By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 11, 2012

. Up next

vs. Mets

Tonight through Thursday

What's new: The Mets (32-29) have lost six of their past seven. But they had been one of the league's surprises, overcoming the offseason loss of free agent SS Jose Reyes to climb within striking distance of first place in the NL East. They've done so with a resurgent year from 3B David Wright (hitting .354) and some strong starting pitching, with RHP R.A. Dickey, Wednesday's starter, tied for the league lead with nine wins.

Key stat: The Mets have the second-most errors (49) in the National League.

Connections: Mets manager Terry Collins was on the Rays coaching staff in 2001, Rays manager Joe Maddon was Collins' bench coach in Anaheim (1997-99). Rays CF B.J. Upton and Wright played Little League and AAU baseball together in Southern Virginia.

Series history: The Mets lead 8-7, but the Rays have won five of the past seven. They last played June 19-21, 2009, when Tampa Bay took two of three at Citi Field.

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

By Ed Walker, Times Correspondent
Monday, June 11, 2012

What's hot: Summer is a great time to target pompano in the North Suncoast area. These delicious members of the jack family are generally quite elusive, but with some basic knowledge and persistence you can improve your chances of bringing a few home for dinner.

Technique: Pompano feed primarily on crustaceans and mollusks. Stomach content analysis has revealed that they eat a lot of coquinas, which live in the clean sand along the beach. They also love mole crabs, usually called "sand fleas," which are abundant in the surf zone. Start your search where there is clear, swift-moving water and a sandy bottom. Passes are ideal, as are the swash channels between the beach and the outer sand bars. If you are looking by boat, watch for pompano "skipping" out of your wake as you run. This unusual leaping habit has helped commercial fishermen locate schools of pompano for decades.

Tips: For fishing the beach, it's hard to beat a small yellow hair jig. The rapid vertical action of this bright colored lure is irresistible to pompano and small permit. Jigs also cover a large area in a short time, so they are good for prospecting. For natural bait in the surf, sand fleas are the top choice. Leader size should be no more than 15-pound test, and monofilament line is preferable to braid due to the keen eyesight and spooky nature of these prized fish.

Ed Walker charters out of Tarpon Springs. He can be contacted at lighttacklecharters.com or at (727) 944-3474.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 11, 2012

Rays vs. Mets

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers

Rays: RH Alex Cobb (2-2, 4.13)

Mets: RH Chris Young (0-0, 3.60)

On Cobb: He has lost his past two starts, giving up four runs in each, though has felt good mechanically. He's 2-0, 2.70 in two career interleague starts, allowing a combined nine hits.

On Young: He's making just his second start since coming back from right shoulder surgery, having allowed three runs over five innings in a no-decision against the Nationals last week. He last faced the Rays Aug. 2, 2005, giving up seven runs over 31/3 innings in a loss.

Key matchups

METS VS. COBB

None have faced

Rays VS. YOUNG

Carlos Peña 0-for-3

Hideki Matsui 3-for-5

Jose Molina 0-for-2

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Mets, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (8-3, 2.40); Mets — R.A. Dickey (9-1, 2.44)

Thursday: vs. Mets, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 2.65); Mets — Johan Santana (3-3, 2.96)

Rays disabled list

(with eligible-to-return date)

C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5

RHP Kyle Farnsworth, right elbow strain, 60-day, June 5

OF Sam Fuld, right wrist surgery, 60-day, June 5

OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder strain, 60-day, July 13

INF Jeff Keppinger, right toe fracture, 15-day, June 3

3B Evan Longoria, left hamstring tear, 15-day, May 16

RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Friends of the day

Manager Joe Maddon and Mets manager Terry Collins go way back, with Maddon serving as Collins' bench coach in Anaheim (1997-99). Collins was also a member of the then-Devil Rays coaching staff in 2001, before Maddon arrived. "We worked together for three years," Maddon said. "He's got a great baseball mind, he's a good friend of mine, and I'm really happy he's doing so well."

Good deed of the day

INF Elliot Johnson will visit Childs Park YMCA in South St. Petersburg this morning to kick off his summer book report program. Johnson will talk about the importance of reading and the program.

Number of the day

20-17

Rays record without 3B Evan Longoria in the lineup. Longoria is on the disabled list with a partially torn left hamstring.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

PARIS — Rafael Nadal was worried.

A guy so unflinching, so nearly unbeatable, while sliding and grinding and pounding his way past opponent after opponent at the French Open, got a real case of nerves during the 18 hours he and Novak Djokovic waited for the restart of their rain-interrupted final at Roland Garros.

Instead of focusing on how close he was to winning a record seventh French Open championship, Nadal grew increasingly wary of the other possible outcome: a loss in a fourth consecutive Grand Slam final against Djokovic, who was trying to become the first man since 1969 to collect four straight major titles.

When play was halted by showers Sunday, Nadal was clinging to an ever-shrinking lead. It wasn't until a few minutes before setting foot back on Court Philippe Chatrier that Nadal set aside his anxiety. He overwhelmed the No.1-ranked Djokovic for the 50 minutes and nine games they played Monday, wrapping up a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory that allowed Nadal to earn French Open trophy No. 7, breaking a tie with Bjorn Borg.

"You never know if you're going to win another one," said the second-ranked Nadal, who owns 11 Grand Slam titles.

"I don't know if I am the best or not," he added. "I am not the right one to say that."

Djokovic, for his part, had zero doubts. He worked his way back into the match with an eight-game run when it was pouring Sunday, but otherwise was outplayed, at the start and the finish.

