Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

BALTIMORE — If style points and offensive fireworks meant anything, the Ravens wouldn't stand a chance of making it to the AFC Championship Game.

But playing defense and protecting the football are what they do best, and that formula led to Sunday's 20-13 victory over Houston, putting Baltimore in the AFC title game at New England.

"I always say there is a right way to do things, there is a wrong way to do things and there is just the Ravens' way of doing things," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "It wasn't pretty but we're not really a pretty team. We got the W and now it's on to the AFC championship."

The Ravens (13-4) had almost as many punts (nine) as first downs (11) and scored three points in the final 46 minutes. But Baltimore wasn't penalized once, didn't commit a turnover, intercepted rookie T.J. Yates three times and totaled four takeaways — two in the final eight minutes.

"If we didn't get any of those turnovers it would probably be a different game," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said.

Baltimore visits New England next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on Feb. 5.

The Patriots lead the series 6-1, but Baltimore's lone win came in the postseason.

Veteran defensive stars Ed Reed and Ray Lewis led a unit that yielded only one touchdown and came up with big plays when needed. Lewis had a team-high seven tackles and Reed sealed the victory with the Ravens' fourth takeaway, an interception near the goal line in the closing minutes.

The Ravens finished 9-0 at home, but this was anything but easy. Baltimore led 17-3 after the first quarter, and interceptions by Lardarius Webb and Reed in the final 7½ minutes helped the advantage stand up.

Reed has eight interceptions in 10 playoff games, few bigger than the last one.

"You can't say enough about him," Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "His big plays always seem to happen when you need one."

One week earlier, in the first playoff game in Texans history, Houston didn't commit a turnover in a 31-10 home rout of Cincinnati. Against Baltimore, the Texans (11-7) couldn't hold onto the ball and quickly fell behind by two touchdowns.

Arian Foster ran for 132 yards, the first player ever to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens in the postseason. But Yates' three interceptions matched the total he had in six regular-season games and mitigated his 184 passing yards.

"I can't have the turnovers," said Yates, a third-stringer when the season began. "…If I'd done a better job of protecting the football, I really think we'd have come out with the win today. We did a good job of moving the ball and we had some big plays, but you can't have that many picks."

Webb's second interception came with 7½ minutes left and the Ravens clinging to 17-13 advantage after getting stuffed on fourth and goal from the 1 late in the third quarter. Baltimore moved 45 yards to get a field goal by Billy Cundiff with 2:52 left.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

Best second choice

Hey, if you're a Lightning fan and you're looking for a team to adopt come playoff time — seeing as how the Lightning won't be there — how about the Ran­gers? They're young, play the game hard and have plenty of Lightning connections with former coach John Tortorella, assistant Mike Sullivan, Brad Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko. Plus, the NHL is a blast when there are playoff games at Madison Square Garden.

Worst trend

Know what I'm sick and tired of? Analysts swearing on the air. Add Shaquille O'Neal to the list. He thought he was off the air Thursday night during TNT's Inside the NBA when he used a four-letter word. He wasn't. Later, host Ernie Johnson made light of the whole thing by trying to put a bar of soap in Shaq's mouth.

That reminded me of when ESPN's Lee Corso swore a couple of months ago on College GameDay and appeared the next week with a piece of tape on his mouth.

It's not funny. It's distasteful and even more so when networks try to make a joke of it. Seriously, how hard is it keep from swearing when you're on television? It shouldn't matter whether you're in a commercial break or not. How about this: If you have a microphone, don't swear. The networks, particularly the folks who run Inside the NBA, need to take this a little more seriously.

Favorite segment

Here is a little bell and whistle that can make a broadcast really good. During Saturday afternoon's college basketball game between St. Bonaventure and Xavier on ESPNU, a box suddenly appeared in the corner of the screen. In it, analyst Doug Gottlieb, on tape, talked about the NBA prospects of Bonnies forward Andrew Nicholson. Simple, informative and entertaining. In addition, it was unexpected.

Worst word

The Lightning's Guy Boucher is an outstanding coach and figures to be for a long time. But his use of the word "adversity'' is becoming tiresome. The more he uses it, the more it feels as if there's a reason beyond the Lightning's control as to why it is struggling. It feels like an excuse. Maybe he doesn't mean it that way, but that's how it comes off.

Worst opening

This really happened: Turned on the Fox NFL pregame show Saturday just as it was starting. The crew — Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Jimmy Johnson — sang, "Hello … hello … hello'' Three Stooges style. It quickly evolved into inaudible talking and uncontrollable laughter. I then turned the station.

Three things that popped into my head

1. Here's the thing about Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, left. You can root for or against him. That's your right. But he's authentic. He's not a phony. What you see is really who he is. Shouldn't that be respected instead of ridiculed?

2. The Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady won their first Super Bowl 10 years ago. As of right now, after all this time, don't they look like the best bet to win this season's Super Bowl?

3. Pet peeve of the moment: NHL players I've never heard of who wear numbers higher than 40. If you're going to wear a number that high, especially in the 80s and 90s, you need to be a superstar.

Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones offers up his best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

tom jones' two cents

Best announcing team

Normally, you don't see a whole lot of praise in this space for CBS's Jim Nantz, far left, and Phil Simms. But either they're getting much better or I'm finally catching on. The two called Saturday night's Patriots-Broncos game and for the second weekend in a row get this vote for the best announcing team.

Here's what made them so good Saturday night: While most of the country focused on Tim Tebow mania, Nantz and Simms simply went out and called a football game. Tebow was far from being the story in the Patriots' 45-10 victory, and Nantz and Simms didn't try to shoehorn the Tebow angle into the broadcast.

In a way, they treated Tebow with respect by treating him as they would any other quarterback. They spent most of the night talking about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. That was the right call. After all, Brady was the story of the game.

Best questions

Often when a guest joins the set of a pregame show, he is treated with kid gloves. But high praise goes out to CBS's NFL Today for how it questioned Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Analyst Bill Cowher asked Suh about the perception that he's a dirty player, and host James Brown asked Suh specifically about the Thanksgiving game when he kicked a Packers player. The CBS guys asked the questions with a respectful yet no-nonsense tone. And to his credit, Suh answered the questions. In the end, everyone came out looking good.

Most interesting conversation

I don't always agree with everything said by Sun Sports hockey analyst Chris Dingman during the Lightning's postgame shows, but it's usually compelling. Actually, it makes for good television when the viewers don't always agree with the broad­casters. • Host Paul Kennedy does a masterful job leading the former Lightning tough guy through a variety of topics. Sunday, they talked about the on-ice dustup between the Lightning's Vinny Lecavalier and Penguins' Evgeni Malkin, the rise in concussions in hockey and why the Lightning is struggling. • Again, you might not agree with Dingman's thoughts, but they are worth your attention.

Best and worst No. 2 announcing team

It's stunning how much of a drop-off there is between Fox's No. 1 football team (Joe Buck-Troy Aikman) and its No. 2 team (above from left, Kenny Albert-Tony Siragusa-Daryl Johnston). Albert is first-rate, but Johnston and Siragusa are masters of the obvious as well as hyperbole. Everything is "tremendous'' and "incredible'' and "unbelievable,'' and rarely do they tell viewers something they don't already know or can't see for themselves.

The fact they are considered Fox's second-best team says more about Fox's empty stable of broadcasters than "Moose and Goose.'' Maybe the two would be better if they were split up.

