By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, December 8, 2011

NEW YORK — Dominic Moore was in a total-team-effort mood Thursday night.

The Lightning had just pulled off an emotional 3-2 shootout win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, and Moore wanted to talk about everyone but himself.

But the story of Moore's day was too good to ignore.

"It just shows you," coach Guy Boucher said, "the character this man has."

It was Moore's errant backhand during the morning skate that propelled a puck into Marty St. Louis' face, fracturing the wing's nasal and orbital bones and stopping his consecutive-games streak at 499.

But it also was Moore's short-handed goal with a dead-on backhander from almost exactly the same spot that tied the score 2-2 with 1:57 left in the third period.

And it was his wrist shot past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist that was the only shootout goal as Tampa Bay (12-14-2) snapped a five-game losing streak.

"I don't know," Moore said when asked if he felt some redemption. "Everybody is thinking about Marty and trying to get the win for him. He's our leader every second of every day. That was our thought."

Goaltender Mathieu Garon was sturdy with 29 saves and three more in the shootout. Ryan Malone had a second-period goal. And captain Vinny Lecavalier led a charge in attacking New York's Artem Anisimov after his short-handed goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 second-period lead.

After scoring, Anisimov held his stick like a rifle and pointed it at Garon. Lecavalier jumped in first, followed by Marc-Andre Bergeron. Steve Downie joined the fracas after watching at first while sitting atop the side boards by the bench.

"We were offended. It's disrespectful," Lecavalier said. "It was directly at our net and at our goalie."

Garon said he did not see the display. Boucher said, "We weren't going to take humiliation. It was a gesture that proved the players were in it together."

Anisimov did not talk to reporters, as per Rangers coach John Tortorella.

"It was the wrong thing to do," Tortorella said of his player's actions. "I don't blame Tampa at all with how they reacted. But I want to protect Artie. He's a solid, solid guy who made a mistake."

Moore was mistake-free on his goal, scoring short-side high from the bottom of the right faceoff circle from where his errant shot hit St. Louis.

"It's kind of weird it happened at the exact same spot," Lecavalier said.

"You never want anything like that to happen," Moore said of St. Louis' injury. "But sometimes adversity makes you stronger."

And sets the stage for a little redemption.

First Period—1, NYR, Callahan 11 (Richards, Stepan), 7:49 (pp). Penalties—Jones, TB (goaltender interference), 3:46; Downie, TB (tripping), 6:33; Tyrell, TB (tripping), 9:51.

Second Period—2, Tampa Bay, Malone 6, 11:23. 3, NYR, Anisimov 5 (Del Zotto, Dubinsky), 13:23 (sh). Penalties—Hagelin, NYR (hooking), 6:05; Eminger, NYR (high-sticking), 7:16; Moore, TB (slashing), 8:53; Del Zotto, NYR (roughing), 8:53; McDonagh, NYR (hooking), 11:53; Bergeron, TB, double minor (roughing), 13:23; Downie, TB, minor-misconduct (roughing), 13:23; Stamkos, TB (roughing), 13:23; Dubinsky, NYR, double minor (roughing), 13:23; Anisimov, NYR, double minor-misconduct (unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing), 13:23; Moore, TB (slashing), 15:34; Del Zotto, NYR (roughing), 15:34.

Third Period—4, Tampa Bay, Moore 2 (Hedman, Brewer), 18:03 (sh). Penalties—Pyatt, TB (hooking), 1:37; Malone, TB (roughing), 11:54; Malone, TB (boarding), 16:10.

Overtime—None. Penalties—None.

Shootout—Tampa Bay 1 (Malone NG, Moore G), NYR 0 (Mitchell NG, Richards NG, Gaborik NG). Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 7-14-9-1—31. NYR 13-6-5-6—30. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 0 of 4; NYR 1 of 6. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Garon 6-6-1 (30 shots-28 saves). NYR, Lundqvist 11-5-4 (31-29).

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, December 8, 2011

NEW YORK — Coach Guy Boucher had a message for the Lightning after Thursday's morning skate.

"You've got to be tough."

It already had been a tough day for Tampa Bay, which lost star wing Marty St. Louis with facial and nasal fractures from being hit in the face during the skate by a puck on a backhand shot from Dominic Moore.

So how appropriate was it that Moore was the catalyst for a 3-2 shootout victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Moore's short-handed goal — on a backhander, no less — with 1:57 left in the third period, tied the score 2-2. He also scored the only goal in the shootout. Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon made three saves.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Tampa Bay (12-14-2), which also got a second-period goal from Ryan Malone.

The Lightning also had a come-together moment. Captain Vinny Lecavalier, defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Downie took turns attacking Artem Anisimov for his celebration after scoring to break a 1-1 tie with 6:37 left in the second.

The goal was short-handed, and Anisimov used his stick as a rifle to pretend he was shooting at the Lightning goal. That set off a fracas in which Bergeron ended up sparring with Brandon Dubinsky.

The event ended with 36 total combined penalty minutes and with Anisimov and Downie — who went after Anisimov after it appeared Anisimov baited him — getting 10-minute misconducts.

The Rangers had the better of play in the first period, outshot Tampa Bay 13-7 and took a 1-0 lead.

The Rangers took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Callahan's power-play goal 7:49 into the period. It appeared to be a bad goal in that Garon went down too early and gave Callahan a slot on the short side. Callahan went that way high and beat Garon easily.

Garon redeemed himself with 4:14 left when he stopped Jeff Woywitka at the end of a two-on-one with a quick left-leg save.

Things swung the other way in the second period as the Lightning had a 14-6 shot advantage. Yet, it still trailed 2-1.

Malone tied the score with 8:37 left when he scored from the slot after picking off Ryan McDonagh's terrible diagonal pass from a corner of the defensive zone. Malone stole the puck and walked in on Henrik Lund­qvist, who had no chance.

First Period—1, NYR, Callahan 11 (Richards, Stepan), 7:49 (pp). Penalties—Jones, TB (goaltender interference), 3:46; Downie, TB (tripping), 6:33; Tyrell, TB (tripping), 9:51.

Second Period—2, Tampa Bay, Malone 6, 11:23. 3, NYR, Anisimov 5 (Del Zotto, Dubinsky), 13:23 (sh). Penalties—Hagelin, NYR (hooking), 6:05; Eminger, NYR (high-sticking), 7:16; Moore, TB (slashing), 8:53; Del Zotto, NYR (roughing), 8:53; McDonagh, NYR (hooking), 11:53; Bergeron, TB, double minor (roughing), 13:23; Downie, TB, minor-misconduct (roughing), 13:23; Stamkos, TB (roughing), 13:23; Dubinsky, NYR, double minor (roughing), 13:23; Anisimov, NYR, double minor-misconduct (unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing), 13:23; Moore, TB (slashing), 15:34; Del Zotto, NYR (roughing), 15:34.

