QUICK LINKS: MLB > 19 NFL > 25 NBA > 13 NHL > 16 NASCAR > 28 COLLEGE FOOTBALL >

L > 16 NASCAR > 28 COLLEGE FOOTBALL > 11 COLLEGE BASKETBALL > 8 NBA DRAFT > 6

NBA PLAYOFFS
On Miles’ mind
Cleveland 112, Orlando 102 LSU coach Les Miles talked
with Sporting News Today at
SEC meetings:
On facing Florida this year:
“I can’t imagine that won’t be an
exciting day in Baton Rouge.”
On freshman QB Russell Les Miles
Shepard: “He’ll be a WildHog,
FRIDAY WildTiger, whatever you want to call him.”
MAY 29, 2009 On Big 12 vs. SEC: “I never felt like the Big 12 season was as long.”
SEE A DIFFERENT GAME
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 311 The entire Miles interview , Page 11

Rockies’ Hurdle

Big test in Big D

TONY DEJAK / AP
LeBron James had a hand in 29 of on the hot seat
Cleveland’s 34 points in the final 12
minutes. The common trait among the
MLB managers most likely to be
LeBron, Cavs fired: Their teams are in last place.
The pink-slip candidates (ranked by
force a Game 6 Why ‘changed’ Romo could fizzle or sizzle in ’09 weakest job security):
LeBron James had his fourth
Clint Hurdle, Rockies. To
career playoff triple-double as
discover why his tenure might be
Cleveland rallied after blowing a BY ALBERT BREER Romo rising Romo falling nearing its end, Hurdle can ask Bob
22-point lead to beat Orlando. abreer@sportingnews.com
▲ No T.O. An Owens-less offense ▼ No T.O. For all his Melvin what happens when the
Page 13 warts, Owens got a progress of a club’s highly touted
will allow Romo to go through his
Miles Austin can’t pinpoint it, but the reads and could make coordinator defense’s attention. youngsters stalls. Arizona made
L.A. LAKERS AT DENVER Cowboys’ receiver can feel it. Jason Garrett better with renewed And Williams only Melvin the season’s first managerial
9 tonight, ET Maybe it’s the way Tony Romo is command- play-calling freedom. has one 1,000- casualty earlier this month.
Lakers lead series 3-2 ing the huddle. Or the determined look in his yard season
▲ Renewed Roy. Roy Williams on his resume, Manny Acta, Nationals.
eye. Whatever. It’s most certainly there. now has seven months with Romo
“He’s taking more of a leadership role,” meaning that he’s Cardinals manager Tony La Russa
Scoreboard Austin told Sporting News Today. “You can tell. It
in Garrett’s offense, with three
more to go before the season
no T.O. As Romo says his spring workouts focus
far more on defense than hitting.
goes without words. It’s a feeling you get.” says, “It’s always
NBA Playoffs starts. That a big plus. Mike Martz,
difficult to replace Acta should learn that lesson. The
Eastern Conference finals Romo has been unquestionably productive Williams’ coordinator for two main reason Washington is No. 1 in
someone who’s been
as the Cowboys’ QB—more than 10,000 years in Detroit, blames Williams’ losses is because it is No. 1 in sloppy
Cleveland 112, Orlando 102 struggles in Dallas on his midsea-
the dominant player.”
passing yards and 78 touchdowns in 39 play.
(Orlando leads series 3-2) career starts—but three years running, son entrance. ▼ Lining up. The offensive
“The timing is so different, the line, a strength in 2007, really
Baseball Cowboys’ collapses have been tied to Romo’s Cecil Cooper, Astros. A
anticipation is so different, you missed Tony Sparano’s firm hand in
late-season swoons. disconnect between the manager’s
American League really need an offseason of work,” 2008. All five starters are over 30.
office and the clubhouse has been
So if Romo has changed, maybe that’s not so
Cleveland 2, Tampa Bay 1 Martz said. “This is a perfect match; ▼ Depth depletion. Last year, growing since spring training.
bad. “It’s always, ‘You gotta win the Super Bowl he’ll have a big year.”
Boston 3, Minnesota 1 this year,’ ” Romo said. “Our approach is a little
losing starting left guard Kyle And it might have reached the
Baltimore 5, Detroit 1 different in that we are going to be better today. ▲ Adjusted approach. Both Kosier to injury was devastating. point of no repair earlier this week
Marion Barber and Felix Jones are Similar problems could surface this when Cooper questioned ace Roy

ROBERT SEALE FOR SN

All we can do is control today.”
National League
But how about tomorrow? Three reasons Romo
L.A. Dodgers 2, Chicago Cubs 1 will succeed and three reasons he will fall short
Arizona 5, Atlanta 2 again in 2009:
healthy now, and with Tashard
Choice also in the mix, the Cowboys
should a versatile, explosive running
game to take pressure off Romo.
year at receiver. Staying healthy is Oswalt’s effort.
imperative for an offense that was — Stan McNeal
outstanding at full strength two
years ago. Rockies hear rumors, Page 19
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com See a Different Game FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 2

Tune In Today AUTO RACING

10 a.m.
GUIDE OFF THE FIELD
If you deliver
SPEED—NASCAR, Truck
A quick look at the best sports on TV
— all times Eastern
Series, pole qualifying for AAA
Insurance 200, at Dover, Del.

11:30 a.m.
it daily, they
Lakers at Nuggets
NBA
SPEED—NASCAR, Sprint Cup,
practice for Autism Speaks 400,
at Dover, Del. will come.
9 p.m., ESPN 1 p.m.
Kobe Bryant willingly played more of a decoy SPEED—NASCAR, Nationwide
role as his Lakers won Game 5 to go up 3-2 in Series, practice for Heluva
this series, but his persona figures to change Good! 200, at Dover, Del.
with the Lakers having a chance to wrap up
a return trip to the NBA Finals. Coaches Phil 3 p.m.
Jackson and George Karl have taken turns SPEED—NASCAR, Sprint Cup,
criticizing the officiating the past two games, pole qualifying for Autism
and with Karl firing the latest shell, we’ll see if his Speaks 400, at Dover, Del.
words help his Nuggets any. Should be another
hard-fought game. 8:30 p.m.
SPEED—NASCAR, Truck Series,
GOLF AAA Insurance 200, at Dover,
Del. (same-day tape)
Crowne Plaza COLLEGE SOFTBALL
PETER KRAMER / AP
Patriots QB Tom Brady and wife Gisele Bundchen are not expecting, he said.
Invitational 7 p.m.
ESPN2—NCAA Division I,
3 p.m., Golf Channel
Kenny Perry, Sean O’Hair and Paul Casey all
World Series, Games 5 & 6 at
Oklahoma City Andrews angles for DWTS spot FREEup!
have wins on this year’s PGA Tour, and all three
are among those lurking near the top of the lea-
Sign
Today!
GOLF As her fame has boomed, ESPN’s Erin him and his wife, supermodel wife Gisele
derboard after the first day of competition. But 10 a.m.
that threesome is chasing a trio of first-round TGC—European PGA Tour, Andrews has declined certain requests Bundchen. RadarOnline.com reported last
co-leaders in Woody Austin, Tim Clark and Steve European Open, second round, because they would detract from her stand- week that Bundchen is pregnant.
Stricker. Also in the mix is Vijay Singh, who is just at Kent, England ing as a working journalist. Dancing With After practice on Thursday, the quarter-

The country’s first and only

one shot off the lead and is coming off a 66 in the Stars, though, would not be one of those back talked about the importance of a wife
the final round of the Byron Nelson a week ago. 3 p.m. requests, she told The Sporting Blog’s Dan and “children.” But when reporters asked

daily digital sports newspaper.

TGC—PGA Tour, Crowne Plaza
Invitational, second round, at Steinberg on SportingNews.com. Brady, who has a son with actress Bridget Moy-
NASCAR Fort Worth, Texas “I want to do it, because I think I’d be nahan, whether another child was on the way,
good at it,” Andrews said. Brady shook his head and said, “No.”
Autism Speaks 400 6:30 p.m. She has the background to compete.
TGC—Champions Tour, “I love the show, and I’ve grown up around Quick hit Delivered via email every morning, 7 days a
qualifying Principal Charity Classic, first

