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Bans for all time

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Black Sox scandal

Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from the majors for life after throwing or having knowledge of a fix in the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The most famous name to be booted was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who had a then-record 12 hits in the World Series, a .375 batting average and no errors. There's debate as to whether Jackson actually took money and whether he did anything to hurt the White Sox's chances. Some also say Jackson tried to tell White Sox owner Charles Comiskey about the fix but Comiskey refused to meet with him. Maybe it's time to posthumously reinstate Jackson, who died in 1951. With conflicting reports, all we can do is look at how Jackson played in the 1919 World Series. And those numbers suggest he tried to win. Same goes for Jackson's banned teammate Buck Weaver (.324 in the Series, 11 hits, no errors).

Pete Rose

Baseball's all-time hit king accepted a lifetime ban in 1989 for betting on baseball games, but not until 2004 did he publicly admit to betting on games, including those played by the team he managed, the Reds.

Though many think it's ridiculous that the man who collected more hits than anyone in major-league history is not in the Hall of Fame, his ban (including his exclusion from the Hall) is just. Rose spit on the integrity of the game.

Many Rose supporters say Rose bet only on his team to win, so it wasn't like he fixed games. However, you cannot manage every game like it's the seventh game of the World Series. Were there nights Rose wrecked his bullpen just to squeeze out a victory? Were there nights a star was in the lineup when he and the team would've benefitted in the long run from giving him the night off?

Rose's gambling to win in the short term undoubtably hurt the Reds (and baseball) in the long run.

Muhammad Ali

Ali had his boxing license suspended for refusing to report after being drafted into the Army in 1967. His ban lasted three years. In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor in his appeal of his conviction for refusing to report; Ali had wanted conscientious objector status. To this day, many still criticize Ali for refusing to serve his country in the Vietnam War, while others applaud him for being one of the first major voices to protest a war just about everyone eventually opposed. It still seems wrong to have denied a man a chance to work when even the Supreme Court confirmed he was within his rights.

Todd Bertuzzi

Many NHL players have been suspended for the "rest of the season.'' Tough guy Chris Simon was suspended several times in his career, for run-ins including stepping on a player's leg with his skate and slashing a player in the face. Those suspensions turned out to be 30 and 25 games.

Boston's Marty McSorley was suspended for the rest of the 1999-2000 season for hitting Vancouver's Donald Brashear in the head with a stick in February. The rest of the season was 23 games, but McSorley never played another NHL game.

But hockey's most disgusting act was when Bertuzzi, then with the Canucks, sucker punched Colorado's Steve Moore in a March 2004 game. Moore hasn't played since. Bertuzzi missed the final 13 regular-season games, plus seven playoff games. His suspension remained "indefinite,'' and he ended up playing nowhere in the world during the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 NHL season. He finally was reinstated in the fall of 2005; he now is with the Red Wings.

Perhaps a more fair punishment would have been to allow Bertuzzi to return to the game when Moore did. Since Moore hasn't, maybe Bertuzzi should have sat out forever.

SMU football

There is little doubt that the shenanigans involving the SMU football team in the 1980s were among the most brazen and abusive in college sports history. Already on a two-year probation for showering players with cash and gifts, SMU was found to have a slush fund from which players continued to be paid. The NCAA then brought down the hammer, dolling out its death penalty. The 1987 SMU season was canceled, and the team wasn't allowed to play home games in 1988. The school later canceled the entire 1988 season.

The effects lasted well beyond those two years. The program didn't return to a bowl game until 2009. The death penalty was so devastating to the program, there's a belief the NCAA will never hand out such a punishment again.

Paul Hornung and Alex Karras

In 1963, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended two of the league's most popular players — Packers running back Paul Hornung, top left, and Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras — for betting on games and associating with gamblers. The players sat out one season. It seems almost silly now when you look back and realize Hornung bet up to $500 on games and Karras' bets were in the $50 to $100 range. Still, gambling on the sport and associating with gamblers goes to the very heart of raising doubt about the game's integrity. Though Hornung and Karras were not hard-core gamblers or what you would call criminals, they might have been fortunate the penalties were not stiffer.

George Steinbrenner

The legendary and controversial late Yankees owner was suspended twice during his time in Major League Baseball. The first was in 1974 for making illegal campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon and felony obstruction of justice. He was suspended for two years, but the ban was reduced to 15 months.

In 1990, then-commissioner Fay Vincent banned Steinbrenner for life after the owner paid gambler Howie Spira to dig up dirt on Yankees outfielder Dave Winfield. "The Boss" was allowed to return to day-to-day operations on March 1, 1993. In both cases, Steinbrenner deserved penalties, but MLB also used good sense in eventually letting Steinbrenner return to the team.

tom jones' two cents

Saints coach Sean Payton last week was suspended for the 2012 season for his role in the team's bounty system, which awarded players cash for putting opposing players out of a game. It is one of the stiffest punishments seen in sports. Here's our take on the Payton suspension, along with other memorable sports suspensions.

Sean Payton

The Saints bounty program appears to have been orchestrated by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is suspended indefinitely and might never work again in the NFL. But Payton deserves every second of his season suspension. Hey, he's the guy in charge. It happened on his watch. Plus, the indication is he ignored the league's warnings to knock off bounties. He is getting nailed almost as much for hubris as anything else. The suggestion that a coach would promote, condone or sign off on his players purposefully trying to injure an opponent is despicable and repulsive. And I don't want to hear the "other teams do it'' excuse. That's like telling your mom you should be able to stay out late because all your friends are allowed to stay out late. That excuse didn't work when you were in high school, and it doesn't work now.


Marshall practices, says he's improving

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

ST. LOUIS — Kendall Marshall participated in portions of practice for North Carolina on Saturday, though a decision on his status for today's Midwest Region final against Kansas will not be made until shortly before tipoff.

The Tar Heels point guard hurt the wrist when he was fouled on a drive against Creighton on March 18. He had surgery Monday to install a screw and got his cast off Wednesday.

On Saturday morning, Marshall was fitted for the brace he would wear to play. He did not take part in any contact during practice at the Edward Jones Dome, but he was involved in the walkthrough and shoot-around and had his wrist wrapped in an ice pack in the locker room afterward.

"The range of motion is getting gradually better every day, and that's a positive sign," Marshall said. "There's been tremendous improvement every 24 hours."

Marshall spent Friday night's game against Ohio sitting on the bench in a dapper black suit, tutoring freshman Stilman White whenever he checked out.

THUMBS DOWN: John Calipari is having a ball. Well, except for movie night.

The coach of top-seeded Kentucky has avoided watching other games during the NCAA Tournament, and he wants his players to do the same. His message: Focus on us and don't worry about other teams. So when on the road, the Wildcats usually head to the movies so they're not stuck in the hotel room watching other games.

After arriving in Atlanta, they went to see 21 Jump Street. Calipari's assessment: "Awful."

SUBDUED BAYLOR: Fans can put away their sunglasses: Baylor is turning down its electricity for today's South Region final against Kentucky.

Spokesman Chris Yandle said Baylor asked to again wear its bright neon green uniforms in the game but was told it did not provide sufficient contrast to Kentucky's white uniform.

Instead, the Bears will wear black uniforms with neon green trim, black socks and shoes, and green shoelaces.

COACH STAYING PUT: Wichita State's Gregg Marshall said he will remain as coach after leading the Shockers to the Missouri Valley Conference's regular-season title and an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. Last week, published reports said Marshall turned down a $2 million offer to become Nebraska's coach, a report Cornhuskers athletic director Tom Osborne denied.

DIVISION II FINAL: John Allen led five players in double figures with 14 points, and Western Washington (31-5) won its first national title, beating Montevallo, Ala., (29-8) 72-65 at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights. Allen, an 88.7 percent free-throw shooter, made four in a row to end Montevallo's late comeback.

Tampa Bay Rays: Joe Maddon doesn't need reminders that he missed Bruce Springsteen

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

Did you know?

The Rays' 19-4 loss Saturday matched their largest margin of defeat in spring training, tying a 20-5 loss at the Twins on March 6, 1998. But it wasn't the most runs they've given up in a spring game; they lost 23-9 to Texas on March 21, 2000.

Quote of the day

"Since I've been here, and almost any place I've been, I've never seen as many good bullpen candidates in a camp."