Third Period—4, Tampa Bay, Moore 2 (Hedman, Brewer), 18:03 (sh). Penalties—Pyatt, TB (hooking), 1:37; Malone, TB (roughing), 11:54; Malone, TB (boarding), 16:10.

Overtime—None. Penalties—None.

Shootout—Tampa Bay 1 (Malone NG, Moore G), NYR 0 (Mitchell NG, Richards NG, Gaborik NG). Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 7-14-9-1—31. NYR 13-6-5-6—30. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 0 of 4; NYR 1 of 6. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Garon 6-6-1 (30 shots-28 saves). NYR, Lundqvist 11-5-4 (31-29).

Thursday, December 8, 2011

STORRS, Conn. — Jeremy Lamb scored 18 and Andre Drummond 12 on 6-of-7 shooting as No. 9 Connecticut beat No. 25 Harvard 67-53 Thursday night.

The game marked the Crimson's first as a ranked team. Harvard (8-1), the first Ivy team in the Top 25 since Princeton in 1998, sought to start a season with nine consecutive wins for the time since 1904-05 (10-0). The last Ivy team to start 9-0 was Columbia in 1969-70.

The Huskies (8-1) used a 9-0 run to go up 28-19 with 6:44 left in the first half. But the Crimson closed the half on a 9-2 run as the Huskies didn't score over the final 5:18, missing five shots and committing two turnovers.

UConn opened the second half with a 9-2 run to re-establish the nine-point lead. The run extended to 17-3 as the Huskies made seven of their first eight shots. A jumper in the lane by Lamb made it 47-31 with 12:18 to play.

Harvard, which missed 10 of its first 11 shots in the second half, went on an 8-0 run to get back in it. But Drummond's fifth dunk of the game and a 3-pointer by Lamb made it 52-39 with 8:44 to go. The Huskies led by at least seven the rest of the way.

No. 2 Ohio St.: Coach Thad Matta said it will be up to All-America forward Jared Sullinger if he can play Saturday at No. 13 Kansas. The sophomore missed the Buckeyes' previous game with back spasms and hasn't practiced this week. Sullinger wasn't available for comment.

St. John's: Sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsey, third on the team at 11.8 points per game and first in assists at 2.9 per game, will transfer. The native of Philadelphia said his mother's health has been "up and down due to some past experiences."

Women: Kentucky wins top-10 matchup

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A'dia Mathies scored 23 and freshman Bria Goss 19 to lead No. 10 Kentucky past No. 6 Duke 72-65. The Wildcats (9-0) used their pressure defense to force the Blue Devils (6-2) into a season-high 24 turnovers.

Up by two, the Wildcats sealed it with an 8-0 run. Kastine Evans broke a double team in the corner with a pass underneath to Mathies for a layup. Goss followed with a 3-pointer, and Mathies added a 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down to make it 62-52 with 4:54 left.

No. 5 Maryland 108, Delaware St. 33: Laurin Mincy's 15 led eight players in double figures for the host Terps. Maryland (10-0) made 13 of its first 18 shots in taking a 57-14 halftime lead on its way to setting a school record for margin of victory.

No. 11 Rutgers 68, Fordham 48: Khadijah Rushdan scored 16 for the host Knights (9-1), who were coming off their first loss, in double overtime to No. 9 Miami. Up 37-25, they scored the first nine of the second half.

No. 21 Wis.-Green Bay 72, Toledo 65: Lydia Bauer made five 3s and scored 23 for the visiting Phoenix (8-0). Bauer scored the first five of a 12-0 run that put the Phoenix up 45-37 6:34 into the second half.

By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Thursday, December 8, 2011

NEW PORT RICHEY — Freshman forward Amanda Hayes scored two goals in the final 16 minutes to rally Mitchell to a 2-1 victory over rival River Ridge on Thursday night.

The battle between arguably the two best teams in Pasco County lived up to expectations as the Mustangs won a tight contest for the second time in as many meetings this season.

The Mustangs came out flat in the first half, allowing the Royal Knights multiple opportunities at the goal. During a 2-on-1 situation in the 29th minute, River Ridge midfielder Nicole Screnock passed to forward Sarah Olin, who blasted the ball past Mitchell goalkeeper Erica Disbrow for a 1-0 lead.

"We had to make some changes, and we switched to three attacking players and we were successful with that," Mitchell coach Karl Kukec said. "We had to match intensity with River Ridge's intensity. We had to get more aggressive."

Mitchell certainly heeded Kukec's words in the second half, outshooting River Ridge eight to five.

Hayes received a pass from Danielle Misener in the 64th minute and scored from 15 yards out on a turnaround blast past goalkeeper Lisa Jadick to tie the game 1-1.

The freshman phenom wasn't done, converting a breakaway in the 76th minute for the winning goal.

"I saw (the breakaway) and I was screaming for the ball," Hayes said. "(The defender) left me wide open. It was a battle."

Mitchell improves to 10-1-1, while River Ridge falls to 8-3-1. The Royal Knights lost to the Mustangs 1-0 earlier in the year.

"It was a good win because it shows me that, if it comes down to it in the districts or later rounds of the playoffs, that we're capable of getting that goal," Kukec said.

Times wires
Thursday, December 8, 2011

NEW YORK — Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Thursday that he would support the elimination of automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series as long as the teams from his league play in the Rose Bowl. But he is against a plus-one system, which is essentially a four-team playoff.

The BCS's contract with ESPN expires after the January 2014 games, and talk of changes has begun. Included is the BCS setting only the title game with the bowls making deals with schools and conferences such as the Big Ten and Pac-12's with the Rose Bowl.

"As long as I can go to the Rose Bowl, I'm okay without automatic bids," Delany said at the Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

In 2008, the ACC and SEC proposed the plus-one. But it was rejected by the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12 (then the Pac-10).

But Monday, the Big 12 athletic directors voted to support it. Wednesday at the forum, Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby said it was "inevitable" while Washington AD Scott Woodward said he believed it would "eventually" happen.

But Delany says he fears four teams would begin a slippery slope of putting more teams in.

"That's what happened in I-AA (football). It's what happened in the basketball tournament," he said. "I don't think the slippery slope is theoretical. I think the slippery slope is practical."

Georgia coach recalls landing Plant stars

TAMPA — With athletic department officials in tow, Georgia coach Mark Richt returned to the site of one of his most glorious recruiting conquests.

Exactly 4.3 miles from where he sat signing commemorative Outback Bowl footballs, quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Orson Charles flourished for Plant High's 2008 state title team.

"To get two guys from out of state from the same high school that have had the kind of impact that these guys have had on our program, it just doesn't happen very often," Richt said. "I'm still trying to figure out how we got them out of here, but we're thankful we got them."

Richt, who joined Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio at the contract signing party, addressed speculation that the Jan. 2 game will be Charles' last as a Bulldog.

