Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops has reportedly begun preliminary talks with Auburn about filling the same job. Ted Roof left Auburn to become UCF's defensive coordinator.

The Auburn bureau of al.com, which is operated by three Alabama newspapers, reported Saturday that the Tigers have reached out to Stoops.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said last week that he was aware that other programs were interested in Stoops.

Stoops, the brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, has been at FSU for two seasons. The Seminoles are ranked sixth in the nation in total defense this season; Auburn is 78th.

Auburn begins practice today for the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia. Coach Gene Chizik doesn't expect to name a defensive coordinator quickly.

South Carolina's Ellis Johnson and North Carolina's Everett Withers are also reportedly potential candidates for the Auburn position.

Auburn suspends dyer: Tigers tailback Mike Dyer, a first-team All-SEC pick, was suspended indefinitely for violating undisclosed team rules and won't play against Virginia.

Paterno injured in fall: Joe Paterno fractured his pelvis again in a fall at his home but will not need surgery, the family's lawyer said. The former Penn State coach, who turns 85 on Dec. 21, was expected to make a full recovery. He initially hurt his pelvis in August when a player ran into him during practice. Paterno is also undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for what his family has said is a treatable form of lung cancer.

Iowa: Defensive coordinator Norm Parker, 70, will retire after 13 seasons with the team. Iowa, which has not named a replacement, ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense in 2008, 2009 and 2010. "After 48 years of doing something I love, it is time to enjoy some time with the grandkids," said Parker, who has battled health issues. He had his foot amputated in fall 2010 because of diabetes and spent most of the season away from the team. This season the defense struggled with injuries and inexperience, and ranks 42nd nationally at 23.3 points per game.

Maryland: Freshman linebacker Alex Twine was charged with disorderly conduct after a police officer saw him ranting and punching cars at a shopping center near campus.

Soccer: UNC wins 1-0 to take men's title

HOOVER, Ala. — Ben Speas lofted a 25-yard shot over goalkeeper Klay Davis midway through the second half to give North Carolina a 1-0 victory over Charlotte in the NCAA championship game.

The top-seeded Tar Heels (22-2-2) earned their second men's title.

Speas worked the ball toward the middle of the field and hit a left-footer that barely cleared the outstretched arm of Davis.

The unseeded 49ers (17-5-3) outshot North Carolina 14-3 in the second half. In a flurry of four shots in 41 seconds late in the game, UNC goalkeeper Scott Goodwin made two saves, one shot hit the crossbar and another went just wide.

"It was hectic, to say the least," Goodwin said.

The 49ers had three other shots in the final minutes that were deflected before they reached the goal.

Early in the second half it appeared Charlotte might get a penalty kick when Donnie Smith went down while trying to drive toward the goal against Kirk Urso, but no foul was called.

"In my own humble opinion, that was a penalty," Charlotte coach Jeremy Gunn said. "There's a good chance when we watch it on the DVD that a cup of tea might go flying across the room."

Volleyball: FSU plays UCLA at 7 p.m. Thursday in an NCAA tournament semifinal match in San Antonio, Texas. The Seminoles beat Iowa in five sets Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates got a six-game suspension for throwing punches against No. 8 Xavier, and seven other players were disciplined for a brawl in Saturday's crosstown rivalry game.

Four from each school were suspended Sunday. Three Bearcats got six-game suspensions.

Gates, Cincinnati's top frontcourt player, punched Xavier's Kenny Frease in the face and hit at least one other Musketeer during the fracas, which prompted referees to call Xavier's 76-53 win with 9.4 seconds left.

Cincinnati gave Cheikh Mbodj and Octavius Ellis six-game suspensions. Ge'Lawn Guyn was suspended for one game.

Xavier suspended point guard Tu Holloway for one game, guard Mark Lyons for two, and Dez Wells and Landen Amos for four games each.

Frease was the most badly injured, getting punched and kicked. He had blood streaming from beneath his left eye and was woozy after the game. X-rays were normal, the school said.

Both schools apologized, and Holloway took responsibility Sunday for instigating the brawl: "If I would've never talked to (UC's) bench or if I wouldn't have said anything to their players … I brought the rest of my teammates down."

The suspensions will affect only one Big East game, the Bearcats' league opener at Pittsburgh on Jan. 1. Cincinnati plays USF on Feb. 26 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

No. 16 'bama 62, Detroit 57: JaMychal Green scored 21 for the host Tide (8-2).

MURRAY ST. 76, no. 21 memphis 72: The visiting Racers (10-0) remained one of nine unbeaten Division I teams, surviving a late 8-0 run that got the Tigers (5-3) within one.

No. 13 kansas: Guard Tyshawn Taylor had surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and could be out up to three weeks.

Women

No. 1 Baylor 73, St. John's 59: Brittney Griner had 17 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks as the Bears (10-0) won in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden. Baylor trailed 36-30 early in the second half before taking over with an 18-3 run led by Griner. Baylor next plays host to No. 2 UConn at 8:30 p.m. next Sunday (ESPN).

No. 5 MD. 78, George Mason 50: Alyssa Thomas scored 18 for the visiting Terrapins (11-0).

No. 6 Duke 93, USC-Upstate 35: Elizabeth Williams scored 22 on 10-of-10 shooting for the host Blue Devils (7-2).

No. 7 Tenn. 84, No. 20 DePaul 61: Glory Johnson scored 16 as the Vols (5-2) pulled away from the Blue Demons (8-2) during the second half in the Maggie Dixon Classic. Before the game, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt received the Maggie Dixon Courage award. Summitt has early onset Alzheimer's.

No. 8 Texas A&M 68, TCU 53: The Aggies (7-2) snapped a two-game skid in the finale of a five-game road trip.

No. 10 UK 101, Ark.-Pine Bluff 43: The host Wildcats (10-0) set a school record by forcing 49 turnovers. Kentucky's leading scorer, A'dia Mathies, sat out with an ankle injury; her status for next Sunday's game at No. 3 Notre Dame is unknown.

