By Toluse Olorunnipa, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Monday, January 23, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — Tucked away deep in the annals of Florida law is an obscure statute about homeless shelters that could make opponents of taxpayer-financed sports arenas jump for joy. Call it a trick play.

According to a 23-year-old law that has been mostly ignored, professional sports facilities built with the help of government funds are required to house the homeless on nights when no official events are taking place.

Two lawmakers have dug up that old statute and are pushing bills that would make stadium owners return millions of taxpayer dollars if they can't prove they've been operating as a haven for the homeless in the years since they began receiving checks from the government. The bill passed its first committee in the Senate on Monday with a unanimous vote.

"We have spent over $300 million supporting teams that can afford to pay a guy $7, $8, $10 million a year to throw a baseball 90 feet. I think they can pay for their own stadium," said Sen. Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton, who is pushing the bills along with Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami. "I cannot believe that we're going to cut money out of Medicaid and take it away from homeless and take it away from the poor and impoverished, and we're continuing to support people who are billionaires."

Bennett's bill would force owners of sports facilities like the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to refund millions of dollars and begin operating homeless shelters on off-nights. So far, the state has spent more than $270 million on constructing stadiums, with the former Dolphin Stadium receiving $37 million and AAA taking $27.5 million. It is unclear whether any of the stadiums, which receive monthly subsidies of about $166,000 each, is operating an active homeless shelter program.

During Monday's hearing, some lawmakers saw the proposal as payback for publicly financed stadium deals that have gone sour, including the recently built Miami Marlins stadium. That $642 million stadium, funded mostly by taxpayers, featured a highly criticized contract that leaves the city of Miami on the hook for an unexpected property tax bill.

"Every opportunity to negotiate with these guys, they invoke every single minuscule jot and tittle in the contract," said Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico. "Whenever it works to their benefit, they'll hold that up to their defense. Now, here's an opportunity for us to invoke the terms of the contract."

Bennett also slipped in a late amendment meant to punish teams that black out games played in taxpayer-funded stadiums.

The proposal, originally backed by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, would fine the team $125,000 for each game that was blacked out, and use the money to purchase sports tickets for foster children, active military members on leave and the less fortunate.

The amendment passed unanimously.

The bill faces three more stops in the Senate before heading to the floor. A companion bill in the House has not yet been taken up for a vote.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 23, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Add Florida's Billy Donovan to the growing list of SEC coaches who want league officials to take a serious look at how conference schedules are devised.

The SEC's lucrative television package with ESPN means more exposure than ever for basketball, but at what cost? Some league coaches believe there must be a better balance when scheduling teams now that the SEC consistently plays Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday matchups.

Donovan said SEC coaches agreed that some scheduling sacrifices were necessary by all the teams to help facilitate the TV deal, but some say teams are being put at a disadvantage.

"Everybody's dealing with a different set of elements to try and get those games," Donovan said. "My problem with it is that if you want to get more teams into the NCAA Tournament, and you want to do more with your non-conference schedule, our league should not be putting teams at a disadvantage, competitively.

"Just using as an example: Alabama has to play a game at 9 on Thursday night, and then at noon on Saturday. That should never happen. The Thursday-Saturday, we're okay with that. But there's got to be some level of consideration taken into the fact that these guys just played at 9 p.m., then they've got to go to school on Friday, then leave Friday and play at noon — pretty much wake up, eat and play the game. Give them an opportunity and play the game at 6, 7 or 8 at night."

For the record, the Gators are 12-1 in games with that scenario, and Donovan said he's speaking for all SEC teams, not just UF. Not surprisingly, it isn't an issue that's high on the players' radar.

"It's not as tough as maybe what the coaches worry about," sophomore G Scottie Wilbekin said. "I like playing a lot of games."

Sophomore C Patric Young, who has been dealing with tendinitis in his ankle for several weeks, said he played as many as six games a day as an AAU player, but because of the level of competition, the Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday games can be an issue.

"It's different in AAU because in AAU the games are a little bit shorter and the defense isn't as good," Young said. "… But here there's so much more. It really affects our legs a lot more, so that's why it's really important to take care of your body more on this level."

ORR SETTLES LEGAL ISSUES: Florida DT Leon Orr has settled his legal issues from an arrest on marijuana-related charges this month. According to Alachua County Court records, Orr, who has no prior criminal record, agreed to deferred prosecution in the case. Orr will pay $50 for the cost of prosecution of the case and either a $150 fine or 121/2 hours of community service. Orr, a former Gulf standout, was given a notice to appear on Jan.  10 for possession of marijuana under 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanor charges.

TWO MORE COMMIT: Florida's list of oral commitments for the 2012 football recruiting class increased to 20 on Monday with the oral commitment of DE Alex McCalister. McCalister, a 6-foot-7, 212-pounder from Clemmons, N.C., was part of a group that made official visits this past weekend. His decision came down to UF, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. On Sunday, DE Bryan Cox of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, son of the former NFL linebacker, committed to the Gators.

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com. Read her blog at http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gators/.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 23, 2012

Walking wounded

Nine Lightning players are sidelined because of injuries:

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 23, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Martina Navratilova and Margaret Smith Court are two of the best players in the history of women's tennis, but they could hardly be more different.

Czech-born U.S. citizen Navratilova, 55, is an icon of the gay and lesbian movement. The Australian Court, 69, is a Pentecostal minister and will not stop telling Navratilova that God "loves" her though she is a lesbian.

