By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, January 30, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS

Here in Peyton Place, there are always lessons for visitors to learn. Even if you happen to be an old rival, and even if you happen to be a younger brother.

This is his town, by golly, and these are his fans, and the field at Lucas Oil Stadium is his backyard. Missed season or not, questionable future or not, this is still Peyton Manning's town.

The other quarterbacks? Tom Brady? Eli Manning? They're just visiting dignitaries, trying to grab another trophy while the grabbing is good.

When you get down to it, isn't that the point of Peyton's possible exile from Indianapolis? Isn't that the message from the headlines?

Pay attention, Tom: Not many quarterbacks get to leave the game while picking confetti out their hair. Some exits are ugly, some are painful, and some are both.

Listen up, Eli: Tomorrow isn't guaranteed, especially if it demands a $28 million bonus. Someday, the owner who is calling his quarterback a politician may be yours.

These days, there is angst in the headlines in Indianapolis. The owner and the quarterback are in a snit, and the surgeons keep opening up the quarterback's neck, and the owner sounds as if he may just prefer to keep his $28 million and let Manning go.

If you are Brady, if you are Eli, there are messages for both of you.

For Eli, this says to keep plugging. Yes, you can pass your big brother in Super Bowl rings on Sunday, but everyone knows that Eli's career is far short of Peyton's. Look at the yardage. Look at the records. There are loads of games to win before you are the Ultimate Manning.

For Brady, this says to stay healthy. Brady, who turns 35 in August, has said often that he wants to play until he is 40 years old. Deep down, Manning (who turns 36 in March) might have thought that to himself, too. That's the thing about football. The message in Peyton's cautionary tale is this: most players don't have as long as they think.

"You don't know if this is the last time taking the field," Brady said. "It's a very physical sport, and there have been a lot of players who have gone out there one day and the next, they don't have a chance to play again. There are a lot of things you can't control. I've spoken to Peyton several times, and I know how disappointed he was to miss a season."

While he is here, Brady seems determined to make the best of it. For the Patriots, this was an unusual season, because for most of it, New England seemed to have no answers for its defensive struggles. Instead, Brady hoisted the Patriots on his back — more so than in any season in his career — and carried them.

Granted, Brady wasn't at his best in the AFC title game victory over the Ravens. And granted, he wasn't at his best against the Giants' pass rush in their previous Super Bowl.

Still, do you want to bet against him? Peyton still has most of the statistics in the game, but Brady seems quite satisfied with his three Super Bowl rings.

Someday, maybe Eli will have that many, too. After all, he just turned 32. Still, the fleeting nature of his sport isn't lost on him, either.

"If you play this game long enough, you realize how precious each season is and how precious these opportunities are. (The Super Bowl) isn't just reminding me because of what Peyton's going through. Having numerous teammates get injured and miss the season or have their careers cut short; those things happen. You're reminded of that yearly. You don't want to let things slip away because you just don't know if you're going to get another opportunity."

Say this for Eli. He isn't Peyton yet, but he is no longer dwarfed by the comparison.

There was the time, he was the perpetual younger brother, the guy who wasn't quite Peyton. That can be hard to swallow for a little brother.

After all, when they were kids, Peyton used to play this game where he would pin Eli to the floor and pepper his knuckles against Eli's chest.

"Name the 12 SEC teams," Peyton would say, rapping away on Eli. When Eli got that right, it was "name the 28 NFL teams.' After that, it was "Name 10 brands of cigarettes.'' That, Eli says, is when he called out for a parent.

Now, he is in big brother's town, on big brother's field. He says he has no plans to see Peyton this week. On the other hand, how can he help but feel him?

Odd, but the last time the Giants reached the Super Bowl, Eli was supposed to be the weak link. Remember? Now, he is the Giants' primary weapon.

"He's an elite quarterback. Period," is the way Giants coach Tom Coughlin put its.

Who knows how long that will last for either of Sunday's quarterbacks. Ask former quarterbacks how long their careers felt, and they will say it is the snap of a finger.

Someday, it will end for Brady, too. And for Eli.

In the meantime, they might as well win.

Monday, January 30, 2012

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Reggie McKenzie started researching Dennis Allen as a potential coaching candidate this season when he first heard the Raiders might hire him as a general manager.

He talked to some of Allen's former players and coaching colleagues and only got rave reviews. When McKenzie sat down with Allen two weeks ago in Denver for his first interview, he knew he had found his man,

"The bottom line, he was what the doctor ordered," McKenzie said Monday. "He understood the big picture as far as putting a plan together, how to do this, this and this."

Allen, 39, got more stability than his predecessors with a four-year contract as opposed to the two guaranteed years given under late owner Al Davis. Allen also will have more say in putting together his staff and roster than Oakland coaches previously had. He replaces Hue Jackson, who was fired after one season in which the Raiders finished 8-8.

"At the end of the day, what I was really concerned with was, who are the people that are leading the organization now? The people who are leading the organization now are Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie, and when I looked across the table at Reggie McKenzie, I knew that was a man that I believed in and that I trusted in," Allen said.

Oakland set an NFL record last season with 163 penalties for 1,358 yards so it came as little surprise that Allen used a version of the word "discipline" more than a half-dozen times in his news conference.

"The only way that you create habits is through consistency, doing the same things over and over and over," Allen said. "Well, if you're committing penalties, that becomes a habit. We've got to change those habits, all right?"

Irsay shuts down Manning talk for week

Colts owner Jim Irsay tried to deflect attention away from the question of whether his team will retain quarterback Peyton Manning.

At least for this week.