No. 17 Penn St. 76, Maryland-Eastern Shore 51: The host Lions (8-2) shot 47 percent (27 of 58) from the field and are averaging 80 points over their past six games, going 5-1.

No. 18 UNC 93, E. Tennessee St. 77: Chay Shegog tied a career-high with 26 points and had 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (7-1).

No. 19 G'town 59, GW 50: Sugar Rodgers had 18 points and six steals as the host Hoyas (9-2) won their eighth straight.

No. 22 Delaware 70, Wake 57: Elena Delle Donne had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and the visiting Blue Hens (8-0) claimed their first win over an ACC team. Wake Forest coach Mike Petersen called Delle Donne "the best player in the country, and it's not even close."

No. 24 OU 72, Wis.-Milwaukee 50: Whitney Hand had 17 points and 10 rebounds as the host Sooners (4-3) avoided losing four straight for the first time since January 2004.

Central Michigan 75, No. 12 Purdue 62: Brittany Rayburn scored 25 and the host Chippewas outscored the Boilermakers (7-3) 47-25 in the second half.

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Talk of the town

Five topics suitable for inane debate on talk radio.

All bets are off: You could rationalize November's swoon because the Bucs played a month's worth of playoff contenders. No longer. They've been outscored 79-33 the past two weeks by a pair of last-place teams, and Raheem Morris is now in the crosshairs.

Losing the easy way: So you want a single, easy-to-explain reason the Bucs have lost seven in a row? Try turnovers. When they were 4-2, the Bucs were plus-3 in turnover margin. During the losing streak, they are minus-13.

Bring on Andy Dalton: On the list of bad signs, getting beaten by rookie quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks ranks pretty high.

Select company: In the past 10 years, only Rod Woodson, Deion Sanders, Robert Griffith and Junior Seau had picked off at least three passes in a season at age 36 or older. Ronde Barber pulled it off with three games left.

No comment: Preston Parker declined to talk about his fumbles. Kellen Winslow recently declined to talk about dropping a critical pass. This is way bigger than reporters missing out on quotes. It's about a lack of accountability in the locker room.

A list of five

Five signs Raheem Morris is in trouble.

5. Referring to team as the Generic Packers.

4. CNN says Mitt Romney just got Raheem-ed in the debate.

3. Closes his eyes on third down.

2. A Glazer darn near talked.

1. Players voted Jim Bates best defensive coordinator since Monte Kiffin.

Five worst losing streaks

26: It was either coincidence or bitter irony, but Sunday was the 34th anniversary of the first victory in Tampa Bay history. That 33-14 win at New Orleans ended the mother of all NFL losing streaks that had stretched from 1976 to '77.

11: This was also a two-parter. The Bucs lost the final four games of Jon Gruden's reign in 2008 and then dropped the first seven games of Morris' head coaching career.

10: This one is sort of cheating, but the Bucs lost a playoff game to the Cowboys at the end of the 1982 strike season and dropped their first nine games of '83.

9: It didn't take long to recognize the Leeman Bennett era was going to be a mistake. The Bucs lost their first nine games of his reign in 1985. Showing remarkable consistency, they also lost the last seven of Bennett's career in '86.

9: There was a moment when the Bucs were 4-3 in 1987 and Ray Perkins looked like he knew what he was doing. It didn't last. Tampa Bay lost the rest of its games.

Five super picks

Checking out the best bets for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

1. Packers: I bet they won't go undefeated. In 2012.

2. Ravens: Packers may have to beat back-to-back Harbaughs.

3. Saints: How did they lose to the Bucs?

4. Steelers: Have given up 19 points in the past three games combined.

30. Bucs: Have reclaimed the NFL's worst all-time winning percentage.

Final five words

Too sad to be comical.

Times staff
Sunday, December 11, 2011

By the numbers

7 Consecutive losses, the eighth time in franchise history the Bucs have had that many in a row during a season: 1976 (14), 1977 (12), 1983 (9), 1985 (9), 1986 (7), 1987 (8) and 2009 (7).

31 Turnovers this season (20 interceptions and 11 fumbles), including seven on Sunday; the Bucs are on pace for 38, which would be the most since 47 in 1991.

41 Points scored by the Jaguars on Sunday, 21 more than their previous season high and more than triple their season average of 12.7 entering the game.

108 Penalties committed by the Bucs this season, including 12 on Sunday, third most in the league and on pace for 133, two more than the franchise record set in 2005 (at 877 yards, they're on pace for 1,079, 25 shy of the record set in 2003).

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, December 11, 2011

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

Best Bradshaw rant

Part I

Fox NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw, left, woke up in a cranky mood Sunday. He tore into former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, right, for being too involved publicly in his sons' (Peyton and Eli) careers. You know, Bradshaw has a point.

"He complained about Troy Aikman's criticism of Eli Manning," Bradshaw said. "He orchestrated the draft that got Eli out of San Diego and into New York. When I criticized Peyton Manning on this program after a playoff game, he didn't appreciate my comments. I didn't hear from Peyton after those comments, I heard from you, Archie. Don't call me tomorrow, Archie. I thank God that I have a father that stayed out of my football career, let me be a man, take my lumps and make something out of my life."

Part II

Fox NFL Sunday's Terry Bradshaw didn't stop after his criticism of Archie Manning. He also took a pretty good shot at Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, right, who mismanaged the clock last week and essentially iced his own kicker with a late timeout in a loss to Arizona.

"You blew 21 seconds off the clock then waited until seven seconds and called a timeout," Bradshaw said. "You went home on an airplane with a timeout in your back pocket and you never told us why. To me, if you're my head coach and you don't stand up and face the music and take the punishment, I don't want to play for you."

Bradshaw wasn't alone in questioning Garrett for not immediately owning up to last week's blunder.

"You have to be accountable," ESPN's Bill Parcells said. "Everybody knows what happened. You have to stand up."