Meantime, CBS's No. 2 team of Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf is really like a No. 1 team. There isn't much of a difference between those two and CBS's top crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. In fact, keep going down CBS's roster of football announcers. There's Ian Eagle-Dan Fouts and Marv Albert-Rich Gannon. Either could be Fox's No. 2 team.

One could question why Fox analysts such as Brian Billick and John Lynch weren't in a booth over the weekend.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hunt for a Bucs head coach: Day 13

Top of the list

1. Mike Sherman: Former Packers and Texas A&M coach

2. Mike Zimmer: Bengals defensive coordinator

3. Marty Schottenheimer: Former Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers coach

4. Brad Childress: Former Vikings coach

5. Rob Chudzinski: Panthers offensive coordinator

On the radar

1. Jerry Gray: Titans defensive coordinator

2. Perry Fewell: Giants defensive coordinator

What's new

• The Dolphins are reportedly leaning toward Zimmer, who spent six seasons with Miami GM Jeff Ireland when they were in the Cowboys organization. The Bucs have been given permission to interview Zimmer.

• Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin remains high on Miami's list, according to ESPN, and is now available for a second interview after Sunday's loss.

• The Falcons hired Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator from Jacksonville to replace Mike Mularkey only four days after the Jaguars introduced Mularkey as their new coach.

Our take

The Bucs did not eliminate any candidates, as anticipated, this past weekend and might have to accelerate a decision and/or interview with Zimmer, reportedly the top candidate in Miami. Tampa Bay also is considering Chudzinski, who interviewed with the Jags and Rams. Don't think the Bucs search is nearing an end. Giants defensive coordinator Fewell is likely to draw interest, but he won't be available to meet until at least after New York's NFC title game.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hunt for a Bucs head coach: Day 14

Top of the list

1. Mike Sherman: Former Packers and Texas A&M coach

2. Mike Zimmer: Bengals defensive coordinator

3. Marty Schottenheimer: Former Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers coach

4. Rob Chudzinski: Panthers offensive coordinator

5. Joe Philbin: Packers offensive coordinator

6. Brad Childress: Former Vikings coach

On the radar

1. Jerry Gray: Titans defensive coordinator

2. Perry Fewell: Giants defensive coordinator

What's new

• Zimmer reportedly interviewed with the Bucs on Monday, and are scheduled to interview Chudzinski today. The Bucs also asked for permission to talk to two Packers assistants — offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements.

• Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy reportedly interviewed with the Dolphins on Monday. Philbin and Zimmer also appear to be in the Miami mix.

• Oakland got permission to talk to both Broncos coordinators: McCoy and Dennis Allen (defensive). The Raiders also interviewed Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

Our take

The Bucs continue interviews, and appear willing to take their time. That could change if they fall in love with someone who is a candidate elsewhere (like Zimmer, considered among the leading contenders in Miami). Also, as other teams choose a new coach (St. Louis, Jacksonville, etc.) they start picking coordinators and position coaches, so every day the Bucs go without a coach might also hurt their chances of landing the best assistant coaches.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hunt for a Bucs head coach: Day 15

Top of the list

1. Mike Sherman: Former Packers and Texas A&M coach

2. Mike Zimmer: Bengals defensive coordinator

3. Marty Schottenheimer: Former Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers coach

4. Rob Chudzinski: Panthers offensive coordinator

5. Joe Philbin: Packers offensive coordinator

6. Brad Childress: Former Vikings coach

7. Tom Clements: Packers quarterback coach

On the radar

1. Jerry Gray: Titans defensive coordinator

2. Perry Fewell: Giants defensive coordinator

What's new

• The Bucs are believed to have interviewed Zimmer and Chudzinski. They have also asked for permission to meet with Philbin and Clements. One report predicts the Bucs will wrap up a first round of interviews by early next week (the earliest they can talk to Fewell, as expected), then start a second round of interviews.

• With the Colts firing Jim Caldwell on Tuesday, the Bucs have even more competition for the top coaching candidates.

• The Miami Herald reported that Zimmer is no longer a Dolphins candidate, with Miami down to Philbin, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and interim coach Todd Bowles. Philbin and McCoy have second interviews scheduled this week with Miami, and McCoy is scheduled to meet with Oakland today. The Raiders also got permission to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

Our take

The process continues, apparently through the weekend, especially if the Bucs are interested in Fewell. They should start eliminating candidates in the next few days.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hunt for a Bucs head coach: Day 16

Top of the list

1. Mike Sherman: Former Packers and Texas A&M coach

2. Mike Zimmer: Bengals defensive coordinator

3. Marty Schotten­heimer: Former Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers coach

4. Rob Chudzinski: Panthers offensive coordinator

5. Joe Philbin: Packers offensive coordinator

6. Brad Childress: Former Vikings coach

7. Tom Clements: Packers quarterbacks coach

On the radar

1. Jerry Gray: Titans defensive coordinator

2. Perry Fewell: Giants defensive coordinator

What's new

• The Dolphins are down to Philbin, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and interim coach Todd Bowles. Philbin and Bowles interviewed Wednesday for the second time. McCoy is set for his second interview today.

• Raiders interview former Vikings coach and recently named Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice as well as Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

•Titans grant Colts permission to interview Gray, the Nashville Tennessean reports.

Our take

The Bucs have wrapped up interviews with Zimmer and Chudzinski and plan to talk with Philbin and Clements by the weekend. They are comfortable going to Senior Bowl practices, which start Monday, without a staff. But by the start of next week, they will eliminate a few candidates and could add another, such as Fewell, after the conference title games. Keep in mind, the Bucs hired Tony Dungy in late January and completed the trade for Jon Gruden in mid February.

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer

For the latest on the Bucs' coaching search, go to tampabay.com/blogs/bucs or follow on Twitter at @BucsBeat.

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

SWIMMING

EVANS, 40, EARNS HER SECOND qualifying TIME

AUSTIN, Texas — Janet Evans qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials in the 800-meter freestyle on Sunday, her second qualifying time in two days since coming out of retirement. The 40-year-old finished in 8 minutes, 49.05 seconds at the Austin Grand Prix. Evans, who still owns the American record set in 1989, won by more than 14 seconds.

"This is my first big event with fast kids since 1996," she said. "I felt really good starting off, especially in the first 400 (meters)."

The mother of two posted an Olympic-trial qualifying time in Friday's 400 free. The trials are in June, with the London Games in July.

Alpine SKIING

Vonn climbs chart

American gold medalist Lindsey Vonn moved into sole possession of third on the career World Cup victories list, dominating a super-G in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy. Vonn was 0.61 seconds ahead of rival Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany for her 47th win, moving ahead of Austria's Renate Goetschl and trailing only Austria's Annemarie Moser-Proell (62) and Switzerland's Vreni Schneider (55).

COLLEGES

Meyer ousts two

New Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer dismissed two players after off-the-field problems — defensive backs Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell. Clarke, a redshirt sophomore, has been charged separately with drunken driving and disorderly conduct; Gambrell had an unspecified violation of team rules.

HOCKEY SHOWCASE: Michigan defeated Ohio State 4-1 in front of 25,864 at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, in the first outdoor college hockey game in Ohio.

BASEBALL

Colon to join A's

The Athletics and right-hander Bartolo Colon agreed to a one-year deal, the Associated Press and ESPN reported. Colon, 38, was 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA last season for the Yankees.

