Winnipeg, Wellwood 2 (Burmistrov, Antropov), :08. 2, Winnipeg, Glass 1 (Burmistrov), 18:27. Penalties—Wheeler, Wpg (holding), 9:36; Engelland, Pit, major (fighting), 14:01; Thorburn, Wpg, major (fighting), 14:01.

Second Period—3, Pittsburgh, Michalek 1 (Letang, Cooke), 18:22. Penalties—Hainsey, Wpg (tripping), :54; Park, Pit (hooking), 9:20; Neal, Pit (slashing), 11:53; Sullivan, Pit (hooking), 19:44.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Letang, Pit (boarding), 13:08; Kunitz, Pit (roughing), 16:03; Lovejoy, Pit, major (fighting), 16:03; Slater, Wpg, major (fighting), 16:03; Thorburn, Wpg, major (hooking), 16:03; Glass, Wpg (roughing), 16:03; Neal, Pit (slashing), 20:00. Shots on Goal—Pittsburgh 7-14-8—29. Winnipeg 11-11-13—35. Power-play opportunities—Pittsburgh 0 of 3; Winnipeg 0 of 4. Goalies—Pittsburgh, Fleury 3-2-0 (35 shots-33 saves). Winnipeg, Pavelec 1-2-0 (29-28). A—15,004 (15,015). T—2:23.

First Period—None. Penalties—Lupul, Tor (slashing), 4:33; Hejduk, Col (hooking), 11:30; Hejduk, Col (hooking), 18:07.

Second Period—1, Toronto, Kessel 6, :19. 2, Colorado, Winnik 2 (O'Reilly, Hejda), 3:31. 3, Colorado, Hejduk 3 (Johnson, Stastny), 14:14 (pp). Penalties—Bozak, Tor (interference), 13:34; McLeod, Col (hooking), 17:19.

Third Period—4, Toronto, Kulemin 1 (Phaneuf, MacArthur), 15:17. Penalties—O'Byrne, Col (cross-checking), 1:43.

Overtime—5, Colorado, Jones 4 (Quincey), 1:11. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Colorado 8-9-4-3—24. Toronto 8-9-11-1—29. Power-play opportunities—Colorado 1 of 2; Toronto 0 of 4. Goalies—Colorado, Giguere 2-0-0 (29 shots-27 saves). Toronto, Reimer 3-0-1 (24-21). A—19,359 (18,819). T—2:28.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 17, 2011

TAMPA — Where to start when talking about the Lightning's 7-4 loss to the Panthers on Monday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Perhaps it is best to begin at the end.

Center Steven Stamkos, after his team's fifth straight loss, and after it laid an egg in a home opener tagged as a new start after a 1-2-2 road trip, admitted players are wondering what the heck is going on.

"I wouldn't say we're in panic mode, but we're worried," Stamkos said. "This isn't the start we wanted."

Or the way the team wants to play, specifically on special teams.

The Lightning (1-3-2) allowed five power-play goals, the most it ever allowed at home and tied for the most in a game. It also gave up a shorthanded goal to ex-Lightning Sean Bergenheim.

It was a startling performance, especially on the penalty kill, which in back-to-back losses to Florida went from efficient to sloppy.

The Lightning this season killed off its first 22 penalties but since then has allowed seven power-play goals in 14 chances in the two losses to Florida.

Goaltender Dwayne Roloson allowed at least five goals in his third straight game. But the Panthers — with two goals and four points each from Stephen Weiss and Kris Versteeg — moved the puck at will and took 16 of their 33 shots with the man advantage.

The Lightning also won just four of 16 shorthanded faceoffs.

"It seemed like we were getting caught in no-man's land where we really weren't taking away passing lanes but weren't really taking away shooting lanes," right wing Adam Hall said. "That's a dangerous place to be caught."

"We have to get more on the same page," center Dominic Moore said. "Guys need to be aware of how we move and how we react. It's a matter of communicating and working in unison."

It's also a matter of staying out of the penalty box, not only to eliminate power plays but to build momentum playing five on five.

The Lightning was called for 11 penalties and was shorthanded nine times. Its 36 times shorthanded is a league worst.

"If we can stay five on five, we give ourselves a chance," coach Guy Boucher said. "We did some good things five on five. We scored four goals (in the game), and that should be enough to win at home."

Want some positives? Stamkos, Teddy Purcell, Vinny Lecavalier and Victor Hedman scored, and Marc-Andre Bergeron had three assists to give him two goals and a team-best eight points.