Rays manager Joe Maddon on the bullpen competition

Number of the day

5 Homers by the Twins in Saturday's game

Rays vs. Marlins

When/where: 1:05 today; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM

Tickets: Reserved seats $19-$27, berm/boardwalk $12. Available through raysbaseball.com, Ticketmaster, Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices, and Tampa team store

Gates open: 11 a.m.

Directions: Driving time from the bay area is 1½-2 hours. Suggested route: I-75 south to Exit 179 (Toledo Blade Road), go west 6½ miles (crossing U.S. 41) to El Jobean Road (SR 776), go right 2 miles, complex on the left.

Parking: $10; lots open at 4

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297

Pitchers: Rays — Wade Davis, J.P. Howell, Burke Badenhop; Marlins — Josh Johnson, Jose Ceda, Edward Mujica, Rob Delaney

Heads-up

Davis, competing for the fifth rotation spot, will start on the mound.

On deck

Monday: at Twins, 1:05 p.m. Rays — Jeff Niemann; Twins — Scott Baker

Upcoming schedule

All games 1:05 unless noted

March

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 Ray?

He is a versatile player competing for the starting shortstop spot. His father, Johnny, is a long-time baseball man and manager of the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League.

Who is this answer: INF Sean Rodriguez

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Missing Springsteen Part I

While manager Joe Maddon wasn't able to attend Friday's Bruce Springsteen concert in Tampa due to the Rays game, he heard rave reviews. "He did it in 'another way,' from what I was told, similar to what the Rays did last year," Maddon said. "Different music, I guess a big horn section, but a lot of energy. Sounded like a great night."

Missing Springsteen Part II

Maddon said Blue Jays manager John Farrell passed him a note during the early innings of Friday's 7 p.m. game at Charlotte Sports Park, reminding him of the obvious. "He says, 'Look at the time, do you realize Springsteen should be going on right about now? This should have been a 1 o'clock game.' I said, hey, it absolutely should have been. That is like the worst scheduling in the history of spring training baseball."

Union leader pleased with Tampa Bay Rays' payroll hike, hopes it pays off in attendance

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE

The Rays' increase in payroll from last season looks to come in at just about 50 percent, a dramatic hike for any team, but especially one that ranked near the bottom in attendance.

Though their approximately $63 million payroll isn't anywhere near the $200 million Yankees or $178 million Red Sox, it's still a good sign, especially to players union chief Michael Weiner.

"The Rays have been a very successful team on the field, and they also are successfully running a business," Weiner said Friday after the annual meeting with the team. "That's what they should be doing. We're glad to see them increase their payroll, and we hope that the new basic agreement creates incentives that allow them to continue to be competitive."

Principal owner Stuart Sternberg has said they made the increase essentially as an investment in optimism, spending beyond their means in hopes that the improved team wins, and that attendance increases in response.

Weiner is hoping for a similar payoff.

"We follow (the attendance issue) because they have a very competitive team with some very engaging players, guys that have been with the organization and been with the fans for a long time, and you'd like to see more success," he said. "I know the TV ratings, the local TV ratings for the Rays are very good, there's a lot of people that follow the club, a lot of people that read you guys when you write about them. And you'd love to see that pay off with more people in the stands."

Also, Weiner said, the expanded playoff format with a second wild card "has to help a team like the Rays."

BIG BOUNTY: There was much talk in the clubhouse about the NFL's punishment of the Saints for their bounty system, but little concern that similar plans exist in baseball. 1B Carlos Peña, hit by pitches 117 times as a pro, said pitchers at times "try to hurt you, but they don't try to injure you."

RAYS RUMBLINGS: Sports Illustrated quotes a rival scout in its preview issue saying the Rays are "the best team I saw all spring. It's all about the starting pitching." … Quite a New York state of mind last week, with Billy Joel and Joe Namath both wearing Rays gear. … The Bovada online gambling site has David Price 7-1 to win the AL Cy Young award, James Shields and Matt Moore 25-1. Also, Evan Longoria is 15-1 to win the AL MVP award, 25-1 to lead the majors in homers. … An HBO Real Sports crew was in camp working on a Joe Maddon piece. … Former Rays reliever Joe Nelson is now scouting for the Red Sox. … DH Luke Scott has been wearing his Orioles orange sunglasses, waiting for the right lenses for his Rays blue ones. … If the Rays don't keep INF Elliot Johnson, the Star-Tribune suggests the Twins could be very interested. … Among minor-leaguers released last week were 2011 draft picks INF Raymond Church (26th round) and RHP Lucas Irvine (27th round).

. fast facts

Roster report

Our weekly semi-educated guesses at the makeup of the 25-man opening day roster:

Pitchers (12): Burke Badenhop, Wade Davis, Kyle Farnsworth, Jeremy Hellickson, J.P. Howell, Jake McGee, Matt Moore, Jeff Niemann, Joel Peralta, David Price, Fernando Rodney, James Shields

Catchers (2): Jose Lobaton, Jose Molina

Infielders (6): Elliot Johnson, Jeff Keppinger, Evan Longoria, Carlos Peña, Sean Rodriguez, Ben Zobrist

Outfielders (4): Sam Fuld, Desmond Jennings, Matt Joyce, B.J. Upton

DH (1): Luke Scott

Disabled list (1): Reid Brignac

Logano win keeps team hot

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

FONTANA, Calif. — Joey Logano kept the streak alive.

After a wild, three-car battle for the lead, Logano held off Ricky Stenhouse to win Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide series Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway.

The win is his first in Nationwide this season and the eighth consecutive series race at Fontana won by Joe Gibbs Racing.

"It's good to be finally back in Victory Lane," said Logano, whose most recent win came in July at Daytona. "… We gave a couple away here lately and today we were able to capitalize on a car capable of winning."

Auto Club Speedway's wide, 2-mile track provided several tense moments of four- and even five-wide racing at times.

Trevor Bayne led a restart on Lap 139 of 150 but Logano took the lead less than a lap later. Several times over the final 15 laps, Logano was challenged for the lead from Brad Keselowski and Stenhouse.

Danica Patrick, who turns 30 today, dropped out with engine failure near the midway point and finished 35th.

FORMULA ONE: Lewis Hamilton took the pole for the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, ahead of McLaren teammate Jenson Button. They also started 1-2 in the opener in Australia. The race was run overnight.

Chipper's final year to be delayed

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

DUNEDIN — Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will miss the start of his farewell season.

On Saturday, two days after Jones announced this will be his final year, Braves general manager Frank Wren said Jones will have arthroscopic surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee.

The procedure is scheduled to be performed Monday. Jones, 39, will open the season on the disabled list, but the team expects him to miss only the first six games. Wren said Jones should return in time for the April 13 home opener.

Martin Prado, normally the starting leftfielder, will move to the infield until Jones returns. Wren said he's not looking to make a trade for help at third base or in the outfield.

Jones missed two weeks last season after having arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. This is the latest in a string of injuries that persuaded him to retire after one more season. He turns 40 next month.

With Prado starting the season at third, the Braves could turn to Matt Diaz or Eric Hinske in left field. Jones' injury also could create an opportunity for Jose Constanza or Jordan Parraz.

REDS LOSE CLOSER: Instead of closing for the Reds, Ryan Madson will miss the 2012 season because of a torn ligament in his right elbow.

Madson returned to Cincinnati and was examined by team medical director Timothy Kremchek. The Reds said Kremchek told general manager Walt Jocketty the ligament was torn from the bone of Madson's right elbow.

"We talked to the team. We all have to stay positive," Jocketty said. "We have alternatives internally that we will sort through in the next few days."

Sean Marshall, obtained from the Cubs in December, becomes a leading candidate for closer.

ASTROS: Left-hander Sergio Escalona will have ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

CUBS: Bullpen candidate Marcos Mateo won't throw for 10 to 14 days because of a sore elbow. The right-hander came out of Thursday's game against the Rangers after facing one batter.

NATIONALS: Manager Davey Johnson said that closer Drew Storen is unlikely to be ready for opening day. The right-hander hasn't pitched since March 7 because of right elbow inflammation.

PIRATES: Right-hander A.J. Burnett threw batting practice for the first time and reported no problems. He is expected to be out until at least early June after having surgery to repair a broken right orbital bone.

RANGERS: Right-hander Neftali Feliz, sidelined since leaving his outing Tuesday with shoulder tightness, felt good enough after a throwing session that he's scheduled to throw a bullpen session today.

TIGERS: Third baseman Miguel Cabrera said he is ready to rejoin the lineup, but manager Jim Leyland wants to wait for doctors to give their okay. Cabrera broke a bone below his right eye Monday when struck by a bad-hop grounder.

