Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

LAS VEGAS — Robert Hight earned his second Funny Car win of the season Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, giving John Force Racing its fifth consecutive NHRA victory dating to last season.

Hight's 4.149-second run at 307.79 mph edged Johnny Gray, who posted a 4.169 at 301.81 at the SummitRacing.com Nationals. Hight, Force and Mike Neff have combined to win the past five events.

Antron Brown won the Top Fuel final, defeating Brandon Bernstein for his 26th career victory. Brown posted a 3.887-second run at 318.84 mph, Bernstein had a 3.947 at 311.13.

Mike Edwards beat first-time finalist Vincent Nobile in Pro Stock, running 6.695 at 205.98 for his 29th career win. Nobile finished in 6.713 at 205.69.

MOTORCYCLES: Trey Canard earned his third AMA Supercross victory of the season late Saturday in Arlington, Texas. Series leader Chad Reed of Tampa finished eighth after contact with James "Bubba" Stewart of Haines City on Lap 8. Stewart, in his first race since he was charged last week in Orlando with impersonating a police officer, finished fourth.

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Dave Schmauss won the Late Model feature late Saturday at the short track in Gibsonton.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Funniest story

Speaking of the humor provided by Rays announcers Dewayne Staats and Brian Anderson, a story came up Sunday, which was Family Fun Day at Tropicana Field, about pitcher Hippo Vaughn, who pitched during the early 1900s. Staats and Anderson giggled their way through a story about how Vaughn was once stabbed by his father-in-law.

Staats then cracked, "Just a story for Family Fun Day.''

Biggest difference

Interesting to watch the commercials promoting the upcoming Masters golf tournament. CBS's ads have that sappy piano music with a shot of the magnolias swaying in the breeze and the hushed tone of Jim Nantz, right, saying, "A tradition unlike any other … the Masters.'' Meantime, ESPN's ads feature rapid-fire edits with golfers hitting shots and pumping fists and crowds going crazy. Think that says something about the target audiences of CBS and ESPN?

Best addition

Steve Kerr, below, has been a welcome voice on CBS's Final Four coverage. In the past, Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg have handled the Final Four alone, but Kerr joined them Saturday and will be alongside the two for tonight's championship game. Kerr has taken half the load off Kellogg, who is a decent announcer but often struggles to carry the analyst job by himself. Kerr not only gives Kellogg a break, but the two seem to play well off one another. It also didn't hurt that both games Saturday remained close until the final moments.

Most touching story

Sarah Rinaldi is one of the finest sports producers in the business, and her work highlighted the weekend. Rinaldi produced a heartbreaking yet inspiring piece for CBS's Final Four preview show on Saturday about the bond among college basketball coaches Billy Donovan of the Gators and former assistants Anthony Grant and John Pelphrey. The three, along with their wives, each lost children in childbirth. The three children are buried next to each other at a cemetery in Gainesville. While tragic, the story showed how much support and strength the couples have gained from one another. And it showed there are far more important matters in this world than the outcome of a basketball game. Outstanding storytelling by Rinaldi.

Saddest news

Nick Charles, best known for his sports anchor work in the early days of CNN, has Stage 4 bladder cancer and doesn't expect to live much longer. Recently, Charles, 64, gave an interview in Sports Illustrated saying he only wished he could call one more boxing match before he died. Even though Charles used to call boxing on Showtime, it was HBO that granted the wish. Rick Bernstein, executive producer for HBO boxing, saw the SI interview and invited Charles to call a fight last weekend on HBO's Boxing After Dark. Classy move by HBO.

Three more TV thoughts

1. Sun Sports' Rays productions are first-rate, especially the replays, graphics and camera angles. (The overhead camera is superb.) Although it might be nice if Sun Sports added a pitch count like many regional networks such as YES (Yankees) and NESN (Red Sox) have.

2. Golf Channel does a good job with event coverage, but it's a shame a women's major such as this past weekend's Kraft Nabisco Championship gets no major network air time.

3. ESPN's coverage of the women's Final Four — studio, game and postgame — might have been even more impressive and comprehensive than CBS's coverage of the men's Final Four.

Three things that popped into my head

1. While March Madness has been totally mad and fun, tonight's final between a No. 8 seed, Butler, and a No. 3 seed, UConn, which went 9-9 in the Big East, as well as a No. 11 seed, Virginia Commonwealth, making the Final Four just goes to show you college basketball's regular season is somewhat insignificant.

2. Not too long ago, it looked as if the Lightning's Steven Stamkos might be the MVP of the NHL. Now you could make a case that he isn't even the best player on his team. That's not a knock on Stamkos, but an acknowledgement of just how good Marty St. Louis has been. In fact, St. Louis should pick up a few MVP votes. 3. Kentucky coach John Calipari, left, has forgotten more basketball than I know. But here's a suggestion: Spend a few minutes each day having your team practice free throws. If Coach Cal's teams could make them, he might be going for his third national title tonight instead of sitting at home with none.