3 p.m., Speed
How fitting: After last week’s rain-delayed,
rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, rain is a possibility
for today’s qualifying. But if the rockets line up
to take their turn around this speedy 1-mile oval,
Mark Martin will be one to watch. Driving a DEI car
in last year’s fall race, Martin qualified second and
finished fourth. As long as he doesn’t make any
mistakes, there’s no reason Martin couldn’t do one
spot better in a Hendrick car.
— Compiled by Roger Kuznia
round, at West Des Moines,
Iowa (same-day tape)
dancing,” said Andrews, who, of course, was
on the Dazzlers dance team when at Florida.
Mark Cuban sued the Securities and Exchange
Commission for access to documents detailing
week, Sporting News Today is your one-stop
“People say, ‘Oh, you’re a dancer, how could the insider trading case against the Dallas destination for breaking sports stories plus
NBA BASKETBALL you do it?’ But I’ve never taken ballroom, I’ve Mavericks owner. The SEC is accused Cuban
9 p.m. never partnered dance with anyone. I think of selling shares of Internet search engine com- news about every team, every game and
ESPN—Playoffs, Western
Conference finals, game 6, L.A.
I’d be in the top, unless I fall. I’m a big faller. If
you fall, that’s a hard fall, which I’m sure
pany Mamma.com after receiving confidential
information about a private offering. Cuban’s
every score from coast-to-coast.
Lakers at Denver
would make the Internet very happy.” lawsuit claims the SEC improperly rejected
some requests, didn’t respond quickly enough
Experience America’s hottest new product.
TENNIS
Noon Brady: Wife not pregnant to appeals of rejections and failed to conduct
Sign up at sportingnewstoday.com. It’s free.
ESPN2—French Open, early New England Patriots quarterback Tom adequate searches for some records.
round, at Paris Brady says there’s no baby on the way for — Compiled by Ken Bradley, with wire reports
SPORTING NEWS TODAY
Sports Business Awards ’09
The winners and other nominees
from the second annual Sports
Business Awards, presented Thursday
night at the Marriott Marquis in New
York by SportsBusiness Journal and
SportsBusiness Daily, honoring excel-
lence and outstanding achievements
in the business of sports in 2008.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Peter Ueberroth
Sports Executive of the Year
Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC
Universal Sports & Olympics
Other nominees:
George Bodenheimer, President,
ESPN/ABC Sports
David Stern, Commissioner, NBA
Rocky Wirtz, Chairman, Chicago
Blackhawks
Athletic Director of the Year
Joe Castiglione, University of
Oklahoma
Other nominees:
Sandy Barbour, University of
California
Jeremy Foley, University of Florida
Joel Maturi, University of
Minnesota
League of the Year
NBA
Other nominees:
Indy Racing League
NFL
NHL
Professional Sports Team of the
Year
Boston Celtics
Other nominees:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Blackhawks
Milwaukee Brewers
Tampa Bay Rays
www.sportingnews.com See A Different Game FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 3
SPORTS BUSINESS AWARDS
Sports Event of the Year Property Consulting, Sales and
NBC’s Olympic effort nets praise, prizes
Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic Client Services BY ROSS NETHERY AND TRIPP MICKLE Coca-Cola, which was named Sports
Other nominees: IMG SportsBusiness Journal Sponsor of the Year, marketed itself heav-
Daytona 500 Other nominees: ily during the Games. It set up off-site acti-
MLB All-Star Game ISP Sports The Beijing Olympics ended nine vation areas in Beijing parks that allowed
NBA All-Star Game Premier Partnerships months ago, but its impact on the industry it to reach Chinese consumers who
U.S. Open punctuated the 2009 Sports Business couldn’t access the Olympic sponsor pavil-
Sports Technology Awards, held in New York Thursday by ion. The move helped it leap from third to
Sports Facility of the Year MLB Advanced Media SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness second place in market share in China,
Lucas Oil Stadium Other nominees: Daily. behind Pepsi.
Other nominees: Cisco Systems Many of the 15 winners had strong ties “People still love sports and have not
Fenway Park EA Sports/ESPN to last summer’s Games, including Dick abandoned the passion they hold as fans,”
Nationals Park NeuLion Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal said Bea Perez, Coca-Cola’s senior vice
TD Banknorth Garden Sports & Olympics, whose network car- president of integrated marketing. “We’re
Wachovia Center Sports Event Marketing Firm of ried the Games and who received the privileged to be part of it, and our continu-
the Year award for Sports Executive of the Year. ing goal is to provide additional opportu-
Sports Sponsor of the Year GMR Marketing In addition, Peter Ueberroth, who nities for fans to tap into that passion and
Coca-Cola Other nominees: received the inaugural Lifetime Achieve- giving them extra value.”
Other nominees: Momentum Worldwide ment Award, has been heavily involved in IMG, which took awards in two catego-
AT&T SportsMark the Olympic movement through his career. ries—Best in Property Consulting, Sales
Bridgestone Vivid Marketing Ueberroth, who was the organizer of the and Client Services and Best in Corporate
Sharp Electronics 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, Consulting, Marketing and Client Ser-
State Farm Talent Representation and received a standing ovation and was vices—worked with eight clients on the
Management lauded by almost every subsequent award ground during the Beijing Games.
Sports Television CAA Sports recipient for his influence on the business “If you look at what the Beijing Olym-
NBC Sports Other nominees: and on their careers. pics meant, with the focus and build-up
Other nominees: BEST Ueberroth’s concept of selling exclusive and the business and cultural impact, it
Big Ten Network IMG sponsorships for the 1984 Los Angeles JACK DEMPSEY / AP was a tremendous opportunity to work
CBS Sports Octagon Olympics revolutionized sports business Dick Ebersol and NBC were big winners at the Sports with the clients we had,” said David Abru-
ESPN Wasserman Media Group and has been credited with saving the Business Awards. tyn, IMG’s senior vice president, head of
Fox Sports Olympic movement. He went on to become global consulting.
Corporate Consulting, Marketing commissioner of Major League Baseball “I so deeply believed in Michael GMR Marketing, named Sports Event
Sports Media and Client Services and later became chairman of the U.S. (Phelps),” he said. “Everyone overlooked Marketing Firm of the Year, managed a
ESPN IMG Olympic Committee, reviving it after a the fact that the American people were mobile marketing program for Bank of
Other nominees: Other nominees: period of congressional scrutiny. wildly curious about China.” America called “America’s Cheer” that
CBS Sports Genesco Sports Enterprises “People always ask me what is the most NBC Sports also capitalized on the visited 19 U.S. cities and offered Team
NBC Sports Octagon important thing I’ve done,” he said. “The Games by taking the award for Best in USA fans the chance to film a cheer to sup-
Turner Sports Velocity Sports & Entertainment answer is: I don’t think I’ve done it yet.” Sports Television. port American Olympians.
Wasserman Media Group As for Ebersol, it was his foresight and The recognition capped off a historic Even the NBA, which was named Pro-
Digital Sports Media influence within the Olympic movement year for NBC in which it won 10 Sports fessional Sports League of the Year, has a
ESPN Digital Media Note: SportsBusiness Journal and that led the International Olympic Com- Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for strong tie to China, including a recent deal
Other nominees: SportsBusiness Daily are owned by mittee to move the swimming finals to the its broadcast of the Beijing opening with AEG to develop new sports facilities
Fantasy Sports Ventures American City Business Journals, morning in Beijing so that they could be ceremonies. there.
Sporting News Today the parent company of Sporting seen during prime time in the United “This would be a very good night and a rnethery@sportsbusinessjournal.com
Turner Sports News Today. States. The move played a major role in the very good year for me to get out of this tmickle@sportsbusinessjournal.com
Yahoo! Sports ratings success of the Games, a success business,” Ebersol said, speaking of NBC’s — SportsBusiness Journal writers John Ourand, Eric Fisher and
that Ebersol never doubted. accomplishments. Daniel Kaplan contributed to this story.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com My Profile FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 4

Nick Buoniconti THE WORLD’S FIRST DIGITAL

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Dolphins legend
(What you won’t find on Facebook … even if you are approved as a friend)
Born: Dec. 15, 1940, in Springfield,
Mass.
Status: Married
Alma mater: Notre Dame
What’s on TV: Not much—no reality
shows, no crime shows, golf if a major,
COURTESY OF AP PHOTO football if U of Miami or Notre Dame
plays, Dolphins.
What’s in my iPod: My favorite—The
Doors’ Light My Fire—and Viv-
aldi’s The Four Seasons
What I drive: 1992 Porsche
Cab—bought it new—and a
2002 Jeep. Just sold my 1971
Mercedes 280 SE 4-seat
convertible.
Favorite flicks: One Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest, Citizen Kane,
On the Waterfront, Slumdog
Millionaire
What I’m reading: Just
finished Ken Follett’s The
Pillars of the Earth and
World Without End
Superstition: Like most
athletes, if you wear something
and you do well, then you wear
it until you don’t.
Worst habits: Not looking at
my e-mail until a response is
meaningless; keeping an up-to-
date calendar
On my office walls: 2001 Hall of Fame
photo. Very little football memora-
bilia; most of it’s on walls in our
staff quarters.
Love to trade places for a day with
… The President. I’m a type A
personality so I would like to be
president for a day and implement
some executive orders.
First job: Working on a tobacco farm
in Southwick, Mass., when I was 11. I
suckered, strung and picked leaves.
Woke up at 5:30 every morning, the
bus picked us up at 6:15 and we
worked in the fields till 3 p.m. When I
came home, I was so dirty my mom
had to hose it off. Made about 40
bucks a week.
Talent I’d most like to have: Play the
piano. My wife Lynn excels at it.
Favorite meal: Eggplant Parmigiana
Favorite athlete to watch in another sport:
Tiger Woods
Favorite city to visit: Saint-Jean-Cap-
Ferrat in the south of France
Favorite team as a kid: Yankees
Favorite value in others: Being unselfish
Favorite physical attribute about myself:
My Italian profile
And least … My hands—too many
operations
My greatest love: My mom—92 years
old and never complains or asks for
anything for herself
My hero: My son Marc, who was
injured playing football at The Citadel
and is now a quadriplegic. He never
said, “Why me?”
My bucket list: 1. Fly into space and
orbit the Earth, 2. Find a cure for
paralysis, 3. Break 70 in golf
My motto: “Perseverance wins
success.” — G.K. Chesterton
— Jeff D’Alessio
DAILY SPORTS NEWSPAPER
CHAIRMAN & CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ray Shaw
PRESIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whitney Shaw
PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed Baker
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff D’Alessio
MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Kasko
CREATIVE DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keith Wood
VP, GENERAL MANAGER, ONLINE . . . . . Jeff Gerttula
VP, INTEGRATED MARKETING & SALES .Stuart Marvin
DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MEDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . Geoff Shaw
VP, MARKETING & SALES DEVELOPMENT . .Eric Karp
EDITORIAL OFFICES
120 West Morehead Street, Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-973-1550
1-800-443-1886
Letters to the editor:
yourturn@sportingnews.com
General feedback:
editors@sportingnews.com
National Digital Sales Managers
Joey Glowacki, 704-973-1856
jglowacki@sportingnews.com
Gary Strauss, 212-500-0672
gstrauss@sportingnews.com
ON NEWSSTANDS NOW
From Hank Aaron to Ernie Banks, Frank
Robinson to Al Kaline, all the stars have
something to say about Sporting News’
rankings of the 50 best players in baseball
today.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Overnight Report FHECEJ?ED

