Times wires
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Pirates 11, Phillies 7

PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley homered in his first at-bat of the season for Philadelphia, but Pittsburgh spoiled his return by connecting three times.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

OMAHA, Neb.

What did you expect? Surrender?

After all, Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer ever to get wet. He is arguably the finest Olympian of all time. He is on the short list of the most dominating athletes any of us have ever seen.

Given all that, how did you think Michael Phelps would react to his greatest challenge? By letting his sport pass him by without a final kick?

If you had any doubts about America's freshest rivalry, it is, as they say, on. Phelps struck back Wednesday night, barely holding off Ryan Lochte to win the 200-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials. This was no longer Phelps the legend. This was Phelps the competitor. From the looks of things, he still remembers how to touch the wall.

Around the pool, it is fair to say the doubts were growing. As great as Phelps has been, he hasn't done much since the 2008 Olympics, and the sight of Lochte celebrating another victory over him has become routine. It has been easy to wonder how much the calendar might have evened the competition.

Still, there are reasons Phelps has won 14 gold medals. He has faced up-and-comers before. He has dispelled other doubts. Put it this way: If a man spends most of his life chasing history, he is bound to fight the notion of being history.

As for the rivalry? You can now score it one for the Great One and one for the Next One. Oh, and you might wish to stay tuned.

"Neither one of us like to lose," Phelps said. "We're going to have a lot of races like that over the next couple of weeks, and probably a couple of more this week. That's how it seems to shake out whenever we're in the water."

It is delicious stuff, this building rivalry between Phelps, 27 on Saturday, and Lochte, 28 on Aug. 3. It is a showdown-in-the-street, sword-fight-on the-castle-wall kind of competition. Over the years, swimming has seen a lot of great swimmers — Mark Spitz, Matt Biondi, Ian Thorpe — who have taken turns ruling their sport like a succession of kings. On the other hand, there haven't been a lot of head-to-head, anyone-can-win rivalries. Thorpe, the great Australian, had Pieter van Den Hoogenband for a while. Gary Hall Jr. of the United States and Russia's Alexander Popov seemed to enjoy tweaking each other.

But if Lochte is ready — and the former Gator looks it — and if Phelps still has enough juice — and he looks it — then this could be a duel to build an Olympics around. You have a swimmer who is on his way out vs. one who is finally arriving. You have accomplishment vs. audacity. How can the world resist?

Don't we all love a rivalry? Magic-Bird or Frazier-Ali or McEnroe-Borg or Russell-Chamberlain or Nicklaus-Palmer or Corleone-Barzini? This promises to provide a whole summer's worth of fun.

That said, neither swimmer seemed particularly pleased Wednesday night. Lochte groused about his slow start. Phelps moaned about his turns. Neither seemed pleased with his time.

"I was pretty upset with the times," said Phelps. "In my eyes, (his time of) 1:45.7 is not going to make the medal podium (in the Olympics)."

Still, it had to help Phelps to win again after Lochte's repeated wins, including in Monday's 400 individual medley.

"Sure, he was a little frustrated," said Bob Bowman, Phelps' longtime coach. "There's always psychological stuff going on. It's always good to win. Winning is never bad."

Imagine this through Phelps' eyes. By his admission, he has been "kind of destroyed" by Lochte over the past few years. The nerve. The last time we saw either in an Olympic competition, Lochte was just another swimmer in another lane chasing Phelps as he disappeared into the distance. Now, beating Lochte may be a greater challenge for Phelps than chasing down Spitz and the rest.

Imagine this through Lochte's eyes. Phelps is a legend, but as Lochte said the other day, "He's not a fish. He's human." Lochte has been hotter, and Phelps hasn't been the same intimidating force he was four years ago. You get the feeling he's not in awe.

The other day, for instance, Lochte said the strangest thing about Phelps: "It's a rivalry that we have had for almost eight years now, and we just have been switching back and forth. It's hard to say who is the best swimmer because we're both great racers, and we have been going back and forth for so long."

Huh? The plain truth is Lochte's resume — or his gold collection (three) — isn't anywhere close to Phelps'.

On the other hand, winning a gold medal isn't about comparing legacies. It's about swimming faster. It's about shaving seconds.

Take Wednesday night, when Phelps won by .05 of a second. That's a better turn. That's a slightly faster start. That's a slightly better finish.

Soon to come: a slightly better race.

And one after that. And that. And that.

Times wires
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Rangers 13, Tigers 9

ARLINGTON, Texas — David Murphy went 4-for-5 with two home runs and matched his career high with five RBIs to make a winner out of Roy Oswalt for Texas. Ian Kinsler added a two-run homer, and Adrian Beltre had three hits to back Oswalt, who earned his second victory in as many starts with the Rangers while pitching in and out of trouble.

Times wires
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nationals 11, Rockies 5

DENVER — Jordan Zimmermann pitched seven strong innings, and Ryan Zimmerman and Tyler Moore homered for the second straight game for Washington. The Nationals scored nine once in 71 games before doing it on consecutive nights vs. Colorado.