The Lightning even had a 39-33 shot advantage.

But every time Tampa Bay crept closer — it was at 4-3 in the second period and 5-4 in the third — a penalty or lack of a save by Roloson, who has allowed 17 goals in his past three starts, messed up the comeback.

"We're sabotaging ourselves," Hall said.

Added Stamkos: "We're shooting ourselves in the foot, and we have no one to blame but ourselves."

First Period—1, Florida, Kopecky 1 (Jovanovski, Campbell), 6:15 (pp). 2, Tampa Bay, Purcell 2 (Shannon, Bergeron), 9:22 (pp). 3, Tampa Bay, Hedman 1 (Hall, Thompson), 14:00. 4, Florida, Weiss 2 (Kulikov, Campbell), 17:12 (pp). Penalties—Hall, TB (cross-checking), 4:35; Gudbranson, Fla, major (fighting), 6:51; Malone, TB, major (fighting), 6:51; Fleischmann, Fla (hooking), 7:26; Downie, TB, misconduct, 7:26; Kopecky, Fla (tripping), 11:31; Gilroy, TB (delay of game), 14:09; Brewer, TB (hooking), 16:21.

Second Period—5, Florida, Versteeg 2 (Weiss, Campbell), 2:35 (pp). 6, Florida, Bergenheim 1, 12:17 (sh). 7, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 2 (Bergeron, Gilroy), 16:21. Penalties—St. Louis, TB (tripping), :46; Kulikov, Fla (holding), 11:14; Moore, TB (slashing), 18:39.

Third Period—8, Florida, Versteeg 3 (Fleischmann, Weiss), :25 (pp). 9, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 2 (Gilroy, Bergeron), 10:53. 10, Florida, Weiss 3 (Versteeg, Jovanovski), 15:28. 11, Florida, Garrison 2 (Campbell, Versteeg), 16:47 (pp). Penalties—Downie, TB (high-sticking), 8:33; Kubina, TB (tripping), 15:52; Brewer, TB (delay of game), 16:02; Ritola, TB (boarding), 19:28. Shots on Goal—Florida 8-13-12—33. Tampa Bay 10-13-16—39. Power-play opportunities—Florida 5 of 9; Tampa Bay 1 of 3. Goalies—Florida, Theodore 3-1-0 (39 shots-35 saves). Tampa Bay, Roloson 1-2-1 (33-26). A—19,204 (19,204). T—2:31.

Times wires
Monday, October 17, 2011

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For a team in turmoil, this was one therapeutic win.

It certainly wasn't pretty or convincing. But it did the job for Rex Ryan and his feuding Jets.

Darrelle Revis ran back the first of his two interceptions 100 yards for a touchdown and New York did just enough to beat the winless Dolphins 24-6 on Monday night and end a three-game losing streak.

Mark Sanchez threw a 38-yard touchdown to Santonio Holmes and ran for another score as the Jets, who called this a "must-win" game, capped a tough week by pulling out a victory and sending Miami to its fifth straight loss.

With the losses mounting and the season already on the brink of spinning out of control for the Jets, they traded receiver Derrick Mason to Houston then had to deal with some infighting as Holmes called out the offensive line for not giving Sanchez enough time to throw deep. Right guard Brandon Moore fired back, saying those comments could have a "fragmenting effect" and were not what a captain, which Holmes is, should do.

Ryan, who insisted his team's Super Bowl hopes would not be undone by locker room disharmony, even sent Holmes and Moore out as the captains for the pregame coin toss.

Turns out, this game against the Dolphins came at just the right time as the Jets got their season back on track. Next up for New York: the Chargers on Sunday, with a chance to head into the bye week on a high note.

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, October 17, 2011

TAMPA — You should not panic. Not yet, at least.

For one thing, it's terribly early in the Lightning season.

For another, the source of your anxiety is still a moving target.

Turnovers? Yes, that's the reason the Lightning is losing.

Or is it foolish penalties? Or failing to take enough shots on net? Or a lack of urgency? Or too many road games? Or pina coladas and long walks on the beach?

"Right now, it's not that we do everything bad," coach Guy Boucher said. "It's that we have trouble getting it all together in the same game."

So, no, panic is not part of today's equation. Even if the Lightning delivered a dud for the grand reopening of the St. Pete Times Forum on Monday night. Even if the current five-game losing streak is the longest of Boucher's short tenure.