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona 5, Atlanta 2

No slip-ups on mound for Haren

Diamondbacks 5, Braves 2
PHOENIX—Dan Haren slipped and fell

HIGHEST
Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
after delivering a pitch in the eighth K.Johnson 2b 4 2 2 0 0 1 .250
Kotchman 1b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .278
inning. It was one of very few stumbles C.Jones 3b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .305
for the righthander all night. McCann c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .317
Haren outpitched Derek Lowe and
the Arizona Diamondbacks took advan-
tage of second baseman Kelly Johnson’s
G.Anderson lf
Francoeur rf
4 0 1 0
4 0 0 0
D.Hernandez ss 3 0 0 0
Schafer cf 3 0 0 0
0
0
0
0
1
2
2
2
.266
.247
.174
.205
PERFORMERS
error to score four times in the fourth
inning on their way to a 5-2 victory over
Atlanta on Thursday.
D.Lowe p
a-Norton ph
Campillo p
Totals
2 0 0 0
1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
33 2 7 2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
.211
.103
--- SWEEPSTAKES
Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
“He can control a game,” Diamond- R.Roberts 3b 4 0 2 1 0 0 .367
backs manager A.J. Hinch said of Ojeda 2b
J.Upton rf
4
4
0
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
.260
.346
Own a piece of baseball history! Enter for a chance to win one of
Haren. “It’s a sight to see when he com- S.Drew ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .211
petes. He executes pitches, he’s got a Reynolds 1b 4 1 2 2 0 1 .263 twenty 22x28 prints of the game’s legendary heroes taken by the greatest
Byrnes lf 4 2 2 1 0 0 .211
game plan. He doesn’t back down. He
thinks along with the hitters.”
C.Young cf
Snyder c
3
3
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
.169
.234
baseball photographer of all time, Charles M. Conlon.
Haren p 3 0 0 0 0 1 .182
Haren (4-4) retired 15 in a row before Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a two-out double by Johnson and RBI Totals 33 5 11 5 0 2
single by Casey Kotchman in the eighth Atlanta 001 000 010 — 2 7 1
From 1904 to 1942, Sporting News photographer, Charles M. Conlon,
inning. The last batter Haren faced was Arizona 010 400 00x — 5 11 0
Chipper Jones, who had doubled in a ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP
immortalized the sport’s greatest players and created some of baseball’s
a-grounded out for D.Lowe in the 8th. E: K.Johnson (3).
run earlier in the game. Jones struck out Arizona P Dan Haren struck out eight and gave LOB: Atlanta 4, Arizona 5. 2B: K.Johnson 2 (8), C.Jones
(8), Reynolds 2 (8). 3B: Byrnes (1). RBIs: Kotchman
most famous photographs. Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio,
looking. up two earned runs for his fourth victory. (24), C.Jones (17), R.Roberts (4), Reynolds 2 (29), Byrnes
“That was one of the best balls I threw (17), C.Young (10). SB: J.Upton (6). CS: Reynolds (3). SF: Ted Williams—these visually stunning, black and white photographs of
C.Young. Runners left in scoring position: Atlanta 2
all night,” Haren said. “He’s a tough guy earned, and a season-high 10 hits for
to strike out. He’s given me some trouble the Braves, who were swept in three
(Schafer, McCann); Arizona 4 (S.Drew 2, Ojeda, Byrnes).
DP: Atlanta 1 (D.Hernandez, K.Johnson, Kotchman);
baseball’s golden age are instantly recognized around the world.
Arizona 1 (Ojeda, S.Drew, Reynolds).
over the years. I knew I had to make a games in San Francisco before opening
perfect pitch and I knew it was probably a four-game set in Arizona. Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
D.Lowe L, 6-3 7 10 5 3 0 2 100 3.49
my last batter, too, so I dug in deep and “I pitched poorly pretty much the Campillo 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 4.15
made the pitch.” whole game,” Lowe said. “That was Arizona
Haren W, 4-4
IP
8
H
7
R ER BB SO NP ERA
2 2 0 8 113 2.54
ENTER TODAY!
He allowed two runs and seven hits pretty much a grind from the first pitch
in eight innings, striking out eight to all the way through. I was just fortunate
Qualls S, 12-14 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 3.43
sportingnews.com/mlb/draft/sweeps
Balk: D.Lowe. Umpires: Home, Phil Cuzzi; First, Tom
earn his first victory in four starts. to not give up any more runs.” Hallion; Second, Jerry Crawford; Third, Angel Campos. T:
“We hit the ball really good early in Chad Qualls pitched a perfect ninth, 2:20. A: 19,452 (48,652).
the game,” Atlanta manager Bobby Cox with some defensive help from second
This opportunity is brought to you by Gillette Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant. NO
said, “and later on Haren got really baseman Augie Ojeda and shortstop
PURCHASE NECESSARY. For complete rules and regulations, visit sportingnews.com/mlb/
tough. ... You can say ‘Well, we didn’t Stephen Drew, for his 12th save in 14 draft/sweeps. Starts 12:01 AM ET 05/01/2009 and ends 11:59 PM ET 06/30/2009 when
hit the ball tonight,’ but he was hard to opportunities. all entries must be received. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States/DC, 18
hit at. A lot of teams wouldn’t have hit Justin Upton singled three times for years of age or older as of the date of entry except employees of Sponsors, their immediate
him tonight at all.” the Diamondbacks to raise his average families, and those living in the same household. Void outside the 50 United States/DC and
Haren has not walked a batter in his to .346. The 21-year-old outfielder has where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. ARV of 20
last three outings. He’s walked nine all hit safely in seven straight games and prizes: $150 each. Sponsor: Sporting News, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10016 and
season, with 71 strikeouts. 30 of the last 33. Procter and Gamble Distributing, LLC, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Lowe (6-3) gave up five runs, three — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Next Gen: Recruiting / NBA Draft FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 6
RECRUITING DISH Q&A with ... G Gerald Henderson

Henderson ready to follow father’s footsteps

Orlando wide receiver Former Duke swingman Gerald Henderson came to Chicago

fond of Florida State

this week as part of the NBA draft combine. He chatted with
reporters, including the Sporting News Today’s Dave Curtis, and
touched on three key men in his life: a high school teammate, an
NBA coach and his father.
Florida State is clearly in the lead for one of the most
talented skill-position players in central Florida—Kenny
Shaw, a receiver out of Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.). Q: What are you feeling as the draft
nears?
“FSU, they’re No. 1 right now,” the 6-foot, 160-pound
Shaw told Sporting News Today. “I’m up to 22 (scholar-
ship) offers right now, and I’ll be deciding after my
A: There is pressure put on you to do well in
these workouts. It’s fun, though. I love the
game. I love competing.
senior season. I’ll be waiting until then.”
Florida and Miami (Fla.) have offered Shaw scholar-
ships, as have Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State Q: How would you describe your
relationship with Wayne Ellington?
and Tennessee.
Shaw put on a show during his team’s lightning-
shortened spring game this week, catching a 35-yard
A: Wayne is my best friend. I played with him
in high school (in Philadelphia). He had a
great career at North Carolina. We came out of high Bobcats, Clippers and Bulls.
GERRY BROOME / AP
Gerald Henderson says he has met with representatives of the

touchdown pass, while having another long scoring school in the same year, and now we’re going to the
reception called back by penalty. next level at the same time. It’s cool to have him in His kids actually go to my high school. That would be
“I would describe myself as electric,” Shaw told SN. this process by my side. a great place for me.
“I’m just a playmaker. (Colleges coaches) say they like
my ability to run after I catch the ball, my elusiveness
and my route-running ability. Those are some of the Q: Did you going to Duke and him to
Carolina, did that test your friendship Q: Who else have you met with?

things they look at; and I have pretty good hands too.”
Shaw caught 64 passes for 914 yards and 10 touchdowns
as a junior last fall. He shared the ball with Michigan com-
at all?