"I'm not talking about Peyton this week," Irsay said as more than a dozen reporters followed him Monday. "When Peyton and I talked (last week), we both thought the focus should be on the Super Bowl. We want to focus on the Super Bowl."

Also, the Associated Press reported that the Colts hired Bruce Arians as offensive coordinator. Arians held the same post with the Steelers.

BENGALS: Wide receiver Jerome Simpson pleaded not guilty to marijuana trafficking at a court in Covington, Ky.

CHIEFS: Tom McMahon was named special teams coach.

DOLPHINS: George Edwards was named linebackers coach and assistants Dan Campbell (tight ends), Darren Krein (strength) and Darren Rizzi (special teams) were retained.

EAGLES: Former Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles was named secondary coach.

RAVENS: Jim Caldwell, fired as Colts coach on the heels of a 2-14 season, was named Baltimore's quarterbacks coach.

STUN GUN CASE: A man accused of using a stun gun on other fans during a fight at a Jets-Cowboys game last year pleaded not guilty to several criminal charges. A lawyer for Leroy McKelvey of Moncks Corner, S.C., entered the plea in state court in Hackensack, N.J. McKelvey didn't speak during the brief proceeding or after, except to tell reporters that Monday was his 60th birthday.

Times wires
Monday, January 30, 2012

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The NHL emerged from the lockout with a new look, including a bold new way to determine a winner for regular-season games.

Plenty of skepticism from longtime fans surrounded the introduction of the shootout. Grumbling about using a skills competition — akin to a home run derby after 10 innings of a tied baseball game — to settle the score after 65 minutes probably will never go away.

And with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire this summer, the opportunity exists to make another round of significant rule changes. But commissioner Gary Bettman made it sound as if this tiebreaker is here to stay.

"All the research that we do on a regular basis tells us overwhelmingly our fans like the shootout," Bettman said during All-Star weekend in Ottawa. "We're looking at numbers in the 70 and 80 percent approval range, which on any question is an extraordinarily high number."

After the labor dispute canceled the 2004-05, fans needed to be won back. The tiebreaker was added to try to make the game exciting enough for casual or bitter fans to come to the arena again.

"People want to see somebody win. They want to walk away without an empty feeling like, 'Wow, that was a really good tie tonight,'" said Wild coach Mike Yeo, whose team has had 10 shootouts this season, tied for most in the NHL.

One potential downside is the creation of artificial parity, since one point is awarded to the loser in an overtime or shootout game.

According to STATS LLC, 164 of 735 games this season have been tied after three periods. That means 22.3 percent of the time there are three points awarded in a game instead of two. The chase for playoff spots thickens this way, but teams with essentially losing records can wind up looking better in the standings than they are.

Of those 164 tie games, 95 have been decided by a shootout. That's nearly 58 percent.

CROSBY NEWS: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby skated before practice Monday. He had a 45-minute workout alongside injured teammates Jordan Staal and Simon Despres. This was the first time he skated with teammates since returning from California, where L.A.-based neurological spine specialist Dr. Robert S. Bray revealed Crosby had fractured vertebrae in his neck. Crosby has missed all but eight games this season with concussion-like symptoms

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Despite last week's controversy surrounding the team's White House visit, Bruins GM general manager Peter Chiarelli said goaltender Tim Thomas isn't going anywhere. "Not trading him," Chiarelli told ESPN.com in an email. "I have not talked to anyone and I don't plan to." … Carolina signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year extension worth $16 million, through the 2015-16 season.

Times wires
Monday, January 30, 2012

college football

report: rutgers taps assistant

Rutgers has turned to assistant Kyle Flood to replace Greg Schiano as head football coach, hours after Florida International's Mario Cristobal passed on a chance at the job.

The Associated Press reported Monday that Flood had accepted an offer and is expected to be introduced today at a news conference on the campus in Piscataway, N.J.

Cristobal, a former Rutgers assistant who has been with FIU for five seasons (he earns nearly $500,000 in base salary), appeared to be the first choice. When he decided to stay in Miami — he didn't want to cobble together a Rutgers recruiting class, and said FIU will have its best class — Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti quickly went to Flood.

Schiano left Rutgers last week to become the Buccaneers' head coach, leaving the school scrambling for a replacement.

Flood, 41, was promoted to interim coach and interviewed for the job over the weekend. He has been a member of Schiano's staff since 2005, coaching tight ends and offensive linemen while working his way up to assistant head coach in 2008.

Before Schiano's departure, Rutgers was working on a highly rated recruiting class. With Flood taking over, chances are good Rutgers can hold on to many of its top recruits.

more colleges

NCAA president still likes four-team playoff

NCAA president Mark Emmert reiterated his support for a two-round, four-team BCS championship playoff and his concern about the discord conference expansion creates.

Emmert said there are ongoing discussions about what he described as a Final Four model, a scenario that would have matched LSU against Stanford and Alabama vs. Oklahoma State this season with the winners advancing to the title game. Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 to avenge its lone loss and win the championship.

"I wish it had been a better game," said Emmert, who spoke at a Tallahassee civic organization's luncheon. He was the chancellor at LSU when Nick Saban was hired as the Tigers' coach.

Not everyone supported the rematch between the SEC schools.

"If I had to guess we'll see some movement in the format," Emmert said of how the BCS championship is decided. "Where it's going to wind up, I don't know."

The NCAA chief is opposed to a broader playoff in football that he believes would add stress on athletes and universities.

"It is hard to imagine a model if you continue with a 12 game schedule … and then lay on top of that a 16 or 24-team playoff," Emmert said. "You wind up putting young men through an awful lot."

Emmert said he's concerned about "a lot of bad blood," resulting from much of the recent conference realignment. The latest round of moves that impacted virtually all of the major conferences was far more turbulent.

