Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Royals 7, Twins 6
MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Gordon and Billy Butler each hit a two-run homer, and the Royals won their third straight. Mike Moustakas delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth and Alcides Escobar added an RBI single three batters later for Kansas City, which dropped 12 straight before its streak.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Red Sox 10, White Sox 3
CHICAGO — Darnell McDonald hit a tiebreaking three-run double and homered to help the Red Sox rally. David Ortiz hit a two-run shot for the Red Sox, who are 5-0 since blowing a 9-0 lead against the Yankees last Saturday for their fifth straight loss. After Paul Konerko's home run in the fifth gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead, the Red Sox responded with a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by McDonald's bases-clearing double.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Rockies 18, Mets 9
DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez drove in three with a homer and two with a double (a third run scoring on an error) during the Rockies' 11-run fifth. They sent 14 to the plate for their most runs since a team-record 12 in 2010 against the Cubs.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Dodgers 3, Nationals 2
LOS ANGELES — Andre Ethier's two-run homer in the first helped Clayton Kershaw win his 10th consecutive decision for the Dodgers. The 2011 Cy Young winner is the first Dodger to win 10 in a row since Ramon Martinez from August 1995 through May 1996. He, Ed Roebuck and Orel Hershiser are the only Dodgers to win 12 in a row at home since the franchise moved from Brooklyn in 1958. Kershaw's home streak has spanned 16 starts, during which he has a 1.22 ERA.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Padres 5, Giants 3
SAN FRANCISCO — Nick Hundley tied a career high with four hits for the Padres, who have won four of their past six. Cory Luebke won his third consecutive start. Four of San Diego's seven wins this season have come in his past four starts. Eric Hacker took the loss in his first major-league start.
By Rick Stroud, Times staff writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012
TAMPA — For all the thousands of dollars spent in the Buccaneers scouting department, scouring the land in a nationwide hunt for college talent, coach Greg Schiano narrowed his focus a little bit for two picks Saturday.
To the Big East Conference. To West Virginia University. Heck, to one lousy apartment.
The Bucs selected Mountaineers linebacker Najee Goode in the fifth round when the final day of the draft resumed Saturday. About an hour later, they took his roommate, cornerback Keith Tandy, in the sixth round.
"Obviously, I know a lot about both the West Virginia kids playing against them for four years," former Rutgers coach Schiano said. "They were both a royal pain in the rear. As I told them, it's good to be on the same side now.
"Those two guys are football maniacs. I mean, they love the game, and they play it with such passion."
Clearly, much of the focus for the Bucs in the three-day draft was on improving a defense that allowed a franchise-worst 494 points last season. Four of their first five picks came from that side of the football, including Alabama safety Mark Barron (seventh overall) and Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David (58th).
The Bucs used their seventh-round picks on offensive weapons, Utah State running back Michael Smith (212th overall) and Northwestern tight end Drake Dunsmore (233rd).
"I'm very excited about the type of players we were able to bring in," Schiano said. "The whole draft class, there's a common thread: there's tough guys, there's leaders, there's guys who love the game of football."
Schiano never beat West Virginia in his 11 years at Rutgers. But he did gain an appreciation for players in the Big East, particularly two Mountaineer defenders.
Goode (6 feet, 244 pounds) started 24 games in his last two seasons at West Virginia and finished with 157 career tackles, 22.5 for loss, eight sacks and two interceptions. Tandy (5-10, 199) started 40 games and had 188 tackles and 13 interceptions.
"We always played (Rutgers) in tough games in crazy weather," Goode said. "They had good athletes and against them, I did have some great games. I'm glad he got a chance to see me before he looked at me NFL-wise. I was actually pretty good against them and made some plays."
Goode is the youngest of three brothers. His father, John, was a standout tight end at Youngstown State and a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals (then in St. Louis) in 1984. His brother Tarig played at Youngstown State in 2006 and later in the Arena Football League for the Mahoning Valley Thunder. His other brother Wakeem was a starting linebacker at Hampton University from 2005-08.
"The competition has always been through my family because we have a high level of it," Goode said. "My family is all boys. … We always try to make each other better."
Smith (5-9, 205) is a speed demon who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 at the Aggies' pro day workout. He averaged more than 7 yards a carry last season, including back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances to end his career. But Smith was overshadowed a bit playing behind Robert Turbin, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Seahawks.
"It's like every time (general manager) Mark (Dominik) and I watched tape, he would jump off the tape at you," Schiano said of Smith. "I mean, just a different kind of speed than everybody else on the field. How we utilize that, that's going to be our job … and there are several different ways you can do it. But speed wins."
In fact, Dominik said shortly after they drafted Smith, a general manager from another team called and offered Tampa Bay a sixth-round pick in 2013 for the Aggies running back.
"I never had that happen before," Dominik said.
The Bucs addressed another need with their final pick in the seventh round with Dunsmore, who could also be a straight line blocker at fullback. The 6-3, 235-pound Dunsmore had 14 career touchdown receptions and was the Wildcats' second-leading receiver last season with 45 catches for 522 yards.