One of the main venues at the Australian Open takes it name from Court. The Australian gay movement is out to change that.

"Time to rename Margaret Court Arena," Kerryn Phelps, a doctor and a leader for the gay rights movement wrote to the prime minister of the state of Victoria, which includes Melbourne.

Why is Margaret Court making waves? For many, her record seven consecutive Australian Open titles from 1960-66 are a blurred, distant memory. To them, she is much better known for her outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage, which is still an open debate in Australia.

"We live in a free society and I stand up for families between a husband and a wife," Court said.

She stressed that she has "nothing against homosexual people."

"We have them in our church. I help them to overcome. We have people who have been homosexual who are now married," Court said. "I have been married for 44 years this year and, to me, marriage is something very special, wonderful, ordained by God. I look at the children of our next generation and think of the problems they are having in America with all this — we don't need it in our nation."

Court's comments met with immediate criticism from Navratilova and Billie Jean King, another former tennis star who is very active in the gay rights movement. Australian doubles player Rennae Stubbs accused Court of inciting hatred against homosexuals.

Before the tournament, Tennis Australia reacted to the controversial remarks: "Margaret Court has won more grand slam titles than any other player. We respect her playing record, it is second to none. But her personal views are her own, and are definitely not shared by Tennis Australia. We concur wholeheartedly with the WTA who stated that 'all human beings, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or otherwise, should be treated equally.' "

Navratilova played her first match in the Legends' Doubles Tournament on Sunday in Melbourne at Margaret Court Arena.

"It's an honor, as always, to be on that court," said the nine-time Wimbledon champion. "Clearly, Margaret Court's views that she has expressed on same-sex marriage I think are outdated.''

Navratilova recalled that years ago, Court told her that heterosexuality is natural and that homosexuality is acquired over the course of life, particularly because of childhood trauma.

At her news conference Monday, Navratilova appeared surprised when asked if people become gay during their life.

"You don't turn. Do you turn straight? No, you didn't,'' she said. "You don't turn gay. No, I think you don't know enough about the issue when you frame a question like that. You don't just turn. You either are or not."

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 23, 2012

By Steve Papen, Times Correspondent
Monday, January 23, 2012

What's hot: With the gag and red grouper closing for the next two months it's time to change gears and focus on hot light tackle fishing offshore for amberjack, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper and lane snapper. The good thing that is coming out of these new regulations is that they are making better anglers out of all of us. We need to make every trip count, so trying new and different things is a great way to learn new tactics.

Tips: Fishermen usually just buy a couple of chum blocks, toss them in the water next to the boat and let them do their work. The trick in riling up bottom fish is to get the chum on or near the bottom. Achieve this by tying the chum to the anchor. A bit of light mono will do the trick. You could also use a down-rigger and tie the block to the ball and let it down to the desired depth. And another method is to anchor about 50 yards up tide of the structure you are fishing and start a steady stream of 1 inch by 1 inch sardines over the side.

Tackle: Snappers have great vision and get weary when feeding. To ensure a great bite, downsize tackle to light weight spinning outfits with 10- to 15-pound mono on the reel and 15-pound fluorocarbon leader for the leader. A small circle hook will get the job done. A small plug of sardine floating down toward the structure with a hook in it will get their attention. This works great for mangrove and lane snapper. Yellowtails and flags need more preparation. Rigs and locations are the same, the bait is the key. Use medium live shrimp. Though these fish are in our area all year, larger concentrations are caught during late summer after their mid-summer spawn.

Steve Papen charters out of Indian Shores and can be reached at (727) 642-3411 and fintasticinc.com.

Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State's midseason turnaround can directly be tied to former Clearwater standout Luke Loucks' emergence at point guard.

The Seminoles went halfway through the season before beating a ranked team. Then they knocked off two in a week — North Carolina and Duke, no less — and on Monday moved back into the rankings at No. 23.

Coach Leonard Hamilton is counting on his veteran team to handle a bit of prosperity better this time around.

"We've been here (poll) before and didn't handle it correctly," Hamilton said Monday. "I'm more concerned about where we are in March."

One of the league's top playmakers, Loucks has filled up the stat sheet with 30 points, 24 assists and six steals during a four-game winning streak that has lifted the Seminoles into a first-place tie in the ACC.

A quarterback at Clearwater, Loucks zipped a pass to Michael Snaer for the buzzer-beating shot Saturday at Duke.

"That's what Coach Ham recruited me here to do, to be a distributor, run the team and make the right decisions," Loucks said. "You don't have to impress anyone, just make the right play."

It wasn't always like that for Loucks, who tried earlier in his career to impress with flashy no-look or behind-the-back passes that often went awry.

"I learned real quick that those plays usually landed me on the bench," he said.

The point guard position had Hamilton worried enough before the season to recruit Arkansas transfer Jeff Peterson for help. Peterson was immediately eligible under NCAA rules since he had already earned his degree.

The 6-4 Loucks, who carries the team's highest grade-point average and like Peterson is in graduate school, kept the starting job and simultaneously emerged as the Seminoles' leader.

"He has accepted the role of running the team and being a little more vocal and understanding what we need," Hamilton said. "He's been using his basketball instincts to adjust (and) we're more in synch as a result."

