Times wires
Sunday, February 26, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Janoris Jenkins had a promising beginning to his college career.

The cornerback started 36 games for Florida over three seasons and was All-SEC as a junior. But he was dismissed in 2011 after his third arrest, the final two being drug-related.

Now at the scouting combine, Jenkins has had to answer questions about his misconduct, hoping to convince teams his wayward ways are behind him.

"I was honest and straightforward," he said Sunday. "Told them what I did. I admitted everything. I took full responsibility and that I learned from it."

Jenkins finished his career at Division II North Alabama, ranking second nationally with a 21.7-yard punt return average. He hopes his ability helps convince a team to take a chance on him with a high draft pick.

"They see the talent. They just want to know the kind of kid I am," Jenkins said. "I just come in here and show them that I'm not a bad kid. I'm looking to put it in the past and move forward."

CBSSports.com ranks the Pahokee native second among cornerbacks (behind LSU's Morris Claiborne) and projects him as a first-round pick. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said Jenkins has little to worry about.

"What happens, whether you believe in it or not, is the more talented kids get more chances, and Jenkins is a pretty talented kid," Mayock said. "Someone's going to want to buy into that."

Jenkins said he is past his drug use. "I'm done with it forever," he said, citing his responsibilities to his mother and his four children. "I can't do it. I can't let myself do it again."

More explaining: Cornerback Cliff Harris also spent time explaining his misbehavior. In June, the former Oregon star was caught driving 118 mph. He was later dismissed from the team after being caught driving with a suspended license and without proper insurance or a seat belt.

"I come from a family of drag racers. I was raised at the races," said Harris, projected to be a fourth-round pick by CBSSports.com. "Going fast is almost in my blood, but I have to do it at the right time and at the right place.

"I was young. I was dumb. … From the success I was having and having it taken away just like that, that was an eye-opener for me. I'm ready to prove that I'm not going to make those same mistakes."

Fast 40s: Miami's Lamar Miller ran the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs, 4.4 seconds. Florida's Chris Rainey, Oregon's LaMichael James and San Diego State's Ronnie Hillman tied for second at 4.45. Five receivers had the fastest times: Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, Stanford's Chris Owusu and Miami's Travis Benjamin at 4.36, and Illinois' A.J. Jenkins and Fresno State's Devon Wylie at 4.39. Former East Carolina and current Titans running back Chris Johnson set the record of 4.24 in 2008. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, the top receiver according to most analysts, did not run because of a hamstring injury.

No throwing: Baylor's Robert Griffin (4.41 in the 40, fastest among quarterbacks) and Stanford's Andrew Luck (4.69) skipped the throwing drills as planned. They instead will do so with familiar receivers during their school's pro day workouts. Luck is expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Colts. Griffin could go No. 2 if the Rams trade the pick. "I don't think they really hurt themselves here," Mayock said. "What they did in gym shorts isn't going to change anything."

Times wires
Sunday, February 26, 2012

Tennis

injured Austrian completes run by winning final

MEMPHIS — Jurgen Melzer capped his run through the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships with a broken right big toe by beating Milos Raonic 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) on Sunday for his first title since 2010.

Back troubles knocked Melzer from eighth in the world last spring to 38th coming into Memphis. And the Austrian broke his toe Feb. 16 when he caught his foot in a hotel bedspread.

But he beat top-seeded John Isner and No. 3 seed Radek Stepanek before downing the fourth-seeded Raonic, who won last week's tournament in San Jose, Calif. Depending on other results, Melzer will be about No. 22 when the rankings are released today.

"If anybody would've said last Friday … that I'll be holding the trophy next Sunday, I would've called him a fool," Melzer said. "Maybe it took a little bit of the pressure off."

Open 13: Juan Martin Del Potro beat Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4 in Marseille, France, for his first title of the year. A week earlier in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Del Potro lost to Roger Federer in the final.

Colleges

Tucker's fifth HR of year lifts Gators

Plant High grad Preston Tucker's fifth homer of the season helped host Florida beat William & Mary 5-3 in a game ended after 51/2 innings by rain. The Gators (7-1) swept the three-game series from the Tribe (2-5).

Bethune-Cookman 2, USF 0: Rayan Gonzalez struck out seven over seven innings for the visiting Wildcats. USF (4-3) lost two of three in the series. Josh Johnson, a graduate of Wesley Chapel's Wiregrass Ranch High, drove in a run for the Wildcats (4-3).

Track: UF's women won the SEC indoor title in Kentucky; the men finished second to Arkansas. … FSU's men won the ACC indoor title in Boston late Saturday; the women finished second to Clemson.

Bowling

Weber set record: fifth U.S. Open title

Pete Weber threw a strike on his final ball to beat Mike Fagan 215-214 and win his record fifth U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J. Weber, 49, who had to win two preliminary matches to get to the final, became the oldest winner of the event, surpassing Norm Duke, 46. And his fifth title is one more than his father, Dick, and Don Carter.

Et cetera

Horses: Union Rags bolstered his Kentucky Derby credentials by winning the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. He ran 11/16 miles in 1 minute, 42.68 seconds to beat News Pending by 4 lengths.

Fishing: Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., won the Bassmaster Classic in Bossier City, La. Lane entered the final day first by a pound. He caught five fish weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces to finish with 15 for 51-6, 3-7 better than Greg Vinson. Lane, 36, nearly doubled his career earnings with the $500,000 prize. Kevin VanDam, a two-time defending champ and four-time overall champ, was 11th.

Skiing: American Lindsey Vonn won her record 18th super-G, taking the event in Bansko, Bulgaria. Austria's Renate Goetschl won 17 from 1993-2009. Vonn completed two runs in 1:15.66, 0.05 faster than Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather.

Track: Chaunte Lowe set the American record in the women's high jump by clearing 6 feet, 7½ inches at the U.S. indoor championships in Albuquerque, N.M. Lowe, 28, surpassed the 6-7 of Tisha Walker in 1998.

Soccer: Liverpool ended a six-year trophy drought by beating Cardiff 3-2 in penalty kicks in the League Cup final in London.

Times wires

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 26, 2012

Best filler

If there was a Sports Emmy for best coverage during a weather delay, we could just give the award right now to Fox for its work during Sunday's delay of the Daytona 500.