Certainly, Schiano's handprints were all over the Bucs draft class. He's close with Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and had the insight on Dunsmore. Goode and Tandy tortured him at Rutgers.
"Coach knows those two players, having played against them. But I also think they stand out like beacon lights at their university," Dominik said. "Quite honestly, I did not know they were roommates, but I'm not surprised one iota."
FREE AGENTS: The Bucs began signing a group of undrafted free agents Saturday night after the draft, including Toledo receiver Eric Page, a projected mid- to late-round pick. Page, who left school after his junior season, had 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011 but was not among the 33 receivers drafted.
Page joined another Toledo prospect, tackle Mike Van Der Meulen, who the Bucs signed.
The team also stayed close to home, signing two former high school standouts from the bay area: USF guard-center Chaz Hine of Newsome and Iowa State cornerback Leonard Johnson of Largo. USF cornerback Quenton Washington also was signed.
Dominik said they could sign as many as 15 undrafted players.
Times staff writer Stephen F. Holder contributed to this story.
By John C. Cotey, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Because Tampa Bay is a regular stop for most major college scouts the past few years, this spring is bound to yield a bushel of offers for local players. But how many?
Fifty? 100?
Maybe more?
While most of the well-known players will just see their already significant offer total grow, there's others, such as Andy Embody, hoping to join their ranks.
The Carrollwood Day rising senior receiver knows it won't be easy.
For players such as Embody, a small but highly productive small-school player, that dream is often tempered by things like his size (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) and his school's competition.
But in other environments, Embody has proved he's more than you might think.
Last weekend at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Embody earned offensive MVP honors.
Coming off a season in which he averaged 20 yards a catch, caught seven touchdown passes and added 68 tackles and three interceptions, Embody believes he can open more eyes this spring. He says he is a much-improved player. At IMG, the emphasis was on learning to get in and out of his cuts faster, breaking flatter to create separation and playing physical football, all things Embody excels at.
The biggest lesson: Play fast all the time.
"Every route needs to look the same those first few steps. You can't give away the route. Probably one of the most important things I learned," Embody said.
"Andy showed up with great effort in each and every drill," said IMG Madden Football Academy receivers coach Pat Carter. "He has great quickness, is coachable and he catches the ball well with his hands and eyes. He showed an ability to make tough catches in traffic. Andy is a guy that is going to show up each time and give you great effort."
Embody doesn't have any offers yet, but he has been to junior days at Southern Methodist University and Princeton, and he has been invited to John Hopkins next month.
His smarts, on and off the field, have also attracted attention from Tulane, Davidson and Furman, schools he might visit this summer.
UNKNOWN STANDOUTS: Embody wasn't the only off-the-recruiting-radar local player to stand out at IMG last week.
Tyler Small, Jefferson's rising junior quarterback and a backup to Deiondre Porter last season, was named camp MVP.
IMG Madden Football Academy director and former FSU standout quarterback Chris Weinke said because of Small's lack of starting experience, he is ranked lower than he should be, but if he continues to develop he should be one of the better quarterbacks by his senior season.
Defensive lineman Brad Smith was named defensive big man MVP. The only concern with Smith, who led Hillsborough County in sacks last season, is whether he can put on more size to be a Division I lineman, which Jesuit coach James Harrell says he is.
"Brad is a tall, rangy defensive lineman with very good quickness, and very good knee bend," said IMG Madden Football Academy defensive lineman coach Tom Pratt. "He's a smart kid that is receptive to coaching, and with physical growth, has ability to play at the Division I level. He has an excellent speed rush with ability to dip his inside shoulder to make a turn upfield quickly."
LONG JAUNT TO NFL: There are plenty of these, but here's yet another great example for those players frustrated by their recruiting status, or lack thereof.
Lakewood's Jonte Green wasn't a hot recruit coming out of high school in 2007. In a year when Armwood's Torrey Davis, Plant's Robert Marve and Jefferson's Stephen Garcia were ranked 1-2-3 in the Times' 25 Best of the Bay, Green wasn't making any lists.
But after a year at Benedict College in South Carolina, he transferred to New Mexico State, earned a starting role at cornerback and had solid junior and senior seasons.
Saturday, Green was drafted in the sixth round by the Detroit Lions.
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Three teams with a good offseason
Tampa Bay Bucs
I'm not crazy about trading down in the draft and passing on a shutdown corner in the process. And I think taking a safety with the No. 7 overall pick is risky business. Still, the Bucs had a promising offseason. They could've kept Raheem Morris, not spent any money in free agency and settled for the status quo. Instead they hired a dynamic new coach in Greg Schiano (above) made a big splash in free agency by signing three impact players in WR Vincent Jackson, G Carl Nicks and CB Eric Wright. And the first two rounds of the draft did produce three players (S Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin, LB Lavonte David) who fill gaping holes and should start. All in all, better than the status quo.