Times wires
Thursday, June 28, 2012

This week on tour

PGA: AT&T National, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md. TV: Today-Friday, 3 p.m., Golf; Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. Golf, and 3 p.m., Ch. 10

Champions: Senior Players Championship, Fox Chapel Golf Club, Pittsburgh. TV: Today-Friday, 1 p.m., Golf; Saturday-Sunday, 2:30 p.m., Golf

LPGA: NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Ark. TV: Friday, 6:30 p.m., Golf; Saturday-Sunday, 5 p.m., Golf

PGA Europe: Irish Open, Royal Portrush Golf Course, Portrush, Northern Ireland. TV: Thursday-Friday, 9 a.m., Golf; Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m., Golf

By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 28, 2012

They've been called creepy, petrifying and freaky, with an occasional cute and hilarious tossed in for kindness' sake.

We're talking Zim Bears, stuffed bears in a Rays uniform with the face of senior adviser Don Zimmer.

The Rays are giving them away to the first 10,000 fans at Friday's game against the Tigers. Team officials expect people to line up three to four hours before the 7:10 p.m. game.

Bear-y scary or not, everyone now wants one.

News of the Zim Bears went viral in February when the Rays announced this season's schedule of promotions. Fans cheered Evan Longoria's walk-off home run figurine, the Joe Maddon sunglasses and DJ Kitty bobblehead. But they went wild over the Zim Bears.

"We heard from people all over the country, even from people in Japanese baseball,'' said Tom Hoof, the team's vice president of marketing. "The amount of reaction kind of surprised us.''

The online Bleacher Report quickly declared the Zim Bear the most interesting promotional item for the 2012 Major League Baseball season. Then the U.S. Postal Service made a commercial for its flat-rate boxes about a family desperate to get rid of a Zim Bear in their house.

Comments on the Rays' Facebook page have ranged from "better lock it in the Yankees clubhouse'' to "Creepy, but I secretly want one!'' Photos of B.J. Upton, Hikedi Matsui and other players posing with a bear got a few thousand likes.

Even manager Joe Maddon played along and wore the bear on his shoulder to a post-practice media session. He called it cute and cuddly but definitely not something he would put in a 2-year-old's crib.

Zimmer, 81, has been surprised and amused by all the attention and told reporters when he first saw the bear: "I don't know what to think.'' It was uncertain if he would be at Friday's game because of health issues.

The team started the giveaways a few years ago to boost attendance Friday nights and wanted to do some- thing to honor Zimmer, one of baseball's beloved legends. It teamed up with Match-Up Promotions in Orlando to create a prototype using a stock photo of a bald, big-jowled Zimmer.

"We were like everyone else. We all thought it was so cute but so scary looking,'' said Jeff Collins, Match-Up's vice president of sales. "We're very happy with the buzz.''

The company hasn't mass-marketed the bears yet but expects to promote them to its other MLB clients. Similar versions featuring the face of a favorite player or coach will likely appear in other cities, he said.

The Rays do about 30 giveaways a year, mostly for weekend games. Not since the team handed out AL championship commemorative rings in 2009 has a promotional item proven so popular.

Personalized plush toys aren't new but have been gaining popularity. Minime recently added mall and shopping center kiosks across the region where customers can put their photo on a stuffed toy or doll.

"What better gift to give your boss than one that celebrates him?'' said Minime spokeswoman Lori Mann. "It's the new bobblehead.''

Already, people are trying to presell their Zim Bear on eBay. Sellers will ship it unopened in its original packaging. Buyers get to decide if it's cute or creepy.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

LIEGE, Belgium — Cadel Evans thinks one Tour de France title will make it easier to win another. And he's ready to add that second one.

Evans opens his title defense today when the 99th edition of cycling's marquee race begins with a quick, 4-mile prologue in Liege, Belgium.

The Tour offers a welcome return to racing after cycling's doping ghosts returned this month, with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charging that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs en route to his seven Tour victories. He denies doping and never failed a test.

For a race covering 2,100 miles over three weeks, the prologue is just the very beginning for the rider who will cycle down Paris' Champs-Elysees in the yellow jersey on July 22. Evans was already playing down expectations.

"It starts on a stage that isn't so suited to me," the BMC team leader said Friday. "But from here on in, it's all systems go."

He adds: "Knowing that we have already won one, it makes it quite a little bit easier. … You don't have this question of doubt: 'Maybe I can win it, maybe I can't?' We know we can."

Many analysts are predicting a two-way showdown between Evans and Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who said he senses through social media how many fans back in Britain are behind him.

"In England … every child's dream is to lift the FA Cup at Wembley or whatever," Wiggins said. "This is my Wembley."

Meanwhile, American George Hincapie begins the Tour for a record 17th time, part of Evans' team. If Hincapie rides into Paris when the race ends July 22, the 6-foot-3 New Yorker will match Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk with a record 16 completed Tours.

"It's such a hard race. People don't understand what riders go through in three weeks of the Tour de France," said Hincapie, who turned 39 Friday and plans to retire after the season.

Hincapie's 16 Tours and the 14 stages he finished in 1996 add up to almost 38,000 miles — or one and a half times around the Earth.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 29, 2012

TAMPA — Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib says stress over his now-dismissed aggravated assault charge in Texas was "killing" him and he is grateful for the "clean slate" given to him by new coach Greg Schiano.

Talib, in Atlanta participating in agent Todd France's annual football camp, told an Atlanta radio station that accuser Shannon Billings was unfairly targeting him in the March 2011 shooting case in which he was charged.