"It's very embarrassing," forward Ryan Malone said. "You don't want to do that to fans who spent their hard-earned money to purchase tickets.

"For us to come out like that is unacceptable."

So, instead of panic, let's call it concerning. Or even bewildering.

Because it seems like the Lightning should be beyond this kind of prolonged misery. The strides taken last season gave you hope that future hurdles would all be shorter.

And taken individually, most of these losses are completely understandable. You get drilled on the road in Boston when playing back-to-back nights? Hey, it happens. You lose to Washington in a shootout? That's not a bad night's work. You lose another shootout at the end of a five-game road trip? That's almost a victory.

The problem is that when you start piling explanations on top of each other, they begin to look suspiciously like excuses. And this is not a team that needed excuses during a remarkable postseason run in April and May.

The Lightning might not have been the most talented group of players in the Eastern Conference in 2010-11, but they were among the most disciplined and conscientious. And, so far this season, that has not been the case.

"The minute we let off the pedal, we're cooked," Boucher said. "We're not a powerhouse."

So you look for clues as to what's wrong. You search for patterns. You calculate trends. You hope to find a one-size-fits-all answer to what has gone wrong in the season's first 11 days. And you come to the realization that it's not that simple.

It seems every night something different stands up to take the blame.

"It's sloppy play," said Steven Stamkos, whose third-period goal got the Lightning within one of the lead. "We're undisciplined."

For instance, through the first five games, the Lightning had one of the worst five-on-five defenses in the league, giving up an average of three even-strength goals per game.

So what happened Monday night?

The Lightning did not give up a five-on-five goal until the final minutes of the third period. Instead, the Panthers scored five power-play goals and one shorthanded goal.

So, no, it is not one simple flaw or one glaring weakness.

It is not goaltending, though that has occasionally faltered. It is not a lack of balance on offense, though the stars could provide more punch. It is not the guys on the blue line, though that might be closest to an all-purpose answer.

"We never have things together," Boucher said. "The power play works one night, and the penalty kill doesn't the other. We haven't been able to get it together."

For now, this is a good thing. It suggests there is no fatal condition that will doom the Lightning in 2011-12. At least not at this point.

The defense has been atrocious — we're now up to 23 goals in the five-game losing streak — but there is always the hope that things will get better when Mattias Ohlund returns from a knee injury.

The goaltending has been pretty spotty — Dwayne Roloson has a save percentage of .859 — but a lot of the blame can be placed on the guys in front of him.

The three superstar forwards have not made a noticeable impact, but Stamkos and Vinny Lecavalier scored big goals that were eventually wasted Monday night.

And the mental mistakes have been numerous, but we have seen these same players perform almost flawlessly with a season on the line.

So, no, this is not a time for clenched fists or upset stomachs. It is a little surprising. It is a bit perplexing. And it is definitely disappointing.

But you can look ahead at the calendar and see there is plenty of time for corrections. And you can look back at the calendar and see there is plenty of evidence of hope.

This simply looks like a team that remembers its past glory but has forgotten all the drudgery that preceded it.

"The reality is," Boucher said, "we have to get better."

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Some careers are about fame, and some are about fortune.

Some careers are defined by celebrity, and some are defined by controversy. Some are about sound bites, and some are about highlights. Some are about records, and some are about recognition.

Earnest Graham?

All he does is everything.

It is time to say it out loud. Graham is the most underrated, under-used, under-appreciated Buc of all time. Stardom is for other players; Graham is a man with his feet on the ground.

Other running backs are faster, and other running backs are bigger, and other running backs certainly are richer. But day after day, game after game, position after position, who squeezes more out of his natural ability than Graham?

And don't you love the guy for it?

This is the role of the working man's player. He spends his days in the shadows, working, waiting until a chance comes along, and then he makes you wonder why he hasn't been used more. He plays this position and that one, getting whatever time he can, a supporting player in someone else's show. He does not pout. He does not thump his chest. He plays his role, he praises his teammates and he waits his turn.

Eventually, there comes a day such as Sunday, when the team once again looks to Graham. And once again, he performs. Graham, still smelling like mothballs, ran for 109 yards against the Saints, and by the end of the day, you could not help but wonder how many 100-yard days he might have had if the Bucs were not quite so determined to find someone else.

Over the years, the Bucs have had a lot of players outperform their expectations. All teams do. The NFL is mesmerized by the big-talent players, but it is built on overachievers, on players whose mileage outdistances their expectations.