BLUE JAYS: Centerfielder Colby Rasmus agreed to a one-year, $2.7 million contract, avoiding arbitration.

NATIONALS: Gio Gonzalez agreed to a $42 million, five-year deal three weeks after the left-hander was acquired from Oakland.

RED SOX: Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal, avoiding arbitration.

TWINS: Reliever Joel Zumaya signed a one-year deal worth up to $1.7 million with incentives, MLB.com reported.

ET CETERA

RUNNING: Ethiopians swept the Houston marathon in record time. Tariku Jufar won the men's race in 2:06:51 and Alemitu Abera the women's in 2:23.14. The city held the U.S. Olympic trials, on a different course, on Saturday. … In the Rock 'N' Roll Arizona race from Phoenix to Tempe, Trisha Miller of Missoula, Mont., was the women's winner in 2:49.12, and Kenya's Peter Omae Ayieni (2:24:47) pulled away over the last mile to capture the men's event.

BOWLING: Finn Osku Palermaa became the first international player and first two-handed-style bowler to win the PBA World Championship, beating Ryan Shafer 203-177 in Las Vegas in the season's first major.

AUTOS: Stephane Peterhansel won the Dakar Rally for a record 10th time alongside fellow Frenchman Cyril Despres. They clinched in a final 18-mile stage ending in Lima, Peru.

YACHTING: Eight 52-foot-class boats entered the Key West regatta, set to begin today off the Florida Keys.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lenzelle Smith more than doubled his career high with 28 points Sunday to lead No. 5 Ohio State to an 80-63 victory over No. 7 Indiana.

"Throughout the game I just saw my man leave me every single time," said Smith, who came in averaging 5.2 points. "The first game (against Indiana), I was complaining about that to my team. This game we capitalized."

Hoosiers coach Tom Crean didn't apologize for leaving the sophomore guard alone outside to concentrate on defending the Buckeyes' leading scorer and rebounder, Jared Sullinger.

"Lenzelle is averaging four shots a game. Look it up," Crean said. "He really played well. They've got a lot of good players."

Smith, who missed practice Thursday and Friday with strep throat, shot 10-for-12, hitting 4 of 5 3-pointers, and had seven rebounds. His previous scoring high was 12.

Sullinger added 16 points for the Buckeyes (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten).

Cody Zeller scored 16 for the Hoosiers (15-3, 3-3).

Ohio State's players had vowed to pay back the Hoosiers for a 74-71 loss on Dec. 31 in Bloomington.

No. 8 Duke 73, Clemson 66: Andre Dawkins scored 24, hitting five 3-pointers as the visiting Blue Devils (15-2, 3-0 ACC) overcame a sluggish start. Duke's leading scorer, Austin Rivers, had four points, more than 10 fewer than his average. The Tigers cut a 13-point lead to 68-64 in the final minute on two 3-pointers by Andre Young. But Dawkins made three late free throws as the Blue Devils beat Clemson for the 26th time in the past 28 meetings. "He met the challenge and played just unbelievable," Duke forward Mason Plumlee said.

No. 11 G'town 69, St. John's 49: Hollis Thompson missed all four of his 3-pointers in a scoreless first half, then hit 4 of 5 3s in the second half and finished with 20 points to lead the visiting Hoyas (14-3, 4-2 Big East). The Red Storm, which visits USF at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, fell to 0-7 against ranked teams.

No. 23 Creighton 90, S. Illinois 71: Sophomore Doug McDermott scored 25 for the host Bluejays (16-2, 6-1 Missouri Valley).

No. 3 north carolina: After Saturday's 90-57 loss at FSU — the worst in Roy Williams' nine seasons at UNC —several players, including John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Dexter Strickland, questioned the team's mental fortitude. "(We) weren't mentally focused enough to get it done," Barnes said. "We need to be mentally tougher."

Women: UM ends long drought in Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE — Stefanie Yderstrom's 3-pointer from the corner with 17 seconds remaining gave No. 13 Miami a 60-57 win over Florida State and ended a 25-year victory drought for the Hurricanes in Tallahassee.

Miami (15-3, 4-1 ACC) led 41-22 a minute into the second half. FSU tied it at 57 on Cierra Bravard's free throw with 37 seconds left.

Shenise Johnson led Miami with 24 points. Natasha Howard led FSU (10-9, 2-3) with 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.

UF topples lsu: Every Gator scored as host Florida (12-6, 2-3 SEC) beat LSU for the first time in six years, 62-58. Jordan Jones led the Gators with 16 points.

No. 1 Baylor 77, Texas 59: Brittney Griner tied her season high with 32 points to go with 13 rebounds for the visiting Bears (17-0, 4-0 Big 12), who led by 20 at halftime. Griner could have approached her career-high 40 points, but she often passed up shots in the second half. The Longhorns lacked size, with forward Cokie Reed out with a right leg strain and center Ashley Gayle in foul trouble throughout.

No. 6 Tenn. 87, No. 25 Vandy 64: Leading scorer Shekinna Stricklen hit 20 for the host Vols (13-4, 4-1 SEC) before injuring her right knee late in the game. Christina Foggie tied her career high of 27 for the Commodores (14-3, 2-2). The team said Stricklen appeared to have a knee strain; she will be fully evaluated today.

No. 7 Duke 61, Va. Tech 34: Elizabeth Williams had 20 points, seven rebounds and four blocks and the visiting Blue Devils (14-2, 5-0 ACC) gave coach Joanne McCallie 50 victories in 61 conference games. Only Kay Yow of N.C. State reached the milestone faster, in 57 games.

No. 9 uk 66, s. carolina 58: Kelya Snowden scored 15 for the visiting Wildcats (16-2, 5-0 SEC), whose conference's top offense was held to 15 below its average by the league's top defense. The Gamecocks (14-4, 3-2) led 45-36 with 11 minutes left.

No. 11 Ohio St. 64, Mich. St. 56: Tayler Hill scored 21 for the visiting Buckeyes (17-1, 4-1 Big Ten).

Penn St. 93, No. 15 Neb. 73: Maggie Lucas scored 24 to lead five Nittany Lions in double figures, overwhelming the host Cornhuskers (15-2, 4-1 Big Ten) in the first eight minutes of the second half.

No. 17 Purdue 57, Iowa 55: Brittany Rayburn scored 14, hitting two free throws with 17.5 seconds left then blocking Kelly Krei's 3-pointer to lead the host Boilermakers (15-3, 5-0 Big Ten).

No. 18 G'town 69, Syracuse 42: Sugar Rodgers scored 23 and the host Hoyas (14-4, 3-2 Big East) never trailed.

No. 19 Georgia 68, Miss. St. 51: Anne Marie Armstrong tied a career high with 22 points for visiting Georgia (15-3, 4-1 SEC).

No. 20 Del. 70, Northeastern 54: Elena Delle Donne missed most of the first half with a left leg injury but had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the host Blue Hens (14-1, 5-0 Colonial).

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

CHICAGO — Jonathan Toews and Viktor Stalberg had a goal and an assist as the Central-leading Blackhawks beat the Pacific-leading Sharks 4-3 Sunday.

San Jose lost in regulation for the first time since Dec. 26, a span in which they won six games, lost one in overtime and lost one in a shootout.

Dave Bolland and rookie Andrew Shaw also scored for Chicago, which is 3-0-2 in its past five. Shaw's goal was his fourth in seven games since being called up from the AHL.

