By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Zim Bear fallout of the day

Senior adviser Don Zimmer has heard from all corners about the Zim Bear giveaway item, saying it "went viral" — as if the admittedly ignorant Zimmer knew what that was. "(Tigers manager) Jimmy Leyland and his coaches called this morning, and he said, 'Now, I've seen it all,' " Zimmer said. Son Tom said, "The phone has been ringing off the hook. The Rays better get a heck of a lot more than 10,000 of them."

Drill of the day

At least one group of pitchers coming off the mound to field bouncing bunts wore out first-base coach George Hendrick, who was manning the base, with their erratic throws. "We owe him because he made us look good," LHP J.P. Howell said. "He cleaned up the mess."

Different strokes

The first Chico/Caddyshack golf "event," held at the nearby Kingsway course, was won by the team of third-base coach Tom Foley, executive vice president Andrew Friedman, athletic trainer Mark Vinson and home clubhouse/equipment manager Chris Westmoreland. "It was a total team effort in spite of Westy,'' Friedman said. "He's seeking aggressive sports psychology assistance from Greg Riddoch (the team's mental skills coach).''

Who is this Ray?

He is a two-time winner of the team's spring talent show known for his impressions. He was the Rays' 2011 minor-league player of the year. He plays first base, leftfield and catcher and once filled in for an injured umpire.

The dish

Today's workout for pitchers and catchers starts at about 9:30 a.m. at the Charlotte Sports Park (2300 El Jobean Road) and lasts three hours. Admission and parking are free. Driving time from the bay area is 1½-2 hours. Suggested route: I-75 South to Toledo Blade Road, go west 6½ miles to El Jobean Road (SR 776), go right 2 miles, stadium complex is on the left. For more information, call (941) 235-5025.

Heads-up

Among those set for bullpen sessions today are LHPs Matt Moore and David Price and RHPs Wade Davis and James Shields. The "action" starts about 10:05.

Key dates

Saturday: Position players report

Sunday: First full squad workout

March 3: Exhibition opener vs. Twins in Fort Myers

April 6: Season opener vs. Yankees at Tropicana Field

Who is this answer: Stephen Vogt

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Gift of the day

With an assist from 1B Carlos Peña, manager Joe Maddon brought a gift from Spain for RHP James Shields: a plaque of a cryptogram on the facade of Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia cathedral. Peña told Maddon to check it out. Maddon figured it out quickly — all columns add up to 33 — and had to get one for Shields because that's his uniform number. "One of the coolest gifts I've ever gotten," Shields said. "That's pretty special. I'm going to hang it in my locker."

Thursday, February 23, 2012

NEW YORK — National League MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned Thursday by baseball arbitrator Shyam Das, the first time in 13 cases that a baseball player successfully challenged a drug-related penalty in a grievance.

The Brewers outfielder will report today to spring training.

Braun's urine tested positive in October for elevated testosterone. He has denied violating baseball's drug agreement.

According to reports, Braun, 28, prevailed not because of questions about his test sample but because of the procedure behind the test. Braun's urine sample wasn't shipped immediately after collection, calling into question the sample's chain of custody.

The urine-sample collector did not immediately ship the sample, as is the protocol, because he thought the FedEx outpost was closed. He kept the sample in his home, in a cool place, and shipped it the next day.

"I am very pleased and relieved by (the) decision," Braun said in a statement. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side."

MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said management "vehemently disagrees" with Das' decision.

Das, baseball's independent arbitrator since 2000, sided with Players Association executive director Michael Weiner. MLB executive vice president of labor relations and human resources Rob Manfred ruled to uphold the failed test.

beltran will live up to promise: Carlos Beltran plans to pay Mets left-hander and former teammate Jonathan Niese in person for a $10,000 nose job. Beltran, now with the Cardinals, said he'll pay Niese when St. Louis plays the Mets in spring training. Beltran denied reports that he recommended surgery, but he said he offered to foot the bill if Niese decided to have a deviated septum corrected, which Niese did in October.

blue jays: Shortstop Omar Vizquel, who turns 45 in April, says he will likely retire after this season. The 11-time Gold Glove winner is in camp on a minor-league deal. He said he'd like to be a manager.

braves: Right-hander Tommy Hanson returned to camp, feeling much better after suffering a concussion Monday when his car blew a tire on a highway and rolled down an embankment.

dodgers: Joe Torre's group has dropped out of bidding for the bankrupt team because owner Frank McCourt won't include the parking lots outside the stadium.

pirates: President Frank Coonelly was charged with drunken driving, driving the wrong way, careless driving and driving with a blood-alcohol content of at least twice the state's legal limit of .08 after an incident Dec. 22 in suburban Pittsburgh. He said in a statement he takes full responsibility for "irresponsible and wrong'' actions.

red sox: Reliever Bobby Jenks said complications from a back procedure in December led to a potentially life-threatening infection that required an emergency followup surgery. "I don't know whose fault it was, but there was an error done inside," said Jenks, who has recovered and is looking forward to the season. General manager Ben Cherington said the team is looking into the circumstances of the first surgery.

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — Michael Waltrip sat in a golf cart just outside the care center, stared down and sheepishly placed his hands on his head.

He knew he made a costly error in the first qualifying race Thursday, one that ended his streak of 25 consecutive starts in the Daytona 500.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner wrecked his No. 40 Toyota with seven laps remaining. Waltrip was getting up to speed after leaving the pits and trying to merge onto the high-banked oval when he lost control of his car and slammed into the wall. He finished 18th in the 25-car field.

"I just made a mistake," said Waltrip, 48, who was unharmed. "I just went the wrong way and lost the car. I feel like I let everybody down. I raced my way to the front and then I let them down."

He has started every 500 since 1987, the longest current streak in NASCAR. Mark Martin, who drives for Michael Waltrip Racing, will start his 25th in a row Sunday.

Sunday will be the first time since 1972 neither Darrell Waltrip nor brother Michael will be in NASCAR's biggest race of the season.

Kurt Busch apologizes: NASCAR driver Kurt Busch publicly apologized to the ESPN reporter he berated during last season's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch began an on-camera interview with ESPN's Jerry Punch by hugging him and saying he was "so sorry with the way last year ended. ... I feel horrible."