A: No. If anything, it just made it better because

it was the best situation in terms of distance
A: (Charlotte), Chicago and the Clippers.

mitment, WR Ricardo Miller—who is one of SN’s Top 100

players for the class of 2010. Miller has since told SN that
he’ll be transferring to Huron (Ann Arbor, Mich.) for his
BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN / SN
WR prospect Kenny Shaw says he has 22 scholarship offers.
for keeping a friendship. We’d play each other in
the Duke-Carolina game a couple times every year.
That’s a pretty important game, more than just in
Q: What would it mean to you to follow in
the footsteps of your father (former
NBA player Gerald Sr.)?
senior year. Shaw may see even more passes come his way
this fall without Miller (34 receptions, 615 yards, 8 TDs).
committed to Michigan, Rivals.com reported. The 6-3,
terms of winning championships. That’s bragging
rights. But we’re still really good friends. A: It’s a great thing to know what kind of career
he had and how much time he had to take out
to get me to this point. To finally be here, where I can
Silsbee (Texas) athlete Jeremy Johnson is planning to
head to West Virginia in 2010, Rivals.com reported.
225-pound weakside defensive end also reported schol-
arship offers from Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Virginia, Q: Do you see yourself as a shooting guard
in the NBA?
start my career and hopefully have a good one, is
really rewarding.
The 6-2, 175-pound player is a dual-threat quarterback
at the high school level, but is talented enough to play
several positions. He also reported scholarship offers
among others.
“The overall atmosphere of Ann Arbor is great and
it’s the tradition at Michigan,” Paskorz told Rivals.com.
A: Definitely. A lot of that depends on what
position you can guard. And I think I can
guard the two position really well. Offensively, I can Q: How much has he prepared you for the
NBA?
from Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Purdue, Vander-
bilt and nearby TCU.
“It’s kind of like a rebirth there—there are new coaches,
new facilities and I feel like I want to be a part of that.”
do a lot of things that they’re looking for in the NBA.
A: He’s given me some great advice. But it’s
really just about the work I have to put in to
“I’m proud to be a Mountaineer and I cannot wait to
play for them,” Johnson told Rivals.com. “I gave Coach Apollo (Owensboro, Ky.) DT Harris Bivin has commit- Q: Have you met with the Bobcats yet? be a good pro and to make it a career instead of just
a couple-year thing.
(Bill) Stewart my word. I’m not going to any camps.”
As a junior he threw for 1,675 yards and 17 touchdowns,
while rushing for 621 yards and nine touchdowns.
ted to Louisville, Rivals.com reported. The 6-3, 290-
pound defensive tackle also reported interest from
Missouri, Syracuse, Indiana and Kentucky, but the Car-
A: I have. Coach (Larry) Brown is a great guy. I’ve
known him since I was in middle school. One
of my best friends, Ryan Ayers, his dad, Randy Ayers, Q: What’s he doing now?