His maturation has been a huge boost to the Seminoles (13-6, 4-1), who fell to 9-6 after a 20-point loss at Clemson in their ACC opener.

The early struggles were hard to understand for a team that went deep into last year's tournament had nine key players back.

"We needed to start playing better and we have," said Deividas Dulkys, whose career-high 32 points led the 90-57 rout of North Carolina on Jan. 14. "Now we've got to keep it up."

FSU goes after its fifth straight win Wednesday at Wake Forest.

"We've got to keep stacking these wins on top of each other for it to mean anything," Loucks said. "We have to keep doing the small things that got us to this point."

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 23, 2012

MOBILE, Ala. — Whoever winds up coaching the Buccaneers will immediately face a number of questions in a very critical area of the roster.

When the new coach looks at his secondary, he will evaluate a unit that soon could be missing its top two cornerbacks depending on Ronde Barber's retirement decision and Aqib Talib's legal issues.

Which brings us to Senior Bowl workouts, where the Bucs have some intriguing options to evaluate before April's draft.

Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard is among that group, as is troubled former Gator Janoris Jenkins, who was kicked out of UF after multiple arrests and played last season at North Alabama.

With significant competition at cornerback, prospects have to work hard to set themselves apart. That's good news for teams evaluating them, like the Bucs.

"Sooner or later this week, I want to distinguish myself," said Iowa State CB Leonard Johnson, an All-Big 12 selection from Largo High who started 39 straight games for the Cyclones. "That's the goal. I want to separate myself from other guys and become one of the top corners (in the draft)."

Johnson wanted to display his sound technique that he says helps him make up for other deficiencies.

"Being a technician, no matter what goes wrong, you're always relying on that," he said. "That will always have you in the right position and you'll be right on point."

Donnie Fletcher of Boston College hopes his feistiness will leave an impression on scouts. The Cleveland native stressed tackling ability and physicality as his primary attributes.

"I feel like I'm a big corner (he measured 6 feet and 201 pounds on Monday) who can get up and press, but I also feel like I'm a good cover guy," he said. "And I'm not afraid to hit. I can go either way. I really want to be a complete cornerback.

"When the receiver catches the ball, I want him to pay for it. I want him to be thinking about it the next time he tries to make a catch."

As for the current Bucs, Barber, the starting right cornerback, hasn't announced a decision on playing a 16th season. Meanwhile, Talib, the starting left corner and most talented member of the secondary, has to resolve a case this spring in which he is charged with assault with a deadly weapon in Texas.

COMING UP SHORT: The Monday morning weigh-in and measurements at the Senior Bowl always prove revealing.

This year was no different, with a big-name quarterback coming up rather short. Boise State's Kellen Moore, one of the top quarterbacks in college football the past two seasons, was measured 5-11¾, 191. Scouts and coaches getting a first-hand look at him during the afternoon workout were taken aback at his lack of size.

NFL quarterbacks under 6 feet are rare.

Meanwhile, Nick Foles of Arizona, projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, didn't disappoint. He looked the part at 6-5, 244.

Monday, January 23, 2012

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Kyle Williams is ignoring the barrage of hateful, hurtful, even threatening comments he has received via social media in the aftermath of his second punt return fumble that cost the 49ers Sunday's NFC Championship Game against New York.

Williams said Monday he takes full responsibility for his fumble in overtime of a 20-17 loss to the Giants that set up Lawrence Tynes' winning field goal. He called the moment "painful."

"I really didn't pay attention to Twitter. All the feedback I needed was family and friends, the guys in the locker room," Williams said.

He insisted it's part of his job to face the criticism and not hide out in a difficult time.

Kicker David Akers took to Twitter, asking people to stop the harsh remarks, saying "ppl need to get a grip! Leave Kyle alone!"

Williams is the son of Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams, who attended Sunday's game in San Francisco along with some family.

"As I explained to Kyle's mother, grandmother and brothers, you have adversities in life," Ken Williams said Monday. "There is a defining moment (when) you make a decision you are going to persevere and kick down the next door or walk away from it. Kyle is not a walk-away type of guy."

Ken Williams said his son received death threats in social media messages.

MORRIS MOVE OFFICIAL: The Redskins announced the hiring of former Bucs coach Raheem Morris as a defensive backs coach. He agreed to take the job two weeks ago. He joined coach Mike Shanahan's staff in Mobile, Ala., for this week's Senior Bowl. The Bucs fired Morris, 35, after a 4-12 season. Washington also hired Ike Hilliard, a former Buc and Gator, as receivers coach.

BROWNS: Tim Hauck, a former player and Titans assistant, was named defensive backs coach.

FALCONS: Defensive backs assistant Alvin Reynolds was fired.

RAMS: New coach Jeff Fisher formally announced Brian Schottenheimer as the offensive coordinator and Gregg Williams as the defensive coordinator.

JURISPRUDENCE: Former receiver Sam Hurd hired new attorneys to defend him against accusations that he tried to establish a drug-dealing network. Hurd, 26, said he would plead not guilty to charges that he tried to buy large quantities of cocaine and marijuana, according to a court filing by Michael McCrum of San Antonio and Jay Ethington of Dallas. Hurd played for the Bears and Cowboys.

PRO BOWL: Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Bears defensive end Julius Peppers were named to replace two Super Bowl-bound Giants in Sunday's game — Eli Manning and former USF star Jason Pierre-Paul.

Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

CINCINNATI — Two days after its first loss, Syracuse played like a top team again.

Kris Joseph scored 17 Monday night, repeatedly driving past defenders for layups, and No. 3 Syracuse recovered from its first loss of the season by beating Cincinnati 60-53 with an offense that attacked inside and a defense that had its way.

"We had to come into this game with a lot of focus," said Joseph, who scored 11 in the second half. "What's done is done. It was a tough night (at Notre Dame) for everybody. You can't let a loss lead to another loss."

The Orange (21-1, 8-1 Big East) used a late 12-2 run to pull away from the Bearcats, who tried to use the energy of their first home sellout to get a signature win.

Instead, coach Jim Boeheim came away with career victory No. 877 to pass Adolph Rupp for sole possession of fourth place among Division I coaches.

He'll remember this one more for his team's grit.

"I told our players this was probably as good a regular-season bounceback win that I can remember at Syracuse," said Boeheim, in his 36th season. "We were just so woeful (Saturday) night. To come in here with that atmosphere to start the game and play the way we did I thought was tremendous."

Syracuse was coming off a 67-58 loss at Notre Dame that ended the best start in school history and cost the Orange its No. 1 ranking.

"You have to go over bumps," guard Brandon Triche said. "When we played against Notre Dame, it was a bump. We didn't want to go over more of them."

That loss stuck with Boeheim, who couldn't believe his team had played so badly at Notre Dame and wondered how it would react two days later.

"I don't think I've ever had a game where not one guy did anything," Boeheim said. "If we'd have played that way here (Monday), we would have gotten beat by 30 points."

NO. 5 KANSAS 64, TEXAS A&M 54: Thomas Robinson scored 16 of his 18 in the second half to lead the host Jayhawks (17-3, 7-0 Big 12).

NO. 7 UNC: Coach Roy Williams said sophomore Reggie Bullock probably will replace injured guard Dexter Strickland in the starting lineup Thursday.

NO. 11 MURRAY ST.: Forward Ivan Aska said he was cleared to return after missing six games with a broken right hand.

AP POLL: Florida State moved back into the poll at No. 23. Wisconsin returned at No. 25, and Illinois and Louisville fell out. Kentucky, which was ranked No. 1 for two weeks earlier this season, returned to the top spot.

Women

NO. 2 NOTRE DAME 72, NO. 7 TENNESSEE 44: Skylar Diggins matched a season high with 27 points, and the host Irish (20-1) held the Volunteers (14-5) to the fewest points in school history.

NO. 10 MIAMI 79, VA. TECH 48: Stefanie Yderstrom scored 22 for the host Hurricanes (17-1, 6-1 ACC), who opened the game with a 15-1 run within 4:10.

NO. 13 PURDUE 67, MICHIGAN ST. 49: Alex Guyton and Chelsea Jones scored 12 each as the host Boilermakers (17-3, 7-0) won their 10th straight and remained alone atop the Big Ten.

AP POLL: BYU entered tied at No. 23, its first appearance since Nov. 27, 2006. Gonzaga returned at No. 22, giving the West Coast Conference two ranked teams for the first time. Kansas State and Vanderbilt fell out. Baylor remained the unanimous No. 1.

Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was wearing a removable boot on his lower left leg Monday, a day after being injured in the AFC Championship Game.

Gronkowski wore the boot in the locker room and into the trainer's area. He didn't speak with reporters.

The second-year star, who set an NFL record for a tight end with 17 touchdown catches, was hurt in the final minute of the third quarter of Sunday's 23-20 win against Baltimore when he was tackled after a 23-yard reception. He limped off the field but seemed to be walking better as he went to the locker room. Less than five minutes later, Gronkowski was back in the game.

He had five catches for 87 yards.

BRADY SCARE: Patriots owner Robert Kraft "shuddered" when he saw QB Tom Brady take a crunching hit on a 1-yard touchdown plunge Sunday. He even wondered if Brady's back was broken.

Such a graceful dive. Such a powerful blow.

"It was scary," Kraft said Monday, his momentary fears quickly put to rest, "but he popped right up."

Brady shook off the body-bending force of Ravens LB Ray Lewis' helmet to his lower back, spiked the ball and punched the air in celebration after scoring the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

VOLUNTEER SCARVES: A variety of knitters, crocheters and weavers created more than 13,000 blue-and-white scarves to help keep Super Bowl volunteers warm and visible when the big game comes to cold-weather Indianapolis. Thousands, from great-grandmothers to prison inmates, worked on the 6-foot-long scarves. Super Bowl organizers hoped to get 8,000 scarves — one for each volunteer. They ended up with thousands more, sent from 45 states, as well as Belgium, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

ONE MORE GOAL: New York's Eli Manning will be the 19th quarterback to start multiple Super Bowls, but he wants to be on the list with 10 names: Quarterbacks who have won multiple Super Bowls. "Having seen my brother win a Super Bowl and seen him lose a Super Bowl, it's no fun just going there and not winning, I can tell you that," Manning said in his weekly spot on ESPN Radio. "I don't want to experience that."

ODDS AND ENDS: Sunday's NFC title game averaged 57.6 million viewers on Fox, making it the third-most-watched conference final ever, behind Cowboys-49ers in 1982 (68.7 million) and Vikings-Saints (57.9 million) two years ago. … Less than an hour after winning Sunday, the Giants started sending emails telling most non-club season ticket holders that they won't have tickets. Tickets will be sold after a random computer selection that was based on seniority.

Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka reached the Australian Open semifinal, holding her nerve despite trouble with her serve in a 6-7 (7-0), 6-0, 6-2 win over No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska today.

It was her second win in six Grand Slam quarterfinals. She has never gone further than the semifinals, and next meets defending champion Kim Clijsters, who defeated No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). That ensures that Wozniacki will lose the No. 1 ranking. Clijsters had an early service break in the second set and broke again to lead 4-2.

Azarenka, a 22-year-old Belarusian, extended her winning streak this season to 10 matches, her title at Sydney including a semi win over Radwanska.

"I'm really glad I could stay tough and finish the match," she said. "I'm just really happy to be in the semifinals to give it all out there."

Azarenka lost just 12 games in the first four rounds. But she had six double faults and made 38 unforced errors during her two-hour match against Radwanska.

The first set featured eight service breaks, and there were 15 overall in the match. Azarenka's double fault helped give Radwanska a 6-0 lead in the tiebreaker, followed by a wild errant backhand by Azarenka on set point.

But Azarenka, who can attain the No. 1 ranking by the end of the tournament, won the next seven games.

Five-time champion Serena Williams is already out of the tournament. Her 17-match winning streak at the Australian Open ended in a 6-2, 6-3 loss to No. 56-ranked Ekaterina Makarova.

The margin equaled the biggest Grand Slam defeat of Williams' 17-year career.

Makarova will face three-time major winner Maria Sharapova in an all-Russian quarterfinal.

Sharapova rallied past Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 before defending men's champion Novak Djokovic fended off a resurgent Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Next up for Djokovic is fifth-seeded David Ferrer, who had a surprisingly easy 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 win over Richard Gasquet.

Djokovic had won 23 straight sets at Melbourne Park before he suddenly wobbled against Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion who has slipped to No. 181 in the rankings after a series of injuries.

Hewitt, a wild-card entry in his 16th straight Australian Open, rallied from 3-0 down in the third set in front of a raucous home crowd to force a fourth set, but Djokovic gathered his composure.

Kei Nishikori beat sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to become the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinal of the Australian Open since the Open era began in 1968. He next faces Andy Murray.

Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

DETROIT — The Red Wings are good enough to win at home even if they don't get help from their opponents.

St. Louis took two costly penalties, retaliating for hard hits, and Detroit took advantage Monday.

Pavel Datsyuk tied it early in the second period on the power play, and Niklas Kronwall sealed victory late in the third as Detroit beat the Blues 3-1 for its 17th straight home win — the NHL's longest single-season streak in 36 years.

"We have such a calm team," said Jimmy Howard, who had 21 saves for his league-leading 30th win. "Nothing seems to rattle us.".

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Matthew Lombardi scored twice and Jonas Gustavsson had 25 saves as the host Maple Leafs moved into a tie for eighth in the East by topping the Islanders 3-0 in the first of a home-and-home series.

OVECHKIN SUSPENSION: The league suspended Capitals star Alex Ovechkin for three games, including one Jan. 31 against the Lightning at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Ovechkin, who launched himself into Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek on Sunday, will lose $154,677.75.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, leading the team with 27 goals, will miss tonight's game against Nashville with an upper body injury. Toews was hurt in the second period of Saturday night's 5-2 loss at Nashville and did not play in the third. The Blue Jackets activated left wing R.J. Umberger off injured reserve and recalled left wing Dane Byers from AHL Springfield.

ALL-STAR UPDATE: Oilers forward Jordan Eberle and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang were added to the roster for Sunday's game in Ottawa. Wild forward Nick Johnson will join the rookies in the skills competition. Eberle and Letang replace injured Wild forward Mikko Koivu and Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien; Johnson replaced injured Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins among rookie selections.

First Period—1, St. Louis, Nichol 2 (Crombeen, Porter), 9:12. Penalties—Stewart, StL, served by Porter, minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 19:39; Stuart, Det, major (fighting), 19:39.

Second Period—2, Detroit, Datsyuk 14 (Lidstrom, Zetterberg), :51 (pp). 3, Detroit, Franzen 19 (Ericsson, Bertuzzi), 8:52. Penalties—Lidstrom, Det (hooking), 2:54; Langenbrunner, StL (slashing), 11:07.

Third Period—4, Detroit, Kronwall 11 (Lidstrom, Datsyuk), 16:57 (pp). Penalties—Colaiacovo, StL (hooking), 9:34; Backes, StL (roughing), 14:54; Bertuzzi, Det (roughing), 14:54; Colaiacovo, StL (roughing), 16:25; Backes, StL, minor-misconduct (roughing), 19:58; Pietrangelo, StL, minor-misconduct (roughing), 19:58; Howard, Det, served by Hudler (roughing), 19:58. Shots on Goal—St. Louis 8-7-7—22. Detroit 8-10-10—28. Power-play opportunities—St. Louis 0 of 1; Detroit 2 of 5. Goalies—St. Louis, Halak 14-8-5 (28 shots-25 saves). Detroit, Howard 30-10-1 (22-21). A—20,066 (20,066). T—2:19.

First Period—1, Carolina, Skinner 14 (Gleason), 3:55. 2, Carolina, Brent 6 (Stewart), 9:28. Penalties—Ruutu, Car (boarding), :51.