Fox came on the air at noon, and five hours later the race was postponed until today. This wasn't a 35-minute rain delay that you might see in baseball. This wasn't a two-hour delay because of lightning at a golf tournament. This was five hours! And Fox's coverage remained enthusiastic, entertaining and enthralling.

The network bounced around from the studio to the broadcast booth to the track to the pits to the garages and to wherever the drivers were hanging out. They had interviews, features and weather updates. It was funny at times, informative at others and pretty darn good television; the best of a bad situation. The highlights of the day were interviews with drivers Trevor Bayne, Danica Patrick (left) and Tony Stewart (right), and a running countdown of the best moments in Daytona 500 history.

Host John Roberts, along with analysts Michael and Darrell Waltrip and race announcer Mike Joy were spectacular throughout the day, keeping the broadcast moving along and never being stuck for something to say.

When there's a long delay in baseball, the networks cut away to other programming. When there's a delay in golf, the networks annoyingly show us taped coverage from the day before or last week or last year. Fox showed a bit of taped coverage from last weekend's Budweiser Shootout, but most of the five hours was filled with original programming.

Eventually, it dawned on me that part of the reason the delay was worth watching was because of the cooperation of the drivers. Patrick and Stewart did their interviews in the rain. Can you imagine Phil Mickelson doing that? Bayne sat in the studio for nearly a half hour, talking about everything and anything. Can you imagine Tiger Woods doing that?

Hard as this is to believe, Fox's NASCAR coverage on Sunday was the best TV of the weekend and there wasn't even a race.

Most overrated

Can we officially declare the NBA dunk competition the most boring and overrated thing in sports? Last year, the event had a bit of a revival and was tolerable, but now we're back to the same old, same old. The problem is dunkers have run out of ideas. They've jumped over cars, motorcycles, hip-hop stars. They've worn capes, blindfolds and throwback jerseys. They've dunked one ball, two balls. They've done 180s, 360s and reverses. There's nothing left. Eventually, to keep the excitement going, a player is going to try something dangerous and end up getting hurt. Before that happens, the NBA should just cancel the thing. Would anyone really miss it?

You know, you could ask the same thing about the actual All-Star Game, too.

Three things that popped into my head

1. Nice win by the USF basketball team Sunday against Cincinnati, but I still think it has to win its final two regular-season games plus at least one Big East tournament game even to get on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament.

2. Regardless of where USF ends up, Stan Heath deserves a few coach of the year votes.

3. Prediction: Tony Stewart will win today's Daytona 500.

Worst TV event

In theory, a match-play golf tournament seems like a fine idea, but as a television event, it's boring stuff. NBC has top-notch golf coverage, but even it couldn't make Sunday's Match Play Championship interesting enough to watch. It's okay if there are a bunch of meaningful matches being played, like in Ryder Cup, for instance. But when you're down to just one championship match, there's just way too much downtime.

Most disappointing show

Know which show as lost its fastball? ESPN's Sports Reporters. It used to be a "must-see" show. These days, it's more like a "I guess I'll watch because there's nothing else on" show. What happened?

Well, the show suffers when New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, left, isn't on, and he has missed the show more often than not over the past couple of months. The show remains relevant when the panel includes Lupica, the Detroit Free Press' Mitch Albom and the Boston Globe's Bob Ryan.

But the bigger issue for the show is it has become predictable. Sometimes that cannot be helped. The point of Sports Reporters is to hit the pressing subjects of the moment. But, too often, you know what the topics are going to be before the show comes on and, worse, you know what they are going to say. Maybe the show will pick up when Lupica returns regularly and we move into a busier time of the sports year.

Best line

Best line of the weekend goes to TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who said this during the NBA All-Star Saturday coverage: "Larry Bird was great. You could buy a Larry Bird jersey in the ghetto, that's how great he was."

Associated Press

Dunk champion Jeremy Evans of the Jazz dons a Karl Malone throwback jersey and jumps over comedian Kevin Hart. Yeah, yeah, yawn. Wake us when there's something worth watching.

Best criticism

Some folks think Sun Sports Lightning analyst Bobby "The Chief" Taylor rips into the officials a little too much, but here's something you have to respect. Sure, he jumps on the referees when the Lightning gets a bad call, but he also takes shots at the referees when the opponent gets a bad call, too.

Example: During Sunday's Lightning-Devils game, New Jersey's Marek Zidlicky was called for holding. Taylor watched the replay and said what even Devils fans were thinking: "Uh, I guess he held him with his free hand? We really couldn't see it."

Strangest defense

One of the better interviews on TV over the weekend was ESPN's Marty Smith interviewing Kurt Busch on NASCAR Countdown before Saturday's Nationwide race. Smith grilled Busch pretty good on his past boorish behavior.

But that led to an odd discussion after the interview as several ESPN analysts wondered if Busch would change his ways. ESPN's Brad Daugherty said: "Why does he have to change? Because we put a camera in his face all the time?"

Uh, yes.

Daugherty always struck me as a good guy, so it was surprising to see him vehemently defending a driver who acts like a jerk a lot of the time, including an incident last year when Busch could not have been more rude to Daugherty's colleague, Dr. Jerry Punch.

tom jones' two cents

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

Associated Press

Rory McIlroy, above, fails to take over the No. 1 ranking in losing to Hunter Mahan.

Times wires
Sunday, February 26, 2012

CORAL GABLES — Miami overcame the loss of a top player and enhanced its NCAA Tournament resume.

Durand Scott scored 17 and the Hurricanes beat No. 15 Florida State 78-62 on Sunday night, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Seminoles.

Miami had lost 11 of 12 against FSU.

"It's our rivalry game," Scott said. "To get a quality win like that, it's great. I'm sure the rest of the team feels the same way."

Kenny Kadji added 15 points for the shorthanded Hurricanes (17-10, 8-6 ACC), who tied Virginia for fourth place in the conference standings.

Miami starting center Reggie Johnson was declared ineligible by the school an hour before the game after an investigation revealed family members had received benefits not allowed under NCAA rules. According to a university statement, "Johnson was unaware of the benefits and his family was told they were permissible by a member of the former basketball coaching staff." The statement did not specify the coach or the benefits.

Former Miami coach Frank Haith, in his first season at Missouri, did not return a call.

Miami is seeking a quick resolution from the NCAA in an attempt to reinstate Johnson, who is averaging 10.6 points.

"It's my understanding that Reggie and his family didn't know of any impermissible benefit," coach Jim Larranaga said. "It was somebody else."