Denver Broncos
You might have to go back to 1993 and Reggie White to find a bigger game-changer in free agency than Peyton Manning this offseason. If Manning (above) is healthy — and that's a big IF after sitting out a year with multiple neck surgeries — the Broncos are getting one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. If he has anything left in his tank, the Broncos suddenly become a Super Bowl contender. Think that's overstating it? Well, consider that the Broncos have a strong running game, a tremendous defense and not only made the playoffs but won a postseason game with Tim Tebow at the helm. With all due respect to Tebow, Manning is a better quarterback. Even without a first-round pick, the Broncos had a heck of an offseason.
Chicago Bears
If you're a Bears fan, you're cautiously optimistic about your offseason. Why the caution? Because you never know what you're going to get with Brandon Marshall, who was acquired for a couple of third-round picks. If it works out, the Bears get the playmaking wide receiver that QB Jay Cutler really hasn't had since going to the Windy City. Of course, the issue is whether Marshall (above) can stay out of trouble long enough to catch 90-odd passes. Based on his history, there's reason for concern. But that wasn't Chicago's only move. You have to especially like the Bears picking up a reliable veteran backup QB in Jason Campbell. If the Bears had a decent backup last season when Cutler was injured, they might have made the playoffs.
Three teams with a bad offseason
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins spent last season without a quarterback and go into next season with an unproven kid as their best hope. It's hard to imagine the Dolphins having a worse offseason. They were the heavy favorites to land Peyton Manning but lost out on that sweepstakes. Then they didn't get any of the consolation prizes: Matt Flynn, Alex Smith or even Tim Tebow. To fill the glaring hole at QB, they over-reached for Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill with the eighth pick in the draft. Meantime, the whole Brandon Marshall soap opera ended poorly. They once traded two second-round picks for the wide receiver and, last month, traded him away for two third-round picks. I'm not a math major, but that doesn't sound good.
New Orleans Saints
What a mess. Not too long ago, the Saints had become the new America's Team in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But these days, the Saints might be the most reviled team in sports, thanks to the disgusting Bounty-gate scandal and, now, rumors that GM Mickey Loomis might have listened in on opposing coaches early in the 2000s. Coach Sean Payton (above) has been suspended for a year. They hoped to replace him with Bill Parcells, but they had to settle for giving the job to assistant Joe Vitt, who is suspended for six games, meaning the team will have to have an interim coach for the interim coach. QB Drew Brees remains unsigned, and the team didn't even have a pick in the first two rounds of this year's draft, partly because of Bounty-gate. Yeesh.
Jacksonville Jaguars
New owner Shahid Khan was supposed to revitalize the organization by pumping a bunch of money into free agency, but it turns out, not many good free agents want to come to Jacksonville because the team is, well, not good. The Jaguars could've really jacked up the fan base by going out and getting Jacksonville's own Tim Tebow, but that didn't happen. The Jags then moved up in the draft to take WR Justin Blackmon (above). Nice player, but who's going to throw him the ball? Blaine Gabbert? Chad Henne? Please.
Team with the worst first-round performance
Seattle Seahawks
What the heck were the Seahawks thinking by taking West Virginia DE Bruce Irvin with the 15th overall pick? For starters, this former high school dropout has had major off-field problems, including jail time. Seattle loves that Irvin (left) is a pure pass-rusher, but Irvin wasn't even the best pass rusher available when Seattle picked. Quinton Coples and Chandler Jones probably would've been better selections. Plus, because of Irvin's character red flags, the Seahawks probably could've traded down, picked up extra picks and still landed Irvin. You get the feeling coach Pete Carroll sometimes tries too hard to think outside the box.
Team with the best first-round performance
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings did what every team should strive to do in the draft: trade your first pick for extra picks and still end up with the player you wanted to draft in the first round. GM Rick Spielman somehow convinced the Browns to trade up one spot in the draft to No. 3 overall and give up a fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round pick to do so. Then the Vikings still drafted OT Matt Kalil (above), the guy they would've taken with the third pick. Then a deal with Baltimore gave the Vikings the 29th pick, which they used to fill another hole by taking S Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame.
Three things that popped into my head
1. True, there were a lot trades in the first round. In fact, half the first-round selections were traded, so it wasn't easy to pull off a successful mock draft. Still, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper (left) got only seven of the first-round picks correct. That includes the first two picks — Andrew Luck to the Colts and Robert Griffin III to the Redskins — that everybody knew was going to happen. If this is all you do for a living, pretty much, shouldn't you get more than seven right? No one else did much better, which really proves just how ridiculous mock drafts are.
2. It's way too early to say that QB Robert Griffin III (left) will have the same kind of impact as Cam Newton did last year with Carolina. But if RG3 is even close to Newton, watch out for the Redskins next season. This team is a lot closer to being a winning team than you might realize. Hey, they beat the Super Bowl champion Giants twice last season. Then again, they have a bear of a schedule in 2012.
