By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 11, 2011

BOSTON — Manny Ramirez did not go silently into the night, or into retirement.

Manager Joe Maddon revealed that Ramirez called him after the news broke Friday and said he was disappointed in himself, but he didn't explain or apologize for his actions leading to the positive drug test that prompted his decision.

"He just said he was disappointed; he didn't necessarily apologize," Maddon said Monday. "And I wasn't looking for an apology, actually. I wasn't. He spoke to me kinda like man to man, person to person, manager to player kind of a thing. So I didn't think he owed me an apology."

Others might disagree, given the way Ramirez's sudden departure destroyed the Rays' plans and left a major hole in their lineup, but Maddon said it wasn't his place to ask. Ramirez did not call executive VP Andrew Friedman or any other front office officials.

Maddon said he hadn't expected to hear from Ramirez, given how briefly he was part of the team. "I was pretty much taken by it. … I didn't know if he'd be moved and motivated to do that, but he was, and he was very kind in his comments," Maddon said. "He expressed disappointment in himself to me, also, but also had really high praise for us as an organization, as a group, so I felt pretty good about that. I'm really not a judgmental person by nature. I took him for his word right there."

Maddon said he also told Ramirez he'd like to consider him a friend going forward.

Rays LF Johnny Damon, who is friends with Ramirez, said they hadn't spoken yet, though their wives had exchanged text messages. Damon, speaking to a large group of Boston media, said he considered the whole episode sad.

"I can't believe it," he said. "I thought, well, if you get busted one time, you don't get busted again, but maybe I'm wrong. Believe me, it shocked us all. We thought it may have been a different personal matter than what came out. It's sad. I feel bad for Manny that his career is ending this way."

SI.com's Will Carroll reported the test Ramirez failed was one of the additional urine tests he had to take as a previous offender and that it was not for hCG, the female fertility drug that led to his 2009 suspension.

C.C. UPDATE: LF Carl Crawford, who left the Rays and got a seven-year, $142 million deal from the Red Sox, said it would be fun to play against his friends and former teammates, but he wasn't spending a lot of thinking about who had the advantage, what it might be and how best to use it.

"I'm not going to go that deep into it," he said. "I don't like to do all that thinking. I'm just going to be trying to play."

Besides, given Crawford's slow start — .163, 7-for-43 — there would appear to be other things to be concerned with. "I ain't really that disappointed because I know it's just the beginning, so just hope it gets better," he said.

Pregame tonight, Crawford will receive the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards he won last season with the Rays.

JOLTIN' JOE: Maddon hadn't heard from MLB as of game time about his Sunday tirade and ejection, though he will, along with a fine of least $500. "I shall and I should and I will," he said. "When that happens, it happens."

But he heard plenty from his companions at dinner Sunday in Boston's Summer Shack when the highlights were shown. "I was enjoying a splayed, grilled lobster — it was outstanding — and it happened to come on," he said. "It was somewhat humorous."

Asked if the maneuver of pointing to and ejecting the umpires had a name, Maddon replied: "It's called out-of-control-manager move."

PRICE REPORT: LHP David Price takes the mound with a purpose tonight, frustrated that he has lost his past four starts — two this season, two in the 2010 ALDS. "That bothers me," Price said. "You never want to lose, especially four starts in a row. … That's where I feel like I've just gotten beat. That's just on me."

If Price does lose tonight, he already has one change in mind: his beard. "It'll be gone," he said.

MEDICAL MATTERS: LHP J.P. Howell advances to the next stage of his recovery from shoulder surgery Wednesday in Port Charlotte when he'll throw the first of three scheduled batting practice sessions before starting a minor-league rehab. He hopes to return by mid May. … 3B Evan Longoria is being treated for his strained oblique at the Trop, on schedule to start throwing in the next few days, and could get some at-bats in a minor-league game in about two weeks.

MISCELLANY: Going by the all-time hits list (rather than just the modern day), Damon is in 81st place with 2,578, five behind Ernie Banks. … The Rays were the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to strike out at least seven times in their first nine games, according to Elias. … Matt Joyce moved into the No. 3 spot in the lineup as Maddon started eight lefty hitters against Daisuke Matsuzaka.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 11, 2011

TAMPA — Derrick Brooks is returning to pro football in Tampa Bay.

Brooks will become president of the Tampa Bay Storm and will receive a stake in the ownership of the Arena Football League franchise.

Brooks, 37, said late Monday that the deal will be announced during a news conference today at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

The Bucs' 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker officially retired from the NFL last year and has not played since 2008. He said he has been "intrigued" by working in the front office of a pro football team and opportunities to gain part ownership of a club.

"The ownership part of it is something that has always been very intriguing to me and something I discussed with (former NFL Players Association executive director) Gene Upshaw," Brooks said Monday. "I've discussed this side of the business for a long time, just quietly pursuing it, just learning it.

"I looked at something like this as a great opportunity, if it happens. There's still a few things to get worked out, but it's intriguing."

Brooks said that eventually he would like to be involved in NFL ownership and that the opportunity with the Storm will enable him to gain experience and explore those long-term goals.

"NFL ownership is something I can look at it," Brooks said. "This is another way to stay involved with football in terms of long-term goals. This is part of it. It's a chance to sit on other side of the table as a growing experience. Look at John Elway and the situation there where he was involved in Arena Football and look at it now in terms of him running the (Denver Broncos as general manager), and someone told me he may have some stake in the Broncos."

Brooks said he has never approached the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, about becoming part owner in the franchise where he spent 14 seasons.

"They're so tight knit with their family, with their generations, it's the way they do business," Brooks said. "It's always about family. I don't know if they would be open to something like that."

