By Dave Zalewski, Times Correspondent
Thursday, July 12, 2012

What's hot: Offshore fishing returned to normal shortly after Tropical Storm Debby left. Many options are available to anglers right now. Red snapper season was extended through Monday, and anglers choosing to make the 40- to 50-mile trip out will be rewarded with their two-per-person bag limit on most days.

Tips: Instead of opting for the long ride offshore, many anglers have opted to target gag and red grouper, vermillion snapper, porgies and white grunts. The 60- to 90-foot depths have produced nonstop action. We have been participating in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission grouper tagging program, and our observation is that both red and gag grouper travel very little from their home location. If a tagged fish is caught, record the length of the fish, latitude and longitude (only the first four digits are required, so as not to reveal your "secret" spot) and date caught, and then call toll-free 1-800-367-4461 to submit the information.

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

Rays

Marc Topkin

@TBTimes_Rays

Joe Smith

@TBTimes_Rays2

Lightning

Damian Cristodero

@LightningTimes

Sports Columnists

Gary Shelton

@Gary_Shelton

Tom Jones:

@TomWJones

Bucs

Rick Stroud

@NFLStroud

Stephen F. Holder

@HolderStephen

USF Bulls

Greg Auman

@GregAuman

UF Gators

Antonya English

@gatornews

HomeTeam

@TBHomeTeam

Rays

Marc Topkin

@TBTimes_Rays

Joe Smith

@TBTimes_Rays2

Lightning

Damian Cristodero

@LightningTimes

Sports Columnists

Gary Shelton

@Gary_Shelton

Tom Jones:

@TomWJones

Bucs

Rick Stroud

@NFLStroud

Stephen F. Holder

@HolderStephen

USF Bulls

Greg Auman

@GregAuman

UF Gators

Antonya English

@gatornews

HomeTeam

@TBHomeTeam

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors/Fitness Editor
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Making news

St. Petersburg Sailor Falls Final Four vote

Who is the greatest American sailor? St. Petersburg's Ed Baird, a past winner of the America's Cup as a helmsman and as a coach, recently made it to the final four of an online contest sponsored by U.S. Sailing to determine the United States' best sailor. Baird, who got his start at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, lost to Dennis Conner in the semifinals. Not too shabby, considering Conner has four Cup wins, an Olympic medal and three yachtsman of the year awards.

The contest, which ends Monday at 11:59 p.m., started with 64 sailors, a format similar to the old NCAA basketball tournament. There were four divisions, and sailors were seeded 1 through 16 in each. In addition to Baird and Conner, the list of living legends included Clearwater's Paige and Zach Railey, St. Petersburg's Mark Mendelblatt, USF women's sailing coach Allison Jolly, Buddy Melges, and Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sailing fans can cast a vote and receive a chance to win a grand prize that includes the ultimate America's Cup experience next month in San Francisco. In the finals, Conner will face Melges, who won the 1972 Olympic gold medal in Soling. Vote at ussailingentry.com.

Public Safety

Season stimulates large reptiles

It's hot and humid, the kind of weather that puts alligators on the move. These cold-blooded reptiles love the summer, when they can fatten up on fish, turtles, ducks and more.

Florida is home to two native crocodilian species: the American alligator, which is found in every county in the state, and the American crocodile, which is confined to the coastal areas of southeast and southwest Florida. Both reptiles can be dangerous, so anglers and boaters should give them a wide berth.

Alligators typically grab prey in the water, or within a yard or two of the water's edge. In two-thirds of the attacks on humans, the victim never sees the gator coming. In most cases, the gator strikes from beneath. Most attacks occur in residential areas — canals, lakes, golf course ponds — where the reptiles have grown accustomed to seeing humans. The best advice to avoid becoming a statistic is to stay out of freshwater at dawn, dusk and at night, when gators are most active.

If you encounter an alligator that poses a threat to you, your pets or property, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's nuisance alligator hotline toll-free at 1-866-392-4286. To learn more, go to MyFWC.com/alligator.

Send outdoors news to ttomalin@tampabay.com.

Solunar chart

AM PM

Minor Major Minor Major

7/13 1:45 7:50 2:00 8:10

7/14 2:25 8:30 2:40 8:55

7/15 3:10 9:15 3:25 9:40

7/16 3:55 10:00 4:10 10:25

7/17 4:35 10:45 4:55 11:10

7/18 5:25 11:35 5:45 0

7/19 6:15 12:00 6:30 12:20

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2012

. UP NEXT

vs. Red Sox

Tonight-Sunday

What's new: The Sox are finally getting healthy, which means they also soon could be getting dangerous, assuming they can all play nice under manager Bobby Valentine. CF Jacoby Ellsbury, who separated his right shoulder trying to break up a double play against the Rays in early April, and rookie 3B Will Middlebrooks (whose emergence led them to trade Kevin Youkilis) are due back tonight; LF Carl Crawford and 2B Dustin Pedroia soon to follow. RHP Clay Buchholz is also due back to start Satur­day. Offense is still the key, as they lead the majors with 314 extra-base hits (including a majors-best 208 doubles), and the bullpen has been better.

Key stat: The Sox have used 14 players in the outfield and have had eight outfielders on the disabled list.

Connections: Rays 1B Carlos Peña played briefly for Boston. … Sox C Kelly Shoppach and bench coach Tim Bogar are former Rays, hitting coach Dave Magadan is a Tampa product.