The third-year junior is widely projected as a high-round pick.

"Our main goal really and truly is just educate them, give them as much exposure to the right kind of information (about the draft), and most of that information is going to come from the NFL," Richt said.

"Right now, there are 100 guys who have been projected to be a first-round draft pick by the media. Well, there are only 32 teams. So … some of these guys are going to be fourth-round draft picks."

Player dies: Oregon State defensive tackle Fred Thompson collapsed Wednesday night while playing basketball on campus and died. The freshman, four days shy of turning 20, did not play this season. Campus police said Thompson was stricken so suddenly that even if emergency personnel had been on the scene, they likely could not have saved him. An autopsy is set for today.

Gruden endorses Leavitt: Former USF coach Jim Leavitt and Arizona State would be a good fit, ESPN analyst and former Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "I think it'd be an unbelievable coup for Arizona State," Gruden told Arizona Sports 620-AM on Wednesday night. "I witnessed (Leavitt) do a phenomenal job for a long time." Leavitt, 55, fired by USF in 2010 after 13 seasons, is in his first year as linebackers coach of the 49ers. The Sun Devils fired Dennis Erickson.

FSU: The Seminoles returned to practice in preparation for the Champs Sports Bowl against Notre Dame on Jan. 2. "It feels good to get our bodies healed up. It's an important game," sophomore cornerback Xavier Rhodes said. "We're playing against good players." FSU will practice through the weekend, then is expected take a short break.

Memphis: TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente was named coach. He replaces the fired Larry Porter.

North Carolina: Interim coach Everett Withers will lead the team at the Independence Bowl. The school is set to announce the hiring of Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora today.

SMU: Coach June Jones said he's happy where he is, even though he was set to leave for Arizona State before it pulled the offer. "It was something that happened very fast," he said. "One of the prices of winning is you get contacted a lot of times for different opportunities. I had an opportunity that appealed, so I listened." Jones added he was honest with SMU officials, players and recruits during the process.

UCF: Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof was hired for the same job. He was with Knights coach George O'Leary when O'Leary led Georgia Tech from 1995-2001. Auburn coach Gene Chizik will also be defensive coordinator for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Big East: Cincinnati had the offensive (running back Isaiah Pead), co-defensive (tackle Derek Wolfe) and coach (Butch Jones) of the year. Wolfe shared the award with Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene. West Virginia's Tavon Austin was named special teams player of the year and Louis­ville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rookie of the year. No USF players made the first team, but six made the second: kicker Maikon Bonani, defensive lineman Ryne Giddens, running back Darrell Scott, guard Jeremiah Warren, cornerback Jayvon Webster and safety Jerrell Young.

USF: Senior center Chaz Hine was named a second-team Academic All-American.

Times staff writers Greg Auman and Joey Knight contributed to this report, which used information from the Orlando Sentinel.

Times wires
Thursday, December 8, 2011

PITTSBURGH — Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played through a high left ankle sprain to lead the Steelers to a 14-3 victory over the Browns on Thursday.

Pittsburgh's 15th win in its past 16 games against Cleveland put it a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North.

With 5:46 left in the second quarter, Roethlisberger was sacked by Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering, his ankle bending awkwardly. He lay on the ground for several minutes, limped off the field and went to the locker room for X-rays.

Charlie Batch finished the half.

But Roethlisberger returned for the second half, going 8-of-12 for 178 yards. That included a 79-yard touchdown to Antonio Brown with 2:52 left.

Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy left in the fourth after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from linebacker James Harrison, who was called for roughing the passer. Seneca Wallace led the Browns to the Pittsburgh 5. McCoy returned but was called for intentional grounding on his first play then threw an interception. Brown's touchdown came two plays later.

Manning update: Colts owner Jim Irsay said quarterback Peyton Manning probably won't play this season. Manning hasn't thrown with teammates since having his third neck surgery in 19 months on Sept. 8. And with only four games left and him just now able to ramp up his rehab regimen, it was highly unlikely he could play.

Broncos: Receiver Eddie Royal missed his second straight practice with a concussion. His status hasn't been determined for Sunday.

Rams: QB Sam Bradford did not practice for the second straight day because of a high left ankle sprain but hopes to play Monday. Backup A.J. Feeley is out with a broken thumb. Tom Brandstater, who has never played in a game, would go if Bradford can't.

Vikings: Running back Adrian Peterson practiced on a limited basis, his first action since spraining his left ankle Nov. 20 against the Raiders. He hopes to determine his status today. Also, quarterback Christian Ponder didn't practice because of a right hip pointer sustained Sunday. His status hasn't been determined.

Concussions: Lew Carpenter, who died last year at 78, had an advanced form of Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy, a degenerative disease increasingly found in athletes who absorb repeated blows to the head. Carpenter played running back for the Lions, Browns and Packers from 1953-63. Late in his life, he had trouble finding the right words, keeping things organized and controlling his temper. His family donated his brain for research. "Concussions aren't necessary for CTE to exist," Boston University's Robert Cantu said. "He probably had between 1,000 and 1,500 subconcussive blows a year just from practice and … games."

Obituary: The Chargers said linebacker Lew Bush, who played for them for seven seasons, died of an apparent heart attack. He was 42. Mr. Bush was part of the 1994 Super Bowl team.

Regional combine coming to Tampa

Starting next year, the league will hold eight regional scouting combines in addition to its main one in Indianapolis. The combines, for players not invited to Indianapolis, will be in Tampa (Feb. 18), Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles and New York. Players who attend one could be invited to a bigger one in Detroit.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

Rookie LHP Matt Moore is getting a long-term contract that will be announced this afternooon.

The deal will guarantee Moore $14 million over five years, and with option years could be worth $37.5 million over eight years.

The Rays plan an afternoon announcement, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported the agreement on Twitter.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

When Alabama running back Trent Richardson heard his name called as one of the Heisman Trophy finalists Monday night, one of the first people he talked with was his former teammate Mark Ingram — the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner. He was now, finally, among the elite in college football and he needed some help in keeping it all in perspective.

"I talked to him really just to make sure my head is focused in this situation," Richardson said this week. "He said, win or lose, I've done the most that I can do. He said if you win or lose, just go out and ball-out your last game like you've never played before."

Richardson is among five finalists for the most prestigious award in college football, which will be presented tonight in New York City. Joining him are Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

When the football season began four months ago, Luck, the 2010 Heisman runner-up, was considered the favorite. But heading into tonight's ceremony, many believe the race is too close to call. Which is all the more reason Luck is just happy to be back in New York again.

"I'm very honored," Luck said. "I feel very blessed. It was a great experience last year and to be able to go back, I feel very lucky. I'm very excited to hang out with all the guys. The Heisman Trust does a terrific job of making it a great experience for all of us and I'm looking forward to it."