"It was killing me, man," Talib, 26, said. "It was a bad situation where a guy had to say a couple lies to try to put an extra couple dollars in his pocket. But it was killing me, man. It was just a bad situation, and I'm just glad it's behind me."

Talib was accused of firing a handgun during a domestic dispute with Billings, a former boyfriend of Talib's sister. Prosecutors in Dallas dropped the charge last week at least in part because of concerns about Billings' credibility, Talib's attorney said.

Billings is currently in jail on unrelated charges.

With the situation resolved, Talib said he has the fresh start Schiano promised him after the coach was hired in January to replace fired Raheem Morris.

"Clean slate, clean start," Talib said. "I'm just (looking) forward from now on."

The Bucs' first-round pick out of Kansas in 2008 suggested the situation that got him in trouble has taught him to make better decisions.

"Just got to get to the right place at the right time, and stuff like that won't happen to you," he said.

Also, Talib lamented the young Bucs' inability to prepare properly for the 2011 season because of the NFL lockout but said a lack of preparation won't be an issue this year.

"The biggest difference is, I think, the (offseason activities) attendance," he said. "We had probably, like, 97, 98 percent attendance since April 4, since we started our offseason program.

"We didn't prepare last year. We didn't have a good offseason at all. We were locked out. It was a young team. We had to prepare on our own, and we didn't do a good job of preparing on our own. But this year, Coach Schiano came in, and the whole Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been preparing since April. I think we'll have a pretty good season."

Also during the past few months, players have been exposed to a level of structure and discipline that wasn't in place last season under Morris, Talib said.

"It got a little loose last year where people got a little too loose around the building," Talib said. "So, Schiano definitely came in and brought that order back to the building."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com. View his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bucs. Follow him on Twitter at @BucsBeat.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

Cubs 4, Astros 0

CHICAGO — The Cubs used three homers — Steve Cleven­ger (first of career), Luis Valbuena and Alfonso Soriano — to help Paul Maholm get his first win since May 9. He entered 0-4 with a 6.43 ERA over his previous eight outings but outdueled Bud Norris, who came off the DL after missing 2½ weeks with a sprained left knee. Clevenger's two-run shot in the fourth made it 3-0. All 15 of Soriano's homers have come since May 15.

Friday, June 29, 2012

WIMBLEDON, England — A day after Rafael Nadal's stunning exit at Wimbledon, the only other men who have won the tournament since 2003 — six-time champion Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic — found themselves trailing far-less-accomplished opponents, too.

Here we go again? Not quite.

Federer, the No. 3 seed and owner of a record 16 majors, dropped the first two sets against 29th-seeded Julien Benneteau, then six times was two points away from losing before pulling out a 4-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory in the third round Friday.

"It was brutal," Federer said. "The thing, when you're down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it's hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you. … You don't have, obviously, many lives left out there. You just try to play tough and focus point for point. Sounds so boring, but it's the right thing to do out there."

It was the eighth time in Federer's career that he overcame a two-set hole, including against 2009 U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro in the French Open quarters 3½ weeks ago.

"Mentally, he's a rock. He's two sets down, and he doesn't show anything. And after that, if your level is a little bit lower — right here, right now, he takes the opportunity," said Benneteau, whose cramping thighs were massaged by a trainer during two final-set changeovers. "At the beginning of the third set, I was not as good as I was in the first two sets, and in five minutes, it's 4-0."

Still, it hardly was the last key moment. With Federer serving while down 6-5 in the fourth set, Benneteau hit a forehand winner to get to 15-30, putting him two points from the upset. Federer hit a forehand winner that made it 30-all, still two points away for Benneteau. The game had two deuces also, each one placing Benneteau that close again. But Federer held.

In the tiebreaker, Federer was two points from being gone at 5-all, then 6-all. But a nine-stroke exchange ended with Benneteau netting a backhand. That gave Federer set point and a power­ful forehand forced a Benneteau forehand error, and Federer avoided the surprise that befell No. 2 seed Nadal, who lost to the previously unknown Lukas Rosol.

"It's Wimbledon," Djokovic said. "Everybody wants to come up with their best game, especially when you're playing one of the top players, one of the favorites. You have nothing to lose."

Djokovic fell behind No. 28 Radek Stepanek, but the top men's seed turned things around, breaking Stepanek to begin each of the next three sets for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Seeded women who won included No. 1 Maria Sharapova and No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska. Four-time major champion Kim Clijsters got through when No. 12 Vera Zvonareva quit in the second set because of what she said was a respiratory infection.

Today, everyone is eager to see Rosol against No. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber.

"I'm curious to see how he's going to play," Clijsters said. "To me, he looked a little bit arrogant out there, so I wonder how he'll react in his next match, if he can stay grounded. You can beat Nadal, but if you lose the next round … "

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Though Rays 3B Evan Longoria has not resumed baseball activities and there's no timetable for his return, he insists he hasn't had a huge setback and is encouraged that rest was the best decision for his partially torn left hamstring.

Longoria, hurt April 30 while stealing a base, said he hasn't done much since his precautionary decision to end a minor-league rehab stint June 18. But after admittedly trying to do "too much, too soon," he's now moving in the "right direction."