ESPN's Herm Edwards said, "When this situation occurs and the game is lost, as the head coach, you don't wait until the middle of the week."

ESPN's Mike Ditka added, "You've got to go to your football team, you've got to tell them very simply, 'My bad.' "

Worst question

ESPN's Tom Rinaldi provided the cringe- worthy moment of the weekend when he tripped all over an awful and disrespectful question to Stanford's Andrew Luck, top, asking the runnerup what "more he could have done" to win the Heisman just moments after the award went to Baylor's Robert Griffin III, bottom. What was Luck supposed to say? Luck handled the question with class, giving credit to winner Griffin. Rinaldi's question not withstanding, ESPN has found its groove covering the Heisman.

Best exchange

Here's your weekly "Merril Hoge bashes Tim Tebow" update. Seriously, the ESPN commentator is so over-the-top critical and so loathe to credit Tebow that even analysts on his own network are questioning him. Last week it was Bill Parcells, and on Sunday it was Mike Ditka. During Sunday NFL Countdown and a week after saying it was the Broncos' "approach" that was winning games, Hoge gave a bit of credit to Tebow, but mostly he credited the offensive line for Tebow's success.

Ditka went bonkers, yelling at Hoge that the offensive line was simply doing its job and the quarterback was doing his job.

ESPN needs to seriously consider having Hoge no longer comment on Tebow, below. Maybe the network believes the Hoge-Tebow story makes for good TV and has people tuning in, but ESPN needs to realize that Hoge's credibility is taking a serious hit. You see, this isn't about whether Hoge might be right or even his right to voice his opinion, but whether viewers find him credible when talking about Tebow. How can we take him seriously when even those who work with him seem to have their doubts?

Best analysis

Kudos to Jorge Diaz, analyst on the Ch. 13 Bucs postgame show. While partner Ricky Reynolds was throwing his support behind Bucs coach Raheem Morris, Diaz, above, said Morris' job was, and should be, in jeopardy after Sunday's loss at Jacksonville. Diaz criticized Morris' job of running the defense and said it was time to consider if there was another coach better suited to lead the team. Diaz showed the guts you don't often see on that kind of local show.

Best announcing team

Fox's Sam Rosen did a splendid job calling Sunday's Bucs-Jags game, but his best work of the week was on the Lightning-Rangers game for MSG in New York on Thursday. Remember that was the night the Rangers' Artem Anisimov, right, celebrated a goal by acting like he was a sniper shooting a gun at the Lightning goal.

They might call Rangers games, but Rosen and partner Joe Micheletti immediately criticized Anisimov's celebration, and Micheletti was extremely complimentary of Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, who charged after Anisimov.

By the way, some in New York are wondering if Anisimov's celebration might have been a result of knowing HBO cameras were rolling for the upcoming 24/7 series previewing the Winter Classic outdoor game.

Best point

It would appear that the NBA's David Stern, left, is no longer the best commissioner in sports. In the wake of the inexplicable veto of a trade that would've sent the Hornets' Chris Paul to the Lakers, New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica said on Sunday's Sports Reporters on ESPN2:

"It's time for this commissioner to start moving toward the door and figure out what his exit strategy is going to be."

Lupica points out that if the sport has had two labor disputes in 12 years and supposedly 20 teams are losing money, how effective is the commissioner?

Three things I liked on TV this weekend

1. Saturday featured one of my favorite programs of the year: NBC's tightly edited, highly compelling 90-minute recap of the Ironman World Championships.

2. The Army-Navy game on CBS, as always, was superb. What makes this game so different than most sporting events is that you can watch it and root for both teams.

3. An NFL Films-produced and NFL Network show about the top 10 left-handed quarterbacks of all time Saturday night was a show that makes networks such as the NFL Network, the MLB Network, the NHL Network and NBA TV so fun to watch when there's nothing else on.

Three things that popped into my head

1. How come the player of the year in college basketball isn't celebrated as much as the Heisman Trophy winner?

2. Here's hoping Indiana's upset over Kentucky on Saturday was no fluke. College basketball is more fun when IU is good. Now someone needs to wake up UCLA.

3. Record of the day: 4-9. That happens to be the record of the three NFL teams in the state of Florida: the Bucs, Jags and Dolphins.

tom jones' two cents

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

NEW YORK — Because of the lengthy appeals process allowed by Major League Baseball's collective-bargaining agreement, Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun might not learn his fate until February.

The 2011 NL MVP is challenging baseball's discovery that he failed his test — administered during the playoffs — for banned substances, including illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Matthew Hiltzik, a public-relations official who works with Braun's representatives at Creative Artists Agency, released a statement Saturday night referring to "highly unusual circumstances" that will "demonstrate that there was absolutely no intentional violation" of baseball's drug-testing program.

If the appeal falls short — a player has never successfully appealed a failed test since this process began in 2004 — Braun will begin the 2012 season with a 50-game suspension.

The process takes such a long time because the two sides have ample opportunity to present their cases. Braun, 28, will look to prove that he, unlike anyone else in the history of baseball's drug-testing, has been wronged by the process.

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio came out in support of Braun. Praising him as a "model citizen in every sense of the word," Attanasio said, "Ryan has issued a statement that there are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case that will support his complete innocence and demonstrate that there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program.

"We are dealing with an incomplete set of facts and speculation. Before there is a rush to judgment, Ryan deserves the right to be heard. We are committed to supporting Ryan to get to the truth of what happened in this unfortunate situation."

Baseball Writers Association of America secretary-treasurer Jack O'Connell said there is no mechanism in place to revoke the MVP if Braun is suspended.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Lakers traded forward Lamar Odom and a second-round draft pick to the Mavericks for a first-round pick and an $8.9 million trade exception, capping Los Angeles' stunning 72-hour breakup with last season's sixth man of the year.

The Lakers and Mavs announced the deal Sunday night, three days after Odom learned Los Angeles was attempting to trade him for Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul.