If some early predictions are correct, Luck may once again find himself as the second leading man. Heismanpundit.com, a website that has correctly picked the winner since 2007, and Stiffarmtrophy.com have both predicted that Griffin will take home Baylor's first Heisman Trophy. When the junior talks about the honor, he uses the word "we" because he said it will be a great accomplishment for himself and the school.

"It's amazing," Griffin said. "Going to New York as the favorite to win the Heisman, it's indescribable, there's not a word that you can fathom that can describe what this experience is going to be like. We might win it, we might not win it. The fact of the matter is that it's an honor to even be there. Of course we do want to win it, but I mean I'm just elated and excited to be there."

Ball feels the same way. For a kid who just last season was buried on the depth chart and considered moving to linebacker or transferring because he wasn't sure he could get on the field as a running back, to be considered among the nation's best players is nearly overwhelming.

"If you had told me at the beginning of the season that I would have over 1,600 yards and 38 touchdowns, I would not have believed you," Ball said. "And being invited to … and New York? I would not have believed you at all."

Lately, Richardson has allowed himself to believe it. He has imagined seeing his Heisman statue in the school's trophy case — next to Ingram's. He expects his emotions will be running high as the announcement nears tonight.

"The other day I was YouTube-ing the Heisman last year and the year before that, (watching) Ingram's speech that he had," Richardson said. "Just all the emotions in that room when the guy says: 'And the winner is.' That's something I'm looking forward to."

Antonya Engish can be reached at aenglish@tampabay.com.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

When Alabama running back Trent Richardson heard his name called as one of the Heisman Trophy finalists Monday night, one of the first people he talked with was former teammate Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman winner. Richardson was now, finally, among the elite in college football and he needed some help in keeping it all in perspective.

"I talked to him really just to make sure my head is focused in this situation," Richardson said this week about talking to the Saints running back. "He said, win or lose, I've done the most that I can do. He said if you win or lose, just go out and ball-out your last game like you've never played before."

Richardson is among five finalists for the most prestigious award in college football, which will be presented tonight in New York City. Joining him are Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

When the football season began four months ago, Luck, the 2010 Heisman runnerup, was considered the favorite. Now many believe the race is too close to call.

"It was a great experience last year and to be able to go back, I feel very lucky," Luck said. "I'm very excited to hang out with all the guys. The Heisman Trust does a terrific job of making it a great experience for all of us, and I'm looking forward to it."

If early predictions are correct, Luck may once again find himself running second. Heismanpundit.com, a website that has correctly picked the winner since 2007, and Stiffarmtrophy.com have both predicted that Griffin will take home Baylor's first Heisman Trophy. When the junior talks about the honor, he uses the word "we" because he said it will be a great accomplishment for himself and the school.

"It's amazing," Griffin said. "Going to New York as the favorite to win the Heisman, it's indescribable, there's not a word that you can fathom that can describe what this experience is going to be like. We might win it, we might not win it. The fact of the matter is that it's an honor to even be there. Of course we do want to win it, but I mean I'm just elated and excited to be there."

Ball feels the same way. For a player who just last season was buried on the depth chart and considered moving to linebacker or transferring because he wasn't sure he could get on the field as a running back, to be considered among the nation's best players is nearly overwhelming.

"If you had told me at the beginning of the season that I would have over 1,600 yards and 38 touchdowns, I would not have believed you," Ball said. "And being invited to … New York? I would not have believed you at all."

Lately, Richardson has allowed himself to believe it. He has imagined seeing his Heisman statue in the school's trophy case next to Ingram's. He expects his emotions to be running high as the announcement nears tonight.

"The other day I was YouTube-ing the Heisman last year and the year before that, (watching) Ingram's speech," Richardson said. "Just all the emotions in that room when the guy says: 'And the winner is.' That's something I'm looking forward to."

"I'm going to enjoy this experience," said Mathieu, a sophomore who plans to return to LSU next season. "Hopefully it won't be my last time being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

Montee Ball, Jr., RB, Wisconsin: Ball leads the nation with 1,759 yards and 32 rushing TDs. He would join Ron Dayne and Alan Ameche as the only other Wisconsin Heisman Trophy winners.

Robert Griffin III, Jr., QB, Baylor: He leads the nation in passer rating (192.3) and has 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns. He would become the first Baylor player to win a Heisman.

Andrew Luck, Jr., QB, Stanford: Passed for 3,170 yards and had 35 touchdowns, leading Stanford to an 11-1 record. He is the 2010 Heisman runner-up.

Tyrann Mathieu, So., DB LSU: Finished the season with 71 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions. Nicknamed the Honey Badger, he had 420 yards and two touchdowns in punt returns.

Trent Richardson, Jr., RB, Alabama: Richardson could become the second Alabama running back to win the Heisman in the past three years. He has rushed for 1,583 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

By Bill Hardman, Times Correspondent
Friday, December 9, 2011

What's hot: Cobia and amberjack are pounding the wrecks in all depths. Larger amberjack are in deeper water while larger cobia can be found on a shallow wreck as easily as a deeper wreck. At 60 feet in Pinellas and Pasco, it has been about 65 degrees. (The deeper you dive, the warmer the water.) Colder temperatures usually bring in more amberjack but also will get the cobia to head south. A couple weeks of warmer weather should keep both easy to find.

Stay warm: As always at this time of year, quality wet suits are a must. Not only is thickness important, but so is fit and full coverage of your head. Many divers dread wearing the constraining full hood. But improvements with super-stretch and fleece-lined Lavacore material make cold-water diving more comfortable. Some of these thermal protection garments are very warm and nonrestrictive, and some have no "reserve buoyancy," allowing you to wear less weight.

Bill Hardman teaches scuba, spearfishing and free diving through Aquatic Obsessions Scuba in St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 344-3483 and captainbill hardman@gmail.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Rangers center Artem Anisimov on Friday apologized to the Lightning, a day after his goal celebration sparked a fracas during the second period of Tampa Bay's 3-2 shootout victory.

Speaking to reporters in New York for the first time, Anisimov said he meant no disrespect.

"I just want to apologize to Tampa. I didn't mean something by it," he said. "It's just my celebration, and when I score goals, I want to do something unusual. I apologize to Tampa."

"He did something wrong, so of course we appreciate that," Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said after the team practice in Philadelphia ahead of tonight's game with the Flyers. "He's a young guy and the fact that he's saying it is good."

Anisimov, 23 and in his third full NHL season, used his stick as a mock rifle after he scored a shorthanded goal to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead and figuratively fired at Tampa Bay goaltender Mathieu Garon.

Garon said he did not see Anisimov's celebration, which sparked a confrontation with Lecavalier, defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Downie, each of whom took turns trying to get at Anisimov. The episode produced 38 penalty minutes, with Anisimov and Downie getting 10-minute misconducts.

Anisimov said he was not trying to show up the Lightning but was imitating the goal celebration of Ilya Gorokhov, a former Yaroslavl teammate in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.