Hampton (Allison Park, Pa.) DE Jordan Paskorz has

dinals were the only team to offer a scholarship so far.
— Brian McLaughlin
was one of the assistants with him in Philadelphia. So
I’ve been going to their practices since I was in school. A: Golfing. A lot of golfing. Just sitting back
and enjoying himself.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Plenty of talk—but little sweat—at NBA draft combine
Sporting News Today’s Sean Deveney
provides news and notes from the NBA’s
predraft combine in Chicago:
Look out for PF DeJuan Blair. If
anyone made an impact on the first
day of the NBA’s combine, it was
Blair. That’s because, when he
stepped on the scale Thursday
morning for his official weigh-in,
he registered at 275, an astounding
40 pounds less than the 315 he says
he was at just four weeks ago, when
he began working out at IMG
Academy in Bradenton, Fla. In
fact, Blair said that when he worked
out for Phoenix just three earlier,
he was 289.
Forty pounds in a month? Four-
teen pounds in three days? “I called
my mom after the weigh-in,” Blair
said. “She said, ‘Did you cut your
leg off?’ ”
Said Bucks general manager John
Hammond: “He did look
impressive.”
This draft is thin on power for-
wards once you get past surefire
No. 1 pick Blake Griffin and Jordan Hill,
who is likely to go in the top seven.
Blair is one of the draft’s wild
cards, a player who could go in the
Top 10 or slip all the way to the
20s.
The two knocks on Blair—who
averaged 15.7 points and 12.3
rebounds this year at Pittsburgh—
have been his height and his
weight. But, thanks to some intense
badgering from his nutritionist
and a high-protein, low-carb diet,
weight no longer seems to be a
problem.
“I haven’t been this slim since
the 10th grade,” Blair said. “I blew
up, but now I am back down. I like
where I am. Trust me, I am not
going to blow up again.”
The issue that remains for Blair,
though, is height. He was mea-
sured, he said, at 6-6 1/2. But his
wingspan was measured at 7-2,
and he compares himself to, among
others, Utah’s Paul Millsap. When
asked which player was the best
rebounder in the draft, Blair did
not hesitate: “Me,” he said. “I really
believe I am.”
This is the first year that the
NBA has taken a combine-style
approach to the predraft period,
and it’s unclear whether the setup
will be a success. Players are not
competing in a 5-on-5 situation and,
really, aren’t in competitive situa-
tions at all. They’re simply being
measured, running drills and meet-
ing teams for interviews. “It’s
funny,” said G Jeff Teague, “because
you barely work up a sweat.”
Phoenix general manager Steve
Kerr said that, at least, the inter-
views are worthwhile. “You don’t
always get the opportunity to sit
down and talk with that many
guys in person,” Kerr said. “But
the drills, I don’t think there’s
much there of value. I can watch
these guys do pregame warmups
any time.”
Teague is one of the many
names that can be found scattered
all over the draft board, and
because of that, he doesn’t want to
do anything to damage his chances.
But he admits that, in the NBA’s
Eastern Conference finals, he’s
been pulling for the Magic. “I went
Next Gen: NBA Draft FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 7
DRAFT DISH 2009 draft order
1. L.A. Clippers
2. Memphis
3. Oklahoma City
4. Sacramento
5. Washington
6. Minnesota
to high school with (Magic guard) 7. Golden State
Courtney Lee, we were teammates, he 8. New York
9. Toronto
was a year older than me,” Teague 10. Milwaukee
said. “So, I’ve been for Orlando. 11. New Jersey
But don’t tell the Cavaliers that. I 12. Charlotte
13. Indiana
am not a Magic fan, I am a Court- 14. Phoenix
ney Lee fan.” 15. Detroit
16. Chicago
17. Philadelphia
Perhaps the key to the draft 18. Minnesota (from Miami)
19. Atlanta
lies with Memphis, picking No. 2, 20. Utah
and the Grizzlies have a couple of 21. New Orleans
22. Dallas
options. PG Ricky Rubio is first 23. Sacramento (from Houston)
among them, but the word in Chi- 24. Portland
cago is that C Hasheem Thabeet is 25. Oklahoma City (from San Antonio)
26. Chicago (from Denver through
more likely to go to Memphis. Oklahoma City)
That’s because one thing that coach 27. Memphis (from Orlando)
28. Minnesota (from Boston)
Lionel Hollins did after taking the 29. L.A. Lakers
reins of the team was to give the 30. Cleveland
ball to PG Mike Conley and let him Second Round
run the team. Conley responded 31. Sacramento
32. Washington
well, averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 33. Portland (from L.A. Clippers)
assists after the All-Star break. 34. Denver (from Oklahoma City)
Hollins wants to keep Conley on as 35. Detroit (from Minnesota)
36. Memphis
his point guard and address the 37. San Antonio (from Golden State
team’s defense—which is where a through Phoenix)
38. Portland (from New York through
7-3 shot-blocker like Thabeet can Chicago)
make a difference. 39. Detroit (from Toronto)
40. Charlotte (from New Jersey through
“I know, coming in, that my Oklahoma City)
offense is something that I need to 41. Milwaukee
42. L.A. Lakers (from Charlotte)
work on, my shooting and my post 43. Miami (from Indiana)
game,” Thabeet said. “But, my 44. Detroit
defense, I think because of that I 45. Minnesota (from Philadelphia
through Miami)
am ready to play right now.” 46. Cleveland (from Chicago)
47. Minnesota (from Miami)
48. Phoenix
Barring a trade, PF Jordan Hill 49. Atlanta
won’t be around when Milwaukee 50. Utah
51. San Antonio (from New Orleans
drafts at No. 10. But the Bucks were SKIP PETERSON / AP through Toronto)
one of the teams he met with in the 52. Indiana (from Dallas)
DeJuan Blair, left, has impressed NBA teams by dropping 40 pounds in four weeks. 53. San Antonio (from Houston)
first round of interviews. The oth- 54. Charlotte (from San Antonio)
ers were the Clippers, the Grizzlies wind up,” Hill said. “So, it can’t 18-year-old PG Jrue Holiday, who is 55. Portland (from Denver)
and the Warriors. It’s believed that hurt to go and meet with as many listed at 6-3 but is growing. In fact, 56. Portland
57. Phoenix (from Orlando through
if Hill is still on the board when people as I can.” when he was measured on Thurs- Oklahoma City)
Golden State picks at No. 7, the day, he came in at 6-4 with shoes. 58. Boston
59. L.A. Lakers
Warriors will take him. “Honestly, One guy who did pretty well “I feel that my size is an advantage,” 60. Miami (from Cleveland)
I have no idea where I’m going to in the measurements category was he said.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Of all things, women’s golf team ignites Calipari firestorm
The letter that arrived back in
January to University of Memphis
president Shirley Raines’ office
stated up front she had some serious
issues in her athletic department.
The words “major violations” are
right there, like a Category 5 hurri-
cane warning to a
person leaving in a
beachfront home.
And then, for six
and a half pages,
the “notice of alle-
gations” goes on
about women’s
Mike DeCourcy golf.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL A show of
hands: How many
knew Memphis even had a women’s
golf team? Who figured there could
be anything major about it?
There are some substantial charges
against the women’s golf program,
which is how new Kentucky coach
John Calipari came to find himself in
the headlines. His name appears
nowhere in the report, but two allega-
tions regarding the Tigers basketball
program he once coached have been
extrapolated to “major” because they
were stuffed under the same umbrella
as the golf case.
Under ordinary circumstances,
the issues involving the basketball
team would be disposed of fairly
simply. The accusation that a player,
reportedly star point guard Derrick
Rose, did not take his own SAT is a
huge deal. There’s not much worse
than academic fraud. But this cus-
tomarily would not constitute a
major violation against the program
because no Memphis staff member
is alleged to have facilitated it or
known about it.
A charge that a family member of a
player received free travel, reportedly
College Basketball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 8
Rose’s brother Reggie, would be dis-
posed of with a check to reimburse the
university for its expense.
It’s not so neat and quiet now. The
charges are a big deal in Memphis,
Kentucky and in places where people
have some interest in Kentucky bas-
ketball, which is more or less every-
where. The semantics and
technicalities of why the basketball
charges are considered to be major
won’t really matter.
No one will want to hear Memphis
is not in the habit of letting people fly
free on its team charters. Some of its
most generous boosters—people who
have given upward of a half-million
dollars to the athletic department—
have hopped on board when conve-
nient. They always were charged at
the end. The person who allegedly
received free trips paid for some, also.
The gentleman who handles the team’s
travel is one of the most thorough,
meticulous people you will encounter.
If Memphis wasn’t fully reimbursed,
it’s not because the traveler did not
receive a bill.
The university apparently feels
good about its response to the
charges. There has been speculation
that if a player cheated on his SAT
and rendered himself ineligible that
the Tigers’ NCAA-record 38 victo-
ries and 2008 Final Four appear-
ance could be vacated. However, if JAMES CRISP / AP
it’s not proven Memphis had reason It’s possible that the Tigers’ 2008 Final Four appearance could be vacated because of alleged academic fraud, and that would hurt coach John Calipari’s name in the record book.
to know the player was ineligible—
indeed, the NCAA clearinghouse surrender of the Final Four as a chusetts team already have an aster- The only good news for Calipari in though. Memphis has some serious
had certified the eligibility of that solution. isk attached. all this is the NCAA pretty much allegations to defend in women’s
season’s freshmen—it would be hard That would hurt the players who That came as the result of star cen- turned over the tables in the Tigers golf, but no one really noticed those
to justify that action. The coaches competed and the fans who followed ter Marcus Camby’s admission he basketball program once it entered issues existed. The NCAA justice
were told the kid could play, so they the team, but they know what they received payment from a prospective the door to check on women’s golf. If system is a complicated apparatus
played him. accomplished. It’s Calipari who has agent. If Calipari were to have two this is all there was to find, the bas- that sometimes defies easy explana-
This is not to say that in trying to the most to lose if 2008 were to be Final Fours wiped away, his reputa- ketball program was being run rea- tion. It’s not so tough to figure out
make this all go away, the University stricken from the record because the tion would absorb the most punish- sonably well. who is a star and who is not.
of Memphis might not offer the accomplishments of his 1996 Massa- ing blow to date. It won’t play like that publicly, decourcy@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Memphis athletic director defends program against allegations
Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson
defended the men’s basketball program
Thursday, saying the school checks out all
potential players.
He would not confirm that Derrick Rose,
who led Memphis to the 2008 national title
game, is at the center of an NCAA investiga-
tion of major violations during that season.
In a letter to the school, the NCAA says an
unknown person took the SAT for a player,
with his knowledge, and then the player used
that test to get into Memphis. The NCAA said
the athlete in question played for the Tigers in
the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA
Tournament. The only person who played
just that season was Rose, who now plays for
the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
“We wouldn’t play anybody if we hadn’t
checked it out pretty thoroughly,” Johnson
told The Associated Press.
Johnson would not identify the player
involved for privacy reasons. But he said the
player is cooperating with Memphis’ investi-
gation into the allegations.
“Nobody has thrown up any road blocks,”
Johnson said. “We’re trying to get it resolved
and do it the right way.”
The NCAA has asked Memphis to provide
copies of the SAT and a Sept. 2, 2008, report
by a forensic document examiner who stud-
ied the handwriting in the SAT.
Rose’s attorney, Daneil E. Reidy, said in a
statement Thursday that the No. 1 pick in the
2008 NBA draft and this season’s rookie of
the year was aware of the allegations.
“Mr. Rose cooperated fully with the Uni-
versity of Memphis’ athletic and legal depart-
ments’ investigation of this issue when he
was a student, and that investigation uncov-
ered no wrongdoing on his part,” Reidy said.
WEEKDAYS 1–4PM ET
College Basketball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 9
“At this time, Mr. Rose sees no reason to
engage in further discussion regarding this
matter and will instead focus on his career as
a professional basketball player.
“Neither Mr. Rose nor I will have further
comment.”
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday
that someone with access to Rose’s academic
records at Simeon High School changed a D
to a C on his transcript. The newspaper
reported that Rose was one of four athletes at
the school whose grades were boosted for a
one-month period after their June 2007
graduation and then changed back after the
bogus transcripts were sent to colleges.
Memphis was notified Jan. 16 of the poten-
tially major violations in the men’s basketball
program and will appear June 6 in Indianap-
olis before the NCAA committee on infrac-
tions for a hearing. Johnson declined to
provide any details on what Memphis has
found in its investigation prior to the
hearing.
“We’ve been working on this for some time
and continue to get our final presentation
finalized and make sure we dotted all the Is
and crossed all the Ts,” Johnson said.
The alleged violations occurred under John
Calipari, who left March 31 to take over at
Kentucky. Calipari, who is cooperating with
the investigation, was told by the NCAA in a
letter that he was not at risk of being charged
with any violations in the case.
Kentucky president Lee Todd reiterated in
a statement Thursday that his university was
aware of the inquiry while interviewing
Calipari.
“We are confident that Coach Calipari was
not involved in any way,” Todd said. SUE OGROCKI / AP
— The Associated Press Former Tiger Derrick Rose is thought to be the player who had another person take his SAT and then used that score to get into the university.
Listen on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 127, online at SportingNews.com