Best analyst

The Rays are off to a horrible start, but Sun Sports' Brian Anderson, below, had a smashing weekend in his debut as the full-time television analyst. Anderson has called 100 or so Rays games over the past three seasons and always has sounded comfortable in the booth. But now that the full-time gig is his, he sounds even more confident and relaxed. For starters, the camaraderie he has with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats is even better than Staats had with original Rays analyst Joe Magrane. Staats is a meat-and-potatoes announcer. (That's meant as a compliment.) But you can feel Staats hanging a bit looser with Anderson by his side. The two often crack up one another but not in a way that's annoying to the viewer because the audience is in on the jokes.

Meantime, Anderson educates while he entertains. He took no cheap shots. But he wasn't afraid to be critical of Rays players, showing he realizes his allegiance is to those of us watching at home, not the players on the field.

Anderson criticized B.J. Upton for getting picked off second base Friday night with the Rays down four runs. Many analysts would have spent that moment whining about the umpires for failing to call what appeared to be obstruction when Upton became tangled with Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy.

Anderson did question the call but repeated that Upton cannot get picked off in that situation.

That led to an interesting conversation with Staats on Saturday as the two debated the difference between being aggressive and being reckless.

Then Saturday, Anderson has his best moment when he wondered if Rays reliever Jake McGee wasn't going all-out when he gave up a three-run homer to Baltimore's Brian Roberts.

"This is a lesson learned for Jake McGee,'' Anderson said.

"He was only going to face two batters, but he looked like he was pacing himself as if he was a starting pitcher. If you're only facing two batters, that's maybe 10 pitches. You've got to let it all hang out.''

Anderson pointed out that McGee is still just a kid who is learning how to pitch in the bigs. He was critical without embarrassing anyone.

Best of all, Anderson and Staats are enjoyable to listen to, and that's a good thing considering they are coming into our living rooms pretty much every day for the next five months.

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

HORSES

ZITO'S DIALED IN TAKES FLORIDA DERBY

HALLANDALE BEACH — Nick Zito was a bundle of nerves in the paddock at the Florida Derby, and his eyes were filling with tears as he watched Dialed In run. To Zito, those are good signs.

Dialed In made a late charge — his signature move — to beat 69-1 long shot Shackleford by a head Sunday and win one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races on the 3-year-old calendar at Gulfstream Park. The colt covered 11/8 miles in 1:50.07 to take home $600,000 of the Grade 1 race's $1 million purse.

"The last time I got this emotional was 20 years ago with Strike The Gold," Zito said.

That was his first Kentucky Derby winner. Barring any health issues, Dialed In will be in the Derby as well, possibly the second choice behind widely touted favorite-to-be Uncle Mo.

"I wouldn't trade Dialed In for any horse on the Derby trail," owner Robert LaPenta said.

Dialed In, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $7.80, $4.80 and $4. Shackleford, who went to the lead early, paid $36.60 and $15.20. To Honor and Serve was third, paying $4.20.

BOXING

Female boxer shot by stepfather before bout

An undefeated female boxer from Germany was shot by her stepfather before a fight, injuring her hand, knee and feet. Rola El-Halabi, 25, was shot Friday at close range; her injuries are not life-threatening. According to the Bild newspaper, El-Halabi was to fight Irma Balijagic Adler for the vacant IBF lightweight title in Berlin. Roy El-Halabi, 44, shot her in her dressing room. He also shot two security guards before he was arrested, Berlin police said. The victims went to a hospital for surgery. Bild reported that El-Halabi split from her stepfather as a manager in January.

SKIING

Youth rules slalom at U.S. nationals

Youngsters Mikaela Shiffrin and Colby Granstrom won slalom titles in sloppy conditions at the U.S. championships. Shiffrin, 16, held off Sarah Schleper by 0.52 seconds in Winter Park, Colo. Julia Mancuso skied off the course and didn't finish. Granstrom, 20, beat Tommy Ford by 1.33 seconds.

SOCCER

FC Tampa Bay tops USF in stadium finale

In the last match at the USF Soccer Stadium before it makes way for a new on-campus facility, FC Tampa Bay of the NASL defeated USF 3-0 in a fundraising match for the Bulls' program. It was the preseason finale for FCTB, which opens its season Saturday against Montreal at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg.

ET CETERA

COLLEGES: The University of Texas' TV network will be called the Longhorn Network. Texas struck a 20-year, $300 million deal with ESPN to create the network, which is scheduled to launch in August.

CYCLING: Nick Nuyens of Belgium won the Tour of Flanders, beating Sylvain Chavanel and 2010 winner Fabian Cancellara in a three-way sprint to the line in Meerbeke, Belgium.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Stacy Lewis held off defending champion Yani Tseng to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by three strokes Sunday, earning her first LPGA Tour title in the year's first major.

Lewis shot 3-under 69 to finish at 13-under 275, rallying from an early two-stroke deficit while going head-to-head with the world's top-ranked player.