"I watched him, and I liked it," Anisimov said, "and I told myself when I play NHL and I score, I want to do the same thing.

"I'll never do that celebration again. It's a good lesson for me — no more shooting."

Lecavalier said he spoke after the game to Rangers center and former Lightning teammate Brad Richards. He said Richards told him Anisimov got a good talking to by some of his teammates.

"I don't think their team was really impressed with that," Lecavalier said.

DOWNIE FINE? Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman spoke with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about Downie's part in the fracas and believes Downie could be fined. Downie was sitting on top of the side boards near the Tampa Bay bench as the confrontation unfolded and left to join it as it heated up.

game highlights: Defenseman Dennis Wideman scored three power-play goals and had an assist, and the host Capitals beat the Maple Leafs 4-2. … Jason Pominville scored 2:19 into overtime to give the host Sabres a 2-1 win over the Panthers.

around the league: Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger is sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. He was scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh to see the doctors who have been working with the Penguins' Sidney Crosby during his concussion and recovery. Pronger missed six games with an eye injury this season and had left-knee surgery last month that was expected to keep him out for another two weeks. … The Hurricanes traded underperforming defenseman Tomas Kaberle to the Canadiens for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek basically to dump Kaberle's three-year, $12.75 million deal signed in the offseason, Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford told the Raleigh News & Observer. "I should've known better," Rutherford said of giving the deal to Kaberle, "in the sense of where he was in his career." … Bruins forward Daniel Paille sustained a concussion on a hit he took from Panthers forward Krys Barch on Thursday and is day to day, coach Claude Julien said.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

First Period—1, Washington, Wideman 4 (Knuble, Backstrom), 12:33 (pp). Penalties—Ward, Was (closing hand on puck), 4:35; Gardiner, Tor (slashing), 12:00; Schenn, Tor (roughing), 17:22; Chimera, Was (roughing), 17:22.

Second Period—2, Washington, Wideman 5 (Ovechkin, Laich), 1:49 (pp). 3, Toronto, Kessel 18 (Bozak, Lupul), 12:52. 4, Washington, Backstrom 11 (Wideman, Semin), 18:50 (pp). Penalties—Toronto bench, served by Frattin (too many men), 1:38; Semin, Was (hooking), 10:30; Armstrong, Tor (high-sticking), 16:51; Crabb, Tor (boarding), 18:12.

Third Period—5, Toronto, Franson 3, 13:16. 6, Washington, Wideman 6 (Carlson, Backstrom), 18:41 (pp). Penalties—Liles, Tor (interference), 10:13; Crabb, Tor (high-sticking), 17:46; Phaneuf, Tor (roughing), 19:45; Carlson, Was (roughing), 19:45. Shots on Goal—Toronto 8-12-8—28. Washington 6-12-7—25. Power-play opportunities—Toronto 0 of 2; Washington 4 of 6. Goalies—Toronto, Reimer 4-2-2 (25 shots-21 saves). Washington, Vokoun 12-7-0 (28-26).

First Period—1, Buffalo, Roy 7 (Stafford, Ennis), 17:50. Penalties—Florida bench, served by Santorelli (too many men), 1:17; McNabb, Buf (goaltender interference), 6:06; Dadonov, Fla (hooking), 9:59; Kennedy, Fla (high-sticking), 13:29.

Second Period—2, Florida, Garrison 9 (Fleischmann, Versteeg), 15:48 (pp). Penalties—Sturm, Fla (hooking), 8:17; Ehrhoff, Buf (roughing), 15:24; Hecht, Buf (holding), 15:34.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Vanek, Buf (high-sticking), 5:50; Kopecky, Fla (hooking), 13:46.

Overtime—3, Buffalo, Pominville 10 (Szczechura, Leopold), 2:19. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Florida 5-10-6-2—23. Buffalo 7-6-3-4—20. Power-play opportunities—Florida 1 of 4; Buffalo 0 of 5. Goalies—Florida, Clemmensen 3-0-1 (20 shots-18 saves). Buffalo, Miller 7-6-1 (23-22).

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Southeast W L OT Pts GF GA

Florida 16 8 4 36 80 69

Washington 14 12 1 29 84 87

Winnipeg 12 11 4 28 77 83

Tampa Bay 12 14 2 26 73 91

Carolina 9 17 4 22 77 104

Atlantic W L OT Pts GF GA

Philadelphia 17 7 3 37 96 79

Pittsburgh 16 9 4 36 88 72

N.Y. Rangers 15 6 4 34 73 58

New Jersey 14 12 1 29 70 78

N.Y. Islanders 9 11 6 24 59 82

Northeast W L OT Pts GF GA

Boston 17 9 1 35 89 56

Toronto 15 10 3 33 89 90

Buffalo 14 11 2 30 76 74

Ottawa 13 12 4 30 90 101

Montreal 11 11 7 29 72 76

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central W L OT Pts GF GA

Chicago 17 8 4 38 96 90

Detroit 17 9 1 35 82 61

St. Louis 16 9 3 35 70 62

Nashville 13 11 4 30 74 77

Columbus 8 16 4 20 68 94

Northwest W L OT Pts GF GA

xMinnesota 18 7 3 39 71 61

Vancouver 17 10 1 35 93 70

Edmonton 13 12 3 29 79 76

Calgary 13 13 2 28 70 80

Colorado 13 14 1 27 77 87

Pacific W L OT Pts GF GA

Phoenix 15 10 3 33 76 72

xDallas 15 10 1 31 69 72

xLos Angeles 13 10 4 30 62 61

xSan Jose 14 9 1 29 68 58

Anaheim 8 15 5 21 65 92

 x-late game not included; two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Late Wednesday

Carolina 5, Edmonton 3

Thursday

New Jersey 5, Ottawa 4, SO

Tampa Bay 3, Rangers 2, SO

Florida 2, Boston 0

Chicago 3, Islanders 2, OT

Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2

Nashville 4, Columbus 3, OT

Detroit 5, Phoenix 2

Vancouver 4, Mont. 3, SO

St. Louis 4, Anaheim 2

Calgary 3, Colorado 2

Minn. at Los Angeles, late

Dallas at San Jose, late

Today

Toronto at Washington, 7

Florida at Buffalo, 7:30

Carolina at Winnipeg, 8:30

Colorado at Edmonton, 9:30

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, December 9, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The farther Ahk Colormegone runs, the farther she separates herself from the other greyhounds.

The Abernathy kennel dog has been on top of her game in the $75,000 660-Yard Challenge at Derby Lane. Two wins in qualifying so far, one by 7 lengths and the other by 10.

Ahk Colormegone and Flying Marvelous of McAllister are the only undefeated entries left as third-round action takes place tonight in the track's final stakes of the year.