Second Period—3, Winnipeg, Wellwood 9 (Enstrom, Antropov), 13:47. Penalties—Jokinen, Car (tripping), 6:36; Oduya, Wpg (interference), 16:14.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Slater, Wpg (holding), 10:35; Tlusty, Car (tripping), 20:00. Shots on Goal—Winnipeg 6-10-14—30. Carolina 7-7-2—16. Power-play opportunities—Winnipeg 0 of 2; Carolina 0 of 2. Goalies—Winnipeg, Mason 6-5-0 (16 shots-14 saves). Carolina, Ward 18-17-8 (30-29). A—16,045 (18,680). T—2:16.

First Period—1, Toronto, Lombardi 5 (Gardiner, Franson), 1:37. Penalties—Parenteau, NYI (tripping), 13:26.

Second Period—None. Penalties—None.

Third Period—2, Toronto, Kessel 26 (Lupul, Gunnarsson), 8:10. 3, Toronto, Lombardi 6 (Crabb, Grabovski), 16:21. Penalties—Martin, NYI (goaltender interference), 17:23. Shots on Goal—N.Y. Islanders 5-6-14—25. Toronto 16-8-11—35. Power-play opportunities—N.Y. Islanders 0 of 0; Toronto 0 of 2. Goalies—N.Y. Islanders, Nabokov 10-12-0 (35 shots-32 saves). Toronto, Gustavsson 15-10-0 (25-25). A—19,570 (18,819). T—2:17.

First Period—1, Nashville, Fisher 10 (Erat), 8:07. Penalties—Moore, Clm (tripping), 10:42; Lebda, Clm (delay of game), 16:52.

Second Period—2, Columbus, Nash 17 (Vermette), 6:14. 3, Nashville, Fisher 11 (Weber, Suter), 19:31 (pp). Penalties—Erat, Nas (holding), 8:58; Nashville bench, served by Hornqvist (too many men), 16:20; Columbus bench, served by Umberger (too many men), 18:00.

Third Period—4, Nashville, Halischuk 11 (C.Smith, Ellis), 7:37. 5, Nashville, Hornqvist 14 (Suter, Erat), 16:51 (pp). Penalties—Tyutin, Clm (tripping), 2:52; Dorsett, Clm (tripping), 15:52. Shots on Goal—Columbus 3-16-7—26. Nashville 12-12-5—29. Power-play opportunities—Columbus 0 of 2; Nashville 2 of 5. Goalies—Columbus, Mason 5-18-2 (29 shots-25 saves). Nashville, Rinne 27-11-4 (26-25). A—14,310 (17,113). T—2:22.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires
Monday, January 23, 2012

baseball

owner gave guillen okay to leave

CHICAGO — Ozzie Guillen left the White Sox four months ago, and they're still talking about him in Chicago.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf defended his former manager Monday, saying Guillen had his blessing to leave the team before the season was over. Guillen was released from his contract with two games left last year and became the Marlins manager two days later.

"Ozzie told me he wanted to finish out the year, the Marlins really wanted him in Miami for the conclusion of the season, and I told him that he had no choice but to go given the excitement surrounding the opening of their new stadium and the unveiling of their new uniforms," Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Ozzie needed to be in Miami at the end of the season for the Marlins."

Reinsdorf's statement came after White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy questioned whether Guillen quit on the team during an interview on WSCR-AM 670 on Jan. 14. Guillen then took to his Twitter account Friday and promised to tell the truth about his departure from Chicago.

more baseball

Posada to retire as Yankee today

The Yankees say Jorge Posada is going to announce his retirement today at Yankee Stadium.

The five-time All-Star catcher will end his 17-year big-league career with the team that drafted him. Posada, 40, became a free agent after a trying season in New York, the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract.

Blue Jays: Omar Vizquel agreed to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training. ESPN first reported the sides had agreed to a deal. The veteran infielder, who turns 45 on April 24, would be headed to his 24th major-league season if he makes the club.

Nationals: OF Michael Morse's two-year contract is worth $10.5 million, including salaries of $3.25 million in 2012, and $6.75 million in '13. He also gets a signing bonus of $500,000. Morse, who also plays first base, hit for a .303 average with 31 homers and 95 RBIs in 2011 — leading the Nationals in each category.

Selig extension approved: The Padres have voted in favor of commissioner Bud Selig's two-year extension. Selig's latest agreement was finalized in a 30-0 vote, the commissioner's office said.

Obituary: Andy Musser, a sports announcer for 45 years and a Phillies broadcaster for a quarter-century, died Sunday. He was 74. Mr. Musser's son, Allan, said his father died at his home in Wynnewood in suburban Philadelphia. Mr. Musser retired in 2001 after 25 years with the Phillies.

colleges

Report: Navy to make Big East move official

Navy will announce today it's joining Big East football in 2015, the Associated Press reported. ESPN and CBSSports.com first reported the news Monday night.

The Big East has been courting Navy, a football independent, for months and service academy officials had made it known they liked the idea of joining.

new deal likely for Longhorns coach: University of Texas regents are considering changes to football coach Mack Brown's contract. Athletic director DeLoss Dodds said last month he wanted to extend Brown's current contract, which runs through 2016. Brown, 60, is 141-39 overall at Texas, including a 13-12 mark over the past two years, 6-11 in the Big 12.

horses

Eclipse winner leads pack at Downs

Eclipse Award and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen heads 33 nominations for the Grade III $250,000 Sam F. Davis on Feb. 4 at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Also on the Festival Preview Day card, the Grade III $150,000 Endeavour received 40 nominations, and the $150,000 Florida Oaks got 26 nominations.