Lewis' improbable 20-foot par from the fringe on the 17th hole, prompting a celebration in the raucous gallery.

"I can't even believe it," said Lewis, 26, who overcame scoliosis to become an elite golfer. "… I just couldn't believe I made it (on the 17th hole). I thought I had a good shot from there, but I just tried to stay calm."

Tseng (74) had four bogeys. Lewis bogeyed No. 15 to let Tseng get within one, but Tseng bogeyed the next two holes.

Lewis' mother, Carol, badly injured her left leg and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance after jumping into Poppie's Pond off the 18th green. It has become tournament tradition for the winner and her caddy and family to leap into the pond.

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome, who co-led with Lewis after the first round, shot 76 to end at par 288, tied for 13th.

Michelle Wie (75) and 2007 Kraft Nabisco champion Morgan Pressel (76) faltered badly in their final rounds.

Mickelson victorious in pre-Masters tuneup

HUMBLE, Texas — Phil Mickelson feels pretty confident about his game heading to the Masters, which begins Thursday.

The defending champion at Augusta outdueled Scott Verplank to win the Houston Open by three shots, his first victory since earning his third green jacket last April.

Mickelson moved to No. 3 in the world rankings as Tiger Woods dropped to No. 7. It's the first time Mickelson has been ahead of Woods since the week before Woods won the 1997 Masters for his first major title.

"It feels really good for me to have played well and gained some momentum heading into next week," Mickelson said. "I needed to have a week where I kind of put it together."

Mickelson shot 7-under 65, the lowest closing score by a winner this year, to finish at 20 under.

Verplank, 46, needed a victory just to get to Augusta. His left wrist, wrapped in black tape, is weakened by a degenerative bone condition, and it affected his grip.

"It's nice that I hadn't forgotten how to play," Verplank said.

CHAMPIONS: Tom Lehman closed with 3-under 69 to win the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in Saucier, Miss., his second 50-and-over tour victory this year. He finished at 16-under 200, four shots better than Nick Price, Jeff Sluman and David Frost.

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

RICHMOND, Va. — About 100 fans welcomed Virginia Commonwealth back to Richmond on Sunday after its Final Four loss to Butler the night before, ending an unlikely but magical run in the NCAA Tournament.

Fans chanted "VCU, VCU" as the team arrived around 3:30 p.m. at the campus' Siegel Center with a police escort. The cheers quickly turned to "We want Shaka," referring to coach Shaka Smart, who flashed a humble smile as he exited the bus before the team.

Smart and his players took their time giving high fives, hugs and autographs to waiting fans.

Gabby Brophy, 10, beamed as most of the team signed her gold, blowup spirit stick.

PG Joey Rodriguez said the school's run from a first-round game to the national semifinal was a great experience and the fan support was much appreciated.

"It means a lot after a loss to have everybody here," he said. "It was a great four years."

Meanwhile, Smart, 33, spoke like a man making plans to stick with the Rams rather than looking to get a bigger job.

"We're going to try to do this every year," he said. "It's not easy; there's no question about it. In our program, we're going to continue to build."

AD Norwood Teague said in a text message that neither N.C. State nor Missouri, both looking for head coaches, have contacted him about talking to Smart.

Other options: Butler defensive specialist Ronald Nored got an academic scholarship from Harvard, but he decided to go somewhere where basketball would be as big a deal as his grades. The native of Homewood, Ala., initially committed to Western Kentucky but changed his mind after coach Darrin Horn left for South Carolina. Nored then decided to go to Butler.

"Harvard's done a great job. (Coach) Tommy Amaker's done a heck of a job at Harvard lately," Nored said. "And the fact that he told me the average Harvard graduate makes $300,000 after they graduate, I was like, maybe I need to be going to Harvard. But I thought Butler's been doing great things over the last 10, 11 years, and I just wanted to be a part of something special."

Ratings: Saturday's Final Four broadcast on CBS posted an 8.9 rating and a 17 share. That's tied for the highest since 2005. Butler's 70-62 win over VCU in the first game drew an 8.3 rating and averaged 14.2 million viewers, while UConn's 56-55 win over Kentucky in the second game drew a 9.5 rating and pulled in 16.7 million viewers.

Miami's Haith to Mizzou?: Frank Haith agreed to leave Miami after seven seasons and take over as coach at Missouri, the Associated Press reported. Haith's deal was not yet finalized. Miami officials did not return messages seeking comment.

Around the nation: Utah hired Nets assistant Larry Krystkowiak, 46, as coach. … Archie Miller, 32, was hired to coach Dayton, less than a week after Brian Gregory left for Georgia Tech.

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Over two weeks, prosecutors methodically worked to build a credible case that Barry Bonds lied to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Then, on Thursday, prosecutors called Bonds' orthopedic surgeon to the stand. They regretted it almost immediately.