With the Bucs, it has been Greg Spires and Joe Jurevicius, Brad Culpepper and Dave Pear, Lawrence Dawsey and Karl Williams, Cecil Johnson and Randy Grimes, Mark Carrier and Mark Cotney, Chuck Darby and Steve Wilson. They are players who don't usually make Pro Bowls (although Pear made one), and they don't make commercials, and they don't make Halls of Fame. All they make are plays.

It is an odd phrase, "underrated.'' Every fan thinks his favorite player is underrated, because the world doesn't seem to measure his wonderfulness in the quite the same way. As much adulation as, say, Tom Brady gets, there are those who think he should get more, that people should toss rose petals as he drops back for a pass.

In other words, the kind of "underrated'' we're about isn't the stars who should be thought of as superstars. Take Ronde Barber, for instance. Barber still doesn't get all the credit he should. But he's made Pro Bowls, and his name will come up for Hall of Fame discussion. That's a different argument.

The truly underrated guys are players such as Jurevicius, who made huge plays for the Bucs in their Super Bowl year, or Spires, who was even better than you remember. They are those players who are overshadowed in success or disguised by failure. They can become local legends, and coaches' favorites, but greatness seems too much to ask for.

It is an ego business, professional football. Every backup in the league thinks he should start, and every veteran thinks he should make more money, and every running back wants the ball more often. Deep down, you can be sure that Graham would like a bigger role, too. But utility players, the best of them, learn to govern their ego. It's called "getting it,'' and in pro sports, it is a rare gift.

Whenever Graham runs, think of this. Even when he was young, the NFL collectively agreed that Graham lacked the skills to play. Since his senior season at Florida, the NFL has drafted 180 backs. Not Graham. He made it the hard way, and he has stayed while most of the others have gone.

He has never had Cadillac Williams' speed, and he never had LeGarrette Blount's size, and he wasn't as strong as Mike Alstott, and he wasn't as elusive as Warrick Dunn. He isn't everything a coach wants in a back.

Yet, coaches love him. He is what he is, and he is that all of the time. There are no slumps with Graham, no mood swings, no chest-thumping. He is a pro, and tomorrow, he will be a pro again.

What Graham has, what he always has had, is that rare ability to get everything out of play, and everything out of a career. He has become the best player his skills would allow, and that may be the greatest compliment any player can receive.

He should not have been this good. He should not have lasted this long.

But appreciated? Admired? Embraced?

Yeah, Earnest Graham has earned every ounce of that.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

In the weeks between his second Indianapolis 500 victory and the crash that took his life, St. Petersburg resident Dan Wheldon tested the new IndyCar chassis that will debut next season.

That chassis will now bear his name.

Italian racing company Dallara announced Tuesday that it would name its new car-frame design after Wheldon, who died in a fiery 15-car crash at Sunday's season-ending Las Vegas Indy 300 race. He was 33.

"He deserves that," Dallara president and founder Gianpaolo Dallara said.

Wheldon debuted the new machine in August in Ohio. His schedule was free because he didn't have a full-time ride during the season.

Dallara's new chassis includes more safety features, according to IndyCar. A longer, wider cockpit would create more protection for the drivers. Three inches of foam would rest behind the seat, and another 1 1/2 inches of foam would pad the bottom of the seat.

Other changes, including more protection over the rear wheels, would reduce the risk of cars going airborne as four cars, including Wheldon's No. 77, did during the fatal wreck, but it's unclear whether the new chassis would have saved his life.

IndyCar vice president of technology Will Phillips said Wheldon's testing was crucial in developing the new car that will memorialize him and protect drivers in the future.

"You couldn't ask for a more willing or better participant," Phillips said. "His input was just fantastic; it was all about making a better product and a safer car for the drivers and a better show for the fans.

"It's very difficult not having his continued presence to carry it through. He'll be sorely missed."

Tributes for the 33-year-old Wheldon continued to pour in from the racing community.

Driver Graham Rahal solicited helmets, racing suits and other gear from other drivers via Twitter for an auction. Proceeds, he said, would go to Wheldon's widow, Susie, and two children, Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, seven months.

Two half-gallons of milk sat next to cards, flowers and candles at a memorial in front of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Wheldon twice gulped the ceremonial beverage in Victory Circle.

Wheldon's car owner, Sam Schmidt, mourned the loss of his driver at a news conference Monday evening in Las Vegas.