"There weren't a lot of winners coming out of that," Emmert said. "You wind up with the lawsuits, you wind up with a lot of bad blood, a lot of bad publicity."

soccer

U.S. men want exhibition vs. Scotland

The U.S. men's team is negotiating to play Scotland in an exhibition game May 26 or 27. The Americans also are negotiating to play Brazil on May 30 or 31, at Landover, Md., or Foxborough, Mass. The game against Scotland, the first for the United States since 2005, would be in the eastern or central part of the United States.

The Americans open qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on June 8 at home against Antigua and Barbuda.

south korean star retires: South Korea's 2002 World Cup hero Ahn Jung-hwan, 36, has retired. He became famous for scoring the golden goal that eliminated Italy in the second round of the World Cup hosted jointly by Japan and South Korea. South Korea went on to the semifinals, the best performance from an Asian team at a World Cup.

et cetera

Cycling: Greenville, S.C., was chosen as the host city for the 2014 paracycling world championships. The five-day competition will bring more than 450 athletes from more than 45 countries. It is the first time the United States has hosted the event since 1998, when it was held in Colorado Springs. Paracycling comprises four groups: blind and visually impaired riders, people with cerebral palsy, locomotor disabilities and handcycling.

Times wires

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 30, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Pat Burrell retired on Monday, ending a 12-year career that included both one of the biggest hits and biggest misses in Rays history.

In the 2008 World Series, playing for the Phillies against the Rays, Burrell smacked a seventh-inning double off J.P. Howell that led to the run that clinched the resumed Game 5, and thus the championship, for Philadelphia.

Burrell then signed a hefty free-agent deal with the Rays — $16 million over two years — and doomed them again, ill-fitted for the DH role he signed up for, hitting just .218 with 16 homers and 77 RBIs and getting released six weeks into his second season.

Making it worse from the Rays perspective, he then signed on with his hometown Giants and played a key role for them during the rest of the 2010 season, and ended up winning another World Series. (Which led to this unique distinction: He has more World Series rings than hits, as the double off Howell was his only hit in a 1-for-27, 16-strikeout performance.)

"I wish he had one less title," Howell said Monday. "But good for him having a great career and two rings."

Overall, Burrell, 35, played 12 seasons in the majors, starring for most of his nine in Philadelphia, where his 251 home runs rank fourth in franchise history. The No. 1 overall pick out of Miami in the 1998 draft, Burrell finished with a career .253 average, 292 homers, 976 RBIs and about $71 million in career earnings.

"Obviously starting with a different team and having it turn out the way it did is not what you hoped for obviously," Burrell told the Tampa Bay Times in 2010. "But I got a chance, the Giants gave me an opportunity to come out here and play, and I just tried to make the most of it."

More Rays:

• Outfielder Justin Ruggiano opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple A. Ruggiano was designated for assignment last week as the Rays made room on the 40-man roster for Carlos Peña. Ruggiano, 29, was also designated before last season, starred at Durham and ending up joining the Rays in late May.

"It was a tough decision, but in the end, I had to do what was best for my career," Ruggiano said.

Infielder Russ Canzler's future is yet to be decided; a trade is possible.

• MLB Network will carry the Rays-Yankees season opener from the Trop at 3:10 p.m. April 6.

• Tickets for Friday's Dinner with David Price/Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame inductions (Tino Martinez, Cecil Fielder) at Tropicana Field will be available, for $99, until noon Thursday via raysbaseball.com.

• Former Durham manager Bill Evers, now a minor-league field coordinator, and pitcher Dave Eiland, now the Royals pitching coach, will be inducted into the Triple-A International League Hall of Fame.

Around the majors

MARTINEZ SURGERY: Tigers catcher/DH Victor Martinez had left knee surgery Friday and will need a second operation, another indication he is likely to miss the season.

RANGERS REWARD MANAGER: Ron Washington signed a two-year contract extension after leading the Rangers to the World Series for the second straight season. The deal puts him under contract through 2014.

BROOKS BETTER: Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson is resting comfortably in Florida with a shoulder injury he received in a fall from a stage. The ex-Oriole, 74, fractured his scapula Friday during a player reception in Hollywood. He leaned against a curtain, mistakenly thinking a wall was behind it, and fell on his back.

BREWERS: Outfielder Corey Patterson signed a minor-league contract.

CUBS: Former Rays left-handed specialist Trever Miller, and right-hander Rodrigo Lopez, agreed to minor-league deals.

METS: Right-hander Taylor Buchholz will sit out the 2012 season as he deals with depression and anxiety.

ORIOLES: Right-handers Armando Galarraga and Pat Neshek signed and were invited to spring training.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com. Follow his coverage on Twitter at @TBTimes_Rays.

Times wires
Monday, January 30, 2012

DURHAM, N.C. — The No. 3 Connecticut women traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium and made themselves right at home inside No. 5 Duke's famously noisy arena.

Again.

UConn, the last visiting team to win at Cameron, snapped the Blue Devils' 34-game home winning streak with a 61-45 victory Monday night. Duke missed 19 consecutive shots during one stretch.

The Huskies held the Blue Devils to a season-worst 24.6 percent shooting from the field and kept them without a basket for roughly 12 minutes en route to their 10th straight win.

Bria Hartley scored 15 and Caroline Doty 11 for the Huskies (20-2), who shot 45 percent and overcame 21 turnovers by forcing 15.

"This particular group, I'm surprised, but we're a really good defensive team. … It's difficult for teams to get comfortable against us, because you might have a different kid guarding you every time down the floor," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "But the effort was unbelievable. We kind of pride ourselves on that."