TWINS: Minor league left-hander Aaron Thompson is facing a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy.

Florida Gators coach Billy Donovan happy for friend, mentor Rick Pitino

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

How an 11-point lead disappears

With 8:16 left, Patric Young's dunk put Florida up 65-54. From there, the Gators made just one field goal while being outscored 18-3:

Louisville Florida

8:04: Behanan 3-pointer (65-57, UF) 7:24: Walker misses jumper

6:55: Young misses jumper

6:40: Behanan jumper (65-59, UF) 6:23: Walker 0-of-2 FTs

6:07: Behanan misses jumper 5:50: Walker misses 3-pointer

5:40: Smith 3-pointer (65-62, UF) 5:19: Beal turnover

4:59: Smith jumper (65-64, UF) 4:39: Beal misses layup

4:20: Silva misses layup 3:58: Young 1-of-2 FTs (66-64, UF)

3:30: Smith misses jumper

3:28: Smith misses jumper

3:07: Behanan layup (66-66) 2:39: Boynton layup (68-66, UF)

2:25: Florida steal 2:02: Beal layup blocked

1:46: Smith 1-of-2 FTs (68-67, UF) 1:25: Boynton misses jumper

1:06: Behanan jumper (69-68, UL) :48: Beal layup blocked

:40: Walker misses jumper

:19 Florida steal :18: Beal turnover

:17: Smith 2-of-2 FTs (71-68, UL) :11: Beal misses 3-pointer

:08: Boynton misses 3-pointer

:03: Blackshear 1-of-2 FTs (72-68, UL) :02: Walker misses 3-pointer



PHOENIX — Call Saturday's loss to Louisville bittersweet for Florida coach Billy Donovan.

Though he won't be going to the Final Four, his mentor and close friend Rick Pitino will. And Donovan said there was some consolation in that.

"I personally, for me, am very happy for Coach Pitino," said Donovan, who played for Pitino at Providence in the '70s and led the school to its first Final Four. "Certainly, emotionally going into the game it's always a difficult situation like that, with our relationship, but I don't think any coach enjoys losing in this type of situation. But if I had to lose, it would be to him, to have him toward the end of his career to enjoy this experience."

Donovan is 0-7 vs. Pitino coaching for Marshall and UF.

"(Saturday) it was very difficult because of the way the game ended, because they outplayed us," Pitino said. "For 32 minutes they outplayed us. And it really hurt inside. As much as I felt like celebrating, it really hurt because he did such a masterful job of coaching. Florida was brilliant. It hurts to see Billy lose."

TOTAL DEVASTATION: Devastated. That was the word that permeated the Florida locker room as the Gators tried to come to terms with the fact they had fallen one game short of the Final Four for the second straight season. After losing four of their last five games before the NCAA Tournament, the Gators rallied to win three of four. It was little consolation.

"It's really cruel because we were so close," sophomore C Patric Young said. "We really thought we were going to come out and win this game. We thought we were going to be preparing for Kentucky or Baylor coming up next weekend and our season wasn't going to be over, yet. We had a really good run, but we really thought we were going to be cutting down the nets (Saturday), as we (thought) last year."

The toughest part? The 11-point lead that evaporated late — just like last year.

"Same feeling (as last year's loss to Butler)," junior G Kenny Boynton said. "We were up, blew the lead, same feeling. You wish you could get it back, but you know it's over. You can't change it."

BEAL'S FUTURE: Freshman G Bradley Beal, who reportedly is considered a lottery pick by NBA scouts, said after the game he was too hurt to even consider next season. He said on Friday that he will sit down with Donovan and his parents after the season and decide what's best for his future.

Tampa Bay Rays' Sam Fuld still amazed by rise to prominence

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — A year ago, Sam Fuld was, well, interesting.

Fringe major-leaguer, acquired in a trade, with a shot to make the Rays as a backup. Decent backstory, what with the diabetes, lack of size, Stanford education, intellectual parents, Stats LLC internship. Scrappy rep. Good quote. Nice enough guy.

Hardly, though, the stuff of legend.

"He was," manager Joe Maddon said, "just Sam."

But that was before the breathtaking catch in Chicago, the frenzied Fenway Park debut, the Super Sam Fuld Superhero Cape giveaway, the guest spot on the All-Star Home Run Derby broadcast, the dazzling dash to beat the Royals. Before the Twitter explosion, before all the interviews and national stories, before he was asked to sign autographs, to lend his name to causes, to write articles about what he thought.

Before he became The Legend.

"I never would have thought all that stuff would have happened," Fuld said. "And in such a small time frame."

What happened was only slightly more amazing than how it happened: Manny Ramirez failing a drug test and deciding to retire a week into the season, Johnny Damon moving to the DH slot and Fuld — a part-time player, and slow starter at that — taking over in leftfield, starting 37 times (more than he had in parts of three seasons with the Cubs) over the next 38 games and sizzling for much of the time, the best player the Rays had.

"None of that made any sense whatsoever," Maddon said. "But that's how this thing works sometimes."

It wasn't as big as Tebowmania, but it wasn't much different — albeit in a smaller market — from the recent emergence of the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin.

"We were Linsanity before there was Linsanity," said Jim Munsey, Fuld's agent. "We were the baseball Linsanity."

Probably the most relevant residual from last season was that Fuld proved, at age 29, that he could actually play in the big leagues — that he wasn't too small, or too injury prone, or too limited by his diabetes.

It was the first time in seven pro seasons that he spent the full year in the majors, making this the first spring training where he can relax knowing his spot — pending Friday's recurrence of soreness in his right wrist — is somewhat secure. "A foreign feeling to me," he acknowledged.

But some of the byproducts were pretty good, too.

• Like his buzz from turning his first game at Fenway Park into a night for the ages, a son of New England putting on a show for 30 friends and relatives with a Rays record-tying four extra-base hits plus a diving catch becoming a household name in enemy households.

"That's still a surreal event," said his father, Kenneth, a dean at the University of New Hampshire. "Without question, the coolest thing about this."

• Like the plastic blue capes the Rays gave out in his honor, that Damon wore onto the field to shag balls and take out the lineup card in tribute.

"At the time, I couldn't even get a T-shirt giveaway in Iowa (despite four seasons with the Cubs' Triple-A team), and now to have something at the major-league level was pretty darn cool," Fuld said. Cooler, the Iowa Cubs then responded with a Fuld jersey shirt giveaway.

• Like the six-page article on Fuld in the New Yorker, a high-brow publication not typically prone to writing about such mundane subjects, introducing Fuld's story to an otherwise unaware audience — such as the colleagues and acquaintances of his own parents, the college-dean dad and New Hampshire state senator mom.

"That was their only source of seeing anything about Sam," Kenneth said. "We're long-time subscribers to the New Yorker and have a great deal of respect for their journalistic prowess and creative writing. So we thought that was terrific."

Fuld was also featured in USA Today, the New York Times and Foxsports.com in addition to the local and New England papers. And he was asked to write book reviews for the Wall Street Journal and his memories of Game 162 for the Grantland.com site.

(So what would top that? "The cover of the Rolling Stone," Maddon said. "If he gets on there, he knows he's made it.")

• Like the push for All-Star votes after he was added to the ballot and the perch on the ESPN set during the Home Run Derby, although in the awkward role of protecting the "talent" by catching balls. "Obviously it would have been cool to play in the All-Star Game, but the fact that I was on the ballot and got some votes and was asked to help out, that whole experience was pretty cool," he said.

There are some anecdotal ways to quantify Fuld's rise to prominence:

The 20,000-plus followers on his @SamFuld5 Twitter account (and visitors to his new website, samfuld5.com); the extra equipment Nike and Rawlings quickly provided in excess of his original contract; the number of offers pitched to Munsey (including a possible spokesman's role for a diabetic supply company) and the amount of unlicensed merchandise on websites Munsey had to chase down; the emails and calls from suddenly not-so-distance relatives or long-lost friends (including one Kenneth hadn't heard from in 53 years); the frequency with which Fuld would be recognized even though he spent the offseason at his Jupiter home with his wife, Sarah, son Charlie and new daughter Jane. (Charlie and Jane? "I'm trying to bring old-school back," he said.)

But the most benevolent benefit of the Fuld frenzy was the expanded forum for his efforts with diabetes causes, working in several capacities with JDRF, the leading foundation for juvenile diabetes work, and hosting a camp at USF for 100 diabetic kids.