Series history: Sox lead 5-4 this season, 146-104 overall, 63-60 at the Trop.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Rays vs. Red Sox

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

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

Tickets: $24-$300, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within five hours of game time

Promotion: Burst Koozie to first 10,000 fans; postgame concert by Train

Probable pitchers

Rays

RH Jeremy Hellickson (4-5, 3.41)

Red Sox

LH Franklin Morales (1-2, 3.50)

On Hellickson: It was a rough first half for the 2011 AL rookie of the year, who was struck on the head by a ball in batting practice, went on the DL with shoulder fatigue and was knocked out of his first start back when he was hit on the leg. He is 3-1 with a 4.26 ERA in eight games against Boston.

On Morales: Moved from the bullpen into the rotation in mid June, Morales starts tonight because he has the "freshest arm," according to manager Bobby Valentine. He is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in four starts, 0-1, 2.88 in 23 relief outings. He has a 1.64 ERA in 12 relief outings against Rays, with 10 strikeouts.

Rays vs. Morales

Carlos Peña 0-for-6

Sean Rodriguez 0-for-3

Ben Zobrist 1-for-5

Red Sox vs. Hellickson

Adrian Gonzalez 3-for-17, 2 HR

David Ortiz 6-for-17, HR

J. Saltalamacchia 4-for-14, HR

On deck

Saturday: vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (11-4, 2.82); Red Sox — Clay Buchholz (8-2, 5.53)

Sunday: vs. Red Sox, 1:40 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (8-5, 4.17); Red Sox — Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.43)

Monday: vs. Indians, 7:10 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Alex Cobb (4-5, 4.89); Indians — TBA

Tuesday: vs. Indians, 7:10 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (5-6, 4.42); Indians — TBA

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Friggatriskaidekaphobia stat of the day

7-6: Rays record on Friday the 13th

Quote of the day

"Sam's probably the head of the class rehabbingwise, which he should be based on the SAT scores."

Joe Maddon, manager, on Stanford-educated OF Sam Fuld

Bad managing of the day

Joe Maddon made his own flight arrangements from Cleveland home to Los Angeles for the break and back to Tampa. One problem, he booked his return for next week. So when he got to LAX, he had no reservation. As the Delta clerk tried to help, Maddon found a flight on his iPad that got him in a few hours later than planned. "She was frantically trying to make it work, but I figured it out," he said.

Times wires
Thursday, July 12, 2012

olympics

bad knee ails clippers' griffin again

LAS VEGAS — Blake Griffin returned to Los Angeles from the U.S. men's basketball team's camp for evaluation of a left knee injury that bothered him in last season's playoffs.

The Clippers forward went through a full practice Wednesday before reporting discomforts, USA Basketball said. He left Thursday and missed the Americans' exhibition opener against the Dominican Republic.

The Clippers, who just signed Griffin to a five-year, $95 million extension, said the All-Star would have an MRI exam and be examined by doctors.

Center Anthony Davis, the top pick in this year's draft, was added to the U.S. roster for Thursday's game.

saudi arabia to send female athletes: Every country competing at the Summer Games will include female athletes for the first time after Saudi Arabia agreed to send two women to compete in judo and track and field. The London Games begin July 27.

soccer

Cosmos rejoin Rowdies in NASL

The New York Cosmos, one of the headline teams in the NASL of the 1970s, joined the revived NASL on Thursday. They will begin play next year in the league that includes the latest version of the Rowdies.

The Cosmos team in the late 1970s featured Pele, who helped raise awareness of soccer in the United States. NASL commissioner David Downs said the move will "reunite the Cosmos, Strikers, Rowdies and several markets with ties to the NASL's early days."

kickbacks scandal: Sepp Blatter, president of the sport's governing body, defended his role in a World Cup kickbacks scandal after his former boss, Joao Havelange, was formally identified for taking millions of dollars in payments from marketing deals. The body, FIFA, published a Swiss prosecutor's report confirming that Havelange accepted kickbacks in the 1990s during Blatter's 17-year stint serving him as FIFA's top administrator. Asked if he knew Havelange took kickbacks, Blatter said "commission" payments were legal in Switzerland in the 1990s.

et cetera

tennis: Lleyton Hewitt defeated Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I.

cycling: Dr. Michele Ferrari, accused of helping riders on Lance Armstrong's winning Tour de France teams take performance-enhancing drugs, denied the charges that resulted in his ban from sports.

nfl: Junior Seau's family has donated some of the former linebacker's brain tissue for research, the San Diego County medical examiner's office said, amid questions about whether damage from his career contributed to his decision to commit suicide in May at 43.

nhl: Teemu Selanne, 42, is returning to the Ducks for his 20th NHL season, agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

Times wires

Times wires
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sprint Cup

What: Lenox Industrial Tools 301

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, noon), qualifying (Speed, 3:30); Saturday, practice (Speed, 11 a.m.); Sunday, race (TNT, 1 p.m.); Loudon, N.H.

Fast facts: AJ Allmendinger, suspended for failing a random drug test, has formally asked NASCAR to test his second urine sample and insisted he would never "knowingly" take a prohibited substance. NASCAR hasn't disclosed what substance was found, and Allmendinger and Penske Racing haven't revealed details. Allmendinger has elected to bring his own experts to the testing of his "B" urine sample, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Under NASCAR's policy, an individual can bring in experts for the second test and Allmendinger wants his own toxicologist and attorney present, AP said. Because he is bringing his own people, the test of the sample will not occur until next week. Allmendinger can only be reinstated if the B sample is negative. Otherwise, his only option is to complete a rehab program.