"We've put a lot of work into (Ahk Colormegone) and it's paid off," trainer Kayruth Abernathy said. "She was good at 550 yards. When we saw her coming from behind, Jimmy (Kayruth's husband and kennel owner) decided to change her distance."

Ahk Colormegone (Race 10, 10:11 p.m.) wasn't expected to be Abernathy's top stakes entry. That role belonged to Magic Finch, winner of the $80,000 Distance Classic and $10,000 St. Petersburg Consolation Derby this year. But Magic Finch (Race 6, 8:55) is tied for 12th in points (13), and Ahk Colormegone is virtually assured a berth in the Dec. 17 finale with 32 points. The championship race is limited to eight greyhounds.

A 23-month-old female owned by Janelle Jackson of Rockdale, Texas, Ahk Colormegone began her career with 34 of her first 35 starts at 550 yards. She finished fifth to Craigie I Am Jak in the $50,000 Fall Sprint on Oct. 1, and entered the 660-Yard Challenge without a victory in five distance races.

In her two qualifying wins, the speedster led at every call. She prefers to race in the middle of the track, often giving ground to dogs that race along the rail.

Ahk Colormegone's parents, Fuzzys Cannon and Fuzzys Cessna, were Derby Lane sprinters that combined for only two of 159 starts at 660 yards. Fuzzys Cannon, a 2004 All-America second-team selection, won 70 lifetime races, including the 2005 Matinee Idol.

"I think we've got two good chances (to win with Ahk Colormegone and Magic Finch)," Abernathy said. "We're working hard with them every day."

McAllister has dominated the 660-Yard Challenge, winning the event three times in its first four years. Flying Marvelous also drew into Race 10 for trainer Barbara McAllister.

MORE DOGS: Cal Holland Jr. is the new kennel manager/trainer for Patriot. Kennel co-owner Randy Floyd is now the trainer for Floyd & Porter.

HORSES: Tampa Bay Downs celebrates Cotillion Festival Day, a 10-race card for 2-year-olds. Two $75,000 stakes are co-featured. In the Inaugural (Race 6, 2:46 p.m.), Luke of York is the 2-1 morning-line favorite. Live Every Day is the 3-1 early choice in the Sandpiper (Race 9, 4:10). … The American Graded Stakes Committee announced recently the Downs will retain its five graded stakes for 2012: the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby, and Grade IIIs Endeavour, Hillsborough, Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Stakes.

Times wires
Friday, December 9, 2011

LANDOVER, Md. — In the NFL, Tim Tebow is bringing the triple option back. At Army and Navy, they figure it never went out of style.

The clock should run and run some more when the academies reconvene today (2:30, Ch. 10, 1010-AM) at FedEx Field near the nation's capital for the 112th edition of their rivalry.

Max Jenkins, one of three quarterbacks to start for the Black Knights this season, came from a high school that threw the ball 30 times a game. Now he's a triple-option convert.

"Actually being in it, you learn to appreciate what it does," Jenkins said. "It's not just trying to spread the field and throw it to the superior athlete. It really does take a team effort and all 11 guys in this offense, and if one guy messes up, we're going to get a loss of a couple of yards.

"But when everybody's working together and it's all clicking, it's pretty fun to have those 13-, 14-play touchdown drives and wear down defenses."

Army has the top rushing offense in Division I-A, averaging 350.9 yards per game. Navy is fourth at 313.7. Army has thrown 91 passes all season, by far the fewest among I-A schools. Navy is next, at 132 passes.

"Once I started to finally understand it, I think this is the coolest offense there is," Navy fullback Alexander Teich said. "You leave three guys at the point of attack unblocked, that's almost unheard of in any other kind of offense. It's a fast-hit, quick-play, quick-hit, big-play kind of offense. You look at how many plays you have over 30 yards over the course of the season."

The triple option has been a success for Navy over the years, but a porous defense means the Midshipmen (4-7) won't go to a bowl this season, ending a run of eight straight.

But the game against Army (3-8) is a bigger deal anyway, and the Mids' streak of nine consecutive wins over the Black Knights is what really counts.

"We talk about the brotherhood and not letting the tradition fall," Teich said. "You don't want to let that ball drop while it's in your hands, so this game is big for us to continue that success."

By Joe Smith and Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writers
Friday, December 9, 2011

TAMPA — Having played for three teams in four seasons, Bucs K Connor Barth isn't one to get complacent.

It's awfully hard to considering the tenuous nature of the position.

"You miss one kick, and they're looking at you completely different," he said.

Barth hasn't missed much, converting 26 of 28 field goals. He is six shy of Matt Bryant's franchise record set in 2008, but he keeps it in perspective.

"This is my third team in my fourth year. I'm always going to have a chip on my shoulder, and that's what keeps me humble," said Barth, 25, who made 10 of 12 field goals for the Chiefs in 2008, was cut by the Dolphins during training camp in 2009 and signed with the Bucs on Nov. 3, 2009.

"You're just never going to get complacent because you never really know in this league. They're always trying to replace you. They always want to try to find a younger guy. So anything you can do to prove your case is what I try to do."

Barth is making $1.83 million this season and can become a free agent afterward. He said a narrowed focus has played a role in his success. In previous seasons, he might have looked ahead to see where he wanted to be, stats-wise, by the end of the season. Now he keeps a simple approach.

"As long as you make more than you miss, usually you're in a good position," Barth said. "And that's all I can ever ask for."

JONES FINED: The NFL fined S Sean Jones $20,000 for Sunday's helmet-to-helmet hit on Panthers WR Legedu Naanee. He was called for unnecessary roughness.

ALL SYSTEMS GO: QB Josh Freeman took a full load of snaps during Friday's practice, making it likely he'll start against the Jaguars.

Freeman sat out Sunday with a right shoulder injury but has had encouraging back-to-back days of practice during which he threw normally.

The news on CB Aqib Talib (hamstring) is not as encouraging. He did not practice for a third straight day and is listed on the injury report as out. That means 2010 third-round pick Myron Lewis will be active, coach Raheem Morris said.

DT Albert Haynesworth and TE Luke Stocker returned after missing two days of practice and should play.

CALLED UP: DE Tim Crowder, still experiencing issues related to a concussion sustained Sunday, was placed on season-ending injured reserve, opening a door for Lakeland native and former Gator S Ahmad Black's promotion from the practice squad.

Black's timing is fortunate for him because S Larry Asante, whom the Bucs planned to give playing time down the stretch, is doubtful for Sunday with a hamstring injury sustained during Thursday's practice. Morris said he expects Black to be active.

After spending the whole season on the practice squad, Friday's news was a long time coming for Black, the team's fifth-round pick this year.

"I had to patient," he said. "I had to (do that) in college. I didn't play that much my first year. I just had to be patient and put it in God's hands and go out there every day and control what I can control. I had to go out there and do my best."

Black missed the preseason with an ankle injury, making it difficult to get consideration to make the final roster. But his performance in recent practices has been worthy of a promotion.