The Hurricanes used Johnson's absence as motivation.

"Just because one person goes down, you just can't quit," Scott said. "I'm pretty sure he wanted us to step up and do the things necessary that Coach wants us to win basketball games."

Michael Snaer scored 20 for FSU (19-9, 10-4), which is two games behind ACC co-leaders Duke and North Carolina.

FSU, trailing 59-42 with 5:07 left, got within 65-58 on Snaer's two free throws with 2:39 left.

"We just tried to put everything on the line and try to claw our way back," Snaer said. "They knew we were going to come back with that type of firepower and aggressiveness on defense."

Scott, Kadji and Shane Larkin each hit two free throws in the next 58 seconds as Miami increased the lead to 71-58.

The Hurricanes expanded a four-point halftime lead with a 14-8 run in the first 5:15 of the second half. Rion Brown hit the fourth 3-pointer of the spurt.

Snaer's three-point play with 10:48 left cut it to 44-35 before the Hurricanes got consecutive 3-pointers from Trey McKinney Jones and Malcolm Grant. Miami made 7 of 13 3-pointers in the second half.

"I thought in the second half, they got their momentum going with their 3s," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "That kind of gave them confidence and we couldn't get anything going offensively."

Times wires
Sunday, February 26, 2012

ORLANDO — Kobe Bryant took Michael Jordan's record and West teammate Kevin Durant scored 36, but then they nearly lost the game to LeBron James.

Bryant, Durant and the West held off a furious East comeback, winning 152-149 in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.

The 301 combined points made it the second-highest scoring All-Star Game in history, behind the 303 points of the 1987 game won by the West in overtime 154-149.

James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds but weren't able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Dwyane Wade finished with a triple double. Magic star Dwight Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds as game's host in the Amway Center.

"With all these great players on the floor, you never know what will happen. Guys making big shots and they cut it down to one. We were up 18 (at halftime)," Durant said. "It was fun. That's the type of All-Star Game you want to see."

Blake Griffin scored 22 for the West, which scored 89 in the first half, setting an All-Star record. Griffin won the game with his defense, picking off James' pass when the East had a chance to tie in the final seconds.

"I can't turn the ball over like that," James said. "I let my team down, but overall it was a great weekend."

Griffin then hit one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, and Wade was off on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Jordan and James as the only players with All-Star Game triple doubles.

Durant was the MVP, leaving Bryant tied for the All-Star record with his four. But the Lakers star got a bigger mark in his 13th All-Star Game.

He broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter and now has 271 for his career. He entered with 244 and also passed Oscar Robertson (246) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) in the game.

With Bryant covering him, James hit two long 3-pointers in the final period, and the East had a chance when Bryant missed a free throw with 18 seconds left and the West up 151-149.

"Just being a competitor," James said. "They pretty much beat us up all game so we just wanted to make a game of it."

But New Jersey's Deron Williams was short on a 3-pointer, and after the East came up with it, James fired a pass into a crowd that Griffin intercepted.

We'll be back, sooner: It doesn't sound as though the NBA will wait another 20 years to return to Orlando. Commissioner David Stern praised the city's qualifications, calling it the "perfect city to host an All-Star Game," and adding later, "… we look forward to coming back, but I can't say when." The old Orlando Arena wasn't considered to be properly equipped to host, so the NBA hadn't been to the city since 1992. Amway Center opened in 2010.

Status of Howard: Center Dwight Howard, who made it known before the season that he wanted to be traded from the Magic, was asked if he has received advice from his fellow All-Stars about his future.

"They understand it's a very difficult, tough decision for me," Howard told the Orlando Sentinel. "… But their thing is, hey, let me have fun. We don't want to talk about a trade or speculation or whatever."

Though Howard, who can become a free agent this summer, has not withdrawn his trade request, he has hinted he could decide to stay. Magic officials expect to talk to Howard after the break, probably before Thursday, and ask him his plans. CEO Alex Martins has said the front office will weigh what Howard says before it decides its next step.

The All-Star Game summary was not available at press time because of transmission problems.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH – The Daytona 500 is headed to primetime.

The Great American Race is now scheduled to start at 7 p.m. tonight because of more rain, NASCAR announced Monday morning. The race will be shown live on Fox.

"We're targeting 7:00 because we feel like it's realistic," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.

The race was initially scheduled to begin at 1:29 p.m. Sunday, but showers postponed the race for the first time in its 54-year history. Rain started again around 9 a.m. Monday, and organizers pushed it back another seven hours shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Sunday's tickets will still be honored tonight.

The National Weather Service forecasts a 30 percent chance of showers this evening, and organizers said they can start it a little later and still try to race 500 miles if need be. The "start your engines" call is scheduled for 7:02 p.m.

"We also have some buffer if we had to delay a little longer than that," Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood said.

Running the race on Tuesday "is an option" in case poor weather persists, Helton said. NASCAR hasn't announced whether tickets will be refunded in case the event is pushed back until another week. The delay could hinder teams who must travel 2,200 miles to Phoenix for Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Phoenix.

The weather dampened turnout Monday morning.

On Sunday, race traffic was at a standstill five hours before the scheduled start time. A 1.5-mile drive from I-4 to Daytona International Speedway took an hour. Twenty-four hours later, that same drive took two minutes.

Signs for $40 parking had disappeared. Mud and puddles stood at the spots where scalpers tried to sell their tickets. Ushers stood around at the speedway gates, waiting for a ticket to check.

It's unclear how much money the speedway will lose because of the first postponement in Daytona 500 history, but it won't be good. The speedway planned to staff Monday's event as if it were expecting 180,000 fans, although it wouldn't generate much more revenue.

"All you're doing is eating up expenses," Chitwood said.

The same goes for some fans.

Brett Herrington, 34, flew to Daytona from New Jersey for his first Daytona 500. As he peeked into Danica Patrick's garage Monday morning, organizers announced over the loud speakers that the new start time would be 7 p.m. His flight home leaves at 9:30.

"So now I just spent $300 on tickets," Herrington said, "and don't get to see the race."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

Tampa Bay Rays rookie LHP Matt Moore will indeed miss his scheduled batting practice session today due to what the Rays are calling "a mild lower abdoninal strain.''

Moore said it has been bothering him since Friday, when it popped up during his second bullpen session of the spring, and "it feels like a sore muscle.''