Legal analysts, trial watchers, even attorneys on both sides all seemed to agree that Dr. Arthur Ting's testimony crippled the government's case against the most-productive home-run hitter in major-league history. The question is whether the prosecutors can still get a conviction when the trial goes to the jury, which could happen this week.

Ting directly and repeatedly contradicted the government's star witness, former Bonds business partner Steve Hoskins.

In the first week of the trial, Hoskins testified that doctor told him a 1999 elbow injury Bonds sustained was caused by steroid use. But Ting denied saying that. Ting also denied Hoskins' claim that the two had 50 conversations about Bonds' alleged steroid use. Ting denied having even one such discussion.

Federal prosecutor Jeffrey Nedrow conceded, in an exchange with U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, that Hoskins was "impeached heavily."

Ting was one of the last witnesses the government planned to call. Observers said prosecutors were making good headway with the jury until then.

"With any trial it's always the last impression that is the most important," said Robert Mintz, a prominent Newark, N.J., defense attorney.

"It was the sports equivalent off coughing up the ball on the 5-yard line. Suddenly, the other team has a chance to win."

FAN VIOLENCE: City leaders from Los Angeles and San Francisco condemned violence among sports fans after an opening-day attack at Dodger Stadium left a Giants fan in a medically induced coma. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, police chiefs and team owners from both cities called the attack on 42-year-old Bryan Stow "unconscionable."

Snowout: The game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks was postponed because of a mix of rain and snow in Denver. The teams played in an unseasonably warm 84 degrees the day before.

BRAVES: RHP Jair Jurrjens went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle. LHP Mike Minor was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.

BREWERS: RHP Zack Greinke took part in an aggressive throwing session for the second straight day and could throw off a mound this week. Greinke missed most of spring training with a cracked left rib.

CARDINALS: LF Matt Holliday was at Busch Stadium two days after having an appendectomy, but the timetable for his return is still unknown. Manager Tony La Russa said the team would have "a better answer to that" today.

INDIANS: The attendance of 8,726 was the lowest for a game at Progressive Field, which opened in 1994. It was 1,127 fewer than the low set Saturday. … Minor-league OF Preston Mattingly, son of Dodgers manager and former Yankees star Don Mattingly, was released.

MARINERS: Closer David Aardsma, who is coming back from offseason surgery on his left hip, felt no pain after a strong bullpen session and appears on target to return this month.

ORIOLES: RHP Justin Duchscherer had a minor operation on his lower back and won't pick up a baseball for four or five days. The ablation procedure is designed to heat up nerve endings and drive away pain.

PHILLIES: CF Shane Victorino, who left Saturday's game with tightness in his left calf, expects to return to the lineup Tuesday.

PIRATES: CF Andrew McCutchen was scratched because of a stiff neck.

TIGERS: RF Magglio Ordonez sat out because of soreness in his surgically repaired right ankle.

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — It's not often Maya Moore meets her match. Skylar Diggins was up to the task, and Notre Dame will play for a national champion­ship because of it.

The sensational sophomore guard scored 28 and the hot-shooting Irish upset top-seeded UConn 72-63 Sunday night, ending Moore's stellar career and the Huskies' quest for a third straight national title.

Ten years after their last title, the Irish will play for another one Tuesday against Texas A&M.

Notre Dame (31-7) was 0-3 against its Big East rival this season, but the Irish had all the answers this time for the Huskies, who lost for just the second time in three seasons.

"We had to be poised. … We had to try to make Maya take tough shots, and I think she did," Diggins said. "And at the end we said, 'We have to stay poised on defense, and we have to execute on offense.' We showed a lot more poise than we did in the first three games against Connecticut."

Notre Dame had already beaten Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, ending a 20-game skid against the Volunteers and becoming the first team to knock out both titans in the same tournament.

Moore finished with 36 points, including 12 straight as she tried to rally the Huskies from a 12-point deficit in the final six minutes, but it wasn't enough for UConn (36-2).

"When you're playing against a good team at this time of the year, if you don't execute and play solid defense, you shouldn't win the game," Moore said.

The four-time All-American and AP player of the year was overshadowed by Diggins, the South Bend native who felt right at home in Conseco Fieldhouse, where she led her high school to three straight titles.

A&M stuns Stanford on shot with 3.3 left

Texas A&M's defense was good enough to topple two No. 1 seeds.

The Aggies will find out Tuesday if they are good enough to win a national title.

The second-seeded Aggies rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes against No. 1 Stanford, and Sydney Colson drove the length of the floor and found Tyra White for a layup with 3.3 seconds left to give them a 63-62 victory — and their first trip to the title game.

White scored 18 to help the Aggies (32-5) end Stanford's winning streak at 27.

The Aggies' other win over a top seed came against Baylor in a region final.

"It's time to make history," Colson said.

The Cardinal (33-3) was led by Nnemkadi Ogwumike's 31 points but went home empty-handed from the Final Four for a fourth consecutive year.