Chelsea Gray scored 13 for the Blue Devils (17-3), who had won 11 straight overall. It was their first loss at Cameron since 81-73 against UConn two years ago.

Elizabeth Williams added 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting for Duke. Her layup with just less than 18 minutes left was the Blue Devils' last basket until Haley Peters hit a 3-pointer with less than six minutes left.

Duke finished with eight assists on its 17 baskets after its offense too often disintegrated into one-on-one battles and not enough passing against an aggressive UConn defense that Auriemma said was determined to take away the lane.

AP POLL: Georgia Tech entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 24. DePaul dropped out. Baylor remained the unanimous No. 1.

Men

NO. 4 MISSOURI 67, TEXAS 66: Michael Dixon had 21 points, including the winning layup with 31 seconds left, as the visiting Tigers (20-2, 7-2 Big 12) handed the Longhorns their fifth loss in six games.

UCF 84, P.B. ATLANTIC 69: Marcus Jordan had 17 points and freshman Kasey Wilson added a career-high 15 to lead the host Knights (16-6) past the Division II Sailfish.

IONA: Coach Tim Cluess signed a multiyear extension that will keep him under contract until 2017.

AP POLL: No. 24 Gonzaga and No. 25 Vanderbilt reentered the poll, and Kansas State and Connecticut fell out. No. 21 Florida State moved up two spots. Kentucky was No. 1 for a second straight week.

OBITUARY: Joseph Curran, who coached Canisius to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1950s, died Saturday in Mystic, Conn. He was 89.

Times wires
Monday, January 30, 2012

PATERSON, N.J. — The word VICTORY is spelled out in the windows of Paterson's School 21, along with the phrases "Go Giants" and "Cruz Control."

It's a tribute to Victor Cruz who, in addition to being a star wide receiver on New York's Super Bowl-bound team, is also a School 21 graduate.

It is at this school, here in the 4th Ward — one of the toughest sections of this impoverished city — where Cruz's success rings perhaps most loudly.

"I respect him a lot," said Tyrie Sampson, 14. "I'm an Eagles fan but I like how he's from Paterson — shows us kids in Paterson we have dreams, too, and we can fulfill them."

Students at the K-8 school have written him letters professing their admiration. A Giants game program is taped to gymnasium doors, the word "Paterson" underlined each time it appears in his team profile.

And his former teachers are proud that the determined, respectful little boy who lit up the hallways with his now-famous smile is headed to the Super Bowl.

"Everyone is floating on air," said Sandy Macolino, Cruz's former gym teacher. "We couldn't be more excited about it."

Cruz has risen from Paterson to NFL glory, a charismatic 25-year-old about to play on the biggest stage in football.

It's an ascent made possible by hard work, talent and the support of loving parents: a mother who instilled faith and resolve, a now-deceased father who introduced him to the game and coached him in his early years.

He's fast becoming a role model to kids in his hometown. They can see themselves in him: He's Puerto Rican and black. He lived in a single-story house on East 18th Street. He didn't get sidetracked by an environment beset with drugs and violence. And he overcame academic and other setbacks.

Despite his skills, "he didn't have things on a silver platter by any means," said his godfather, Jimmy Salmon, a well-known amateur basketball coach.

Cruz is only now beginning to grasp his newfound celebrity.

"It's really starting to sink in — how rare my story is and how far I've come," he said last week.

"Every step of the way I just tried to play my hardest and whatever opportunity came my way, I just tried to take advantage of it," he said. "I understood that opportunities were going to come few and far between, and when that small window opens for me I have to jump right through it and make sure I seize that moment and that opportunity. Thank God I have."

The Victor Cruz story is one "that inspires the underdog," said Alonzo Muir, a former teammate at now-closed Paterson Catholic High School.

"It's huge for the city. … It's huge for him — it's even huge for me and I'm many miles away and every time I see him on TV it gives me the chills because, it's like, he really did it," said Muir, who shared an undefeated season with Cruz their senior year.

While at the Division I-AA University of Massachusetts, Cruz was suspended twice because of academic problems. His father, Mike Walker, died during the second suspension.

Cruz said a conversation with his mother, Blanca Cruz, when he got tossed out of UMass, was "eye-opening."

"She held me accountable for everything that I was doing — all my faults, all my rights and wrongs," said Cruz, who now lives in Lyndhurst, N.J., about 10 miles from Paterson and about 4 miles from the Giants' home, Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford. "That was the moment where I realized I had to turn into a man."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 30, 2012

TAMPA — Don't look at newspaper articles. Don't look at the Internet.

That, Marty St. Louis said, will serve the Lightning best as it starts what it hopes to be a playoff push.

"It's hard, but you have to train your brain to just worry about the one game," the wing said. "If you're constantly looking online or at the paper you'll get outside information you don't need."

Such as this: Tampa Bay, with 46 points, is 12th in the East and nine points behind the Devils for the conference's eighth and final playoff spot.

Or this: The Lightning is fourth in the Southeast Division, nine behind the first-place Capitals.

In other words, defenseman Victor Hedman said, "We have a big mountain to climb to get into a playoff spot."

That is why tonight's game with Washington at the Tampa Bay Times Forum is so important. If the Lightning wins, it will be only seven points behind the Capitals. If it loses, the margin is 11.

"It's a big challenge," Hedman said. "But those are the challenges when you rise from within."

The good news for the Lightning is it got healthier after going into the five-day All-Star break with nine injured players.

Hedman, out 13 games because of a concussion, is expected to play, though his minutes likely will be limited. Wing Ryan Shannon (knee), out 15 games, and wing Tom Pyatt (leg), out three, also should be back.