3. Prediction: Morris Claiborne (left) will have far more of an impact in the NFL than Mark Barron.
tom jones' two cents
A Two Cents look at the NFL following the weekend's draft and a busy offseason.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
.FAST FACTS
State picks
There were 15 players chosen from state colleges:
Rd.PickPlayer, position, schoolTeam
366Josh Robinson, CB, UCFVikings
372Olivier Vernon, DE, MiamiDolphins
386Sean Spence, LB, MiamiSteelers
392T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida InternationalColts
497Lamar Miller, RB, MiamiDolphins
4100Travis Benjamin, WR, MiamiBrowns
4105Nigel Bradham, LB, Florida StateBills
4114Jaye Howard, DT, FloridaSeahawks
5144Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida StateBills
5159Chris Rainey, RB/WR, FloridaSteelers
6173Alfred Morris, RB, Florida AtlanticRedskins
6176Mike Harris, DB, Florida StateJaguars
6198Tommy Streeter, WR, MiamiRavens
6200Brandon Washington, G, MiamiPatriots
7241Andrew Datko, T, Florida StatePackers
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Today's playoff series openers
San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Utah Jazz (8)
Season series: Spurs 3-1
Key matchup: Tony Parker (Spurs) vs. Devin Harris (Jazz). Harris got better in each matchup, culminating with 25 points in the April 9 meeting. But he was outplayed in the other three games by Parker, who scored 28 the night before.
X-factor: Manu Ginobili (Spurs). Unlike last postseason, Ginobili is healthy and a threat against the Jazz after a pair of 23-point outings against them.
Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6)
Season series: Lakers 3-1
Key matchup: Kobe Bryant (Lakers) vs. Arron Afflalo (Nuggets). No matter what shape Bryant is in after a shin injury sidelined him for much of the stretch run, he will have to shoot better than he did against the Nuggets. He made just 27.5 percent of his shots, worst against any team.
X-factor: Matt Barnes (Lakers). With Metta World Peace suspended the next six games, Barnes will have to provide the defense against Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington on the wings.
Boston Celtics (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)
Season series: Celtics 2-1
Key matchup: Kevin Garnett (Celtics) vs. Josh Smith (Hawks). A pair of versatile power forwards who have been forced to play center because of injuries. Garnett averaged 19 points against the Hawks and was out resting when Smith had 19 points and 12 rebounds in this season's final meeting.
X-factor: Avery Bradley (Celtics). The second-year guard has been productive as Ray Allen's replacement (right ankle) and might play a big role if Allen can't defend Joe Johnson.
Memphis Grizzlies (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5)
Season series: Clippers 2-1
Key matchup: Zach Randolph (Grizzlies) vs. Blake Griffin (Clippers). Randolph seems to lack the quickness to defend Griffin, who scored 19, 20 and 20 in the three games.
X-factor: Randy Foye (Clippers). L.A. needs him to hit from the outside the way he did March 24, when he scored 18. He scored 11 in the last meeting.
Times wires
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Today's semifinal
Philadelphia Flyers (5) vs. N.J. Devils (6)
Season series: Flyers 3-2-1
Key matchup: The Flyers' scorers, led by centers Claude Giroux, vs. Devils record-setting goalie Martin Brodeur. Giroux is the playoff scoring leader with 14 points (six goals). Brodeur's first round was solid; he had a .922 save percentage.
X-factor: Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who runs hot and cold.
Times wires
Times Staff
Saturday, April 28, 2012
MALE
Age 7: Colin Kruger, Trinity, 22:37 Age 8: William Stone, Largo, 23:18 Age 9: Mason Mook, Palm Beach Gardens, 20:15 Age 10: Blake Hooker, Odessa, 19:28 Age 11: Josue Reyes, Tampa, 29:54 Age 12: Matthew Wohlwend, St. Petersburg, 29:43 Age 13: Ryan Vanmiddlesworth, Seminole, 28:14 Age 14: Mitch Irwin, Oldsmar, 26:21 Age 15: Graham Pimentel, Naples, 25:29 Ages 16-19: Richard Lush IV, Lutz, 27:16 Ages 20-24: Matthew Ho, St. Petersburg, No time reported Ages 25-29: Sean Higgins, Dunedin, 42:56 Ages 30-34: Jonathan Barnes, Clearwater, 39:41 Ages 35-39: Shawn Yuskaitis, Tampa, 29:27 Ages 40-44: Ken Fanelli, Raleigh (NC), 29:19 Ages 45-49: Dale Bramall, Inverness, 29:46 Ages 50-54: Rodd Rafferty, Madeira Beach, 35:37 Ages 55-59: Kevin Lancer, Gainesville, 29:31 Ages 60-64: Andrew Walford, St. Petersburg, 38:47 Ages 65-69: John Parent, St. Petersburg, 36:43 Ages 70-74: Dennis McDonnell, Odessa, 47:44 Ages 75-79: Jerry Mills, NTR Ages 80-84: Paul Rafferty, Madeira Beach, 52:17