"He's definitely (the) best player in history … on this surface," said Djokovic, whose 27-match Grand Slam winning streak ended, "and results are showing that he's one of the best ever."

Can't argue with that. Since his French Open debut at age 18 in May 2005, Nadal is 52-1 for his career at the tournament, the only loss coming to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009. He's just as good elsewhere on clay, too: Nadal's won eight titles at Monte Carlo, seven at Barcelona, six at Rome.

Asked to explain his success on the surface, Nadal pointed not to his forehand, or his superior returns of serve, but rather to his movement, his mental fortitude, and this: "I always was scared to lose."

Djokovic gave Nadal reason for added concern, having beaten him in the final at Wimbledon in July, the U.S. Open in September, and the Australian Open in January.

Nadal gained ground on Roger Federer's record of 16 Grand Slam titles, tying Borg and Laver for fourth place.

Well-rested Monday, Nadal and Djokovic opened with a crescendo: The first point contained eight strokes, the third had 11, the fourth had 16 and the fifth had 21, ending with Djokovic's errant forehand that gave Nadal a chance to break.

On the next point, Nadal's shot slapped the white tape atop the net and trickled over. Djokovic got to the ball but couldn't do much, setting up Nadal for a cross-court backhand passing winner.

That was the break Nadal needed.

"When you lose, it's because you don't deserve the title," Nadal said. "So in my mind, this was the final I had to win. That's why I was so emotional."

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Derrick Mason stepped into retirement Monday as a member of the Ravens, the team that provided the sure-handed wide receiver the biggest thrills and most significant friendships over his 15-year NFL career.

Mason, 38, played eight seasons with Tennessee before signing as a free agent with Baltimore in 2005. He never missed a game over six seasons with the Ravens and is the team career leader with 471 catches and 5,777 yards receiving. He also ranks second with 29 touchdown catches.

After being released last year, Mason split time with the Jets and Texans in 2011. But his spirit remained in Baltimore.

Sitting between Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh, Mason bid farewell to football at the Ravens training complex.

"The decision wasn't hard to retire, and the decision where to retire was just as easy," Mason said. "My heart was here. It never left. My body left, but my heart stayed right in this room."

Mason thanked many of the people who helped him get through 230 NFL games. He also paid homage to late quarterback Steve McNair, who threw passes to Mason with Tennessee and Baltimore.

"I can't leave without thanking Steve," Mason said. "Him and I, more or less, grew up together in the game of football my first eight years and one here. Because of him, my numbers are what they are. Because he looked for me, he trusted me, he counted on me. I hope I never failed him. He will always be No. 1 with me."

ochocinco to MIAMI: Receiver Chad Ochocinco, a six-time Pro Bowl player who had 15 catches with the Patriots last season, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins.

PUNISHMENT UPHELD: An arbitrator ruled that commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline former Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove for the New Orleans bounties program. University of Pennsylvania professor Stephen Burbank said he has no jurisdiction over Hargrove.

BENGALS: The team reached a deal with third-round pick Mohamed Sanu, a receiver from Rutgers, giving it 10 of 11 draft picks under contract.

CARDINALS: First-round pick Michael Floyd, a receiver out of Notre Dame, signed a five-year contract. The team also signed Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming, its third-round pick, to a four-year deal. … Defensive end Vonnie Holliday was re-signed to a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed.

COWBOYS: The club brought back tackle Pat McQuistan two years after trading him to the Dolphins.

GIANTS: Starting tight end Jake Ballard was waived after he failed a physical exam. Ballard, who had 38 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns last season, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the Super Bowl.

JAGUARS: General manager Gene Smith said the team has no plans to renegotiate running back Maurice Jones-Drew's current contract. "Obviously, he has expressed that he would like to renegotiate and we have expressed again that we feel he has a contract with two years left that we expect him to fulfill those obligations," Smith said.

VIKINGS: The NFL suspended wide receiver Jerome Simpson for the first three games of the 2012 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

MIAMI — A day after being ejected, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was still steamed about umpiring and said technology should be used to eliminate human error in calling balls and strikes.

"I want a ball called a ball and a strike called a strike. Figure out how to do it," Valentine said Monday

Valentine, upset with plate ump Al Porter, launched a tirade with two outs in the ninth inning of Sunday's loss to Washington. The Red Sox were swept in the series, and Valentine said his frustration about the way pitches were called built through the weekend.

But he said he has long been in favor of using technology to get such calls right. Covering the Little League World Series as a network announcer convinced Valentine change was needed.

"It was the most criminal thing I ever saw," he said. "I wanted to cry when a kid, in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and his team down by one run, was called out on a strike three on a pitch that was 6 inches outside. He couldn't reach it with his bat. I cried for him. That kid is scarred for life playing our game by an injustice.

"And then someone says the most ridiculous words that I ever hear — 'But we like the human factor.' It's criminal that we allow our game to scar a young person like that. And then it continues. I think in 2012 it should not be part of the process."

Valentine declined to propose a specific solution but said the technology exists to improve the accuracy of calling pitches.

In other Red Sox news, LH reliever Rich Hill's latest elbow problem was diagnosed as a strained flexor muscle, and he's expected to be sidelined for at least a month.

CUBAN STAR TO CUBS: The Cubs reached an agreement with Cuban free agent OF Jorge Soler, reportedly for nine years and $30 million. Soler, 20, was sought after by several teams and is considered a five-tool player who will require some minor-league seasoning.