It was hoped left wing Ryan Malone (upper body) and defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron (back) would return. But neither practiced Monday and both said they don't expect to play.

That leaves Tampa Bay with just 10 healthy forwards, so unless J.T. Wyman (pinkie) gets well, a recall from Norfolk — perhaps center Trevor Smith — is likely.

Regardless, the Lightning must continue to do the things that helped it head into the break with a season-best four-game winning streak.

Things such as not falling behind early, a problem that has plagued the team all season, continuing its much-improved defensive zone coverages and getting quality goaltending.

During the winning streak, Mathieu Garon, who starts tonight, and Dwayne Roloson combined for a 2.26 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.

Now, if only the power play, in a 5-for-54 slump, can get going.

But coach Guy Boucher wants a narrower focus.

"We didn't look at four games," Boucher said of the streak. "We looked at one game. What can we do to give ourselves the best chance possible to take care of that particular game?"

And even that might not be enough, at least in this scenario:

If the Devils (26-19-3), with the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, go just 17-17-0 in their final 34 games, they will have 89 points. That means the Lightning (21-23-4) would need to go 22-12-0 in its final 34 games to reach 90.

And that doesn't even count the three other teams 12th-place Tampa Bay would have to leapfrog in the standings.

"Just one game at a time," St. Louis said. "You can't worry about the standings now. Just worry about winning games and see where that takes you."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Carrie Selivanov, 43, daughter of Tampa Bay Lightning founder Phil Esposito, died Monday after an illness, Esposito's wife, Bridget, said. Selivanov, one of Esposito's three daughters by a previous marriage, was married to former Lightning star Alex Selivanov, who plays in the Netherlands. Carrie Selivanov also was a former director of team services for the Lightning.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Lightning founder Phil Esposito said he expects the phone in his Tampa home to ring at any moment.

On the other end will be his daughter, Carrie, telling him reports of her death were a cruel joke.

"I'm having major difficulties with this," Esposito told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday. "I'm just in shock. I cannot believe it even as I sit and talk to you. I expect her to call me and start saying, 'April fool.' "

Carrie, 43, who was married to former Lightning star Alex Selivanov, died Monday, apparently from a sudden illness, Esposito said.

The couple had two children: Nikko, 13, and Rocco, 9. Dylan, 18, was Carrie's son from a previous marriage. They lived in Krefeld, Germany, where Selivanov played from 2003-08.

"I can't believe this," Esposito said he told Alex when his son-in-law called with the news. "I cannot believe this."

The story of how Carrie died still is sketchy, said Esposito, who plans to fly to Germany this week to get more details and the results of an autopsy. But he also said he knew something was wrong because about 10 days ago Carrie "coughed up some blood."

"But she refused to go to the doctor," Esposito said. "She refused to go to the hospital. 'I'm fine. I'm taking the kids to practice.' That's all I know."

Esposito said when he last spoke to Carrie about four days ago, "She never said a word. She said she was fine."

Esposito said Alex Selivanov was with the children at a local hockey rink when a neighbor who was supposed to visit Carrie found her in the family home in distress.

Carrie went by ambulance to a hospital where she was put into a coma to stabilize her. She died soon after.

"I just remember a little tiny person just like her mom," said friend Becky Cashman D'Aiuto. "She had this tenacious personality, just like her dad; definitely tenacious and not afraid or intimidated by anything."

D'Aiuto was the Lightning's publication manager while Carrie, from 1992-96, was the organization's first director of team services, responsible for scheduling the players' travel for road trips.

Video coach Nigel Kirwan also was part of what he called "a small core group of us in our early 20s trying to solve this hockey thing in Florida. … (Carrie) worked hard. She was in on the ground floor helping her father to get the organization up and running."

Of her death, Terry Crisp, the Lightning's first coach, said, "It was like a member of your family is gone."

Esposito said he is not quite sure how he is keeping his emotions in check, considering that just a few weeks ago his former wife, Linda, Carrie's mother, died of emphysema.

He said he has spoken to Alex Selivanov at least five times, and he has tried to help make the kids understand death is part of life.

One thing Esposito said he does not understand: "You're not supposed to live longer than your children."

Times staff writer Tom Jones contributed to this report. Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Russ Canzler didn't really have a home on the defensive-oriented Tampa Bay Rays roster.

So after designating the corner infielder/outfielder for assignment last week to make room for the more versatile Jeff Keppinger, the Rays traded Canzler to the Indians for cash considerations.

Canzler would seem to have a chance for playing time at first base in Cleveland, or at least as a righthanded bat off the bench.

Canzler, who came from the same hometown as manager Joe Maddon (Hazleton, Pa.), was MVP of the Triple-A International League last season and made his major-league debut late in the year.

Canzler, 25, hit .314 with 18 homers and 83 RBIs in 131 games last season for Durham, his first about Double-A. He signed with the Rays as a minor-league free agent last year after seven seasons in the Cubs organization.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano was a dealt a tough blow when the Arizona Cardinals declined the team's request to interview Cardinals receivers coach John McNulty for the position of offensive coordinator.

McNulty served on Schiano's staff at Rutgers from 2004-08 and was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach during his last three seasons with the Scarlet Knights.

Considering the investment the Bucs have in quarterback Josh Freeman, offensive coordinator is arguably the most critical hire on Schiano's staff. It's believed that Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt made the call on prohibiting McNulty from interviewing with the Bucs.

Because it's such an important hire, the Bucs still are working behind the scenes to acquire McNulty, the Times confirmed. The effort may include an appeal directly to Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell. But it's hard to imagine the Cardinals reversing course at this point.