or check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
INSIDE DISH
Blame game continues as Kentucky sues Gillispie
Kentucky has sued Billy Gillispie the day after the Wild-
cats’ former basketball coach filed suit against the school
claiming breach of contract.
The university’s suit was filed Thursday in Franklin
Circuit Court in Kentucky, which the school contends is
the proper venue for any litigation involving the coach’s
former employment. Gillispie filed his claim on Wednes-
day in Dallas, asking for at least $6 million in pay, punitive
damages, attorneys’ fees and court costs.
Gillispie never signed a formal contract but was
working under a memorandum of understanding when
he was fired after last season.
The two sides are clashing over whether a buyout
clause in that memorandum is binding. It would require
the school to pay him $1.5 million for four of five years
left on his contract.
USC coach Tim Floyd continues his silence regarding
the NCAA investigation into allegations that thousands
of dollars in cash and gifts were given to former player O.J.
Mayo, including claims that Floyd delivered cash to one of
Mayo’s handlers.
Floyd and USC football coach Pete Carroll were asked
at a booster function this week whether USC will ever
get out of “this cloud of the NCAA,” according to the
Los Angeles Times.
Carroll said it was the price “for being on top.” Floyd
did not answer.
He later refused to answer questions from the Los
Angeles Times on the topic. He did, however, talk about
how the NBA draft again robbed his roster of its stars.
“One morning in March, one of our graduate assistants
pulled up three articles that had us ranked fourth, fifth
and sixth in early polls for next season,” Floyd said. “By 1
p.m., DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett all declared
for the NBA.”
Louisiana-Monroe has named Jimmy Voight as asso-
ciate head coach. Coach Orlando Early says Voight’s hir-
ing still needs approval from the school’s Board of
Supervisors. If approved, Voight would replace Gus
Hauser, who joined the staff at Coastal Carolina.
Early says Voight brings with him 28 years of head
coaching experience and more than 400 career victo-
ries, including a 260-139 record at the junior college
level.
College Basketball
RICK BOWMER / AP
USC coach Tim Floyd is mum about an NCAA probe of the university.
Creighton coach Dana Altman said Cavel Witter might
return to the Bluejays’ next season, the Omaha World-
Herald reported.
Witter planned to leave Creighton after two seasons,
missing offseason conditioning workouts in April and
early May, according to the newspaper.
“Nothing is etched in stone,” Altman told the World-
Herald. “Situations do change for individuals, and I’ve
had some conversations with Cavel about his possible
return. We’ll just have to see where it goes from here.”
Witter played in 68 games the past two seasons, aver-
aging 9.1 points as a sophomore and 7.7 points as a junior.
Wake Forest officially added Tulsa assistant Dave
Wojcik to its coaching staff, the school announced Thurs-
day. Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik, Dave’s brother, previously
said his brother intended to leave for the ACC school.
The Demon Deacons’ staff also added former player
Rusty LaRue earlier this offseason.
Louisiana Tech coach Kerry Rupp has added former
UAB assistant coach Dusty May to his staff. May, 32,
served the past two years at UAB.
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 10
One-handed player gets chance,
scholarship from Manhattan
NEW YORK— Kevin Laue knows what would happen if
a college basketball team took a chance on him and he
didn’t pan out. Fans would wonder what the coach
was thinking in using a scholarship on a center miss-
ing his left hand.
“It’s a business,” the 6-10 Laue said. “Their jobs
are all on the line. It’s much safer to take a two-
handed guy my size that got beat by me.”
But Manhattan College’s Barry Rohrssen figures
coaches take chances all the time. He’d rather take
one on Laue, whose left arm ends just past the elbow.
So last week, the Division I school signed the center,
and Rohrssen is confident his work ethic will rub
off on other players.
“We take chances on kids who have poor aca-
demic histories, who have disciplinary problems
both on the court and off the court,” Rohrssen said.
“We give opportunities to players who don’t appre-
ciate them, who take them for granted. For all the
right reasons, Kevin deserves this chance, and he
should make the most of this opportunity.”
A native of Northern California, Laue played a post-
graduate season for Fork Union Military Academy in
Virginia this year, hoping to impress college recruit-
ers. Coach Fletcher Arritt said Laue averaged about 10
points and five rebounds, competing against many
Division I prospects.
When Laue was born, the circulation in his left COURTESY OF FORK UNION MILITARY ACADEMY
arm was cut off by the umbilical cord. He uses his Kevin Laue averaged about 10 points for Fork Union Military Academy.
upper arm to help receive passes, and his large right
hand allows him to easily palm the ball. work ethic.”
“He can run as well as anybody,” Arritt said. “He Manhattan contacted Laue just over a week ago.
can jump as well as anybody. You don’t need two He signed with the team Wednesday.
hands to block shots around the basket.” “He possess certain skills as a basketball player
As the weeks went by, Laue was starting to wonder that are very good,” Rohrssen said, “and he demon-
whether he would ever realize his dream of playing strates qualities that will make him successful off
Division I basketball. He said Wofford and Colgate the court in terms of in the locker room, on campus
expressed interest but neither had an available scholar- and in the classroom.”
ship. Rohrssen had been aware of Laue before he Baseball’s Jim Abbott, born without a right hand,
enrolled at Fork Union. The coach needed to recruit forged a successful major league pitching career.
size with the graduation of the Jaspers’ starting center, Basketball, though, demands far more actions
but what really worried him after wrapping up offsea- requiring both hands than pitching.
son workouts this month was his returning players. “I’m a risk. Coach Rohrssen was willing to take
“Some coaches may say, ‘We need a shooter,’ ” he it,” Laue said. “He has no reason to worry.”
said. “My feeling was our team needed a stronger — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Q&A with ... LSU coach Les Miles
‘I can’t imagine that won’t be an exciting day in Baton Rouge’
Les Miles has won 42 games, an SEC title and
national championship in four seasons at LSU. He
quickly has become one of the league’s high-profile
coaches with his daring game acumen and strong
opinions. Sporting News Today’s Matt Hayes caught
up with Miles at the SEC spring meetings:
Q: The American Football
Coaches Association has
announced the coaches’ poll ballots
will be secret again starting in 2010.
Good or bad for the game?
A: I don’t think it’s going to affect how
people vote. There was enough
protest by guys not accepting the responsi-
bility, based on the fear that it might make
it bulletin board material. I understand it.
It’s important that the membership take
responsibility to do that job, and to the
best of their ability. I understand the
reasons we’re doing it, and they’re valid.
But it does kind of seem a little sneaky
peek; like, ‘We’ll get this done sideways.’ One
year I saw (Ohio State coach) Jim Tressel not
vote. It’s a responsibility to do that job at
whatever risk or cost there might be to their
view and their school’s view. You have to do
it. The idea that it has become a secret ballot
yet again, I don’t think it changes much. You
will eventually be on the other end of the vote
one day, so you best do the right thing.
Q: You have a new defensive
coordinator in former
Tennessee assistant John Chavis.
How was the transition this spring?
A: I like our defense. Occasionally, a
coaching change can be good. At
times, there’s a new straw that stirs the
drink and it’s a good thing.
Q: How different could last year
have been if you hadn’t kicked
starter Ryan Perrilloux off the team
before the season?
LSU coach Les Miles, center, and the Tigers host the defending national champion Gators in Baton Rouge on Oct. 10, and Miles knows Tiger Stadium should be rocking.
A: I can’t afford to think about that. I
just can’t. So I have to answer that
two ways. No. 1, (dismissing Perrilloux) was
the only way we could’ve gone; there was no
other way. No. 2, if we had a veteran quarter-
back that was ready to perform at a higher
level, do we win, what, three more games? I
don’t know. It’s really interesting to say.
I still think we were this close to winning at
least two more—at least two more. We were
(trailing) 21-27 at one point with Florida in
the second half, and we had a couple of bad
plays and it got out of hand. The third play of
the game, it’s third-and-12, they get a tipped
College Football
ball for a long touchdown. You’re thinking,
‘Hmm, this may not be your day.’ If he picks
that off and goes the other way, we’re setting
fire to their hair, you know?
Q: Jordan Jefferson is your
starting quarterback, but could
freshman Russell Shepard earn some
playing time this fall?
A: Jordan played very well this spring,
and preparing away from the field
will be very big for him this summer. As
for Russell, the first thing this spring, I
wanted to see if he was capable of playing
DAVID QUINN / AP
quarterback. He can. He has a lot of talent,
and I want to see him play quarterback—
however we use him.
Q: Could he be used in a Wild Hog
formation?
A: He’ll be a Wild Hog, Wild Tiger,
whatever you want to call him. I
have to play him somewhere. He’s awfully
good. It will be interesting to see how it
plays out. I wouldn’t want to commit to a
certain number of series every game. At
least not yet. He’ll have to buy into it, the
team will have to buy into it. It will be an
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 11
interesting transition.
Q: Does it seem like everyone is
almost giving in to Florida this
fall, that it’s the Gators and 11 others
in the SEC?
A: I don’t think anyone in this league
is giving in. I guarantee we look
forward to playing them. But it’s recogni-
tion—they all return except for Percy
(Harvin), and anytime you have a quarter-
back (Tim Tebow) that has the experience
he has, you’re in every game. I don’t think
there’s any question they’re talented and
capable, but I can’t imagine that won’t be
an exciting day in Baton Rouge.
Q: What was your transition like
four years ago, coming from
the Big 12 to the SEC? Were you
surprised by anything in the SEC?
A: You line up against great teams
every week. There’s no portion of
the conference that’s so far away from
being good enough that they couldn’t beat
you if you don’t play well enough. It’s so
competitive. I did instinctively feel that
coming from Oklahoma State because we
played Ole Miss when I was there. So I
kind of knew what I was getting into. I
guess I never felt like the Big 12 season was
as long. But maybe when I was in the Big
12, I wouldn’t have said that! I’m sure there
are probably guys in the Big Ten right now
also saying, ‘Are you kidding me?’
Q: Back to Oklahoma State, are
you proud of what has
happened there since you left?
A: It’s terrific. T. Boone Pickens came
alongside a great school and has
donated a lifetime of opportunity. Geor-
gia’s going to have a helluva time there (in
Week 1), you know what I mean? Man,
have a nice day. Whew!
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Top 100 countdown
Sporting News Today is counting down its
Top 100 college football teams for 2009,
featuring one team each day leading into
the season opener Thursday, Sept. 3.
98
COURTESY OF ULM ATHLETICS
Aaron Morgan made the Sun Belt
all-conference second team last season.
LOUISIANA-
MONROE
2008 record: 4-8 overall, 3-4 Sun
Belt
Coach: Charlie Weatherbie
Outlook: Junior Trey Revell likely
will fill in for the departed Kins-
mon Lancaster at QB, and he better
be stockpiling ice packs and heat-
ing pads now. The Warhawks’
O-line allowed 31 sacks last year.
Defensively, Louisiana-Monroe
should be solid with seven starters
returning, including defensive end
Aaron Morgan (six sacks, 13 tack-
les for loss in 2008).
— Derek Samson
College Football
INSIDE DISH
Taking Tim Tebow, above, out of his comfort zone is one way to stop Florida, Houston Nutt says.
Nutt knows pressure’s
key to beating Gators
It’s not like Houston Nutt was giv-
ing away secrets. He was asked
the question and he answered.
How do you beat Florida?
Nutt’s Ole Miss team was the
only one to beat the Gators last
season—by a point in Gainesville.
“It starts on the defensive line,”
Nutt said. “You’ve got to get pres-
sure on not only the quarterback,
but their run game. You have to take
them out of their comfort zone.”
Nutt said Ole Miss had some
tangible goals against the Gators,
such as limiting them to eight or
nine big plays instead of their
usual 15-plus. And he wanted to
run the ball to slow the tempo,
among other things.
All that came down to one play in
the waning seconds, when the Reb-
els stopped QB Tim Tebow on a fourth-
and-short run to win the game.
“I was scared to death of the jump
pass,” Nutt said. “We were talking
on the sidelines before the fourth-
down play, and I told (defensive
N?8KK@D<@J@K66
>8D<;8P
JOHN RAOUX / AP
tackle) Peria (Jerry) that he had to stop
the run. Then I said, ‘Don’t forget
about the jump pass, too.’
“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach,
I can’t stop both.’ So we went after
the run, and we chose right.”
— Matt Hayes
Normally, coaches try to
downplay their talent by pointing
out a lack of seniors on the roster.
Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who
has both ample talent and a lack
:FCC<><=FFK98CC =8EK8JP=FFK98CC GIF=FFK98CC
of seniors at key positions, doesn’t ON SALE 6/2/09 ON SALE 6/9/09 ON SALE 6/23/09
fall into that category.
“Everybody worries about expe-
rience,” Sumlin told the Houston
Chronicle. “You play the best players
you have. Experience is one thing.
But a 4.7 (in the 40-yard dash) expe-
rienced guy is not necessarily better
than a 4.4 inexperienced guy.”
Norman McNabb, a decorated ($/''$*/'$.+'+
Marine who helped establish Okla- www.sportingnews.com or www.streetandsmiths.com
homa as a football power, died at SHIPPING: + $3.50 for the first magazine + 50¢ each additional magazine
age 85, The Oklahoman reported.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NBA FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 13
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Cleveland 112, Orlando 102

