Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and the other Giants receivers can't wait to go against the Patriots' Julian Edelman during Sunday's Super Bowl.

And why not? The receiver/punt returner also plays cornerback, a position he's still learning.

Manningham said it will be a mismatch in New York's favor any time he or his fellow wideouts are covered by the former Kent State quarterback, a seventh-round draft pick in 2009 by the Patriots.

"He plays wide receiver," Manningham said. "He's not a real defensive back. Did he get drafted as a defensive back? We have a little bond going on knowing that we can beat somebody. We're confident. I hope he's out there."

Cruz, the Giants' top receiver with 82 catches for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns, also said Edelman will be targeted.

"I see he's very raw at that position, obviously, because it's not his dominant position. But he's quick. He's fast, and he carries over a lot of the receiver stuff over to (cornerback)," Cruz said.

"Obviously, it's going to be a position and an area that we'll test out really early and see how it goes and how the game flows."

Edelman is following in the footsteps of former Patriot Troy Brown. Primarily a receiver and punt returner, injuries in 2004 prompted coach Bill Belichick to give Brown snaps at cornerback. (He intercepted three passes.)

Early this season, injuries to cornerback Devin McCourty and safety Patrick Chung prompted Belichick to give Edelman snaps in nickel and dime situations. (He has 22 tackles but no interceptions.)

Before this season, Edelman last played defensive back as a freshman in high school.

"It's ultimately a foreign thing for me," he said. "You're doing everything backward from covering a guy to terminology on the defensive side of the ball. The coaches and the players surrounding me have helped me out a bunch."

Belichick says Edelman is adjusting well.

"He has a knack for it. He picked it up quickly," he said. "He's a smart, hardworking guy. If you ask him to do something, he'll work really hard to get it right and try to do it."

Patriots corner Kyle Arrington said teammates are confident when Edelman moves to defense.

"He has that mentality, that beast mode in him," Arrington said. "He's tough. He's fast. He's physical. I have no worries about Julian. He's good."

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 3, 2012

USF at No. 14 Georgetown

When/where: 11 a.m.; Verizon Center, Washington

TV/radio: ESPNU; 1250-AM

Records: USF 13-9, 6-3 Big East; Georgetown 17-4, 7-3

Notable: Two years ago, USF knocked off the Hoyas — then No. 7, the highest ranked team the Bulls have ever beaten — and last season, USF lost 61-55 in Tampa, so the teams have played close games in recent years. Georgetown is 11-1 at home, including a 58-44 win against UConn last time out. … Georgetown is led by G Jason Clark with 15.4 points per game. … With the rare morning tipoff, USF has a 7 a.m. wakeup call this morning, with team breakfast at 7:30.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer


Friday, February 3, 2012

TODAY

No. 12 Florida vs. No. 25 Vanderbilt

When/where: 1 p.m.; O'Connell Center, Gainesville

TV/radio: Ch. 10; 620-AM

Records: Florida 18-4, 6-1 SEC; Vanderbilt 16-6, 5-2

Notable: The Gators play their fifth ranked opponent this season in a crucial SEC matchup. Florida is on a six-game winning streak and needs a win to remain in sole possession of second place in the SEC. … UF leads the nation in 3-point field goals made (230) and has made 10 or more in 15 games this season. … Vanderbilt's top scorer, G John Jenkins, leads the nation with 3.9 3-pointers per game, and the Commodores rank second in the SEC in 3-pointers made per game (9.0). … There's an interesting matchup inside between Vandy's 6-foot-11 senior C Festus Ezeli and Gators sophomore C Patric Young. The Commodores are 2-5 in league play when they are outrebounded, so the Gators' play inside will be important to the outcome. Florida has outrebounded opponents in 14 games and has a plus-3.0 rebounding margin.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 3, 2012

USF women at Syracuse

When/where: 1 p.m.; Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

Radio: 1010 AM

Records: USF 12-11, 4-5 Big East; Syracuse 14-9, 3-6

Notable: It's the kind of game USF needs to win in the final month of the season if the Bulls want to play in any kind of postseason. Syracuse is the conference's worst 3-point-shooting team in Big East play, hitting just 19.8 percent. That means Syracuse will want to win inside, where USF has the league's worst rebound margin, getting outrebounded by an average of 8.1 boards per conference game. … Syracuse, led by 6-4 junior C Kayla Alexander, is fourth in the league.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

CYCLING

PROSECUTORS NIX ARMSTRONG DOPING CASE

LOS ANGELES — The case against Lance Armstrong is closed. His legacy as a seven-time Tour de France champion endures.

Federal prosecutors dropped their investigation of Armstrong on Friday, ending a nearly two-year effort to determine whether the world's most famous cyclist and his teammates joined in a doping program during his greatest years.

Armstrong, 40, steadfastly has denied he doped, but the possibility of criminal charges threatened to stain not only his accomplishments, but his cancer charity work as well.

"I am gratified to learn that the U.S. Attorney's Office is closing its investigation," Armstrong said in a statement. "It is the right decision, and I commend them for reaching it."

U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. announced in a press release that his office "is closing (the) investigation" but didn't disclose the reason for the decision.

Betsy Andreu, who with her husband, Frank, a former Armstrong teammate, accused the cycling champion of doping, said she was shocked by Birotte's decision. "Our legal system failed us," she said. "This is what happens when you have a lot of money and you can buy attorneys who have people in high places in the Department of Justice."