"We're not back to square one by any means," Longoria said. "I've actually been feeling better these past couple days than I had at any point throughout the rehab, even when I went out to play.

"I think it's just a matter of fighting the urge to go hard right now and letting it heal up to 100 percent."

Longoria said he has "accelerated" his workouts over the past couple of days but will wait to get direction from the athletic training staff when he can do batting practice and fielding drills.

Longoria said he'd have to do them and baserunning before starting another rehab assignment but believes those steps will "go a lot faster" this time because he feels so good.

"I was telling (head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield), at times I didn't feel really good but I told (the media) I felt really good," Longoria said. "And I'm telling you right now that I'm feeling really good this time — and I'm not crossing my fingers behind my back. It's positive. I feel like something has been lifted off my shoulders at this point."

SUPER SAM: OF Sam Fuld (right wrist surgery) was happy with how he felt after going through batting practice Friday for the first time and said he could start a minor-league rehab assignment before the All-Star break.

Fuld appears ahead of schedule as he was expected to be out 4-5 months after his April procedure to stabilize a tendon. Fuld plans to join the Rays on their road trip next week to Cleveland, where he'll have a follow-up appointment with Tom Graham, who performed the surgery.

Manager Joe Maddon said Fuld likely would need a maximum minor-league stint, 20 days, before returning.

"I worked really hard to get here," Fuld said. "I was optimistic from the beginning that I'd beat the vague deadline but still haven't gotten to where I need to be.

"But if you would have told me three months ago I'd be at this point, I'd be really happy."

COMING BACK: The Rays bullpen will get bolstered today as RHP Kyle Farnsworth is expected to be activated from the disabled list and RHP Joel Peralta reinstated from his suspension.

Farnsworth hasn't pitched since straining his right elbow during spring training but will likely join Peralta as another late-inning, set-up man for closer Fernando Rodney. Peralta served eight games for having pine tar on his glove June 19 against the Nationals. The Rays had to play a man short.

With RHP Jeremy Hellickson (shoulder fatigue) also rejoining the Rays today, RHP Brandon Gomes and LHP Cesar Ramos were sent to Triple-A Durham after Thursday's game. That returns the team to its usual mix of five starters and seven relievers.

STEPPING IN: Hellickson was reticent to go on the DL but enters tonight's start believing the two-week break could help him in the long run.

"It feels 100 percent," he said. "It was just a little tired there for a little bit."

Hellickson felt it was more of a precautionary move and kept fresh with a couple of bullpen sessions.

LINING UP: INF Sean Rodriguez wasn't in the lineup for the second straight game, but Maddon said it was more to get INF Will Rhymes a start in the field.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays began the day with a brief meeting, sparked by Carlos Peña and B.J. Upton, an attempt to get them out of their midseason slump.

They entered Friday having lost four straight and had fallen to fourth place in the American League East. But Ben Zobrist said the confidence-building talk was a reminder that "we're a good team."

"Some of the guys wanted to address that fact that we're better than this," Zobrist said. "You just need that reinforcement."

The Rays then showed it on the field with a high level of energy and execution in a 4-2 victory over the Tigers in front of 19,557 at Tropicana Field. It had all of Tampa Bay's staples: stellar starting pitching from David Price, dazzling defense and a dynamic Desmond Jennings atop the order.

"It looked like we're supposed to look," manager Joe Maddon said.

Jennings stole the show with a catch and tumble into the leftfield stands in foul territory in the third and two solo homers off reigning Cy Young winner and AL MVP Justin Verlander, who entered 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA over his past four starts.

"It gives us a lot of confidence," Jennings said, "and makes us feel good about ourselves."

The win for the Rays (41-36) was slightly dampened by Price having to leave before the top of the eighth due to lower-back tightness.

Price said he first felt it in the top of the seventh and tried to loosen it up with a heating pad between innings. Though Price believed he could pitch through it, he took himself out as a precaution and is confident he won't miss a start.

"I'll be pitching in five days," he said.

Price's pitching, two runs over seven innings (on 78 pitches), set the tone. He got plenty of help from his defense, including three inning-ending double plays in the first five innings and a bare-handed play by third baseman Brooks Conrad to throw out Prince Fielder in the second.

Then there was Jennings, who ended the top of the third by racing to his right into the bullpen and flipping headfirst into the stands after catching a Quintin Berry fly ball.

"I knew it probably wasn't going to be pretty," Jennings said. "But I just concentrated on the ball."

Jennings then led off the bottom half with a solo homer to left, one of two in the game for the speedy leadoff hitter. He became just the fourth player to homer twice off Verlander in the same game, joining Shelley Duncan and Carlos Quentin in 2011 and Nick Swisher in 2006.

It was an encouraging day for Jennings, who has struggled since coming off the disabled list June 5 but is feeling more comfortable by the day.

"I felt like I hadn't got a hit in a month," he said. "I got into fastball counts and put a good swing on a couple balls."

That was more than enough for Price (11-4), who had fastball command in rolling through seven innings.

"David was fantastic," Maddon said. "It all started with David."

But Maddon said whenever a pitcher tells him his back is not feeling right, "he's out of the game."

Maddon didn't appear overly concerned with Price, saying he's hopeful the pitcher can make his next start, as Price suggests. Price recalled how Angels ace Jered Weaver recently landed on the disabled list with a similar injury, and he wanted to avoid the same fate.