Under McNulty, Rutgers set school records for total offense (5,841 yards), points scored (421) and first downs (295). They also became the first team in NCAA history to have a 3,000-yard passer (Mike Teal-3,147 yards), a 2,000-yard rusher (Ray Rice-2,069 yards), and two 1,000-yard receivers (Kenny Britt-1,232, Tiquan Underwood-1,100 yards). During McNulty's five seasons at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights posted a record of 38-24 and won three consecutive bowl games while he was in charge of play calling.

By Capt. Mike Gore
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Spring fling. We continue to be blessed with great weather. At this pace we may be in for an early spring and great fishing. Fish seem to already be transitioning into their spring habitats. Bait has shown back up in Tampa Bay, but in deeper water.

Reef relief. With extremely low winter tides that can limit where you fish, you may want to target some inshore reefs and rock piles. Tampa Bay is loaded with them. You can visit myfwc.com and it has a list of artificial reefs in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. Common catches on these reefs this time of year are sheepshead and silver trout.

Making the catch. Catching 5- to 10-pound sheepshead this time of year is not uncommon. Tearing a live shrimp and just using half has produced the best results. A 15-pound leader with a No. 1 or No. 2 hook with a small split shot should do the job. Sheepshead are notorious for stealing your bait. Just make sure to keep your line tight and as soon as you feel that first bump, set the hook. The silver trout are very abundant and catching a hundred fish is not hard to do.

Easy does it. Snook are pushing out of their winter holes and onto the flats and mangrove shorelines early. With white bait showing back up in the bay, it has made catching some trophy fish pretty easy. Presenting a nice bait in front of snook this time of year is almost hard for them to resist given that they haven't seen it for a couple of months. Remember to still take caution when handling these big breeder fish. Take a quick picture and release them as quickly as possible.

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

By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

St. Jude's Children's Hospital is holding a golf tournament Feb. 25 at the Dunes Golf Club, north of Weeki Wachee, with proceeds going toward research at the hospital.

The event will be a four-person scramble with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Registration will begin at noon. The cost is $300 per team or $350 for a team including hole sponsorship. The early deadline for signups is Feb. 11.

Sponsors include Felony's Bar & Grill, Friendly Kia, Harley-Davidson of Crystal River, Extreme Fitness and Joni Industries. Businesses will provide hole-in-one prizes. After the tournament, there will be a social at Felony's in Spring Hill.

For information, call Melissa Turner at (352) 596-7888.

HERNANDO BASEBALL GOLF FUNDRAISER: The Hernando High School baseball program will have its annual Baseball Booster Golf Scramble on Feb. 11 at Brooksville Country Club at Majestic Oaks.

Sponsored by Century 21, the Red Mule Pub and Sims Furniture Galleries, the tournament will feature foursomes, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $65 per player, with the proceeds going to the Leopards baseball team.

A poolside barbecue lunch will be served before tee-off at 11:30 a.m. An awards social will take place in the country club's Grille Room after the tournament. There will also be a preregistration social from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Red Mule Pub in Brooksville, with hors d'oeuvres.

For information, contact Harry Timmons at (352) 796-0047 or htimmon1@tampabay.rr.com.

SOUTHERN BOWLING TOUR: The Southern Bowling Tour, headed up by former Professional Bowlers Association regional director Harry O'Neale, will be making a stop at Spring Hill Lanes this weekend.

In its inaugural season, the tour has attracted some of the best bowlers in the region. Spring Hill's event will feature senior and regular divisions.

On Saturday, the tournament will start with a qualifying run of six games. The top 25 percent of finishers will advance to the next round. Bowling will begin at 1:30 p.m., with roll call at 1.

Bowling will continue at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The remaining bowlers will roll four more games of qualifying before the field is cut to the top eight competitors. Those eight will compete in a bracket-style format of match play for the title.

The entry fee is $175 per bowler, with a payout for one of every four that enter. The estimated first prize is $2,500.

For information, contact O'Neale at (843) 889-0077, (843) 906-6005 or harry@ harryonealesouthernbowling tour.com.

SPRING HILL VALENTINE'S BOWLING TOURNAMENT: Spring Hill Lanes is hosting its annual Valentine's Day Scotch Doubles Tournament at 1 p.m. Feb. 12.

The entry fee is $18 per team, with a format of each player rolling alternate shots. Based on 75 teams, the first-place prize would be $225.

For information, call the bowling center at (352) 683-7272.

WOMEN'S 500 CLUB BOWLING TOURNAMENT: The Hernando County Women's 500 Club will host a doubles handicap tournament Feb. 19 at Mariner Lanes in Spring Hill.

To compete, bowlers must be members of the Hernando County Women's 500 Club and the Hernando County U.S. Bowling Congress Women's Bowling Association. Entry forms are available at Mariner Lanes and Spring Hill Lanes.

The handicap at the event will be 100 percent of a 200 average. Check-in will be at 1 p.m.; bowling starts at 1:30 p.m. The entry fee is $17 per person, with a deadline of Feb. 13. Entries may be dropped off at either bowling center.

For information, call Sheila Wehrenberg at (352) 688-1575.

HIGH POINT MEN'S GOLF TOURNAMENT: The High Point community will host the High Point Men's 18-Hole Golf Invitational on Feb. 17.

The tournament format will be handicap three-best-ball net. The shotgun start will be at 8:30 a.m., with check-in at 7:30. A continental breakfast will be served.

Registration is $50 per golfer, which includes golf, cart, a roast beef dinner and cash prizes. Two 155-yard hole-in-one opportunities will be available.

Sponsored by Rick Matthews Buick-Pontiac-GMC, a new vehicle and three-year lease will be the prize on the first hole, and a $5,000 golf cart from Affordable Golf Carts will be the prize on the 12th hole.