Standings: 1. Matt Kenseth, 676; 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 651; 3. Greg Biffle, 632; 4. Jimmie Johnson, 618; 5. Tony Stewart, 592; 6. Kevin Harvick, 586; 7. Denny Hamlin, 584; 8. Martin Truex, 584; 9. Brad Keselowski, 573; 10. Clint Bowyer, 572

Nationwide

What: F.W. Webb 200

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 1:30 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 10 a.m.), race (ESPN, 3 p.m.); Loudon, N.H.

Fast facts: Ryan Truex is driving Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 Toyota.

Standings: 1. Elliott Sadler, 591; 2. Austin Dillon, 589; 3. Ricky Stenhouse, 573

Trucks

What: American Ethanol 200

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 7 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 6:30 p.m.), race (Speed, 8:30 p.m.); Newton, Iowa

Standings: 1. Timothy Peters, 306; 2. Justin Lofton, 302; 3. Ty Dillon, 302

IndyCar

Next: Edmonton Indy, July 22, Edmonton City Centre Airport

Standings: 1. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 335; 2. Will Power, 301; 3. Helio Castroneves, 289

Formula One

Next: German Grand Prix, July 22, Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany

Standings: 1. Fernando Alonso, 129; 2. Mark Webber, 116; 3. Sebastian Vettel, 100

NHRA

Next: Mile-High Nationals, July 20-22, Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colo.

Standings: Top Fuel — 1. Spencer Massey, 984; 2. Tony Schumacher, 955. Funny Car — 1. Robert Hight, 1,001; 2. Ron Capps, 914. Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, 1,033; 2. Jason Line, 998. Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Eddie Krawiec, 597; 2. Andrew Hines, 571

Times wires
Thursday, July 12, 2012

CLEARWATER — Phillies RHP Roy Halladay, working his way back from a back strain, threw three innings for the Class A Clearwater Threshers on Thursday, giving up one unearned run on three hits against the Fort Myers Miracle.

Halladay threw 43 of his 61 pitches for strikes in his rehab start, striking out four with no walks. After he came out of the game, he threw in the bullpen for a bit. There was no immediate word on his next start. The game was not over at press time.

Jay's hot bat nets three-year deal: Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion, enjoying a breakout season at the plate, signed a three-year deal that begins next season. The $27 million contract includes a $10 million club option for 2016. The 29-year-old Dominican native is batting .295 with 23 home runs and 58 RBIs. "We've really seen him grow as a player, grow as someone who quietly leads in the clubhouse as well that's very well-respected," GM Alex Anthopoulos said.

More surgery for Met: RHP Dillon Gee is scheduled for right shoulder surgery today in St. Louis and likely will be out for the rest of the season. The Mets said Gee, who had a procedure earlier this week to break up a blood clot, will have surgery to replace a portion of damaged artery.

Reggie's regrets: Yankees special adviser Reggie Jackson says it was "inappropriate and unfair'' for him to disparage Alex Rodriguez, Gary Carter and other big names in baseball and has been reaching out to apologize.

Giants: Investigators say there is not enough evidence to arrest 3B Pablo Sandoval for an alleged sexual assault at a hotel near Santa Cruz, Calif. No charges are expected.

Twins: Closer Matt Capps (shoulder inflammation) will come off the DL and return today.

Times wires
Thursday, July 12, 2012

SILVIS, Ill. — Troy Matteson had 10 birdies Thursday en route to a bogey-free 10-under 61 for a three-stroke stroke lead after one round of the John Deere Classic.

Matteson, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied five holes on each nine of TPC Deere Run to surpass the 7-under 64 of second-place Ricky Barnes.

It was only the third time this year Matteson broke 70 in the first round.

"I've always been one of the slow-starting Thursday players," he said. "If I could do one thing differently in my entire career, it would be to be a faster starter."

Robert Garrigus, among a group tied for third at 6-under 65, eagled the par-5 17th by hooking a 270-yard second shot around a tree to set up a 30-foot eagle putt.

Steve Stricker, chasing a fourth straight victory in the tournament, shot a 65 punctuated by an 80-yard wedge for an eagle 2 on the par-4 14th.

Front-nine 28 has Kite in Senior Open lead

LAKE ORION, Mich. — Tom Kite set a U.S. Senior Open record with 28 on the front nine at Indianwood and finished at 5-under 65 in the first round of the Champions Tour major.

Kite, 62, matched the lowest nine-hole score of his career. "You probably haven't read, but 60 is the new 40," Kite said.

Corey Pavin's sixth birdie on his 17th hole pulled him into a tie atop the leaderboard, but a penalty pushed him back to the pack after he completed his round.

Pavin hit a chip after his ball moved back a fraction of an inch when he grounded his club on his 14th hole, and that later cost him two strokes.

"Yeah, I agree," he said after watching slow-motion replays with officials.

That put Bernhard Langer and Lance Ten Broeck in second place, one behind Kite. It pushed Pavin into a five-way tie for fourth.

european: Francesco Molinari tied the best round in the Scottish Open's 40 years, shooting 10-under 62 to take a two-shot lead into the second day of the British Open warmup at Inverness. He rolled in 10 birdies in his first 15 holes. He finished with three straight pars. Top-ranked Luke Donald was second after 67. Phil Mickelson had 73 on a day he was supposed to be at the Vatican with his wife and daughter. He cut short his vacation to get more practice ahead of next week's British Open. "I've only played three events in the last six to eight weeks," he said. "I haven't been in a competitive frame of mind, and that's what I'm working on now."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — While the return date of 3B Evan Longoria remains unclear, OF Matt Joyce is "pretty optimistic" he will be back in the Rays lineup within two weeks.