FEMALE
Age 7: Anna Cubito, city not listed, 25:59 Age 8: Sophia Stock, Bradenton, 24:27 Age 9: Taylor Benedict, Tampa, 21:35 Age 10: Emma Cavendish, Jupiter, 18:34 Age 11: Jennifer Secrest, Palm Beach Gardens, 31:30 Age 12: Kelly Secrest, Palm Beach Gardens, 29:21 Age 13: Lexi Riley, Jacksonville, 30:07 Age 14: Summer Kanstoroom, St. Petersburg, 28:34 Age 15: Megan McFadden, Winter Park, 29:56 Ages 16-19: Katie Ryan, Ocala, 34:31 Ages 20-24: Tiffany Silva, Tampa, 47:48 Ages 25-29: Allison Ribner, St. Petersburg, 32:30 Ages 30-34: Elana Stevens, Courtice (Ont.), 33:15 Ages 35-39: Julie Ringenberg, St. Petersburg, 34:08 Ages 40-44: Heidi Pitts, Lakeland, 36:44 Ages 45-49: Mary Deja, Largo, 35:30 Ages 50-54: Donna Miller, St. Petersburg, 35:45 Ages 55-59: Terri Crowther, Highland (Mich.), 33:58 Ages 60-64: Carol White, Sun City Center, 44:29 Ages 65-69: Hazel Schroeder, Redington Beach, 57:41 Age 70-74: Vicki Carey, St. Petersburg, 56:54 Ages 75-79: Mary Thomas, St. Petersburg, 48:44
Meek and Mighty TOP AGE GROUP FINISHERS
MALE
Age 8: William Stone, Largo, 23:18 Age 9: Mason Mook, Palm Beach Gardens, 20:15 Age 10: Blake Hooker, Odessa, 19:28 Age 11: Josue Reyes, Tampa, 29:54 Age 12: Matthew Wohlwend, St. Petersburg, 29:43 Age 13: Ryan Vanmiddlesworth, Seminole, 28:14 Age 14: Mitch Irwin, Oldsmar, 26:21 Age 15: Graham Pimentel, Naples, 25:29 Ages 16-19: Richard Lush IV, Lutz, 27:16 Ages 20-24: Matthew Ho, St. Petersburg, No time reported Ages 25-29: Sean Higgins, Dunedin, 42:56 Ages 30-34: Jonathan Barnes, Clearwater, 39:41 Ages 35-39: Shawn Yuskaitis, Tampa, 29:27 Ages 40-44: Ken Fanelli, Raleigh (NC), 29:19 Ages 45-49: Dale Bramall, Inverness, 29:46 Ages 50-54: Rodd Rafferty, Madeira Beach, 35:37 Ages 55-59: Kevin Lancer, Gainesville, 29:31 Ages 60-64: Andrew Walford, St. Petersburg, 38:47 Ages 65-69: John Parent, St. Petersburg, 36:43 Ages 70-74: Dennis McDonnell, Odessa, 47:44 Ages 75-79: Jerry Mills, No time reported Ages 80-84: Paul Rafferty, Madeira Beach, 52:17
FEMALE
Age 7: Anna Cubito, not listed, 25:59 Age 8: Sophia Stock, Bradenton, 24:27 Age 9: Taylor Benedict, Tampa, 21:35 Age 10: Emma Cavendish, Jupiter, 18:34 Age 11: Jennifer Secrest, Palm Beach Gardens, 31:30 Age 12: Kelly Secrest, Palm Beach Gardens, 29:21 Age 13: Lexi Riley, Jacksonville, 30:07 Age 14: Summer Kanstoroom, St. Petersburg, 28:34 Age 15: Megan McFadden, Winter Park, 29:56 Ages 16-19: Katie Ryan, Ocala, 34:31 Ages 20-24: Tiffany Silva, Tampa, 47:48 Ages 25-29: Allison Ribner, St. Petersburg, 32:30 Ages 30-34: Elana Stevens, Courtice (Ont.), 33:15 Ages 35-39: Julie Ringenberg, St. Petersburg, 34:08 Ages 40-44: Heidi Pitts, Lakeland, 36:44 Ages 45-49: Mary Deja, Largo, 35:30 Ages 50-54: Donna Miller, St. Petersburg, 35:45 Ages 55-59: Terri Crowther, Highland (Mich.), 33:58 Ages 60-64: Carol White, Sun City Center, 44:29 Ages 65-69: Hazel Schroeder, Redington Beach, 57:41 Age 70-74: Vicki Carey, St. Petersburg, 56:54 Ages 75-79: Mary Thomas, St. Petersburg, 48:44
By Pat Damico, Times Correspondent
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Getting a slam: Catching a trout, redfish and snook on the same outing with a fly rod is challenging. The best bet is at lighted docks and bridges. We often go out a few hours before daylight and can fish without seeing another boat. Trout and reds have been the primary targets. Snook are regional, depending on how the cold affected your area. The tide must be moving to produce feeding frenzies that allow doubles when two fly casters are working an area. Position one caster at each end of the boat.
Tarpon bonus: Lights near marinas also have produced baby tarpon, which require a stealthy approach and longer casts. Your first cast is the best, working the outside shadow before casting into the lighted area. Long, slow strips work best and often are interrupted with a strike that causes a hookup. When you see a fish, speed up the presentation, duplicating an escaping baitfish. Size 4-1 Bead Butt Baitfish, Deceivers and Puglisi synthetic patterns are selected to match the baitfish fish chase. Predominately white flies are best. Snook especially will key in on the baitfish.