As a player, Brooks said he learned a lot about the business side of football from playing under Bucs general managers Rich McKay and Bruce Allen.

"I got to watch these two guys as GMs and had a lot of conversations with them privately," Brooks said. "I learned the mannerisms, how you want to be established and set the tone for the franchise. It wasn't ironic, when something needed to be done for the team contract-wise that my contract got reconfigured three or four times."

Brooks said he met with Lightning and Storm owner Jeff Vinik and was impressed by his management style.

"That's what's attractive," Brooks said. "If I'm going to get involved with it, it starts with Jeff at the top."

A former NFL defensive player of the year, Brooks said it will take some getting used to the high-scoring Arena League.

"For a defensive player, that's what I don't like," Brooks said. "It's a race to 55. Whoever gets to 55 tends to win. It's exciting. That's the brand and why the AFL has been able to stay around a long time. It found its niche."

Times wires
Monday, April 11, 2011

Rockies 7, Mets 6

NEW YORK — Troy Tulowitzki homered and drove in three runs, Carlos Gonzalez also had three RBIs and the Rockies took advantage of a struggling Mets bullpen. Tulowitzki made a terrific jump throw from shortstop to preserve a seventh-inning tie, and Seth Smith reached base four times.

Times wires
Monday, April 11, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The NFL and its locked-out players have been ordered to talk again.

The federal judge handling the lawsuit against the league told both sides Monday they will participate in court-supervised mediation, saying she still is considering whether to grant the players' request to lift the lockout.

The players got their wish, with the talks held in the federal courts in Minnesota rather than the collective bargaining setting in Washington where the sides unsuccessfully met last month.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said formal mediation will begin Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan in Minneapolis. Boylan will meet with representatives for the players today, then league representatives Wednesday.

Talks broke off March 11, and the labor agreement expired. The NFL Players Association dissolved that day and players filed a class-action antitrust suit.

TALIB CASE: Investigators didn't test Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib for gunshot residue after a March 21 shooting in Texas, according to documents released by authorities. Talib, 25, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon two weeks ago after Garland, Texas, police said he fired a handgun at his sister's live-in boyfriend. Talib's mother, Okolo, 58, also was arrested and charged with firing shots. Police said Talib fled the scene and was unavailable to be tested for gunshot residue.

DRAFT EVENT: Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton and Mark Ingram are among 20 college players that the NFLPA says plan to be part of its events concurrent with the NFL draft, April 28-30.

RAVENS: Offensive line coach Andy Moeller pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.

Times staff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 11, 2011

The dish

Rays at Red Sox

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Fenway Park, Boston

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

Probable pitchers

RAYS: LHP David Price (0-2, 4.85)

SOX: LHP Jon Lester (0-0, 3.65)

Key matchups

Rays vs. Lester

J. Damon 7-for-24, 2 HRs

B.J. Upton 7-for-39, 2 HR

Ben Zobrist 4-for-20

Sox vs. Price

Mike Cameron 3-for-3, HR

Marco Scutaro 2-for-16

Kevin Youkilis 4-for-10

On deck

Wednesday: at Red Sox, 7:10, FSN. Rays — James Shields (0-1, 4.72); Red Sox — John Lackey (1-1, 15.58)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Homecoming of the day

OF Sam Fuld, who grew up in nearby New Hampshire, was excited to play his first game at Fenway Park, with about 30 friends and relatives, including mom, dad and sister, on hand. He'd been on the field only twice — for a predraft workout as a high school senior and when he was 9-10 as a batboy for the University of New Hampshire in a game against Boston University. "This is a little different," he said. "There'll be a few more people in the stands."

New number of the day

Manny who? Dan Johnson got back his No. 24 that Manny Ramirez was given at the start of the season. And given Johnson's .088 start wearing No. 29, he welcomed the change. "Why not," he said. "It can't hurt." Johnson wore 24 during his 2008 and 2010 stints with the Rays, and had some success, and when Ramirez retired let it be known he'd like it back. "It's what I was," Johnson said.

Times wires
Monday, April 11, 2011

CHICAGO — Kurt Suzuki hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning, and the Athletics capitalized on Juan Pierre's dropped fly ball in the ninth to rally to a 2-1 victory over the White Sox on Monday night.

Chicago wasted Mark Buehrle's dominant pitching performance with its second ninth-inning implosion of the season. Buehrle was lifted after eight scoreless innings and 99 pitches. He allowed three baserunners, none past first.

Matt Thornton, who already had two blown saves in two opportunities, allowed Andy LaRoche's leadoff double in the ninth.

One out later, Daric Barton hit a deep fly that Pierre dropped in the leftfield corner, allowing pinch-runner Cliff Pennington to easily score from second and tie the score at 1. Pierre also had a dropped fly Friday that helped the Rays rally from three runs down in the ninth.

Suzuki put the A's ahead on a two-out solo shot off Jesse Crain. His line drive barely got over the wall in left.

Pierre, who was greeted by loud boos, grounded out to end it.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 11, 2011

BOSTON — Sam Fuld had made the trip from his native New Hampshire probably 50 times growing up to watch the Red Sox from the Fenway Park stands. He'd been down on the field twice, once as a kid batboy for a college game then for a predraft workout as a high school senior.

But Monday night, Fuld got to play at Fenway for the first time. And with his parents and 30 friends and relatives watching, he put on quite a show: A home run, a triple, two doubles plus another diving catch, sparking an offensive explosion from the previously anemic Rays in a 16-5 victory over the Red Sox and former teammates Carl Crawford and Dan Wheeler.