"It's hard," senior Kayla Pedersen said. "I mean, it's an awful feeling. The hardest part isn't losing the game, it's leaving these players."

Rare final: Notre Dame and Texas A&M are No. 2 seeds, making this only the second women's final without a No. 1. In 1994, North Carolina, a No. 3 seed, defeated No. 4 Louisiana Tech.

Coaching news: Xavier coach Kevin McGuff is leaving to take the same job at Washington.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 3, 2011

CHICAGO — The injury, when it occurred Sunday night, didn't seem that bad as Vinny Lecavalier skated himself off the ice.

But the Lightning captain did not return to the 2-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks at the United Center after Michael Frolik, 4:42 into the second, inadvertently hit him above the right eye with his stick blade.

Lecavalier, who scored the winner, needed three stitches and had a vision issue coach Guy Boucher said could be a scratched cornea.

"He wanted to go back in, but he couldn't see," Boucher said. "He's a warrior. There was blood here, blood there, around the nose."

The injury overshadowed the effort of goaltender Mike Smith, who made his fourth start since his late February recall from AHL Norfolk.

Smith made 31 saves to steal a fifth straight win for Tampa Bay (44-24-11), now guaranteed to finish no lower than fifth in the East. The Lightning is one point behind the fourth-place Penguins, a potential first-round opponent, for home-ice advantage.

Smith dazzled as Chicago, a speedier team fighting for a playoff spot, dominated in puck possession and attack-zone time and had a 31-15 shot advantage, 24-11 in the second and third periods.

Tampa Bay's 15 shots were a season low.

"Oh, wow, he played great," defenseman Pavel Kubina said of Smith. "He made some unbelievable saves."

Smith was at his best in the third as a clearly exhausted Lightning squad, playing the second of back-to-back games and without defenseman Eric Brewer because of what was called a "very, very minor" lower-body injury, was on its heels.

His paddle-down stop of Marian Hossa's in-close shot with 4:13 left was crucial. He stopped Hossa again in the final 30 seconds, and Nate Thompson's empty-netter sealed it.

"I felt pretty good. I felt very patient," said Smith, who got his first shutout of the season and 11th overall. "Every win is rewarding; the defending champion. When you beat a team like that, it's a little bit more rewarding."

For a team outshot 7-4 and without a shot on goal for nine minutes, the Lightning played a pretty sturdy first period, especially defensively with a five-man mentality.

It cashed in on its only real scoring chance as Lecavalier, in front of the net on a power play, redirected Marty St. Louis' centering pass 7:56 in.

The Blackhawks took control in the second with an 11-4 shot advantage. Of more immediate concern was Lecavalier's injury, for which Frolik received a four-minute high-sticking penalty.

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 21 (St. Louis, Gagne), 7:56 (pp). Penalties—Hjalmarsson, Chi (delay of game), 7:48.

Second Period—None. Penalties—Frolik, Chi, double minor (high-sticking), 4:42; St. Louis, TB (interference), 5:00; Johnson, Chi (hooking), 13:24.

Third Period—2, Tampa Bay, Thompson 10 (Gagne, Hall), 19:38 (en). Penalties—Ohlund, TB (interference), :27; Moore, TB (cross-checking), 6:34; Hossa, Chi (cross-checking), 6:34; Ohlund, TB (hooking), 9:31; Crawford, Chi, served by Kopecky (delay of game), 12:00. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 4-4-7—15. Chicago 7-11-13—31. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 1 of 5; Chicago 0 of 2. Goalies—Tampa Bay, M.Smith 12-6-1 (31 shots-31 saves). Chicago, Crawford 31-17-5 (14-13). A—21,587 (19,717).

Playoff tickets

Single-game tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum box office, Ticketmaster outlets, tampabaylightning.com and ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $22 for corner and end zone terrace level seats to $100 for center-ice plaza level seats (taxes and fees not included).

Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Dodgers 7, Giants 5

LOS ANGELES — Marcus Thames tripled in the go-ahead run during a four-run seventh inning, and the Dodgers took three of four from the defending World Series champions. Los Angeles scored all four off reliever Dan Runzler. Hiroki Kuroda pitched seven solid innings, retiring 14 in a row in one stretch.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

Oakland Raiders WR Louis Murphy, a St. Petersburg native and former Florida Gator standout, was arrested Sunday in Gainesville and charged with possession of a drug without a valid prescription, failure to obey a police officer and resisting arrest without violence, all misdemeanors.

An officer said he found a "non-labeled prescription bottle containing 11 individual pills later identified as Viagra." Murphy, 23, could not provide a prescription and reportedly said he had peeled the label off the bottle "because he did not want his girlfriend to know he had a prescription for it."

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

Even as the case against cornerback Aqib Talib is just beginning to take shape, another criminal matter involving a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender is being wrapped up.

The case against Tampa Bay linebacker Geno Hayes, who was arrested in December on charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing, is now closed, according to his attorney, Andrew Shein. Prosecutors reached an agreement with Hayes that resulted in the disorderly conduct charge being dropped while Hayes pleaded no contest to the trespassing charge.