Joyce, out since mid June, said he feels good, has been hitting and running, and will participate in full workouts with the team over the next few days with plans to start a rehab assignment sometime next week.

Joyce was first sidelined with a mild oblique strain. Then during a July 4 rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham, he sustained "a separate kind of injury" that he described as "a little strain" of his lower back, acknowledging now he was trying to rush back.

"Right now I feel great," he said. "I've had a bunch of days off and a chance to let everything heal and rest."

Manager Joe Maddon said the two-week window was a "reasonable" time frame if Joyce has no additional setbacks.

TOP PICK CLOSE: The Rays and top draft pick Richie Shaffer were considered close to a deal as of Thursday night and expected to finalize terms in advance of this afternoon's signing deadline.

Shaffer, taken 25th overall, is a power-hitting third baseman from Clemson. The "value" for his draft slot is $1,725,000. With Shaffer, the Rays will have signed their top 13 picks and 36 of 40 overall.

MEDICAL MATTERS: OF Sam Fuld is likely to beat both Joyce and Longoria back. Fuld, recovering from spring right wrist surgery, has played in four rehab games for Class A Charlotte, going 1-for-10. … RHP Jeff Niemann, out since May with a broken leg, is "coming along well," Maddon said, but likely looking at an August return. … C Robinson Chirinos, who sustained a concussion in spring training, may end up being out for the season.

FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE: In an effort to improve overall play, Maddon has added extra individual and small-group work sessions to the pregame routine for the 10-day homestand that starts tonight, focusing on subjects such as bunting, situational hitting and defense.

"Nothing dramatic, just routine-based," Maddon said. "It's just the way it's going to be set up."

Maddon also addressed the group at Thursday's nonmandatory workout, suggesting they stop focusing on when their injured teammates are coming back, "to not worry about what we're missing. Let's go with what we've got and make this work because I believe we can."

SHOW AND TELL: Twenty of the 25 active players showed up for the nonmandatory workout. Missing were pitchers Joel Peralta, Kyle Farnsworth, James Shields (who joined Longoria at the ESPYs in Los Angeles), and All-Stars David Price and Fernando Rodney. Joyce and Niemann were also there.

MISCELLANY: RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who starts tonight, said he is aiming to be more aggressive and pitch more to contact in the second half of the season. … Sunday's win at Cleveland was the major-league-high sixth time the Rays won when trailing going into the ninth, all without extra innings.

Times wires
Thursday, July 12, 2012

LA TOUSSUIRE, France — Try as they might, rivals of Bradley Wiggins can't take his yellow jersey.

The three-time Olympic track champion, looking to become Britain's first Tour de France winner, beat back repeated attacks Thursday in a crucial Alpine stage won by ace French climber Pierre Rolland.

As Stage 11 began, Wiggins' main challengers were planning to unsettle him in the 92-mile ride along three big climbs from the 1992 Winter Olympics town of Albertville to the ski station at La Toussuire.

First, defending champion Cadel Evans took a shot at Wiggins on the longest climb — a tactic some questioned. On the way to the uphill finish, Belgium's Jurgen Van Den Broeck tried, too. Then Vincenzo Nibali did, twice.

Each time, Wiggins steadily, meticulously reeled them in.

Overall, Wiggins leads Sky teammate Christopher Froome, who rose to second, by 2:05. Nibali is third, 2:23 back. Van Den Broeck is fifth, 4:48 behind.

Evans, seemingly spent by his earlier attack, lost ground. He was unable to keep up with Van Garderen, who dutifully stayed back to help his team leader as best he could. Crossing the line, Evans let out a sigh. He didn't speak as rode through a scrum of reporters on way to a team hotel.

John Lelangue, the BMC team manager, acknowledged that the title defense was "getting more and more complicated."

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Rockets seem desperate to acquire Dwight Howard, and today they might take a step that will enable them to make a trade offer for the disgruntled star that the Magic can't refuse.

The Rockets have decided to waive forward Luis Scola using the collective bargaining agreement's amnesty provision, Yahoo Sports reported. Although Scola still would be paid the remaining $21 million guaranteed to him over the next three years, the move would clear his contract off the Rockets' books and allow them to accept more of the Magic's onerous salary obligations.

The Magic would like to shed as many long-term contracts as possible, and trading away some combination of Chris Duhon, Jason Richardson, Quentin Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu would improve the salary cap flexibility.

Rockets could offer draft picks, rookies, young veterans and perhaps the expiring contract of swingman Kevin Martin, who is due about $13 million this season.

Magic general manager Rob Hennigan emphasized Thursday night that no trade is imminent. "I don't think there's a real correlation to anything with Luis as it pertains to us," Hennigan said.

But the Magic have limited trade options otherwise.

The Nets cannot realistically acquire Howard until Jan. 15, the day center Brook Lopez becomes eligible to be traded. In addition, Magic officials are not inclined to acquire Andrew Bynum from the Lakers because of concerns about Bynum's knees.

Hennigan said the Magic "had talks with a few teams" but "nothing specific" Thursday.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com reported that Howard told Hennigan and CEO Alex Martins during a phone conversation Wednesday that he has no interest in staying with the team.

Martins and Hennigan confirmed that they spoke with Howard, but they would not address the claim in the report that Hennigan tried to get Howard to stay and was rebuffed.