Schmidt was 35 — two years older than Wheldon — when he was paralyzed from the neck down at an Indy Racing League wreck during practice at Orlando in 2000. Schmidt, like Wheldon, had two small children at the time of the crash.

"Since my accident I've met literally thousands of people with similar accidents to mine, and generally speaking not one of them was living their dream," Schmidt told reporters. "I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was having a great time in the car. He passed 10 cars in the first 10 laps, and he was going for it."

Matt Baker can be reached at mbaker@sptimes.com. Information from IndyCar.com, AutoSport.com and the Indianapolis Star were used in this report.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp on Tuesday publicly apologized for his profanity-laced outbursts during this past Saturday's Auburn game, language that was captured on national TV.

Muschamp was overheard during ESPN's telecast of the Florida-Auburn game cursing while talking to officials, particularly during what appeared on replay to be defensive holding against RB Chris Rainey but was not called, and on Rainey's muffed punt in which Muschamp thought there was interference.

"I do want to apologize for my language on the sidelines the other night,'' Muschamp said. "That's not something that's going to be tolerated here at the University of Florida, first of all, by me and our program. That's certainly not representative of what this program and this university is about.''

Muschamp is well known for his fiery demeanor on the sidelines during his days as an assistant, most notably as defensive coordinator at Texas. He's said on many occasions he won't change who he is just because he's a head coach. And he reiterated that again on Tuesday.

"Just the language,'' Muschamp said when asked if he was apologizing for his behavior and his language. "It's hard when you've got a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old at home and you've got to go home and explain to them what you said. So that's not good and that's not how we're going to run our program. That's it. Again, as far as the sideline stuff's concerned, we're going to be who we are. I'm just apologizing for the language, nothing else."

By Dave Walker, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Windy weather: Fall brings us the first temperature relief of the season. Unfortunately, along with the cooler weather comes the wind. Strong cold fronts, and late season tropical entities, can whip Tampa Bay into real mess for days on end. Today is no exception. On really windy days, it is a great time to service equipment. Even hard-core weekend warriors will be frustrated by fishing during gales.

Tip: When it is really nasty weather wise, stay home or do something other than fishing. A rotten experience on the water is dangerous and can ruin the joy of fishing forever. A review of the forecast is always a good idea. Most good fishermen are at least hobby meteorologists.

Seasonal tip: After huge weather changes this time of year, fish and bait will be on the move. Do not expect the fish to be at the same place where you caught them last week. It is terribly frustrating when the whole fishing situation is turned upside down by drastic weather and seasonal changes. Anglers must adapt to the times and act accordingly.

Bites: When things settle down around here, mackerel and kingfish should be available. The magic water temperature for these toothy pelagic fish is 72 degrees. Nice kings and tournament winning fish have been caught well inside Tampa Bay. Huge kings have historically been caught far inside the Sunshine Skyway.

Captain Dave Walker charters out of Tampa and can be reached at (813) 310-6531 or at www.snookfish.com

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

USF's offense has been decidedly different in three home games vs. its three road games, though it has more to do with a much higher level of competition on the road. In games against Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Connecticut, the Bulls are converting less than half as often on third down, their total yardage is barely half, and their scoring is a full five touchdowns worse per game. With a tough Cincinnati team coming to Raymond James Stadium, which offense will show up for the Bulls?

Pts Yds Third down Record

HOME 53.3 613 55.2% 3-0

AWAY 16.7 339 27.5% 1-2

Home: Ball State, Florida A&M, UTEP

Away: Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Connecticut

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

TAMPA — The excitement of three straight 500-yard efforts against lesser competition is long gone, and USF's offense sits at the midpoint of the 2011 season with four offensive touchdowns in its three games against BCS-level competition.

USF coach Skip Holtz said Tuesday that for an offense to be successful, it must have either the ability to score on big plays or consistent success in converting third downs. In its past two losses, first at Pittsburgh and then Saturday at Connecticut, the Bulls have had neither.

"This (loss) is one probably that is more looking back with anger," Holtz said. "We've got to get it straight. We have too many guys playing too hard and too many guys playing too well. We have an obligation as a coaching staff to get it straight and put a team on the field that has the ability to win. It's a product business. It's not how many guys played well. It's whether you won or lost. ... That's what we have to get done as a football staff and a football team."