ET CETERA

SKIING: American Bode Miller lost to Austria's Klaus Kroell by 0.01 seconds at a World Cup downhill in Chamonix, France.

TENNIS: Tomas Berdych, Gilles Simon, defending champ Gael Monfils and Philipp Kohlschreiber reached the semifinals at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.

SOCCER: John Terry was ousted as the captain of England's national team while awaiting trial for racial abuse, but the Chelsea defender can still play at this summer's European Championships. His trial was delayed until after that tournament. Terry, who is white, is accused of making racial comments toward Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers during a match in October.

AUTOS: Takuma Sato signed with IndyCar's Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Team co-owner Bobby Rahal is aiming to run a full season, which his team has not done since 2008.

OBITUARY: Wayne Kelly, a boxing referee best known for officiating the 1996 Riddick Bowe-Andrew Golota heavyweight bout in New York that ended with a riot both inside and outside the ring, died Wednesday of a heart attack. He was 63.

Times wires

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

No. 21 Florida State vs. No. 16 Virginia

When/where: 1; Tucker Center, Tallahassee

TV/radio: Ch. 44; 1040-AM

Records: FSU 15-6, 6-1 ACC; Virginia 18-3, 5-2

Notable: The Seminoles are on a school-record-tying six-game conference winning streak after beating Georgia Tech 68-54, and Virginia comes in having not won in Tallahassee since 2001. … Defense matters for both teams. FSU is ranked in the top five nationally in field-goal percentage defense. Virginia is No. 18 in the nation in that category and No. 2 in scoring defense. … FSU junior G Michael Snaer is averaging 16.3 points and shooting 58.3 percent from 3-point range during the current six-game run. … Virginia G Mike Scott ranks 19th in the nation in field-goal percentage and leads his team in scoring at 17 points per game. … "They are a program on the rise," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "There's no question that they are a team that everyone respects."

Times wires

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

Patriots vs. Giants

6:30 p.m. Sunday, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis; Line: Patriots by 3 TV/radio: Ch. 8; 1010-AM

SUPER BOWL

XLVI

Giveaway of the day

Overlooked Thursday amid the hype for the game (and the soap opera that has become Peyton Manning and the Colts) was Michael Strahan. The former Giants defensive end, right, now an analyst for Fox, surprised customers with free footlong Subway sandwiches near Lucas Oil Stadium. Strahan also hung out with fellow Subway pitchman Jared Fogle and signed autographs.

Quotable

"I put emphasis on, 'In the land of the free,' and I went up. Oddly enough, I hit the note. So I don't know what they are talking about. I emphasized 'free,' which was for freedom. It was well thought out prior to. I wasn't messing with American tradition."

Steven Tyler, Aerosmith singer, defending his criticized performance of the national anthem at the AFC title game

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — The saga of the Colts and Peyton Manning continued Friday.

Manning's surgeon released a statement Thursday night saying the quarterback, who sat out this season after three neck surgeries, was cleared to play.

But in the hours before dawn Friday, owner Jim Irsay, via Twitter, said, "Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts." Then, as he did a week earlier after Manning complained about changes in the front office and coaching staff, Irsay said all is well between the two.

"Peyton Manning, Jim Irsay and the entire Colts family remain close and unified as we continue to work through all the options that relate to his future with the Colts," Irsay said in a statement.

The Colts must pay Manning, who turns 36 in March, a $28 million bonus March 8 or let him become a free agent. They also have the first pick of the April draft, which they have said they will use on a quarterback.

Manning visited an Indianapolis school Friday and did not take questions. His agent, Tom Condon, said he will play in 2012. "He's enthusiastic about it," Condon said. "I think the rehabilitation is going well. I think he believes that also. He's made a substantial amount of progress."

The doctors who cleared Manning included "the best back and neck guy in the country … who made a determination that he's structurally sound," Condon said.

"He can certainly take a hit and play a football game. How effective would he be in the game? Probably not as effective today as he would be two months from now."

Miami is on the short list of teams Manning would like to join if the Colts release him, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. He owns a condo on South Beach. The newspaper did not name the other teams.

Raiders: Steve Hoffman was hired as special teams coordinator under coach Dennis Allen. He held the same position with the Chiefs for the past three seasons.

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Los Angeles won't get an NFL team in the near future, Roger Goodell said Friday.

During his annual Super Bowl news conference, the NFL commissioner said there has been no discussion among owners about expansion and he's not keen on moving a team.

"I don't see (expansion) in the foreseeable future," Goodell said. "We want to keep our teams where they are. We believe that's healthier for the league in the long term. We're working to get stadiums built and make sure we do whatever we can to make sure those teams are successful in those communities."

Media reports have circulated about teams with stadium issues — Chargers, Jaguars, Rams, Raiders and Vikings — possibly moving to Los Angeles. The second-largest media market in the United States has been without a team since the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season.

"We would like to be back in Los Angeles if we can do it correctly," Goodell said. "There are a lot of issues that have to be balanced there."