Moore said the discomfort is in the middle of his abdomen, just below his belly button, and he notices it only when he throws. He said it does not seem related at all to the oblique muscles.

Moore played catch at 60 feet on Saturday and 75 feet on Sunday but won't throw at all today to see how it responds. He said it was "a possibility" he could be back on the mound Wednesday for what would be next scheduled session. If it does, there conceivably would be no impact on his availability to start the season. If he misses more time, there's a chance he might not be ready as the Rays are sure to be cautious with their prized rookie.

"I don't feel like it's a major setback just because I told (the athletic training staff) and I threw the next couple days,'' Moore said. "If it was something major I would have shut it down and just been like, "Hey, this is it for right now.''

Moore, 22, is expected to have a major role in the Rays starting rotation this season, following his heralded debut last September. He is considered the top pitching prospect in baseball.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Teddy Purcell was named the NHL's second star of the week for the week ending Sunday. Purcell had three goals and 10 points in four games and led all players with five power-play points.

Here is the announcement from the league:

NEW YORK (February 27, 2012) – Ottawa Senators defensemen Erik Karlsson, Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Teddy Purcell and Dallas Stars

goaltender Kari Lehtonen have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Feb. 26.

FIRST STAR – ERIK KARLSSON, D, OTTAWA SENATORS

Karlsson led all skaters with eight assists and 12 points and had a +5 rating as the Senators won three of four games to maintain their hold on seventh place in the Eastern Conference. He scored two goals, including the winner, and collected two assists in a 6-0 victory at the New York Islanders Feb. 20, registered one goal and two assists in both a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals Feb. 22 and 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins Feb. 25 and recorded two assists in a 5-2 victory against the New York Islanders Feb. 26. Karlsson has 14-51—65 in 63 games, an Ottawa single-season franchise record for points by a defenseman. He leads all NHL blueliners in assists and points and is tied for the League lead in goals among defensemen. The 21-year-old has 6-11—17 during a seven-game point streak dating to Feb. 11.

SECOND STAR – TEDDY PURCELL, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Purcell ranked second with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and led all skaters with five power-play points (one goal, four assists) as the Lightning earned four out of a possible eight points to remain within six points of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He scored the winning goal and added two assists in a 3-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks Feb. 21, recorded a goal and two assists in 4-3 loss at the Winnipeg Jets Feb. 23, scored Tampa Bay's lone goal in an 8-1 defeat against the Pittsburgh Penguins Feb. 25 and collected three assists in a 4-3 win at the New Jersey Devils Feb. 26. Purcell has 4-9—13 during a six-game point streak dating to Feb. 16 and 17-29—46 in 61 total games, putting him on pace to establish career highs in each category.

THIRD STAR – KARI LEHTONEN, G, DALLAS STARS

Lehtonen started three out of four games as the Stars recorded four consecutive victories to claim the eighth seed in the Western Conference. He made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 win at the Montreal Canadiens Feb. 21, recorded 28 saves in a 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild Feb. 24 and stopped 24 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks Feb. 26. The Helsinki, Finland native has a 24-15-3 record in 43 appearances with a 2.32 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

The Tampa Bay Lightning had a busy Monday, making three trades so far that all added to the team's blue line.

Tampa Bay acquired Mike Commodore from the Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. It acquired Keith Aulie from the Maple Leafs for prospect Carter Ashton and it acquired Brian Lee from the Senators for defenseman Matt Gilroy.

The most interesting trade was the acquisition of Aulie as Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman has repeatedly said he did not want to give up his top prospects or high draft choices. That he did so for Aulie, 22, tells you how highly he thinks of him. Aulie, 22, is 6 feet 6 217 pounds. In 57 NHL games he has two goals, four points and is minus-3 with 48 penalty minutes. Lee, 24, is 6-3, 205 pounds. In 167 NHL games for Ottawa he has five goals, 28 points and is minus-18 with 100 penalty minutes.

The Lightning needed to get younger, faster and stronger on defense. This is part of that plan. Yzerman also wants young pieces to build around Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman.

Commodore, 32, is a bit more muddled. He is a pending unrestricted free agent who has played only 17 games this season, and been a healthy scratch most of time. Won't cost Tampa Bay much as his contract is only $1 million, so the Lightning's responsibility is only about $220,000, and Yzerman knows him because he played for Yzerman's gold-medal 2007 world championship team.

Whether the trade was just for veteran depth for this season -- Hedman is hurt and might have a concussion -- is something we'll have to wait and see.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — The engines roar and the pistons fire, but the cars have nowhere to go.

Danica Patrick's Sprint Cup debut is on hold. Again.

Rain continued to fall on Daytona International Speedway on Monday, a day after NASCAR postponed the Daytona 500 for the first time in the race's 54-year history. The jet dryers circling the 2.5-mile tri-oval gave up shortly before 10:30 a.m.

The track was largely lifeless compared to the day before, and nowhere was that more obvious than the garage of racing's biggest rookie.

On a soggy Sunday morning, Patrick's empty car was one of the biggest attractions. Fans snapped iPhone pictures of themselves standing near her lime green No. 10 Chevrolet in the hours before the green flag was scheduled to drop. They scrawled messages with markers all over the outside of her stall's window.

"Good luck Girl!" one read.

"Maine Loves ya!" said another.

"Get R Done," read a third. "Marry me."

Twenty-four hours later, Brett Herrington stands alone in the rain, studying the messages. He grimaces when the track announces that the noon start time has been pushed back to 7 p.m. His flight home to New Jersey leaves at 9:30.

"So now I just spent $300 on tickets," Herrington says, "and don't get to see the race."

Around the corner, Patrick's car juts toward the sprinkles. Every car has been moved from its original garage to keep crews from working during the delay. Patrick's Chevy sits in the stall reserved for Robby Gordon's No. 7 Dodge.

NASCAR officials finish inspecting Patrick's backup machine, and the engine shuts off. Five crew members in black GoDaddy.com jackets — and one in green and black shoes — push the Chevy back into the garage.

They wipe off the windshield with paper towels and rub the car's sides dry. A man kneels down and replaces damp Coke Zero stickers on the rear panel. Patrick's multi-million-dollar machine must look good, rain or shine. The man smoothes the logos with his wallet, stands up and slides his billfold back into his blue jeans.

Racing fan James Healy peeks through a window at the car that will carry a woman driver for the third time in Daytona history. The South Carolina truck driver is normally a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, but his girlfriend likes Patrick, so he wears lime green today. Plus his Earnhardt shirt got soaked yesterday.