"Ahmad was given a helmet not because anybody felt sorry for him or felt it was time," Morris said. "He's earned his way into this role. He did it the right way."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

TAMPA — Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew literally wears a chip on his shoulder every Sunday.

It's stitched onto his jersey.

Jones-Drew said he picked No. 32 because of the 32 teams that passed on him in the 2006 draft. The undersized former UCLA star went in the second round (60th overall) to Jacksonville.

"I was an angry person coming out of the draft," Jones-Drew, 26, said. "It was something that kind of drove me."

Bucs coach Raheem Morris can see that fuel in the violent way he runs, a 5-foot-7, 238-pound wrecking ball who leads the league in rushing at 1,137 yards and on Sunday faces a Tampa Bay defense that struggles against the run.

"Jones-Drew hasn't seen a fight he doesn't like," Morris said. "He's one of the toughest guys you'll play against. He's a rolling ball of butcher knives."

What makes Jones-Drew's feat more impressive is his circumstances. The Jaguars are 3-9, last in the AFC South, use a rookie quarterback in Blaine Gabbert and have few other offensive weapons. As a result, opponents often stack the line of scrimmage. Jones-Drew estimates he has seen "more eight-man fronts than anybody in this league."

However, Jones-Drew, with 297 receiving yards, accounts for 46.9 percent of Jacksonville's offense, the highest in the league. That could spell trouble for a Bucs defense 30th in yards allowed.

"That guy is a beast," Bucs defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake said. "He's always looking to run somebody over; looking to hurt you when he runs the football. (Opponents) load the box, and they don't check to pass. They hand the football off, and he's still drilling people. He is their team."

Jones-Drew saw five running backs — Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams, Joseph Addai and LenDale White — drafted before him. None has more rushing yards as a pro than his 6,385. He said he'll always be grateful for the Jaguars for giving him a shot.

Jones-Drew got the opportunity to "learn from one of the best running backs in the league" in former Jaguars standout Fred Taylor.

Jones-Drew, who has five rushing touchdowns and one receiving, used New Orleans' Darren Sproles (5-6, 190) as an example for how smaller backs can make big impacts.

"Obviously in the league, they have their prototype. You want a guy who is a 5-10, 220-pound running back or a 6-2 receiver who weighs this much and runs this fast," Jones-Drew said. "But sometimes, playmakers come in all different sizes."

Jones-Drew has gone through a lot of adversity with the Jaguars, who have one playoff appearance in his six seasons (2007), used a revolving door at quarterback and recently changed coaches. Interim coach Mel Tucker, who took over when Jack Del Rio was fired last month, praised Jones-Drew's unselfishness.

"He's not worried about stats," Tucker said. "It's all about winning, and he has tremendous leadership."

Jones-Drew could have landed in a bigger market, one that doesn't deal with TV blackouts and makes perennial playoff appearances. But he put it in perspective.

"I'll always feel indebted to the organization," he said, "because I don't know where I would have been if Jacksonville hadn't pulled the trigger."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer


Friday, December 9, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — The Lightning on Friday got some good news about injured star Marty St. Louis, whom it said was released from New York's NYU Medical Center and spent the night at his Connecticut home with wife Heather.

St. Louis, who sustained facial and nasal fractures at Thursday's morning skate when hit by a puck from an errant backhand by teammate Dominic Moore, was progressing, the team said, and was expected to fly to Tampa today.

Though St. Louis missed what would have been his 500th consecutive regular-season game, left wing Ryan Malone said he hoped the 3-2 shootout victory over the Rangers that stopped a five-game losing streak was solace for him.

"To have that milestone taken away, we wanted to make sure we went out and got it done," Malone said. "It was important for us to show Marty it meant something to us in the room."

Their priority is to keep the momentum. And with every nod to the concept of a team game and the luxury of secondary scoring, the Lightning needs its top offensive players — Malone, Steven Stamkos, Vinny Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell — to produce.

"You can't replace a guy like Marty," Purcell said, "so everybody has to raise their game."

That lately has been a struggle.

Purcell has three assists in his past 14 games. Malone has one point (a goal) in his past six. Lecavalier has zero points in four games and one (an assist) in his past seven. Even Stamkos, who is tied for third in the league with 16 goals, hasn't scored in four games.

"The last eight or nine games, for sure, have been tough," Lecavalier said.

Said Purcell: "It's just that after a while without getting production, maybe you're holding your stick a little tighter. You're pressing a little bit more, and you're not as comfortable in those situations as you are when you're on a streak."

Coach Guy Boucher agreed that "we need more" from the group — especially against the surging Flyers tonight at the Wells Fargo Center — but does not believe it should bear the entire burden.

"It's not the best players that win, it's the best team, so we have to be a better team," he said. "We will never be able to put on the ice what Marty gives us. That's the big mistake when you lose guys. You try to compensate for what they are. Instead of trying to find what Marty has, I'm trying to find parts of Marty. I don't want one guy. I want a team that figures out we need to do this or that and stick together."

That is why third-line center and puck hound Dominic Moore will get more opportunities in offensive situations, Boucher said, and speedy wing Tom Pyatt might keep seeing time on a line with Lecavalier and Purcell.

The experiments worked against the Rangers. Lecavalier said the game was the Lightning's "most complete. … Everybody stepped up their games two or three notches."

But that doesn't let Lecavalier, Stamkos, Purcell and Malone off the hook.

"When you're missing a big piece like Marty, we have to make sure we keep going in the right direction," Lecavalier said. "We have to be sharp every game."

For the Lightning, that would be good news.

NOTES: Defenseman Pavel Kubina (lower body) is on injured reserve retroactive to Monday. He is eligible to play Monday against the Devils at the St. Pete Times Forum. "That's what I'm shooting for," said Kubina, who skated with the team wearing a red no-contact jersey. … Center Nate Thompson (upper body) was expected to play against the Flyers, Boucher said. … Right wing Adam Hall and defenseman Matt Gilroy did not skate for what the team said was body maintenance.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8622. View his blog at lightning.tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @LightningTimes.

.TONIGHT

Lightning at Flyers

When/where: 7; Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM

Key stats: The Flyers, winners of four straight and nine of 12, are tied with the Panthers for most points in the Eastern Conference (37) and lead the league with 96 goals. … The Lightning road power play is on a 2 for 29 skid. … Philadelphia RW Claude Giroux has a league-best 37 points on 16 goals and 21 assists. … The Flyers' 16.6 average penalty minutes lead the league. … Philadelphia is 11-0-0 when leading after the first period and 14-0-1 when leading after two.

Friday, December 9, 2011

DETROIT — Yes, Octavio Dotel is on the move again, and this time he's on the verge of an unusual record.

The right-handed reliever reached an agreement Friday with the Tigers on a one-year deal, with a team option for 2013. When he takes the mound next season, Dotel will be playing for a record 13th major-league team.