Other topics Goodell discussed during the 45-minute session:

• On the lawsuits filed by former players related to concussions, he said, "We have done a great deal to try to address issues that are specific to our former players. We will always make sure that player health and safety is the No. 1 priority in the NFL." Goodell noted new kickoff rules meant to improve safety helped reduce concussions. He added the league will consider having independent neurological doctors at games to examine players and determine if they should be held out. It also likely will increase its use of replays to help team doctors assess injuries by putting TVs on every sideline.

• The league would like to start testing for human growth hormone this offseason. The league and the players haven't resolved an impasse even though the new collective bargaining agreement added the performance-enhancer to the drug program. Thursday, union executive director DeMaurice Smith said, "No one will bully us into a test."

• The league will consider automatically reviewing plays in the end zone that aren't ruled a touchdown. Last season, it began reviewing every touchdown and halting play — without coaches using a challenge — if the play appeared close.

• The league is open to playing another Super Bowl in cold weather but will wait until after the February 2014 game in New Jersey to make a determination.

• The league still plans for the Rams to host games in London for each of the next three seasons but "there are issues that, obviously, are going to have to get resolved." The city of St. Louis recently noted the Rams' lease says they must play all home games at the city-owned Edward Jones Dome. The league also is looking into playing a regular-season game in Mexico and other sites in Latin America and Europe.

• Goodell believes the Super Bowl has not been overshadowed by the spat between the Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning. "I'm not troubled by it at all," he said. "I don't think it's been a distraction. I understand the interest."

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Spencer Levin took one last drag on his cigarette, stamped it out in the rough and climbed into the bunker behind the 17th green. He set up, took a quick glance at the hole and splashed out.

The ball landed about 10 feet from the hole, bounced twice and rolled into the cup for an eagle on the par 4, pushing him to 14 under par Friday in the second round of the Phoenix Open.

A few minutes — and another cigarette — later, he parred the 18th for 8-under 63 and a three-stroke lead at 128.

"Hopefully, I can just keep trying to believe in myself and just keep trying to make my swing, and we'll see what happens," Levin said. "I'm going to give it my best shot. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it."

Harrison Frazar was 6 under for the round and 11 under overall with three holes left at TPC Scottsdale when play was suspended because of darkness with 34 players yet to complete the round. Frost delayed the start for an hour for the second straight day.

"There toward the end it was getting kind of tough to control the ball and to see it," said Frazar, the St. Jude Classic winner last year. "The temperature dropped, so the ball flies a little differently."

Webb Simpson, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 6, was third at 8 under along with rookie John Huh (66). Simpson shot 69 in the last group to finish.

"That was probably the darkest I've ever played," Simpson said. "I couldn't really see anything."

Phil Mickelson shot 70 to reach 4-under 138.

Kyle Stanley (66) was 7 under coming off of a devastating defeat Sunday in which he lost a three-stroke lead on the final hole of the Farmers Insurance Open, then lost a playoff to Brandt Snedeker.

Levin, 27, remembered for a hole-in-one and 13th-place tie in the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock while still in school at New Mexico, is winless on the PGA Tour. Last year he lost a playoff to Johnson Wagner in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

WOMEN: U.S. Open champion So Yeon Ryu shot 11-under 61 to take a four-stroke lead at 17-under 127 after two rounds of the Australian Ladies Masters in Gold Coast. Lexi Thompson, 16, of Coral Springs was tied for ninth, 10 strokes behind the lead, after shooting 70. Tampa's Cindy LaCrosse (70—144) missed the cut by a shot. The event is co-sanctioned by the European and Australian tours.

Friday, February 3, 2012

STORRS, Conn. — UConn's Jim Calhoun doesn't mince words when it comes to his health. So, when the Hall of Fame coach of the defending national champions, who turns 70 in May, had just about had it with his back problems, he let people know.

"The bottom line is I'm going to need some work done," Calhoun said in a phone interview Friday. "In January the shooting pains were getting worse and after one plane ride I couldn't even get up. I tried to hide it. I'm taking medicine right now for the pain. They are waiting for things to quiet down, and I'll meet with the doctor next week."

As a result, Calhoun is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence, as he has been suffering for several months from spinal stenosis, a condition that causes him severe pain and hampers mobility.

Calhoun had hoped to gut out the final weeks of the season.

"But it's just so bad, even getting through practice," he said. "Now I'm going to see what the next step is. The bottom line is I'm hurting."

George Blaney, the team's associate head coach, will lead the team in Calhoun's absence.

He said Calhoun missed practice Thursday and could not get out of bed Friday morning.

Blaney said Calhoun began feeling pain in his legs and buttocks during this week's road trip to Georgetown.

The Huskies (14-7, 4-5 Big East) have lost four games in a row and fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in 28 weeks. They host Seton Hall today before traveling Monday to Louisville.

Calhoun has had a history of health problems. He is a three-time cancer survivor, overcoming prostate cancer in 2003 and skin cancer twice, most recently in 2008.

"I had back pain like never before last summer, thought it was back spasms," he said. "I saw a neurologist and he told me about scoliosis, stenosis and other things and that there could be things like a bone spur and that I could probably need something done at some point. I went for the physical therapy and it worked, but it started to lock up sometimes recently and it was worse."

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine, normally associated with aging and sometimes with arthritis. If physical therapy and medicines aren't effective, surgery may be considered, although some people's symptoms may not improve after an operation.