James, Cavs not ready to pack it in
CLEVELAND—The message was quickly scrib- Hedo Turkoglu scored 29 for Orlando, and
bled on the dry-erase board in Cleveland’s Dwight Howard had 24 points and 10
locker room. It said little and said it all: 1:00 rebounds before fouling out with 2:22
Series glance
AM FLY. remaining while trying to stop James on a (Orlando leads series 3-2)
The Cavaliers are heading back to Florida, drive. May 20: Orlando 107, Cleveland 106
their wondrous season still alive. Not even Superman was denying James. May 22: Cleveland 96, Orlando 95
LeBron James wouldn’t let it end. “I was attacking anyone in the way, no May 24: Orlando 99, Cleveland 89
James, showing off every dimension of his matter who it was,” James said. “There’s May 26: Orlando 116,
unstoppable game, had 37 points, 14 rebounds always a sense of urgency when you are on Cleveland 114, OT
and 12 assists, and Mo Williams, who boldly the brink of elimination.” Thursday: Cleveland 112, Orlando 102
predicted the Cavs would come back and win And this time James got plenty of help. Saturday: Cleveland at Orlando,
this tight-as-can-be series, added 24 points in Williams, his trusty sidekick all season but a 8:30 p.m.
a 112-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in near no-show in this series, made six 3-point- Monday: Orlando at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m., if
Game 5 on Thursday night. ers. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 16 points, necessary
“It was win or go home,” James said. Delonte West 13 and Gibson made two huge
Instead, it’s back to amped-up Amway 3-pointers in the fourth quarter—both on
Arena for Game 6 on Saturday night. assists from James. Orlando 18 37 24 23 — 102
Cleveland 35 21 22 34 — 112
You expected anything else? “He got his teammates involved and then
The Magic overcame a 22-point deficit but took over,” Orlando’s Mickael Pietrus said. ORLANDO Min FG FT Reb A PF PTS
Turkoglu 42:41 10-18 7-9 1-6 2 4 29
missed their first opportunity to close out the “That’s what great players do.” Lewis 40:44 4-13 6-9 0-8 1 3 15
Cavaliers, who are trying to become just the The Magic have twice ended series on the Howard 37:02 8-10 8-13 3-10 2 6 24
Alston 28:17 1-10 0-0 1-2 4 4 3
ninth team since 1947 to rally and win a road this postseason, winning a Game 6 in Lee 35:03 3-5 2-3 0-1 1 2 9
series after being down 3-1. Orlando will Philadelphia and a Game 7 in Boston. Pietrus 23:06 4-6 2-3 0-2 0 4 13
Johnson 18:30 2-6 2-2 0-2 2 1 6
have two more tries to reach the NBA finals For a while it looked like Orlando might do Gortat 10:58 0-1 1-2 1-4 0 3 1
for the first time since 1995. it again, taking a 79-78 lead into the fourth Battie 3:39 1-3 0-0 2-3 0 0 2
Totals 240:00 33-72 28-41 8-38 12 27 102
“They deserved to get this one,” Magic quarter.
coach Stan Van Gundy said of the Cavs. “As James, though, had other plans. Percentages: FG .458, FT .683. 3-Point Goals: 8-25, .320 (Pietrus 3-5, Turkoglu
2-5, Lee 1-2, Lewis 1-5, Alston 1-7, Johnson 0-1). Team Rebounds: 11. Team
poorly as I thought we played, we still were He picked up his first assist of the period Turnovers: 12 (18 PTS). Blocked Shots: 4 (Gortat 2, Howard, Lewis). Turnovers:
there with chances to win and didn’t get it on 3-pointer by Williams and his second on a 11 (Alston 3, Howard 3, Lee 2, Turkoglu 2, Lewis). Steals: 11 (Lewis 4, Lee 3, Turko-
glu 2, Alston, Howard). Technical Fouls: Coach Van Gundy, 6:04 second.
done. We have to get ready to go on 3 by Gibson. Cleveland then turned to its
Saturday.” superstar every time on offense, spreading CLEVELAND Min FG FT Reb A PF PTS
James 45:30 11-24 15-19 3-14 12 3 37
For Cleveland, a city banking on James to the floor and forcing the Magic to defend Varejao 28:47 3-6 1-2 3-8 2 6 7
deliver a championship after a 45-year him. If he wasn’t backing down the lane, he Ilgauskas 26:41 6-8 4-5 0-6 1 6 16
MWilliams 41:38 7-14 4-5 0-1 2 3 24
drought, the MVP was again in a league of was getting to the line or setting his team- West 41:28 6-13 1-1 0-2 3 2 13
his own. mates up from the perimeter. Gibson 21:38 3-5 2-2 0-1 1 2 11
Wallace 16:18 0-2 0-0 2-5 0 1 0
“His intensity and his passion are out of James also had four rebounds and four Szczerbiak 13:34 1-3 0-0 0-2 0 2 2
this world,” Cavs guard Daniel Gibson said. assists in the final quarter. Pavlovic 0:58 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Smith 3:25 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
“We will follow him. When he gets it going, “The game is basically all LeBron, all the Kinsey 0:02 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
there is nothing you can do.” time,” Van Gundy said. “If he gets in the Totals 239:59 38-76 27-34 8-39 21 25 112
James scored 21 points in the second half— paint, it’s automatically a foul. One of the Percentages: FG .500, FT .794. 3-Point Goals: 9-18, .500 (M.Williams 6-9,
17 in the fourth quarter—and had a hand in things we have to do, we can’t keep putting Gibson 3-4, Szczerbiak 0-1, James 0-2, West 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Team
Turnovers: 12 (21 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Varejao 2, Gibson, Ilgauskas, James,
Cleveland’s first 29 points in the final 12 min- him on the line 20 times a game. We have to West). Turnovers: 12 (James 4, West 4, Varejao 2, Gibson, M.Williams). Steals: 4
AMY SANCETTA / AP utes. The last player to post at least 37-14-12 in find a way to stop that.” (M.Williams 2, James, West). Technical Fouls: Szczerbiak, 11:37 second.
LeBron James made sure the Cavaliers would make a return trip to Orlando after his fourth career playoff triple-double. a playoff game was Oscar Robertson in 1963. — The Associated Press A: 20,562 (20,562). T: 2:55. Officials: Dan Crawford, Bill Spooner, Marc Davis.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NBA FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 14
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