Kidd set to mentor LIn: The Knicks introduced additions Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby, and Kidd was already talking about how he'll mentor guard Jeremy Lin, who is not even assured of being back yet.

Kidd, 39, believes he can help win games in crunch time, but he also embraced the role of tutoring Lin in the point guard position. "To have a chance to mentor a very good player in Jeremy — be able to share my secrets or what I've learned in my 18 years — for him hopefully to take it to another level, it's something I look forward to doing," Kidd said.

General manager Glen Grunwald said New York had yet to receive the Rockets' offer sheet to Lin. New York will have three days to match the offer of about $28 million for four years.

76ers Dump Brand: The team used the amnesty clause on veteran forward Elton Brand and will get about $18 million in salary cap relief for next season. Brand was entering the final season of an $80 million, five-year deal.

Bobcats: The team withdrew its qualifying offer to point guard D.J. Augustin, who now becomes a free agent. The move will save the Bobcats about $4.4 million under the salary cap and likely means Kemba Walker will be the starting point guard.

Lakers: If they can't get Howard from the Magic, the Lakers are said to be looking at Brand, Antawn Jamison and Jermaine O'Neal, ESPN.com reported.

Mavericks: The team is preparing to go after Scola through the amnesty waiver process if they don't land Brand, ESPN.com reported.

THunder: Starting center Kendrick Perkins is expected to be ready for next season after having surgery on his right groin.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Rays reassembled Thursday for a workout at the Trop in advance of resuming play tonight against the Red Sox. They open a seasonlong 10-game homestand, full of the obligatory optimism about being 45-41 and a half-game off the AL wild-card lead despite a slew of injuries, but also with issues that could impact their short- and long-term future. Here are five major questions:

When is Evan Longoria coming back?

The Rays don't really know. Executive VP Andrew Friedman said Thursday that they are "confident" that their star third baseman will return at some point, but the nature of the injury — a partial tear of his left hamstring — prevents them from putting a definitive timetable on it, unlike a broken bone that heals in a set time. Longoria returns today from a vacation in Cabo and his appearance at the ESPY awards in Los Angeles (assuming he didn't trip on the red carpet) and will resume some baseball activities, though Friedman said the work and treatment being done in the trainers' room is still more important. There is a loose framework that after 7-10 days he will start another rehab assignment, which suggests, with no further setbacks, a return in early to mid August. "Hopefully in the next couple weeks it will be a little more evident of what we can expect," Friedman said.

Who, among the healthy players, needs to step it up the most?

There's a long list, but the answer has got to be among the quartet of Desmond Jennings, Carlos Peña, Luke Scott and B.J. Upton, who have combined for only a .221 average and a .679 on-base plus-slugging percentage. How about Upton, right, who was hot for a while but cooled off and since late May is hitting .205 with a .565 OPS and 52 strikeouts in 38 games? Jennings, who was twice dropped from the leadoff spot, is hitting .200 with a .265 on-base percentage in 32 games since coming off the DL after a left knee sprain? Peña, left, who somewhat expectedly has a .201 average and 110 strikeouts (in 368 plate appearances), but only 13 homers and a .372 slugging percentage (the same as the Indians' Casey Kotchman, whom Peña replaced). And Scott, who was brought in just for his bat and, while leading the team with 42 RBIs, has been injured and inconsistent much of the year, hitting .205 with only a .669 OPS (lower than Kotchman, Boston's Mike Aviles, Seattle's Kyle Seager)?

Can they still make the playoffs?

Amazingly, despite all that has gone wrong thus far, yes. With health, absolutely yes. While the 7½ games between them and the first-place Yankees look sizable, the Rays are only a half-game behind the wild-card-leading Angels and Orioles, who look like they might be finally ready to return to reality, and ahead of a group of other contenders, the Indians, Tigers, A's, Red Sox and Jays, none of whom look particularly threatening.

Will the Rays be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?

The timing of 3B Evan Longoria's return will be a key in the decisionmaking, as well as that of OF Matt Joyce, right. Executive VP Andrew Friedman said their overall health is "kind of the linchpin" in what they do. Traditionally, the Rays have never been big buyers at the July 31 deadline, so don't expect much. Knowing Longoria will be back sooner would allow them to try to address other concerns (catcher, shortstop). If he will be out longer, they could either seek another interim replacement or more offense at another spot, such as a low-cost pickup like the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano, top left. In a worst-case scenario — Longoria delayed, losing most of the 17 games before the deadline — they could deal potential free agents-to-be such as B.J. Upton, Carlos Peña, Luke Scott and others for talent and/or savings that helps in the future.

Besides health, what's their biggest concern?

It's got to be the defense, which much to their surprise and dismay, has been among the majors' worst (ahead of only Baltimore). That's bad enough, but there's residual impact as well. Their pitchers end up being less effective and more taxed. And their offense, already historically bad as the first team in the DH era (1973) to have a winning record at the break hitting as low as .232, is further challenged.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

In the months since the SEC invited Missouri and Texas A&M to join, there have been pep rallies, lots of fanfare and plenty of talk by coaches and administrators about how they will bring not only competitive excellence, but educational excellence.

What's mostly unspoken — publicly at least — is what SEC expansion is really about: money.

That is, extending its brand beyond the eight states it already dominates and, in turn, generating more revenue — particularly through television.

"We feel adding Texas A&M and Missouri has strengthened us in lots of ways," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. "But it certainly strengthened us in television."

Four years ago, the league entered into a then-groundbreaking 15-year agreement with ESPN worth an average of $150 million annually as well as a deal with CBS that averages $55 million a year.