In other Cubs news, C Geovany Soto began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa three weeks after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

UTLEY REHAB: Phillies 2B Chase Utley, who has been out all season with a degenerative knee condition, is set to begin his minor-league rehab tonight with Class A Clearwater. The Threshers are home against Tampa in the 7 p.m. game.

CLEMENS SAGA: The final set of witnesses took the stand as the Roger Clemens perjury trial entered its ninth week, and both sides played it safe with major decisions. Clemens did not take the stand, and prosecutors decided not to try to introduce new evidence to bolster the credibility of their key witness, former trainer Brian McNamee.

HIRING NEWS: Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, the director of sports medicine and head team physician at the University of Connecticut since 1994, was appointed a new independent administrator for the sport's drug prevention and treatment program.

SUSPENSION OVERTURNED: Brewers minor-league SS Erick Almonte had a 50-game drug suspension rescinded by Major League Baseball after a B sample came back negative.

BLUE JAYS: RHP Brandon Morrow left after nine pitches because of a strained muscle in his left side. He's considered day to day. … RHP Sergio Santos, the team's opening day closer, felt soreness in his injured pitching shoulder and had a bullpen session canceled. Santos has been on the DL since April 21.

BRAVES: RH reliever Cory Gearrin was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace RHP Julio Teheran, who was with the team for one fill-in start.

MARLINS: RHP Carlos Zambrano, one of baseball's best-hitting pitchers, is under orders to cool it in batting practice because of a stiff back.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina is headed back to the College World Series, beating Oklahoma 5-1 Monday for its 21st straight NCAA tournament win.

The two-time defending champion Gamecocks wrapped up the Super Region for their third straight CWS trip and 11th overall. South Carolina (45-17) seeks to join Southern Cal (1970-74) as schools with more than two consecutive CWS titles.

The game was suspended Sunday because of rain. Once things resumed, South Carolina quickly put away the Sooners (42-25).

Matt Price got his 41st career save tying the SEC mark of Georgia's Joshua Fields.

South Carolina opens the World Series on Saturday, facing Florida. The Gamecocks beat the Gators in the World Series championship round last season.

"Once we start the postseason," Price said, "we just try and go out and win every at-bat and every pitch."

Kent st., arkansas advance: Jimmy Rider drove in the winning run with a shallow pop that landed just inside the leftfield foul line and just out of reach in the ninth, lifting Kent State to a 3-2 win over Super Region host Oregon and sending the Golden Flashes (46-18) to their first CWS. Leftfielder Brett Thomas appeared to lose track of the ball when it was hit. Trailing 2-0, the Ducks (46-19) tied it in the eighth. Kent State opens the CWS on Saturday against Arkansas, which beat Super Region host Baylor 1-0 on defensive replacement Jake Wise's two-out RBI single in the 10th. It is the seventh CWS for the Razorbacks (44-20). After scoring three runs in the fifth inning of Game 2 to take a 4-3 lead, Baylor (49-17) didn't score again over the final 14 innings in the series.

wolfpack apology: N.C. State shortstop Chris Diaz apologized for confronting umpire Steve Corvi after a called third strike ended Sunday's Super Region loss to Florida. "The emotions of the moment overwhelmed me, and unfortunately I acted in a way that was unsportsmanlike,'' he said.

big east lawsuit: The Big East sued TCU for failing to pay the conference $5 million after the school reneged on an agreement to become a member and chose to join the Big 12 instead. TCU said it hoped for an amicable resolution.

ohio state: Christopher Cicero, a Columbus lawyer whose email tips about Buckeyes football players trading memorabilia for tattoos triggered a far-reaching scandal, should lose his law license for six months, an Ohio Supreme Court disciplinary board recommended for the second time. At issue is whether he violated professional rules of conduct that prohibit revealing information from meetings with a client or a prospective client.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 11, 2012

The NBA Finals get underway tonight with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Miami Heat in Game 1 (9, Ch. 28). Here's our Two Cents preview of the series.

What happened in the season series?

The teams split the two-game season series with each team winning at home. The Heat turned the ball over 21 times in Oklahoma City's easy 103-87 victory March 25. The Heat won 98-93 April 4. OKC super scorer Kevin Durant scored 29 in the first game and 30 in the second, although he committed a career-high nine turnovers in the loss. The Heat's LeBron James scored only 17 in the loss at OKC, but went off for 34 in the victory at Miami. OKC's Russell Westbrook and Miami's Dwyane Wade averaged 20.5 points in the two meetings.

What is the key matchup in the series?

Are you kidding? It's the NBA's leading scorer (Durant) and the NBA MVP (James). The question is how much will the two actually go head-to-head? A fair amount, probably. Durant will try to run James all over the floor to wear him out. James, one of the league's best defenders, will get in Durant's grill and force him into a collapsing defense. However, that scheme could backfire considering Durant had a season-high eight assists in OKC's victory in March.

At the other end, Durant's length could present problems for James, but James could use his strength to post up Durant.

In the two meetings, Durant and James were on the floor at the same time for an average of 36 minutes a game, according to NBA.com. Durant shot 51 percent and averaged 23.5 points, while James shot 46 percent with 22.6 points.

What will happen if the two stars do not guard one another?

Don't be surprised if James switches over to cover Russell Westbrook, while the Heat uses Shane Battier to guard Durant.