Antti Niemi stopped 36 shots for the Sharks. Niemi, who led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010, has started all seven games between the teams since joining the Sharks before last season.

Niemi made a glove save on Marian Hossa midway through the first, but he couldn't hold off the Blackhawks late in the period when Bolland and Stalberg scored 1:38 apart

Bolland made it 1-0 with 1:59 left. After taking Jimmy Hayes' feed from behind the net, he beat Niemi with a shot from a sharp angle.

Stalberg made it 2-0, skating down the slot and redirecting Toews' feed from the corner.

Game highlights: Rookie defenseman Dmitry Orlov's first career goal, 1:12 into the third, lifted the host Capitals past the Hurricanes 2-1. Washington has won three in a row to tie Florida atop the Southeast. … Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist as the host Canadiens ended a three-game skid by beating the Rangers 4-1.

Around the league: Blue Jackets wing Dane Byers will have a hearing with the league over Saturday's hit to the head of Sharks center Andrew Desjardins. Byers was given a match penalty, which is an automatic one-game suspension. Desjardins sat out Sunday against the Blackhawks and is day to day. … Hurricanes center Jeff Skinner returned after missing 16 games with a concussion. Last season's rookie of the year had team highs of 12 goals and 24 points when he was hit from behind Dec. 7 against the Oilers. … Stars wing Jamie Benn, who has a team-high 42 points, will miss up to three weeks after Sunday's appendectomy. … Rangers wing Ruslan Fedotenko, who has six goals and seven assists, is out indefinitely with back spasms.

First Period—1, Chicago, Bolland 13 (Hayes, Brunette), 18:01. 2, Chicago, Stalberg 14 (J.Toews, Leddy), 19:39. Penalties—Winchester, SJ, major (fighting), 5:05; O'Donnell, Chi, major (fighting), 5:05.

Second Period—3, San Jose, Pavelski 17 (Vlasic, Thornton), 1:42. 4, San Jose, McGinn 9 (Mitchell), 2:08. 5, Chicago, J.Toews 24 (Kane, Stalberg), 7:06. Penalties—J.Toews, Chi (hooking), 18:56.

Third Period—6, Chicago, Shaw 4 (Kruger, Hossa), 2:37. 7, San Jose, Wingels 1 (Mitchell, Boyle), 15:03. Penalties—Bolland, Chi (holding), 5:04; Handzus, SJ (boarding), 6:26; Hjalmarsson, Chi (hooking), 18:53. Shots on Goal—San Jose 8-8-8—24. Chicago 11-14-15—40. Power-play opportunities—San Jose 0 of 3; Chicago 0 of 1. Goalies—San Jose, Niemi 19-8-5 (40 shots-36 saves). Chicago, Crawford 17-10-4 (24-21). A—21,645 (19,717).

First Period—None. Penalties—Carlson, Was (delay of game), 5:49.

Second Period—1, Washington, Semin 11 (Johansson, Ovechkin), 16:57. 2, Carolina, Jokinen 5 (Ponikarovsky, Stewart), 19:43 (pp). Penalties—Jokinen, Car (tripping), 7:26; Knuble, Was (slashing), 9:37; Beagle, Was (elbowing), 17:48.

Third Period—3, Washington, Orlov 1 (Chimera), 1:12. Penalties—Kundratek, Was (tripping), 7:38; Harrison, Car (slashing), 9:35; Hendricks, Was (roughing), 9:35; Faulk, Car (roughing), 20:00; Carlson, Was (roughing), 20:00. Shots on Goal—Carolina 13-13-18—44. Washington 4-9-11—24. Power-play opportunities—Carolina 1 of 4; Washington 0 of 1. Goalies—Carolina, C.Ward 16-17-6 (24 shots-22 saves). Washington, Vokoun 19-10-0 (44-43). A—18,506 (18,398).

First Period—1, Montreal, Pacioretty 14 (Cole, Desharnais), 2:39. 2, N.Y. Rangers, Mitchell 3 (Stepan, Gaborik), 12:49. Penalties—Bickel, NYR, major (fighting), 4:59; Moen, Mon, major (fighting), 4:59; Gomez, Mon (high-sticking), 9:26.

Second Period—3, Montreal, Pacioretty 15 (Cole, Desharnais), 3:54. 4, Montreal, Blunden 2 (Gomez, Subban), 7:11. 5, Montreal, Desharnais 7 (Pacioretty, Cole), 12:18. Penalties—None.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Hagelin, NYR (interference), 17:43. Shots on Goal—N.Y. Rangers 11-11-7—29. Montreal 9-11-9—29. Power-play opportunities—N.Y. Rangers 0 of 1; Montreal 0 of 1. Goalies—N.Y. Rangers, Lundqvist 19-9-4 (29 shots-25 saves). Montreal, Budaj 2-4-0 (29-28). A—21,273 (21,273).

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — David Lee scored 24 and Monta Ellis added 22 to help the Warriors win on the road for the first time, 99-91 over the Pistons on Sunday night.

Golden State won at Detroit for the second time in its last 17 visits. Greg Monroe had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons.

The Warriors trailed 48-44 at halftime but went on an 8-0 run early in the third quarter and never trailed after that.

Lee, a former Gator standout, hurt the Pistons inside early, then Ellis and Dorell Wright contributed scoring in the second half.

Lee's streak of double doubles ended at six games. He fouled out with 4:40 left with six rebounds.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) sat out.

Late saturday: Kobe Bryant scored 42, his fourth straight game of at least 40, but the Lakers fell to the Clippers 102-94. Chris Paul, who led the Clippers with 33 points, strained his left hamstring in the fourth quarter and is questionable for today's game against the Nets. An MRI exam was negative.

Odom still miffed: Lamar Odom, traded by the Lakers last month, still has some questions as his new team, the Mavericks, visits Los Angeles today. "For them just to (try to) trade me without communicating, it made me start to ask myself questions like 'Why would they do something like that?' " Odom said. "It hurt my feelings. Why would they choose to go that route? My father lives in California and I take care of my dad. They know about my family situation, everything about me, everything about Lamar. It was impossible for me not to take it personally. When I spoke to one of the representatives for the Lakers, the first thing he said was 'Don't take it personally.' That means it's personal if that's the first thing someone says to you."

Around the league: Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (sprained right ankle) is a game-time decision for today's home game against the Magic (1 p.m., Sun Sports, 1010-AM). Anthony did not do much in practice Sunday but said his ankle is coming along. "It's sore," he said. "But if I can go, I'm going to go. It's time to get going right now." Magic shooting guard Jason Richardson expects to sit out today with a bone bruise in his left knee, sustained Thursday, still bothering him. J.J. Redick would start for Richardson. Orlando expects guard-forward Quentin Richardson to be available after he missed four games with a sprained ankle. … Heat guard Dwyane Wade did not practice Sunday, getting treatment on a sprained right ankle and doing a private workout. It's unclear if he will play Tuesday against the Spurs.

Warriors 99, Pistons 91

GOLDEN STATE (99): D.Wright 3-13 4-4 11, Lee 10-12 4-5 24, Biedrins 2-3 0-2 4, Jenkins 3-6 0-0 6, Ellis 7-14 8-11 22, Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Udoh 4-7 2-3 10, Rush 5-8 0-0 12, Robinson 4-7 2-2 10, McGuire 0-1 0-0 0, C.Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-73 20-27 99.