Lochte a race fan: Three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte, who served as grand marshal for the first qualifying race, said he has reached 175 mph in one of his cars.

"I drive it pretty fast," he said. "Just on the highway. I made sure no one was around."

Growing up in Daytona Beach and attending UF, "I've been coming to NASCAR races pretty much my whole life and it's fun," he said. "I love just going fast." Lochte's weekend will include touring Daytona International Speedway and heading to a swimming event and the NBA All-Star Game, both in Orlando.

STEWART'S SECOND THOUGHT: Defending NASCAR champion Tony Stewart has had several days to think about Saturday night's frantic finish in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout, and there are some things he would have done differently. Kyle Busch pushed Stewart for much of the final lap, then pulled outside and edged Stewart at the finish line. It was the tightest finish in the history of the event. "I've got a couple of ideas and none of them would be trying to block him," Stewart said. "That would have been the last idea I would have had. If you try to block that guy, you're just going to get wrecked, and you're probably going to wreck both cars. … I've got a couple of ideas, but I don't want to share them. I might need them for Sunday."

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Brandon hires coordinator from Hillsborough High

Dean Eychner, Hillsborough High's defensive coordinator since 1998, has been named football coach at Brandon, principal Carl Green confirmed Thursday. "He was very direct in answering my questions and seemed ready to take on the challenge," Green said. "He has worked at one of our feeder middle schools and worked at Bloomingdale, so I don't have to teach him the area."

Eychner, who beat out more than 30 other applicants, replaces John Lima, who compiled a 29-35 record over six seasons. The Eagles made the playoffs the past two seasons.

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth won the twin 150-mile qualifying races Thursday, earning spots in the second row for the Daytona 500, and Danica Patrick escaped injury in a wreck after Tampa's Aric Almirola made contact with her on the last lap of the first race.

Stewart held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the first qualifier at Daytona International Speedway.

"I think we showed the rest of the field we have a strong car with speed," Stewart said. "I want those guys to see we have strength."

Kenseth won the second race with a bold pass of Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle, who led heading into the final lap. Biffle tried to block Kenseth, who dove inside and used a push from Jimmie Johnson to take the lead.

"Well, we were going so much faster that we were going to go by him regardless," Kenseth said. "Even if I wanted to slow down, which I didn't, I couldn't have."

Robby Gordon and Michael McDowell earned the two spots up for grabs in the first race, while Joe Nemechek of Lakeland and Dave Blaney each made the 500 in the second qualifying race.

Patrick's car had its front end ripped off, and she'll use a backup Sunday in her Sprint Cup debut. After being released from the infield medical care center, she said she hoped her backup might be even faster when she starts from the back of the field. She finished 16th Thursday and was assured of a starting spot in the 500 because of her owner points.

"I'm just very disappointed that the car got crashed with two corners to go," Patrick said. "It's not how we wanted to roll into Sunday. We wanted to just be cool, calm and collected with no damage. But maybe that backup car's fast."

Maybe, she joked, the accident will turn out to be a "blessing in big disguise."

Patrick's race strategist, Greg Zipadelli, was in no mood for jokes.

"Her biggest thing was she wanted to go out there and ride with a bunch of guys and be in there and earn the respect of them — she can do this, she's not all over the place," Zipadelli said. "I mean, I never saw her car move. I saw a lot of grown men who couldn't keep their car under control, so maybe they need to work on that."

Patrick wasn't sure what happened to cause the crash. Jamie McMurray nudged Almirola, who shoved Patrick and sent her spinning into the wall.

"I just got hit," Patrick said. "Just running on the bottom lane and I'm betting it was the chain reaction from the outside, it looked like. Guys get so close on the side drafting that they're touching you sometimes. I'm sure that at times, maybe in that situation it was a 'hitting' side draft. It was just probably a chain reaction."

Stewart, who owns Patrick's car, said he tried to watch her race from his rearview mirror.

"The good thing with a fluorescent green car, she's easy to pick out. The little bit I could see, I thought she did a good job," he said, adding that he'd only seen a replay of her accident.

Stewart said one of Patrick's biggest priorities is earning the respect and trust of Cup drivers.

"It's hard for her now because she's trying to gain the confidence of the guys around her that she's solid and is going to make good decisions," Stewart said.

Patrick spent most of the race running just outside the top 10, working her way up to sixth at one point. She had a close call early, darting to the apron at the bottom of the track to avoid an accident.

"At times it was much more calm than I expected, to be honest," Patrick said. "When we got single file or very steady two-lane racing, it was pretty calm. So I felt like I learned a lot. I was learning a lot about the side draft and what to do in those situations, how to get the most out of it."

The two qualifying races could not have been more different, and both were far calmer than Saturday night's exhibition Budweiser Shootout. That race was the first display of new rules NASCAR implemented to break up two-car tandem racing that fans opposed.

But the return of pack racing led to three multicar accidents Saturday night and a sling-shot pass at the end of the race that gave Kyle Busch the win.

The first race Thursday had one early five-car accident that began when McDowell ran into David Gilliland, who shot directly into Juan Pablo Montoya and Paul Menard.

Menard questioned the style of racing NASCAR has created.

"It's a mess out there," said Menard, who was also wrecked in the Shootout. "NASCAR is trying to dictate physics. Physics says two cars are going to push, and they're trying to make rule changes to keep us from doing it, so it's kind of hybrid pack racing and tandem racing. It's causing a pretty unsafe situation."

The second race was caution-free and had little action until the end.

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

MARANA, Ariz. — Tiger Woods had a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to extend the match, and Nick Watney already was thinking about how to play the next hole. He had his yardage book out, trying to decide whether 3-wood was the right club to hit off the first tee.

"The old adage is to expect your opponent to make it," Watney said. "And when it's Tiger Woods, you really expect him to make it."

But in what is becoming a troubling trend for Woods, he missed the birdie putt so badly that it never touched the hole, giving Watney a 1-up victory Thursday in the World Golf Championship's Match Play Championship.

It was the third straight time Woods, a three-time champion in this event, failed to get out of the second round.

"I didn't miss a single shot coming in, which is good. And that was fun, to hit the ball that well," Woods said. "Unfortunately, I just didn't make a putt when I needed it.

