Saturday, January 14, 2012

There was no rule preventing Josh McDaniels from going from the coaching staff of the Rams to the Patriots during this postseason. But there soon could be.

During the offseason, the league will decide if there needs to be a rule blocking coaches from making same-season moves, ESPN.com reported Saturday.

McDaniels was the Rams' offensive coordinator but let out of his contract after coach Steve Spagnuolo was fired Jan. 2.

On Jan. 8, New England hired him to assist offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and take over when O'Brien leaves to become Penn State's coach. McDaniels was on the Patriots staff from 2001-08.

ESPN.com reported some teams complained to the league office about the move.

McDaniels worked in the coaches' booth Saturday as the Patriots faced quarterback Tim Tebow, whom McDaniels drafted while Broncos coach.

The league said the competition committee always discusses matters generated by clubs.

Falcons: Spagnuolo and Mike Nolan are candidates to become defensive coordinator, CBSSports.com reported. Before going to St. Louis, Spagnuolo was the Giants' defensive coordinator. Nolan formerly coached the 49ers and was defensive coordinator for the Ravens, Broncos and Dolphins. Atlanta must replace Brian VanGorder, who left to become Auburn's defensive coordinator.

Rams: Jeff Fisher, who is finalizing details to become coach, is interested in hiring Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Schottenheimer, who resigned as the Jets' offensive coordinator last week, has interviewed for the same position at Alabama.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

BALTIMORE — The Ravens went 8-0 at home during the regular season and 4-4 on the road.

There are many theories as to why Baltimore is so much better at M&T Bank Stadium. Familiarity with the surroundings? Check. The noise of 71,000 fans? Absolutely. The Sportexe synthetic turf?

Say what?

According to Texans coach Gary Kubiak, whose team faces Baltimore today, the field is seemingly custom-made for Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice.

"They get even quicker coming off the edges," Kubiak said. "I think Ray, as great a player as he is, he even gets a step better on that turf running the ball."

Kubiak speaks from experience. He watched Rice run for 101 yards in Baltimore's 29-14 home win on Oct. 6.

But while Rice has proved to be effective at home and on the road, on grass and on artificial turf, the Ravens are unquestionably better in Baltimore.

Baltimore is the only team to reach the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. In the previous three, however, it was a wild card and did not play at home. It won its opener each time but failed to reach the Super Bowl.

Now coming off a bye, the Ravens are confident homefield advantage will be a big factor. This will be their first home playoff game since 2006 and the first for Rice, now in his fourth season.

"I don't care who you are. I don't care how good you are. It's hard to win on the road," Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. "For us to work as hard as we did, get 12 wins, do the things we were supposed to do and now get this home playoff game, we have positioned ourselves to be in the right place. Now we have to go finish it."

The Texans know the positives of playing at home after beating the Bengals 31-10 at Reliant Stadium last week.

"The crowd really gets behind them," Houston offensive tackle Duane Brown said. "We played them in the regular season, and I'm sure it's going to be multiplied times 10, 20 now that it's the playoffs. We just have to stay poised, communicate as much as possible and be on the same page up front."

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Going into today's NFC division playoff game against the Giants, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are best known for all the fireworks they've produced on offense.

That's good for the Super Bowl champions, because they've been remarkably vulnerable on defense.

All season, Green Bay has given up yards in big chunks and bailing themselves out by forcing turnovers. And while the Giants might hope to slow the game by establishing the run and keeping Rodgers on the sideline, the last meeting on Dec. 4 — a 38-35 Packers victory on a last-second field goal — could mean today shapes up as another fast-paced game that comes down to the last possession.

With Eli Manning and the offense on a roll, the Giants like their chances this time.

"I think if we get into a shootout like we did last time, I think we will be okay," receiver Victor Cruz said. "But it will have to come down to who has the last touch."

Meanwhile, the Packers defense looks to hit the reset button in the playoffs.

"This is a fresh start for us to right all our wrongs," said veteran defensive lineman Ryan Pickett, a former Zephyrhills High standout. "We're excited about it. It's the same group that did it last year, the same team, so we know it's there to do it."

Manning can draw on the Giants victory in a frigid NFC title game in the 2007 season at Lambeau Field, but he doesn't think that experience is relevant.

"It's a new year, a new team, new players going against a new team," Manning said.

Green Bay gave up a league-high 411.6 yards a game but Packers coaches and players shrug off that statistic. Their 31 interceptions led the league, and they forced 38 total turnovers, tied for the most with the 49ers.

But turnovers might be harder to come by today. To Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji, the biggest difference in Manning's game is that he's throwing fewer interceptions—16 this season, down nine from his 2010 total.

"He's always been able to make every throw," Raji said. "Just when he's choosing to make those throws, I think he's doing a fantastic job."

By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 14, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Among the compelling story lines at Saturday's St. Petersburg City Meet was the comeback of Boca Ciega wrestler De'Jhuan Monroe.

In his second match since breaking his femur near the knee while playing football this past fall, Monroe won the 120-pound final 12-3 against Dixie Hollins' Tommy Esker.

The victory left his coach, Toby Alvarez, repeating, "So glad to have that kid back."

Monroe, who reached the Class 2A state championships last season, improved to 2-0 and was named the City Meet most outstanding wrestler.

"It took a couple of months (to heal) and I go to therapy now, so it feels a lot better," he said. "… I didn't dominate like I should. I wanted to get that pin, but it took three rounds to beat him."

Dixie Hollins sent 11 wrestlers to the finals, winning seven of those matches, and took the overall title with 238 points. Host Northeast was second (155), followed by St. Petersburg (144) Boca Ciega (59) was fifth in the nine-team event.

"We were expecting to win it, but when you're here and there's a bunch of teams all trying to gang up on you and trying to stop you from winning it, it makes it tougher," Dixie Hollins coach Edwin Bryant said. "Our guys just really wrestled well."