DETROIT (91): Prince 8-15 2-2 20, Jerebko 3-7 0-0 6, Monroe 6-12 13-14 25, Knight 3-8 0-0 8, Gordon 6-12 0-1 15, Maxiell 0-3 0-0 0, Stuckey 4-11 6-7 14, Wallace 0-1 0-0 0, Daye 1-5 1-2 3. Totals 31-74 22-26 91.

Golden State 24 20 30 25— 99

Detroit 19 29 21 22— 91

3-Point Goals—Golden State 3-15 (Rush 2-4, D.Wright 1-6, Ellis 0-2, Robinson 0-3), Detroit 7-19 (Gordon 3-5, Prince 2-2, Knight 2-6, Wallace 0-1, Stuckey 0-1, Jerebko 0-1, Daye 0-3). Fouled Out—Lee. Rebounds—Golden State 48 (D.Wright 11), Detroit 41 (Monroe 8). Assists—Golden State 23 (Ellis 7), Detroit 23 (Stuckey, Gordon 6). Total Fouls—Golden State 22, Detroit 19. Technicals—Golden State defensive three second 2. A—11,774 (22,076).

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Tim Duncan had 24 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Spurs to a 102-91 victory over the Suns on Sunday.

San Antonio is 9-0 at home and 0-4 on the road. Phoenix, beginning a five-game road trip, has lost four straight.

Tony Parker had 17 points and nine assists for the Spurs, who have won three straight.

Suns veterans Steve Nash and Grant Hill returned after missing Friday's loss to New Jersey. Nash was out with a right quadriceps contusion, and Hill missed the game with a right quadriceps tendon strain. Nash had 20 points and 10 assists; Hill scored four.

Game highlights: Paul Millsap had 26 points and 12 rebounds as the visiting Jazz beat the Nuggets 106-96. Utah has won seven of eight. … Former Gator David Lee scored 24 and the Warriors won on the road for the first time, 99-91 over the Pistons.

Late saturday: Kobe Bryant scored 42, his fourth straight game of at least 40, but the Lakers fell to the Clippers 102-94. Chris Paul, who led the Clippers with 33 points, strained his left hamstring in the fourth quarter and is questionable for today's game against the Nets. An MRI exam was negative.

Around the league: Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (sprained right ankle) is a game-time decision today against the visiting Magic (1 p.m., Sun Sports, 1010-AM). Anthony did little in practice Sunday but said his ankle is coming along: "It's sore. But if I can go, I'm going to go." Magic shooting guard Jason Richardson expects to sit out with a bone bruise in his left knee, sustained Thursday, still bothering him. J.J. Redick would start for Richardson. … Heat guard Dwyane Wade did not practice Sunday, getting treatment on a sprained right ankle. It's unclear if he will play Tuesday against the Spurs.

Spurs 102, Suns 91

PHOENIX (91): Hill 2-5 0-0 4, Frye 0-7 0-0 0, Gortat 11-20 2-4 24, Nash 9-19 2-2 20, Dudley 4-9 2-2 12, Morris 6-10 0-0 14, Brown 5-10 0-0 10, Lopez 0-3 1-2 1, Price 1-2 0-0 3, Redd 0-4 2-2 2, Warrick 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 38-91 10-14 91.

SAN ANTONIO (102): Jefferson 3-6 2-2 8, Duncan 10-14 4-6 24, Blair 7-12 0-0 14, Parker 8-20 1-3 17, Leonard 4-8 2-2 12, Neal 1-6 0-0 2, Green 2-5 2-2 7, Splitter 3-4 3-4 9, Joseph 0-1 1-2 1, Bonner 2-5 2-2 8. Totals 40-81 17-23 102.

Phoenix 26 16 26 23— 91

San Antonio 30 26 22 24— 102

3-Point Goals—Phoenix 5-15 (Dudley 2-2, Morris 2-6, Price 1-1, Redd 0-1, Brown 0-1, Nash 0-1, Frye 0-3), San Antonio 5-19 (Leonard 2-4, Bonner 2-5, Green 1-3, Parker 0-1, Joseph 0-1, Neal 0-1, Duncan 0-1, Jefferson 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Phoenix 49 (Gortat 15), San Antonio 55 (Duncan 11). Assists—Phoenix 20 (Nash 10), San Antonio 27 (Parker 9). Total Fouls—Phoenix 21, San Antonio 15. Technicals—Warrick, San Antonio defensive three second. A—18,581 (18,797).

Jazz 106, Nuggets 96

UTAH (106): Hayward 7-13 4-6 19, Millsap 12-19 2-5 26, Jefferson 8-17 2-2 18, Harris 4-9 0-0 10, Bell 3-7 0-0 7, Miles 1-5 2-2 4, Burks 4-7 2-3 10, Watson 2-2 0-0 4, Favors 1-3 0-0 2, Kanter 1-2 2-2 4, Evans 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 44-85 14-20 106.

DENVER (96): Gallinari 2-6 12-12 18, Nene 8-15 2-7 18, Mozgov 3-5 0-0 6, Lawson 6-16 0-0 13, Afflalo 4-10 6-10 16, Harrington 5-11 0-2 10, Miller 2-2 1-2 5, Fernandez 0-3 0-0 0, Andersen 0-1 2-2 2, Brewer 2-6 3-4 8, Koufos 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-75 26-39 96.

Utah 25 23 29 29— 106

Denver 26 22 25 23— 96

3-Point Goals—Utah 4-12 (Harris 2-4, Hayward 1-2, Bell 1-3, Burks 0-1, Miles 0-2), Denver 6-16 (Afflalo 2-4, Gallinari 2-4, Brewer 1-1, Lawson 1-2, Fernandez 0-1, Harrington 0-4). Rebounds—Utah 52 (Millsap, Jefferson 12), Denver 51 (Afflalo 8). Assists—Utah 27 (Watson, Harris 7), Denver 21 (Lawson 8). Total Fouls—Utah 30, Denver 22. A—16,208 (19,155).

Warriors 99, Pistons 91

GOLDEN STATE (99): D.Wright 3-13 4-4 11, Lee 10-12 4-5 24, Biedrins 2-3 0-2 4, Jenkins 3-6 0-0 6, Ellis 7-14 8-11 22, Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Udoh 4-7 2-3 10, Rush 5-8 0-0 12, Robinson 4-7 2-2 10, McGuire 0-1 0-0 0, C.Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-73 20-27 99.

DETROIT (91): Prince 8-15 2-2 20, Jerebko 3-7 0-0 6, Monroe 6-12 13-14 25, Knight 3-8 0-0 8, Gordon 6-12 0-1 15, Maxiell 0-3 0-0 0, Stuckey 4-11 6-7 14, Wallace 0-1 0-0 0, Daye 1-5 1-2 3. Totals 31-74 22-26 91.

Golden State 24 20 30 25— 99

Detroit 19 29 21 22— 91

3-Point Goals—Golden State 3-15 (Rush 2-4, D.Wright 1-6, Ellis 0-2, Robinson 0-3), Detroit 7-19 (Gordon 3-5, Prince 2-2, Knight 2-6, Wallace 0-1, Stuckey 0-1, Jerebko 0-1, Daye 0-3). Fouled Out—Lee. Rebounds—Golden State 48 (D.Wright 11), Detroit 41 (Monroe 8). Assists—Golden State 23 (Ellis 7), Detroit 23 (Stuckey, Gordon 6). Total Fouls—Golden State 22, Detroit 19. A—11,774 (22,076).