The deadline for sign-ups is today. For information, call Dave Lund at (352) 293-4825 or Tom Lynch at (352) 596-8046.

Contact Derek J. LaRiviere at derekjlariviere@gmail.com or (352) 584-6337.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Start with his incredible quickness at the snap. Watch his athletic charge toward the pocket. Watch as he twists, and spins and slides his way free. Then watch the incredible burst at the end as he closes in on the quarterback.

Yeah, he is something to see, this Haitian Sensation.

What a shame his father cannot.

He has arrived in a blur of colors, Jason Pierre-Paul. He is still learning the game, and already, he is one of the stars of it. Even on a team with a great front four, even in a league filled with amazing athletes, Pierre-Paul can take over a game and turn it into his personal highlight film.

And yet, his father has never seen a play except for the ones he has imagined.

Jason had not been born yet when his father's vision began to blur, and by the time he was eight months old, the darkness was upon Jean Pierre-Paul. To this day, doctors do not know why Jean lost his sight.

"My dad never quit no matter what," Jason said Tuesday. "He couldn't see, but he never let that stop him. Most people, when something like that happens, they just think their life is over. But that's not true. My dad can still do things like a normal person. He still cooks, he still watches my sister and my brother's baby when my mom's not home.

"What I bring to the table to help my team is that I'm never going to quit. I'm going to keep rushing the ball until the whistle blows and it's the end of the game. That's how I'm going to keep playing."

Some lessons are handed down from father to son. This is one of them. The obstacles don't matter. The determination to overcome them does.

There is a relentlessness to Pierre-Paul, the former USF star who has become a Pro Bowl player with the Giants. He will tell you that he is still learning, that he has a lot of improvement left in him. After a 16 ½-sack season, the thought of Pierre-Paul getting better should make quarterbacks shake across the league.

"Jason never fails to surprise me," teammate Justin Tuck said. "Everybody knows about the guy's physical talents. He's an absolute beast. But what I appreciate about him is that he comes into the film room every day and tries to grow as far as noticing how teams try to attack him. Raw talent will only get you so far. He's become much better mentally."

Is it supposed to be this easy? Pierre-Paul only started to play football as a high school junior when he grew weary of the coaches at Deerfield Beach — about 40 miles north of Miami — urging him to do so. He was a basketball player then. He didn't know much about this football except that it looked rough. He thought he might have to play wide receiver.

His coaches had a better idea. They lined him up and pointed him toward the backfield.

"I didn't know what I was doing," Pierre-Paul said. "All they said was to rush the quarterback."

There are easier jobs to learn as you go. Defensive ends tend to get punched in the mouth and cut at the knees and double-teamed and shoved and pushed and held. But Pierre-Paul managed. He went to school in the morning, and to practice in the afternoon, and to work at Boston Market in the evenings to help pay the rent.

"We all helped," Jason said. "It was rough journey, but I'm here."

It was a roundabout journey, too. From Deerfield Beach to the College of the Canyons in California (where he had 14 sacks) to Fort Scott Community College (where he had 10) to USF (where he had 16 ½ tackles for loss).

"USF gave me a chance to show what I can do," Pierre-Paul said. "(Former) Coach (Jim) Leavitt came and got me. He told me he was going to do that when I was in high school."

Ask the Giants about Pierre-Paul's athleticism, and his teammates just shake their heads. For instance, there are the backflips. Pierre-Paul has done as many as 23 of them in a row. Still, you don't flip over an offensive tackle. Who saw Pierre-Paul develop this quickly?

"He's going to be a great player for a while," teammate Osi Umenyiora said. "He's going to be one of the great ones."

These days, everyone knows his name. He is JPP, the Beast, the Haitian Sensation.

Also, he is his father's son.

"Every day was the same with my dad and me," he said. "We would laugh and giggle and talk in Creole. My dad understands what I do. Coming from Haiti, the only football they know is soccer. But after the game, I'll call home and get their two cents about the game. It's fun, because he just starts explaining what I did in the game and how the other team lost. He's got it down pat now."

Sunday, for the first time, Jean Pierre-Paul will be at his son's game. Jason isn't sure how he will react to the crowd and the noise, but he knows his mother will talk of how he is playing.

"He's going to have a good time," Jason said.

Of course, that depends on how good a time Jason has. For the Giants, nothing is more important than the pass rush getting to Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, and there isn't anyone more important than Pierre-Paul.

"I'm just going to approach the game like I've always approached it and go out there and dominate," Jason said.

If that happens, a father wouldn't have to see to enjoy.

By Tyson Wallerstein, Times Correspondnent
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Full moon seatrout: Although redfish, black drum and sheepshead are all good targets, speckled trout remain No. 1. We've had consistent numbers of quality sized trout on nearly every outing, but the last full moon phase sticks out. As we approach next week's full moon look for these big aggregations of trout to move up shallow, especially on the late afternoon incoming tide, around most of the spoil islands throughout the ICW.

Tactics: Target the deep side of the islands. Typically there will be a distinguishable edge where the sparse grass bottom transitions to a much lighter sand /shell bottom, which is usually where the trout stage up.

Other trout: Silver trout remain abundant off area beaches and with an easterly wind this week, fishing for them should be good. If you don't already have a rough idea were they've been holding, plan on spending time either fan casting while probing the waters for a school, or driving around while looking at your bottom machine. These schools are typically found in 8-15 feet of water. Good places to start looking would be Indian Shores all the way south around John's Pass.