Boat position: A bow-mounted electric trolling motor will position the boat and get large fish away from the barnacle encrusted pilings, which will break leaders and fly lines. Crimp barbs to make releasing easy.
Fly fisherman Pat Damico charters lower Tampa Bay and can be reached at captpat.com and (727) 504-8649.
By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012
BRANDON — A standing-room only crowd gathered Saturday morning to remember the life of former Florida All-American, Brandon High standout and NBA center Dwayne Schintzius, recalling his strong faith, generosity and love for family and life.
Family, friends and former Florida teammates filled the chapel at Stowers Funeral Home in his hometown of Brandon to honor Schintzius, who died April 15 at age 43 after a two-year battle with leukemia.
About 20 minutes before the service was scheduled to begin, the line to greet Schintzius' parents, Ken and Linda, and his younger brother, Travis, extended from the front of the chapel into the foyer.
Prior to the service, Ken Schintzius said the loss of his son has been extremely difficult but the family is coping. He was wearing a blue tie decorated with orange Florida logos — a reflection of his son's career there.
"We're all right, but it's tough," he said. "You don't normally wear blue with a gray suit.
"But I wanted to wear the tie because it was his."
The chapel was filled with memories of Schintzius' life. Photos from his days as an NBA player were in the entrance while his days at Florida were reflected in photos at the front of the chapel.
A television showed a montage of pictures, including family vacations, birthday parties with his nieces and nephews and Schintzius as a little boy in a football uniform. There was also a large flower bouquet in the shape of a cancer awareness ribbon — in Gator orange.
Pastor Chuck Hodge baptized Schintzius, and the two became close friends and confidantes. Hodge told those in attendance the service should not be an extremely sad occasion because although he's missed, "the Lord has taken away all of that pain, all of that struggle and that fight is no longer his to fight."
Hodge said the past two years had been very difficult for Schintzius.
"It was a fight, and it was a struggle to survive," he said.
Schintzius' agent, Frank Martin, described him as a man with a heart bigger than his 7-foot-2 frame.
"Behind this big giant was a really deep and thoughtful human being who loved his family, who wanted nothing but the best for everyone and wanted to share that with everyone," Martin said. "And that was so unusual in this world and even more unusual in the world of professional athletics.
"He was a much bigger person inside than he was outside. I think sometimes that goes unnoticed."
Among those paying respects were a few former Gator teammates, Renaldo Garcia, Livingston Chatman and Clifford Lett, who remembered Schintzius as a player who "sacrificed some of his game for the betterment of the team."
Lett added that Schintzius, who started 110 games from 1987-90, was a great teammate, very giving and he played a big part in the Gators' accomplishments, including their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1987 and first SEC regular-season title in 1989.
"A lot of people misunderstood him because of his size, but he was a real giving, real honest person," said Lett, who played three seasons with Schintzius. "He always felt more of an outcast, and I think a lot of that had to do with his size. But the people at Florida really loved him, and they actually showed that to him when he came back (for a game in 2011).
"That was his first time back in years. So that was real, real special for me to see that they really appreciated the contributions he made to the program."
Hodge told the audience if Schintzius were able, he would remind them life is short and each person should live every day to its fullest — as he did: "Dwayne would be so proud that all of you are here to honor his life and honor his memory."
Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2012
As if there wasn't enough intrigue around the Lightning's search for a No. 1 goaltender, one more name might be in the mix: Boston's Tim Thomas.
There is no indication this is the way Tampa Bay wants to go, and no indication (other than sketchy reports out of Boston) the Bruins want to trade Thomas, the 2010-11 Vezina Trophy winner with one year left on his contract.
But practical arguments can be made both ways. The Lightning might see Thomas as a short-term fix while waiting for permanent options after next season. And the Bruins, with Tuukka Rask waiting to start, could get something for Thomas before his contract expires.
Clearly, Tampa Bay would rather find a long-term solution this summer, but there are no slam dunks among the presumptive targets.
Vancouver's Cory Schneider appears off the market, and Roberto Luongo — because of a contract that has 10 years left and pays $6.714 million the next six — is a nonstarter unless the Canucks want to trade for, say, Vinny Lecavalier and his 11-year, $85 million deal.
Los Angeles' Jonathan Bernier and Nashville's Anders Lindback have promise, but as backups they have just 86 NHL games between them. And Josh Harding, the most intriguing name in a down year for pending unrestricted free agents, hasn't been able to take the No. 1 job in four full seasons with the Wild and has a history of injuries.
Another year of experience wouldn't hurt Bernier or Lindback, and the potential pool of unrestricted free agents is a bit deeper in 2013, with contracts expiring for Detroit's Jimmy Howard, Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick and, dare we say it, Phoenix's Mike Smith.
Even Schneider is one year away from being unrestricted if he does not sign long term.
If that is Tampa Bay's thinking, it needs a bridge through next season, and that brings us back to Thomas. Yes, his $5 million cap hit is close to Luongo's $5.33 million. The difference is Thomas' 2012-13 salary is a manageable $3 million, which would leave the Lightning some flexibility to make needed upgrades on defense. Plus, the investment would be for one season, compared with a long-term commitment to Luongo.