Dixie Hollins' 132-pounder Dana Harrington pinned St. Petersburg's Kolton Burke in 1:59. Harrington pinned all of his opponents during the event.

Harrington's teammate, Andre Matthews handed Northeast's Chris Roane his first loss of the season 9-6 in the 285-pound final.

"I was thinking, 'He is not going to stop me,' " Matthews said. "I want to make it to state's and be a state qualifier."

Shark Fest Duals: Palm Harbor University defeated host Nature Coast 37-28 in the championship match. Twins Connor (106 pounds) and Jared (113) Prince, and Aaron Hartman (145) went undefeated with 8-0 records. Hartman improved to 28-0 on the season with a match-securing pin in the final. Connor Prince is 32-1 and Jared Prince is 33-1.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Florida coach Billy Donovan thinks his team has plenty of things to improve on as the visitor, and the 19th-ranked Gators' first true road win of the season didn't change his view.

Kenny Boynton had 15 points and hit four of the Gators' 12 3-pointers in a 79-65 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night.

Florida (14-4, 2-1 SEC) has won away from the O'Connell Center this season, but it had lost its first four games on an opponent's home court: to Ohio State, Syracuse, Rutgers and Tennessee in its SEC opener.

"This was a positive step," Donovan said. "But I'd be the first one to say I don't think our guys have anything figured out on the road."

They certainly figured out South Carolina (8-9, 0-3).

The Gators made 12 of 24 3-point attempts and 25 of 47 shots (53.2 percent) overall, and they had 19 assists and 10 turnovers in front of a large, loud crowd shouting them down on nearly every possession at Colonial Life Arena.

Six players reached double figures in scoring for Florida, also watched by beloved Gators football great and current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, at the game for a halftime celebration of his Gamecocks' 11-win season.

"This means a lot," Boynton said of the win. "We feel like it's a new season, SEC play. … We just have to keep it going."

Will Yeguete and Bradley Beal had 14 points each, Erik Murphy and Erving Walker 11, and Mike Rosario 10. Yeguete went 6-of-6 from the field and added eight rebounds.

"Florida's a really difficult matchup," South Carolina coach Darrin Horn said. "That being said, we've got to get better defensively. We can't continue to allow teams to shoot over 50 percent."

Bruce Ellington had 17 points to lead the Gamecocks, who opened league play with three losses for the first time in Horn's four seasons.

Florida took charge with a fast start in the second half and held the Gamecocks scoreless for more than eight minutes.

Boynton started things with his fourth 3-pointer, and Beal followed with another long-distance shot as the Gators moved in front 48-44.

Rosario had a breakaway dunk after a steal, which followed an embarrassing play in which he passed to Yeguete while Yeguete was waiting on the sideline to enter the game. Rosario's teammates laughed and smiled before Beal added another 3-pointer.

By the time Beal hit two free throws, the Gators led 59-44. South Carolina got no closer than 10 after that.

By Laura Keeley, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — While the 300 or so fans at the Tucker Center on Saturday were far less than those who came out for ESPN's College GameDay ahead of the Florida State-Oklahoma football game in the fall, they brought plenty of spirit for the school's first visit by the basketball version of the pregame show.

Justin Huntman, a freshman from Coral Springs, and two friends were first in line at 12:30 a.m. despite the fact that the doors opened at 8:30 a.m. He had a spot in the front row, directly behind the desks with ESPN analysts Rece Davis, Hubert Davis, Digger Phelps (with pink tie and highlighter), Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale.

Why so early? Because they wanted to be on College GameDay, of course.

"Big Seminole fan," said Huntman with a smile and enthusiasm that belied his lack of sleep.

Next to Huntman were two other freshmen who lined up at 6:50 a.m. Zach Snow of Jacksonville and roommate John Bariso, a Boca Raton native, taped an FSU flag to a wooden 2-by-4 wrapped in garnet duct tape and waved it throughout the two-hour-long broadcast.

"We're Marching Chiefs," said Bariso, referring to the Seminoles marching band. "So we don't get to have this student body experience during football season."

There were a few Tar Heels fans in attendance, including Beverly Whisnant, the mother of Seminoles freshman guard Terry Whisnant II. The elder Whisnant played football at UNC, so Beverly had a sign split diagonally with Tar Heel blue on one side and garnet and gold on the other. It read, "I love UNC but my heart's w/Whisnant."

"We've always been Carolina fans," said Beverly, who grew up in Durham, N.C. "But now that he's a Seminole, we're a divided house."

Two FSU students won $1,800 from State Farm as a consolation prize in the weekly halfcourt shot contest. Both efforts fell short of the $18,000 grand prize for making the shot.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

EVANSTON, Ill. — Michigan State built its 15-game winning streak on solid, consistent play and an ability to defend an array of teams and approaches.

The sixth-ranked Spartans matched up Saturday against a style they couldn't contain.

Northwestern stars John Shurna and Drew Crawford got their points and their shots, but what really hurt Michigan State was the play of backup center Davide Curletti, who made his first start of the season and the second of his career.

Curletti had a season-high 17 points and six rebounds, and his hustle helped the Wildcats pull off an important victory for their NCAA resume, 81-74 over the Spartans (15-3, 4-1 Big Ten).

"Curletti was the difference in the game, if you ask me," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, 26-4 against the Wildcats (12-5, 2-3) in his career. "I thought he played extremely well and outplayed our centers, and that's something we've been pretty solid on lately."

Izzo was worried about his younger players and how they would handle Northwestern's Princeton-style offense with its array of picks and cuts as the shot clock was running down.

He didn't expect the Wildcats to get such a lift from Curletti.

"It is fun when you play well like that," said Curletti, who also had four assists. "Helping other guys is a great feeling, especially for us."

NO. 1 SYRACUSE 78, PROVIDENCE 55: Dion Waiters had 12 points, seven during a decisive first-half run, and the host Orange (19-0, 6-0 Big East) matched the best start in school history, set in 1999-2000.