After the NBA blocked that trade, Odom declined to report to the opening of camp Friday. Odom then requested a trade, and the Lakers swung a deal with the rival Mavs, who swept Los Angeles out of the playoffs.

Neither team formally acknowledged the deal until late Sunday, but both teams knew about the transaction when they reported to practices in the morning.

"To be honest with you, I don't like it," Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant said. "It's tough to lose Lamar. Pau (Gasol) is still here, and we're all thankful for that. It's hard when you've been through so many battles with players to just see them go somewhere else."

Odom's former teammates aren't thrilled to know he's on his way to Dallas, where he will aid the Mavs' recovery from Tyson Chandler's departure.

"Especially to them," Bryant said. "We were supposed to come back and get them back."

By moving Odom, the Lakers are thought to be positioning themselves for making a run at Orlando center Dwight Howard.

Silence between Howard, GM: Magic star Dwight Howard said at practice Sunday that he hasn't spoken with Otis Smith since telling the general manager last week that he wants to be traded. Howard said he has no idea about where the progress of his request stands. "He hasn't said anything to me since then," Howard said. The center said he conveyed to management several times during the pre-lockout offseason the type of personnel moves that could persuade him to stay. He said those suggestions were ignored. Smith has said he will pursue trade options, but the goal remains keeping the All-Star. Smith has granted New Jersey, Dallas and the Lakers permission to talk to Howard's agent, Dan Fegan, about possible deals.

West to Pacers: Forward David West is headed to Indiana, where he will join forces with Danny Granger and former Hornets teammate Darren Collison. West, 31, agreed to a two-year deal that his agent said was worth $20 million. The Pacers had not confirmed the signing.

Bobcats: Guard Kemba Walker, the ninth pick in the draft out of UConn, signed and will practice today. Terms were not disclosed.

Knicks: Guard Mike Bibby signed, forward Jared Jeffries re-signed and the team signed two draft picks (guard Iman Shumpert and center Josh Harrellson).

Suns: Forward Grant Hill, 39, re-signed for one year at $6.5 million as the team also announced the signings of former Timberwolves guard Sebastian Telfair (one year) and first-round pick Markieff Morris.

Warriors: The team signed center DeAndre Jordan to a four-year offer sheet worth about $42.7 million. As a restricted free agent, the Clippers have three days to match the offer.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Cards backup wins

GLENDALE, Ariz. — John Skelton stepped in for the injured Kevin Kolb and threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals rallied to hand the 49ers their third loss.

Larry Fitzgerald had seven catches for 149 yards, including a 46-yarder for a touchdown and a 53-yarder to set up the go-ahead score. His vicious block helped free Early Doucet on a 60-yard touchdown reception.

"That's Fitz being Fitz," Skelton said.

Arizona, which has won five of six, stayed on the fringes of the NFC playoff hunt.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Chargers KO Bills

SAN DIEGO — Philip Rivers threw three touchdowns, two to Antonio Gates, and the Chargers kept their slim playoff hopes alive while eliminating the Bills from postseason contention.

"Until they say we're done, there's always a chance," said safety Eric Weddle, who converted a first down on a fake punt and had a pickoff, both of which led to touchdowns. "Even if we were done, we'd be playing our hearts out."

The Bills, who started 5-2, lost their sixth straight and will miss the playoffs for the 12th year in a row, the league's longest streak (Detroit also has not gone since 1999 but is a contender now).

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Packers get closer to perfect season

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers and the Packers should have been feeling satisfied.

Green Bay routed Oakland to win its 19th straight and, at 13-0, kept the possibility of a perfect season squarely in sight.

Instead, Rodgers seemed concerned about the health of star wide receiver Greg Jennings, who left the game with an apparent left knee injury in the third quarter.

"Well, it didn't look very good," Rodgers said. "So we'll see what the MRI says (today). And hopefully, we've got a bye wrapped up, so he really has close to five weeks before our (playoff) game."

The Packers clinched a first-round bye with one of their most complete performances. Rodgers threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns in less than three quarters' worth of work, Ryan Grant had two touchdowns rushing and Charles Woodson picked off a pass against his former team.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

NEW YORK — Derek Stepan scored twice, including a pretty coast-to-coast goal just after the Rangers killed a penalty, and New York beat the Panthers 6-1 on Sunday night.

Stepan also assisted on Marian Gaborik's goal late in the second period that made it 5-1 and seemed to take what spring remained out of the Southeast Division-leading Panthers.

Rookie defenseman Erik Gudbranson scored his first NHL goal for Florida, which concluded a stretch in which it played seven of eight games on the road. It has lost two in a row following a three-game winning streak.

Florida went down 2-0 after Brad Richards and Artem Anisimov scored power-play goals. The Panthers replied 30 seconds after Anisimov put home Erik Christensen's rebound off the post.

Anisimov did not repeat the gun-shooting goal celebration he conducted last week against the Lightning, which was angry enough about it to go after him.

around the league: League points leader Claude Giroux of the Flyers, who left Saturday's game with the Lightning after being kneed in the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds in the second and didn't return, was feeling better and was scheduled to be evaluated again today, general manger Paul Holmgren said. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury, was feeling better and was expected to play Tuesday against the Capitals, Holmgren said. … Bruins All-Star defenseman Zdeno Chara was expected to miss at least the next three games after hurting a leg against the Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Boston Globe reported.

First Period—1, N.Y. Rangers, Richards 11 (Callahan), 11:40 (pp). 2, N.Y. Rangers, Anisimov 6 (Christensen, Stralman), 17:27 (pp). 3, Florida, Gudbranson 1 (Versteeg, Weiss), 18:07. Penalties—Eminger, NYR (high-sticking), 5:32; Skille, Fla (goaltender interference), 7:43; Florida bench, served by Samuelsson (too many men), 10:32; Boyle, NYR (tripping), 11:49; Fleischmann, Fla (tripping), 15:32.