Dotel, 38, is currently tied with Matt Stairs, Mike Morgan and Ron Villone after appearing in a game with 12 franchises, according to STATS LLC. Dotel's former teams, in order, are the: Mets, Astros, A's, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays and Cardinals.

Detroit did not announce financial terms of the contract.

Bonds Case: Federal prosecutors in San Francisco are urging a judge to send former slugger Barry Bonds to prison for 15 months. In court documents filed late Thursday, prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a federal probation officer that Bonds, 47, get only probation when he's sentenced for obstruction of justice Dec. 16.

D'backs-A's trade: Arizona added a starter and boosted its bullpen, acquiring pitchers Trevor Cahill, Craig Breslow and cash from the A's for minor-league starter Jarrod Parker, outfielder Collin Cowgill and reliever Ryan Cook.

Diamondbacks: First baseman Lyle Overbay, 34, agreed to terms on a one-year deal.

Marlins: Reliever Leo Nunez apologize for using a fake name and age, saying he falsified his identify when he was young so he could play pro ball. His real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and he's 29, a year older than listed in the Marlins' media guide. He was arrested this week in the Dominican Republic and released on a charge of using a false identity. Officials said he would not be prosecuted because he was cooperating with a larger investigation of fake documents.

Phillies: Outfielder Laynce Nix, 32, signed a $2.5 million, two-year deal Thursday.

YankS: Right-hander Freddy Garcia, 35, signed a one-year deal.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 9, 2011

The latest from the world of sports

Player of the day

Tim Tebow is changing sports television. Networks are fighting over his games, and ratings for Broncos games are significantly higher when Tebow, right, plays. For example: The ratings for Broncos games in Denver are 13 percent higher than they were earlier in the season when Tebow wasn't playing.

There's more. The Los Angeles Times says ESPN2's First Take is getting the best ratings in its history over the past six weeks, or since the time Tebow started having success. Tebow's play has been the hot-button topic on the show.

"When people say they have Tebow fatigue, I tell them the ratings say you don't," ESPN producer Jamie Horowitz told the Los Angeles Times.

Changes of the day

Sports Connection, the signature sports show on Bright House Sports Network and formerly on Bay News 9, is going off the air next Friday after more than 14 years. The reason: BHSN is changing its format to cover high school sports almost exclusively.

The show's host, Rock Riley, will remain with the network, hosting 10 or so minute-long daily sports updates for Bay News 9 and a monthly hour-long sports magazine show for BHSN.

"I created the (Sports Connection) show, and we're very proud of it,'' said Elliott Wiser, corporate VP of news and local programming for Bright House. "But we just felt that there was no longer an audience for it. People just don't stay up late to watch sports news that they can get any time on the Web. And we are excited about turning our attention to high school sports.''

BHSN has a contract through 2013 to air college football and basketball games, but it wants to be known for its high school coverage. Eventually the station hopes to air several live high school games a week from a variety of sports.

In other BHSN news, reporter Victoria Lim will not return to the network after her contract expires at the end of the month.

Three things that popped into my head

1. Because Stanford QB Andrew Luck wasn't at his best in marquee games (Oregon, Notre Dame), I'm predicting Baylor's Robert Griffin III will win the Heisman Trophy tonight.

2. Nice to see that Rangers coach John Tortorella admitted his player Artem Anisimov was out of line with his celebration of a goal Thursday night against the Lightning. A lot of coaches wouldn't have done that.

3. I understand why Charlie Weis would be interested in coaching at Kansas, but why was Kansas interested in Weis?

Announcer of the day

Tim McCarver is the well-deserved winner of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence. He has his detractors, but McCarver, right, gets my vote as the best, most influential baseball broadcaster. He is baseball's John Madden. He has changed how an analyst calls a game.

He hit his broadcasting stride calling Mets games in the 1980s and then moved to national games with ABC, CBS and now Fox. I'd argue McCarver, 70, remains as good today as ever, and he says he has no plans to retire.

"My energy for the games has not changed,'' McCarver said. " I still love what I do.''

tom jones' two cents

Times wires
Friday, December 9, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Charlie Weis says Kansas offered him an opportunity too good to pass up: The chance to rebuild a long-suffering program and mend his own tarnished reputation.

The former Gators offensive coordinator and ex-Notre Dame head coach was introduced as the Jayhawks' coach Friday. He takes over for Turner Gill, who was fired after going 5-19.

"It was too good of an opportunity," Weis said, "being able to go into a place that was down low and being able to see it through the rise back up top. Anyone who is goal-driven in anything, whether it was a startup, taking a business and doing good — this is what I do."

Terms of Weis' contract have not been finalized, but athletic director Sheahen Zenger said it would be a five-year deal that pays about $2.5 million annually, almost all of which is guaranteed.

Weis, 55, said the move to Florida was made with his family in mind. His son, Charlie Jr., wants to get into coaching and had the opportunity to help on the Gators' staff; he's already transferred to Kansas for the spring semester. The more pressing reason was Weis' daughter, Hannah, who has special needs. She was able to enroll in a school that allowed her to flourish.

"For us to leave that, there had to be a special circumstance for us to be able to do that," said Weis, adding that his wife will remain in Florida with Hannah and he will fly between Ocala and Lawrence regularly.

Florida: The Gainesville Sun reported that coach Will Muschamp has spoken to Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Mike Shula about becoming UF's offensive coordinator. NFL coaches can't accept jobs during the season. Shula's career includes Alabama's head coach from 2003 to 2006 and the Bucs offensive coordinator from 1996-99.

UNC welcomes Fedora: New coach Larry Fedora sounded undeterred taking over a North Carolina program still wounded by an NCAA investigation and facing sanctions. "I've got a saying that adversity, it's going to happen and it brings out the best in all of us," Fedora said. "But when it does, you look it in the eye, you grab it by the throat and you choke it." School trustees approved a seven-year deal worth more than $1.7 million annually for the former offensive coordinator at Florida and Oklahoma State who was 33-19 as head coach at Southern Miss.

Illinois Hires coach: New Illini coach Tim Beckman promised to "work tirelessly in building the football program to compete for Big Ten and national championships." He replaces Ron Zook, who was fired after seven seasons. Beckman comes to Illinois after three seasons at Toledo, where he was 21-16 overall.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes received NCAA approval to exceed the limit of coaches on staff through their bowl game. The waiver specifies that no more than 10 coaches — and no more than seven at any one time — may be involved in recruiting. The existing staff under Luke Fickell will prepare for the Gator Bowl against Florida on Jan. 2. Incoming coach Urban Meyer will handle only recruiting while hiring assistants, which he started by naming Iowa State assistant Tom Herman offensive coordinator.

Oregon State: A medical examiner said 19-year-old defensive tackle Fred Thompson, who collapsed and died during a pickup basketball game Wednesday, had an enlarged heart.