"It's just something I want to be careful with," Price said. "I'll be fine."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com. Get the latest on the Rays at blogs.tampabay.com/rays.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

BETHESDA, Md. — A punishing course and temperatures that topped 100 made Friday tough, but Hunter Mahan still managed to make the second round at Congressional feel like a breeze.

Mahan finally had a good score to match the efficient way he has been swinging the club. He made seven birdies in the stifling heat for 6-under 65, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the AT&T National as he goes after a PGA Tour-leading third victory of the year.

Chris Couch sought medical attention and struggled to finish in the oppressive heat. One caddie had to stop after nine holes, and another vomited to the side of a green from drinking too much water.

Tiger Woods got back in it with 68 in the morning and was five shots off the lead. Mahan, though, set himself apart at 7-under 135.

"I hit a lot of good shots," said Mahan, who missed only two fairways and three greens. "I hit so many fairways and greens, I made it easy on myself. This is a pretty punishing golf course if you get off line a little bit."

Robert Garrigus had his sixth straight sub-par round at Congressional — that includes last year at the U.S. Open when he became a footnote in history as only the fourth American to break par all rounds of a U.S. Open — with 67 and was two shots behind, along with Jimmy Walker and Brendon De Jonge.

More telling than only 18 players who remained under par was the cut at 148. It was one shot higher than the cut for the Open last year at Congressional, and it was the highest score to make the cut at a PGA Tour event outside of a mjor since 149 at the Barclays in 2009.

Couples leads senior major

PITTSBURGH — The heat is on at the Senior Players Championship, and Fred Couples is taking advantage.

With sweltering temperatures easing the stiffness in his chronically bad back, the defending champ birdied the final three holes for 7-under 63 and the second-round lead in the Champions Tour major.

Couples reached 11-under 129 on a day when the temperature reached 96.

"The heat helps," he said. "I have some heat on my back to start the day, and then being hot and humid certainly was a good thing."

Couples has complained about stiffness all week, saying his back is sore after receiving his regular anti-inflammatory injections two weeks ago. His game hasn't shown it. He has one bogey through two rounds, has birdied the two par-5 holes both days and has hit 36 of 38 greens.

He birdied four of the first six holes Friday and closed the same way, with birdies at 13, 16, 17 and 18.

Joe Daley was a stroke back after shooting 64, and Tom Lehman (67) was third at 7 under. Olin Browne had a tournament-record 62 to reach 5-under 135.

LPGA: Veronica Felibert shot a career-best 6-under 65 for the first-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome shot par 71, Tampa's Cindy LaCrosse and Clearwater's Jennifer Gleason had 72, and Tampa resident Kristy McPherson shot 73.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves are trying hard to land Pau Gasol.

If they have to part with the highest draft choice in franchise history after one season, the Timberwolves appear ready to do it.

Minnesota, leading up to Thursday's draft, offered forward Derrick Williams in hopes of landing the second overall pick from the Bobcats to help get Gasol from the Lakers, the Associated Press reported. Williams was the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft.

The deal never came together and the Bobcats stayed at No. 2 and took Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

AP reported that the Wolves are expected to continue their pursuit of the 7-foot Gasol in hopes of putting him with fellow Spaniard and good friend Ricky Rubio, and emerging star Kevin Love.

Williams, 21, was the second overall pick last season.

RILEY STAYING PUT: Heat president Pat Riley told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he has no plans to step down in the wake of his latest title. "I hope it's just the beginning, even for me, in building this team," he said. Riley also said the team plans to guarantee the 2012-13 salary of backup center Dexter Pittman by today's deadline.

Odom DEAL: The Lamar Odom trade, reported Thursday as a three-team deal, involved four teams. Odom returns to the Clippers, who drafted him in 1999. Mo Williams, who picked up his $8.5 million option, goes to Utah, and the Jazz sent the Mavericks a trade exception (obtained last season when Dallas sent Mehmet Okur to the Nets) worth at least $8.5 million. The Clippers dealt the rights to their second-round draft pick, Furkan Aldemir, to the Rockets, who sent cash considerations to Dallas. The Jazz drafted Williams in 2003 but let him leave after one season, a decision GM Kevin O'Connor said was the worst he ever made.

PISTONS: The team expects to sign Kyle Singler on July 11, president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said. The team drafted the former Duke standout 33rd overall in 2011, but Singler stayed in Spain after the lockout ended.

THUNDER: Coach Scott Brooks and the team are not close to a new deal, ESPN.com reported. Brooks who lead the team to the NBA Finals this month, made $2.1 million this season.

LABOR: The league and players association reached a settlement that clarifies some rights that Jeremy Lin and three other players have entering free agency. Players claimed from waivers will have the same "early bird" rights as if they had been traded, but will not have full "bird" rights unless they are claimed through the league's amnesty procedure. That helps the Knicks in their hopes to keep Lin, their breakout guard, and Steve Novak, who led the league in 3-point shooting percentage, under contract and under the salary cap.

GRIZZLIES: Restricted free agent forwards Marreese Speights, a St. Petersburg native and former Florida Gator, and Darrell Arthur received qualifying offers.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Friday, June 29, 2012

OMAHA, Neb.