But since then, the Big Ten has established its own network — the first launched exclusively for one conference — that in 2011 generated $242 million in revenue, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And the Pac-12 negotiated a 12-year deal with Fox and ESPN for $250 million annually in addition to creating its own network that launches Aug. 15.

Now Slive hopes expansion will allow him to do what he does best: capitalize at the most opportune time.

The SEC's current deals with CBS and ESPN allow talks to be reopened only if the conference expanded.

And with Texas A&M and Missouri bringing in new TV markets — including top-25 ones in Dallas, Houston and St. Louis — negotiations have begun that reportedly include an SEC Network cable channel that could be a reality in as few as two years.

Slive is keeping what's being discussed close to the vest.

"We're talking with our television partners about our television future," he said at the SEC meetings in May. "That's what I'll say for now."

For the SEC schools, much is at stake.

A record $241.5 million was distributed among the 12 schools in May, an average of $20.1 million. That represented a 9.8 percent increase from the $219.9 million in 2010-11. Of that, $116.6 million was derived from football television.

In June, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley told University Athletic Association board members a highly supportive fan base has helped keep the Gators afloat financially during tough economic times but acknowledged other factors have helped.

"We're fortunate to have a lucrative television deal in our league that is extremely beneficial to our members, and that factors into our budget," Foley said. "And we're blessed that it's a deal that's in place for a significant amount of time."

Florida's president, Bernie Machen, has said SEC officials are convinced there is more demand for their product than is currently being met.

While Slive is well aware the negotiating landscape has changed, just how much value has been gained by adding Texas A&M and Missouri remains to be seen.

"We believe there's certainly significant added value for a lot of reasons," Slive said. "Once we complete these negotiations, we'll know (the full impact)."

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

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

You could argue that no NFL team has had a better offseason than the Bucs.

They hired a tough-nosed coach, signed two of the league's premier free agents, maneuvered to acquire an extra first-round pick in the draft and saw felony charges dismissed against both starting cornerbacks.

The team announced Friday that the Los Angeles County district attorney decided not to file charges against Eric Wright, who was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence July 2.

Wright's attorney, Jeremy I. Lessem, issued a statement saying prosecutors reviewed the case and decided not to file charges.

Last month the Dallas County district attorney dropped charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon against cornerback Aqib Talib.

Wright, who signed a five-year, $37.5 million free agent contract in March, was arrested after he was involved in an accident near the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 12:20 a.m. on July 2. Police said Wright, 26, told them he had been drinking with a friend in Hollywood but refused field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests.

The driver of the other vehicle said he was in pain but refused medical attention, police said. Wright was charged with felony DUI because the accident involved injury, police said.

Wright was released from jail later that day after posting $100,000 bail. He was scheduled for a court appearance July 23, three days before the Bucs report to training camp.

"Eric is glad this is behind him and is eager to begin training camp at the end of the month," Lessem said in the statement.

Wright's arrest could have been the first character test for new coach Greg Schiano, a tough-talking former Rutgers coach who is known as a disciplinarian. He already has released safety Tanard Jackson and traded tight end Kellen Winslow because they didn't buy into his program.

Wright missed most of the offseason workouts and minicamps because of a non-football-related illness. He is expected to start at right cornerback, with 16-year veteran Ronde Barber moving to safety.

Wright was among the Bucs' free agent signings this offseason that included receiver Vincent Jackson and guard Carl Nicks.

Talib was charged with assault with a deadly weapon stemming from his involvement in a shooting March 11, 2011.

Police said he pistol-whipped and fired shots at Shannon Billings, 42, the live-in boyfriend of Talib's sister, Saran, who resides in Garland, Texas. Billings is currently jailed as a repeat sex offender, and Talib's attorney, Frank Perez, said that in reviewing the case, prosecutors did not believe their chief witness would be credible. The charges were dropped June 18.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

The Tampa Bay Rays have signed first-round draft pick Richie Shaffer in advance of this afternoon's signing deadline.

Shaffer, taken 25th overall, is a power-hitting third baseman from Clemson.

According to Baseball America, the Rays gave Shaffer $1,712,500. He will report to short-season Class A Hudson Valley.

With Shaffer, the Rays have signed their top 13 picks and 36 of 40 overall.

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — The grimaces arise when he tries to backhand a ground ball or when he is pressed to provide a date for his return to the Rays lineup.

3B Evan Longoria desperately wishes he could do both. For now, his left hamstring allows him to do neither.

Speaking at length about his injury for the first time in at least a couple of weeks, Longoria said Friday that he still doesn't know when he will return. All he will say for sure is, his season's not over.

"I've seen a lot of reports and a lot of people talking about how my year's done. I don't believe my year's done by any means," said Longoria, absent since April 30.

"But I wish I could give anybody a concrete time frame. There are a lot of things I can do, and it just feels like sometimes I'm so close, and sometimes I'm still so far away. So that being said, I've just got to continue to strengthen it."

Longoria, who had a setback during a mid-June minor-league rehab stint, said he swings the bat "pain-free" and even asked the training staff about the possibility of a DH role. But he can't yet make all the plays in the field.

"The main thing is just trying to go for a backhanded ground ball. But other than that, I swing the bat fine," he said.

"I've been jogging and getting up to pretty good speeds, and none of that really bothers me. But again, there's just a couple of things that bother me, and I really hate having to tell people that I don't know, but it's the truth. I really can't give anybody a date."