Arizona: Assistant coach Joe Pasternack said he didn't deliberately make contact with California's Jorge Gutierrez after he fell into the bench during Thursday's game. Gutierrez yelled at Pasternack, a former Cal assistant, after falling into the bench chasing a loose ball. Replays showed Pasternack making a kicking motion, which Gutierrez believed to be intentional. Pasternack said it was a reflex in response to a player falling on him.

Women

No. 24 UNC 63, Va. 56: Chay Shegog scored 20 and the host Tar Heels (16-5, 6-2 ACC) pulled away.

South Carolina: In the wake of ending a 40-game, 32-year losing streak to Tennessee via a 64-60 victory, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said, "It was a proud moment for the people in the room and for others who were a part of other Gamecock eras. They really believed in us making history."

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — A seat at the Super Bowl will be a lot easier to come by for many of the fans who couldn't get one last year in Dallas.

Of the approximately 3,200 fans who found themselves scrambling last year — after temporary seats at Cowboys Stadium were deemed unsafe — 246 accepted the league's offer of a ticket to Sunday's game.

"It was like a dream to be able to go, but it was like a nightmare having to go through it," said Packers fan Mike Feldt, who attended the Packers-Steelers Super Bowl last season with his son. "You have to put it behind you and move on. We were compensated, and I was satisfied with that."

The 2,800 people who were delayed in getting to their seats or relocated were offered face value for their tickets or a ticket to a future Super Bowl.

The 475 who were left without seats had four options: three times the face value of the ticket ($2,400) and a ticket to Sunday's game; a ticket to a future Super Bowl with airfare and four nights in a hotel covered; $5,000; or a larger amount if they could document expenses above $5,000.

Some lawsuits are pending.

Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine, a Packers fan, took the $2,400 and tickets to this year's game. But when the Packers lost to the Giants in the NFC division round, she sold the tickets.

"We made a little money, which will pay for my playoff games and next season's season tickets," she said. "We weren't out to gouge the NFL."

Despite the problems, few said last year's problems turned them off the NFL. Or the Super Bowl.

"I'm still a sucker for it," said Bill Jamison, a Steelers fan who took the $2,400 and tickets to Sunday's game. "I bleed black and gold, and that's not going to change. Hopefully, the Steelers get there next year, and I'll try to get there as well."

Patriots injuries: Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski remains on track to play. Gronkowski, who sustained a high left ankle sprain during the AFC title game, moved without a limp during a 60-minute walkthrough. That came a day after practicing for the first time since the injury.

"I saw no setbacks," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "He's still making progress."

Belichick added Gronkowski has been getting treatment "morning, noon and night" and has improved every day.

No Patriots missed the walkthrough.

Giants injuries: Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw missed practice with a sore right foot. Coach Tom Coughlin said he expects Bradshaw to play. He missed four games during the regular season with a broken foot, and it was sore after two days of practice at the University of Indianapolis' bubble. No other player missed practice.

Stay focused: Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, recently named Penn State coach, said he has been able to maintain his concentration on the Super Bowl.

"The hat and the heart are in one place. And that's to, along with the offensive staff here, do the best job we can to put together a great game plan for the Patriots," he said. "There's only one focus that you can have when you're in a game like this. We have a great staff back at Penn State that's in charge of what's going on there right now."

O'Brien said he plans to report to Penn State on Monday night or Tuesday morning, skipping a possible victory parade.

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

The Oilers center matched a franchise record held by two of the NHL's all-time greats when he had eight points in an 8-4 victory over the Blackhawks late Thursday.

Gagner, who entered with five goals all season, had four goals and four assists, the first eight-point game in 23 years. He fell two points shy of tying the league mark for a game, set by the Maple Leafs' Darryl Sittler on Feb. 7, 1976.

"I didn't think I would ever be mentioned in the same breath as Gretzky or Coffey," said Gagner, 22, a 2007 first-round draft choice in his fifth season. "You never expect to do something like this.

"It's a great lesson to never set limits. The great players who played here never did that. It was just one of those games where everything went in and just a great feeling."

Gretzky and Coffey contacted Gagner to congratulate him, said Gagner, the son of former player Dave Gagner.

"To get a text from someone like that, who is the best player of all time, it's something he didn't have to do," he said of Gretzky. "To take time out of his day to do that, it was really special for me, and it meant a lot."

His linemates, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, had four points each.

"I think it speaks volumes to how crazy getting eight points in a game in today's era is and how it just doesn't happen," Hall said.

Gagner got all his points in the second and third periods. He completed the hat trick at 6:25 in the third and got his final goal 8:06 after that. With hats having been thrown onto the ice earlier, one fan threw a shoe after the fourth goal.

"I was hoping that would be the end of it, because if he scored another one, we might have seen other paraphernalia that we didn't want to see," coach Tom Renney said, laughing.

game highlights: Jaroslav Halak stopped 21 shots for his fifth shutout of the season as the host Blues beat the Kings 1-0. Los Angeles began a six-game 11-day road trip. Its home, Staples Center, is preparing to host the Grammy Awards. … Defenseman Mark Eaton scored his first goal in more than two years 2:35 into overtime to give the Islanders a 2-1 win over the host Senators. Eaton, who missed significant time last season with a hip injury, had last scored Nov. 28, 2009, when he was with the Penguins. … Former Lightning Sean Bergenheim scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the host Panthers beat the Jets 2-1 to increase their lead in the Southeast Division.

around the league: Devils forward Patrik Elias was fined $2,500, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for boarding Canadiens forward Mike Blunden on Thursday. Elias was penalized on the play.