"Just thinking about all those family and friends up there," Fuld said, "it was hard to take that smile off my face the whole night."

Standing in the concourse after the game, his father, Kenneth, had the same look. "It was very special," said the elder Fuld, a dean at the University of New Hampshire. "I'm so happy for him. It was really a special thing for him to be here, and to play well in his debut."

Fuld wasn't the whole story, as the Rays — improving to 2-8 — rang up the fourth-highest run total in team history (and four fewer than they scored in their first nine games total) and rapped 20 hits for just the seventh time in team history, and raised their team average from .163 to .201.

"Kinda nice to see," manager Joe Maddon said.

Jeremy Hellickson pitched into the sixth for the win, Reid Brignac and John Jaso knocked in three runs apiece and Johnny Damon, with some applause mixed in with the usual boos, had a three-hit night, starting when he knocked the first pitch he saw into the rightfield bullpen — then got "booed" by the Rays when he returned to the dugout.

"It was great coming back in here on a different team then the Yankees," Damon said. "It was a little more mixed tonight. I was very happy to hear some of the cheers I did get."

Fuld, acquired from the Cubs, played leftfield and enjoyed the whole experience.

"I had a little more adrenaline just playing in the park I grew up going to, and I was able to channel that in a positive way," he said. "I wasn't sure how that was going to play out, I thought I might have too many jitters going."

He tucked a homer (the second of his career) around the Pesky Pole down the rightfield line ("After the homer I thought wow, everything else is icing on the cake."), hustled from the box to turn a fourth-inning hit into a double then tripled to right-center.

At that point all he needed was a single to join B.J. Upton (2009) as the only players in Rays history to hit for the cycle, but it was one thing Fuld couldn't quite do.

He flied to left in the seventh, then got another chance in the ninth. He lined a ball to left but passed on the chance to stop at first and headed to second.

"You can't do that," Fuld said. "And I don't get too many extra-base hits, so I'm going to take them when I can. It was a sure double, so there was no choice but to get your double there."

Maddon said it was a sign of Fuld's integrity. "I know a lot of guys who would have stopped," Maddon said. "It just indicates what he's all about right there."

Cycle aside, Fuld acknowledged it would be hard to top his first game at home.

"I set the standard pretty high," he said. "I don't know if I'll ever have a game like that ever again."

Actually, his mother, New Hampshire state senator Amanda Merrill said, there was something else.

"Well," she said, "he didn't steal a base tonight."

Times wires
Monday, April 11, 2011

Cubs 5, Astros 4

HOUSTON — Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Marlon Byrd combined for seven hits, five runs and three RBIs, and the Cubs held on. Castro had three hits and three runs, Byrd drove in two and Barney hit an RBI triple as Chicago built a 5-0 lead by the fourth inning. Alfonso Soriano drove in two runs with a double in the first.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Christa Benton of St. Petersburg defended her title at the Athleta Iron Girl Clearwater 5K on Saturday.

Benton defeated more than 1,900 runners by racing across the finish line in a time of 18 minutes, nine seconds. She was nearly 21/2 minutes faster than Sydney Avery, who placed second in 20:35.

Placing first in their age group were the following women: (1-9) Taylor Andrews, 27:20; (10-14) Avery; (15-19) Janna Edwards, 22:13; (20-24) Leandra Mikos, 20:54; (25-29) Cristina Clark, 20:59; (30-34) Tara Thompson, 21:20; (35-39) Tracey Cooper, 22:04; (40-44) Molly Rohrer, 22:39; (45-49) Loretta Simeon, (50-54) Kathleen Robinson, 22:50; (55-59) Karen Bouchard, 25:26; (60-64) Stephanie Bessette, 28:30; (65-69) Silvia Hobbs, 24:53; (70-74) Muguette Fournier, 41:33; (75-79) Pat Linn, 39:03; (80 and over) Sylvie Ferns-Beukelman, 43:51.

Saturday's half-marathon in Clearwater was won by Bonnie Kretchik in a time of one hour, 28 minutes and 32 seconds. The race had 1,630 finishers.

Completing the 13.1-mile course as age group winners were: (10-14) Kaylee Cashman, 1:43:29; (15-19) Lolani Scanlan, 1:33:59; (20-24) Maxime Copley, 1:40:21; (25-29) Christyn Murphy, 1:32:20; (30-34) Lisa Williams, 1:33:28; (35-39) Angie Ave, 1:36:07; (40-44) Lisa Buohler, 1:29:07; (45-49) Debra Johansen, 1:41:28; (50-54) Terri Doheny, 1:42:20; (55-59) Susan Gebhardt, 1:59:59; (60-64) Sandy Meneley, 1:45:04; (65-69) Georgie Gillis, 2:03:46; (70-74) Patricia Rice, 3:14:17.

SUPER GOPHER 5K: A number of county residents found success at the Hudson Rotary Laraway Memorial Super Gopher 5K on Saturday.

Winning their age group in Hudson were: (M9 and under) Takuma Walter, St. Petersburg, 21:08; (M10-14) Musaab Tariq, Palm Harbor, 20:54; (F30-34) Meghan Brunelli, St. Petersburg, 27:16; (M45-49) Frank Mancari, Palm Harbor, 22:03; (F45-49) Yvonne Bryant, Clearwater, 21:46; (M65-69) James Ladig, Clearwater, 22:46; (F75-79) Carol Montgomery, Treasure Island, 43:45.

Tampa's Merrill Hausenfluck was the overall winner in 16:22. Jacki Wachtel of New Port Richey was the women's champion in 18:59.