RED CARPET CRITICISM: Longoria and manager Joe Maddon both dismissed the flurry of jabs the sidelined third baseman received via mainstream and social media for getting his hamstring in shape enough to attend the ESPYs earlier this week in Los Angeles.

"That's stupid," said Longoria, joined at the ceremony by girlfriend Jaime Edmondson and RHP James Shields and his wife, Ryane. "It angers you at some point because it's like, 'I can walk around. I'm still allowed to have fun.' "

SHAFFER SIGNS: With only hours to spare before Friday's deadline, the Rays announced they had signed Clemson junior 3B Richie Shaffer, their top draft pick (25th overall).

Shaffer, 21, got $1,712,500, or just below the slot value of $1,725,000. He reports today to the club's short-season Class A affiliate in Hudson Valley, N.Y.

"I'm just real excited about being here right now; this is a dream come true," Shaffer said after observing batting practice. "I get antsy watching batting practice and not being able to swing."

MORE HEARTACHE: Friday's loss was RHP Jeremy Hellickson's sixth in a row over eight starts. That stretch of futility ties Andy Sonnanstine for the second-longest drought by a Rays starter since the beginning of the 2008 season.

Maddon, however, suggested a silver lining surfaced after the second inning, when Hellickson walked two batters and hit another to set up Pedro Ciriaco's two-run single up the middle. After that, "I really thought that might've been the best stuff he's had all year," Maddon said.

MISCELLANY: RHP Jeff Niemann, out since mid May with a broken right fibula, said he's throwing 90 feet and doing work on a stationary bike. "It's definitely getting better each day," said Niemann, who will sign autographs at 11 a.m. today at Pet Pal Animal Shelter in St. Petersburg. … Since June 7, OF Ben Zobrist (2-for-4 Friday) is hitting .353, but the rest of the team is batting .216. … Hall of Famer and former Ray Wade Boggs will sign autographs today at Tropicana Field's Ted Williams Museum for a $30 donation to the museum. Boggs will sign until the game starts. … The Rays now are .500 (7-7) on Friday the 13th.

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Friday, July 13, 2012

BRANDON — The last time Brandon wrestling coach Russ Cozart set foot in the Soviet Union, Return of the Jedi topped the box office charts and Michael Jackson's Billie Jean was the No. 1 song on the Billboard charts.

"It sure was a long time ago," Cozart said.

Cozart returns to the region for the first time since 1983 when he leads a group of three local athletes to represent the United States in the FILA (International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles) Cadet World Championships in August.

"All three of these guys did a great job at nationals," Cozart said. "They put in the work and deserve to get where they are going."

Kyle Norstrem (110), James Flint (120) and Dylan Lucas (128) all qualified for the World Championships after wins at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Ohio from May 31-June 3.

"I've never been out of the country before," Norstrem said. "So I'm looking forward to going over there and seeing how people live and how they work and just taking it all in."

Norstrem's brother, Kevin, was the last Brandon wrestler to go to the World Championships when he competed two years ago.

"He told me it's nothing like facing the wrestlers in Florida," Kyle Norstrem said. "I just want to do my best and represent the country as best as I can."

Cozart and the three wrestlers, who all compete for Brandon High School, will be in Baku, Azerbaijan, for five days, where the championships will take place. Azerbaijan was previous part of the Soviet Union.

"Thankfully it's just south of Russia," Cozart joked. "It can get a little cold over there."

Cost of the trip will run about $2,000 per wrestler. The trio took part in a fundraiser at the original Beef O'Brady's on Kings Avenue on Thursday. A portion of the money raised from noon until 8 p.m. went to help pay for the trip. WQYK-AM 1010 broadcast live from the restaurant that day to help drum up support.

"We have about five or six more fundraisers to do before we go, but nothing in concrete yet," Cozart said.

For more information on fundraising efforts, visit www.brandoneagleswrestling.com.

Brandon Wright at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

TAMPA — The Bucs will take full advantage of a new NFL rule that significantly reduces the likelihood of local television blackouts of their home games, the team announced Friday.

Tampa Bay has agreed to allow games to be shown on local television if at least 85 percent of general admission seats at Raymond James Stadium are sold 72 hours before a game, beginning in the fall.

Formerly, the NFL required that all general-admission seating be sold out in order for games to be televised. But the league settled on a rule change in recent weeks that lets teams lower the blackout threshold to as low as 85 percent of general admission tickets sold.

Based on the 51,000-plus general admission seats in Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs will need to sell fewer than 44,000 per game to reach the 85 percent threshold.

The Bucs averaged 56,614 in total attendance for their seven 2011 regular-season home games (one was played in London), about 87 percent of Raymond James Stadium's capacity of 65,000. The total attendance figure includes what is classified as premium seating, which includes club and suite tickets. Attendance figures for non-premium seating alone weren't available.

The Bucs have struggled to sell out home games in recent seasons; 13 of 15 home games played in Tampa during the past two seasons weren't sellouts and, as a result, weren't televised locally. Before that, to avoid blackouts the Bucs took advantage of a loophole that allowed teams to lift blackouts if they agreed to satisfy revenue-sharing requirements by paying 34 cents on the dollar for unsold tickets.

Friday's move continues the Bucs' recent efforts to show goodwill to fans through a number of tactics.

"We hope that this move, along with lower ticket prices, starting at $30 for adults and $15 for children, will lead to more televised Buccaneer home games this year," Bucs vice president of business administration Brian Ford said.