Her back is not what it used to be. Then again, neither is her freestyle.

There comes a time when a person slows. One day you are young and in the prime of your life, and the next, some kid has taken your spot and it is time for you to go home and tend to your garden.

Poor Natalie Coughlin.

It's so hard being, well, 29.

That's the thing about swimming. It will make an athlete look old while she is still young. If a swimmer is not perfectly tuned, it will threaten to turn off the lights on even the brightest career.

All of which is why Coughlin, one of the greatest swimmers in United States history, is on the verge of being shut out of the 2012 Olympics.

For a night, at least, Coughlin hung on. She pushed hard enough in the 100-meter freestyle semifinals Friday to make her way into tonight's final. (St. Petersburg's Megan Romano was 10th and would need two swimmers to scratch to make the final). Still, Coughlin qualified seventh behind six younger swimmers. If she is to reach the Olympics, even as a relay-team member, she has to finish at least sixth tonight.

"I'm really happy to have one more race in this meet," said Coughlin, who missed out in two other events and is entered in Sunday's 50 free. "I'm going to give it everything possible. I really want to make this team, but if I don't, I don't. Life goes on. That's why you don't see me freaking out. After (finishing third in) the (100) backstroke, a lot of people expected me to throw a hissy fit. That's offensive. It's just a race."

Oh, it is more than that. From the looks of things, it might be a goodbye to Coughlin. She is one of the most decorated swimmers of all time, the one who was referred to as "the female Phelps" after winning six medals in Beijing. In all, Coughlin has won 11 medals in 11 events. One more would equal the U.S. record for women held by Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres.

Such is the unforgiving nature of swimming, where everything goes quickly, even the careers. It doesn't take a lot of time for a young swimmer — one such as Missy Franklin, 17, for instance — to surpass a legend. The more established a swimmer is, the quicker she can be chased from the pool by younger ones. A second or two off your best times and the sport is suddenly in the hands of a fresher, faster swimmer.

Consider the image Friday, when Coughlin looked up at the scoreboard, trying to decipher the standings. Not far away, Franklin, who finished second, did the same. It was a symbolic passing of the torch, one swimmer handing the sport over to the other.

"It's impossible to take Natalie's spot," said Franklin. "I mean, she's the best women's swimmer the sport has ever seen and probably ever will. No one can really fill her spot."

No one wants to, it seems. Other swimmers seem to be openly pulling for Coughlin.

"I'm happy for her," said Dana Vollmer. "I'm glad our heat was so quick that she got into the final.

Perhaps that is true. On the other hand, they don't refer to Missy as "the Missile" for nothing. From the time she was an age-group swimmer idolizing Coughlin, it was clear to many she would be a very big deal in this sport. Now, as a junior in high school, it seems she has arrived.

That was clear earlier in the week, when Franklin won the 100 backstroke, an event in which Coughlin had won back-to-back gold medals, and broke Coughlin's U.S. record in the process. Even then, Coughlin managed to smile. "I'm a little bummed but not nearly as much as people are expecting me to be," Coughlin said at the time. "I'm walking around the pool deck and people think I'm dying."

Dying? No. Down to her final race? Perhaps.

In this sport, it happens fast. If Coughlin was a tennis player, or a golfer, or a point guard, 29 would not seem ancient. Even in swimming, there are Torres, 45, also competing in the 50 free, and Janet Evans, 40, competing today in the 800 free. But it is hard to lay off for a year and a half, such as Coughlin did. She got married. She co-wrote a book. She appeared on Iron Chef America. She danced with the stars.

Give this much to Coughlin. If this is the end of her swimming career, she has remained gracious to the end. Even now she talks about the leadership she would like to provide to the young swimmers on the team. There are worse ideas, to tell the truth.

Soon, other stars will be in the pool. Younger swimmers will be in the water.

Still, Coughlin's legacy is intact.

That, at least, is immune to time.

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, June 29, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — As Derby Lane closes the curtain on its 87th season of greyhound racing tonight, Tiger Boy will bid a fond farewell in the $30,000 St. Petersburg Derby.

The 2011 All-America team captain and winner of the Rural Rube award (nation's top sprinter) will be sent to owner Vince Berland's Flying Eagles kennel and farm in Wichita, Kan., for breeding. After that, he will go to Southland Park in West Memphis, Ark, to end his racing career.

But Tiger Boy shares top billing on Fan Appreciation Night.

A win by Tiger Boy or kennelmate Flying Delaet in the 86-year-old Derby, the oval's second-oldest race, would give kennel owners Malcolm and Barbara McAllister a career sweep of Derby Lane's stakes program.

"It would be very prestigious and the final accomplishment of an illustrious career," Malcolm McAllister, 65, said.

Tiger Boy has been at St. Petersburg since January. He captured the meet's first stakes, the $8,000 Inaugural, and shares the wins lead with Jim Mercedes (Patriot kennel) with 16. Tiger Boy drew Box 7 in Race 10 (10:11 p.m.). Flying Delaet is in Box 3.

Other starters from the rail: Magic Bagels (Abernathy), Art Almost (Patriot), Angus Mcloud (Nova), Budz Crosby (Alderson), Flyin Commandant (Red Oak) and Kentucky Blue (Cal Holland). First place pays $13,000.