Consider third down, a recurring problem for the Bulls (4-2, 0-2 in Big East) from last season. In three easy home wins against Ball State, Florida A&M and UTEP, USF converted 55.2 percent of its third downs; in the other three tougher games against Notre Dame and the last two losses, the Bulls have been half as successful, converting just 27.5 percent of the time.

USF offensive coordinator Todd Fitch said the third-down problem is set up by a lack of consistent success on first and second downs, setting up situations where the defense knows what is coming. Quarterback B.J. Daniels went just 2-for-8 passing on third downs Saturday, this after going 1-for-6 for 3 yards in the second half of the Pittsburgh loss.

"That's the toughest time to throw," Fitch said of third down. "You want to stay out of third and must-pass situations. It gives a free rein to the defense. ... Where our talents lie, it's probably not our strong suit. We have to continue to work and find ways to be successful."

Connecticut's defense had been porous against the pass in losses to Western Michigan and West Virginia, giving up a combined 948 passing yards in those games. But USF didn't throw downfield, citing weather conditions and less man coverage from the Huskies defense. Taking away screen passes, the Bulls went 4-for-13 for just 50 yards on downfield passes, but quarterbacks coach Peter Vaas said the offense wasn't going to change its identity because of the success other teams had enjoyed against UConn.

"I think it's extremely unfair to compare what one philosophical group of people do with a different philosophical group of people," Vaas said. "That's what we all get caught up in: 'Oh, look at that.' But that's not who we are. … We are a run-the-football, play-action type of passing team and football team. We are not going to become a spread-'em-out and drop back and throw it 50 times a game. That is what West Virginia and that is what Western Michigan (are)."

Third downs have been a problem, but what Fitch said stood out most to him in Saturday's loss were the four turnovers, one of which came inside the UConn 10-yard line and another on an interception thrown inside the 20, taking points off the scoreboard.

"It's the first sloppy game I thought we played," Fitch said. "We haven't done everything right every week obviously; nobody does. It's just frustrating because we have not played that way. We need to get it corrected to continue on and do what we need to do."

With speed and talent at the receiver position, Fitch acknowledged that the Bulls need to make more downfield passes, to give those players more chances to make plays when the defense isn't lined up to specifically guard against such big gains.

"We've got to call more of those plays," he said. "I need to call more of those shots and give them a chance to do those. ... We called three (Saturday) that were floods or stretch-the-field plays. Sometimes you don't see them because they don't get executed or you have a protection issue. It's an emphasis that I have to do a better job of calling some of those for them. We have to execute them, too."

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

TAMPA — Stan Heath will have an unproven point guard this season, he'll be dangerously thin in the post, and his team will play its home games in three arenas, all off campus as the Sun Dome has major renovations.

But there is an optimism in Heath as he heads to New York today for the Big East's preseason media gathering, even though his Bulls are sure to be picked in the bottom quarter of the league, where they've finished in all but one of their six seasons in the conference.

"We've got a long way to go, but I really like where we are," Heath said Tuesday. "In the five years I've been here, this is the best offensive team I've had, in terms of being able to score, pass, make plays. They're playing unselfish, which is a big key."

If things go right — if senior F Augustus Gilchrist continues to show the maturity and attitude, if versatile transfer Victor Rudd can make the splash Heath hopes to see, if the point guards can hide their youth — then Heath hopes for a season more like 2009-10, when G Dominique Jones led the Bulls to a 9-9 mark and ninth-place finish in the Big East, earning a trip to the postseason NIT.

Rudd, a forward from Arizona State, added 20 pounds of muscle during his season off, and Heath saw strong summers in G Shaun Noriega and F Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, who should see increased minutes as juniors. Athletic G Jawanza Poland could be out until December with a back injury, but Heath is encouraged about the team that will line up at the St. Pete Times Forum for its nine Big East home games. His optimism starts with chemistry, forged early and late during long days in the team's new Muma Center practice facility.

"Our chemistry has been phenomenal. I've been exceptionally pleased with it," Heath said. "The guys paid some dues during the summer. They were up at 6, 7 in the morning, running, doing things behind the scenes to get themselves ready to go. They really built a bond. Some of the ups and downs they went through last season, they don't want to go through that. It's going to take chemistry and camaraderie to come together."

GETTING BACK: USF's women's team ended a seven-year postseason run last year, struggling to a 12-19 record and a 3-13 mark in Big East play, but Jose Fernandez has an experienced team motivated by what they weren't able to do a year ago.