"Part of what really makes us proud of Sam was they way he used his one brief moment of fame," Kenneth said. "He capitalized on it by doing some good things."

In a way, everything has changed for Sam Fuld. In another way, he's still very much the same.

"Gosh," he said. "I just get a little more attention now."

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampbay.com.


Kahne runs short of expectations

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

FONTANA, Calif. — Kasey Kahne waited nearly two years between signing with NASCAR's most successful team and finally climbing into his new ride.

So far, the wait was hardly worth it.

Kahne opened the season with a month of wrecks, mistakes and disappointing results for Hendrick Motorsports, culminating in a collision with Regan Smith that ruined last week at Bristol. Kahne is 32nd in Sprint Cup points, and his car is 34th in owner points, putting him in position to lose a guaranteed spot in the field if he has another bad run in today's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.

But the former boy wonder still radiated quiet confidence.

"I would be (down) if my cars were slow, but everything has been so good," Kahne said. "My team is so good. There's really no reason to be down, other than we're not in the position we want to be in."

Though Kahne has had more knee surgeries (three) than Sprint Cup victories (one) since September 2009, he's determined to get his season back on track in Fontana, where he qualified fifth Friday on the track where he won in 2006.

Such is the self-confidence of the 2004 Rookie of the Year, who has earned 12 wins and more than $49 million before his 32nd birthday next month.

"Some of it may be bad luck, and then some of it may be me making mistakes," Kahne said. "Some of it's been luck, and I've messed up, but wrecking has been the problem. Everyone in NASCAR has wrecks."

Kahne wrecked out of the Daytona 500, finishing 29th. He got into the wall early in Phoenix, saying he "made a big mistake," and was 19th in Las Vegas despite setting the track record when he qualified on the pole.

Last week was the most disappointing result yet — and his third straight poor finish after starting in the top 10.

His car is just above the top-35 cutoff for an automatic spot in the 43-car field. If he falls below 35th at Fontana, he would have to qualify for upcoming races.

Kahne dismisses the notion he's trying too hard since joining Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the high-profile Hendrick team. And he doesn't hear much of that negativity on Twitter, where he has more than 162,000 followers. He acknowledged a new addiction to tweeting — but only after filming an anti-texting-while-driving public service announcement.

"It's actually nice that there's a lot of positive people out there," Kahne said. "It's cool to have."

Deju vu: Griner dunks, Bears romp

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0

Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

DES MOINES, Iowa — Baylor was cruising, its reserves were waiting to check in and there seemed to be little excitement.

Then Brittney Griner got behind the Georgia Tech defense and everyone in the arena knew what could be coming.

The 6-foot-8 All-American didn't disappoint.

Griner threw down a two-handed dunk to cap a sensational performance, and the Bears stormed into the NCAA Tournament region finals for the third straight year with an 83-68 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Griner, who had 35 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks, took a pass from Brooklyn Pope and soared in for her dunk with 6:29 left, swinging briefly on the rim for good measure.

"I wanted to get one in this game," said Griner, who was almost nonchalant about her crowd-pleasing play. "Brooklyn got me the ball, and I just went up and slammed it."

It was the second straight game in which Griner dunked and the seventh slam in a game of her college career. She's now tied with former Tennessee star Candace Parker, whose two dunks in NCAA Tournament play had been the most.

"Even though she dunks in warmups all the time, in the game it's just something that automatically just gets us fired up and really excited," Baylor's Odyssey Sims said. "I think we get more excited for her than she does for herself."

Destiny Williams added 18 on 9-for-10 shooting for the top-seeded Bears (37-0), who'll play second-seeded Tennessee in the region final Monday night.

Though her team was hopelessly behind at the time, Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph didn't feel Griner was rubbing it in with her dunk.

"It doesn't bother me," Joseph said. "I think she's great for the game."

Baylor took control with a 20-0 first-half run and never gave fourth-seeded Tech (26-9) a chance to answer.

TENN. 84, KANSAS 73: Sophomore Meighan Simmons scored 16 of her 22 off the bench in the second half, and the Volunteers rallied from a 14-point deficit in Des Moines to advance to their second straight region final and 25th in 31 years.

Glory Johnson added 18 points for the second-seeded Vols (27-8).

It was the 1,098th win for Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, who announced in August she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type, and has yet to commit to coaching next season.

"The first half we tend to get ourselves in a hole, but we fought back," said Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick. "I thought our bench was outstanding."

The 11th-seeded Jayhawks (21-13) fell to 0-3 in region semifinals.

DUKE 74, ST. JOHN'S 47: Shay Selby took charge in the second half to finish with 18 points and seven assists, leading the second-seeded Blue Devils (25-5) in the Fresno (Calif.) Region semifinals. Duke moved within one win of its first Final Four since 2006. Da'Shena Stevens scored 19 in her final game for the No. 3 seed Red Storm (24-10), which didn't have another player with more than six.

Women's Sweet 16 bracket

region semisregion finalsSemifinalsSemifinalsregion finalsregion semis
Today-SundayMondayApril 1April 1TuesdayToday-Sunday
DEs Moines reg.1Baylor (36-0)Notre Dame (32-3)1Raleigh region
about 2:30 today, ESPNabout 2:30 Sunday, ESPN2
4Georgia Tech (26-8) St. B'venture (31-3)5
Des Moines, IowaRaleigh, N.C.
11Kansas (21-12)Maryland (30-4)3
12:04 today, ESPN12:04 Sunday, ESPN
2Tennessee (26-8)Championship, April 3, 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPNTexas A&M (24-10)2
DenverDenver
Fresno region1Stanford (33-1)Connecticut (31-4)1Kingston region
about 11:30 tonight, ESPN24:34 Sunday, ESPN2
5South Carolina (25-9)Penn State (26-6)4
Fresno, Calif.Kingston, R.I.
3St. John's (24-9)Gonzaga (28-5)11
9:04 tonight, ESPNabout 7 Sunday, ESPN2
2Duke (26-5)Kentucky (27-6)2


Women's Sweet 16 bracket

region semisregion finalsSemifinalsSemifinalsregion finalsregion semis
Saturday-todayMon.-TuesdayApril 1April 1Mon.-TuesdaySaturday-today
DEs Moines reg.1Baylor 83Notre Dame (32-3)1Raleigh region
Baylor (37-0)about 2:30 today, ESPN2
4Georgia Tech 68 St. B'venture (31-3)5
7 Monday, ESPNRaleigh, N.C.
11Kansas 73Maryland (30-4)3
Tennessee (27-8)12:04 today, ESPN
2Tennessee 84Championship, April 3, 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPNTexas A&M (24-10)2
DenverDenver
Fresno region1Stanford (33-1)Connecticut (31-4)1Kingston region
late4:34 today, ESPN2
5South Carolina (25-9)Penn State (26-6)4
Fresno, Calif.Kingston, R.I.
3St. John's 47Gonzaga (28-5)11
Duke (25-5)about 7 tonight, ESPN2
2Duke 74Kentucky (27-6)2

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson avoids injury in ugly outing

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0

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

FORT MYERS — The hard-hit grounder by Twins C Joe Mauer that struck the top of RHP Jeremy Hellickson's right foot Saturday turned out to be more scary than serious.

"It got a little shoe — thank God," Hellickson said.

But other than avoiding injury, Hellickson couldn't take many positives out of a disappointing outing in which he allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in three-plus innings of a 19-4 loss.

Hellickson said though his foot was sore after Mauer's third-inning hit, it wasn't an issue. His execution was.

"I've got to make better pitches with two strikes," Hellickson said. "Probably half their hits were two-strike hits."

1B Justin Morneau did most of the damage, with two of the Twins' five homers and five RBIs. Hellickson said he was "just missing" and fell behind too much in an 84-pitch outing (49 strikes). But though Hellickson is 0-2 with a 15.30 ERA this spring, he and manager Joe Maddon aren't concerned.

"I'm not really worried," Maddon said. "I thought he had good stuff, the execution was not so good."

MEDICAL MATTERS: Maddon said CF B.J. Upton is still day to day and is unsure when he'll return, but he expects he'll be ready for opening day. Upton has gotten just three at-bats in a minor-league game since his on-field collision with LF Desmond Jennings on March 14, with Maddon saying "he's going to be behind regarding performance I would think."