First Period—1, Fla., Versteeg 20 (Samuelsson, Campbell), 15:46 (pp). Penalties—Burmistrov, Wpg (slashing), 15:05; Bergenheim, Fla (roughing), 18:10.

Second Period—2, Winnipeg, Little 12 (Ladd), 11:29. 3, Fla., Bergenheim 8 (Goc, Garrison), 14:27. Penalties—Burmistrov, Wpg (boarding), 4:22; Thorburn, Wpg, major (fighting), 10:59; Barch, Fla, major (fighting), 10:59.

Third Period—None. Penalties—Enstrom, Wpg (tripping), 13:22. Shots on Goal—Winnipeg 6-8-7—21. Fla. 10-12-8—30. Power-play opportunities—Winnipeg 0 of 1; Fla. 1 of 3. Goalies—Winnipeg, Mason 6-6-0 (30 shots-28 saves). Fla., Clemmensen 8-2-5 (21-20).

First Period—None. Penalties—None.

Second Period—1, St.L, Langenbrunner 4 (D'Agostini, Pietrangelo), 8:38. Penalties—Stoll, LA (slashing), 10:57; Polak, StL (tripping), 13:45.

Third Period—None. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—L.A. 6-8-8—22. St.L 12-13-8—33. Power-play opportunities—L.A. 0 of 1; St.L 0 of 1. Goalies—L.A., Quick 22-13-9 (33 shots-32 saves). St.L, Halak 15-8-5 (22-22).

First Period—None. Penalties—Konopka, Ott (hooking), 10:26.

Second Period—1, Ottawa, Smith 13 (Condra, Gonchar), 19:47 (sh). Penalties—Okposo, NYI (high-sticking), 7:25; Carkner, Ott (roughing), 18:07.

Third Period—2, NYI, Martin 6 (Parenteau), 5:27. Penalties—Rakhshani, NYI (tripping), 9:30. Overtime—3, NYI, Eaton 1 (Jurcina, Parenteau), 2:35. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—NYI 14-7-9-2—32. Ottawa 8-9-6-1—24. Power-play opportunities—NYI 0 of 2; Ottawa 0 of 2. Goalies—NYI, Nabokov 11-12-0 (24 shots-23 saves). Ottawa, Anderson 25-17-5 (32-30).

Late Thursday

First Period—1, Chi., Mayers 5 (Hjalmarsson, Kruger), 6:29. Penalties—Keith, Chi (holding), 13:08; Chi. bench, served by Stalberg (too many men), 15:16; Eager, Edm (high-sticking), 17:52.

Second Period—2, Chi., Sharp 21 (Kane), :40. 3, Edm, Hall 18 (Gagner), 2:22. 4, Edm, Gagner 6 (Eberle, Sutton), 7:26. 5, Edm, Whitney 1 (Gagner), 12:23 (pp). 6, Chi., Sharp 22 (J.Toews, Hjalmarsson), 15:33 (sh). Penalties—Bickell, Chi (high-sticking), 2:40; Barker, Edm (boarding), 8:02; Bickell, Chi (boarding), 10:31; Seabrook, Chi (tripping), 14:25; Smid, Edm (cross-checking), 18:26.

Third Period—7, Edm, Gagner 7 (Whitney, Eberle), 1:54. 8, Edm, Barker 2 (Sutton, Gagner), 3:43. 9, Chi., Bolland 16 (Kruger, Shaw), 5:57. 10, Edm, Gagner 8 (Hall, Potter), 6:25. 11, Edm, Gagner 9 (Eberle, Hall), 14:31. 12, Edm, Eberle 20 (Gagner, Hall), 16:15. Penalties—Keith, Chi (delay of game), 6:56; Sharp, Chi (high-sticking), 9:52. Shots —Chi. 14-14-19—47. Edm 9-13-19—41. Power-play opportunities—Chi. 0 of 3; Edm 1 of 7. Goalies—Chi., Crawford 18-13-5 (28 shots-23 saves), Emery (3:43 third, 13-10). Edm, Dubnyk 9-11-1 (47-43).

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — One of the nation's top high school quarterbacks is bound for Florida State.

Jameis Winston of Hueytown, Ala., signed Friday with the Seminoles in Birmingham before teammates, family, friends and a handful of Florida State fans. "I'm ready to get this started," he said.

ESPN and Rivals.com rate Winston as the nation's top quarterback and among the 15 best prospects overall. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback was MVP of the UnderArmour All-American Game.

Winston committed in August; he was at a baseball all-star game on signing day Wednesday and waited to make it official. Winston is also an outfielder and a pitcher who could be a high draft pick. Baseball America rates him the No. 64 prospect in the June draft.

"I want to be in the top round," Winston said. He wouldn't say whether he would still go to FSU if he were drafted that high.

MORE MEYER: Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio issued a statement in which he said he wanted to "correct some inaccurate news accounts that have appeared over the last two days" about new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Wednesday, Ohion State signed defensive end Se'Von Pittman, who had verbally committed to Michigan State. Dantonio was quoted as questioning Meyer's ethics in going after players who had verbally committed to other schools. "The timing of my comments was a reflection of an occurring matter on signing day and had nothing to do with Urban Meyer and Ohio State," said the statement from Dantonio, a former Buckeyes assistant.