There are road blocks, of course. Thomas, with a 2.36 goals-against average and .920 save percentage this season, is 38, and Tampa Bay was just burned trying to get one more season out of 42-year-old Dwayne Roloson.
Thomas also has a no-trade clause through June 30. He could waive it, but if not, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman would have to be creative. Yzerman's two first-round draft picks and four seconds, which could be used as trade bait, will be gone after the June 22-23 draft.
The Bruins say they want to keep Thomas, who backstopped them last season to their first Stanley Cup title in 39 years.
But let's say they are open to a trade and so, too, is Thomas, a teammate of Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis at the University of Vermont. Asked if he would deal the No. 10 overall draft pick if the right situation came along, Yzerman, speaking generally, said, "I'm open to anything."
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
SAO PAULO, Brazil — IndyCar has fined Panther Racing owner John Barnes and placed him on probation until the end of the year for posting a critical comment on Twitter.
IndyCar said Saturday that Barnes was fined $25,000 and put on probation until Dec. 31 for using "improper or disparaging language in reference to IndyCar."
Barnes can appeal the penalties. He admitted in a statement he "should have chosen a more private forum to voice my opinions."
The Panther owner tweeted on Thursday: "Today is the day to resolve TURBOGATE! I hope @indycar gets their act together. It has been embarrassing."
He was referring to a hearing to decide whether Honda would be allowed to make changes to its turbochargers, which eventually happened. Panther Racing uses engines from Chevrolet, which had appealed IndyCar's decision to aid the Hondas.
There hadn't been a fine meted in IndyCar because of Twitter comments since last year, when Helio Castroneves posted comments criticizing then-chief steward Brian Barnhart. Castroneves was fined $30,000 for calling Barnhart a "circus clown."
Meanwhile, in qualifying for today's Sao Paulo Indy 300, Will Power edged defending series champion Dario Franchitti to earn the pole with a lap of 1 minute, 21.4045 seconds on the 2.5-mile street course.
NHRA: Cruz Pedregon topped Funny Car qualifying for today's Spring Nationals in Houston, his Friday pass of 4.103 seconds at 306.19 holding up. Morgan Lucas was No. 1 in Top Fuel, Allen Johnson topped Pro Stock, and Hector Arana led Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
AVONDALE, La. — Jason Dufner, known to struggle on the weekend, got through one of his problem days with little trouble at the Zurich Classic.
Dufner shot 5-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead over Graham DeLaet (66) after the third round Saturday. Dufner was at 17-under 199.
Winless in 163 starts on the PGA Tour, Dufner lost playoffs last year to Mark Wilson in the Phoenix Open and Keegan Bradley in the PGA Championship for two of his three career runnerup finishes. "Obviously, I know that I hadn't played as well as I would like on the weekends," said Dufner, who also led after the second round. "(I'll) try to identify some of the reasons why and try to implement some of those (today)."
Ernie Els (68) and John Rollins (69) were at 14 under. Ryan Palmer tied the course record with 64 to join Steve Stricker (69) and Cameron Tringale (68) at 13 under.
Dufner birdied three of the first four holes to get to 15 under, holing a 50-foot putt on the par-4 fourth and a 25-footer on the par-4 fifth.
"That's probably a huge key to (Saturday)," Dufner said. "Maybe a couple of bogeys to start the round or even par through same holes, maybe I start doubting myself again.
"(It would) be nice to kind of start that way again, get you a little bit more comfortable, know that you're going to have a chance to shoot a score under par and not be struggling or fighting it for the day."
Second-ranked Luke Donald was 12 under after 66. He needs to finish at least seventh alone to regain the top spot from Rory McIlroy.
Defending champion Bubba Watson, playing in his first tournament since winning the Masters this month, shot 65 and was 9 under.
LPGA: Stacy Lewis birdied five of her last seven holes for 5-under 67 and a two-stroke lead over Seminole's Brittany Lincicome (67) in the third round of the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in Alabama. Lewis was at 14-under 202. Lincicome said it would be fun to play today's final round with a good friend. "We'll still be chit-chatting like we always do and just play as if it were just a practice round on Tuesday and not hopefully be overly stressed … and just go out there and have a good time," she said. In a group of six five shots back were 17-year-old Lexi Thompson of Coral Springs (66) and Karrie Webb, whose 64 tied the tournament record matched a day earlier by Karin Sjodin.
Times wires
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tennis
Nadal in final at Barcelona vs. Ferrer again
BARCELONA, Spain — Six-time champion Rafael Nadal defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-4 Saturday to ease into the Barcelona Open final, where for the fourth time he faces fellow Spaniard David Ferrer for the claycourt title.
Ferrer held off Milos Raonic's powerful serve in the other semi for a 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5) victory.
Nadal ran off seven straight points to open the match, breaking Verdasco's first service game with an intimidating smash.
"I began the first set very strong, and getting the first break gave me a lot of confidence," Nadal said. "(Verdasco) also made some errors early on, which helped me."