NO. 2 KENTUCKY 65, TENN. 62: Darius Miller hit two free throws and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist one in the final 20 seconds for the visiting Wildcats (17-1, 3-0 SEC), who trailed by as many eight, took a 62-54 lead with 53 seconds left, then held on.

NO. 4 BAYLOR 106, OKLA. ST. 65: Perry Jones had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Pierre Jackson scored 18 and made five of the season-high 15 3-pointers by the host Bears (17-0, 4-0 Big 12).

NO. 9 MISSOURI 84, TEXAS 73: Phil Pressey had 18 points, including seven straight to rescue the host Tigers (16-1, 3-1 Big 12) after the Longhorns got within five in the second half.

NO. 10 KANSAS 82, IOWA ST. 73: Tyshawn Taylor scored 22 of his career-high 28 after halftime, and the host Jayhawks (14-3, 4-0 Big 12) rallied with a 30-9 second-half burst en route to their seventh straight victory.

NO. 22 SAN DIEGO ST. 69, NO. 12 UNLV 67: Jamaal Franklin made an off-balance layup with .3 seconds left to lift the Aztecs (15-2) over the Runnin' Rebels (16-3) in a Mountain West opener.

IOWA 75, NO. 13 MICHIGAN 59: Matt Gatens scored 19 as the host Hawkeyes used balanced offense and stout defense to upset the Wolverines (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten).

NO. 14 L'VILLE 76, DEPAUL 59: Russ Smith scored 25, Chris Smith added 20 and the Cardinals (14-4, 2-3 Big East) avoided their first three-game home losing streak in 11 years.

NO. 15 MURRAY ST. 82, TENN. TECH 74: Donte Poole had a career-high 28 points for the host Racers (18-0, 6-0 OVC), who broke their school-record winning streak set in 2009-10.

NO. 17 UCONN 67, NOTRE DAME 53: Shabazz Napier scored 16 and freshman Andre Drummond had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Huskies (14-3, 4-2 Big East), who snapped the Fighting Irish's 29-game home winning streak.

OKLA. 82, NO. 18 KANSAS ST. 73: Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 to lead four players in double figures for the host Sooners, who forced the Wildcats (12-4, 1-3) into 19 turnovers and got their first Big 12 win under coach Lon Kruger.

NO. 20 MISS. ST. 56, 'BAMA 52: Arnett Moultrie had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the host Bulldogs (15-3, 2-1 SEC), who had missed all 14 3-pointers until Dee Bost hit three crucial 3s in the final minutes.

NO. 21 GONZAGA 62, LMU 58: Elias Harris had 19 points and Gary Bell 16 for the visiting Bulldogs (14-3, 4-1 WCC), who pulled away early in the second half against Loyola-Marymount to avoid a second straight upset.

NO. 25 MARQUETTE 62, PITT 57: Darius Johnson-Odom scored 18 as the host Golden Eagles (14-4, 3-2 Big East) handed the Panthers their sixth straight loss.

State

MARSHALL 65, UCF 64: DeAndre Kane made two free throws with 14 seconds left to lift the host Thundering Herd over the Knights (13-4, 3-1) in a battle of Conference USA unbeatens. UCF's Marcus Jordan missed a layup with three seconds left.

NOVA SE 55, TAMPA 52: The host Spartans (4-10, 0-6 Sunshine State) led at halftime for the first time this season but faded.

ECKERD 78, P.B. ATLANTIC 47: Darrien Mack scored 20 in 21 minutes for the host Tritons (10-4), who have won five of six.

SAINT LEO 60, ROLLINS 57: Dominick Robinson sank a three-pointer with .6 seconds left to lift the host Lions (8-6, 2-2 SSC).

By Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2012

SEMINOLE — All night, Seminole coach Josh Walker yelled at his team about taking care of the basketball, so much so that by the end of Saturday's game against Wharton, the coach's normally authoritative voice was strained.

The Warhawks still heard the message loud and clear. The Wildcats would have been wise to listen, too.

Seminole overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit by forcing Wharton into uncharacteristic turnovers. The Warhawks outscored the Wildcats 23-7 over the final eight minutes for a 54-46 win in the fifth of six games at the Keith MacCollom Shootout.

"We attacked the rim a little bit better, and I felt our press kind of stuck it to them in the fourth quarter," Walker said. "We stepped it up defensively."

Wharton (15-3) took a 40-31 lead on a free throw by Sir Patrick Reynolds (team-high 14 points). That's when Seminole (12-5) slowed down offensively, passing the ball continuously, searching for the best shot. Justin Hollis and Matt Cassity drained back-to-back 3-pointers to bring Seminole within three.

Hollis' field goal with 1:57 remaining gave Seminole its first lead, 46-44, since the score was 2-0 in the first quarter. Guard Jarron King (game-high 19) scored 40 seconds later for a 48-44 edge.

The Warhawks' defense was harassing down the stretch and didn't allow the Wildcats a good look. Wharton had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter, 16 overall.

Broach West 63, Northeast 62: Vikings' late comeback attempt falls short despite 15 points by Adam Barker.

Gulf 66, Osceola 63: Damion Hicks scores a game-high 26.

Tampa Catholic 73, St. Petersburg 64: Crusaders outscore the Green Devils 20-4 in the third quarter to erase a 41-29 halftime deficit.

Clearwater 58, Auburndale 55: Ryan Ramirez scores 13 points to lead Clearwater.

Sunlake 62, Largo 59: Reggie Moore's long 3-pointer as time expires bounces off rim for Packers.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — Ever since it introduced restrictor plates at its fastest tracks in the late 1980s, NASCAR has shied away from the 200 mph mark.

Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said he recently approached series officials about the speeds because he was certain the cars would be slowed. He said he was surprised when NASCAR indicated it was comfortable over 200 mph.