BOISE AND BIG EAST: Boise State president Bob Kustra said "it's too late" to join the Big East in time for the 2012 season.

"I can't imagine how anyone can pull that off," he told the Idaho Statesman. "We would never want to pull it off in a fashion that dealt shabbily with our existing partners in the Mountain West."

The school, which just joined the Mountain West from the WAC this academic year, is scheduled to join the Big East in 2013. The San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News had reported it was being pressured to join the Big East sooner in case West Virginia succeeds in its effort to leave for the Big 12 this fall.

ACC ALIGNMENT: The ACC will play a nine-game schedule in football and every team will compete in the league basketball tournament once Syracuse and Pittsburgh join. Commissioner John Swofford said it is unclear when those two schools will join because the Big East, to which Pitt and Syracuse now belong, requires a 27-month notice for a school to leave. For football, Syracuse will join the Atlantic Division and Pittsburgh the Coastal.

UCF ADDS TO STAFF: Former Knights player Kirk Callahan, a former graduate assistant at Florida, was named defensive backs coach. Tyson Summers was named linebackers coach.

CINCINNATI: Running back Akise Teague, charged with burglary Wednesday, was dismissed from the team.

GEORGIA: Coach Mark Richt dismissed three of last season's freshmen — cornerback Nick Marshall, defensive back Chris Sanders and receiver Sanford Seay — for breaking unspecified team rules.

IOWA: Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe resigned after 13 seasons for another position; Iowa did not say where. Some reports had O'Keefe headed for the NFL's Dolphins.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: P.J. Fleck resigned one day after being introduced as offensive coordinator, ESPN said. "P.J. called today and said he does not feel he's ready to be an offensive coordinator," coach Dave Doeren said in a statement.

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — One of the nation's top high school quarterbacks is bound for Florida State.

Jameis Winston of Hueytown, a suburb of Birmingham, signed Friday with the Seminoles before teammates, family, friends and a handful of Florida State fans. "I'm ready to get this started," he said.

ESPN and Rivals.com rate Winston as the nation's top quarterback and among the 15 best prospects overall. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback was MVP of the Under Armour All-American Game at Tropicana Field.

Winston committed in August; he was at a baseball all-star game on signing day Wednesday and waited to make it official. Winston is also an outfielder and a pitcher who could be a high draft pick. Baseball America rates him the No. 64 prospect in the June draft.

"I want to be in the top round," Winston said. He wouldn't say whether he would still go to FSU if drafted that high.

MORE MEYER: Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio issued a statement in which he said he wanted to "correct some inaccurate news accounts" attributed to him about new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. On Wednesday, Ohio State signed defensive end Se'Von Pittman, who had verbally committed to Michigan State. Dantonio was quoted as questioning Meyer's ethics in going after players who had verbally committed to other schools. "The timing of my comments was a reflection of an occurring matter on signing day and had nothing to do with Urban Meyer and Ohio State," said Dantonio, a former Buckeyes assistant.

BOISE AND BIG EAST: Boise State president Bob Kustra said "it's too late" to join the Big East in time for the 2012 season. "I can't imagine how anyone can pull that off," he told the Idaho Statesman. The school, which joined the Mountain West from the WAC this academic year, is set to join the Big East in 2013. The San Jose Mercury News had reported the school was being pressured to join the Big East sooner in case West Virginia succeeds to leave for the Big 12 in the fall.

ACC ALIGNMENT: The ACC will play a nine-game schedule in football and every team will compete in the league basketball tournament once Syracuse and Pittsburgh join. Commissioner John Swofford said it is unclear when those two schools will join because the Big East, to which Pitt and Syracuse now belong, requires a 27-month notice for a school to leave. For football, Syracuse will join the Atlantic Division and Pittsburgh the Coastal.

UCF ADDS TO STAFF: Former Knights player Kirk Callahan, a former graduate assistant at Florida, was named defensive backs coach. Tyson Summers was named linebackers coach.

CINCINNATI: Running back Akise Teague, charged with burglary Wednesday, was dismissed from the team.

GEORGIA: Coach Mark Richt dismissed three of last season's freshmen — cornerback Nick Marshall, defensive back Chris Sanders and receiver Sanford Seay — for breaking unspecified team rules.

IOWA: Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe resigned for another position; the school did not say where. Some reports had him headed for the NFL's Dolphins.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: P.J. Fleck resigned one day after being introduced as offensive coordinator, ESPN said. "P.J. called and said he does not feel he's ready to be an offensive coordinator," coach Dave Doeren said in a statement. Fleck was receivers coach last season at Rutgers under Greg Schiano, who left to become head coach of the Bucs.

Times wires
Friday, February 3, 2012

ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton shed no tears Friday, used no prepared statement as he apologized and shared few details about his relapse with alcohol. Still, it was clear he was upset by what he had done.

The Rangers slugger and recovering drug addict said he had "three or four" drinks during dinner at a Dallas restaurant and bar Monday and continued drinking later that night.

Hamilton, 30, said his actions "are mine that hurt a lot of people very close to me."