The $10,000 Consolation Derby is Race 8 (9:33).

Starters in post position order: Jewelz Fire (Hambleton), Art Allen (Patriot), Kitt Peak (D'Arcy), Invalid Entry (Alabama), Tmc's Tail Light (J.E. O'Donnell Jr.), Starz Brave One (Alderson), Terrific Timing (Lester Raines) and Getso's Cindy (Nova). First place is worth $4,400.

Both races are 660 yards.

McAllister has been a Derby Lane dynamo since arriving in 2005 from Gulf Greyhound in La Marque, Texas. The four-time kennel champion captured its first stakes in 2007 and has won 22 of the past 68, earning $868,200 in first-place prize money. No other kennel has more than nine stakes victories during that time.

The Derby Lane stakes program has 10 featured races plus the Consolation Derby.

"(Winning every stakes) would set the bar even higher for those to follow," Malcolm McAllister said.

Patriot has wrapped up the six-month kennel championship under first-year manager-trainer Cal Holland. It is the second title for Patriot and owner Vinny Savill of Whitman, Mass.

For the first time in several years, no kennel will leave Derby Lane at the season's conclusion. Track spokeswoman Vera Rasnake said Marsella Racing will join the roster Monday for the six-month Tampa meet at Derby Lane. The operation is owned by Phil Marsella, who also has a booking at West Palm Beach. It will be Derby Lane's 16th kennel.

Of the nine kennels to win the Derby since 2000, only three remain: Capabal, D'Arcy and J.E. O'Donnell Jr.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

NFL

NFL spells out Guidelines for move to L.A.

NEW YORK — Sensing for the first time in years that stadium issues are solvable in Los Angeles, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell established guidelines for a franchise's potential move to the area.

In a memo, Goodell wrote that no single team has any "presumptive right" to play in Los Angeles and that only the league as a whole can make a decision on relocation. The NFL likes its current 32-team setup, although expanding to include one or two teams in L.A. is possible.

Any franchise interested in relocating there for the 2013 season must apply between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15, and prove it has exhausted all attempts to remain in its current location.

Goodell said any new stadium must be capable of hosting two franchises: "We believe that the best approach will be a single site where an iconic facility could credibly both host two teams and provide ancillary entertainment and development opportunities."

Los Angeles has not had an NFL team since 1995.

More NFL: The Lions and coach Jim Schwartz agreed to a multiyear contract extension, but no details were disclosed. … QB Donovan McNabb, 35, told NBC SportsTalk he believes there is "an 80 to 90 percent chance" he will play in the fall. McNabb, released by the Vikings last season, said he has targeted three teams but refused to name them.

Colleges

FSU baseball coach extends deal

Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin might not have won that elusive College World Series title, again, but the 68-year-old will have another three seasons to try, as the school announced a contract extension through the 2015 season. He has been the Seminoles coach for 33 years and led them to the CWS 15 times.

Other colleges: Georgia sophomore running back Isaiah Crowell was dismissed from the team after he was arrested on felony weapons charges. Police found a gun in Crowell's vehicle at a campus checkpoint. … Samuel Villeareal III, the man at the center of a case involving the distribution of 2,000 pounds of marijuana, allegedly supplied several players from the 2010-11 Kansas men's basketball team, the Kansas City Star reported. Athletic officials declined comment. Two players from the team said they had never heard of Villeareal.

Olympics

Bolt upset in Jamaican trials 100

Yohan Blake, who had never run the 100 meters faster than 9.82 seconds in his life, posted a best-in-the-world-this-year 9.75 to upset world-record holder Usain Bolt by 0.11 seconds in the Jamaican trials in Kingston.

Blake is the reigning world champ as Bolt was disqualified that same night last year in South Korea because of a false start.

Asafa Powell (9.88) will join them at the Olympics.

More Olympics: Oscar Pistorius, aiming to become the first amputee runner in the Games, failed to meet South Africa's qualifying time for the 400 meters (45.30 seconds) when he ran a 45.52 at the African Athletics Championships. Pistorius, who runs on carbon-fiber blades because both lower legs were amputated at age 11, holds out hope for a 4x400 relay spot.

Et Cetera

NHL: The league and the players union met negotiations on a new labor deal opened in New York. … Wing Steve Downie, traded from the Lightning to the Avalanche last season, re-signed with Colorado for two years and $5.3 million, ESPN reported.

Times wires

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

MIAMI — Former Ray Justin Ruggiano tied a career high with three hits to lead the Marlins to a 6-2 win Friday over the Phillies and keep Cliff Lee winless this season.

Lee was the fourth pitcher winless through his first 12 starts with an ERA of 3.72 or lower, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last was Rickey Clark (0-8, 3.31) in 1968.

He also was the first since Ray Keating in 1914 to pitch at least six innings in 12 consecutive starts of a season and not win any of those games.

Lee lasted only 4⅔ innings Friday and is 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA over his past four starts.

"It was just weird," Lee said. "It seemed everything they hit went between third and short. It was one of those nights. I can't really explain it."

Up 3-1, Ruggiano's two-run double chased Lee.

"Any time you can get a couple runs extra on the board, it allows everyone to relax a little bit and take a breath," Ruggiano said.