Second Period—4, N.Y. Rangers, Stepan 6, 5:45. 5, N.Y. Rangers, Eminger 2 (Mitchell, Boyle), 10:43. 6, N.Y. Rangers, Gaborik 15 (Anisimov, Stepan), 16:53. 7, N.Y. Rangers, Stepan 7 (Del Zotto, Gaborik), 17:48. Penalties—Prust, NYR (high-sticking), 3:44; Barch, Fla, major (fighting), 10:47; Prust, NYR, major (fighting), 10:47; Woywitka, NYR (holding), 11:09.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Gaborik, NYR, double minor (high-sticking), :40; Woywitka, NYR (holding), 11:18. Shots on Goal—Florida 7-7-7—21. N.Y. Rangers 9-13-11—33. Power-play opportunities—Florida 0 of 7; N.Y. Rangers 2 of 3. Goalies—Florida, Theodore 11-6-3 (22 shots-16 saves), Clemmensen (0:00 third, 11-11). N.Y. Rangers, Lundqvist 12-5-4 (21-20).

First Period—1, San Jose, McGinn 6 (Handzus, Boyle), 16:25. Penalties—Desjardins, SJ (boarding), 2:12; Stalberg, Chi (tripping), 4:16; Hossa, Chi (tripping), 8:49.

Second Period—2, Chicago, Kruger 3 (Hjalmarsson, Leddy), 7:53. 3, San Jose, Braun 1 (Winchester, Desjardins), 9:38. Penalties—Boyle, SJ (hooking), :55.

Third Period—4, Chicago, Brunette 7 (Hossa, Keith), 18:54. Penalties—Thornton, SJ (high-sticking), 3:36.

Overtime—5, Chicago, Sharp 16 (Hossa, Seabrook), 4:26. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—San Jose 17-16-3-1—37. Chicago 8-5-16-5—34. Power-play opportunities—San Jose 0 of 2; Chicago 0 of 3. Goalies—San Jose, Niemi 11-6-2 (34 shots-31 saves). Chicago, Emery 6-1-2 (37-35).

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Up until Saturday evening, after the Bucs' arrival in Jacksonville, there remained uncertainty about the status of QB Josh Freeman. • Having missed the previous week's game against Carolina with a shoulder injury, Freeman returned to practice late last week and, after testing his arm in pregame warmups, took the field as Sunday's starter. • But he admitted it wasn't without discomfort. And Freeman continued to battle the difficulty he was experiencing when his shoulder got cold — during timeouts and defensive series — which resulted in it stiffening up. • Freeman was 16-for-30 for 181 yards, throwing two interceptions. It wasn't his best day, but the Bucs had no second thoughts about playing him. • "Obviously, he didn't play well," coach Raheem Morris said. "But you put him out there. You've got to play him. He was healthy. We make no excuses about it. He took a couple (hits) and was able to get back up. Obviously, you can't say (he played) without pain. He played through it. He's a fighter. This guy is for his team. He wants to go out there and win for them. But we won't make excuses that he had bad throws because of his bad shoulder. We had bad throws because of decisionmaking. I wouldn't put him out there if he wasn't ready to go."

RB LeGarrette Blount's punishing running style makes defenders leery about tackling him, a trait that would seem a good quality for a running back. • But defenders have learned that, when unable to get Blount to the ground, there's a second option: strip the ball. • Blount fumbled twice Sunday, losing one, giving him three lost fumbles in a span of three games. Blount lost two fumbles at Tennessee two weeks ago. • "Once you get to the second level and these guys see they can't tackle you, their second thought is to go for the football because they know they can't get you on the ground," Blount said. "It's just fighting for all that extra yardage. Being the kind of player that I am, that's what I do. I'm not going to (divert) from how I play, but at the same time, I have to learn how to hold on to that football and just continue to play the way I play. I have to be conscious that they're going to come and get the football." • Blount's first fumble Sunday, in the second quarter, was recovered by G Jeremy Zuttah. But his second, coming with 7:59 left in the third quarter, proved costly, coming at the end of a 23-yard run. With defenders struggling to take down the powerful second-year back, Blount kept fighting for yardage, giving LB Russell Allen time to punch the ball out. • "Defenses are going to go for the ball more so against guys who fumble it a lot," Blount said. "I don't want to get that label. … It's something that's creeping into a lot of people's heads, so I'm going to have to try and erase that memory, including for myself."

. The Bucs have been largely pleased with the performance of WR Preston Parker, both as a kick and punt returner, and as a slot receiver. But if there has been a weakness in his play, it would be his tendency to cough up the football.

Parker entered Sunday's game with six fumbles this season, getting enough fortuitous bounces that the Bucs lost just one of them. But his lucky streak ended in Jacksonville, where he had two fumbles.

Parker, who declined postgame interview requests, fumbled in the first quarter while fielding a punt and absorbing a hit from Montell Owens. Morgan Trent recovered for the Jaguars.

The good news? The Bucs defense held, forcing another punt.

Parker was not as fortunate the second time around. As he fielded a punt at the Tampa Bay 20-yard line, he again took a shot from Owens. The ball was jarred loose, bouncing into the hands of Colin Cloherty, who returned it 8 yards for a touchdown.

That prompted Bucs coaches to pull Parker. He was replaced on punt and kick returns by veteran Micheal Spurlock, who fielded one punt for 1 yard.