Hamilton was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Rays organization. The former No. 1 overall draft pick missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons, and eventually left Tampa Bay via the Rule 5 draft, but he has become one of the best players in baseball on a team that has won the past two American League pennants. He was the AL MVP in 2010.

But Hamilton this week had his second known alcohol-related relapse in three years. Both came during the offseason.

In January 2009, he drank to excess in a bar in Tempe, Ariz. Before that, Hamilton said he had been sober since Oct. 6, 2005.

Without being specific, Hamilton said his weak moment Monday came for "personal reasons" with a family member. He said he walked to a restaurant for dinner and ended up ordering drinks.

Hamilton said he has not taken any drugs and had no thoughts of doing so. He said he has been tested for drugs twice this week, part of his normal routine. He said he expects to meet soon with MLB doctors and counselors for a recovery evaluation.

"You all know how hard I play on the field, and I give it everything I absolutely have," he said. "When I don't do that off the field, I leave myself open for a weak moment."

After a few drinks, Hamilton called Ian Kinsler to hang out with him. Hamilton said Kinsler didn't know he had been drinking, and that he never had a drink in front of his teammate, even when they left and went to another place for about 30 minutes. Then Kinsler drove Hamilton back to where he was staying not far away.

Though Hamilton told Kinsler he was not going anywhere else, Hamilton said he later returned to the place they had left and had more drinks.

"Things happened that me, personally, I'm not proud of after I drank, and they are personal and are being handled as that," he said.

In Twitter posts Friday, Hamilton's wife, Katie, wrote: "Truly appreciate all the encouraging & supportive tweets we've been getting."

When the Rangers acquired him from the Reds in December 2007, they were aware of Hamilton's off-the-field problems. He is tested for drug use three times a week and has had an accountability partner to support him in his recovery, though that job is now vacant. Assistant hitting coach Johnny Narron's role was to support Hamilton, but Narron left the Rangers in November for Milwaukee.

The Rangers announced last month that Hamilton's father-in-law had been hired as the accountability partner, but Michael Dean Chadwick has since decided against accepting that position because of "family considerations."

General manager Jon Daniels said the team was close to hiring someone for the job.

Hamilton said the Rangers told him this week they would continue to support him. He said he knows he has let a lot of people down.

"For everybody who I have hurt, for everybody — fans, kids, people who have addictions and look up to me — apologize to you," he said. "When you're doing this, you don't mean to hurt anybody. You only think you're hurting yourself, but as I know, you're hurting a lot of people."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 3, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — As warm as the story line would seem, Cecil Fielder said having Prince follow in his footsteps to the Tigers won't help close the distance between father and son.

Before Friday's induction into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame at Tropicana Field, Cecil Fielder dismissed talk of an "improving" relationship and delivered a stinging rebuke of his 27-year-old son, who just signed a nine-year, $214 million free agent deal in Detroit.

"As a father, of course you're proud of what your son's been able to accomplish on the field," Cecil Fielder said. "But as a father also you worry about how he is growing as a man, how — I want to say this correctly — he is communicating with everybody that had something to do with how he got to where he is. And that part of my son, I think we're all a little disappointed.

"There's some estrangement between me and him, that's not really the issue, I think it's with his whole family to tell you the truth. … I know what I did for my son, he's knows what I did for him, and at the end of the day if you don't want to recognize that, that's fine."

Cecil Fielder said Prince has no relationship with any members of their extended family, including his ill grandparents; doesn't appreciate what his family did for him; and that he "hides behind" agent Scott Boras' representatives to comment on his family.

"There's a lot of people that wish he would get over whatever he's got going on with his self," Cecil Fielder said. "… And once he gets rid of that, I think those people he needs to reach out to other than me, I think hopefully he will."

For example, Cecil said: "We all knew the kid was obese. He had a hard time running to first base without getting tired. You don't transform your body by yourself, you've got to have trainers, you've got to have people cooking for you, there's a lot of things that go into that."

Fielder and Tampa's Tino Martinez were inducted before a crowd of about 750, both saying how special they felt to be in such elite company and to be connected with Williams.

Longtime big-league pitcher Mike Flanagan, who committed suicide in August, was honored, along with Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and Joe Maddon, who were not present.

By Doug Hemmer, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 4, 2012

What's hot: On past trips we targeted sheepshead on the ledges and reefs in 30 feet. We used live shrimp as bait, though anglers fishing offshore seldom use shrimp (which is why anglers don't catch hogfish). This time we started at the Madeira Beach reef and anchored over a small piece of structure. We used small pieces of cut shrimp to get the sheepshead eating, but to our surprise, hogfish started feeding on the shrimp. And the hogs were not little. Most were in the 8- to 10-pound range. On future offshore trips, be sure to take a light-tackle rig and a few dozen shrimp.

Tackle: Rods should be rigged with 10- to 20-pound test, with 20-pound leaders 4 feet long. Slide a small egg sinker on the leader and let it sit against a 1/0 circle hook. Hook the shrimp under the horn or through the tail. When you feel pressure on the rod tip, set the hook.

Tip: One of the best ways to chum in deep water is to use a chum bomb. Fill a small paper bag with small pieces of cut shrimp. Place the weight on a heavy grouper rod in the bag and tape the bag shut. Drop the bag to the bottom and wait 5 minutes so the bag gets soft. Then jerk hard on the rod. The bag will break, dumping the chum on the spot you're fishing.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 347-1389.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 4, 2012

Third baseman Evan Longoria looks a little different coming into camp this spring.