Both charges were misdemeanors, stemming from a late-night confrontation with club security and a police officer at Tampa's Blue Martini nightclub.

The court will withhold adjudication on the trespassing charge. Hayes will not be required to perform community service or serve any other sentence, not uncommon in similar cases. Hayes will only be required to pay $265 in court costs.

The fact that the charges will not be adjudicated could potentially help Hayes once this case is inevitably reviewed by NFL officials to determine whether there was a violation of the league's personal conduct policy. However, commissioner Roger Goodell has in the past handed down discipline even in cases where players were not technically found guilty of a crime.

Talib was suspended by Goodell for one game last season following a 2009 arrest for misdemeanor battery. Like this case, Talib's case was resolved without a formal finding of guilt, but that didn't spare Talib from Goodell's discipline (Talib did have to fulfill several obligations such as anger management courses, completing them in November).

Hayes has been a critical piece of the Bucs' defense as a starter the past two seasons, when he has been among the team's leading tacklers. The starting weak-side linebacker was second on the club with four sacks last season.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

Here's another example of some forward thinking by Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik when it comes to the draft.

Tampa Bay's scouting department has been asking individual agents for feedback about where they believe the players they represent will be selected in order to build its mock draft board.

There was a time when teams shared some information to help predict how the draft might fall. But there are too many smokescreens in what some general managers describe as 'liar's poker,' leading up to the draft. So Dominik and his staff has gone directly to agents to get a better picture of where a player might fall.

"It's one of the few different ways we're able to compare our evaluations to others to see if there's much daylight, plus or minus,'' said Bucs communications director Jonathan Grella.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — When the Rays acquired DH Manny Ramirez and LF Johnny Damon in the offseason, manager Joe Maddon said it would allow him to put switch-hitting Ben Zobrist atop the lineup against right-handed pitchers.

But with 3B Evan Longoria (left oblique strain) out for at least three weeks, it leaves a considerable hole in the middle of the Rays batting order. And with the way Zobrist has been swinging the bat, Maddon may continue to use him in Longoria's No. 3 spot.

Zobrist, who hit third Sunday, has a homer and a double in his first three games and was robbed of another extra-base hit Saturday night when Orioles RF Nick Markakis made a spectacular leaping catch at the wall to end the game.

Along with CF B.J. Upton — who is the only Ray to have a hit in each of the first three games — Zobrist has been one of the few offensive bright spots.

"I just feel like I'm in the right spot that I need to be," Zobrist said. "I'm able to see the ball and not think too much about my swing right now, which is great. I have a good approach up there and just feel confident. It's a good start."

Zobrist, who had 27 homers in his 2009 All-Star season, dropped last year to 10 homers and a .238 batting average. He has said his neck injury spurred some bad habits at the plate then. But Maddon said Zobrist is in a better place now.

"He's in a better setup, I think a better position with his hands to begin with," Maddon said. "And from that, I think we're seeing better at-bats."

STANDING TALL: RHP Jeff Niemann says everyone on the Rays pitching staff prides himself on being a stopper, one who can end a losing streak.

And Tampa Bay, after an 0-3 start, could use a strong outing from Niemann tonight against the Angels.

Niemann, arguably the Rays' most consistent starter the past two seasons, is confident he'll look a lot different than what Anaheim saw of him late last year, when he was coming back from a shoulder strain. In Niemann's final two starts against the Angels, he gave up a combined 15 runs on 14 hits in 72/3 innings.

Niemann liked how he felt, and threw, during spring training, with all his pitches in the right place. And with his last outing being Wednesday in the spring finale, he's eager to get going.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting my chance to play," Niemann said. "I'm going to try to turn it around real quick and get (us) back on the winning track."

REUNION TIME: While at Long Beach State, LHP Cesar Ramos formed an impressive rotation with Angels RHP Jered Weaver and Mariners RHP Jason Vargas. Ramos said today will be the first time he gets to watch Weaver in person in a big-league game.

The two have kept in touch and caught up a few times in the offseason in Southern California.

"He was unhittable in college," Ramos said. "You could go out there and expect eight, nine innings, 12 (strikeouts), two hits. If they were lucky, they'll get a run. He was Mr. Automatic.

"It's kind of crazy to see our whole rotation in the big leagues."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — When the Rays acquired DH Manny Ramirez and LF Johnny Damon in the offseason, manager Joe Maddon said it would allow him to put switch-hitting Ben Zobrist atop the lineup against right-handed pitchers.

But with 3B Evan Longoria (left oblique strain) out for at least three weeks, it leaves a considerable hole in the middle of the batting order. And with the way Zobrist has been swinging the bat, Maddon might continue to use him in Longoria's No. 3 spot.

Zobrist, who hit third Sunday, has a homer and a double in his first three games and was robbed of another extra-base hit Saturday night when Orioles RF Nick Markakis made a leaping catch at the wall to end the game.