Meantime, the Thunder might give Durant a break by putting Serge Ibaka, the NBA's leading shot blocker, on James. Kendrick Perkins might get a turn, too. James carved up the Celtics with drives through the lane in the Eastern Conference final, and the size of Ibaka and Perkins could limit James taking the biscuit to the basket.

Who else has to step up?

The Heat's Dwyane Wade cannot disappear as he did for large chunks of the series against the Celtics. In the East final, Wade shot below 28 percent and scored only 44 points total in the first half of the seven games. Meantime, the Celtics' Rajon Rondo ate up the Heat and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook is a better player than Rondo. Imagine what Westbrook might do to Miami. But that's part of the problem. Westbrook also might imagine what he can do and hog the ball. He has a tendency to get selfish and he's liable to shoot the Thunder right out of this series.

After LeBron-Durant, which matchup might determine the series?

The matchup of big men Serge Ibaka (Thunder) and Chris Bosh (Heat). Ibaka is a deadly midrange shooter and an outstanding defender. Meantime, Bosh is the forgotten member of Miami's big three, but he played huge minutes in the Heat's two season-saving victories against the Celtics in Games 6 and. In Game 7, Bosh poured in 19 points, including three buckets from downtown.

How does homecourt advantage impact this series?

The Thunder not only has homecourt advantage, but because of the goofy 2-3-2 format, the advantage really swings in the Thunder's favor. The road team — in this case, Miami — has to play the first two and, if necessary, the last two games on the road. In addition, at this time of year, it's nearly impossible to beat a team three times in a row. Thus, the Heat might need to win two games in Oklahoma City. That won't be easy.

What about the benches?

The Heat has a solid bench with Shane Battier, who could start, and two former Gators, shooting specialist Mike Miller and power forward Udonis Haslem. But the edge goes to the Thunder with James Harden, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, center Nick Collison and guard Derek Fisher, a five-time NBA champion who showed he still has gas left in his tank. The 37-year-old Fisher has a chance to be the 14th NBA player to win at least six titles.

So, the bench edge goes to Oklahoma City, although with extra days off between Games 2 and 3 and Games 5 and 6, the Heat can play James and Wade close to 48 minutes a game and might not need a bench.

Who has the better coaching?

The Heat's Erik Spoelstra takes some, well, heat and it might be deserved. Only because he was thoroughly outsmarted by Boston's Doc Rivers did the Heat get pushed to the limit by a team nowhere near as good as Miami. The Thunder is better than Boston and Spoelstra is going to have to constantly mix things up to keep OKC off balance.

Meantime, the Thunder's Scott Brooks has the challenge of keeping his young group composed through the ups and downs, both in the individual games and the series. He did just fine after OKC fell behind 2-0 to the Spurs in the West final.

Who wins the series?

The Celtics nearly beat the Heat and the Thunder is younger and more talented than Boston. Plus, the Thunder has homecourt advantage. Thunder in six.

tom jones' two cents

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

Marlins 4, Red Sox 1

MIAMI — Miami, with its retractable roof open for the first time in nearly two months, snapped a six-game losing streak as Josh Johnson outpitched former teammate Josh Beckett. Rookie Donovan Solano drove in two runs as the Marlins improved to 1-6 on their homestand. Last-place Boston lost for the seventh time in eight games. Beckett, the Marlins' postseason star when they won the World Series in 2003, pitched against them for the first time.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley said Monday that he has an agreement to sell his NBA team to a group headed by California billionaire Robert J. Pera.

Heisley made the announcement after published reports that he had a buyer for the team he moved from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001.

"I am confident that the franchise will continue its development toward being a perennial championship contender and an important member of the Memphis community," Heisley said in a statement. "I am particularly gratified that we have put together a team which is poised to continue its development."

The sale is subject to approval by the NBA Board of Governors and other conditions. ESPN.com reported the sale would be for about $350 million.

Pera, 34, is a former Apple engineer who left in 2005 to start Ubiquiti Networks, a communications technology company that makes WiFi networking equipment. ESPN.com reported he intends to keep the team in Memphis. The Grizzlies are coming off their two best seasons with their first postseason wins in franchise history.

coach mum on Bosh's role: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn't saying whether he'll put All-Star forward Chris Bosh back into the starting lineup or keep bringing him off the bench now that Miami is in the NBA Finals.

Bosh missed nine games during the Eastern Conference playoffs with a lower abdominal strain and has taken on increasing playing time since returning last Tuesday for Game 5 of the East final. He played 14 minutes his first game back, 28 in Game 6 then 31 in Game 7 — scoring 19 and hitting three 3-pointers.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

Nationals 6, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO — Bryce Harper had three hits in his return to the starting lineup after a day off, former Ray Edwin Jackson pitched eight strong innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Washington won its fourth straight game. Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer and Rick Ankiel also connected for the NL East leaders.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

ATLANTA — Ivan Nova combined with four relievers on a five-hitter and the Yankees beat the Braves 3-0 on Monday night to claim a share of first place in the AL East for the first time in seven weeks.

Raul Ibanez led off the second inning with a homer and Robinson Cano had two hits, including an RBI single in the first. The Yankees tied the idle Rays for the division lead, their first return to first place since April 24.

The Yankees have won four straight games and nine of 11 to move a season-best 10 games over .500. The Braves, held without an extra-base hit, have lost two straight after their season-best six-game winning streak.

Nova earned his fourth straight win, and his second-inning single was his first career hit.

Atlanta had leadoff singles in four of the first five innings. None advanced past second as the Yankees turned double plays in the first and third innings.

Braves starter Randall Delgado walked a career-high six.