After spending the past two offseasons bulking up in workouts, Longoria is 10 to 15 pounds leaner and considerably looser, emphasizing flexibility over strength in an effort to avoid the muscle injuries (hamstring, quadriceps, oblique) that have sidelined him during the past two seasons.

"That was the focus for me," Longoria said Friday. "I feel great. So I hope it pays off."

After spending the past two offseasons at the Athletes' Performance facility near his offseason home in Arizona, Longoria opted for a less structured workout at a smaller facility, similar to what he did before the 2009 season, which he considers his best.

"At Athletes' Performance everybody focused on your weight and intake and what you're putting in your body, and there's no right or wrong there, but it just wasn't right for me," he said.

Instead of lifting weights, Longoria focused on plyometrics (muscle stretching and explosiveness) and movement prep, "more strengthening the smaller muscles in my body and not just doing biceps and bench and all the heavy stuff," he said. "It's just as intense of a workout. It's just a different workout than you're used to, a lot of core strengthening."

Longoria, 26, won't know if the new plan works until he gets through the season; his goal is to play all 162 games. But after missing the final 10 games of the 2010 season with a quad strain and being limited in the playoffs, and missing a month early last season with an oblique and struggling afterward, he is confident this way will be better.

He also started hitting earlier in the offseason and will take more dry swings (no ball), to get and stay loose.

"I don't want to deal with what I had to deal with last year," he said. "I did as much as I could to try and strengthen all those muscles so I'm as close to 100 percent as I could be coming in."

ZEN OF ZIM: Filling in to accept honors for manager Joe Maddon at Friday's Dinner with David (Price) and Friends/Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame event at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, senior adviser Don Zimmer said Maddon not only should have won the yearly manager award but "should be manager of the decade."

RAYS RUMBLINGS: Among new Rays, Jeff Keppinger will wear No. 7, Carlos Peña 23 (again), Jose Molina 28, Luke Scott 30, Burke Badenhop 45, Josh Lueke 52 and Fernando Rodney 56. Brandon Guyer switches to 11. … The Hot Stove radio show, hosted by Andy Freed and Dave Wills, kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday on 620-AM WDAE. … In a MLB Network Intentional Talk interview, Longoria tabbed Peña his best-dressed teammate and Ben Zobrist worst — "He's getting better, though" — and cheapest. … Per Indians.com's Jordan Bastian, the Rays got $100,000 in trade for Russ Canzler. ... Seen at the Trop on Friday: Former Rays RHP Albie Lopez, in town visiting Roberto Hernandez and looking, at age 40, in game shape. … Scott can make up to $525,000 in plate-appearance bonuses this year (in addition to a $5 million salary) and $1.25 million in 2013 if his $6 million option is picked up. Keppinger can add $375,000 to his $1.525 million salary. … Ex-Rays LHP Scott Kazmir hopes to pitch again, but ESPN's Jayson Stark says teams are saying his fastball is down to 84-85 mph. … In addition to his 2008 American League championship ring, former Rays RHP Matt Garza told a Fresno, Calif., TV station only select items were stolen from his home there, including cash, a necklace and two pair of shoes, including personalized Nikes he wore for his wedding. … Peña, per Baseball Info Solutions, led the majors last season in handling 58 "difficult" throws, though he also had 35 "misplays" (27) and errors (8), second most behind Prince Fielder.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com. Follow his coverage on Twitter at @TBTimes_Rays.

By Rick Stroud, Times staff writer
Saturday, February 4, 2012

TAMPA

The two most important things that have been said since the Bucs' 4-12 season ended are general manager Mark Dominik's acknowledgement that the team needs more talent and it will be active in free agency.

"We understand we're not a finished product," Dominik said. "We understand there are things we need to address on this team. And I know we'll do it in all capacities. We're going to do it in free agency. I don't want people to be worried we're not going to spend in free agency. We'll be involved."

How involved remains to be seen. A year ago, Dominik focused on re-signing some of the Bucs' unrestricted free agents, such as guard Davin Joseph, tackle Jeremy Trueblood and linebacker Quincy Black. The only outside hire was punter Michael Koenen.

This year the Bucs have few free agents on which they need to make decisions, beginning with cornerback Ronde Barber and kicker Connor Barth. It also includes two former starters, linebacker Geno Hayes and guard Jeremy Zuttah.

The Bucs have some core players, but they have enormous holes at cornerback, linebacker, running back, receiver and safety. They also need more depth on the defensive line, especially given the injury histories of defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price.

Dominik said last year's lockout, combined with a belief that the Bucs' 10-6 record in 2010 was evidence they had better talent than it turned out they did, made him reluctant to dig deeply into free agency.

There is no shortage of good players scheduled to become free agents, but it's hard to know who will be available until the franchise and transition player tags are distributed.

"I look forward to coach (Greg) Schiano being a big piece of (signing free agents) and make sure we bring the right men to this football program to be as successful as he wants to be," Dominik said.

The Bucs own the fifth overall pick in the draft, where elite talents such as Alabama running back Trent Richardson, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon could be available.

"It's an important selection, whether we stay there or move around," Dominik said.