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — A hard-hitting, opportunistic defense set the tone in the 49ers' thrilling 36-32 playoff win Saturday against the Saints the same way it has all season, despite giving up many more points than normal.

From DL Justin Smith and LB Aldon Smith harassing QB Drew Brees, to LBs Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman shutting down the running game, to S Dashon Goldson making punishing hits, defense is the biggest reason for the resurgence that has the 49ers in the NFC title game for the first time since the 1997 season.

They host the Giants next weekend at Candlestick Park after New York upset defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay on Sunday. San Francisco beat Eli Manning and the Giants 27-20 at home Nov. 13.

"It's a lot better than traveling to Wisconsin. More importantly, we're playing a team we've already faced," 49ers CB Carlos Rogers said Sunday. "It's not as hard as preparing for another team we haven't faced yet."

The 49ers didn't allow a 100-yard runner or a rushing touchdown until their 15th game and gave up 14.3 points a game, second-best in the league.

"We've got a great defense. We feel like we can stop anyone," Bowman said. "When it's not working for our offense, it's our job to get the ball back for them as many times as we can. … That's what a team is, and I think we have a great one here."

EMOTIONAL DAY: In their 37-20 home loss to the Giants, the Packers welcomed back offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, two days after the funeral for Philbin's son.

Joe Philbin had been away from the team all week after the body of Michael Philbin, 21, was recovered Monday from an icy river in Oshkosh, Wis. A preliminary autopsy showed he drowned.

"I think deep down, a lot of us wanted to kind of get this one for him," Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said.

UNPOPULAR OFFICIAL: The Giants were on the short end of another controversial call by referee Bill Leavy in the first quarter.

With the Giants up 10-3, Greg Jennings caught a 6-yard pass. Giants S Deon Grant knocked the ball loose. The play initially was called a fumble, and it appeared that way on replay, but Leavy overruled, saying Jennings was down by contact. Giants coach Tom Coughlin lost his eighth straight challenge.

"We must be 0-for-100 by now," Coughlin said.

Mike Pereira, a Fox analyst and the former NFL vice president of officiating, disagreed with the ruling on the air.

Leavy admitted to making two bad calls in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's win over Seattle in the Super Bowl in 2006.

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For a team bringing back orange uniforms in 2012, the Broncos were resoundingly blue on Sunday.

While some players were buoyed by their bounce-back season under QB Tim Tebow, most were still bummed over their 45-10 pummeling Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass., at the hands of the Patriots.

"Everybody wants to say we should pat ourselves on the back, but to heck with that. We lost," S Champ Bailey said.

While the Pats reached the AFC title game for the sixth time in 11 seasons, the Broncos head into the offseason with renewed questions about their unconventional quarterback, the 2007 Heisman winner at Florida.

The Tebow phenomenon was built during a six-game winning streak then magnified when he hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime in a wild-card playoff win over the Steelers.

"Overall, it's been a very special opportunity for me, something I'm very thankful for, very thankful I had the opportunity to build some of the great relationships with teammates and coaches," Tebow said after Saturday's game. "There's a lot of things we are proud of, even though it's hard to see that now."

A day later Bailey — at 33, a 13-year veteran — had a harder time with the big picture.

"People think we should walk around here with a smile on our face because we made the playoffs, we won a game. We came up short again," he said. "For me, personally, I don't have a lot of time here. I don't know how much longer I'll play."

TEXAN PRIDE: The Texans lost at Baltimore but team owner Bob McNair congratulated coach Gary Kubiak and commented on the job he did, especially in light of injuries to QBs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, WR Andre Johnson and DE Mario Williams.

"I told him how proud I was. … To come out and play the way this team has played, I think it's just remarkable," McNair said. "Where would New England have been if (Tom) Brady wasn't playing, and if Wes Welker wasn't playing, and if their best defensive player wasn't playing? Go down the list of any of these teams and ask where they would be — and they wouldn't be in the playoffs. And this team was in the playoffs."

OFFICIAL DOINGS: Aiming to ensure rules are enforced more uniformly, the league will consider making about 10 officials full time next season. All game officials are part time. Responding to a group of about 75 fans before the Ravens-Texans game, commissioner Roger Goodell said the proposal would bring a group of officials to the league offices in New York to help review game films and evaluate calls.

TO THE END: LB Ray Lewis, 36, laughed and said no when asked if Sunday's game could be his last at M&T Bank Stadium as a Raven. "Unless them skies spread and God himself comes down and tells me," he answered with a smile. "Football is too fun for me, man. … When you're having the fun that I'm having and you're playing at the level I'm playing at, do it until you can't do it no more."

AND HIM, TOO: Ravens S Ed Reed was helped off the field after deflecting a pass on the final play, unable to put much weight on his left ankle. But X-rays showed no damage, and the former University of Miami star left little doubt that he'll play Sunday at New England.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

MELBOURNE — Roger Federer's and Rafael Nadal's mutual admiration is being tested after the Spaniard said his rival may be letting other players take the heat as they criticize various aspects of tennis.

The rivals have long been more than civil — even friendly — but the relationship might be changing after Nadal launched an outburst on the eve of the Australian Open, which began Sunday.

After advising in English that his days of publicly agitating for tennis reform had done nothing except make him an occasional villain, Nadal then criticized Federer to Spanish media.

Federer has long been something of a statesman for the sport, without igniting controversy.

Nadal says the 16-time Grand Slam winner is letting other players cop the flak: "For him it's good to say nothing. Everything positive. 'It's all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,' and the rest can burn themselves. Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions."

Nadal, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick led a chorus of criticism about the state of the game at the U.S. Open, when poor scheduling and the contentious issue of how Grand Slam prize money is distributed arose during the rain-soaked major.

The annual players' meeting in Melbourne on Saturday night was emotional, with Nadal, Roddick and other speakers drawing extended applause and with support growing for pushing the Grand Slam tournaments to dedicate a greater percentage of revenue to the players. Regular tour events routinely commit more than 30 percent of revenues to prize money; players say that despite purse increases, the Grand Slam event percentages remain considerably lower.

Although players, including Alex Bogomolov, sent Twitter messages mentioning an imminent players strike, there is no sign of a work stoppage. A future strike remains unlikely, in part because many players have contractual obligations with sponsors linked to participation in the majors and because many players from the countries that host the Grand Slam events — France, Australia, the United States and Britain — feel strong loyalty after having received considerable aid from their national federations, whose generous financing is often linked to Grand Slam revenue.

Nonetheless, the players seem intent on increasing the pressure.

Nadal said he plans to make his opinions known in private rather than in postmatch news conferences.

"Federer likes the circuit," he said. "I like the circuit. It's much better than many other sports, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be better."

Aussie play begins: Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka won 12 straight games to finish off Heather Watson 6-1, 6-0 in 67 minutes today in the opening match on center court at the Australian Open.

Azarenka, one of six women who can finish atop the rankings depending on results at Melbourne Park, won the Sydney International last week.

The Sydney champion has gone on to reach the Australian Open final six times since 1997, winning twice. Li Na won in Sydney last year but lost the Australian Open final to Kim Clijsters.

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

HONOLULU — Johnson Wagner played bogey free over the last 12 holes to win the Sony Open for his third PGA Tour title.