Tyson Wallerstein runs Inshore Fishing Charters in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area and can be reached at (727) 692-5868 and via email capt.tyson@hotmail.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

USF women vs. West Virginia

When/where: 7; USF Rec Center, Tampa

TV/radio: BHSN, 1010-AM

Records: West Virginia 15-6, 5-3 Big East; USF 12-10, 4-4

Notable: The Bulls picked up a vote in the USA Today coaches poll, which is odd because USF has four more losses than any team in the top 25. … USF has settled in with three new starters, with freshman guard Shalethia Stringfield, junior wing Inga Orekhova and junior forward Tiffany Conner all starting the past seven games. Center Caitlin Rowe stepped in during the loss at No. 3 UConn with 20 points and solid outside shooting. … West Virginia guard Taylor Palmer has hit 55 3-pointers and averages 13.2 points. … With eight regular-season games left, USF is battling for a spot in the Women's NIT. Only three are against teams with a winning Big East record.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Times staff
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TAMPA — It has been a quiet final month of recruiting for USF, but if today pans out as expected — beating out Big East rivals for a pair of in-state recruits — the Bulls will have closed out their 2012 class as a relative success.

Skip Holtz hopes to hear good news today from Gainesville LB Tashon Whitehurst, who had been a Syracuse commitment, and Oakland Park OL Kam Davis, who is deciding between USF and West Virginia. Both are rated as three-star recruits by Rivals.com, which has USF with the fifth-best class in the Big East. Holtz will have made it through January without losing a commitment, despite defensive coordinator Mark Snyder leaving for Texas A&M.

USF has a pair of four-star recruits in Orlando WR D'Vario Montgomery and Citra North Marion TE Sean Price; Montgomery was targeted by LSU in the past week, with Price drawing strong interest from Oklahoma and Georgia. And Holtz brought in eight newcomers in January, giving them an early start to help fill the holes on a team that returns a strong nucleus.

There are positions that have not been addressed. The lack of a QB means USF will be gambling heavily on being able to land an elite passer in the next year. Running back, too, will be a position where USF can sell a top recruit on early playing time, with only one scholarship back younger than a junior on the fall roster.

Holtz went into this recruiting season with only 14 scholarships available due to a small senior class, and going into today's signings, the Bulls have a class that Scout.com rates as the worst in the Big East and 70th nationally. But with a strong close and the benefits of spring practice for nearly half the newcomers, it should be a class that can help with depth at key positions in 2012.

BIG OPPORTUNITY: Halfway through the Big East season, the women's basketball team is 12-10 and 4-4 in conference, but if the Bulls get a home win tonight against West Virginia (15-6, 5-3), there's much in play in the next month.

USF has played well in its seven games since junior Inga Orekhova joined the team, and Jose Fernandez has tweaked his lineup, making freshman G Shalethia Stringfield and junior F Tiffany Conner starters. Despite having top scorer Andrea Smith miss the season with a knee injury, USF has a chance to finish in the top half of the Big East.

Of the remaining eight games, only Notre Dame can be written off as a sure loss, and a 6-2 finish would put the Bulls at 18-12 entering the Big East tournament, where an upset could put them on the NCAA bubble.

THIS AND THAT: USF is finalizing an agreement to turn over management of the renovated Sun Dome to Global Spectrum, a Philadelphia-based firm that manages the arenas at UCF and Miami. … Former USF walk-on LB LaDre Watkins, who last played for the Bulls in 2009, has transferred to Florida International and will play for the Panthers this fall. … Having gone from a 3-15 Big East record last season to its current 6-3 mark, the men's basketball team has the best improvement in conference record of any team in the "Power 6" major conferences. Only Iowa State and Indiana have even two more league wins than last season.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com and at (813) 226-3346.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy says he hasn't met new head coach Greg Schiano, but he says there is already a buzz among the players.

"Everyone's excited," McCoy said. "Everyone is like, 'I don't know what to expect,' but everyone's excited."

McCoy said he was didn't know much about Schiano before the Bucs hired him, but that his financial advisor, John Mangum, played for him when Schiano was an assistant with the Bears.

"He gave his stamp of approval," McCoy said as he worked Super Bowl media day. "I've done some research on him, and I've heard nothing but good things and how respected he is.

"He's an old soul, a no-nonsense coach who completely flipped and changed around that Rutgers program. He's defensive minded so, you know, that's what I'm about."

McCoy said his rehab is going well from his arm injury.

"When everything starts back up on April 23, I'll be the first one in the building ready to roll."

NEW GIG: Former Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp, now an analyst for NFL Network, doesn't know Schiano. But he has some idea as to why some college coaches have struggled in the NFL over the years.

"You know what it is?" Sapp said. "In college, you meet a stud maybe once a month. So maybe three times a year. (At Miami) I had FSU, Syracuse and either West Virginia or Virginia Tech. Not both, one or the other. You get to someone around your level maybe three or four times a year.

"You can outcoach a guy in college. 'I have this mismatch over there.' There are no mismatches here, boss. Everyone gets a check."

So did Sapp have an opinion when the Bucs were interviewing former Packers coach Mike Sherman, his old nemesis?

"No," Sapp said. "Unless you take a look at that picture Rich Eisen took of me where I'm hanging myself."

Sapp laughed.

"How do you get fired in college where you have a 25-25 record and you get promoted to the league? What did I miss? I know Pete Carroll had seven Pac-10 titles and two national championships. That's how you graduate. Win something. Mike Sherman hadn't won anything. The only reason he was getting this interview was that his agent and (Bucs GM) Mark Dominik's agent are the same."

AROUND THE LEAGUE: The Steelers interviewed former Chiefs coach Todd Haley for the offensive coordinator position. … The Falcons named Joe Danna defensive backs coach.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.