In the 10K competition, Judd Trayling of Oldsmar was the fastest runner in the men's 35- to 39-year-old division after crossing the finish line in 45:22. Treasure Island's Herb Townsend was also an age group winner, claiming the men's 70-74 division in 45:48.

CURING CANCER IS SWEET 5K: Clearwater 15-year-old Andrew Elsey outlasted 47 competitors to win the Curing Cancer is Sweet 5K in New Port Richey on Saturday. Elsey broke the tape in 20:57 to win by three seconds.

Tarpon Springs' Jim Hummel was third overall after crossing the finish line in 21:12. Hummel won the men's 50-54 division.

Other locals who won their age group were: (M30-34) Tim Shaver, Palm Harbor, 21:44; (F30-34) Jennifer Morlan, Tarpon Springs, 54:05; (M35-39) James Bystrom, Oldsmar, 25:54; (F45-49) Kathy Martin, Indian Rocks Beach, 29:52; (F60-64) Evelyn Arenella, Tarpon Springs, 26:55; (F65-69) Judy Morlan, Tarpon Springs, 54:16.

HCPA RUN FOR SHELTER: Melanie Peters of St. Petersburg was the women's race champion at the HCPA Run for Shelter 5K in Tampa on Friday.

Peters, 27, won in 19:16, more than a minute faster than her nearest competitor.

Melanie Wong of St. Petersburg earned a spot in the top five after running 21:30 to finish fifth in the women's race.

Marc Dannis was second in the men's race, coming within 28 seconds of the overall title. Dannis, 34 of St. Petersburg, completed the 5K in 16:56.

Hunter McCann, 14 of Treasure Island, was third in the men's race with a time of 18:07.

Lee Reitsma of Tampa was the overall champion in 16:28.

ST. PETE ROAD RUNNERS: Decorated field hockey athlete Christy Morgan will be the guest speaker at the monthly St. Pete Road Runners general meeting on Thursday.

Morgan was a starting center forward on the U.S. field hockey team at the 1988 Summer Olympics, and she helped the U.S. pick up a silver medal at the Pan American Games.

At Old Dominion University, Morgan was a three-time All-American and was a Broderick Award recipient in 1984, given to the most outstanding college player in the nation.

She led the Monarchs to national titles in 1982, '83 and '84.

As the head coach at James Madison, Morgan guided the Dukes to a national championship in 1994, becoming the first woman to win a NCAA championship as a player and coach.

The St. Pete Road Runners meet at the Hospice Administration Building on First Avenue S and 31st Street in St. Petersburg. The meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m., is open to the public.

Bryan Burns can be reached at bburns@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Cardinals 8, D'backs 2

PHOENIX —— Kyle McClellan picked up his first major-league win as a starter and had two RBIs with two hits. Lance Berkman hit two home runs for the Cardinals. St. Louis sent nine to the plate in the fourth, scoring three runs with two outs. McClellan picked up his second career RBI with a single in the fourth.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Indians 4, Angels 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mitch Talbot took a shutout into the ninth and the Indians got home runs from Asdrubal Cabrera and Matt LaPorta in their eighth straight win. It's Cleveland's longest winning streak since 10 straight in August 2008. Cleveland's 8-2 start overall is its best since 2002, when it was 12-1. Talbot came within three outs of his first big-league shutout. Angels starter Tyler Chatwood gave up four runs, four hits and four walks in five innings in his major-league debut.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Dodgers 6, Giants 1

SAN FRANCISCO — Clayton Kershaw shut down the Giants again with his big-breaking curveball and Rod Barajas homered for the Dodgers. Kershaw hasn't allowed a run over his last 232/3 innings against the Giants. That includes seven scoreless innings on opening day and a complete game on Sept. 14. Los Angeles scored four in the fifth inning against Madison Bumgarner.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Reds 3, Padres 2

SAN DIEGO — Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer and Jonny Gomes added a solo shot as the Reds spoiled Padres ace Mat Latos' season debut. Latos was on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. He lost his sixth straight start dating to September. Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez allowed two runs in the first, making it nine combined in the first inning in three starts.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

On the typical offseason trip, success is defined by returning rested and rejuvenated, with the tan lines to prove it.

Gerald McCoy gained a bit more from this excursion. He brought back pictures and memories and stories to tell, but he also got this:

A transformative experience.

Two weeks in a war-torn region of Africa where the basics that Americans take for granted are considered indulgent might not sound like a hoot. But McCoy, the Bucs' 2010 first-round draft pick, said joining a relief mission to Uganda and Rwanda last month made him a new man.

"It was life-changing," McCoy said. "You kind of re-evaluate what's important to you because of how some people live over there. We complain about so much, but we have it so good and don't even realize it."

McCoy, 23, traveled with the nonprofit group Pros for Africa, an organization that counts NFL stars and fellow Oklahoma alumni Adrian Peterson and Tommie Harris among its co-founders and includes physicians and business leaders. Formed in 2009 and based in McCoy's hometown of Oklahoma City, the group ventures to places many can't find on a map, assisting mainly women and children affected by poverty, war and natural disasters. This year's contingent included NFL stars Santonio Holmes and Larry Fitzgerald.

They dug wells, clothed children and provided medical care. They offered hope and lifted spirits. But McCoy would tell you he's the lucky one.

"It was so satisfying," he said. "I can't wait to go back."

Among the things that left McCoy wanting more was Pros for Africa's newest venture: providing hearing aids for hearing-impaired children.

The father of a young daughter, McCoy was particularly touched. Charity work is not new to him, but this was different.

"I get to do a lot of things for other people," he said. "But when you are able to give somebody the gift of hearing, that's just amazing."