"I was fighting the blocks all day with my putter," said Woods, who missed three putts inside 10 feet on the last six holes. "Left-to-right putt, I took it slightly right there, and I knew it — and blocked it open."

Two weeks ago, Woods couldn't buy a putt at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and closed with 75. Last month he also struggled to make putts in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, when he failed to win despite being tied for the 54-hole lead with Robert Rock.

"I'm very happy to move on," Watney said. "I feel a bit fortunate, as well. We don't see (Woods) miss putts like that very often. And there were a few of them."

In the round of 16, Watney plays Lee Westwood, who had no trouble against Robert Karlsson, advancing to the third round for the first time in 12 tries at this event.

"Need more clothes. Didn't pack for long enough!" Westwood posted on Twitter.

In other matches:

• U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 seed, made only three birdies but won two straight holes with par to put away Anders Hansen. He plays Miguel Angel Jimenez, who beat PGA champion Keegan Bradley.

• Dustin Johnson, headed for defeat in the opening round until outlasting Jim Furyk in 20 holes, blasted Francesco Molinari early and rolled to a 7-and-5 win. "I was definitely in a better mood," Johnson said of the short day. Next up for him is Mark Wilson, who breezed to a win over Rock.

• Steve Stricker celebrated his 45th birthday in style. Two down on the back nine, he rallied to catch Louis Oosthuizen, then won the match with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that had so much break even Stricker wasn't sure he could make it. He plays Hunter Mahan, who never trailed in beating Y.E. Yang.

• Ernie Els, one day after becoming the third No. 64 seed to win, had another short day, but this one preceded a long flight home. He lost 5 and 4 to Peter Hanson.

• The surprise was that Scotland had two players remaining: 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie took down Ryo Ishikawa, and Martin Laird defeated Matteo Manassero. Lawrie and Laird face each other in the third round.

pga: Will Claxton shot 4-under 66 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Charles Howell led a group of seven tied for second.

LPGA: Angela Stanford shot 6-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. Na Yeon Choi led a group of five tied for second. Tampa resident Kristy McPherson was at 3 under and Seminole's Brittany Lincicome at 1 under.

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

CHICAGO — The family of former Bears player Dave Duerson filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL on Thursday, saying the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain before he killed himself last year.

The suit was filed on behalf of Duerson's son, Tregg, and three other children. Duerson died Feb. 17, 2011, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at his home in Sunny Isles Beach. He was 50. Duerson's family wants to know more about the NFL's handling of concussions during his career, Tregg said at a news conference.

"If they knowingly failed to inform and implement proper safety concussion procedures, then their indifference was the epitome of injustice. The inactions of the past inevitably led to the demise and death of my father," he said.

The suit accuses the NFL of negligently causing the brain damage that led Duerson to take kill himself by not warning him of the negative effects of concussions.

The NFL said in a statement that it had not seen the suit.

"Dave Duerson was an outstanding football player and citizen who made so many positive contributions but unfortunately encountered serious personal challenges later in his life," the NFL said. "We sympathize with the Duerson family and continue to be saddened by this tragedy."

The suit also names helmet maker Riddell Inc., alleging the helmets didn't adequately protect from concussions. The company declined to comment.

The suit was filed less than a week after nearly a dozen former players in Louisiana sued the NFL over their concussions.

Duerson had at least 10 concussions in his career, his family said. He left notes for his family asking that his brain be donated to science, and researchers at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University's School of Medicine concluded he had "moderately advanced" brain damage and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive degenerative brain disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

broncos: Coach John Fox said his two quarterbacks aren't feuding. Brady Quinn apologized Wednesday for being quoted in a GQ article as saying Tim Tebow's success last season had a lot to do with luck and he didn't think Tebow was too humble about demonstrating his faith. Said Fox, "Sometimes this gets lost in translation, but I know their relationship is very good, and they are good teammates."

dolphins: Miami fans want the team to acquire quarterback Peyton Manning, and they're using a billboard and website, manningtomiami.com, to campaign. The site is advertised on a billboard at the intersection of Interstate 95 and I-595 in Fort Lauderdale. It encourages fans to fill out a form on the site urging the Dolphins to bring Manning to Miami. Said GM Jeff Ireland of the campaign, "(Fans) can do what they want."

eagles: Quarterback Trent Edwards, who hasn't played in the league since 2010, agreed on a one-year contract. Edwards, 28, is expected to be Michael Vick's backup, a role held by Vince Young last year.

Jets: Coach Rex Ryan said "it was obviously a huge mistake" to guarantee at last year's combine that his team would win the Super Bowl in February. "Coming off (appearances in) two championship games, I really thought it would be a thing that would actually motivate our team. … In hindsight, I think it put undue pressure on our team, and … we lost focus on what we do best," Ryan said.

packers: Tight end Jermichael Finley, set to become a free agent, signed a two-year deal to stay with the team. No terms were announced.

Steelers: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger restructured his contract so the team can save about $8 million in 2012 cap space. He was scheduled to make $11.6 million this year. This is the second time in six months he has reworked the eight-year, $102 million deal he signed in 2008.

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

ATLANTA — With the All-Star break beginning today, the Magic didn't want Thursday's 83-78 loss to the Hawks to resonate, so Orlando held a brief players-only meeting in hopes of correcting bad habits.

"We need to be depending on each other as a team," forward Ryan Anderson said. "We need to rely on each other, keep each other accountable. We haven't been playing that great and we're still third in the East, so we must be doing something right. But it just shows that we could be that much better."

Josh Smith had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the Hawks snap a three-game skid.

J.J. Redick scored 13 and Dwight Howard had 12 for the Magic, which had won two straight and six of seven.

"Our energy was bad," Redick said. "We have to figure out a way to eliminate that."

Howard suggested that the Magic is close to correcting its mistakes.

"You've got to stick together and buy into what we're trying to accomplish and go from there," Howard said. "My focus is just to keep the guys in the locker room together despite what's being said on the outside."

Hawks leading scorer Joe Johnson missed his second straight game with left knee tendinitis, but Atlanta got 36 points from its reserves, including Jannero Pargo with 15 and Willie Green with 14.

around the league: Derrick Rose denied a report that he wanted the Bulls to trade for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, with Carlos Boozer and C.J. Watson going to L.A. "That's something I wouldn't say to anyone, that I need someone to come to this team or I'm trying to get rid of someone,'' Rose said.