MISCELLANY: Maddon said they will "probably" decide the fifth starter spot after RHP Jeff Niemann's start Monday. … Maddon said if OF Sam Fuld (right wrist) is not ready for opening day, there are several candidates for the extra outfield spot. Brandon Guyer, Jesus Feliciano and Jeff Salazar or utility players Will Rhymes and Elliot Johnson would seem among the possibilities. … LHP Matt Moore threw 42/3 scoreless innings in a minor-league start in Port Charlotte, allowing three hits and striking out six (69 pitches).

GAME DETAILS: C Chris Gimenez played all nine innings behind the plate for the first time and added a solo homer. … Rhymes played outfield for the first time in camp. … RHP Brandon Gomes, still trying to regain arm strength after offseason back surgery, gave up three runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning. "I don't think he's sharp enough yet," Maddon said. … LHP Jake McGee gave up two homers in two innings.

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

Joba likely headed home today

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0

Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

LAKELAND — Yankees RHP Joba Chamberlain did not develop an infection in his dislocated right ankle and is expected to be released from the hospital today.

Manager Joe Girardi said on Saturday that no microfractures were found in the ankle and that Chamberlain will be in a cast for the next six weeks. The reliever should be able to resume his career, but there is no timetable for his return.

"As we know, this is going to be a while," Girardi said. "We're going to be there for this kid. We're going to get him through it."

Bone broke through the skin during the dislocation.

"When you have an injury like that, the initial concern is (the possibility of an) infection," Girardi said.

On Saturday, Girardi confirmed that Chamberlain was hurt on a trampoline. He was playing with his son Thursday at a local spot that had trampoline and related equipment.

IBANEZ SNAPS SLUMP: DH Raul Ibanez hit his first home run with the Yankees in a 4-2 win over the Tigers in 10 innings. Ibanez had two hits to raise his average to .075.

Jays: Lawrie better

DUNEDIN — Blue jays 3B Brett Lawrie is expected to return to the lineup today.

Lawrie has been out since a March 16 game with the Rays, when he left with tightness in his left groin.

Lawrie worked out a day after passing a series of tests and could have played Saturday, but Toronto decided to be cautious.

"He's ready to go and yet we're holding him back one more day," Jays manager John Farrell said. "That's our choice on that and kind of taking it out of his hands."

PATIENCE PAYS OFF: 1B Adam Lind has been trying to be more patient at the plate, and his work paid off when he hit a three-run homer and RBI triple in Toronto's 9-0 rout of the Braves. Each of Lind's big hits came after he had fouled off four or more pitches from Randall Delgado.

Phils: Pressure good

CLEARWATER — Hunter Pence's piercing blue eyes grow even wider when he hears the word "playoffs."

Reaching the postseason is no longer a dream for Pence. It's an expectation.

When the Phillies acquired the two-time All-Star from the Astros in July, Pence jumped from one of the worst teams in the majors to one of the best. He got his first taste of pennant fever and wants more.

"Words can't describe how amazing it was," the rightfielder said. "Losing in the first round was pretty painful, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Winning five straight division titles and the 2008 World Series raised expectations to enormous levels in Philadelphia. Now, anything less than another championship isn't considered a success.

For some, that's pressure. For Pence, it's an adrenaline rush.

"It's very exciting," he said. "It's a great time to be a part of this organization."

GOOD WORK: LHP Cole Hamels allowed two runs and four hits in four innings, struck out three and walked two in Philadelphia's 10-5 win over a Red Sox split squad. "I was just happy I was able to throw a lot of everything," Hamels said.

'Fluke thing' can't keep Tiger from top

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0

Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

ORLANDO — Even with a bizarre sequence of events that stalled his charge to a comfortable lead, Tiger Woods walked off the 18th green at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday close to ending 30 months without a PGA Tour victory.

He had a one-shot lead. He has won 48 of the 52 times he has had the third-round lead.

He was hitting the ball so well that he had the putter in his hand for a birdie attempt on 38 consecutive holes.

And he was at Bay Hill, where he has won six times, including going 5-for-5 when entering the final round with the outright lead or share of lead.

"If you're in the lead, you've done some good things," Woods said after 1-under 71. "That's how I've always looked at it. And it's a nice position to be in."

He was at 11-under 205, one shot ahead of Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, who didn't make a birdie until the 17th hole but kept bogeys off his card for 71.

Ernie Els rekindled his hopes of getting into the Masters with six birdies in a round of 67 that left him three shots behind, tied with Ian Poulter (68).

Els is No. 62 in the world and needs to crack the top 50 after today to get an invitation to Augusta. He could get it by finishing alone in third, provided Matteo Manassero doesn't win in Morocco on the European Tour or Charles Howell III doesn't finish alone in second at Bay Hill.

Charlie Wi, who shared the second-round lead with Woods, shot 4-over 76 and was five back.

Woods had a four-shot lead after a birdie on the 13th hole when he made what he called his one bad swing, pulling his tee shot into a buried lie in the bunker on the 14th for a bogey.

On the 15th tee, an 18-year-old passed out and a woman screamed when she saw it, all while Woods was in the middle of his swing. He was too far along to stop and hooked his tee shot out of bounds near a swimming pool.

That led to a double bogey, and McDowell tied him for the lead with his birdie on the 17th. Woods, however, hit a daring shot out of the fairway bunker and over the water to 20 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 16th to regain the lead. "It was a solid day," Woods said. "Just happened to have one little fluke thing where a kid passed out."

Woods last won a tour event at the BMW Championship on Sept. 13, 2009.

LPGA: Top-ranked Yani Tseng remained in position for her second straight tour title and third in five events this year, shooting a bogey-free 3-under 69 for 12-under 204 and a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Kia Classic at Carlsbad, Calif. Jiyai Shin (68) was second. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome (73) was at 2 under.

Champions: Jeff Sluman shot 8-under 64 to tie for the second-round lead with Fred Couples (70) in the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Saucier, Miss. The leaders were at 11-under 133. Jim Thorpe (65) was two back.

europe: Matteo Manassero stayed in the running for the Masters by moving to within a stroke of the leader before darkness halted play in the third round of the Hassan II Trophy at Agadir, Morocco. He must win to boost his ranking into the top 50 to play at Augusta National next month. Damien McGrane remained atop the leaderboard at 12 under after 10 holes.

Softball: Perfect Bloomingdale wins Spring Fling

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Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 24, 2012

RIVERVIEW — While Savanna Aversa attended a friend's wedding early Saturday evening, her Bloomingdale teammates clinched the title at the 16th annual Jon Sinclair Memorial Spring Fling tournament at Riverview.

Even though the Bulls senior second baseman did not play in the final game — a 6-4 win over Newsome that gave them the only unbeaten mark at 4-0 — she still was named the tournament's most valuable player.

"She played great defense," Bloomingdale first-year coach Melissa Gentile said of Aversa, an outfielder who moved to second due to injuries. "And she had (a team-leading) five RBIs."

The runnerup in the three-day, five-team tournament was Wharton, which defeated Alonso 5-1 to finish 3-1. Alonso posted a 2-2 record. Riverview went 1-3 and Newsome 0-4.

It's Bloomingdale's third tournament title, including 2001 and 2009.

"It's awesome for our program," Gentile said. "It just kind of shows where the program has been."

In the series clincher, Bloomingdale broke open a scoreless game against Newsome with five runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by Katie Marion's two-run double and Abby Hensley's RBI single.

The Bulls used three pitchers, including Lace Smith, who pitched the first three innings and closed it out in the seventh. In between, it was Emily Whitworth and Courtney Zanoni.

In the final game of the tourney, Wharton took a 1-0 lead against Alonso on Kassidy Kujawa's home run in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats added three runs in the third, highlighted by Makaleigh Dooley's run-scoring single, for a 4-0 win.

The all-tournament team featured two players from each school: Dooley and Erika Shick of Alonso, Aversa and Jordan Alexander or Bloomingdale, Bree Schinella and Bailey Davis of Newsome, Taylor McCoy and Emily Gaitan of Riverview and Dooley and Kujawa of Wharton.

Sports in brief

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

tennis

federer shaken but not enough to lose match

KEY BISCAYNE — On the verge of victory, Roger Federer stopped playing when he thought a pivotal point had ended.

He mistook a fan's shout for a linesman's call, which cost him the game. Play continued for another 25 minutes before Federer closed out his opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open by beating Ryan Harrison 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).

Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick won in more straightforward fashion, but two-time champion Kim Clijsters was eliminated.