McCoy returned with fond memories of the young women at the Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali, Rwanda, a college for girls that trains students for careers in the fast-growing tourism industry. McCoy and Titans defensive lineman Derrick Morgan visited the school, which was founded by Tampa native Elizabeth Davis.

That's where they met genocide survivor and English-speaking student Blandine Ineza.

She was 5 years old when the country's 1994 uprising led to the murders of most of her relatives. In her household, grandparents, aunts and uncles were slaughtered. She saw her grandmother being bludgeoned to death. Her mother was brutalized for weeks and still suffers from mental trauma. Estimates say fighting between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes killed 800,000 to 1 million in a span of three months, and the country is still recovering.

But during the visit, Ineza, now 22, gave no indication of the horrors she'd seen. Instead, she served as a tour guide, taking McCoy and Morgan to the city's genocide memorial and other popular spots.

"They were so humble," Ineza said by phone in her broken English. "And they were so kind. It makes me feel so happy when people come to my country."

She felt inspired that two famous Americans would go out of their way to visit. Little did she know McCoy was admiring her all the while.

"She had such a great personality," he said. "That's what's great about what's going on over there. We gained motivation and strength from them. Nobody looks back. All of them are so positive."

Said Ineza: "After the genocide, I thought my life was over. But I (eventually) said I have to concentrate on my future. … Now I have a vision for my future, and I can do whatever I want."

The trip left McCoy with an image of Africa utterly different from that of some Americans.

"There's a horrible misconception about Africa," he said. "The misconception is that people walk around with bones through their noses and live in huts. It's not like that at all. They're just like us. And Africa is a breathtaking place."

McCoy was struck not only by the beauty but by the natural resources.

"It's the motherland," he said. "The fruit is the freshest fruit you will ever taste."

The wildlife is a little different, too. McCoy embarked on a gorilla-watching expedition in the Rwandan countryside and got, perhaps, a bit more than he bargained for.

"They were a few feet away from us," he said. "Probably 5 or 10 feet. One actually walked right past me!"

Guides instructed the players on how to show signs of respect to the animals so the humans wouldn't be viewed as a threat. McCoy admitted some apprehension, but the experience turned into one of his most memorable on the trip.

As for describing American football to Africans, he's not sure he succeeded despite much effort.

"A little kid asked how do we play football and run so fast when we're so fat," McCoy recalled with laughter.

The boy was, of course, referring to soccer — the only "football" most Africans have ever known.

McCoy might try recruiting some of his Tampa Bay teammates to go on next year's trip. And judging from his account, he'll be a good salesman.

"This trip is not for everybody," McCoy said. "But I really, really encourage people to go."

If others are lucky, they, too, will return with more than a tan.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

PITTSBURGH

It almost is comical asking Dwayne Roloson if certain circumstances affect his emotions or focus on the ice.

Any scenario presented elicits the same deadpan response.

It's no surprise, then, that the Lightning goaltender brushed off the idea he faces added pressure heading into tonight's first-round playoff opener with the Penguins at Consol Energy Center.

"There's no added focus at all," he said. "Me trying too hard is not going to help our team win. When you try too hard, the puck usually ends up in your net. Just go out and focus on what you have to do and be ready to play when you get the opportunity."

Roloson is fudging.

Whether he admits it or not, goalie is the most important position during the playoffs, when teams can ride a hot one to places no one expected.

Roloson lived that in 2006, when, as a trade-deadline acquisition, he led the Oilers, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, to the Stanley Cup final.

A knee injury in Game 1 ended his season, and Edmonton lost in seven games to the Hurricanes. But the experience cemented Roloson's tendency toward understated intensity.

"The biggest thing I took out of it was once the game was over, you forget about it right away," he said. "It's over. You can't do anything about it. The quicker you get to that realization, the better."

That is not indifference. "He wants to win," defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron said.

"He likes to practice hard and doesn't take anything for granted. He's a good leader on this team."

And given the way 2006 ended, and that until January of this year Roloson was with the Islanders, one of the league's worst teams, the 41-year-old called his opportunity with Tampa Bay "a new lease on life."

• • •

How important is a hot goaltender in the playoffs? "You feel a little bit like you're invincible," said Bergeron, Roloson's teammate with the Oilers. "For whatever reason, you find a way to win every game. It seems like you can't do anything wrong."

Roloson — 18-12-4 with the Lightning, with four shutouts, a 2.56 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage — has done that since he was acquired from New York for minor-league defenseman Ty Wishart.

He has impressed with his positioning, a matter of practice and awareness; and fitness, a product of intense training.

Most important: He fixed a position that, for the season's first three months, was Tampa Bay's black hole.

"He's been great since the first day he's been here," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "He gives us a chance every night — just very, very steady."

"I think he's been our best player," left wing Simon Gagne said. "You want a goalie who can give you confidence and make big saves when you need them. Roli can do that for us."

Roloson has been equally steady in the playoffs, with a career 18-12-0 record, a 2.56 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

It was that magical run with Edmonton, though — in which he was 12-5-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and a shutout before getting hurt — that is the high point of his career and, given the injury, the most painful.

That is why the opportunity with Tampa Bay is so special.

"He knows he doesn't have that many years left," coach Guy Boucher said. "To have an opportunity to be in the playoffs with a good team, he's told me many times he feels like he's been blessed."

• • •

Craig MacTavish chuckled when asked if Roloson, the league's second-oldest player behind Boston's Mark Recchi (43), had the physical and mental stamina to handle a playoff run. As the Oilers' coach in 2006, he was asked the same question.