Hawks 83, Magic 78

ORLANDO (78): Turkoglu 4-16 2-2 11, Anderson 4-13 0-0 10, Howard 5-7 2-5 12, Duhon 3-9 0-0 6, J.Richardson 3-10 0-0 7, Davis 3-7 0-0 6, I.Smith 2-7 4-4 8, Redick 5-10 1-2 13, Q.Richardson 1-1 0-0 3, Clark 0-1 0-0 0, Wafer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-82 9-13 78.

ATLANTA (83): Williams 0-3 2-2 2, J.Smith 8-22 5-8 22, Pachulia 1-6 2-2 4, Teague 5-12 3-6 13, Hinrich 3-9 0-0 6, Green 6-10 0-0 14, Radmanovic 1-5 2-2 5, Pargo 6-9 0-0 15, I.Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, McGrady 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-78 14-20 83.

Orlando 20 10 25 23— 78

Atlanta 29 18 11 25— 83

3-Point Goals—Orlando 7-32 (Redick 2-4, Anderson 2-6, Q.Richardson 1-1, J.Richardson 1-6, Turkoglu 1-9, I.Smith 0-2, Duhon 0-4), Atlanta 7-17 (Pargo 3-4, Green 2-4, J.Smith 1-1, Radmanovic 1-4, Teague 0-1, Williams 0-1, Hinrich 0-2). Rebounds—Orlando 51 (Howard 12), Atlanta 57 (Pachulia 13). Assists—Orlando 19 (Turkoglu, Duhon, I.Smith 4), Atlanta 19 (Pachulia, Hinrich 4). Total Fouls—Orlando 19, Atlanta 12. A—14,523 (18,729).

Spurs 114, Nuggets 99

SAN ANTONIO (114): Jefferson 5-8 2-2 17, Duncan 6-13 6-9 18, Blair 12-21 4-4 28, Parker 5-11 4-4 16, Green 6-12 3-4 16, Leonard 1-1 0-0 2, Bonner 4-8 0-0 12, Neal 1-7 0-0 3, Anderson 0-4 0-0 0, Joseph 1-1 0-0 2, Dawson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 41-86 19-23 114.

DENVER (99): Brewer 9-17 3-4 23, Faried 2-5 0-0 4, Mozgov 3-5 2-2 8, Miller 7-10 5-6 20, Afflalo 6-16 4-5 19, Andersen 0-1 0-0 0, Hamilton 0-7 0-0 0, Harrington 4-10 0-0 8, Stone 2-6 4-4 9, Koufos 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 37-83 18-21 99.

San Antonio 31 34 27 22— 114

Denver 15 24 33 27— 99

3-Point Goals—San Antonio 13-27 (Jefferson 5-7, Bonner 4-8, Parker 2-3, Neal 1-3, Green 1-5, Anderson 0-1), Denver 7-19 (Afflalo 3-5, Brewer 2-5, Miller 1-1, Stone 1-3, Hamilton 0-5). Rebounds—San Antonio 50 (Blair 12), Denver 48 (Harrington, Hamilton 9). Assists—San Antonio 29 (Parker 12), Denver 25 (Stone, Miller 7). Total Fouls—San Antonio 18, Denver 18. A—18,875.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

MIAMI — Jeremy Lin was no match for the Heat.

Forcing the Knicks point guard into easily his worst game by running streams of defenders at him, Miami won 102-88 Thursday night.

Miami has won eight straight, all by at least 12.

Chris Bosh scored 25, Dwyane Wade added 22 and LeBron James had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Miami, which goes into the All-Star break with the NBA's best record (27-7).

Lin's final line: 1-for-11 from the field, eight points, three assists, eight turnovers. In his first 11 games he averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists.

"First of all, he deserves all of the credit he's been given," Wade said. "He's a good player, but we put a lot of pressure on him and it was a success."

"A learning experience," Lin said. "A tough one. I'm not going to hang my head. I know I went out there and I played hard. Can't win 'em all. Can't have a great game every game.

"But at the same time I need to understand, 'Okay, what did I do wrong? How can I improve?' I think that's going to be exciting."

Spike Lee, Floyd Mayweather and Chad Ochocinco sat within seven seats of each other on one sideline, and members of the Mets front office reportedly took a helicopter from the team's spring-training home in Port St. Lucie to Miami.

"It's always big when the Knicks come in," Bosh said. "They have that New York-Miami thing. The crowd enjoyed it. And we enjoyed it."

President Barack Obama took note of the excitement.

"In another life, I would be staying for the Knicks-Heat game, then going up to Orlando for NBA All-Star weekend," Obama told students at the University of Miami earlier in the day. "But these days, I've got a few other things on my plate. Just a few."

Lin had six turnovers in the first half, as did Amare Stoudemire, when the Knicks were outscored 30-16 in the paint, 12-1 on fast breaks and 12-3 off turnovers.

"I'm sure they were all geeked up for him," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said of the defense on Lin. "And they did a great job. It's hard to be Peter Pan every day.''

Teammates encouraged Lin afterward.

"His head was down," Carmelo Anthony said. "So we all went over to him. Cheer up. We have nights like this. They really focused in on trying to stop you tonight. You know, you're on the scouting report now.''

NEW YORK (88): C.Anthony 7-20 4-4 19, Stoudemire 4-7 5-6 13, Chandler 4-7 2-2 10, Lin 1-11 6-6 8, Fields 4-9 0-0 8, Smith 5-11 2-4 14, Jeffries 2-2 0-0 4, Novak 4-5 0-0 12, Davis 0-7 0-0 0. Totals 31-79 19-22 88.

MIAMI (102): James 7-16 6-6 20, Bosh 11-17 3-4 25, J.Anthony 0-1 0-0 0, Chalmers 3-7 1-2 8, Wade 10-22 2-3 22, Battier 3-6 0-0 8, Haslem 3-5 0-0 6, Cole 4-9 2-4 10, Miller 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 42-85 14-19 102.