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

cycling

hincapie to retire at season's end

Five-time Olympian and Tour de France veteran George Hincapie will retire from cycling after the 2012 season, bringing to a close one of the most successful careers by an American rider.

Hincapie, who turns 39 on June 29, announced his decision Monday.

Hincapie was a longtime aide for Lance Armstrong during the mountain stages of the Tour de France, helping him win each of his seven titles. Hincapie helped Alberto Contador win the Tour in 2007 and Cadel Evans win last summer.

Hincapie is expected to help Evans defend his title when the Tour de France starts June 30 in Liege, Belgium. Now riding for BMC Racing Team, Hincapie would be riding in his 17th Tour de France, breaking the record he shares with Dutch rider Joop Zoetemelk for the most starts.

"I came to the conclusion that I want to go out while I can still contribute and make a difference," Hincapie said. "To be able to compete for 19 years as a professional cyclist has been something I would have never dreamed of doing."

olympics

Royal feel to equestrian team

Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter Zara Phillips has been nominated as part of the United Kingdom's team for the London Olympics, the British Equestrian Federation said.

Phillips, 31, will be following in the footsteps of her parents, Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips, both of whom competed for Great Britain in the Olympics.

et cetera

Autos: IndyCar has docked Justin Wilson five points and fined Dale Coyne Racing $7,500 for failing a postrace inspection after the team's win at Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar said Wilson's car had unapproved pieces of bodywork fitted to its sidepods. The pieces in question were legal for the Indianapolis 500.

Golf: Paul Casey has withdrawn from the U.S. Open, paving the way for a 14-year-old from China to be what officials believe to be the youngest player in championship history. Andy Zhang was the second alternate when the week began at Olympic Club. Casey pulled out because of a recurring shoulder injury. Brandt Snedeker also withdrew.

Jurisprudence: A woman who works as an NBA security official has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit saying she was removed from an assignment to the Summer Games in London after she spurned an advance from UConn and women's national coach Geno Auriemma. Kelley Hardwick filed her suit in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. Auriemma called her account "beyond false" and said he would defend himself "to the fullest."

Times wires

Times wires
Monday, June 11, 2012

LOS ANGELES — After two months of playoff domination, spearheaded by sensational goaltending, the Kings completed their improbable Stanley Cup run Monday night in a mere five minutes.

The pivotal moment came at 10:10 of a scoreless first period when the Devils' Steve Bernier smashed Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi into the end boards from behind, bloodying Scuderi's face.

Bernier was ejected with a boarding major, and during the five-minute power play the Kings scored three goals, by Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis.

Los Angeles went on to a 6-1 rout to end its 45-year Stanley Cup quest. Playoff MVP Jonathan Quick made 17 saves and Los Angeles became the first eighth-seeded team to win the league title.

After taking a 3-0 series lead and then losing two potential clinching games last week, the Kings quickly ended the sixth-seeded Devils' attempt at one of the biggest comebacks in final history.

With the early lead, Quick took it from there, finishing a star-making two months by allowing just seven goals in six final games.

"You never know. You get to the dance, you never know what's going to happen," Brown said. "We calmed down after losing two."

Martin Brodeur stopped 19 shots for the Devils, just the third team to force a Game 6 in the final after trailing 3-0. Rookie Adam Henrique ended Quick's shutout bid late in the second period after the Kings had built a 4-0 lead, but Lewis and Matt Greene added late goals for the Kings.

"We never lost our confidence," Quick said. "We had to take it on the chin to keep moving, losing two, and we looked at it as, 'Hey, we still have to win one game to win a championship. And we have two chances.' Finally, we were able to do it at home."

The Kings went 16-4 after barely making the playoffs, eliminating the top three seeds in the Western Conference in overwhelming fashion as they matched the second-fastest run to a title in modern NHL history.

"Every single guy worked so hard for us this season," said defenseman Drew Doughty, who had with six points in the final, including two assists in Monday. "Everyone deserves this. We got used to each other, we developed a chemistry, and we just went sailing from there."

Los Angeles boasted a talented, balanced roster that peaked at the absolute perfect time under midseason coaching hire Darryl Sutter.

Quick set NHL records for save percentage (.946) and goals-against average (1.41) among goalies who played at least 15 postseason games.

Brown had 20 points, tied for the postseason scoring lead with linemate Anze Kopitar. Brown is the second American-born captain to raise the Cup (Dallas' Derian Hatcher did it in 1999).

Brown handed the Cup to Willie Mitchell, the 35-year-old defenseman who had never won the Cup, and he gave it to long-injured and recently returned forward Simon Gagne, the former Lightning player who nearly tripped before raising the Cup for the first time.

"You don't give yourself a lot of room for error, finding yourselves in a pretty deep hole," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "It's hard, but we really felt like could get back in this and force a Game 7. We just came up a bit short, unfortunately."

Despite coming off their first back-to-back losses of the playoffs, the Kings started with impressive energy in Game 6, getting most of the good early scoring chances — and then they got the break they needed when Bernier pushed Scuderi headfirst into the boards behind Quick's net. Scuderi stayed motionless for quite a while, eventually heading to the dressing room after leaving plenty of blood from his lacerated nose.

Bernier, a 27-year-old journeyman and depth forward with two goals in 24 playoff games this season, went to the locker room. The Devils complained Jarret Stoll received no penalty for checking Stephen Gionta into the boards between the benches a moment earlier.

"He turned back," Bernier said of Scuderi. "I feel very bad, but it's a fast game out there, and it ends up being a bad play.