"Common sense and knowledge would preclude him from being able to do what he's doing, but he's doing it," said MacTavish, now a television analyst for Canada's TSN network. "I think the focus that he has is almost unparalleled. He's really learned how to apply himself in that regard. He's just a completely different guy when he's preparing to play. He reaches a level of intensity that not many goaltenders can get to."

And that is just one step.

Roloson's workout program, designed by California fitness expert Scot Prohaska, is well known. But Roloson, under the direction of Mark Gordon, a Kenmore, N.Y., optometrist he met while playing for the Sabres, also exercises his eyes.

"We're looking at reaction times, peripheral awareness," Gordon said. "We're looking at all the visual components to perform well. If you only get to see a puck for a brief moment, you have to be able to process a lot of information in a very brief moment. So we have a lot of close visual abilities that come into play. We're doing all these time-space calculations based on a brief moment."

Roloson does work with a Brock String, a 20-foot-long cord with beads that can be spaced at differing intervals. "We focus from bead to bead," Gordon said, "getting the eyes to line up, in focus and getting it clear, understanding the distance as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Roloson bounces and catches balls off a wall in dim light. He practices in the summer with a white puck smaller than a regulation puck. "When we change the activity by making it more difficult, on the ice it becomes a lot easier to do," Gordon said.

Not that anything is easy about the playoffs, a place Roloson hasn't been since 2006.

"I know how hard it is to get there," he said. "It's something you have to take advantage of when you get the opportunity. You never know when it's going to happen again."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Former Arkansas head coach John Pelphrey is headed back to Gainesville to rejoin Billy Donovan's staff, according to a tweet from FoxSports' Jeff Goodman.

Florida Gators officials will not comment at this time.

The news shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

Pelphrey spent eight seasons as an assistant under Donovan at Marshall and Florida, and the two haver remained extremely close friends.

Pelphrey was fired last month after four seasons with the Razorbacks. Prior to that, he was head coach at South Alabama from 2002 through 2007.

Florida has a vacant position because former assistant Larry Shyatt left earlier this month to take the head coaching job at Wyoming.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

He changed the culture. He stopped the bleeding. He turned around a franchise.

He stopped the free fall. He re-established high expectations. He restored sanity.

By now, you are probably fairly impressed with the coaching job of Guy Boucher. Boucher, on the other hand, is not.

In an impressive season, the most impressive thing about the Lightning's Boucher is that he doesn't seem particularly impressed by himself at all. His chest, as they say, remains unbeaten. His back is unpatted.

"To me, the credit belongs to the guy in the arena,'' said Boucher, 39. "It's the guy who takes the shot. It's the guy who stands in front of the goal and takes the crosschecks and bleeds. He's the one who should get the credit. It's like a boxer. Yeah, he needs a coach, but in the end, he's the one who is taking the blows.''

Other coaches talk like this, but with most of them, you never quite believe they believe what they are saying. Who doesn't want approval? Who doesn't want acknowledgement? Who doesn't want to be — ta-da — Coach of the Year.

Listen to Boucher, however, and it's easy to believe he really does think his fingerprints are very small on the success of this season. The Lightning, formerly lost, often dysfunctional, has rediscovered success. For the first time in four years it is back in the playoffs. For the second time in its history it has recorded 100 points.

And, yeah, Boucher is going to hate this paragraph, but he's done a terrific job. All in all he has just completed the finest rookie season in Lightning history. Along with new owner Jeff Vinik (quiet) and general manager Steve Yzerman (calm), he has helped to make hockey matter again.

Do you want to know who Boucher is? Break out a chessboard and line the pieces up. Hint: Be prepared to earn a checkmate or to hit his king with a hammer.

"I like to play chess,'' Boucher said. "Because sometimes, you just look like you're dead. There is no way out. But there is a way out. If you think long enough and hard enough, you'll figure it out.

"The thing is, I'm never going to put my own king down. I'm going to keep playing until it makes no sense. No way I'm folding.''

In some ways, Boucher had a similar challenge when he signed on last summer with the Lightning, a franchise that has spent the last few seasons being a couple of castles short itself.

"What we needed to do as an organization was to change the culture,'' Boucher said. "We wanted to make the playoffs. We wanted 100 points. We wanted to win at least that first playoff series.

"We didn't know how long it would take. It could have taken a year and a half to change the culture, maybe two to make the playoffs, maybe three to win a series. All that accelerated because we have good people.''

It is a demanding job, that of an NHL coach. It isn't like football, where a coach stops the play to devise strategy while the analysts call him a general, or baseball, where the cameras focus on managers as if they invented second base. It is a ad-lib job of dealing with changes and momentum and circumstance and injuries and communication and motivation and pushing the right button during the right shift.

Turns out, the Lightning hired the right guy. Oh, others had the same idea. There were other teams that thought of Boucher as a bright young coach with a knack for knowing his team.

"It wasn't that I was looking for an NHL job,'' Boucher said. "I was looking for the right NHL job.''

Five other times teams had talked to Boucher about their coaching jobs, and five times he had said he wasn't interested. The philosophy wasn't right. The fit wasn't right. And if the right job never came along, Boucher said, he would have led a perfectly happy life without the NHL.

"I don't mean that the wrong way,'' Boucher said. "But for things to work, they have to be a certain way. You have to have enthusiasm at every level. With Mr. Vinik and Mr. Yzerman, we have that.''

Also, they have Boucher.

"I could tell during our first week of training camp that he was going to coach for a long time,'' said captain Vinny Lecavalier. "He's that good.''

"He knows how to make everyone believe,'' is the way Ryan Malone puts it.