Preakness winner gives birth: Rachel Alexandra and her first foal are "doing well" a day after the 2009 Horse of the Year gave birth to a bay colt in Lexington, Ky. The 125-pound colt with a star was sired by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. The 6-year-old Rachel Alexandra was the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness when she accomplished it in 2009.

Breeders Cup in prime time: NBC Sports Group and the Breeders' Cup have agreed to a multiyear deal for the network to televise the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships beginning with the 2012 event at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. NBC Sports Network will televise the races before NBC picks up coverage from 8-9 p.m. Eastern time.

et cetera

Soccer: Jeff Cunningham, a former USF star and the all-time leading goal scorer in MLS, signed a one-year deal with Guatemalan club Comunicaciones.

Gymnastics: Athens Olympic champion Paul Hamm plans to compete at a U.S. men's ranking meet next month, his first competition since breaking his hand at the 2008 national championships. He is the only American man to win the Olympic and world all-around titles.

Sailing: Canada's David Wright took two first-place finishes in the Laser Blue Fleet, putting him in second place overall behind Great Britain's Paul Goodison and three points ahead of his prime competitor Chris Dold at the Rolex Miami OCR. Dold, in third place overall, is fighting with Wright for Canada's berth at the 2012 London Games.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Saying "there's one more chapter to be written,'' slugging first baseman Carlos Peña was reintroduced as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at Tropicana Field.

Peña agreed to a one-year contract for $7.25-million on Friday.

Peña , who passed a physical earlier today, will wear the same No. 23 jersey he donned for the Rays from 2007-10. He left as a free agent and played last season with the Chicago Cubs.

"So many great memories with the Rays,'' Pena said. "I look forward to creating even better ones.''

More from Peña:

•"This is where I belong, this is where I want to be.''

• He and former Cubs teammate Matt Garza talked often about their time with the Rays. Watching Evan Longoria's home run against the Yankees that put Tampa Bay into the playoffs last season, Peña said he felt part of it.

•With the Rays,"there's a certain magic" around the team.

• The Rays have all the necessary pieces in place to make an impact this season.

• As soon as Peña heard the Rays were an option, it was a "no-brainer" to listen.

The Rays are expecting Peña to add power to a lineup that finished eighth in the AL in runs scored.

Over the last five seasons, Peña has averaged 34 home runs and 97 RBIs, though with only a .236 average and more than 150 strikeouts per.

Team president Matt Silverman said the Rays extended their payroll to the mid-$60-million range because of "who Carlos is" and the power he brings to the lineup.

Silverman said the Rays are "never comfortable" extending payroll but can handle it this season, so there is no need to trim the roster.

Silverman said the Rays haven't found a deal to trade a starter, but it doesn't mean they're not still looking.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TAMPA — Brandon High wrestling coach Russ Cozart said he remembers watching the likes of former Ray Fred McGriff, Florida State great Charlie Ward and NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning on television.

"They were the guys that motivated me to be somebody," Cozart said.

And now Cozart will join the trio as part of the 13-member 2012 Florida Sports Hall of Fame class, which will be enshrined Mar. 20. McGriff, Vince Coleman and surfer Kelly Slater were elected last year, but couldn't attend, which is why they'll be inducted this year. But to Cozart, who led the Eagles on the legendary streak of 459 consecutive dual meet victories (1974-2008), it caught him by surprise.

"It's a very big honor," said Cozart, 58. "I was completely floored."

The class, announced Tuesday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, also includes golfer Gary Koch (a Tampa resident), Florida Atlantic softball coach Joan Joyce, and Roland Martin, the first fisherman ever elected.

"If you look at the economic impact fishing has in Florida, and if you look at the number of Floridians who enjoy that sport, we thought it was high time that someone of Roland's stature to be inducted," FSHOF president Rick Dantzler said.

Pole vaulter Dave Roberts, St. Thomas Aquinas football coach George Smith, and former Dolphin safety Dick Anderson and Raiders lineman Henry Lawrence rounded out the list. Former Buc Ryan Nece won the "Fame for Fitness Award".

The group will be honored before the Mar. 19 Lightning game and enshrined at Mainsail Suites Mar. 20. The Hall of Fame has inducted 205 members and their memorabilia, which is displayed at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, FL; qualifications are being born in the state or making their athletic mark in Florida.

Cozart, one of just two inductees present at Tuesday's announcement (along with Lawrence), said this will be the fifth Hall of Fame he'll be a member of; he's in both the Florida and California Wrestling Hall of Fame, as well as Upland High (Calif) and Brandon High.

"It's very humbling," Cozart said. "I've been in it for a while, and it encourages me to stay in it."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Defenseman Victor Hedman, who tonight will miss his 13th game because of a concussion, skated at the Tampa Bay Lightning's morning skate on Tuesday, though with a red no-contact jersey, and said he is aiming for a Jan. 31 return against the Capitals.

Coach Guy Boucher said it is "a possibility" Hedman will play in that game.