"I think our team knows last year was very disappointing," Fernandez said. "Especially for the returners, to be the first team in eight years not to go to a postseason, they understand that. I think that was a big reason why the commitment level was where it was at this spring and summer. This team believes they can be good, and we believe it also."

His top scorer, senior G Andrea Smith, is still recovering from ACL surgery and hasn't participated in contact during practice. Still, she'll represent the team in New York this week, as will junior KaNeisha Saunders, battling for the starting point guard job. Junior F Inga Orekhova will be eligible one game into the Big East season, but Fernandez hopes he has an established starting lineup after many different looks last season.

"When you see a team that has different lineups throughout the year, you're searching for something, or you have injuries," he said. "Hopefully, we're not doing that and you have a consistent lineup. I like where we're at right now, 10 practices in. ... If everything falls into place and everybody's healthy and on the floor, we should have a very good basketball season."

THIS AND THAT: USF men's soccer is as high as No. 8 in the national rankings after a 3-2 overtime win Saturday at Syracuse. The Bulls have their final regular-season home matches ahead with Villanova on Saturday and Cincinnati next Wednesday, but the Bulls are now in good position to open the NCAA Tournament at home. ... Saturday's homecoming football game against Cincinnati has a "Bring a Kid to the Game" promotion, where fans can go to local Wal-Marts this week and get a code to redeem at Ticketmaster.com for a free ticket for fans 17 and under, as well as discounts for other family members.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

BRANDON — Dwayne Roloson has said he is done discussing his age. But the Lightning goaltender on Tuesday understood it was something that needed to be addressed.

Getting tagged for 17 goals in his past three starts while turning 42 years old will do that.

"Oh, yeah," said the league's oldest player when asked if he is up to the physical challenge. "I just spent two hours on the ice. Physically, the challenge is there. Mentally, the challenge is there. It's execution."

That has not been there.

Roloson is 1-2-1 in four games with a 5.09 goals-against average that entered Tuesday last among 54 goalies listed by the NHL. His .858 save percentage was 50th. Only Ottawa's Craig Anderson had allowed more goals than Roloson's 18, and only by one.

His past three games, including Monday's 7-4 loss to the Panthers, have been particularly messy as Roloson went 0-2-1 with a 6.71 goals against average and .819 save percentage, all after a 32-save victory opening night over the Hurricanes.

"It's frustrating," said Roloson, who over the summer signed a one-year, $3 million deal with $500,000 in potential playoff bonuses. "But you have to put your frustrations in the right avenues and stay as positive as you possibly can to get out of this."

"We're not worried about him," coach Guy Boucher said. "We certainly haven't lost faith in him."

Being a goalie is unforgiving. Goals go on your record even if teammate blunders are to blame. And the Lightning hasn't given Roloson much help.

Defensive zone coverages have been poor. Players say they aren't playing with enough urgency or smarts. As defenseman Victor Hedman explained, "It's not his fault. We need to do a better job of giving him a chance to stop the puck. We need to be in the way more and help him more."

Which is fine, but as Boucher noted, "(Roloson) is the only one with a red light that lights up and says, 'You made a mistake.' "

Roloson has made errors.

There have been too many short-side goals and goals in which he was slow to be in position. Some of it is focus, goaltenders coach Frantz Jean said, some of it footwork.

"It's a little bit of everything," Jean said. "There's no tendency that you see over and over again, so it's just a matter of putting it all together and getting in some kind of comfort zone where we get into a rhythm.

"You have to go back to what works for you and put some time in practice to get your rhythm back and get your tracking back, and suddenly you're going to hit that curve when it's going to go up and you're back on track."

How long that takes is to be seen. Boucher said Roloson's practice Tuesday at the Ice Sports Forum was "way better than his previous practices."

Even so, the guess is Mathieu Garon will play Thursday against the Islanders and perhaps Saturday against the Sabres to give Roloson a chance to regroup.

In the meantime, Roloson said he will invoke his 12-hour rule, the amount of time he allows himself to stew over bad games.

"You have to look at the now, pinpoint situations and figure it out," he said.

And that has nothing to do with age.

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

Times staff, wires
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday that QB John Brantley could return to practice Monday, the start of full preparations for the Oct. 29 Georgia game. The senior QB suffered a high ankle sprain at the end of the first half against Alabama and missed the LSU and Auburn games.