Federer led 5-2 in the second set when he lost two fluky points that extended the match. Serving at 5-3, Federer blew an easy overhead to fall behind 15-30. One point later, facing break point for the only time in the match, Federer hit a forehand that landed on the baseline.

A fan hollered "Out!" and Federer stopped. By the time he realized the ball was still in play, Harrison had won the point and the game. "It completely threw me off," Federer said. "It's the first time it has ever happened in my career."

The No. 3-seeded Federer's opponent in the third round is Roddick. They've played 23 times, and Roddick has won twice. "There's no getting around the fact that he has been the biggest obstacle in my career," said Roddick, who beat Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-2.

Williams, seeded 10th, moved into the fourth round by beating Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1. Sharapova, seeded second, beat qualifier Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-2. Clijsters, coming back from an ankle injury, lost to No. 23 Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

horses

Report: Deaths high at 'Luck' track

Horses at Santa Anita Park sustained fatal racing injuries at more than twice the rate of horses competing at California's other three major thoroughbred tracks over the last fiscal year, according to statistics reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The fatality rate at Santa Anita, in Arcadia, spiked after the switch from a synthetic running surface back to a dirt track in 2010, the newspaper reported. It cited data from the state horse racing board that show there were 12 fatalities, or 3.7 per 1,000 starts, at Santa Anita in the last fiscal year.

The issue made headlines recently after the deaths of three horses during the production of the HBO drama Luck, which was shot at Santa Anita. HBO canceled the series this month.

et cetera

colleges: Nolan Fontana delivered a tie-breaking, two-out, two-run triple in the ninth to lift visiting Florida (22-2, 5-1 SEC), No. 1 in the Baseball America poll, to a 5-4 victory over No. 8 South Carolina (17-7, 1-5). … Miami freshman CB Keion Payne was dismissed from the football team for violating team rules and will transfer, associate athletic director for communications Chris Freet said. Payne, who played in two games last year, was also suspended for the first weekend of spring practice for rules violations. He was one of six players said to be suspended for the 2011 opener, with reports pointing to academics and rules violations.

soccer: Canada beat the United States 2-0 for its first win over the Americans since 1992 in the CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying tournament at Nashville. The Americans must beat El Salvador, a 4-0 winner over Cuba, on Monday to advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners qualify for this summer's Games.

Times wires


Tampa Bay Lightning Nuts & Bolts

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

5 questions G Sebastien Caron

What's best about playing in Europe? You only play two games a week, so you have a lot of free time to see a lot of things.

What did you see? There's a church. It's called Munster. There were guys back in the day, they put them on top in the cages on the roof, so they died there. It's history.

Any interesting food? In Switzerland, cheese fondue. The smell is terrible but it's actually pretty good.

What goalie did you idolize? Patrick Roy, obviously; he's from Quebec. I had his posters on the wall, dreamed about it.

Is hockey in Florida a weird concept? You can get used to it.

You Can Play

When the You Can Play project approached C Steven Stamkos to do a public service announcement, he said "there were no second thoughts. It's something I wanted to be part of."

The project, headed by Patrick Burke and his dad, Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, carries the message an athlete's sexual orientation is irrelevant. It also is a tribute to Brian Burke's son and Patrick's brother, Brendan, who died in 2010 in a car crash shortly after coming out. "It's just something I thought (people) needed to be made aware of," Stamkos said. "You see all the guys who are part of (the project) and the respect you have for the Burke family and what they've done in hockey, so it was really a no-brainer for me."

Wingin' it

That Brendan Mikkelson scored his first NHL goal in his 116th game while playing wing didn't seem surprising to the Lightning defenseman, who filled in March 17 against the Blues after an injury to RW Ryan Shannon.

"I pay attention in all the meetings, so I know what the forecheck is; you know what the responsibilities are," Mikkelson said. "It's just the in-between times when things aren't scripted like they're drawn up on the board that make you a little unsure."

Wouldn't he rather have scored playing his natural position? "After 116 games, it could have been an empty-net goal," he said.



"I'd like to play again, and if I get the opportunity, great. If not, you have to resort to game plan B and figure that out."

G Dwayne Roloson, 42, on next season

Number of the day

16 Goalies who have appeared for the Lightning since Nikolai Khabibulin left after the 2003-04 season. Sebastien Caron will make 17.

Knicks get back on track

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

NEW YORK — Tyson Chandler had 15 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds, and the Knicks rebounded from their first loss under interim coach Mike Woodson by routing the Pistons for the third time this season, 101-79 Saturday night.

Amare Stoudemire scored 17 for the Knicks, who are 6-1 since Mike D'Antoni resigned. They lost 96-79 Friday night in Toronto but had no trouble with Detroit for the third time in three meetings this season.

Carmelo Anthony finally got his shot to fall in the third quarter and finished with 15 points, and Jeremy Lin had 13. The bench put it away early in the fourth, allowing some banged-up Knicks to get some extra rest. Lin sat with a sore left knee but could have returned, and Stoudemire went out with a sore lower back and the Knicks said at the time his return was questionable.

Ben Gordon scored 20 for Detroit, which lost its fifth straight.

The Knicks went in a half-game ahead of the Bucks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference heading into a potential pivotal meeting Monday night at Madison Square Garden, exactly one month before the regular season ends. Milwaukee has won the first two matchups and could clinch the season-series tiebreaker.

The Pistons were playing without guards Rodney Stuckey (sore left big toe) and Will Bynum (virus) and lacked energy during a difficult portion of their schedule. They came home from a five-game Western trip to lose to Miami on Friday, then went right back on the road to open a four-game trip Saturday.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Blake Griffin had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Paul had 19 points and 13 assists and the host Clippers ended their first three-game losing streak of the season with a dominating 101-85 victory over the Grizzlies. … Joe Johnson scored nine of his 16 in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead 3 in the final minute, and the visiting Hawks erased a 16-point deficit to beat the Wizards 95-92. … Deron Williams had 19 points and matched his season high with 14 assists as the host Nets snapped a five-game losing streak with a 102-89 victory over the Bobcats.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Bulls star Derrick Rose missed his sixth straight game because of a right groin injury, and there is no timetable for his return. … Spurs guard Tony Parker returned after missing Friday's game with tightness in his left hamstring. Guard Manu Ginobili sat out while he recovers from a hip problem. … Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan was out of the starting lineup because of a left ankle injury and fell one start short of tying the franchise record. DeRozan had started 130 straight games; Toronto's record is 131 by Alvin Williams.

Late Friday: The Timberwolves' Kevin Love doesn't have the flashiest game in the league, but he put up a pretty flashy number against the host Thunder, scoring 51 and grabbing 14 rebounds in a 149-140 double-overtime loss to the best team in the West. It was a franchise record for single-game scoring.

Knicks 101, Pistons 79

DETROIT (79): Maxiell 2-4 0-0 4, Prince 2-10 2-3 6, Monroe 5-10 2-2 12, Knight 4-11 0-0 9, Gordon 7-13 2-2 20, Jerebko 2-5 4-4 8, Russell Jr. 0-3 0-0 0, Wilkins 2-6 4-6 8, Daye 3-7 0-0 7, Wallace 0-1 0-2 0, Villanueva 1-6 3-3 5. Totals 28-76 17-22 79.

NEW YORK (101): Anthony 5-12 5-6 15, Stoudemire 7-10 3-4 17, Chandler 5-8 5-10 15, Lin 3-6 5-6 13, Fields 1-3 0-0 2, Smith 6-14 1-1 14, Shumpert 3-7 0-0 6, Novak 3-6 0-1 8, Davis 2-5 0-0 5, Harrellson 2-4 0-2 4, Bibby 0-2 0-0 0, Jordan 0-0 0-0 0, Douglas 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 38-78 19-30 101.

Detroit 17 20 24 18— 79

New York 21 28 27 25— 101

3-Point GoalsDetroit 6-19 (Gordon 4-8, Daye 1-2, Knight 1-3, Russell Jr. 0-1, Villanueva 0-2, Prince 0-3), New York 6-20 (Lin 2-4, Novak 2-5, Davis 1-3, Smith 1-6, Bibby 0-1, Anthony 0-1). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsDetroit 40 (Wallace 7), New York 64 (Chandler 17). AssistsDetroit 13 (Russell Jr. 4), New York 20 (Fields 4). Total FoulsDetroit 19, New York 22. TechnicalsPrince, Detroit defensive three second. A19,763 (19,763).