. The Bucs did something Sunday they had been after all season: score an offensive touchdown in the first quarter. It seemed the day was full of possibilities. "I'm sitting there on the sideline at 14-0 thinking this could be a blowout," C Jeff Faine said. "I wanted to feel great for once this season. But obviously we keep shooting ourselves in the foot." The fast start ultimately went to waste when the Bucs yielded 28 second-quarter points to the Jaguars via an assortment of turnovers. "We came out and started fast, and our offense was clicking right off the bat," RB LeGarrette Blount said. "You have to let that momentum carry you through the game, but it didn't." The Bucs marched 80 yards in 10 plays on the opening possession. QB Josh Freeman, who notoriously has been sluggish in first quarters this season, was 4-for-6 for 59 yards on the drive. Among his completions was a 28-yard strike to TE Kellen Winslow on a well-executed fourth-and-1 play. The Bucs used play action to Blount and rolled Freeman to his right, allowing him to hit Winslow in stride. They capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Blount. The Bucs took advantage of an interception by CB Ronde Barber at the Tampa Bay 48 late in the first quarter to set up their second touchdown. Freeman hit FB Erik Lorig for a 22-yard gain, then the quarterback ran up the middle for the final 13 yards for the score. Seven turnovers later, the quick start was rendered moot.

The Bucs did a better job against Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL's leading rusher entering the game, than just about any team this season. He was held to 85 rushing yards, his fewest in five games. He averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, his lowest in any game this season. • Yes, Jones-Drew scored four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) to establish a Jaguars record with his 73rd career touchdown. Jones-Drew surpassed Jaguars great and former Gator RB Fred Taylor, who had 70 TDs. • "To break a record that Fred (Taylor) set, it means a bunch," Jones-Drew said. "Words can't really explain how excited I am to have a guy that mentored me the whole time, taught me how to play this game the right way, how to take care of my body and do those things. To come out and break the touchdown record makes me very excited." • Jones-Drew's scores came on a pair of 1-yard runs and a pair of 5-yard receptions. • "He runs hard," Bucs MLB Mason Foster said. "He makes plays, and he runs well behind the offensive line."

Players: Don't blame Raheem

. As the Bucs tried to collect their thoughts in a somber locker room after the loss, some players were adamant that coach Raheem Morris shouldn't take all the blame.

"We don't look like a team that can compete right now through 60 minutes," CB Ronde Barber said. "That's everybody's fault. You can't put that on the coach."

Ultimately, coaches are held responsible for their team's play. But players don't escape unscathed, and that's something several veterans made reference to, saying players need to realize their jobs are on the line, too.

"We have to win for us," Barber said, referring to himself and his teammates. "There's no doubt about it. If they don't know it, they will. This league will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. I think they know that. We just have to be a better football team."

Veteran C Jeff Faine offered a similar warning.

"People are going to say it's an indictment on the coaches, but it's on the players," he said. "We've been playing this game since guys were 5 years old. We know the ball is everything. Ball security is everything. We've got to play smart.

"It's a terrible position we've put (Morris) in. The way that we've lost and the fashion in which we've lost, it is a terrible position for us as players to put him in. This is a very, very young team. Unfortunately, I think a hard lesson is going to be learned this offseason. This is the NFL. They don't play around here. There are going to be a lot of decisions made very soon."

Quick hits

. DE Adrian Clayborn recorded a sack in the first quarter, increasing his team-leading season sack total to 6½.

. CB Ronde Barber's first-quarter interception was his third of the season and 43rd of his career, the most in team history (well ahead of second-place Donnie Abraham's 31).

. Rookie LB Mason Foster's third-quarter interception was the first of his career.

The seven turnovers

. Including what the Jaguars did on the ensuing possession:

Play Quarter Result

Preston Parker fumbled punt return First Punt

Parker fumbled punt return Second Returned for TD

Josh Freeman fumble Second Recovered for TD in end zone

Freeman interception Second Touchdown

Freeman interception Third Interception

LeGarrette Blount fumble Third Punt

Josh Johnson interception Fourth End of game

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Around the league

concussion for mccoy could shape policy

The players' union is calling the Browns' handling of QB Colt McCoy's return to Thursday's game at Pittsburgh after a concussion a "blatant system failure," according to ESPN.

And the case could lead to a big change in how concussions are handled.

Chris Mortensen reported that two physicians, one with the NFL Players' Association and one with the league, reviewed the case and that it could lead to independent, non-team affiliated neurologists being in place by next season.

McCoy was hit helmet-to-helmet by Steelers LB James Harrison after a pass in the fourth quarter. According to ESPN, the team did not give McCoy the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool review, which is mandatory, until Friday.

Meanwhile, ESPN said the league might suspend Harrison, who was fined a total of $125,000 for illegal hits in 2010. He would be the first player banned under the new player safety policy.

Falcons coach Smith hospitalized

Falcons coach Mike Smith was sent to a hospital in Charlotte, N.C., after complaining of chest pains on the team plane. GM Thomas Dimitroff told NBC's Peter King that "it was not a heart attack" and that Smith was "in good spirits."

REPORT: SPARANO TO GO: The Miami Herald reported that the Dolphins will replace coach Tony Sparano at the end of the season but that GM Jeff Ireland will stay with the team. Also, Dolphins Pro Bowl OT Jake Long left with a back injury in the first quarter.

BEARS: ESPN reported that QB Jay Cutler (thumb) isn't expected to return this season.

CARDINALS: QB Kevin Kolb left after the first series following a blow to the head and did not return.

JETS: S Jim Leonhard injured his right knee and is scheduled for an MRI exam today; the New York Daily News reported he's out for the season.

PACKERS: Coach Mike McCarthy said DL Ryan Pickett, a former star at Zephyrhills High, and RB Brandon Saine sustained concussions. … Green Bay set a franchise record with 466 points, topping the 461 scored in 2009.

PATRIOTS: WR Wes Welker is one of three players with four 100-catch seasons, joining Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison. … They have won at least 10 games for the ninth consecutive season, joining the 49ers (16 straight from 1983-98) and Colts (nine, 2002-10).

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

NASHVILLE — The Saints got a wake-up call from the Titans and Drew Brees came through to keep New Orleans' winning streak going.

Unable to reach the end zone through three quarters, the Saints got two touchdown passes from Brees to Marques Colston in the final 15 minutes to beat the Titans 22-17 on Sunday.