"John won't practice this week, but we hope to get him back on Monday," Muschamp said during Tuesday's weekly media session. "He's off crutches and moving around a little bit. We're going to get him out there and let him throw a little bit this week, but as far as practice is concerned, we're going to hold him and hope to get him back Monday."

WATCH THE LANGUAGE: Muschamp publicly apologized for his profanity-laced outbursts during Saturday's Auburn game. Muschamp was overheard on ESPN's telecast cursing at officials, particularly during what appeared on replay to be a defensive holding against RB Chris Rainey that was not called, and on Rainey's muffed punt in which Muschamp thought there was interference.

"I do want to apologize for my language on the sideline the other night," he said. "It's hard when you've got a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old at home and you've got to go home and explain to them what you said. So that's not good and that's not how we're going to run our program."

FSU: Troubles in past

TALLAHASSEE — At about 2 a.m. Sept. 26, FSU CB Greg Reid learned what he now considers a valuable lesson.

"Going through high school and college and never really being in trouble, I realize how quick it can happen," he said Tuesday in his first comments since his arrest late last month. "Just waking up out of bed and it happening like that."

Reid was called to a gas station near Doak Campbell Stadium that morning as Tallahassee police investigated an incident involving his scooter and a man they believed was his friend. Possibly to protect his friend, Reid was less than forthcoming about his identity and was charged with obstruction and taken to Leon County Jail.

Two days after bonding out, his case was dropped by the prosecutor's office.

"It's in the past now, man," Reid said. "I just got to focus on getting this team better, getting me better and just trying to do the right stuff."

Coley Harvey, Orlando Sentinel

USF: Just a game

TAMPA — As USF searches for its first Big East win of the season against Cincinnati on Saturday, coach Skip Holtz said the game's outcome won't define the season.

"I'm not looking at (the game) as a crossroads that this is a sink-or-swim game and if we were to lose this game the season's over and the last five games we're going to go through the motions and throw in the towel," he said.

Ian Lanphier, Times correspondent

Miami: Unhappy OT

CORAL GABLES — Hurricanes OT Brandon Washington said he was bothered by coach Al Golden saying Monday that his starting job was open for competition.

Washington is battling Seantrel Henderson to start against No. 20 Georgia Tech.

"Of course it bothers me," the 6-foot-4, 320-pound junior said. "I was an all-conference guard (last year) and they asked me to move out there because of the injury of Seantrel. Now they're telling me the three inside guys are solid and that possibly won't change."

Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel

UCF: Bouncing back

ORLANDO — UCF senior LB Josh Linam said it was disappointing to see the defense struggle at SMU Saturday.

He said the Knights have watched video of their mistakes and are ready to bounce back at UAB on Thursday night.

"We've really been focused on just everyone doing their job and getting to their assignments and playing as one unit," he said.

Iliana Limón, Orlando Sentinel

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Amid the still-uncertain picture of college football reshuffling, the Big East took a step toward a stable future Monday night, voting unanimously to double its exit fee to $10 million, a move commissioner John Marinatto said is triggered once a single new school is committed to joining the league in football as it moves toward a 12-team lineup.

"We are excited and we are confident we can achieve it with a mix of schools and markets that honor our history, protect our future and extend our reach and influence as our 14 members remain committed," Marinatto said. "This league has a long heritage and a great tradition, and there will always be quality institutions that want to align themselves with us as we reposition ourselves for our upcoming television negotiations 11 months from now."

Marinatto said no formal invitations have been extended, but several national reports outline the same primary targets: Navy and Air Force as football-only members, with hopes of Boise State joining in the same capacity, and with Conference USA members Central Florida, Houston and Southern Methodist as the first options to join as all-sports members. Such a lineup would have 12 teams in football and 17 in basketball, but Marinatto said he isn't under an urgent timetable.

"We recognize there are a lot of moving pieces," said Marinatto, who declined to name specific schools being targeted. "I will say we are very happy with the quality of the schools that have expressed interest. … When the dust settles, we will emerge stronger than ever."

The league's football future could still be threatened if Missouri leaves the Big 12 for the SEC, because the Big 12 could in turn expand by poaching schools like West Virginia and Louisville from the Big East.

Marinatto reiterated that he will require Pittsburgh and Syracuse, committed to join the ACC, to honor a 27-month notice before leaving, but it's possible that stance is to leverage a higher exit fee for a quicker exit. He said that a 12-team football model would allow for a Big East championship game, which he would like played in New York, as the conference's men's basketball tournament is.