New York 20 27 19 22— 88

Miami 24 27 29 22— 102

3-Point Goals—New York 7-17 (Novak 4-5, Smith 2-5, C.Anthony 1-1, Lin 0-2, Davis 0-4), Miami 4-14 (Battier 2-4, Miller 1-2, Chalmers 1-5, Wade 0-1, Cole 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—New York 49 (Chandler 9), Miami 50 (James, Haslem 9). Assists—New York 14 (Davis, Smith, Lin 3), Miami 19 (James 8). Total Fouls—New York 15, Miami 22. Technicals—Chandler, New York Coach D'Antoni. A—20,197 (19,600).

Times wires
Thursday, February 23, 2012

CINCINNATI — Cashmere Wright tied a career high with six 3-pointers and scored 22 to lead Cincinnati past No. 17 Louisville 60-56 on Thursday.

Cincinnati (20-8, 10-5) made 11 of 27 3-pointers and created a three-way tie for fourth in the Big East with USF and Georgetown. The Bulls and Bearcats meet Sunday in Tampa. The Cardinals (21-7, 9-6), whom the Bulls face Wednesday, sit a game back.

Russ Smith scored six during a 15-4 run that put Louisville up 45-39 with 12:16 left. Gorgui Dieng had 11 points and 10 rebounds by then but picked up his fourth foul with 10:54 to go.

Immediately, Cincinnati went on a 14-0 run. Sean Kilpatrick who scored 12, started and finished the run with baskets.

The Cardinals, who had won six in a row, made 1 of 14 3-pointers. Kyle Kuric, who entered averaging a team-high 13.3 points, scored four. He missed all 11 of his shots, including a 3-pointer that would have tied the score with 19 seconds left.

No. 14 Murray St. 80, Tenn. St. 62: Isaiah Canaan scored 16 of his 24 in the first half to help the visiting Racers avenge their lone loss. Murray State (27-1, 14-1 Ohio Valley) blew a 13-point lead in losing 72-68 on Feb. 9. Thursday, the Racers made four 3-pointers during a 14-0 run over the final 2:31 of the first half.

Iowa 67, No. 16 Wisconsin 66: Matt Gatens scored 33 for the host Hawkeyes. It was his second straight career high after getting 30 in Sunday's win over Indiana. The Badgers (20-8, 9-6 Big Ten) cut a 13-point to two before Gatens made two free throws with four seconds left.

Gators lose forward: Florida forward Will Yeguete is out for the season with a broken left foot. The sophomore, who is set for surgery today, was hurt Tuesday against Auburn. Yeguete went from little-used role player last season to defensive specialist who has started 10 games. He averaged 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 points and had 14 games with seven or more rebounds.

Women: Vols fall

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lyndsay Harris scored 20, including the clinching free throws with six seconds left, to help Arkansas upset No. 10 Tennessee 72-71 in overtime. Tennessee (20-8, 11-4 SEC) led 62-60 before Sarah Watkins' tying layup with nine seconds left in regulation.

No. 2 Stanford 68, Colo. 46: Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 23 points and 11 rebounds and sister Chiney Ogwumike 18 and seven for the host Cardinal (25-1, 16-0 Pac-12)

No. 8 Ohio St. 81, Minn. 56: Samantha Prahalis scored a school-record 42 for the host Buckeyes (24-4, 11-4 Big Ten).

No. 9 Delaware 71, George Mason 53: Elena Delle Donne had 28 points and 11 rebounds for the host Blue Hens (25-1, 16-0 Colonial Athletic).

No. 12 Green Bay 72, Valpo 36: The host Phoenix (24-1, 14-1) clinched a share of its 14th consecutive Horizon title.

No. 13 Kentucky 53, S. Carolina 50: A'dia Mathies scored 21 for the host Wildcats (23-5, 12-3 SEC), who set a school record for conference wins in a season.

No. 17 Ga. Tech 76, Va. Tech 66: Sasha Goodlett scored 18 for the visiting Yellow Jackets (21-7, 11-4 ACC), who closed the first half with a 16-3 run.

No. 18 Georgia 87, Miss. 52: Meredith Mitchell scored 20 for the host Bulldogs (21-7, 10-5 SEC), who broke a 39-39 tie with a 15-0 run.

No. 22 Purdue 60, Mich. 49: Brittany Rayburn scored 15 to lead the visiting Boilermakers. Purdue (20-8, 10-5 Big Ten) had lost five of six, but three losses came to ranked teams.

Mich. St. 73, No. 23 Neb. 53: The visiting Cornhuskers (20-7, 9-6 Big Ten) trailed 22-6 7:33 in.

FSU 74, Clemson 52: Chasity Clayton had 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds off the bench for the visiting Seminoles (14-15, 6-9). Natasha Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her ACC-high 12th double double.

Florida 79, Miss. St. 45: Jordan Jones scored 18 for the host Gators (18-10, 8-7 SEC), who led 11-0 and led by double digits for most of the game.

Plane crash: An autopsy on the 82-year-old pilot did not find any medical conditions that could have contributed to November's crash that killed Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Times staff writer Antonya English contributed to this report.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2012

WINNIPEG — The Lightning on Thursday made a personnel move for the fourth straight game day, but instead of sending a player out, it brought one in, claiming F Tim Wallace off waivers from the Islanders.

"All our reports on him were positive," GM Steve Yzerman said. "We think he's a guy who can come in and contribute."

Tampa Bay was depleted after forwards Dominic Moore and Steve Downie and defenseman Pavel Kubina were traded, respectively, during the previous three game days. But the situation is acute at forward, with C Vinny Lecavalier out for at least three weeks with a fractured right hand.

Wallace, 6 feet 1, 207 pounds, joins the team today.

"He's a gritty guy. He's a strong and competitive guy," Yzerman said. "We thought he'd be able to help us down the stretch."

Wallace, 27, played 31 games for New York with one assist and six penalty minutes. He also was minus-7 with an average 8:40 of ice time. In 24 games with AHL Bridgeport, Wallace had nine goals, 20 points and 13 penalty minutes, and was plus-2.

Making Wallace feel at home with the Lightning will be C Nate Thompson, who grew up with Wallace in Anchorage, Alaska, and called him a "lifelong friend."

"I'm happy to have him here," Thompson said. "He's a big body. He hits like a truck, and he's willing if need be to drop the gloves. He's a good all-around player."