"I'm excited to see her go somewhere," Healy says of Patrick.

NASCAR is, too. Patrick is only a rookie, but her trailer is the only one with a driver's picture on it. Her image looms larger than the sponsors, larger than the team, larger, maybe, than even the sport itself. Her smiling face watches the occasional fan walk by the garage.

Patrick's debut will come whenever the Great American Rainout ends, maybe Monday on primetime network TV, if the skies clear.

For now, her trailer is quiet. Her car sits idle. Her crew members finish drying her Chevy, cover one of sports' biggest stories with a black tarp and walk, hammers in hand, out of the stall and into the rain.

NASCAR officials wait for them to leave the quiet garage and shut the door.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — When you've been around racing as long as crew chief Ryan Pemberton, you think you've seen it all.

"You see some of the darnedest things," Pemberton said.

But few have been as unusual as the 54th Daytona 500, which ended early this morning when Matt Kenseth took a green-white-checkered victory to earn his second 500 win.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. nipped Greg Biffle at the strip for second.

What pushed one of the weirdest Daytona 500s into early today was a delay of more than two hours, called with 40 laps left, after a car crashed with a safety vehicle and sent flames shooting into the sky.

No injuries were reported.

The trouble began on Lap 156 when David Stremme's engine blew and his No. 30 Toyota spun out, bringing out the race's seventh caution. Most of the field pitted for what drivers thought would be the final time, including Juan Pablo Montoya.

Montoya, the 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner who moved to NASCAR six years ago, reported bad vibrations with his No. 42 Chevrolet. His crew looked under the car to identify the problem but found nothing wrong.

Montoya put his car into fourth gear to try to catch up with the rest of the pack, but he felt the rear of his car slipping.

"There's still something broke," Montoya told his team. "There's still something broke."

Montoya was right. He lost control on the backstretch, and his car spun 180 degrees and slammed into one of the three safety trucks equipped with a track-drying jet engine near the entrance of Turn 3.

"I have a hit a lot of things," Montoya said, "but a jet dryer? I mean, no."

The crash caused a fiery explosion, but Montoya and the truck driver emerged safely. Montoya was evaluated at the track. The truck driver, who wasn't identified, was taken to a hospital and released.

The blast destroyed the front of Montoya's car and damaged the truck's trailer beyond recognition and blew out its tires.

Almost three dozen safety vehicles gathered near the turn to put out the blaze. The fire burned for more than five minutes as black smoke billowed into the sky.

The jet engine was charred, and fuel dripped from holes as a forklift carted the truck's lopsided remains off the 2.5-mile trioval.

The SAFER barrier was singed, and so was the superspeedway's asphalt. The crew spent more than a half-hour covering the turn with absorbent material and laundry detergent to soak up the lingering fuel and sweeping it off with brooms. "The biggest concern was the condition of the asphalt underneath the flames, underneath the truck," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.

The drivers were allowed to exit their cars after about 10 minutes under the red flag.

Montoya's crash continued a bizarre weekend for NASCAR's Super Bowl and season opener. The race was postponed for the first time in NASCAR's 54-year history Sunday because of steady rain all day. NASCAR initially planned to restart the race at noon Monday, but persistent rain forced series officials to make an early decision to hold off until 7 p.m., giving the race its first prime-time TV appearance.

Two laps in, Danica Patrick, in her Sprint Cup debut; five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson and defending champion Trevor Bayne were among six who had their race hopes dashed with a wreck.

Three-time race winner Jeff Gordon's night ended early, too, with a blown engine.

A multicar wreck with 10 laps left further slowed things.

"It's a bizarre set of circumstances nobody could have helped happen," Helton said.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH — The wildest Daytona 500 ever began with water and featured smoke rising into the night sky.

For champion Matt Kenseth and the rest of the field.

Kenseth overcame 36 hours of rain and fire delays, plus radiator and communication problems to edge Dale Earnhardt Jr. and teammate Greg Biffle and claim his second Daytona 500 victory early Tuesday morning in a green-white-checkered finish.

"I wasn't expecting to win when I woke up this morning," Kenseth said.

But he and his Roush Fenway Racing team stood in victory lane early Tuesday morning, with a tired Kenseth hoisting his second Daytona trophy almost 36 hours after the race was scheduled to begin.

Rain postponed Sunday's 1 p.m. start until noon Monday for the first time in the race's 54-year history. More showers delayed the green flag again, until 7 p.m. A fiery explosion from Juan Pablo Montoya's crash into a safety truck and track-drying its jet engine added a two-hour delay but injured no one.

"It's been a long night," Earnhardt said of the Great American Race's first primetime run.

A six-car wreck on the second lap made the night longer for Danica Patrick, who finished 38th in her Sprint Cup debut. Jimmie Johnson got a nudge from Elliott Sadler and ended the five-time series champion's run. The ensuing crash collected Patrick and defending race champion Trevor Bayne.

"Unfortunately we've got another crashed GoDaddy car," Patrick said after her third accident of the week.

Things didn't start well for Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, either.

He fell into 32nd position by lap 70 when a radiator problem sent water shooting from his hood like a fountain. His car's communication was down, too. He could listen to his crew, but they couldn't hear him.

"We had a lot of problems," Kenseth said.

So did the track after a wicked explosion.

With 100 miles to go, Montoya's No. 42 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevy lost control on the backstretch during caution. He had complained of vibrations in his car, but his team found nothing wrong during a pit stop.

Moments later as he dropped into fourth gear to catch up to the pack, Montoya felt the rear of his car slip. It slid 180 degrees and slammed into one of the three safety trucks equipped with track-drying jet engines near the entrance of Turn 3.

"I have a hit a lot of things," Montoya said, "but a jet dryer? I mean, no."

Orange flames shot to the sky, but Montoya and the truck driver emerged from the accident safely. Both were checked out at area hospitals but sustained no serious injuries.

Their vehicles and track were not so lucky. The blast destroyed the front of Montoya's car and burned his helmet. It damaged the truck's trailer beyond recognition. Track president Joie Chitwood III estimated that 200 gallons of jet fuel spilled onto the track.

"It got your attention really quick," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.

Almost three dozen safety vehicles gathered near the turn to hose down the blaze as black smoke billowed past the speedway's lights and into the dark sky. Red flashing lights lined the corner long after the flames died out and a forklift carted off the vehicles' remains. Workers spread absorbent material and laundry detergent on the asphalt and spent most of the two-hour, five-minute delay to get the track ready for the last 40 laps.