Guess who led the way past 200 mph on Saturday?

Gordon and Kasey Kahne had the fastest speeds of the day, the third and final day of testing at Daytona International Speedway, with identical laps of 201.545 mph, covering the 2½-mile superspeedway in 44.655 seconds in the morning session. Gordon led the afternoon test at 200.562 mph. Kahne also cleared 200 mph in the afternoon as did AJ Allmen­dinger and Brad Keselowski.

"It's embedded in our minds we can't go out there over 200 mph in race conditions," Gordon told the Associated Press last week. "Somehow it's become accepted, and I think that's a good thing. It's very comfortable. It's extremely comfortable."

Two-car tandem racing has helped push practice speeds up — last year's pole speed for the Daytona 500 was 186.089 mph by Dale Earnhardt Jr. — but a lot could change between now and the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.

"Once we leave here, obviously there will be a lot of energy spent on looking through all of the data that we've collected this week," Sprint Cup series director John Darby told NASCAR.com on Saturday. "I would like to have the final rules package out as quickly as we can just to make sure the teams have enough time to react to everything."

Slight modifications were made during Saturday's runs to try to break up those tandems that have become a dominant factor at restrictor-plate tracks Daytona and Talladega.

"The outcome, the proof in the pudding of the outcome will be the Daytona 500," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "I think the progress of the weekend is going in the right direction, but the biggest thing is I think from our perspective is the level of interest in being sure that we all get the racing right."

STAYING PUT: Most teams showed up at Daytona for the three days of testing but some opted to sit this round out.

One of the teams that did not appear was JTG Daugherty Racing, which fields the No. 47 driven by former series champion Bobby Labonte.

"As important as the Daytona test is, we have a lot of time there in February, and we'll get more practice there than anywhere else we go," Labonte told NASCAR.com. "I feel like we should be able to miss the test and still be in pretty good shape when we get down there for the race. Time spent in the shop this week will be more valid for us to prepare our cars — not just at Daytona, but several weeks after that."

UP NEXT: The track now turns its attention to road racing with the 24 Hours of Daytona. The endurance classic is Jan. 28-29.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — Inga Orekhova had a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting for USF, which opened with a 26-8 run and cruised past Seton Hall 68-49 Saturday.

Orekhova hit five 3-pointers and Jasmine Wynne added 14 points for the Bulls (10-8, 2-2 Big East), who rebounded from losses to Georgetown and Louisville.

"I am just glad that we were able to bounce back and get the win. We had two tough losses in a row against top-25 teams in Georgetown and Louisville that we should have won, so it was good to bounce back," coach Jose Fernandez said.

Both of USF's conference wins have been on the road. The Bulls opened conference play Jan. 3 with a 58-55 victory at Cincinnati.

"This league is so tough to go on the road, so anytime you can go on the road and win it is impressive," Fernandez said.

The Bulls shot 41 percent from the floor and had a 40-33 rebounding edge against the Pirates (7-12, 0-5). They improved to 7-1 this season when outrebounding their opponent.

NOVA SE 54, TAMPA 37: The Sharks held the host Spartans (7-8, 1-5 Sunshine State) to 28.9 percent shooting (13-of-45).

ECKERD 57, P.B. ATLANTIC 43: Krystal Charles had 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for the visiting Tritons (9-4), who never trailed.

ROLLINS 60, SAINT LEO 41: The visiting Tars used a 16-0 second-half run to rally past the Lions (6-9, 0-5 SSC).

Top 25

NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 76, CINCINNATI 50: Natalie Novosel scored 21 for the visiting Fighting Irish (17-1, 5-0 Big East), who have won 19 straight against teams from Ohio.

NO. 3 UCONN 72, VILLANOVA 49: Tiffany Hayes scored 14 of her 22 in the second half for the visiting Huskies (14-2, 4-1 Big East), who broke it open with a 12-3 second-half run.

NO. 4 STANFORD 80, COLORADO 54: Joslyn Tinkle matched her career high with 20 points for the visiting Cardinal (15-1, 6-0 Pac-12), which won its 12th in a row.

NO. 8 RUTGERS 71, NO. 16 L'VILLE 68, OT: Erica Wheeler hit an off-balance 3-pointer with the shot clock running out in overtime, and the host Scarlet Knights (15-2, 4-0 Big East) rallied to beat the Cardinals (14-4, 3-2) for their sixth straight win and first over a ranked team.

KANSAS ST. 62, NO. 10 TEXAS TECH 61: Jalana Childs had 23 points for the visiting Wildcats, who handed the Raiders (14-2, 2-2 Big 12) their second loss in a row.

NO. 12 TEXAS A&M 59, IOWA ST. 33: Adaora Elonu had 14 points as the visiting Aggies (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) bounced back from Wednesday's home loss to unranked Texas.

NO. 14 Wis.-GREEN BAY 68, DETROIT 59: Adrian Ritchie scored 20 to help the visiting Phoenix (15-0, 5-0 Horizon League) post a school-record 35th straight regular-season victory.

NO. 21 DEPAUL 86, PITT 83: Anna Martin had 29 points and nine rebounds for the host Blue Demons (15-3, 3-1 Big East), who rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit.

SAINT MARY'S (CALIF.) 66, NO. 23 GONZAGA 63: The visiting Gaels hit four free throws in the last 25 seconds to end a 34-game West Coast Conference winning streak by the Bulldogs (15-3, 4-1).

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Victor Gonzalez, a college student from Fort White, attended Saturday's Broncos-Patriots division playoff game courtesy of Chad Ochocinco.

Gonzalez is a follower — one of about 3 mil­lion — of the Patriots receiver on Twitter.com. He had spent two years trying to elicit a response from Ochocinco online.

He reached his breaking point Jan. 8, FoxSports.com said.

"Been tweeting you for two years and have not ever gotten a response," Gonzalez wrote.