Six players had a share of the lead at some point Sunday. Wagner was the only who stayed there, shooting 3-under 67 to finish at 13-under 267.

He started the back nine by driving safely into the front left bunker and holing a 10-footer for birdie to take the lead, and he never gave it back. Wagner seized control for good at No. 15, when his approach settled just on the fringe about 15 feet away for birdie and a two-shot lead.

Coming into 2012, Wagner, 31, had only seven top 10s among 139 starts. But he opened the year at Kapalua with a tie for ninth. And Sunday's win puts him in the Masters for only the second time. (He tied for 36th in 2008.)

Carl Pettersson, Sean O'Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell finished two back.

O'Hair (67) barely missed a 30-foot eagle putt at No. 18. Frazar (67) had the lead briefly after a birdie at No. 10, then made pars from there. Pettersson (67) overcame double bogey on the second hole and finished with four birdies over the last six holes.

Matt Every (72) and Jeff Maggert (74), tied for the lead entering Sunday, finished tied for sixth and tied for 13th, respectively.

Every, a former Gator, started the round by making bogey from the bunker on No. 1. He drove into the water for bogey at No. 2, three-putted for bogey at No. 4 and three-putted from 4 feet at No. 6 for double bogey.

Maggert scrambled from the start, too. While he made par putts of 8 and 15 feet on the first two holes, he missed several short putts from there.

PGA champion Keegan Bradley hit 8-iron to about 6 feet for eagle on the par-5 No. 9, creating a five-way tie for the lead with Maggert, Every, Frazar and Wagner. Michael Thompson briefly was tied for the lead until making bogey at No. 17.

Times wires
Sunday, January 15, 2012

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With their own star quarterback and a dominating defense, the Giants exposed the Packers for what they now are — former Super Bowl champions.

Green Bay dropped passes, fumbled and simply couldn't stop Eli Manning and his receivers in New York's shocking 37-20 NFC division playoff victory Sunday. To the Giants' delight, a Green Bay team that had a real shot at an undefeated season less than a month ago is heading home.

And winning at Lambeau Field was just as sweet. The site has become a familiar launching pad for the New Yorkers. After winning at Green Bay in the playoffs for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way — in the Super Bowl.

The Giants (11-7) play the 49ers in San Francisco for the NFC championship on Sunday.

"I think we're a dangerous team," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "I like where we are and how we're playing."

The Giants stunned the Packers (15-2) with a touchdown off a long heave from Manning to Hakeem Nicks just before halftime, then knocked them out with a late TD off a turnover.

"I knew we were going to beat them on Wednesday, to be honest with you," said running back Brandon Jacobs, whose 14-yard rushing touchdown finished off the defending champs.

The Giants have been on a roll. They stood at 7-7 with two weeks left but beat their fellow New York team, the Jets, on Dec. 24, then topped hated Dallas to win the NFC East. A blowout of Atlanta in the wild-card round set up their latest upset.

On Sunday they took down the Packers, a 7½-point favorite, as Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants are 3-4 against the 49ers in the playoffs, but that probably won't be much of a worry for this year's Giants.

"This team knows how to win on the road," defensive end Justin Tuck said.

The win came four years after the Giants beat the Brett Favre-led Packers for the NFC title.

This time Manning found six receivers but did the most damage with Nicks, who caught seven passes for 165 yards and two scores — one a 66-yarder in the first quarter and the other a 37-yarder to end the first half.

Packers star and MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers was 26-of-46 for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also was the Packers' leading rusher with 66 yards on seven carries.

The Packers fully expected to go back to the Super Bowl, but the reality hit Rodgers quickly.

"Oh, it's real," he said. "We got beat by a team that played better tonight.

"We play to win championships. You win a championship and you're kind of at the top of the mountain, and you forget kind of how bad this feeling is."

Green Bay lost three fumbles, one on a rare giveaway by Rodgers. The Giants also sacked him four times.

Now instead of facing the league's worst total defense they'll face the one ranked best in the NFC. But at this point why would the Giants show fear?

"It's not about being arrogant; this team is confident," Tuck said. "We believe in ourselves, and we don't really care what other people say."

Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

When Florida State quarterback commit Jameis Winston watched the Seminoles' 18-14 win over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl, one thought kept popping into his head.

"I gotta change this program around," Winston said. "There's no way we can just score 18 points on Notre Dame."

Winston could help transform an FSU offense that ranked 78th in the country and averaged 17 points over its final three games.

The 6-foot-4 Winston is regarded by Rivals and ESPN as the county's top quarterback prospect. The Alabama native won the quarterback challenge before this month's Under Armour All-America Game and was named the bowl's MVP after completing 8-of-9 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

But his future in Tallahassee is unclear because he's also regarded as one of the top high school baseball prospects in this year's draft class.

Before the Under Armour game, Winston continued to speak highly of the 'Noles and their future, despite watching a freshman-laden offensive line give up five sacks against Notre Dame.

"Other than that," Winston said, "we're legit."

Casher firm on FSU: When academic eligibility questions began to surface for defensive end Chris Casher, other schools stepped away. When moving from a private school to a public one forced him to sit out his senior season because of Alabama's transfer rules, other schools got nervous.

Not FSU.

"Back when I was in my academic trauma, a lot of schools kind of backed off me," said Casher, a Top 50 recruit from Mobile, Ala. "They gave me a sink or swim mentality. Florida State was kinda the only school that stuck by me."

So Casher has stuck with the 'Noles. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior is regarded by Rivals and ESPN as one of the country's top five defensive ends. His size, power and speed were impressive in Under Armour preparations.

Casher said he worked with coaches on his explosiveness, hand techniques and speed during his missing senior season but showed that he wasn't rusty from a year off.

He said he's firmly committed to the 'Noles and will visit no other schools. He's trying to keep FSU defensive linemen commits Dante Fowler Jr. and Mario Edwards Jr. from straying away before national signing day Feb. 1.

"I'm telling them, 'Man, they just need to come down to Tally with me and have some fun with me the next couple years,' " Casher said.

Williams likes FSU's future: Ocala Vanguard safety P.J. Williams learned early last fall that freshmen are expected to be key contributors immediately for the Seminoles.

"I see if you're good enough, they'll play you," Williams said. "If you can come in there and make plays for them and compete, they'll let you play."

FSU's two leaders in all-purpose yards — receiver Rashad Greene and running back Devonta Freeman — were true freshmen. Former Plant star James Wilder Jr. and tight end Nick O'Leary saw plenty of action in their first taste of college ball. Four freshmen played offensive line in the Champs Sports Bowl, and only five 'Noles had more tackles for a loss than defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan.

That early success has Williams optimistic about FSU's future when he arrives on campus.

"We've got some real good recruiting classes coming in," Williams said. "We're going to be real good. I see us going for a championship in the next few years."

No friction with UF tight ends: When Land O'Lakes tight end Kent Taylor was considering committing to Florida, he had one key ally: fellow UF tight end recruit Colin Thompson.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Thompson is one country's top tight end prospects. The Pennsylvania star said he's become close with Taylor and the two have talked about becoming roommates in Gainesville.

Thompson said their skills complement each other and they can serve different roles for the Gators.

"I have a good amount of weight on me," Thompson said. "The blocking game is more me. He'll do more receiving. But he'll get better at blocking. I'll do better at receiving. We'll go in together and get mature as a unit."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Florida C Patric Young had started 17 games this season until this past Saturday at South Carolina when he was taken out of the starting lineup with tendonitis symptoms in his ankle, which is a growing concern.