When the red flag came out, Dave Blaney was in the lead because he hadn't yet pitted a final time.

Blaney wasn't even the top driver on his team - that was Patrick, who took Tommy Baldwin Racing's automatic spot in the field. Blaney needed a 12th-place finish in the Gatorade Duel II just to qualify, but his car led the field with 40 laps left.

"After you do this stuff, long enough, you always think, 'What's next?"' said Blaney's crew chief, Ryan Pemberton. "You see some of the darnedest things."

Blaney lost the lead when he fueled up around midnight, and Kenseth's quickest final pit stop gave him the lead. The 39-year-old survived three late wrecks that included 19 cars, including a caution on lap 198 that forced Daytona's sixth green-white-checkered finish in the last eight races.

He held off a late charge as Earnhardt pushed Biffle - Kenseth's teammate - before taking the 22nd checkered flag of his career.

"It's like the 17 had more motor at the end," said Biffle, who edged Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton. "We couldn't catch him."

In one of the wildest races in NASCAR history, no one could catch Kenseth, who led 50 laps, including the last 38. Only Hamlin (57 laps) led more.

In 2009, Kenseth took the checkered flag here at a rain-shortened Daytona 500. Three years later, he was celebrating at another soggy weekend, smoking his tires outside Turn 4, as early-morning fog began to roll over the lights of the sleepy speedway.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — When catcher Chris Gimenez signed a minor league deal with the Rays on the eve of camp, picking them over a couple other teams, opportunity was a key selling point.

"They said the backup situation was wide-open," said Gimenez, 29. "They said it was a 'winnable job.' "

As one of the few position battles this spring, the second catcher spot behind veteran Jose Molina is "not even close to being locked up," manager Joe Maddon said Monday. There are the incumbents, 27-year-olds Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos, who each have limited experience — and success — at the big-league level. Lobaton, who is out of options, would appear to have a slight edge going in, with Gimenez not on the 40-man roster, but both Venezuelans still have a lot to prove.

"It's a big moment for me," Lobaton said.

Said Chirinos: "I have everything in my hands."

Considering Molina's career high is 81 starts (in 2008), the backup will also have his hands full, a large workload that will play into the team's decision.

"It's not your typical backup catcher," Maddon said. "It's not Sunday or two days a week. That's very important, that's why you've got to work all the different things, whose tools will be able to handle the kind of workload, play to a consistent level."

For Gimenez, all he ever wanted was a more regular role. Drafted as an infielder by the Indians in 2004, Gimenez converted to a catcher a couple years later. Though he has gained versatility at the corner infield and outfield spots, he has hit just .171 in the majors, though dealing with sporadic playing time.

"In my whole career, that's something — I've gone 12-15 days without playing," Gimenez said. "It's tough when you play once a week or 15 days, and then face CC Sabathia."

Gimenez moved into a new Reno, Nev., home with his wife, and baby son Jace during the offseason, but was designated for assignment by the Mariners Feb. 6 before signing with Tampa Bay 10 days later. "It's crazy how things work," he said.

Maddon loves Gimenez's personality — bright, engaging, sharp — with the kind of makeup that's important as a catcher. But there will be other factors that help the Rays choose, from their ability to receive and prepare to how they're received by the pitchers. Defense means more than offensive ability, with Maddon saying "one thing that's really important is a pitcher likes throwing to that catcher."

Right-hander Jeff Niemann said he enjoyed throwing to both Lobaton and Chirinos last season. "We didn't miss anything because they were out there," Niemann said. "They played at a very high level."

Both rookies had their moments, but Maddon said neither separated himself. Chirinos, acquired from the Cubs in the Matt Garza trade, doubled in his first at-bat July 18 against the Yankees, and added a walk-off single against the Jays Aug. 4. "A dream come true," he said.

But Chirinos hit .218 in 20 games, and while he was exceptional blocking behind the plate, he threw out just two of 23 attempted basestealers. He said he's made the right adjustments.

"I'm happy where I'm at right now, but I know I can get better," Chirinos said. "And I can be a guy to catch everyday in the big leagues."

Lobaton also had a shot, but sprained his left knee in his third game and missed 43 while on the disabled list. He hit .115 in 15 games, yielding playing time to Kelly Shoppach down the stretch partly due to his lack of offense.

"Offensively, I think maybe I was trying to do too much," Lobaton said. "To … show those guys I was ready to play, but never relaxed. Now, it's different."

Both Chirinos (broken wrist) and Lobaton (sore shoulder) had setbacks during winter ball, but are healthy and ready for the crowded three-way competition.

"It's a good fight," Lobaton said, smiling. "But a clean fight."

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

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — LHP Matt Moore said it wasn't a big deal and he already was feeling better. Manager Joe Maddon said he wouldn't even consider it a setback.

But the reality was that Moore, the talented 22-year-old lefty, was forced to miss his scheduled batting practice session Monday due to what the Rays called "a mild lower abdominal strain."

Maddon said head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield was just being overly cautious — "Just being Ronnie" — and Moore said it was "a possibility" he could be back on the mound as soon as Wednesday.

Moore first felt the discomfort during his Friday bullpen session, centered just below his belly button, but not restricting his movements. "It feels like a sore muscle," he said. "Like if you had a sore hamstring."

The Rays were concerned enough to limit Moore to playing catch at 60 feet on Saturday and 75 on Sunday, then have him rest Monday, but not enough to have him have an MRI exam.

"I don't feel like it's a major setback just because I told (the training staff) and I threw the next couple days," Moore said. "If it was something major I would have shut it down and just been like, 'Hey, this is it for right now.' ... In the last couple of days it seems to already be getting better."

Maddon said the delay would not have any impact on Moore being ready to start the regular season.

"I don't anticipate it being a long time before Matt gets out there and I don't consider it a setback at all," he said. "I don't see any issues at all right now. It sounds pretty benign from what they're telling me."

PRICE VS. TWINS: LHP David Price will start Saturday's exhibition opener against the Twins in Fort Myers. The Rays will use a six-man rotation through the spring, Maddon said, allowing them to get all of their top candidates — James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, Moore and Price — fully stretched out, then sort out which five will open the season as starters.