"You certainly don't want to get five minutes for it. I wish I could take that play back. I didn't want to hurt my team. I wanted to help them. This is extremely hard. It's been a long playoff run for us. To finish on that note, it's not fun for sure. But there's nothing I can do now."

The Devils had nine penalties that totaled 47 minutes in Game 6, coming in with an average of 8.7 in the playoffs — the second-fewest in this postseason. Forwards Ryan Carter and David Clarkson had 10-minute misconducts, and defenseman Bryce Salvador served a four-minute high-sticking penalty in the second period.

First Period—1, Los Angeles, Brown 8 (Doughty, Richards), 11:03 (pp). 2, Los Angeles, J.Carter 7 (Brown, Richards), 12:45 (pp). 3, Los Angeles, Lewis 2 (King, Doughty), 15:01 (pp). Penalties—Volchenkov, NJ (hooking), 3:01; S.Bernier, NJ, served by Sykora, major-game misconduct (boarding), 10:10.

Second Period—4, Los Angeles, J.Carter 8 (Brown, Kopitar), 1:30. 5, New Jersey, Henrique 5 (Sykora, Ponikarovsky), 18:45. Penalties—Salvador, NJ, double minor (high-sticking), 6:00; R.Carter, NJ, served by Sykora, minor-misconduct (roughing), 14:23; Clarkson, NJ, misconduct, 18:19; Penner, LA (roughing), 19:43.

Third Period—6, Los Angeles, Lewis 3 (King, Stoll), 16:15 (en). 7, Los Angeles, M.Greene 2, 16:30. Penalties—Sykora, NJ (roughing), 6:55; Brown, LA, served by Williams (tripping, charging), 6:55; Zidlicky, NJ (tripping), 8:06. Shots on Goal—New Jersey 4-6-8—18. Los Angeles 13-8-4—25. Power-play opportunities—New Jersey 0 of 2; Los Angeles 3 of 9. Goalies—New Jersey, Brodeur 14-9-0 (24 shots-19 saves). Los Angeles, Quick 16-4-0 (18-17). A—18,858 (18,118). T—2:27. Referees—Dan O'Rourke, Chris Rooney. Linesmen—Jean Morin, Derek Amell.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

TAMPA — Injuries have flattened another Bucs defensive lineman, but the news is not all that deflating.

DT Amobi Okoye missed Tuesday's opening of a three-day mandatory minicamp after having arthroscopic knee surgery, the team announced.

Okoye elected to have the relatively minor procedure done to prevent further complications with his knee later on. He is expected to make a full recovery and be on the field for the start of training camp in late July.

The Bucs are leaning heavily on Okoye to provide depth along a defensive line that already has suffered a major loss after E Da'Quan Bowers' ruptured Achilles' tendon.

The only other player to miss Tuesday's mandatory minicamp was DT Brian Price, who has been excused, coach Greg Schiano said.

WRIGHT STUFF: Eric Wright is a big part of arguably the most heralded class of free agents the Bucs have ever signed. But Wright has been an irregular attendant during the offseason, particularly during workouts in recent weeks.

That wasn't the case Tuesday as Wright was back for the first day of the Bucs' mandatory minicamp, beginning the process of catching up on what he's missed as the team continues to install its defense.

"I had a few personal issues that I had to deal with," said Wright, who wasn't with the team for the three recent workouts open to media. "That's typical for the offseason. But most importantly, I'm here for minicamp and feeling good. So, I'm out here running around."

Wright seemed to be taking a bit of a back seat in certain situations during today's practice, giving way to lesser-known players such as Anthony Gaitor and E.J. Biggers in the lineup. But the Bucs express no concern about Wright's progress in learning the scheme.

"(He's behind) a little bit," Schiano said. "But I think because of his experience, he can catch up pretty quickly."

The Bucs have high expectations for Wright, who signed a $37.5 million contract.

"It's a big responsibility," Wright said. "I'm going to go out there and work as hard as possible to make them right."

PARKER IMPRESSES: Preston Parker cradled a perfect pass from QB Josh Freeman in the corner of the end zone and made sure he got both feet down in bounds during a team red zone period.

He leaped high to chest bump a few teammates on the way back to the sideline, just a reminder that Parker's game is on the rise.

Last season, Parker, 25, played a vital role as the Bucs third-down specialist and finished second among wideouts with 40 receptions for 554 yards and three touchdowns. He also was the team's primary kickoff and punt return man. Freeman has singled him out as one of the Bucs most improved players.

"It's great to hear that," Parker said. "I'm glad he's saying my name and I'm going to show him he can come to me on third down or any down."

Schiano said the receiver position is among the most competitive on the team, along with defensive back. In addition to Parker behind starting WRs Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, the Bucs have Arrelious Benn, Sammie Strougher, Dezmon Briscoe, Tiquan Underwood and Ed Gant, among others.

BARRON UN-SIGNED: S Mark Barron is the team's only draft pick who remains unsigned. But the first-round choice from Alabama does not anticipate any problem reaching an agreement with the team. "It's just a few things that have to get worked out and that's it," Barron said Tuesday.

Because of the rookie salary cap, holdouts are mostly a thing of the past. The Falcons and Panthers have already signed all their draft picks. Tampa Bay has $3.536 million left under this year's rookie pool.