Along with CF B.J. Upton — who is the only Ray to have a hit in each of the first three games — Zobrist has been one of the few offensive bright spots.

"I just feel like I'm in the right spot that I need to be," Zobrist said. "I'm able to see the ball and not think too much about my swing right now, which is great. I have a good approach up there and just feel confident. It's a good start."

Zobrist, who had 27 homers in his 2009 All-Star season, dropped last year to 10 homers and a .238 batting average. He has said his neck injury spurred some bad habits at the plate then. But Maddon said Zobrist is in a better place now.

"He's in a better setup, I think a better position with his hands to begin with," Maddon said. "And from that, I think we're seeing better at-bats."

STANDING TALL: RHP Jeff Niemann says each pitcher on the Rays staff prides himself on being a stopper, one who can end a losing streak.

And Tampa Bay, after an 0-3 start, could use a strong outing from Niemann tonight against the Angels.

Niemann, arguably the Rays' most consistent starter the past two seasons, is confident he'll look a lot different from what Anaheim saw of him late last year, when he was coming back from a shoulder strain. In Niemann's final two starts against the Angels, he gave up a combined 15 runs on 14 hits in 72/3 innings.

Niemann liked how he felt, and threw, during spring training, with all his pitches in the right place. And with his last outing being Wednesday in the spring finale, he's eager to get going.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting my chance to play," Niemann said. "I'm going to try to turn it around real quick and get (us) back on the winning track."

REUNION TIME: While at Long Beach State, LHP Cesar Ramos formed an impressive rotation with Angels RHP Jered Weaver and Mariners RHP Jason Vargas. Ramos said today will be the first time he gets to watch Weaver in person in a big-league game.

The two have kept in touch and caught up a few times during the offseason in Southern California.

"He was unhittable in college," Ramos said. "You could go out there and expect eight, nine innings, 12 (strikeouts), two hits. If they were lucky, they'll get a run. He was Mr. Automatic.

"It's kind of crazy to see our whole rotation in the big leagues."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Here's the thing about winning. It can hide all those little blemishes.

So, consider the Lightning, which is on a feel-good run of five straight victories but has to be somewhat concerned about a power play that has converted only once in its past 17 tries.

Or is it?

"I don't know," wing Marty St. Louis said. "It could be worse. We won five in a row. I'll worry about it when we don't win games."

Okay, then, how about a power play that is 5-for-34 in its past eight games and in only four of its past 46 games has converted more than once?

"I'm not too worried about it," St. Louis said. "There are just games where it flows better and everything works better."

There is, though, something to be said for a potent power play in the playoffs, where a well-timed goal can steal a game or at least provide some insurance.

The Lightning power play has been an enigma all season.

At 20.4 percent efficiency, it enters tonight's game with the Sabres at HSBC Arena sixth in the league. But blessed with some pretty high-end players, much more was expected.

Major injuries to Simon Gagne, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone and Steve Downie have hurt as units have continuously been shuffled. Steven Stamkos' drought of four goals (two on the power play) in 25 games has been a lag. Gagne and Teddy Purcell have been inconsistent as well.

But power-play mechanics also have stalled.

For a while, the problem was simply setting up in the offensive zone. The bugaboo now is decisions with the puck inside the zone.

"With the power play you always think everything is going to work. It doesn't," coach Guy Boucher said. "In 80 percent of the time it doesn't work. But you become so (angry) and irritated that all of a sudden you get worse than nothing.

"That's when you have to cool it, don't try to change things, but that's what we do. Because it doesn't work one time, all of a sudden we're looking for something else when the simple play is there. Option A is there and we go for Option B and C. Just shoot it or make the easy pass. We're looking for the hard pass."

Case in point:

During a power play Sunday against the Blackhawks, defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron, at the left point, tried a low-percentage pass through the stick-heavy slot to St. Louis in the right corner. Surprise, Tampa Bay lost the puck.

Much better was the play between Gagne, St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier in a set-up the team usually uses five-on-three with Gagne off the right-wing wall, St. Louis at the side of the net and Lecavalier in front.

That resulted in Lecavalier re-directing St. Louis' pass for the winner in a 2-0 victory. But Lecavalier was hurt later in the game, the power play was shuffled again and it failed on its next four tries.

"I'd like to get another chance at that setup we had," Gagne said. "To play a full game with that, we could do a lot of good things. You want your power play to be the difference. That's what we need going into the playoffs."

Not that he's worried.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Here's the thing about winning. It can hide all those little blemishes.

So, consider the Lightning, which is on a feel-good run of five straight victories but has to be somewhat concerned about a power play that has converted only once in its past 17 tries.

Or is it?

"I don't know," wing Marty St. Louis said. "It could be worse. We won five in a row. I'll worry about it when we don't win games."

Okay, then, how about a power play that is 5-for-34 in its past eight games and in only four of its past 46 games has converted more than once?