Finally, Ochocinco responded: "My bad. Want to come to the game saturday?"

Gonzalez responded: "I would love to but i live in FLA. can you fly me out?"

Not a problem for Ochocinco, who promised to transport Gonzalez from his home about 37 miles northwest of Gainesville and put him up in a hotel.

"Bundle up young Jedi for it is cold here," Ochocinco said on Twitter on Friday.

Gonzalez arrived Friday. Ochocinco took him out for dinner, then shopping for Patriots merchandise. Friday night, Gonzalez posted a photo of himself with Ochocinco and wrote on Twitter, "Living a dream!"

Safety woes: Denver S Brian Dawkins, a four-time All-Pro, sat. Dawkins, 38, has had a neck injury throughout the season and did not play in last week's wild-card win or the regular-season finale. During the game, the Broncos lost safeties Quinton Carter and David Bruton. Carter, whose interception set up Denver's only touchdown, hurt his neck during the second quarter. Bruton sustained a concussion during the third.

Hernandez leaves: TE Aaron Hernandez, whose 43-yard run helped set up the Patriots' first touchdown, left in the fourth quarter with a head injury. The status of the former Gator was unknown.

Staying behind: Broncos LS Lonie Paxton did not travel to New England because of complications with his wife's pregnancy with twins, his agent said. Previously, the team had said only that Paxton would miss the game because of a family emergency.

Obituary: Ex-Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser died Wednesday, his foundation said. He was 69. The cause of death was not disclosed. Mr. Kaiser bought the team in 1981 and owned it when it obtained QB John Elway from the Colts. He sold it to the current owner, Pat Bowlen, in 1984. In 2004, Mr. Kaiser lost a court battle over the right to buy back a stake in the team. "On behalf of the Denver Broncos, I extend our sincere condolences to the family of Edgar Kaiser," Bowlen said in a statement. "I have enormous appreciation for the opportunity Edgar gave me to become owner of this great franchise in 1984."

Times staff, wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

Colleges

NCAa board puts kink in stipend issue

INDIANAPOLIS — Recruits who sign letters of intent in February and April will not have access to an extra $2,000 in expense money after the NCAA's Division I board of directors delayed a decision on the new stipend Saturday.

On the NCAA convention's final day, the board had been expected to modify language for compliance with Title IX regulations and partial scholarships. Instead, it asked a working group to make a new proposal in April.

Recruits who signed letters of intent in November will be able to collect the money they were promised.

The board sent a clearer message on another hot-button issue, multiyear scholarships. It sent to the full membership for a vote legislation that would allow athletes to keep the full value of their scholarship for the length of their eligibility. Previously, scholarships were renewed annually based solely on athletic performance.

The full vote is online in February.

The board rejected a proposed scholarship cut in football and women's basketball and the elimination of foreign tours.

Football: Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas said he will forgo his senior year, joining teammate and running back LaMichael James in the NFL draft.

Olympics

Games vets win marathon trials

Shalane Flanagan won the U.S. women's marathon trial in Houston in trials-record time, qualifying for her third Games. Desiree Davila finished second and Kara Goucher third to make up the team for the London Games beginning July 27. Flanagan won in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 38 seconds. Sara Petrick of Apollo Beach finished 87th in 2:46:10. Meb Keflezighi won the men's trial in 2:09.08 to qualify for his third Games. Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman finished second and third, respectively, to make the team.

Et cetera

Baseball: Tampa native and four-time World Series champion Tino Martinez will be inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame on Feb. 3 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, with former home run champ Cecil Fielder. Martinez, 44, played 16 seasons in the majors, having his most success with the Yankees, for whom he now works. Also to be honored are ex-Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan, Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and Rays manager Joe Maddon. Tickets: raysbaseball.com, (727) 534-5343.

alpine skiing: Daniela Merighetti won a World Cup downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, despite a broken thumb, and overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn was second.

horses: Prospective captured the $100,000 Pasco and Salad Girl won the $100,000 Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Prospective ($7.20) clocked 7 furlongs in 1 minute, 23.88 seconds under Luis Contreras. Salad Girl ($18.40), ridden by Angel Serpa, ran 7 furlongs in 1:24.14.

tennis: Bernard Tomic beat Mardy Fish 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to win the Kooyong Invitational at Melbourne, Australia.

Marc Topkin and Bob Putnam, Times staff writers; Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

When the Packers open defense of their Super Bowl championship today, their eyes won't be entirely on the prize.

Last week was somber for the Packers. It started with G T.J. Lang burying his father and continued with the numbing news that offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son Michael drowned in a Wisconsin river.

It made it difficult for Green Bay to completely focus on today's NFC division playoff game against the visiting Giants.

CBS reported that Philbin would be with the team today. He typically sits in the coaches' box.

"It's important in this business to separate the personal from the professional and when you're at work to try and focus on work," QB Aaron Rodgers said. "But, we're human as well."

Philbin had interviewed for the Chiefs' head-coaching job days before his son's body was found in the Fox River.

TARGET NO MORE: The most divisive figure among Giants fans this season has round glasses and a perpetual smile, and opts to use a code word — instead of cursing — to let his players know he is angry.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell does not hesitate to say this has been his most challenging season. But now New York is hot, and especially considering the criticism Fewell endured as recently as last month, his players are reveling in his resurgence.

"He didn't deserve it, not even a little," LB Mathias Kiwanuka said. "To have a game like last week? It made all of us feel good for him because he has been working all year."

Kiwanuka was talking about the Giants' virtual whitewashing of Atlanta in the wild-card round. The Giants stuffed QB Matt Ryan's two fourth-down sneaks, mostly because they had seen them before — in Fewell's playbook.

"We had a page on it," Kiwanuka said. "How small a chance was there that there would be a situation where they would sneak it on a fourth and short? But it was in there."