Given his first choice, Boucher would just now be wrapping up a playing career. He was fairly talented, and he was really stubborn, and he was going to knock on the league's door until it made him go away. When he was 25, however, life had other plans. Boucher remembers the day the right side of his body stopped working. His right eye wouldn't focus, and his arm was numb, and his leg had no strength.

"I thought I was dying,'' Boucher said.

For a year and a half, the doctors probed and prodded and tested to see what was wrong. For a while they thought it was multiple sclerosis. For a while, some form of cancer. For a while, something neurological. Eventually, they decided it was a virus that affected the membrane around his nerves. He wasn't going to die, but he wouldn't be the same hockey player for five years.

"I thought, 'Hah. I'm an athlete,' " Boucher said, shaking his head. "But two, three years later, I got it. It still wasn't back."

So Boucher became a coach. No, he is not one of those cookie-cutter coaches trying to impersonate the old coaches who came before him. There is a bit of a difference to Boucher.

Consider the way he attacked the season. A new owner plus a new general manager plus a new coach plus many new players plus a new system is the recipe for a slow start.

So Boucher met with his players beforehand, going to Montreal to talk to Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, to Toronto to talk to Steven Stamkos, and so forth, to make sure the Lightning started fast. And it did, winning seven of its first 10.

Consider, too, the way Boucher finished. Most coaches would have reacted to the Lightning's four-game losing streak in March by yelling louder and practicing harder. Boucher? After Loss 3, he gave his players two days off. After that, they won seven of their last nine.

Somehow or other, it has worked. It has turned a season into a fresh start. From here, this front office gives the Lightning a chance to grow into something special once again.

Poor Guy. For Boucher, the credit is just now beginning. In the years to come, deflecting it is going to take up so much of his time.

By John Romano and Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnists




Tuesday, April 12, 2011

GS: This time of the year, John, we're used to writing about Lightning layoffs. How cool is it to be writing about Lightning playoffs instead?

JR: Yeah, we had gotten spoiled there for a while. With Lecavalier, St. Louis, Boyle and Richards around, it seemed like the Lightning would be in contention until we were too old to care. Nothing like being one of a half-dozen chump markets to miss out on the past three years to make you realize how much you like playoff beards.

GS: Which, of course, begs the question: Can this team stay alive past the stubble? How far will it go?

JR: They'll make it out of the driveway but not too far down the road. Given the right circumstances, the Lightning could upset any team in the conference. I just don't think you can count on that series after series.

GS: I agree. They can play well enough to get to the second round, which would be a nice feat. But I don't think they're consistent enough for a deep run. Still, this season feels like a fresh start, and that's something.

JR: This is almost like gambling with house money. The roster was being groomed for 2012 and beyond, and so making the playoffs this season was like a happy windfall. Tell me, Gary, how does the Lightning make the most of it?

GS: Win. Play with that free-flowing attack that has been there at their best times. They've won the fans back, but now it's time to show everyone else how fun they can be.

JR: The last two times the Lightning made the playoffs (in 2006 and '07), it was almost a letdown. Those guys seemed more talented than their place in the standings, and they got bounced both times without much drama in the first round. This time it feels different. This team has squeezed a lot of production out of a flawed roster. If they approach this series with a nothing-to-lose mind-set, it could be a memorable two weeks.

GS: You know what it feels like, John? It feels like a start. It feels like the cowboys really have gone. Is Roloson too old? Is Hedman too young? Has Stamkos been body-snatched? It'll be interesting to see.

JR: To answer your questions: Yes, yes, and we're still waiting on DNA results. But in a way, it makes this series more intriguing, doesn't it? Eighty-two games later, there is still an unknown quality to this team.

GS: Hitchcock couldn't figure this team out. Rubik couldn't. I certainly can't. Look, the goalie is always the key in hockey. But in your frozen-numb opinion, which Lightning player has to be great for the team to advance?

JR: Stamkos, Stamkos, Stamkos. You can sorta assume certain results from Marty and Vinny. Roloson will be good, but it's too much to ask for great. Stamkos has to find his game for the Lightning to win. What do you say?

GS: Marty, Marty, Marty. He's still the energy drink around here. Stamkos would be great, but Marty is essential.

JR: Nice to know we can still count on one of us being absolutely wrong.

By Damian Cristodero and Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Dominic Moore, 30, a gritty veteran center, had plenty of competition during his Thornhill, Ontario, childhood with older brothers Mark and Steve, with whom he played at Harvard. Moore has been inspired by his mother, Anna, who is paralyzed on her right side, and Steve, whose career was derailed in 2004 while with the Avalanche when then-Canuck (and current Red Wing) Todd Bertuzzi punched him in the head from behind, causing a concussion, nerve damage and fractured vertebra. Moore discussed his family, Harvard, the movie The Social Network and his tennis passion with St. Petersburg Times writers Joe Smith and Damian Cristodero.

What was it like playing on the same Harvard team with your brothers, Mark and Steve?

It was a tribute to my parents and all the sacrifices they made. For them that was neat because that year they could watch one game and see all of us play, as opposed to driving all around Ontario.

What was the situation with your mother, Anna?

She had surgery to remove a brain tumor, and it didn't go well. She had a stroke, so she's permanently paralyzed on the right side of her body. She's battled really hard to get a lot of stuff back, but she can't run. She's blind in one eye. But she's a pretty amazing person. With half her capabilities she's still incredibly active, swimming.

She swims?

Like I said, she's gotten a lot of it back, but she's still limited in a lot of ways.

How old were you when that happened?

Fourth grade.

How much of an inspiration is she?