OHLUND SURGERY: The first step in what Mattias Ohlund hopes will be the resurrection of his career is over. The defenseman had major surgery on his left knee at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "The surgery went well," Yzerman said.

The procedure by noted orthopedist Anthony Miniaci included resurfacing the bottom of the femur — where the cartilage had worn away — with a thin layer of titanium.

The only timetable for recovery is that it will take months. The surgery is considered the last, best chance to help Ohlund, who has not played a regular-season game this season and has four years and $11.75 million left on his contract.

MORE MEDICAL MATTERS: D Marc-Andre Bergeron is not with the team because of a back injury that has kept him out of 17 of the past 18 games. It is believed he has a slightly bulging disc that is affecting his sciatic nerve.

Bergeron has seen several doctors looking for a cure. Yzerman said surgery is not yet indicated and considers it a "last resort."

"Just tell me when he's ready," coach Guy Boucher said.

"I hear a different sound to what it is and what it's going to be every day. I've stopped listening, to be honest with you. He's been missing so long and we've had so many injuries, I put that aside now. I don't wait for players anymore. It just distracts you from what you have right now."

ODDS AND ENDS: The addition of Wallace gives Tampa Bay 13 healthy forwards. C Trevor Smith or C Mike Angelidis could be sent back to AHL Norfolk. Yzerman said he will wait until after the weekend to make a decision. … The Jets had scored on seven straight power-play chances before failing in the third period. … Bergeron and Lecavalier were the scratches.

By Laura Keeley, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — The Duke system is simple: Austin Rivers drives into the lane or one of his teammates shoots a 3-pointer. And in Thursday's matchup of two of the top teams in the ACC, that's what the No. 5 Blue Devils did.

They took 28 of their 52 shots from behind the arc and connected on 13 to beat No. 15 Florida State 74-66.

"That's a team playing to their strength," said Seminoles coach Leo­nard Hamilton, whose team won 76-73 in Durham on Jan. 21. "When you can spot up 3-4 guys that are capable of knocking down 3s … that offensive system was difficult for us to defend."

With the win, Duke (24-4, 11-2 ACC) tied North Carolina for first in the league and clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament. FSU (19-8, 10-3) sits a game behind.

Each team has three games left. But with North Carolina and Duke meeting in the finale, FSU still has a chance for its first regular-season title. The Semi­noles play at Miami on Sunday.

Duke's sharpshooters took their turn hurting the Seminoles.

Initially, it was Andre Dawkins. He made four 3-pointers in a span of three minutes of the first half (and made all three free throws after drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt) to put the Blue Devils up 26-17. Dawkins finished 6-for-9 from 3-point range and scored a game-high 22.

When FSU cut the deficit to three on three occasions in the second half, Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly buried deep shots.

Rivers, who scored 20, made four 3-pointers. And when the freshman point guard threatened to penetrate the lane, FSU's defense collapsed, leaving at least one shooter open outside.

"They played us like an instrument. They sucked us in, and then they kicked out," said FSU senior forward Bernard James, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.

"They weren't particularly hurting us inside. We didn't make that adjustment to not help (on defense) so much. Pretty much every time we did, they either got a corner, kickout 3 or were able to get one on the wing."

A 12-of-22 performance from the free-throw line hindered FSU's ability to take advantage of its dominant interior offense. And Michael Snaer, the Seminoles' leading scorer whose 3-pointer at the buzzer won the teams' first meeting, sat out the last 9:49 of the first half after committing his second foul.

Hamilton, whose team made just 4-of-15 3-pointers, credited the Blue Devils defense, which was once a weakness, for keeping the Seminoles out of rhythm.

After the game, as he was repeatedly asked to analyze minutia of the game, Hamilton kept returning to the same thought: Duke is a good team.

Blue Devils coach Mike Krzy­zewski said the same about the Seminoles.

"I love Leonard," Krzyzewski said.

"He and his staff, every year, they're just so sound. And this year, I just think they have a little bit more magic."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2012

WINNIPEG — If the Lightning for an entire game could show the fight it did in the third period Thursday night, it would be tough to beat.

Tampa Bay lost 4-3 to the Jets at the MTS Centre, but three goals in the third — including two in 45 seconds in the game's final minute — cut a four-goal deficit. But rather than erase the ugly memory of the two first periods, in which the team was outhustled and outplayed, that made it worse.

It also overshadowed Steven Stamkos' three-point effort that gave him 73 points and tied him for the league lead with Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.

"We weren't desperate enough," right wing Teddy Purcell said. "We showed in the third that when we stick to the system and play with that urgency, we're a pretty good team. But we came up short. It's disappointing."

The loss cost the Lightning (27-27-6) its three-game winning streak and time and ground in the playoff race. Tampa Bay still is 11th in the Eastern Conference but fell six points behind the Panthers for the final playoff spot and seven behind the first-place Jets in the Southeast Division.

"It wasn't pretty," coach Guy Boucher said. "We didn't start very well … and the first and second period we weren't good at all."

Especially in the second, when the Jets scored twice on the power play in 72 seconds to take a 4-0 lead 2:48 in and chased goalie Mathieu Garon, who allowed four goals on 18 shots.

The third-period comeback began with 9:00 left as Stamkos scored his league-best 43rd goal. With Dwayne Roloson, terrific in relief with 16 saves, out of the net for an extra skater, Purcell scored with 54 seconds remaining. And with a 6-on-4 power play, Marty St. Louis made it 4-3 with a wicked one-timer with 7.4 seconds to go. "It's easy to play when you're down 4-0. You have nothing to lose," St. Louis said. "We have to have that desperate attitude from the get-go."

Perhaps the emotions of the week finally caught up with the players. The Lightning lost three front-line players to trades in the past eight days, and captain Vinny Lecavalier is out of the lineup with a fractured right hand.

There also was this: 14 seconds into the first, Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec righted himself to make a sprawling stop of Brendan Mikkelson's shot at an open net. Had the pucks gone in, the complexion of the game might have been different. "You score right off the bat, it gives you wings, it gives you confidence," Boucher said.

Mikkelson acknowledged "that goal could have made a difference," but "to come out like we did was disappointing. It's not good enough."

First Period—1, Winnipeg, Ladd 20 (Little, Wheeler), 7:11. 2, Winnipeg, Glass 5 (Thorburn, Flood), 14:59. Penalties—None.