Clippers 101, Grizzlies 85

MEMPHIS (85): Gay 4-9 2-3 11, Randolph 6-16 2-2 14, Gasol 3-12 0-0 6, Conley 4-6 0-0 9, Allen 3-5 4-4 11, Cunningham 0-3 0-0 0, Arenas 1-5 0-0 2, Speights 3-4 1-2 7, Mayo 5-12 1-3 13, Pargo 1-3 0-0 3, Haddadi 0-0 0-0 0, Pondexter 3-3 0-0 9. Totals 33-78 10-14 85.

L.A. CLIPPERS (101): Butler 6-11 0-0 12, Griffin 6-9 8-12 20, Jordan 3-4 0-0 6, Paul 6-13 7-9 19, Foye 5-11 4-5 18, Martin 2-4 0-0 4, Young 6-13 4-5 16, Simmons 1-3 0-0 3, Bledsoe 0-2 0-0 0, Evans 1-2 1-2 3, Thompkins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-72 24-33 101.

Memphis 17 25 19 24— 85

L.A. Clippers 33 23 25 20— 101

3-Point GoalsMemphis 9-15 (Pondexter 3-3, Mayo 2-4, Conley 1-1, Allen 1-1, Gay 1-2, Pargo 1-2, Gasol 0-1, Arenas 0-1), L.A. Clippers 5-16 (Foye 4-8, Simmons 1-2, Butler 0-1, Young 0-1, Paul 0-4). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsMemphis 44 (Gasol, Randolph 8), L.A. Clippers 50 (Griffin 10). AssistsMemphis 26 (Conley 9), L.A. Clippers 24 (Paul 13). Total FoulsMemphis 26, L.A. Clippers 16. TechnicalsPaul. Flagrant Fouls—Mayo. A19,060 (19,060).

Hawks 95, Wizards 92

ATLANTA (95): J.Johnson 6-12 2-2 16, Smith 8-17 4-5 20, Pachulia 5-6 3-6 13, Teague 4-10 1-2 9, Hinrich 4-9 0-0 10, Williams 5-11 2-2 13, I.Johnson 2-2 1-2 5, Green 1-3 1-2 3, Radmanovic 2-6 0-0 6, Collins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-76 14-21 95.

WASHINGTON (92): Singleton 4-11 0-0 9, Booker 4-8 0-0 8, Nene 9-13 3-4 21, Wall 1-10 6-6 8, Crawford 9-19 1-1 20, Seraphin 2-5 0-0 4, Vesely 2-2 1-2 5, Ubiles 4-8 1-1 10, Mack 1-6 0-0 2, Mason 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 38-85 12-14 92.

Atlanta 23 18 27 27— 95

Washington 23 29 26 14— 92

3-Point GoalsAtlanta 7-23 (J.Johnson 2-4, Radmanovic 2-4, Hinrich 2-5, Williams 1-3, Green 0-1, Smith 0-2, Teague 0-4), Washington 4-18 (Mason 1-1, Ubiles 1-3, Crawford 1-6, Singleton 1-6, Wall 0-2). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsAtlanta 50 (Smith 9), Washington 45 (Booker 14). AssistsAtlanta 22 (Teague 9), Washington 13 (Wall, Booker 3). Total FoulsAtlanta 17, Washington 19. TechnicalsAtlanta defensive three second, Washington defensive three second 2. A18,588 (20,278).

Nets 102, Bobcats 89

CHARLOTTE (89): Maggette 4-8 3-6 13, Thomas 2-6 0-0 4, Biyombo 3-4 2-2 8, Augustin 3-7 1-1 8, Henderson 3-11 1-3 7, White 2-7 0-0 4, Walker 4-13 2-2 10, Mullens 6-9 5-6 17, Brown 4-6 0-0 8, R.Williams 4-8 2-2 10, Higgins 0-0 0-0 0, Carroll 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-79 16-22 89.

NEW JERSEY (102): Wallace 5-13 4-5 15, Humphries 9-16 2-3 20, S.Williams 5-8 0-0 10, D.Williams 7-18 3-3 19, Brooks 3-9 5-6 11, J.Williams 4-7 0-0 8, Morrow 1-6 3-3 6, Green 2-6 2-2 6, Farmar 3-4 0-0 7, Gaines 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-88 19-22 102.

Charlotte 21 21 16 31— 89

New Jersey 26 22 33 21— 102

3-Point GoalsCharlotte 3-14 (Maggette 2-3, Augustin 1-4, R.Williams 0-3, Walker 0-4), New Jersey 5-16 (D.Williams 2-4, Farmar 1-2, Morrow 1-3, Wallace 1-3, Brooks 0-2, Green 0-2). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsCharlotte 49 (Mullens 10), New Jersey 53 (Humphries 16). AssistsCharlotte 21 (Augustin 8), New Jersey 24 (D.Williams 14). Total FoulsCharlotte 16, New Jersey 19. TechnicalsD.Williams. A13,297 (18,711).

Union headed to Tampa in first Frozen Four

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Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

Road to Tampa: Men's NCAA Tournament

First roundSecond roundSemifinalsChampionshipSemifinalsSecond roundFirst round
Boston College 2 Union (N.Y.) 3
1. Boston CollegeFrozen Four: Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa Union (N.Y.) 4
Air Force 0Northeast Region

Worcester, Mass.

8 p.m. today, ESPNU

East Region

Bridgeport, Conn.

Michigan State 1
1. Union (N.Y.)
Minnesota-Duluth 5 Miami (Ohio) 3
2. Minn.-Duluth Mass.-Lowell 2Overtime
Maine 2 Mass.-Lowell 4
4:30 or 8 p.m. April 57 p.m. April 7, ESPN24:30 or 8 p.m. April 5
Minnesota 7 Ferris State 2
2. Minnesota 2. Ferris State
Boston 3West Region

St. Paul, Minn.

5:30 p.m. today, ESPNU

Midwest Region

Green Bay, Wis.

late Saturday

Denver 1
Western Michigan 1Cornell 3
1. North Dakota4. CornellOvertime
North Dakota 3Michigan 2


BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Union College reached the Frozen Four for the first time, booking their ticket for next month at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, with a 4-2 win against Massachusetts-Lowell in the NCAA East Region final Saturday night.

Daniel Ciampini, Kyle Bodie, Jeremy Welsh and Josh Jooris scored for the Dutchmen (25-7-7), who were in their second appearance in the Division I Tournament.

Union faces the Midwest Region champion April 5; that final, between Ferris State and Cornell, was not over at press time.

Troy Grosenick, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, made 19 saves for Union, a small school from Schenectady, N.Y.

The River Hawks' Doug Carr made 35 saves, and Matt Ferreira and Terrence Wallin scored.

Lowell cut the lead to 3-2 at 5:40 into the third period. Welsh lost the puck going behind the net, and it slipped to the front, where Ferreira fired it past Grosenick.

Grosenick made a big save on a rebound try by Ferreira with 4:49 remaining to preserve the lead, and he stood up to another Lowell scramble with about three minutes to go.

Bodie put it away with an empty-net goal from the neutral zone with 40.6 seconds left.

An ECAC team had not made the Frozen Four since Cornell lost in the semifinals in 2003. Lowell was also seeking its first Frozen Four berth. The River Hawks made their fourth NCAA tournament appearance in Division I and their first since 1996.

West Region

NORTH DAKOTA 3, W. MICHIGAN 1: North Dakota ended up with a familiar result even with a new look.

Michael Parks, Corban Knight and Brock Nelson scored in St. Paul, Minn., as UND reached today's final.

Aaron Dell made 25 saves for UND (26-12-3), which wore new jerseys for the first time with "North Dakota" spelled on the front because of an NCAA ban deeming the school's Fighting Sioux nickname to be "hostile and abusive."

The ban is in place for NCAA Tournament play, but it's an issue the school and some supporters are still trying to fight with a state law, which goes to a referendum vote in June.

"It hasn't been an issue for our hockey team," UND coach Dave Hakstol said. "You've got to remember, we've dealt with it over, really, over two seasons."

Kyle O'Kane scored his seventh goal of the season for Western Michigan (21-14-6).

MINNESOTA 7, BOSTON 3: Jake Hansen scored twice and Nate Schmidt had two assists, leading the Golden Gophers to their first NCAA Tournament win in five years.

"We've made a great jump this season," Gophers coach Don Lucia said.