"It was a gut-check win for us," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "A lot of things early on didn't go our way. We had some calls that could have went either way. We just kept fighting and won a good game on the road against a good team."

The Saints have won five straight and lead the NFC South by two games with three left. They clinched a playoff berth, their third in a row, when Chicago lost in overtime at Denver.

And Brees joined Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas as the only quarterbacks to throw a touchdown pass in 40 straight games.

On third and 6, Brees threw 35 yards to a wide-open Colston, who jumped in the air just in front of the goal line at the middle of the field, caught the ball and fell into the end zone, making it 16-10 with 12:39 left.

The Saints converted two third downs on their next drive before Brees hit Colston again on a scoring pass, for 28 yards.

That gave New Orleans a 22-10 lead with 7:01 left. Colston had 105 yards on seven catches.

"We knew they were going to get yards," Tennessee safety Michael Griffin said. "Drew knows how to dissect a defense."

Brees had 337 passing yards to give him 39,413 in 150 career starts, just behind the 39,498 yards passing Dan Marino achieved in his first 150 starts.

The Titans twice had the ball in the final minutes with a chance to win.

Rookie Jake Locker, who came in after starter Matt Hasselbeck hurt his left calf, hit Nate Washington on a 40-yard pass with 27 seconds left, setting up a chance for a Titans rally.

Locker spiked the ball at the Saints 5, but his pass on second down to Marc Mariani in the end zone was batted down by cornerback Tracy Porter, and linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar sacked Locker on third down as time expired.

Times staff, wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Raheem Morris, Bucs coach, on if this was his low point:

"I don't deal on negative thoughts. Last week it was frustration because of foolish penalties. This week it was fundamentals. It's an opportunity for me to get these guys going as far as fundamentals. … I don't deal with low points. I don't ride the emotional roller coaster."

Morris, on if he is worried about his job:

"If I was worried about my job security, I wouldn't be coaching. I would be holding a microphone in front of another coach right now. I'm going to keep coaching and do what I have to do."

Josh Freeman, Bucs QB, on turnovers:

"I don't know what the number was, seven today? It was disgusting, and it really has no place in our game if we want to win."

Roy Miller, Bucs DT, on losing their seventh game in a row:

"It is a horrible feeling; I have never felt this bad after a game."

Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com NFC South blogger:

Last week, we found out the Buccaneers are the worst team in the NFC South when they lost to the Carolina Panthers. This week, we found out the Bucs are the third-worst team in Florida. Wait, I'm going to put them fifth, behind Tampa Plant High and Seffner's Armwood High. Seriously, this might represent rock bottom. … More than ever, coach Raheem Morris is on the hot seat. It's kind of amazing how quickly his stock has fallen and how badly this season has spun out of control.

Chris Burke, SI.com:

Last year, the Bucs thrived on their "youngry" attitude. This year, it's leading to increasingly undisciplined play. Turnovers and penalties have plagued the team all season, and this week was no exception.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk.com:

All three Florida teams currently are 4-9. At least it's sunny there.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

DENVER — Wild wins are getting routine for Tim Tebow and the Broncos, who flail away through most of four quarters before coming through in the clutch.

Matt Prater's 51-yard field goal 6½ minutes into overtime gave Denver a 13-10 victory over the stunned Bears on Sunday. Prater's 59-yarder with 3 seconds left in regulation tied the score after Tebow led another rally.

"If you believe," Tebow said, "then unbelievable things can sometimes be possible."

It was Denver's sixth straight win and seventh in eight games since Tebow, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida dubbed the "Mile High Messiah," was named the starter. The Broncos have trailed in the second half in six of those victories.

This latest comeback put Denver in sole possession of first in the AFC West after Oakland's 46-16 drubbing at Green Bay.

"Never say never," receiver Eric Decker said. "That's a great characteristic of this team."

After failing to score on their first dozen possessions, the Broncos erased a 10-0 deficit in the final 2:08 of regulation.

"I think we're rewriting the book on 'keep fighting,' " coach John Fox said. "Our guys never blink. They remain positive."

Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas with a 10-yard score, then got the ball back with 53 seconds left after running back Marion Barber saved the Broncos precious time by going out of bounds when the Bears were trying to run out the clock. With Denver out of timeouts, Barber cut outside toward the sideline and was pushed out, stopping the clock.

The Bears punted, and Tebow got the ball at his 20. He drove 39 yards for Prater's tying kick.

The Bears won the toss in overtime and got into field goal range. But Barber, who rushed for 108 yards, coughed up the ball when linebacker Wesley Woodyard stripped it, and lineman Elvis Dumervil recovered.

Barber, who hasn't talked to reporters since training camp, avoided the media.

"I hate to say it — we gave this one to them," Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie said.

As for Denver's capacity for comebacks?

"I don't know if they just kind of wait until they think, 'Oh, man, we might lose this game,' and start playing," Fox said. "It's aging me quickly."

Tebow, who also led OT wins at Miami and San Diego, ran for 49 yards and completed 21 of 40 for a season-best 236 yards.

Times wires
Sunday, December 11, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas — Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul started Sunday night's game with a safety and ended it by blocking a last-second Cowboys field goal try to preserve victory.

Eli Manning took care of most everything in between.

Manning ended New York's four-game losing streak in style, leading the Giants to two touchdowns in the final 3:14 to beat the Cowboys 37-34 in a showdown for first in the NFC East.

Dallas appeared to tie the score with a 47-yard field goal as time expired, but New York called its final timeout. Given another chance to force overtime, rookie Dan Bailey's kick was blocked by Pierre-Paul, the former USF star who also had a sack for a safety on the second play of the game and forced a fumble.

"He can do everything," Manning told NBC about Pierre-Paul, who played one season at USF before coming out early for the 2010 draft, where he was a first-round pick. "He's a playmaker; you get him on the field, good things happen. (It was) a big block right there."

Brandon Jacobs scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 46 seconds left, capping a six-play, 58-yard drive that took just 1:26.