SHORT ROAD: With their loss in San Francisco, the Saints fell to 0-5 on the road in their postseason history. A year ago, New Orleans came out West and suffered a stunning loss at 7-9 Seattle in the wild-card round.

BANGED UP: Saints RB Pierre Thomas was knocked out of Saturday's game against the 49ers after taking a hit to the head in the first quarter. Thomas caught a pass from Drew Brees on the Saints' opening drive and absorbed a vicious blow from 49ers S Donte Whitner just short of the goal line. Whitner jarred the ball loose, and LB Patrick Willis recovered for the 49ers at their 2-yard line.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

HONOLULU — Matt Every had a hard time sleeping on the lead going into the weekend at the Sony Open. The former Gator shot 2-under 68 on Saturday and goes into today's final round tied with 47-year-old Jeff Maggert with a lot more at stake.

Maggert played bogey-free and shot 66 to give himself a chance to win for the first time in nearly six years.

The two were at 12-under 198 and had a two-shot lead in the PGA Tour event, but more than a dozen players were in the hunt. Tied for second at 10 under were Johnson Wagner (66), Charles Howell III (66) and Brendon de Jonge (67).

Every, 28, hasn't had an easy time at this event. He had an awkward interview with the Golf Channel after his 64 on Friday, and his comments about an arrest on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge at the 2010 John Deere Classic became a hot topic.

"I'm just ready to get it over with," he said.

That's not to suggest he's dreading the final round. Every felt the nerves of protecting a two-shot lead in the third round and said one reason he had trouble sleeping was that he had a lot to lose.

He bogeyed No. 2, and his round was close to getting away from him. His approach on the third hole flirted with the water down the left side and barely was safe. He chipped to 8 feet and made par. "If I miss that — 2 over after three — and then the next thing you know, I could have made another bogey and then it's just kind of survival mode," he said.

Not only is Maggert closing in on the 50-and-older Champions Tour, he had surgery in June to take care of a bone spur in his right shoulder that had been bothering him the past few years. He had a medical exemption for part of this year, but he went to qualifying school for a backup plan (he made it through).

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — What a way to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of "The Catch."

Joe Montana to Dwight Clark then.

Alex Smith to Vernon Davis now.

Smith completed a 14-yard touchdown to Davis with 9 seconds left just after Drew Brees had put the high-powered Saints ahead, and resurgent San Francisco capitalized on five New Orleans turnovers for a thrilling 36-32 playoff victory Saturday.

"This is huge for us," Davis said. "It's history, legendary, anything you can describe."

Smith ran for a 28-yard TD with 2:11 left and threw another scoring pass to Davis in the first quarter. Coach Jim Harbaugh's NFC West champions (14-3) proved that a hard-hitting, stingy defense can still win in the modern, wide-open NFL and score one more time than one of the league's most dynamic offenses.

Brees completed a 66-yard touchdown to tight end and former University of Miami basketball star Jimmy Graham with 1:37 left. The Saints seemed poised to rally from an early 17-point deficit until Smith and Davis delivered once more.

Their highlight show came in the opposite end zone from where Clark caught a stretched-out 6-yard pass from Montana on Jan. 10, 1982, to beat Dallas in the NFC Championship Game. Saturday's winner by a leaping Davis — who plowed over a defender as he landed — came in the same end zone where Steve Young hit Terrell Owens for a winning TD with 3 seconds left in a 30-27 wild-card win over the Packers in the 1999 playoffs. T.O.'s grab became known as "The Catch II."

How about this one?

"You've got to call it the grab," Davis said of his play. "We were down. I had to make it happen to take my teammates where we want to go."

San Francisco won its first playoff game in nine years and moved on to face the Giants or defending champion Packers, who meet today.

The 49ers pulled off another last-second win in a season full of them. San Francisco came from behind for five victories in the regular season, four on the road.

Davis, who wept on the sideline afterward, finished with seven catches for 180 yards. It was the most yards receiving by a tight end in a playoff game.

Brees came up big down the stretch just as he did throughout a record-setting season, hitting Darren Sproles for a 44-yard TD with 4:02 remaining — one of Sproles' 15 catches for 119 yards.

"It stings right now because of the expectation level that we had coming into this tournament and understanding that if we win here we're into the NFC Championship Game and anything can happen," Brees said. "That's tough. Tough to swallow at this point."

Brees completed 40-of-63 for 462 yards and four touchdowns and was sacked three times. He also threw two interceptions, his first in the playoffs in five years.

"Kind of an unbelievable game the way it went back and forth," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "It's obviously a difficult game to lose."

The underdog 49ers made the big plays on both sides of the ball and on special teams.

"Guys were so confident, as long as we had time we had a shot," Smith said.

Times wires
Saturday, January 14, 2012

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — This season, and most especially in the days leading up to the Patriots' division playoff game against the Broncos, Tim Tebow — the media phenomenon, the cultural touchstone — was at the center of an endless-loop conversation about the nature of offensive football and the convergence of sports and religion.

Saturday night, he sat on the bench, an overcoat sheltering his shoulders while Tom Brady led another scoring drive with the Patriots up 42-7, the crowd began a taunt: "Te-bow! Te-bow! Te-bow!"

Brady threw a record-tying six touchdowns, a record five in the first half, to put the Patriots into the AFC title game with a 45-10 victory.

"We came in and started fast," Brady said. "And it was a big win for us."

The Patriots, winners of nine consecutive games, host the winner of today's game between the Ravens and Texans with a chance to reach their fifth Super Bowl in 11 seasons.

And so ended one of the season's most exciting story lines — one that caught the nation's attention and began when Denver was 1-4 and made Tebow a starter. The one-time third-stringer won six in a row (before losing to New England on Dec. 18) to help the Broncos win the AFC West and beat the Steelers in last week's wild-card game.

But Saturday, he was 9-of-26 for 136 yards and had 13 yards on five carries. He also was sacked five times.