"I'm not too worried about it," St. Louis said. "There are just games where it flows better and everything works better."

There is, though, something to be said for a potent power play in the playoffs, where a well-timed goal can steal a game or at least provide some insurance.

The Lightning power play has been an enigma all season.

At 20.4 percent efficiency, it enters tonight's game with the Sabres at HSBC Arena sixth in the league. But blessed with some pretty high-end players, much more was expected.

Major injuries to Simon Gagne, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone and Steve Downie have hurt as units have continuously been shuffled. Steven Stamkos' drought of four goals (two on the power play) in 25 games has been a lag. Gagne and Teddy Purcell have been inconsistent as well.

But power-play mechanics also have stalled.

For a while, the problem was simply setting up in the offensive zone. The bugaboo now is decisions with the puck inside the zone.

"With the power play, you always think everything is going to work. It doesn't," coach Guy Boucher said. "In 80 percent of the time, it doesn't work. But you become so (angry) and irritated that all of a sudden you get worse than nothing.

"That's when you have to cool it, don't try to change things, but that's what we do. Because it doesn't work one time, all of a sudden we're looking for something else when the simple play is there. Option A is there, and we go for Option B and C. Just shoot it or make the easy pass. We're looking for the hard pass."

Case in point:

During a power play Sunday against the Blackhawks, defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron, at the left point, tried a low-percentage pass through the stick-heavy slot to St. Louis in the right corner.

Tampa Bay lost the puck.

Much better was the play between Gagne, St. Louis and Lecavalier in a setup the team usually uses five-on-three with Gagne off the right-wing wall, St. Louis at the side of the net and Lecavalier in front.

That resulted in Lecavalier redirecting St. Louis' pass for the winner in a 2-0 victory. But Lecavalier was hurt later in the game, the power play was shuffled again, and it failed on its next four tries.

"I'd like to get another chance at that setup we had," Gagne said. "To play a full game with that, we could do a lot of good things. You want your power play to be the difference. That's what we need going into the playoffs."

Not that he's worried.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said the doctor that examined him Monday said he was "pretty lucky" he has what is basically a bruise and scratch on his right eye. Lecavalier was hurt Sunday when, at 4:42 into the second period, he took an inadvertent stick blade from Chicago's Michael Frolik in the right eye.

The team said Lecavalier has no structural damage and is day-to-day. Lecavalier said he is not ruling out playing Tuesday against the Sabres. It all depends how he feels Tuesday morning, when he plans to try and skate. He said he still has blurry vision and some pain. On Sunday, he received three stitches to close the cut above his right eye.

"It's easier when I wear sunglasses, and when I have to focus on things, it's tough," Lecavalier said. "The doctor said I got pretty lucky, so I'm happy about that. ... It all depends how it heals. It could be tomorrow. It could be the day after. It's really a day-to-day thing."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 4, 2011

Lecavalier might play

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Vinny Lecavalier's injured right eye has no structural damage, the team said, and the Lightning captain, listed as day to day, did not rule out playing tonight against the Sabres. "Right now, I couldn't play," Lecavalier said Monday after being examined by Sabres team ophthalmologist Andrew Siedlecki. "It's blurry, and when I try to focus, it's tough. It's easier with sunglasses. But I might wake up (today) and be fine." Lecavalier sustained a scratch and contusion on his cornea Sunday when the Blackhawks' Michael Frolik inadvertently hit him with his stick blade. Three stitches closed a wound above Lecavalier's eye. Lecavalier said pressure changes during the flight from Chicago to Buffalo were difficult. "It felt like it was behind my eyeball," he said. "It hurt when I moved my eye and tried to focus. I had to keep them closed. It was very uncomfortable." He said Siedlecki told him, "I got pretty lucky." Lecavalier said he will skate this morning before deciding whether to play. "If he's comfortable, he'll play," GM Steve Yzerman said. "If he's got discomfort, because it is his eye, he won't." Lecavalier will wear a visor, something he had discarded because he said it hinders his vision. "(Siedlecki) wants me to play with it the rest of the season to protect it," Lecavalier said. "As for keeping it permanently, I don't know. I'll have to try it again this summer and see how it feels. The smart thing to do would be to wear one, for sure."

Damian Cristodero, Times staff writer

Times wires
Monday, April 4, 2011

Cubs 4, D'backs 1

CHICAGO — Randy Wells overcame a shaky start to pitch six solid innings, Kerry Wood escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and Alfonso Soriano homered for the Cubs. Wells, hoping to regain the form of his 2009 rookie season, outpitched Joe Saunders on an overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Times wires
Monday, April 4, 2011

Braves 2, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE — Martin Prado and Dan Uggla homered off Takashi Saito in the eighth inning, rallying the Braves and spoiling the Brewers' home opener. Atlanta had failed to muster much offensive support for starter Brandon Beachy before extending an ugly start to the season for winless Milwaukee, which was swept in a three-game series at Cincinnati.