Prices on 80 percent of seats have been reduced, with other prices remaining flat for a fourth consecutive season. Some of the price cuts were steep; select lower-level end zone seats, which last season were priced at $89, are now $75 per game on season-ticket plans.

The Bucs have initiated an all-out effort to sell out their Sept. 9 season opener against Carolina, offering free parking in select lots, half-price on food and nonalcoholic concessions. The team also will honor cornerback Ronde Barber's expected 200th consecutive start.

Not every team decided to avail itself of the NFL's new blackout rule.

The Titans, Colts, Chargers and Bills are among teams that declined to take advantage. The Titans said they are confident they'll continue a streak of 13 straight seasons of sellouts. Other teams generally cited a need to maximize revenue with ticket sales, saying it wasn't financially prudent to adopt the new rule.

"We're a small-market team, and we need people in the stadium," Colts executive Pete Ward told the Indianapolis Star. "While we value all of our fans, our first priority is to protect the investment of paying customers."

In Buffalo, CEO Russ Brandon said, "We are a volume-based franchise. For us to be successful, we have to keep our ticket prices low and sell a great number of tickets."

The Bucs must adhere to the 85 percent threshold — the lowest the NFL is allowing teams to have — all season, meaning they can't change it depending on the opponent. And if they start selling out games, they are on the hook to split revenue with the visiting team on every ticket sold above 85 percent capacity.

Teams face a Sunday deadline to decide on blackout restrictions for 2012.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, July 13, 2012

The latest from the world of sports.

Worst coverage

ESPN broke into regular programming Thursday to air the news conference of Louis Freeh, who conducted Penn State's internal investigation regarding the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse scandal. CNN did as well.

But one network that surprisingly didn't? The Big Ten Network, even though Penn State is a member of the conference. While Freeh was revealing his findings, the Big Ten Network was showing a replay of a 2011 football game between Ohio State and Purdue.

The network issued a statement, saying it never claimed to be a news organization.

"Our focus is to air, discuss and analyze what happens relative to the field of play, which is what our viewers are most interested in," the statement read. "BTN analysts have repeatedly expressed their disappointment with the way in which Penn State football officials handled the Sandusky situation. When our football coverage resumes later this month, it will be a topic of conversation as to how it may affect the Penn State football program and the rest of the Big Ten."

But in an about-face, the network planned something called the Penn State Special Report on Friday night. The show scheduled BTN analysts, as well as Penn State professor and Knight Chair in Sports Journalism Malcolm Moran, who was in State College, Pa.

Was it too late to satisfy critics?

Look, it's not as if those interested in the Penn State news didn't have other outlets to watch and, quite frankly, most television viewers probably tuned into ESPN or CNN anyway. But this was just a bad business decision by the Big Ten Network.

For starters, it must have known that refusing to broadcast the news conference would make it look as if it was staying away from bad news. More than that, the Big Ten Network could have given itself more credibility for covering this important news story. Addressing it Friday night was a good idea. Addressing it when the news broke Thursday would have been a better idea.

Sport of the year

Sports Media Watch compiled the 50 most-watched sporting events on television so far this year and, to no one's surprise, the NFL crushed every other sport.

The top 12 most-watched events were NFL games, led by the Super Bowl, which drew more than 111 million viewers. The only two events outside of the NFL to crack the top 16 were the NCAA national title games for football and basketball.

The MLB All-Star Game, a bunch of NBA playoff games, several NASCAR races, PGA events, NCAA basketball tournament games and football bowl games all made the list, as did an Olympic swimming trial, the Kentucky Derby and even the Pro Bowl.

What sports did not make the list? The NHL, soccer and any women's event.

Three things that popped into my head

1. The Miami Dolphins are talking with the NFL about changing their logo for next season. Wait, no more dolphin with the helmet? Say it ain't so. It's like the Raiders without the eye-patch guy, the Chargers without the lightning bolt, the Cowboys without the star, the Bucs without Bucco Bruce. Okay, that last example was a bad one. But, please, Miami, keep the leaping dolphin.

2. Think if Carl Crawford had to do it all over again he would still sign with the Red Sox?

3. Larry Bird had it right. The 2012 U.S. Olympic basketball team would beat the 1992 Dream Team, uh, seeing as how the '92 guys are old now. If there were a time machine so they could play each other in their prime, the '92 team would win by double digits.

tom jones' two cents

By Rob Gorta, Times Correspondent
Friday, July 13, 2012

What's hot: Tarpon fishing around one of the bay bridges at night is a great way to avoid the hot sun. Start by casting your net directly under one of the bridge lights. A few throws should yield enough threadfins, scaled sardines and pinfish. I start by hitting the anchor function on my trolling motor under the brightest light on the upcurrent side of the bridge. When a fish is hooked, I hit manual mode and start the outboard to chase the fish, no line to worry about. Heavier tackle is needed because of the bridge pilings. I use only two rods, one with a float, the other free-lined. I drop the baits back to the shadow line of the bridge and wait. I will move up and down the bridge, anchoring under different lights trying to draw a strike.

Tips: Residential dock lights can attract a variety of species. Snook is my No. 1 target, but trout, redfish, jack crevalle, ladyfish and mangrove snapper are not uncommon. Approach is the most important factor. If you pull up to the area with the outboard motor running, the fish will spook or simply not bite. I like to use a trolling motor on the lowest setting to get within casting range. Heavier braided line along with a tighter drag will help if a fish runs for the pilings. "Select" sized shrimp is the best bait under the light. If you do not get a bite, move to the next dock light.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call him at (727) 647-7606 or visit captainrobgorta.com.