Porsche Grand Prix: Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-3 to advance to today's final against No. 2 Maria Sharapova, who outlasted No. 3 Petra Kvitova, last year's Wimbledon champion, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) at Stuttgart, Germany.
Colleges
FSU third in sand volleyball nationals
The Florida State women finished third at the inaugural sand volleyball national championships on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala. Pepperdine defeated Long Beach State for the title in the tournament run by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
FSU finished 16-2 and had three players named All-Americans: senior Jekaterina Stepanova, junior Aurora Newgard and sophomore Brittany Tiegs. A 16-team single-elimination pairs tournament is today.
This is first year of varsity competition for beach volleyball, which the NCAA calls sand volleyball. The NCAA has not officially sanctioned the sport; it's gauging the interest of schools in fielding teams.
In the first year, 15 schools had teams.
Football: Conference USA is set to bring aboard Texas-San Antonio ahead of a planned merger with the Mountain West that would create a new league with as many as 24 schools, the Associated Press reported. The University of Texas System Board of Regents has scheduled a vote for Wednesday, and chancellor Francisco Cigarroa has recommended approving the move months before Texas-San Antonio is set to begin its first season in the Western Athletic Conference. Texas-San Antonio went 4-6 in its inaugural season as an independent in Division I-AA last year.
Et cetera
Soccer: Thierry Henry scored his MLS-leading ninth goal, then later went down with a right hamstring injury in the host New York Red Bulls' 1-0 win over New England. Coach Hans Backe said Henry will be out about a month.
Track and field: Allyson Felix ran on a pair of relay teams that set Penn Relays records, and the United States won all six relays at the "U.S.A. vs. the World" races in Philadelphia. The women won the sprint medley, the 400-meter relay (event record 42.19 seconds) and the 1,600 (record 3 minutes, 21.18 seconds). The men won the 400, the distance medley and the 1,600. In the 400, former Seminole Walter Dix, Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin and Doc Patton won in 38.40. Jamaican stars Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell did not compete for their country. … Wallace Spearmon Jr. broke the Drake Relays 200-meters record set by former Olympic and world champion Michael Johnson 15 years ago in Des Moines, Iowa. Spearmon won in 20.02 seconds, beating the mark Johnson set in 1997 by three-hundredths of a second.
Times wires
By Rick Stroud and Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writers
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose crumbled to the floor, clutching his left knee. His season is over and the Bulls' title hopes might be finished, too.
The All-Star guard will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee late in Chicago's 103-91 victory Saturday over the 76ers in their Eastern Conference series opener, casting serious doubt on a team eyeing a title run.
Rose scored 23 and was playing more like the league's reigning MVP after missing 27 games because of injuries during the regular season.
He crumbled after he drove the lane with about 1:20 left and the Bulls up by 12. Rose was going for a layup when he came to a jump-stop and seemed to change his mind, passing to a teammate and landing awkwardly.
Whether Rose should have been in the game at that point figures to be debated. He checked back in with just under eight minutes left and the lead got as high as 20 before the 76ers made a push. Still, coach Tom Thibodeau stayed with Rose.
"I don't work backward like you guys do," Thibodeau said to reporters. "The score was going the other way."
"He's more than just a basketball player to me," forward Joakim Noah said. "I consider Derrick a little brother." Noah didn't respond when asked if he agreed with Rose being in the game at that point.
Guard Richard Hamilton defended the decision, saying, "They made a little run, so we needed guys that could put the ball in the basket."
The Bulls were 18-9 in the regular season without Rose.
Teammate Kyle Korver said: "It's been a hard year. With all the work that he puts in and the kind of person he is, to see this happen stinks. It's a sad win."
PHILADELPHIA (91): Iguodala 3-11 5-6 11, Brand 8-15 3-3 19, Allen 2-5 0-0 4, Holiday 7-18 1-3 16, Meeks 0-1 2-2 2, Williams 1-6 7-8 9, T.Young 6-12 1-2 13, Hawes 2-4 1-2 5, Turner 4-9 4-5 12, S.Young 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 33-83 24-31 91.
CHICAGO (103): Deng 8-14 0-0 17, Boozer 4-8 1-1 9, Noah 5-8 2-5 12, Rose 9-23 2-2 23, Hamilton 6-7 6-6 19, Brewer 0-1 0-0 0, Asik 0-2 1-4 1, Gibson 2-3 3-4 7, Korver 5-8 0-0 11, Watson 1-4 2-2 4. Totals 40-78 17-24 103.
Philadelphia 24 18 24 25— 91
Chicago 28 25 26 24— 103
3-Point Goals—Philadelphia 1-9 (Holiday 1-4, S.Young 0-1, Iguodala 0-2, Williams 0-2), Chicago 6-14 (Rose 3-6, Hamilton 1-1, Korver 1-3, Deng 1-3, Watson 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Philadelphia 43 (Brand, Holiday 7), Chicago 59 (Noah 13). Assists—Phi. 18 (Iguodala, Turner 5), Chi. 28 (Rose 9). Total Fouls—Phi. 21, Chi. 23. Technicals—Brand, Hamilton, Rose. A—21,943.