UF coach Billy Donovan said Monday that Young has been hampered by the injury for at least the past two weeks and on Saturday his inability to move well prompted the lineup change. The severity and how much longer Young will have to deal with the injury is unknown.

"I don't want to say that it's gotten progressively worse, that's not necessarily true," Donovan said. "But I just think in practice he's been laboring. . . But I don't think it's anything severe or significant or anything that cannot be cleared up. I think that our medical people here are probably going to go to the next step and maybe X-ray him or MRI, something along those lines, more for precautionary reasons. But apparently where he's sore is not over any bone, it's more soft-tissue and I think there's a feeling that it's some kind of ankle tendonitis. And really what I've tried to do with him is utilize him in practice as he can tolerate right now. So how long it's going to be, I don't know."

Young is averaging 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and is the Gators' lone big-man, although Will Yeguete has provided quality minutes in a forward/center role. Donovan said his biggest concern is Young's conditioning because of his inability to practice full-strength at this time.

The Gators moved up to No. 17 in the AP poll, No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Florida has a bye week and will host LSU at 6 p.m.on Saturday.

MAKING THE TRANSITION: Now that he's hired former Boise State offensive coordinator Brent Pease to be Florida's new OC, Will Muschamp said he wants the transition to be as smooth as possible. Afterall, this will be Florida's third offensive coordinator in three seasons, and Muschamp said a complete change in philosophy and terminology wouldn't be fair to the players.

"That's what we wanted to limit as much as possible," Muschamp said. "It's a limit in the terms of coming in and calling a formation something different and that we're not used to. We want to let him learn what we call the formation. Will there be some changes? Certainly. It's not all going to be the same. There will be changes defensively, too. I plan on our staff being intact and our players too. There are always tweaks and changes to what you do to fit your personnel. There certainly will be when you welcome someone new."

MOULTRIE ON NATIONAL TEAM: Senior softball player Michelle Moultrie is among 12 players named to the 2012 USA Softball Women's National Team. Moultrie, a 2011 All-American, is the Gators' lone returning senior on a team that finished national runner-up last season. The Co-Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 Women's College World Series, Moultrie batted .443 and broke the Florida single-season hits mark with 101, and a school-record 31-of-34 stolen bases. Florida opens the 2012 softball season in Tampa at the USF-Fairfield Inn &Suites Tampa North Tournament, Feb. 10-12.

AZZANI TO WISCONSIN: Former wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has been hired for the same position at Wisconsin, the Badgers announced on Monday. Azzani joined Florida's staff in December 2009, but was not retained after former coach Urban Meyer resigned at the end of the 2010 season. He spent last season at Western Kentucky.

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

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — For most of this past summer in Princeton, W. Va., the future of the Rays, draft class of 2010 anyway, didn't look too promising.

Drew Vettleson, the outfielder chosen 42nd overall by the Rays, alternated warm-and-cold on his way to hitting .282 in his first pro season. Justin O'Conner, the catcher selected 31st , rallied in the final 10 games to finish with a .157 average.

And Josh Sale, the well-muscled outfielder they took 17th overall, marked his arrival with a homer in his first pro at-bat but hit only three more on the way to a .210 showing.

A couple months away have eased their disappointment, and when they gathered at the Trop last week with 25 other prospects for the team's Winter Development Program, that future was again looking a little brighter.

"There's frustration," Sale said. "But I think that gives me more incentive to come back even stronger and be like, 'Look, the first year I hit .210, and I'm tired of it already.' So I'm going to do all I can to not hit .210 again."

The transition from prep star to low-level minor-leaguer is often challenging. And eye-opening.

"They learn how difficult the game is," Rays farm director Mitch Lukevics said. "I think that happens to most young kids when they come in as highly touted as they are."

That lesson was especially stark for Sale and Vettleson, who didn't play in 2010 because they held out until the August signing deadline and found out abruptly how different their worlds had become.

"I came down to spring training and I stepped on the field and I was like, there's a lot of good players here," said Sale, 20. "I'm not just the top dog from the (Pacific) Northwest now."

The level of surrounding talent was one thing. So was the time and effort required, from the first workouts, through extended spring training and the 68-game Appalachian League season.

"I didn't know what to expect at all," said Vettleson, 20. "In the offseason, I thought I was working hard, but I really wasn't. Coming down here the first time doing all these workouts, I was dying. I was dead. I was like, 'Wow, I really need to pick it up.' "

And just when Vettleson felt he had it figured out, he went hitless in his last 22 at-bats.

"My mind was just thinking, your body is done," he said. "Once that happens, it's hard to recover from that. I hit a wall."

The mind games can be even more of an issue than what happens in the games.

"The main problem I had was looking at my stats everyday, and worrying about the stats, '' said O'Conner, 19, who signed early enough to play in the 2010 Gulf Coast League, hitting .210. "And it just got in my head and snowballed from there."

As important as learning to recognize pitches and hit to the middle of the field is accepting the requisite patience.

"When the Rays first told me they were an organization that takes things slow and is going to develop, I was like, 'I want to get there now,' "' Sale said. "But that's just something you can't — the best of the best don't usually do that. ... It's a process.

"You've got to put in the work. You've got to put in the hours. You've got to get your rest. You've got to do everything you can do so you can better your chances to get to the major leagues."

As these three analyzed their initial experiences in one corner of the home clubhouse they all hope to soon occupy, the top two picks from 2011 were talking excitedly — and perhaps naively — about their futures.

Outfielder Mikie Mahtook, the 31st overall pick out of LSU, at least had the benefit of 18 mostly successful games in the Arizona Fall League (where he hit .338 with a .954 OPS) to support his confidence. "I learned a lot about myself and the type of game I have and what I need to be able to get better at," said Mahtook, 22. "It's a big advantage to me. ... I'll be able to come into spring training ready to play and build on what I did."

And then there's top pick Taylor Guerrieri, the talented 19-year-old high-school right-hander who was taken 24th (and didn't sign until the deadline), with only a few innings of instructional league action on his stat sheet but maintains his same draft-day plans for a quick trip to the majors.

"Hopefully two years," he said. "I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't want to be up there right now. It really just depends on how I progress."

Just depends.

Staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report. Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com. Follow his coverage on Twitter at @TBTimes_Rays.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer promised a thorough head coaching search and he's a man of his word.

Having already interviewed or attempted to meet with four former NFL head coaches and Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, the Bucs apparently will spend the week talking with some of the league's top coordinators.

According to multiple reports, Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is meeting with the Bucs today and Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski will interview with the Glazers Tuesday. The Bucs also have received permission to interview Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.

The list isn't likely to end there. Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell also has been discussed within the club as an assistant coach the Bucs would like to interview, although they will have to wait until after Sunday's NFC Championship game in San Francisco.

Since Raheem Morris was fired Jan. 2, the Bucs have interviewed former Packers and Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, former Vikings coach Brad Childress and fomer Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer. Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips cancelled a scheduled interview Friday with the Bucs.

One thing is clear: the Bucs will have no problem heading to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama without a head coach or coaching staff.

Philbin's son, Michael, drowned in Oshkosh, Wis., last week but he coached in Sunday's NFC Divisional playoff game against the Giants. He already has interviewed with the Miami Dolphins and could become a candidate for the Raiders head coaching job.