Second Period—3, Winnipeg, Ladd 21 (Kane, Byfuglien), 1:36 (pp). 4, Winnipeg, Byfuglien 10 (Wheeler, Ladd), 2:48 (pp). Penalties—Hedman, TB (delay of game), :14; Malone, TB (interference), 2:39; Byfuglien, Wpg (roughing), 8:15; Hedman, TB (roughing), 13:49; Wheeler, Wpg (roughing), 13:49.

Third Period—5, TB, Stamkos 43 (Malone, Purcell), 11:00 (pp). 6, TB, Purcell 16 (Stamkos), 19:06. 7, TB, St. Louis 19 (Purcell, Stamkos), 19:51 (pp). Penalties—Wheeler, Wpg (cross-checking), :12; Stapleton, Wpg (tripping), 3:08; Kane, Wpg (slashing), 10:13; Gilroy, TB (tripping), 16:14; Malone, TB (roughing), 19:43; Glass, Wpg, served by Stapleton (roughing, cross-checking), 19:43. Shots on Goal—TB 9-6-10—25. Winnipeg 16-10-8—34. Power-play opportunities—TB 2 of 5; Winnipeg 2 of 3. Goalies—TB, Garon 19-16-4 (18 shots-14 saves), Roloson (17:12 second, 16-16). Winnipeg, Pavelec 23-20-7 (25-22).

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

Tampa Bay Rays 2B/RF Ben Zobrist is about as earnest and honest as they come, and he made it clear how he feels about the season after reporting to camp on Friday morning:

"It's exciting, a new year, 2012. We're planning on winning the World Series this year. That's the goal, and from day one here looking forward that's what we're focused on."

Zobrist was the last of the rostered position players to report, meaning all were in days ahead of Sunday's first full-squad workout.

Zobrist said he focused his winter workouts on core strengthening and flexibility, and feels good heading into camp.

"I feel very prepared going into this year, I feel like my off-season was great, I feel very healthy and I worked extremely hard again to try and be ready to move around and play as many games as I can fo the club,'' he said.

He expects, as has been the case, to split time between second base and rightfield, but said he will work at other spots during the spring.

There were only three gloves in his locker when he arrived Friday morning, but said, "that's like probably half the shipment, there's more coming.''

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

This fall's USF-Miami football game has been moved ahead one week, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 17, to accommodate the scheduling needs of both teams, USF announced Friday morning.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

The Champions Tour Pro Am event at TPC Tampa Bay has a new sponsor — for this year at least.

The event will be called the Encompass Insurance Pro Am of Tampa Bay and will be played April 9-15 in Lutz. It was previously called the Outback Steakhouse Pro Am before Outback took its name off title sponsorship this year.

Encompass Insurance is based in Chicago and plans on being a title sponsor for a new Champions Tour tournament in that city in 2013. As a way to integrate itself into the Champions Tour, the company became a last second title sponsor in Tampa. The Pro Am event will still need a title sponsor for 2013 and beyond.

This is the 25th anniversary of the tournament, which was won by John Cook in a playoff over Jay Don Blake last year.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

Insurance company puts name on pro-am

The Champions Tour pro-am event at TPC Tampa Bay has a new sponsor — for this year at least.

The event will be called the Encompass Insurance Pro-Am of Tampa Bay, April 9-15 in Lutz. It was previously called the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am before Outback took its name off title sponsorship this year.

Encompass Insurance is based in Chicago and plans on being a title sponsor for a new Champions Tour tournament in that city in 2013. As a way to integrate itself into the 50-and-over golf tour, the company became a last-second title sponsor in Tampa. The pro-am event still needs a title sponsor for 2013 and beyond.

This is the 25th anniversary of the tournament, which was won last year by John Cook in a playoff over Jay Don Blake.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Friday, February 24, 2012

TAMPA — Last year's installment of the Saladino Baseball Tournament featured something never seen before in the prestigious event's 31-year history — a change in scheduling.

This time around, the tournament has returned to its familiar spring break format.

Tony Saladino's reaction?

"Whew," he said. "We all just wiped our brows when we heard."

With high schoolers' spring break pushed back later than usual last year, the Saladino Tournament was forced to rearrange its schedule. Normally held at four sites over the course of spring break, last year's tournament featured a split schedule with two of the pool games played early in the season.

"It was tough because we had more sites spread out over two separate times with a big void in the middle," Saladino said. "It was different but this year we're back to normal."

He said the split schedule interrupted "the flow" of the tournament, which in previous years has seen the likes of future Major League Baseball stars Dwight Gooden, Tino Martinez and Gary Sheffield grace its fields.

"It all ended well, but it was tough not being one solid week," Saladino said. "We're happy to have it back like it used to be."

Brandon coach Matt Stallbaumer, whose field will host the final brackets and again serve as tournament headquarters, said some coaches didn't like last year's format.

"I know initially some coaches were frustrated but it had to be done because of the way the (school) district set up spring break," he said. "So in that way, I think people are looking forward to it returning to how it's always been. You really look forward to it being in the middle of the season with half your district games before and half after."

Another change from last year is how the pools will be set up. Tournament officials seeded teams to avoid lumping too many good teams in one pool and made sure district opponents were not in the same pool.

"Avoiding district teams in pool play is big, and I think it's a much better format this way," Stallbaumer said. "We've got the trailers set up at the field already, and we're looking forward to it."

With all back to normal, Saladino and his wife, Bertha, are looking forward to again hosting what has become one of the premier high school baseball tournaments in the country. Saladino said Bertha, who has been dealing with health issues the past two years, is especially looking forward to this year's tournament.

"It's going to be a big booster shot for her because she loves being visible and being with people," he said. "It's therapy for both of us."

Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

FORT MYERS — Carl Crawford said his body cringed every time he started to see a replay of the final moment of his forgettable first season with the Red Sox.

As much as Crawford tried to change the channel, seeing the sinking liner hit by the Orioles' Robert Andino fall in front of him in leftfield — sealing Boston's historic September collapse — was unavoidable.