PITCHING IN: LHP J.P. Howell was among the pitchers who stood out during the live batting practice sessions, specifically with the movement on his pitches. "I don't know there was any moment last year he threw the ball that well as I saw today," Maddon said.

Also impressing were RHPs Fernando Rodney, the veteran free agent addition; Dane De La Rosa, the 29-year-old rookie who debuted last season; and Ricky Orta, a 27-year-old who missed the last two seasons recovering from elbow surgery. "I can't be thankful enough," Orta said.

RHP Brandon Gomes, coming off lower back surgery, had a bullpen session Monday, with another scheduled Wednesday before throwing his first batting practice Saturday.

FIELD WORK: Maddon praised the position players for their intensity during bunt defense and other drills, saying, "It may be Feb. 27, but I promise you on like July 3 if you don't have it down it's going to make a big difference in that game."

MISCELLANY: Regular-season individual game tickets went on sale Monday at all outlets, including the Tropicana Field box office, team Tampa store and Ticketmaster. ... Principal owner Stuart Sternberg is expected at camp Tuesday. ... Thursday's 11 a.m. intrasquad game will not be open to the public. ... LHP Dave LaPoint, who pitched for the Cardinals and eight other teams in a 12-year big-league career, was a Monday guest.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

Interesting moves of the day

To get prospect SS Hak-Ju Lee more involved in his first big-league camp, RHP James Shields called him out before Monday's workout to do his usual pregame dugout dance in front of the whole squad. "He kind of got blindsided," Shields said. "He's pretty good. He pulled some Michael Jackson moves on us. I've never anybody do the moonwalk in spikes."

Quote of the day

"You don't have to worry about me unless you're a criminal or a communist."

Luke Scott, on, well, being Luke Scott

An old face in a new place

Tampa native Fred McGriff didn't make it out to the field too often during several years in the Rays front office, but he was at Disney on Monday to start a week as a special instructor in Braves camp.

Who is this Ray?

He is a native of Cuba who first signed with the Yankees. He made his big-league debut in 2008, and hit his first homer in 2009 vs. the Rays. He was Arizona's opening-day first baseman last season.

The dish

Today's full-squad workout starts around 9:30 a.m. at the Charlotte Sports Park (2300 El Jobean Road) and lasts 3 hours. Admission and parking 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 left. For more information: (941) 235-5025.

Heads up

Live batting practice starts around 11, with Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson and Alex Cobb among those scheduled to throw.

Exhibition schedule

Rays tickets: $9/12-27, available at box office, via raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster.

Info: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)

All games 1:05 unless noted

March

3: at Twins

4: Twins

5: Orioles

6: Twins

7: at Yankees

8: Tigers (ss)

at Twins (ss)

9: Orioles

10: at Red Sox (7:05)

11: Pirates

12: Twins

13: at Orioles

14: Marlins

15: Phillies

16: at Jays

17: at Pirates

18: Red Sox

19: Off

20: at Marlins

21: Yankees

22: at Pirates

23: Jays (7:05)

24: at Twins (3:05)

25: Marlins

26: at Twins

27: at Red Sox (1:35)

28: Pirates (7:05)

29: at Phillies

30: at Pirates

31: Red Sox

APRIL

1: at Orioles

2: Twins

3: at Twins

4: vs. Future Rays, 1:40, at Trop.

* Value game, $2 off

Who is this answer: 1B Juan Miranda

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Interesting items of the day

New DH Luke Scott brought the two 7½-foot spears that he has used to kill wild pigs to the clubhouse, showing them off to inquiring teammates (and reporters). "Guys were asking me about them," he said. "Take a look, see what you think, come out (hunting) if you want."

Tributes of the day

3B coach Tom Foley wore a modified jersey, with his name FO-LEE. Foley, who is part Japanese, Filipino and Hawaiian, showed it to Hak-Ju Lee, who said, "I like it." … 3B Evan Longoria's Game 162-ending home run is featured on the cover of the team media guide.

By Dave Zalewski, Times Correspondent
Monday, February 27, 2012

What's hot: On every trip offshore last week we encountered scattered schools of large Spanish sardines and hardtails in the 40-foot depth range in all directions from John's Pass. It was easy to catch them on sabiki rigs and proceed to 55- to 60-foot depth. There, they were used for outstanding catch and release action from gag and red grouper. Switching to light tackle, small 2/0 hooks snapper rigs baited with strips of squid or grunts, nonstop action occurred from white grunts, porgies, triggerfish, sea bass, and an occasional mangrove snapper along with grouper that presented a challenge keeping them away from the structure. Although they are harder to clean than a single larger fish, the smaller reef fish all provide excellent table fare.

Trolling time: The early arrival of larger baitfish and unusually warm gulf water prompted us to try trolling. South County artificial reef was a logical choice because of the depths where we were catching the baitfish. Floating seaweed made trolling with planers and spoons difficult. Spanish mackerel have arrived. Every pass over the tug "Orange" that we made without weed-fouled lines produced a 14- to 16-inch mackerel.

Tip: There is no longer a marker on the South County reef. Get coordinates for the reef and the structure scattered throughout the area at pinellascounty.org/utilities/reef.

Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach. Call (727) 397-8815.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

GAINESVILLE — Billy Donovan's Florida basketball team will close out the regular season this week against two of the SEC's best teams, and although the Gators remain among the league's top three, they aren't playing like it.

Florida will play at Vanderbilt tonight in a nationally televised prime-time game, then host No. 1 Kentucky on Sunday. At this late stage, Donovan's biggest concern isn't the loss of top reserve Will Yeguete to a broken foot but the lack of energy and passion he believes the team must possess at this critical time of the year.

Florida's loss to Georgia on Saturday — one of the league's worst teams — dropped the Gators from No. 12 to No. 16 in the latest AP poll, led to the temporary benching of senior PG Erving Walker and has forced Donovan to turn to his freshmen and sophomores for more on-court leadership.

"The thing that I would like to see our guys to do is to get Brad Beal, and Scottie Wilbekin and Patric Young, not so much from a leadership standpoint, but just to get our team huddled," Donovan said. "We have to get more connected mentally.

"I think what happens, just like anything else, everyone deals with competitive situations differently. Some guys get really, really introverted and they become quiet; some guys get more outspoken. It doesn't mean that it's bad or it's good, but the one thing we don't have is really an outspoken person to hold everyone accountable. It doesn't need to be berating or yelling or telling the guy what he's doing wrong, but encouraging."