It was his first three-hit game since June 12, 2011, and third of his career.

"He rakes," winning pitcher Josh Johnson said. "We were talking about it after his third hit. He never stops hitting."

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent


Friday, June 29, 2012

TAMPA — On paper heading into Friday's Arena Football League game between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, things appeared to be quite one-sided.

Philadelphia, the AFL's top team, came in riding a five-game winning streak. The Soul entered as the top scoring team in the league, and it had crushed Tampa Bay 83-48 in their last meeting. The Storm had lost three in a row and five of its previous six.

But on Friday, Tampa Bay led by 10 in the fourth quarter and by three in the final minute before quarterback Dan Raudabaugh rallied the Soul to an 83-79 victory in front of 9,229 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"I'm proud of our guys," Storm coach Dave Ewart said. "They fought their butts off tonight. … That's a good football team we played, and we hung with them."

With 37 seconds left, Raudabaugh hit Tiger Jones on a 40-yard pass to the Storm 5-yard line. Three plays later, Donovan Morgan hauled in a 4-yard score, his fourth touchdown of the game, with 14 seconds to play.

The Storm took over with 10 seconds left from its 7 and ran three plays, but a desperation pass from Nick Hill (27-for-42 for 313 yards, five passing touchdowns, three rushing) into the end zone as time expired fell incomplete.

The 79 points were a season high for the Storm (6-9) and the most Philadelphia (13-3) has surrendered in 2012. The loss is Tampa Bay's fourth in a row and dents its wild-card playoff hopes with three games remaining.

The Storm defense had fits trying to stop the big play. The Soul scored on three passing plays of 45 yards and returned a kickoff 56 yards for a TD.

However, Tampa Bay's defense made a few big plays of its own. Defensive lineman Pernell Phillips had a 10-yard fumble recovery for a score and defensive back Martel Moody's interception in the third quarter led to a 7-yard score by De'Cody Fagg (eight catches, 68 yards, one TD) that gave the Storm a 65-55 lead in the fourth.

But the biggest defensive play of the night was one that wasn't made. With Tampa Bay up by three, defensive back Riley Swanson dropped an interception in the end zone with 18 seconds left that would have sealed a victory.

"We had a chance to get a turnover at the end and didn't make the play," Ewart said. "Riley makes that play nine out of 10 times."

Tampa Bay trailed 21-7 after the first quarter but scored 30 in the second quarter to turn it into a shootout.

Offensive lineman Julius Wilson (ankle) and receiver Amarri Jackson (abdominal strain) were injured in the first quarter and did not return. Tampa Bay was already playing without leading receiver Prechae Rodriguez, who sat out with knee trouble.

Times wires
Friday, June 29, 2012

SPARTA, Ky. — Almost from the moment the last fan got unjammed from Kentucky Speedway's 2011 "Carmageddon," track general manager Mark Simendinger has said one thing.

"I just wish we didn't have to wait a year to show the fans we've got this thing fixed," he said. "We want people to see what we've done."

For Kentucky Speedway, at last redemption day is here.

The green flag is slated to drop tonight on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Quaker State 400. The major story is not whether Kyle Busch can repeat as winner, whether Dale Earnhardt Jr. can produce a second win in three weeks or even what impact the expected 100-degree-plus weather will have.

No, the main story involves whether the host venue can successfully get fans' cars parked in a timely manner.

Last year, at the inaugural Sprint Cup race in Sparta, a flawed parking plan and an overwhelmed infrastructure/roads system combined to produce a massive snarl after well over 100,000 fans tried to come to Kentucky Speedway.

The resulting logjam kept thousands of fans with tickets from even making it to the race and caused thousands more to miss part of the action.

It understandably left a lot of paying customers with steam rolling from their ears.

"Even I got caught in the traffic last year," Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski said. "I didn't like it. I certainly understand why the fans didn't."

Speedway owner Bruton Smith and the state government added parking, widened roads and created a more efficient plan — and NASCAR will see if it pays off tonight.

"Pretty much from the week after (last year's race), we have been in pretty much weekly contact with Mark and the staff at Kentucky," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "Last month, our operations staff flew in and toured all the things that have been done. We are satisfied, yes."

QUALIFYING: Jimmie Johnson thought somebody had traded paint with his motor home. Nope, that was just the wind.

The five-time Cup champion took advantage of those gusts to grab the pole for tonight's race, edging Kyle Busch. But first Johnson had a scary moment.

"I was sitting in my motor home, watching qualifying on television and the bus started shaking real bad," he said. "TV was a little behind and they weren't talking about the winds, so for a minute I thought somebody backed into us."

He soon found out it was the powerful wind that briefly suspended qualifying.

Johnson's lap of 181.818 mph held up on the 1½-mile track. Busch, the last car to make an attempt, just missed the pole at 181.421 mph.

DAYTONA IMPROVEMENTS: International Speedway Corp., which owns Daytona International Speedway, announced a long-term plan to overhaul the frontstretch grandstand by adding new seats, building guest suites, modernizing concessions and redesigning the exterior and interior. "We really think it's time to think about the next 50 years of the Daytona Speedway and what's best for us and what's best for our fans," said track president and Tampa native Joie Chitwood III. The 147,000-seat speedway was built in the 1950s, and fans still sit in many of the original seats.