By Dave Zalewski, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

What's hot: On a typical six-hour fishing trip, we will leave the dock with frozen sardines and squid in the bait cooler and stop about 11/2 miles offshore over a patch of limestone bottom to fish for pinfish, squirrelfish, Spanish sardines and threadfins with No. 6 or 8 sabiki rigs, weighted with a 3-ounce sinker. The heavier weight is used to help prevent tangling when multiple baits are hooked. Using a small piece of squid tentacle on the two lower hooks will help to ensure the bite from the bottom dwellers, and the other hooks will produce the other free-swimming baits.

Tips: Trolling the nearshore and mid-water artificial reefs has consistently yielded Spanish mackerel, kingfish, barracuda and bonito. Using No. 1 planers and small spoons with at least 20 feet of 40-pound leader has been the key. Using the smaller terminal tackle allows us to downsize rod and reel to 20- or 30-pound class, which is much easier and more comfortable for younger anglers.

Technique: Bottom fishing has been outstanding in 60 feet for both our younger clients and their parents, with virtually nonstop action from white grunts, red grouper, triggerfish and catch-and-release gag grouper. A 2/0 double hook rig will keep the young ones busy while the older anglers employ conventional tackle for the larger fish.

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

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

GAINESVILLE — For the third consecutive year, the University of Florida Athletic Association will donate $6 million to the university, but there are signs the nation's economic problems could be affecting the Gators, too.

During its annual June budget meeting on Tuesday, the UAA's Board of Directors authorized the use of $500,000 from budget reserves to help fulfill the donation. And the Gators are in the midst of an aggressive marketing campaign designed to raise awareness of still-available season football tickets — including premium luxury seats.

Florida athletic officials are projecting a budget increase in 2012-13 of less than 1 percent — to about $96.7 million, which UF athletics director Jeremy Foley said has "no built-in raises" for staff, but maintains health and pension plans.

"If you look at this budget, you'll see our expenses increased very little this year," Foley said. "Our staff and our coaches did an excellent job on holding the line on expenses, understanding this is a challenging economic environment for everybody, certainly for the campus, but also for UAA. Our revenue increased very, very little. We did have a small ticket price increase a year ago that generated some significant dollars ($1.3 million). But we froze an increase in booster (fees) as well."

Gator Boosters generates one-third of UF's operating funds, projected to be $33.8 million in the upcoming year. SEC revenue from bowl games, TV contracts and championships ($16.5 million) and football and basketball ticket sales ($21.1 million and $2.2 million respectively) make up a large portion of the budget.

But the Gators took in $1.29 million less in luxury club seating sales this past year — the first time since 1990 that Florida has had consecutive seasons of decline in projected ticket related contributions, and the third consecutive year of projected decline in basketball ticket-related contributions.

Since the marketing campaign launched about three weeks ago, about 1,200 season football tickets have been sold. It includes social media and direct emails to local businesses and organizations. But Florida remains about 250 season tickets short of last season's total, although more than 50,000 have been purchased. UF's 137-game home sellout streak was snapped last season after three games did not sell out.

"People may want to focus on a couple hundred tickets that aren't sold, and not focus on the tens of thousands that are sold," Foley said. "That's a phenomenal amount of season tickets to sell in that short amount of time."

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com. Follow her on Twitter at @gatornews.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

TAMPA — In less than a month, NASCAR's Sprint Cup returns to Florida for the CokeZero 400 in Daytona Beach, and driver Kevin Harvick made a local pit stop Tuesday, touring MacDill Air Force Base, then ducking over to Tropicana Field for the ceremonial first pitch before the Rays game.

Harvick took questions from military staff and their families at MacDill ("Can you please sign my NASCAR video game?" for instance) and also took time to talk with reporters about his season, his tour of a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueler and his newly shaven face.

What are you most curious about when you're talking with these guys about the aircraft and their roles here at MacDill?

It's always interesting to see how other people relate to their jobs. Sitting in their environment in the cockpit, I'm sure there's a lot of similarities with what we do. ... There's a lot more up there in their cockpit for them to handle. ... It's been an informative day and I've enjoyed being around them.

Do you have any desire to fly yourself?

I've never flown my own plane, so I don't know that I need to be sitting up there. But I enjoy the technical side of what they do and how they do things. My favorite part of any military feature, aside from the people themselves, is how clean and organized everything is. I like things clean and organized, and they don't get any cleaner or more organized than they are in any branch of the military.

You've had a beard for a bit as part of Budweiser's "Grow One" campaign. Did you shave because you were coming to a military base?

I just got tired of itching it. I came home from Pocono and shaved it right off. I put in my four weeks for the Bud Grow One campaign and did my part. ... It always surprises me the way people react, but I didn't know it was going to be something people would actually talk about. Last week, I got called Jimmie more times than I want to, so I went home with the urge to shave it off.

How would you characterize your season so far — you're sixth in the point standings, but no wins and a pair of second-place finishes.

It's been a strange year. I feel like we've run well everywhere but Richmond and Martinsville. We've run well; we haven't finished well. That's out of character for what we do usually. ... We just haven't been able to finish the races off this year. We've made moves, but all the moves we've made seem to have not been right. That stuff goes in cycles.

Tell us about your plans for the rest of the day.

Today is part of our Daytona Winner's Circle appearance. NASCAR requires us to do three of those a year. They schedule us to do cool things like this at least. That makes it fun to come do things you wouldn't normally do. We're here to promote the Coke 400. That's about it. (Rest of day?) I don't even know. (First pitch at Rays?) Oh, yeah, we're going to a baseball game and going to throw out the first pitch. I've done quite a few of those actually. I played baseball when I was in junior high, but that's the last time I played baseball. I'm along for the ride, here to do what's needed of me.