"We went out and played very hard and good things happened," New England defensive tackle Vince Wilford said; "a great team win."

In a way the result restored the natural order of the NFL. Brady is the pre-eminent quarterback of his generation. But last week, he was thrust into an unusual spot for him — someone else's shadow. He has not inspired anybody to drop to one knee in prayer nor have songwriters rewrite lyrics in his honor.

But Brady's night, 26-of-34 for 363 yards, showed he has the accuracy that has helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls. (He even punted with 2:56 left, 48 yards on third down.)

The first sign that Tebow's magic would end came within a few minutes of the opening kickoff. The Patriots needed just five plays, including a 43-yard run by former Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez and 7-yard touchdown catch by Wes Welker, to take a 7-0 lead. On the Broncos' sixth play, Tebow was sacked and the ball was stripped.

By halftime, there was little doubt of the outcome.

Brady threw three touchdowns to tight end Rob Gronkowski as the Patriots took a 35-7 lead.

"We were playing complementary football," Gronkowski said. "And it was awesome."

Meanwhile, Tebow struggled to move the Broncos, completing just three of his 10 passes for 28 yards. He was stripped of the ball on Denver's sixth play, setting up Gronkowski's second touchdown.

Brady's fourth touchdown pass, 61 yards to Deion Branch down the sideline late in the first half, set a Patriots playoff record for a game. His sixth touchdown, a 17-yarder to Hernandez early in the third, matched the record shared by Steve Young (Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995) and Daryle Lamonica (December 1969).

At that point, Tebow still had completed only three passes for 28 yards.

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Evgeni Nabokov earned his 300th career win as Michael Grabner scored the go-ahead goal with three minutes left, and the Islanders beat the Sabres 4-2 Saturday.

The win moved New York out of the Eastern Conference basement and combined with the Hurricanes' 4-2 win over the Bruins to put the Lightning in it. Tampa Bay and the Islanders have 38 points, but the Lightning gets the bottom spot because it has played more games.

Carolina, with 39 points, moved into the 13th spot in the 15-team East.

Nabokov, 36, made 23 saves to become the 26th NHL goalie with 300 wins.

"I want to keep playing because I'm not ready to look back," said Nabokov, who improved to 7-11 this season. "I am having fun doing my job."

He recorded 293 wins during a decade with the Sharks before joining the Islanders this season after being claimed off waivers last January. Only the Devils' Martin Brodeur, the Oilers' and former Lightning Nikolai Khabibulin, and the Canucks' Roberto Luongo have more wins among active goalies.

"I'm enjoying the guys here, and I want to keep working toward the playoffs," Nabokov said. "We still have 40 games left."

The Sabres, beset all season by injuries, have lost a franchise-worst eight straight road games in regulation. "This was another tough night for us," said Lindy Ruff, the league's longest-tenured coach. He has been behind the Buffalo bench since July 1997.

Game highlights: Jay Harrison scored the winning goal with 1:30 remaining for the host Hurricanes, who rallied for the 4-2 victory over the Bruins. The Hurricanes have won all three of their meetings with the Bruins this season. … The Red Wings won their 14th straight home game, equalling the team home winning streak record set in 1965, 3-2 over the Blackhawks in overtime on Todd Bertuzzi's second goal of the game. … Patrick Marleau scored off a rebound with 2:57 left to lead the Sharks to a 2-1 victory over the host Blue Jackets. The Sharks extended their point streak to eight games. They are 6-0-1 in the new year and 6-0-2 in their past eight.

Around the league: Next season's Winter Classic will be between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs and played at the University of Michigan's stadium, according to a report on the league-run NHL Network. But the report was not an announcement by the league. It said the league was expected to make an announcement before the Jan. 29 All-Star Game. This would be the first Winter Classic with a Canadian team. … Flyers wing James van Riemsdyk is out indefinitely with a concussion. He was hit in the head in each the Flyers' past two games, general manager Paul Holmgren said: "He reported (Friday) not feeling like himself."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

TAMPA — What is the worst thing that can happen to a fragile team on an extended losing streak?

An opponent scores a soft goal to take an early lead.

What is worse? The opponent getting two.

That is what happened to the Lightning on Sunday in a 6-3 loss to the Penguins at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"That's difficult," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said, "because you have an uphill climb right away when you start the game."

Goals by Matt Gilroy, Ryan Malone and Teddy Purcell in 4 minutes, 50 seconds of the third period tied the score 3-3.

But Penguins star Evgeni Malkin scored three in the third, including an empty-netter for a five-point game that sent the Lightning (17-23-4) to its seventh straight defeat.

"It's painful," Malone said. "We lead the league in comebacks in the third period (10), but you don't want to be coming back every game by two goals."

Added Malone: "We weren't ready. The desperation has to be there right from the drop of the puck. Until we have some more pride or whatever it may be, we have to battle harder."

This is not a new lament. Tampa Bay has been outscored 54-30 in the first period and just eight times led going into the second.

It also was the second straight game a Lightning goaltender gave up two early soft goals.

This time, it was Mathieu Garon, who allowed James Neal's sharp-angle shot through his legs 2:43 into the game and Richard Park's wrist shot from the slot at 10:38.

"When you look at the replay, it's easy, but it happens so fast," Garon said. "The second one I didn't see at all. The first one just sneaked under my pads."

You could almost see the players' shoulders sag as Pittsburgh outshot Tampa Bay 17-5 in the first and 44-20 in the game.

"What's tough is it's the same story as the last game," Boucher said of Friday's 4-3 loss to the Capitals. "When you see that, it's tough because it becomes something heavier.

"If it's something that occurs once every blue moon, it's easier to manage. But it happens quite a bit, so you have to dig deeper to get rid of the negative side of starting from behind. It's mentally draining."

Still, Tampa Bay had a chance after Purcell's goal made it 3-3 6:50 into the third period.