It shows you someone who has been dealt a tough hand who doesn't feel sorry for herself. She just fights. That's a good example right there. And obviously my dad (Jack), as well, incredibly hard on him. He's raising three boys essentially on his own for a good period of time there, not to mention keeping a roof over our head. That shows a lot of fight, too.

What's your brother Steve been up to since the Bertuzzi incident?

He's in Toronto. He's been doing a little bit of consulting work. For about five years he was doing everything he possibly could to see if he could play, but it just wasn't in the cards, so turn the page. He's figuring out what he wants to do as far as a career.

Where does his civil lawsuit against Bertuzzi over what happened stand?

That's still pending, and who knows when that will be done.

Since all of you guys went to Harvard, we wondered if you saw The Social Network (about the founding of Facebook by Harvard students) and what you thought.

I thought it was really well done, well acted. And well written. A lot of the Harvard stuff was fairly accurate, except the parties weren't quite as exotic as they made it out to be. And the people aren't as nerdy as they made them out to be, either. I know a lot of people who know those guys, both the twins (Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss) and (Mark) Zuckerberg and stuff. (The twins sued Mark Zuckerberg over the ownership of Facebook.)

Favorite movie?

Braveheart.

Who would play you in a movie?

I don't know, probably myself. I did take a few acting classes at school, and I enjoyed it.

Favorite band?

The Killers.

You've played with Penguins star Sidney Crosby (in 2006-07) and Steven Stamkos. How would you compare them?

They're different kinds of players, but at the same time, the intangibles that they have are very similar, as far as both are extremely competitive and very dedicated. They lead by example.

You've said you love tennis. What's your favorite spectator moment?

I've been fortunate enough to see some great tennis. I've seen Roger Federer in the final of the U.S. Open a couple years ago. That was pretty neat. I've been to a lot of tennis. It was my passion. I used to be a ball kid when I was young.

If the Lightning wins the Stanley Cup, what would you do on your day with it?

I'd obviously try to throw a barbecue or something and invite pretty much everyone I know and be able to share it, because I think that's why you play. You want to be able to share moments like that with people you love. And obviously that includes the team, but also includes family, because they're all part of your success.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

It is predawn, and Elissa Dooman is already in her office at TPC Tampa Bay. As tournament manager of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, Dooman has celebrities to make happy.

This week, that's more than a full-time job.

Dooman has e-mails to answer, phone calls to make, reservations to solidify and countless other issues to handle. As a celebrity pro-am, this week's Champions Tour event is unique. The 78 touring professionals are paired with an amateur player. Ten of those amateurs are celebrities, brought in by Dooman and her staff to entertain the crowd and play a little golf.

Her job is to make them want to come back.

"We've got to fly them in, get their hotel reservations taken care of, get them any ground travel that they need. I handle all that," Dooman said. "I get some assistance during the week. I'm pulled in a million different directions (this) week. But for the most part, the celebrities are pretty low maintenance.

"It's a long week, but that's what we work all year for."

• • •

Before the 2004 tournament, Outback Steakhouse took over sponsorship from Verizon. The Champions Tour has been in Tampa Bay since 1988, and until then it was a 54-hole stroke-play event.

But Outback CEO Chris Sullivan changed the format to a pro-am, modeled after the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour.

The tournament and its new director, Amy Hawk, had little time to put together the 2004 event. Notable celebrities that year included singer Vince Gill and actor Chris O'Donnell.

Dooman took more of a role in the celebrity part of the tournament after 2004. The celebrity list hit a peak in 2007, when Bill Murray agreed to play. Since then, stars like Mark Wahlberg, George Lopez, Kevin Costner and Huey Lewis have come to Lutz.

"I can tell you that 99 percent of the celebrities we've obtained have come through personal relationships," Dooman said. "It's very difficult to find celebrities who golf and then make all the necessary phone calls to managers and agents. You send them the information, and then you follow up. I don't know that we've ever gotten a celebrity like that, but we try every year. It's usually through relationships."

While the tournament has had big names, it lacks star power this year. Gill is back, as is Michael J. Fox, although he will be there only Friday and is not playing. John O'Hurley of Seinfeld fame will tee it up, as will Craig T. Nelson and Joe Don Rooney of the band Rascal Flatts. Former NFL players Emmitt Smith, Derrick Brooks, Sterling Sharpe and Joe Theismann will be there, too. Lopez, Murray, Costner, Wahlberg, Lewis and Vinny Testaverde are unable to attend.

Dooman, 31, said she starts early trying to get celebrities. She must first find out which ones play golf then figure out a way to get them. Her wish list includes Kevin James, Ray Romano and Adam Sandler.

"We've been trying to get them out here," Dooman said. "If they just came once, they would absolutely love it. In (James and Sandler's) cases, they are both filming right now. It can be difficult. You know it's usually going to be a last-minute thing."

• • •

After the switch to a pro-am, the pros still seemed to embrace the tournament. It lost Jack Nicklaus in 2004 because he wasn't allowed to play with son Steve. Otherwise, the field has not suffered. Even with a change from February to mid April, the top players on tour still attend.

The amateurs pay to play: $12,000 each. With 68 paying, that comes to $816,000. And it's why the tournament limits the field to 10 celebrities.

"We like to keep it at 10 to make things manageable," Dooman said. "It's also financial. The celebrities don't pay to play."

But they draw crowds — and not just golf fans.

"It helps our tournament appeal to a broad spectrum of people," she said. "You're not just getting the golf fans out here, you're getting people interested in football or people who love celebrity sightings. They want to get a picture with a celebrity or an autograph. Our format lends itself to that."