Associated Press
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — A Penn State assistant coach testified Tuesday that he saw something in a campus locker room one night in 2001 that was "more than my brain could handle."

Jerry Sandusky was standing naked in the showers behind a boy, slowly moving his hips, Mike McQueary told the jury.

McQueary, a star witness in the child sexual abuse case against Sandusky, said he had no doubt he was witnessing anal sex. He testified that he slammed his locker shut loudly as if to say, "Someone's here! Break it up!"

Then, he said, he went upstairs to his office to try to make sense of what he had seen.

Sandusky, 68, is on trial on charges he molested 10 boys over a 15-year period. Authorities say he abused them in hotels, at his home and inside the football team's quarters. Sandusky, a former assistant coach and founder of an acclaimed youth charity, has denied the allegations.

Testifying on Day 2 of Sandusky's trial, McQueary said he went to the football team building one night to put away a pair of new sneakers. As he entered the locker room, he said, he heard a noise and "was kind of embarrassed that I was walking in on something."

He said he glanced over his shoulder at a mirror and saw Sandusky "standing behind a boy who was propped up against a wall." He estimated the boy to be 10 to 12 years old. He said he wasn't sure if Sandusky saw him. After slamming his locker to make noise, he left.

"It was more than my brain could handle," he said. "I picked up the phone and called my father to get advice from the person I trusted most in my life." He said he was very vague with his father, who told him to leave immediately.

McQueary said he went to Coach Joe Paterno's house the next morning and relayed what he had seen, but not explicitly out of respect for the coach and his own embarrassment.

He said Penn State administrator Tim Curley called him a week later, and McQueary met with him and another school official, Gary Schultz. A week or two later, he said, Curley called him to say they had looked into it.

McQueary, 37, has been on paid leave since the scandal erupted.

The identity of the boy who was said to have been in the showers is a mystery to prosecutors.

Earlier Tuesday, the teenager who triggered the grand jury investigation that rocked Penn State became the second alleged victim to take the stand.

Choking back tears, the 18-year-old said Sandusky kissed him, fondled him and engaged in oral sex with him during numerous sleepovers in the basement of Sandusky's home while the coach's wife was upstairs.

The teen, labeled Victim No. 1 by a grand jury, said he eventually confided in a school counselor that Sandusky was molesting him, only to be told by school officials: "He has a heart of gold, and he wouldn't do something like that."

School officials ultimately referred the case to the county's child-welfare agency, which found his account credible.

Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers signed OF Andre Ethier to an $85 million, five-year deal through 2017 Tuesday, keeping him and Matt Kemp together in the middle of the lineup.

It's the team's first major move under a new ownership group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson.

Ethier avoided arbitration last winter, agreeing to a $10.95 million contract for this season. He could have tested free agency at season's end.

"I knew there were options at the end of the day, but why look at them when the best option is here?" he said.

"A friend of mine said a couple weeks ago, 'You were meant to play here and you wouldn't play good anywhere else.' That kind of rang true and let me think what's the purpose of holding out a few more months?"

ROBERTS RETURNS: 2B Brian Roberts returned to the Orioles after being out for 13 months with a concussion and sometimes wondering if he'd ever be able to live a normal life again. "There were times throughout the process that the future looked so bleak," he said.

GUERRERO RELEASED: The Blue Jays granted OF/DH Vladimir Guerrero's request to be released from his minor-league contract. Guerrero, 37, a nine-time All-Star and former AL MVP, didn't indicate why he asked for his release.

RIVERA SURGERY: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera said the surgery on his injured right knee "went perfectly" and he is looking forward to beginning his rehabilitation.

SWEAT, NOT SPIT: Tigers closer Jose Valverde said he wasn't throwing a spitball in the ninth inning Sunday night but rather was wiping sweat from his face with his glove. An Internet video showed Valverde putting his glove to his mouth with the ball in it before delivering a pitch to Reds C Devin Mesoraco.

CLEMENS SAGA: A jury of eight women and four men began deliberations after a day of closing arguments in the ninth week of the federal perjury trial of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.

OBITUARY: Former RHP Dave Boswell, who won 20 games for the Twins in 1969, was hospitalized that August after a fight with manager Billy Martin outside a Detroit bar and retired two years later at the age of 26, died from a heart attack Monday evening at his home near Baltimore. He was 67.

ANGELS: RHP Jered Weaver, on the disabled list with a lower back strain, said he felt good after a 30-pitch bullpen session Monday and could be cleared for a simulated game late this week.

A'S: RHP Brandon McCarthy was scratched from his scheduled start today because of lingering soreness in his pitching shoulder.

BRAVES: RHP Tim Hudson, who missed his scheduled start Sunday because of bone chips in his ankle, is expected to pitch tonight against the Yankees.

CUBS: Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo was fired and replaced on an interim basis by James Rowson, the organization's minor-league hitting coordinator.

METS: 1-800-Flowers founder Jim McCann has purchased a minority stake. The team has been selling limited partner shares for $20 million each.

RANGERS: RHP Alexi Ogando went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right groin and is expected to be out four to six weeks.

REDS: RHP Nick Travieso, the 14th overall pick in the draft, agreed to a $2 million bonus. The product of Archbishop McCarthy High in Southwest Ranches was a Miami commit. … Rookie SS Zack Cozart was out of the lineup with an illness.

TIGERS: RH reliever Octavio Dotel went on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his pitching elbow.