But Malkin carried the puck off the side boards and scored on long-side backhand to make it 4-3 at 7:38, and Purcell's neutral-zone giveaway led to Malkin's breakaway goal at 9:27.

"That turnover killed us," Bou­cher said.

Tampa Bay had been wounded long before.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @LightningTimes.

First Period—1, Pittsburgh, Neal 23 (Martin, Malkin), 2:43 (pp). 2, Pittsburgh, Park 3, 10:38. Penalties—Stamkos, TB (slashing), :46; Engelland, Pit, major (fighting), 6:24; Labrie, TB, major (fighting), 6:24; Kubina, TB (hooking), 12:07.

Second Period—None. Penalties—Downie, TB (boarding), 14:53; Downie, TB (roughing), 19:45.

Third Period—3, Pittsburgh, Neal 24 (Malkin, Sullivan), :34 (pp). 4, Tampa Bay, Gilroy 1 (Stamkos, St. Louis), 2:00. 5, Tampa Bay, Malone 9 (Lecavalier, Purcell), 4:53 (pp). 6, Tampa Bay, Purcell 9 (Lecavalier, Gervais), 6:50. 7, Pittsburgh, Malkin 19, 7:38. 8, Pittsburgh, Malkin 20 (Orpik), 9:27. 9, Pittsburgh, Malkin 21, 19:04 (en). Penalties—Engelland, Pit (high-sticking), 4:01; Malkin, Pit (roughing), 12:11; Lecavalier, TB, double minor-misconduct (roughing), 12:11; Neal, Pit, misconduct, 12:16; Kubina, TB, misconduct, 12:16. Shots on Goal—Pittsburgh 17-15-12—44. Tampa Bay 5-8-7—20. Power-play opportunities—Pittsburgh 2 of 5; Tampa Bay 1 of 1. Goalies—Pittsburgh, Fleury 21-12-2 (20 shots-17 saves). Tampa Bay, Garon 11-13-2 (43-38). A—19,204 (19,204).

By Mike Gore, Times Correspondent
Sunday, January 15, 2012

What's hot: Now is the time to catch some quality redfish and trout. You will have to go skinny to make this happen. The real low or even negative tides in the upper bay will allow you to do this. The big schools aren't around, so target these fish in the sand holes. Flats with a good mixture of sand holes and grass are the best. In addition, the cold weather has turned on the sheepshead bite. This is a fish that can withstand the cold water and even seems to thrive on it. You can catch them around oyster bars, seawalls, docks, reefs and tidal creeks. The upper bay is loaded with them now.

Tactics: To fish the skinny water, you need bait you can work without getting caught up in the weeds. Try using a weighted worm hook of one-sixteenth or one-eighth ounces so you can rig your bait weedless with your favorite soft plastic. Most of the sheepshead action has been around the oyster bars fishing with shrimp. Tearing a live shrimp and using half of it has produced the best results. Another go-to bait is the fiddler crab. They can be found on most shorelines and are easy to catch. A 15-pound leader with a No. 1 or No. 2 hook with a small split shot should do the job.

Tip: Sheepshead are notorious for stealing your bait. Make sure to keep your line tight, and as soon as you feel that first bump, set the hook.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

TAMPA — Lightning C Vinny Lecavalier had a big part in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Penguins.

He assisted on two goals in a third-period comeback that briefly tied the score 3-3.

But he also attacked and sucker punched Evgeni Malkin with 7:49 left in the game, earning 14 minutes in penalties — a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct — with Tampa Bay down 5-3.

Lecavalier left the arena before talking to reporters; unusual for a captain whose free-falling team lost its seventh straight.

"Vinny felt Malkin tried to go for his knees," Boucher said.

"In those situations, he's the captain. He wants to show we're not going to take everything and not just be little poodles and wait for things to happen. For me, there's absolutely no blame on his part there."

Malkin said he saw Lecavalier coming for a big hit and ducked to "save myself."

As they skated up the ice, Lecavalier grabbed Malkin from behind and punched him a couple of times. As the ensuing scrum seemed to calm, Lecavalier punched Malkin in the face.

"I didn't say anything," Malkin said. "I just wanted to play hockey. I'm not going to fight. Five minutes left, I wanted to stay on the ice."

Two other factors made the confrontation intriguing. Lecavalier, who entered with 28 penalty minutes this season, rarely displays that kind of aggression, and the two have a history. Malkin was suspended for Russia's semifinal in the 2006 Olympics for trying to kick Canada's Lecavalier in the head in the quarterfinals.

Was that incident in the back of Lecavalier's mind? Who knows? He wasn't around to answer.

"It's just the way it happens," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "There were emotions out there."

Told Lecavalier acted out of character, Bylsma said, "It's not like (Malkin), either. I don't think either … put stamps on their career by playing that way."

"All I know is why he was going after Malkin," Boucher said. "I would love him on the ice, but it's one of those moments. Guys are emotional. They care. If they didn't care, you don't see that."

HOPE: The Lightning power play is in a 4-for-41 slump but scored on its only chance Sunday and has converted two straight. The new wrinkle: using five forwards.

"We're talking a little better," said Ryan Malone , who scored Sunday. "We're trying to battle for those loose pucks and look for the open guy. It's not really rocket science. We've got to make sure five guys are working hard."

MEDICAL MATTERS: RW Dana Tyrell left in the third period because of a lower-body injury.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Tampa Bay for the first time in its history allowed hat tricks in consecutive games. Washington's Troy Brouwer got one Friday.

ODDS AND ENDS: The Lightning's seven-game losing streak is its longest since a nine-gamer to end 2008-09. … D Matt Gilroy scored his first Lightning goal and first in 71 games (Jan. 5, 2011, for the Rangers). … Pittsburgh had one power-play goal in seven previous games before getting two Sunday. … The Lightning's 54 first-period goals allowed are eight more than the next-highest team. … D Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) and RW J.T. Wyman (pinky) were scratched.