Dallas took over and Tony Romo, who had four touchdown passes, led the Cowboys down to the Giants 29-yard line, but all that did was set up Pierre-Paul for his game-deciding play.

The Giants and Cowboys are tied atop the division, but New York took the edge in the tiebreaker. The teams meet again in the season finale, on New Year's Day, at the Giants' homefield.

Romo's 50-yard touchdown to Dez Bryant with 5:52 left seemed to seal the game and give Dallas a two-game lead in the division.

But the Giants got back within five on Manning's 8-yard TD to Jake Ballard with 3:20 left, then held Dallas and forced a punt.

Manning, who threw for 400 yards, hit Mario Manningham on a 47-yard touchdown to give New York a 22-20 lead late in the third quarter. But Dallas went back on top on Tony Romo's 6-yard score to Miles Austin in the fourth

The Cowboys likely will rely on Romo and the passing game more than ever now.

Emerging running back DeMarco Murray broke his right ankle in the first quarter, ending his record-setting rookie season.

Murray burst onto the scene by rushing for a franchise-record 253 yards, seventh-most in NFL history, in October. That earned him a spot in the starting lineup.

Times wires
Monday, December 12, 2011

Paige Railey of Clearwater won the bronze medal in Laser Radial at the world championships in Perth, Australia, on Sunday after finishing ninth in the medal race.

She was in third overall going into the race and had a chance to move up to second with a good performance. Soon after the start, Railey was on the wrong side of the course and slowly fell behind the fleet. "Off the start there were a lot of quick moves, and I was just on the wrong side of them," she told USA Sailing. "It's good to win bronze here."

Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands won the gold medal and Evi van Acer of Belgium silver.

Clearwater's Zach Railey, Paige's brother and 2008 Olympic Finn silver medalist, finished ninth in Finn after the medal race.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie of Britain was disqualified in Finn after a championship jury found him guilty of gross misconduct for grappling with a cameraman on a media boat after a race late Saturday. Ainslie called the disqualification a "massive overreaction." The 2008 Olympic Finn gold medalist was leading the class by eight points.

On the first day of Star racing, Mark Mendel-

blatt of St. Petersburg and teammate Brian Fatih of Miami were fourth overall after second- and ninth-place finishes.

By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Monday, December 12, 2011

Right now, finding fish inshore to take home can be challenging. Speckled trout remains closed until the first of the year in our south zone, and gag grouper and snook are closed indefinitely.

Deepwater residential docks have the potential for holding a variety of inshore species including flounder, sheepshead and red drum (redfish). And if you play your cards right, like local author Dave Mallory and his nephew, Jeff Fountain, from Burlington, Vt., you too can have a fresh fish dinner.

Since whitebait (scaled sardine) is scarce, we used the next best thing for bait — shrimp. We began working a row of docks near a shallow grass flat. The tide was running out and we knew as soon as the water dropped off the flat all of its inhabitants would drop off, right where we wanted them.

The first dock yielded nothing we wanted. Mallory suggested if the catching didn't get better he would have to stop on his way home to buy some fish. We moved a couple docks down. Fountain was doing a good job putting high slot-sized reds in the boat, but his uncle would always up him with his catches. After the bite quit, we had our limit of reds and plenty of fillets for blackened redfish.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, December 12, 2011

GAINESVILLE — The search for a successor to Charlie Weis is on, but it will be a while before a new Florida offensive coordinator is named. Florida coach Will Muschamp is not expected to make a hire until after the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl.

Florida RB coach Brian White will be interim offensive coordinator and will take over Weis' recruiting area.

"… I think it's unfair to hire a coordinator to come in here in three weeks' time and sit down and get a game plan ready with unfamiliar players," Muschamp said. "Brian's an experienced play-caller, he's a great idea guy, he's been a coordinator before, he's had tremendous success as a coordinator before and a guy I've got tremendous confidence in."

Does Muschamp plan to look toward the future and try to get experience for his younger players? The answer is apparently no.

"We're going to win the game," he said. "We're coaching to win the game. I don't believe in all that."

Muschamp said senior QB John Brantley, who suffered a concussion and missed the second half in a loss to FSU, will start against the Buckeyes, but freshmen Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel could play.

"If they offer us the best opportunity to win, yes," Muschamp said. "But Johnny Brantley is our starting quarterback at this time."

SEC SWEEP: Following his career-high game against Arizona and another impressive outing against Rider, Florida C Patric Young was named SEC player of the week. G Bradley Beal was named SEC freshman of the week, giving the Gators a sweep of the weekly honors.

Young, a sophomore from Jacksonville, averaged 18.5 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 assists, one block and one steal in wins over Arizona and Rider. He made 77.3 percent (17-of-22) of his field goals and had a double double in each contest. He scored a career-high 25 against Arizona, shooting 12-of-15. He also had 10 rebounds. Against Rider on Friday night, Young scored 12 and had 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Beal, from St. Louis, averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds, two assists and .5 steals. He had nine points and six rebounds against Arizona and 18 points and four rebounds against Rider.

For the past several years Florida coach Billy Donovan has made a stronger effort to beef up his team's non-conference schedule in the hopes of having a stronger resume when the NCAA Tournament selections are made. Based on this week's AP rankings, Donovan can say his team's opponents ranked among the best in the nation. The Gators have played Syracuse and Ohio State, who sit at No. 1 and 2 in the poll released Monday. The Gators (7-2) lost to the two teams by a combined 11 points.

Interesting note: The Gators went 2-0 last week (albeit one win was over 1-9 Rider) and fell one spot in the polls to No. 13.

VOLLEYBALL FINALE: The No. 17 volleyball team fell one win short of advancing to the NCAA Final Four, losing in four sets (22-25, 25-23, 14-25, 20-25) to No. 3 seed Illinois on Saturday at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The Gators finished 27-6 and advanced to the region final for the first time since 2005.

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