That's was the good news for the Lightning. The bad news is that right wing Dana Tyrell could be out for a significant amount of time with what is believed a right knee injury. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman is expected to give a report during tonight's game with the Blue Jackets.

Tyrell, 22, has just five assists in 26 games while averaging 10:30 of ice time. But Boucher said losing Tyrell will be felt.

"I strongly believe that any team that does well has a lot of good foot soldiers and he's definitely one of those guys," Boucher said. "People will label players as a hitter, a fighter, a scorer or a passer. There's one type of individual we never label and they are puck retrievers. Probably the most important guys in the game. That's what he does best. If he's not able to play, it's less pucks for the team, for sure."

The potential return of Hedman, though, was the day's biggest story. The 6-foot-6, 229-pounder is averaging 22:28 of ice time and was on the No. 1 pairing with Eric Brewer.

"It's a lot of fun to be on the ice with the boys," Hedman, 21, said. "I mean it feels like forever since I've been on the ice."

Hedman said his symptoms are completely gone.

"The biggest symptom I have right now is trying to breathe," he said after the tough workout. "It's a matter of time when I get back into game shape. ... The last couple of days have been awesome. You work your (behind) off and you're tired, but the best feeling right now is being tired and feeling good afterward. That's the best feeling I can feel right now."

Other stuff from the morning skate: Mathieu Garon, who beat Columbus back in December, gets the start in net. ... Forward Mike Angelidis, a call-up from AHL Norfolk, will make his NHL debut. ... Defenseman Evan Oberg will finally get to play in a game on his sixth call-up from Norfolk. "I'm happy for him," Boucher said. "The guy has been up and down waiting for an opportunity to contribute." Boucher said Oberg, as a seventh defenseman, likely won't get a lot of minutes. But Oberg seemed thrilled just to get in a game. "It's awesome, said the player who hasn't been in an NHL game since Feb. 19, 2011 for the Canucks. "I've been just waiting for a shot." Oberg said his family is in Mexico for his sister's wedding, "So, I'm sure they'll be all around the laptop."

Times staff
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

.TONIGHT

No. 23 FSU at Wake Forest

When/where: 7; Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, N.C.

TV/radio: FSN; 1040-AM

Records: FSU 13-6, 4-1 ACC; Wake Forest 11-8, 2-3

Notable: After re-entering the poll on the back of a four-game winning streak that includes upsets of North Carolina and Duke, the Seminoles can't afford to slip against a Demon Deacons team they have beaten three straight times. … Wake is coming off a 71-56 road victory over Boston College. … Junior captain C.J. Harris leads the Deacons with 17.3 ppg. Forward Travis McKie, who made the ACC all-freshman team last season, averages 17.2 points and 6.7 rebounds. … FSU can win five straight ACC games for the first time since it ended the 2009-10 season with six wins. … Seminoles junior Michael Snaer, who hit the winner Saturday at Duke, won his first ACC player of the week award.

Times staff

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TAMPA — Chris Cosh's best memory from five years with Skip Holtz at South Carolina was the way the Gamecocks went from 0-11 their first season to the high mark of back-to-back Outback Bowl victories against Ohio State in 2001-02.

So during his interview to become USF's defensive coordinator, it was with a familiar smile that he arrived at the Bulls' postseason banquet and realized it was at the Hyatt Regency, where the Gamecocks had stayed during their two Outback trips to Tampa.

"I thought I was having a flashback for a minute," said Cosh, who agreed Thursday to a two-year deal to replace Mark Snyder, who left two weeks ago to take the same job at Texas A&M.

Cosh, 52, will run a 4-3 defense at USF as he did at Kansas State, and he likely won't have to contend with the same level of high-scoring offenses as he did in the Big 12 this season, facing the likes of Oklahoma State, Baylor and Oklahoma. The other nine offenses in the Big 12 averaged 465.7 yards in 2011; the seven in the Big East that USF faced averaged 362.5 and more than a touchdown less.

Cosh has worked with top coaches over 28 years in college football — under Nick Saban at Michigan State and Lou Holtz in South Carolina, and his position coach as a linebacker at Virginia Tech was Lou Tepper, whom he later coached with at Illinois. Asked for his philosophy on defense, he kept it simple.

"We're going to run to the football, we're going to tackle well, play with great enthusiasm and be an attack-style defense," said Cosh, who met many of his players for the first time Tuesday.

Cosh has two sons both still involved in college football. Billy is a former Kansas State quarterback who just transferred to Butler County Junior College in Kansas, while J.J. played slotback at Navy, graduated last year with a degree in economics and is now part of the football staff there.

THIS AND THAT: Don't be surprised to see USF increase the allotment for Holtz's nine full-time assistants in the next month. Holtz's contract called for the pool to be negotiated in 2013, but with Cosh making $65,000 more than Snyder did, Holtz will need more than his contract's annual $100,000 for raises for his staff. … Snyder, by the way, will make $500,000 at Texas A&M according to public records released to the Tampa Bay Times, nearly double the $260,000 he made at USF last season. Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin announced Tuesday that Boise State defensive backs coach Marcel Yates will be a co-defensive coordinator with Snyder. … USF softball was picked to finish fifth out of 13 teams in the Big East's preseason poll of league coaches, which showed how wide-open the conference will be this spring. The Bulls were one of five teams to receive first-place votes, and the voting showed little separation among the top five.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com and at (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.