Donovan has been trying to get more from Walker and junior Kenny Boynton, but it's becoming increasingly clear the two low-key personalities aren't suited for the emotional, fiery leadership the Gators need right now. Until now, they've always relied on others like former Gator Chandler Parsons.

"I don't have a problem with it," Beal said. "We're talking on the floor all the time, and on top of that I'm real cool with the guys and I know everybody so I feel comfortable doing it."

The Gators declined to label tonight's game a must-win, but its importance can't be overstated.

"This is going to be a huge game for us to see where we're at, especially coming off this loss," Young said. "They are going to be jacked up, it's their senior night and they have four seniors. They are on their home court and we beat them the last four times, we swept them last year. I'm sure they definitely would like to get us back for those times that we got them. It would be really huge if we come away with this win, going into Kentucky and then the (SEC) tournament, to give us some of that momentum."

TOURNEY TIME: The eighth-seeded women's basketball team (18-11, 8-8) will kick off the SEC tournament at 1 p.m. Thursday against No. 9 seed Auburn (13-16, 5-11) in Nashville. The Gators have an RPI of 37 and a strength of schedule at No. 11. In the 30-year history of the NCAA Tournament, 15 SEC teams have received tournament bids with .500 or worse conference records.

"I think we've proven that we need to be in the NCAA Tournament, but there's still basketball to play," coach Amanda Butler said. "The more responsible thing to do is go out and get more wins. In terms of our conversations, that's where they are going to be slanted toward. The tournament that we're worried about right now is the SEC tournament. I don't think our focus needs to be beyond that."

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

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, February 27, 2012

By now you have retraced every footstep he took on the road to nowhere. You know about the detours, and you know about the obstacles in the road.

Eleven starts and already Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has his own mania. With every point, and with every pun, the legend swells. He is twice as big as he was last week and a hundred times what he was three weeks ago.

As quickly as a flashbulb flashes, Lin has become the hottest story in sports. He is talented, and we love that about him. He is humble, and we love that, too. The league never saw him coming, and we really love that.

Lin has become one of those unexpected delights that sports offers us from time to time. A little more than three weeks ago, Lin was just another guy on another bench, and if he had been cut for a third time, no one would have paid much attention.

These days he has crammed a lot of stardom into February, and his story is well-known. How two teams cut him. How the major colleges didn't want him. How his story has inspired others. When it comes to Lin, the last remaining question for fans across the country is how they can obtain such a player for their teams.

Except here, of course. Here, we have seen this story before.

In Tampa Bay, we call it "the tale of Marty St. Louis.''

You want to talk about underdogs and overachievers? You want to talk about traveling from nowhere to success? You want to talk about resiliency in the face of skeptics? If Sunday's hat trick against New Jersey meant nothing else, it meant that it is time to appreciate St. Louis all over again.

Put it this way: The only thing Lin has on St. Louis is a bigger skyline behind him.

Nothing against Lin. Heck, I appreciate a good story as much as anyone, especially the one where a player endures the doubts, gets his chance and exceeds all expectations.

Except, uh, Lin has been at it for 11 games. Marty has been a great player for 11 years in Tampa Bay.

Just asking, but where is Marty's mania?

St. Louis and Lin have similarities. Coming out of Harvard, Lin wasn't drafted by the NBA. Coming out of Vermont, St. Louis wasn't drafted by the NHL. Sacramento and Houston cut Lin. Ottawa and Calgary cut St. Louis. Lin ended up in the developmental league. St. Louis ended up in the IHL.

Here's your difference: St. Louis has become a star. He's won an MVP. He's won a Stanley Cup. He is working on his ninth straight season of 20 goals or more. You could make a strong Hall of Fame case for him.

And still, Ben & Jerry didn't trip over each other in their awkward haste to name a flavor for St. Louis, did they? Endorsers weren't lining up the way they are with Lin. No one talked about a movie of his life.

It isn't just St. Louis, either. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner created some commotion when he went from grocery stocker to success with the Rams, but it was nothing like Lin's. You can say the same about unexpected stars such as Albert Pujols and Mike Piazza and Johnny Unitas. Most of them had to play a lot more than 11 games to get the party started.

So what creates mania? Aside from being Tim Tebow, that is?

For one thing, Lin plays in New York, where there are more hype machines than ATMs. It is safe to say Lin's fame grew a little faster than it would have in, say, Oklahoma City.

Then there is Lin's heritage. As the American-born son of immigrants from Taiwan, Lin has opened up the sport for a lot of new fans.

Also, he plays basketball, where the goals come easier. In a recent game, for instance, Lin hit only 8 of 18 shots against the Nets, but he still scored 21 points, which sounds like a better night than it was.

St. Louis, on the other hand, plays hockey. Score a point a night in that sport and you are filling it up.

Locally St. Louis is beloved, one of the top handful of stars Tampa Bay has ever enjoyed. Nationally, however, there has never been quite enough appreciation of the journey he has taken. Lin's story reminds you that St. Louis' road has been terrific, too.

Tampa Bay has seen a few of these trips from nowhere, hasn't it? There was Jim Morris, the Rays pitcher who made it to the bigs at age 35. They made a movie — The Rookie — about him. The Rays also had pitcher Lance Carter, who made it to the All-Star Game after two Tommy John ligament surgeries. They had Dan Johnson, who spent most of his time in the minors but came up in time to hit two of the biggest home runs in the history of the franchise. Sam Fuld was quite the deal early last season with the Rays.

Most of the Bucs who have made the Pro Bowl have been drafted fairly high by the team. But back in 1990, cornerback Wayne Haddix made it. He had been picked off waivers from the Giants, where he had never started a game. Clifton Smith and Donald Penn, both undrafted, also made a Pro Bowl each.

The Lightning? Besides St. Louis, there was Dan Boyle. There was John Cullen, who came back from cancer.

Around here, however, no one has done more with fewer expectations than St. Louis.

Lin-sanity?

In Tampa Bay, Marty tells the story better. You don't have to be a maniac to appreciate it.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, February 27, 2012

Busy day

The Lightning was one of the league's busiest trade-deadline teams Monday, with three deals:

• Acquired D Mike Commodore, 32, from the Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round draft pick

• Acquired D Keith Aulie, 22, from the Maple Leafs for minor-league RW Carter Ashton

• Acquired D Brian Lee, 24, from the Senators for D Matt Gilroy