"It was over and over, like Linsanity almost," Crawford said, comparing it with the current massive attention on Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

The play symbolized Crawford's frustrating 2011 season, the worst and most trying of his 10-year career. A four-time All-Star with the Rays, Crawford was a shell of himself in the first of a seven-year, $142 million deal with Boston. He hit .255 with 11 homers, 56 RBIs and just 18 steals. His .289 on-base percentage was 70th among 73 qualified AL batters.

"My play, it was so bad that I couldn't even think straight," he said.

Crawford was booed. He was dropped in the order. He was irked when owner John Henry said in an October radio interview he initially didn't favor signing him. Dealing with significant failure for the first time, Crawford even questioned his ability.

"It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever been through," he said. "I don't know how I got through it. It was just bad. I hope I never have to go through anything like that again."

Crawford cleared his head and fixed his mechanics and is hungry for a fresh start, though he might miss the first couple of weeks of the season due to left wrist surgery. Feeling he's more prepared and comfortable in his second Red Sox camp, Crawford learned from a season in which everything seemingly went wrong.

His stance was "way off track," more open than his years with the Rays, when he hit over .300 five times. After two games with Boston — 0-for-7 with four strikeouts — Crawford was dropped from his No. 2 spot to seventh. Instead of being the table-setter and terror on the bases, he pressed, trying to live up to the huge deal.

"The contract, you hit .150 in the month of April, dropped down to seven, you got every publications writing stuff about you, it was all bad at one time," Crawford, 30, said. "I just lost it mentally."

As the Red Sox lost their grip on a nine-game lead over the Rays for the wild card, Crawford wrote for ESPNBoston that he'd be "devastated" if Boston didn't make the playoffs.

Crawford watched the Rays — who also lost, among others, Carlos Peña and most of their bullpen from 2010 — in the playoffs, praising them and manager Joe Maddon, especially "with the expectations that they weren't supposed to make it after all of us left."

Crawford said his family, including 8-year-old son Justin, served as his "backbone" during his struggles, but he is invigorated by his offseason workouts.

"You start to realize that everything is still there," he said. "The speed is still there. You start to gain confidence again and get back to where I'm at now, which is feeling good about yourself and letting everything that happened last year be in the past."

Crawford said he likes new manager Bobby Valentine, comparing him to Maddon in how he focuses on fundamentals, the "little things," and likes to teach. And he's motivated to have his play remind him of his Tampa Bay days, too.

"That's what I worked this offseason, to get back to 'that guy,' " Crawford said with a smile.

"Because that's, obviously, the guy they paid for."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Friday, February 24, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — When Bucs coach Greg Schiano and a few of his assistants gather in a hotel room to interview a prospective draft choice at the NFL combine, they will begin by greeting the player.

Right after the coaches introduce themselves to each other.

In some cases, the combine, which runs through Tuesday, will be where coaches on the Bucs staff meet for the first time. The slow pace of hiring has been unavoidable, said Schiano, hired Jan. 26 and whose staff still isn't complete.

Schiano announced his defensive coaches, the special teams coordinator and most of the offensive assistants at the combine, which began Wednesday. He says he has three more positions to fill, including quarterbacks coach.

Unlike when Schiano was a defensive backs coach for the Bears 14 years ago, most teams now don't allow assistant coaches to interview with other clubs even if the position is an advancement. Other clubs denied the Bucs permission to interview their assistants for coordinator jobs as many as 15 times.

"I … understand that abuse leads to restrictions, and that's exactly what happened with all the half-baked titles and that stuff," Schiano said. "It was difficult."

In the end, Schiano believes pumping the brakes on the hiring process might have produced a better staff than if the process had gone faster. The staff to date is a mixture of college and NFL coaches, young and old.

"I explained in my interview that I've made some mistakes in those 11 years being a head football coach (at Rutgers), and I've learned a lot, and one of those mistakes was the first time as a head coach I felt like I had to get the staff hired, had to do it quickly," Schiano said. "Not the way to go."

Schiano knows the transition from college head coach to the NFL can be tough to navigate — he came to the Bucs from Rutgers — so he has hired someone who attempted it: Butch Davis. Schiano served as the Miami Hurricanes' defensive coordinator for two seasons under Davis, the UM head coach from 1995-2000 who left to become head coach of the Browns.

Davis' title with the Bucs is assistant to the head coach.

At what Schiano calls the leadership positions, he sought NFL experience. Jimmy Raye, who has coached 33 years in the NFL with 12 teams, was hired as senior offensive assistant. Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, who spent the past two years mentoring Eli Manning as Giants quarterbacks coach, convinced New York coach Tom Coughlin to let him interview with Tampa Bay.

"The decision was based on the fact that he desperately wanted the opportunity to go forth," Coughlin said. "He has a lot of ability. He's very smart, he's very innovative, very good with the technology. He'll get out in front of whatever the issues are."

Schiano had no connection with Bill Sheridan until he hired him as defensive coordinator, but he discovered they share a philosophy of how defense should be taught. "He's an all-business guy who is about getting the job done," Schiano said of Sheridan, fired after one season as Giants defensive coordinator in 2009.

Former Raiders assistant Bob Ligashesky will coach special teams. Randy Melvin, who coached the Patriots defensive line during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2001, will have the same job with the Bucs.

Schiano brought a handful of coaches from Rutgers: linebackers coach Bob Fraser, receivers coach P.J. Fleck, assistant defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, tight ends coach Brian Angelicho and defensive quality control coach Tem Lukabu.

Offensive line coach Bob Bostad spent the past six seasons in the same job at Wisconsin. Defensive backs coach Ron Cooper out of LSU coached cornerback Morris Claiborne, ranked the fourth-best player in the draft. The Bucs have the fifth pick.

Schiano even filled a couple of spots with former NFL players. Former linebacker Bryan Cox is in charge of the front seven, and former running back Earnest Byner coaches his old position.

"So it's taken longer than maybe I would have liked, but we were going to make sure that the guys we hired were the right fit," Schiano said.

Schiano buyout: The Bucs have paid Rutgers a $500,000 buyout for luring Schiano away last month, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. Schiano, who had five years left on a contract that paid him approximately $2.3 million annually, left after 11 seasons. He had 30 days to pay the buyout to the school. He still owes Rutgers $300,000 as part of an $800,000 interest-free home loan the school provided him after the 2006 season, with $100,000 of the loan forgiven each year he remained on the job, the newspaper reported.