Kyle Rau, Jake Parenteau, Seth Helgeson, Nico Sacchetti and Nick Bjugstad also scored and Kent Patterson made 31 saves for the Gophers (27-13-1).

Wade Megan, Ross Gaudet and Adam Clendenning scored and Alex Chiasson had two assists for the Terriers (23-15-1) in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since winning the championship in 2009.

Northeast Region

BOSTON COLL. 2, AIR FORCE 0: Chris Kreider had two goals and Parker Milner stopped 20 shots to lead top-ranked Boston College in Worcester, Mass.

The Eagles (30-10-1) won their 16th straight and have allowed two or fewer goals 15 times during its winning streak.

Jason Torf made 32 saves for the Falcons (21-11-7).

"If you're going to be a championship team in most sports, you have to have a really solid defensive team," Boston College coach Jerry York said. "We can talk about some of our forwards, but they play defense, too."

Late Friday

CORNELL 3, MICHIGAN 2, OT: Rodger Craig scored 2:25 into overtime to give Cornell, the fourth seed in the Midwest Region, an upset victory over the top-seeded Wolverines in Green Bay, Wis. Cornell (19-8-7) faced Ferris State late Saturday. Michigan (24-13-4) rallied to tie it on Kevin Lynch's goal with 4:01 left in the third, forcing the extra session.

Two to make Frozen Four debuts in Tampa

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0

Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

Road to Tampa: Men's NCAA tournament

First roundSecond roundSemifinalsChampionshipSemifinalsSecond roundFirst round
Boston College 2Union 3
1. Boston CollegeFrozen Four: Tampa Bay Times Forum, TampaUnion 4
Air Force 0NORTHEAST REGION

Worcester, Mass.

8 p.m. today, ESPNU

EAST REGION

Bridgeport, Conn.

Michigan State 1
1. Union
Minnesota-Duluth 5Miami (Ohio) 3
2. Minn.-DuluthMass.-Lowell 2
Maine 2Mass.-Lowell 4 OT
4:30 or 8 p.m. April 57 p.m. April 7, ESPN24:30 or 8 p.m. April 5
Minnesota 7Ferris State 2
2. MinnesotaFerris State 2
Boston 3WEST REGION

St. Paul, Minn.

5:30 p.m. today, ESPNU

MIDWEST REGION

Green Bay, Wis.

Denver 1
2. Ferris State
Western Michigan 1Cornell 3
1. North DakotaCornell 1
North Dakota 3Michigan 2 OT


BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Union College reached the Frozen Four for the first time, booking its ticket for next month at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, with a 4-2 win against Massachusetts-Lowell in the NCAA East Region final Saturday night.

Daniel Ciampini, Kyle Bodie, Jeremy Welsh and Josh Jooris scored for the Dutchmen (26-7-7), who were in their second appearance in the Division I Tournament.

Union, located in Schenectady, N.Y., faces Midwest Region champion Ferris State on April 5. Ferris State, out of Big Rapids, Mich., is also in the Frozen Four for the first time.

Troy Grosenick, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, made 19 saves for Union.

Doug Carr made 35 saves, and Matt Ferreira and Terrence Wallin scored for the River Hawks (24-13-1).

An ECAC team had not made the Frozen Four since Cornell lost in the semifinals in 2003. Lowell was also seeking its first Frozen Four berth.

Midwest Region

FERRIS STATE 2, CORNELL 1: No. 2 seed Ferris State clinched a spot in Tampa, scoring both of its goals in the third period in the final in Green Bay, Wis.

Ferris State (24-11-5) rode solid defense in just its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, allowing only two goals in its two games in the region.

The Big Red (19-9-7) had a five-minute power play after a major penalty to Ferris' TJ Schlueter for checking from behind. But not only did the Bulldogs kill off the penalty, they scored 12 seconds after it expired.

Ferris State's Jordie Johnston took a pass from Andy Huff on a two-on-one breakaway and buried a shot over the right shoulder of goalie Andy Iles.

Cornell tied the score 1:32 into the third with a goal by Dustin Mowrey on a back-handed shot after he split two defenders.

Garrett Thompson poked in a loose puck just 11 seconds into the third period on the power play to give Ferris a 1-0 lead.

West Region

NORTH DAKOTA 3, W. MICH. 1: North Dakota had a familiar result even with a new look.

Michael Parks, Corban Knight and Brock Nelson scored in St. Paul, Minn., as UND reached today's final against Minnesota.

Aaron Dell made 25 saves for UND (26-12-3), which wore new jerseys for the first time with "North Dakota" spelled on the front because of an NCAA ban deeming the school's Fighting Sioux nickname to be "hostile and abusive."

The ban is in place for NCAA Tournament play, but it's an issue the school and some supporters are still trying to fight with a state law, which goes to a referendum vote in June.

"It hasn't been an issue for our hockey team," UND coach Dave Hakstol said. "You've got to remember, we've dealt with it over, really, over two seasons."

Kyle O'Kane scored his seventh goal of the season for Western Michigan (21-14-6).

MINNESOTA 7, BOSTON 3: Jake Hansen scored twice and Nate Schmidt had two assists, leading the Golden Gophers to their first NCAA win in five years.

Kent Patterson made 31 saves for the Gophers (27-13-1). Wade Megan, Ross Gaudet and Adam Clendenning scored for the Terriers (23-15-1).

Northeast Region

BOSTON COLL. 2, AIR FORCE 0: Chris Kreider had two goals and Parker Milner stopped 20 shots to lead top-ranked Boston College in Worcester, Mass.

The Eagles (30-10-1) won their 16th straight and have allowed two or fewer goals 15 times during its winning streak.

Jason Torf made 32 saves for the Falcons (21-11-7).

MINN.-DULUTH 5, MAINE 2: A crazy bounce helped keep the defending champion's season going. Jack Connolly, Caleb Herbert and Jake Hendrickson scored in the second as Minnesota-Duluth (25-9-6) rallied.

On the tying goal, Herbert fired a shot over the net. The puck hit off the back glass, caromed into the air and went into the net off goalie Dan Sullivan's left leg as he was getting into position in the crease.

The Black Bears (23-14-3) scored twice early in the second.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette contributed to this report.

Tampa Bay Lightning's injured Vinny Lecavalier returns to practice

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

TAMPA — If all goes to plan, captain Vinny Lecavalier will play on the Lightning's three-game road trip that starts Monday in Philadelphia.

The center, wearing a red no-contact jersey, skated Saturday for the first time with teammates since fracturing his right hand Feb. 18 against the Capitals. "It felt a little better," Lecavalier said. "But the strength in the hand is not there yet."

Even so, "when I'm ready to play, I want to play," he said. "That's why I'm joining the team (on the road trip). I don't want to set any dates, but I want to start practicing with the team and get the feel of the game. I want to play as soon as possible."

Lecavalier, 31, has missed 15 games since taking a puck off the back of his hand, breaking the bone next to one that had to be surgically repaired last season.

Lecavalier has 21 goals and 46 points in 58 games and an average 19:04 of ice time, so his absence left a huge hole in the lineup, forcing players such as Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone to play extra minutes.

That only eight games are left raises the question of whether to just shut Lecavalier down, a notion the player and coach Guy Boucher shot down.

"Our mentality," Boucher said, "is every game we want to put our best team on the ice."

"The guys have been working so hard, so as soon as I'm ready, I want to play, even if there's seven, five, three games," Lecavalier said.

WHAT'S IN A LOGO? The NCAA banned North Dakota from using its Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo during NCAA-sanctioned events, including the national playoffs that conclude with the Frozen Four at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"It's disappointing on a personal level," said D Mike Commodore, who played for UND from 1997-2000. "I was proud to play for the Fighting Sioux."

But D Brian Lee, a Fighting Sioux from 2005-07, said because the nickname and logo prevent in some cases North Dakota teams from playing opponents who believe the monikers are demeaning to American Indians, it's time to "move on."

"For the sake of the other sports, you have to make a choice," Lee said.

20 STRAIGHT: Alex Picard's goal with 6:55 left in the third period was the winner as AHL Norfolk extended its league-record winning streak to 20 games, 4-3 over Albany. G Dustin Tokarski had 20 saves.

ODDS AND ENDS: There was a big ovation at the game against the Islanders for the USF men's basketball team in attendance. … Commodore, forwards Nate Thompson (upper body), Ryan Shannon (shoulder) and Adam Hall (upper body), and G Mathieu Garon (groin) were the scratches.

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