With so much on line, Karl won’t rein in his Nuggets now

DENVER—To make the NBA Finals
for the first time—and bring their
tattoos, athleticism and exuberance
to the biggest stage of all—the
upstart Denver Nuggets must win
two games in a 48-hour span
against a savvy Los Angeles Lakers
team that is shooting for its 30th
Finals appearance.
Oh, and L.A. hasn’t lost back-to-
back games since March.
The Nuggets might very well be
the better team in the Western Con-
ference finals, with a deeper bench,
more muscle and better health than
the tired, injured and often dis-
jointed Lakers. But they also tend to
implode at the worst times.
There’s the taunting after big
shots, the complaining after calls
and the botched inbounds passes
that cost them Games 1 and 3 and a
chance at brooming the Lakers
right out of the playoffs.
Now, they’re one loss away from
summer vacation.
“For most of the series, we out-
played them for most stretches of
the game,” Chauncey Billups said.
“We just couldn’t get over the hump
in the fourth quarter in a few differ-
ent situations.”
Nor can they get out of their own
way at times.
Denver has committed 11 techni-
cal fouls in this series and defensive
stud Dahntay Jones is one more fla-
grant-1 foul away from a
suspension.
Coach George Karl said he won’t
rein in his players for Game 6
tonight in Denver, however.
“You guys are almost saying
you’ve got to have savvy and poise
to be a championship team,” Karl
Nene and the Nuggets have done plenty of complaining and taunting while drawing 11 technical fouls in the series with the Lakers.
told reporters Thursday. “I mean,
you think the Detroit Pistons have
the poise that the San Antonio
Spurs have? No, I mean there’s a
different way of handling emo-
tional, passionate, intense players.
We have some guys who are emo-
tional. Maybe a little too emotional.
But for me, I’m not going to tell them
to stop that because I think that
stops them from becoming a
competitor.
“Right now, we’re competing on
the best stage on a pretty good level.
I think the Lakers know we’re
there.”
The Lakers have plenty of their
own problems, inconsistency
among them, but in Game 5, they
showed they’re not always so soft in
the middle and they don’t have to be
a one-man band, either.
The Lakers finally discovered
ways to get more balanced play,
especially from their bigs.
“That’s what the conversation
has been about this entire postsea-
son, our team, our potential and our
capabilities,” Derek Fisher said.
“But how do we, as a group, open
CHRIS CARLSON / AP
that space to be what we can be? ...
It’s possible something clicked for
us as a group last night against this
team.
“We may have found some things
we can do that allows us to attack
them from everywhere. We feel we
can’t be beat when everybody’s get-
ting a chance to play.”
Kobe Bryant lured double cover-
age then passed to his teammates
with Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol
doing the damage inside in the
fourth quarter as the Lakers capped
a 23-5 run and cruised to a 103-94
win Wednesday night. Career playoff points
“We’ve had stretches where we’ve
played excellent defense,” Bryant Player Pts.
said, “but the competition we’re 1. Michael Jordan 5,987
facing with this Denver Nuggets
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 5,762
team is unlike anything we’ve ever
seen. They have so many scorers, 3. x-Shaquille O’Neal 5,121
they have an inside presence. So ... 4. Karl Malone 4,761
I’m very proud of how we per- 5. Jerry West 4,457
formed in that stretch.”
6. x-Kobe Bryant 4,184
Odom’s 19 points and 14 rebounds
were certainly the biggest reasons 7. Larry Bird 3,897
the Lakers reversed their disparity 8. John Havlicek 3,776
in points in the paint and grabs off 9. Hakeem Olajuwon 3,755
the glass from Game 4.
10. x-Tim Duncan 3,724
Karl thinks Lakers coach Phil
Jackson’s rant helped, too. 11. Magic Johnson 3,701
Although it drew $50,000 in 12. Scottie Pippen 3,642
fines, Jackson’s complaints about 13. Elgin Baylor 3,623
the officiating in Denver paid off in 14. Wilt Chamberlain 3,607
the Lakers’ 16-7 advantage at the
line in the fourth quarter, Karl x-active
suggested.
So, Karl took his own crack at the
crew, suggesting Nene fouled out
thanks to three or four phantom Today’s game
fouls and questioning how Gasol (Best-of-7)
(one foul) could have played such a L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m.,
clean but active game. ET, ESPN
(Lakers lead series 3-2)
On Thursday Karl insisted he
wasn’t blaming the officials for Betting line
Denver’s demise, but he took Today
another shot at them when saying FAVORITE ..........LINE ........O/U........UNDERDOG
some of his younger players were at Denver..................... 5........(209)..........L.A. Lakers
letting the officiating get under
their collective skin.
“We’re hoping and we believe to control it.”
that the officiating won’t be a prob- Bryant has been blunt about the
lem,” Karl said. “When you’re get- Lakers’ fatigue factor in this series,
ting hit in the back of the head, and he and Gasol each played 45
knocked on your (backside), you’re minutes in Game 5. But Bryant said
human beings; you react to people he’s fine, suggesting he’ll “get plenty
of authority. The referees are the of rest when I’m on a beach in
ones that have the authority and Cabo.”
control the game the way they want — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Jackson’s mind games bothering Nuggets, who respond
Lakers coach Phil Jackson was fined $25,000
for criticizing the referees after Game 4 on
Monday—but was it worth the price? When
asked by reporters whether his tirade was
done to plant a seed in the minds of referees
for Wednesday’s Game 5—a game in which
the Lakers won, and had a small advantage in
free throws attempted (35-30)—Jackson
replied, “I’m a gardener.”
The Nuggets, as you’d expect, weren’t
pleased. “The Lakers paid $50,000 to win
that game. They got their money’s worth,” a
Denver player, not wanting to be identified,
told The Denver Post. The $50,000 was in ref-
erence to the fine Jackson and the Lakers
organization received.
Heading into today’s game, Nuggets coach
George Karl planted his own seed. After
Wednesday’s loss he told reporters he thought
the Lakers “got the benefit of the whistle” and
that SF Carmelo Anthony “got beat up.”
In addition to meeting with players
heading into the NBA draft, league general
managers have plenty of other items on their
agendas at this week’s combine in Chicago.
For example, Raptors president and general
manager Bryan Colangelo is scheduled to meet
with a half-dozen agents, including Henry
Thomas, who represents PF Chris Bosh and SG
Anthony Parker. Although Bosh is eligible for a
contract extension this summer and Parker
is a free agent, Colangelo told The Globe and
Mail that the talks were preliminary.
“It’s very routine,” Colangelo said. “It’s not
like I’m going to be coming out of the week-
end with plans to trade (Bosh) or start draw-
ing up an agreement for a contract extension.
It’s early in the process.”
The agent for former Hornets G Jannero
Pargo, a free agent, continues to speak with
the team about a possible return, The Times-
Picayune of New Orleans reported. “I think
you could say there’s mutual interest. That’s
INSIDE DISH
The Nuggets feel Lakers coach Phil Jackson got his money’s worth in Wednesday’s Game 5 victory.
fair to say,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. Pargo
signed a one-year deal worth $3.8 million
with Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Super
League last summer.
Dwane Casey isn’t the only person the 76ers
had a second interview with in regards to
their head coaching position. The Philadelphia
Daily News reported that the team also has
already interviewed former Wizards coach
NBA
JACK DEMPSEY / AP
Eddie Jordan a second time. Both the Daily News
and Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the
76ers hope to talk to former coaches and cur-
rent TV commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Doug
Collins.
Mavericks G J.J. Barea had successful sur-
gery to repair cartilage damage in his left
shoulder. The team said a timetable for his
return has not been set.
Trail Blazers PG Steve Blake will have
arthroscopic shoulder surgery today. Blake
separated his shoulder during a Blazers’ game
at Philadelphia on Jan. 14. At first he missed
the next five games, but then he reaggravated
the injury against the Clippers on Jan. 26 and
missed eight additional games.
Violet Palmer will become coordinator of
women’s basketball officials for the West Coast
Conference and continue to officiate in the
NBA, where she has worked for 12 seasons.
The NBA’s TV success continues dur-
ing the playoffs. TNT drew 10.1 million
viewers for Tuesday’s Cavaliers-Magic
Game 4, marking the most-viewed NBA
postseason game in cable TV history, as well
as the most-viewed telecast on all of cable in
2009 to date, SportsBusiness Daily reported.
A judge has found former NBA player
Kirk Snyder not competent to stand trial and
ordered that he be force-fed. Warren County
(Ohio) Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson
says Snyder has rejected all medications
and food and has been hospitalized twice.
The 25-year-old Snyder, who played for
the Jazz, Hornets, Rockets and Timber-
wolves, was charged with aggravated bur-
glary and felonious assault following a
March break-in at a neighbor’s home. Sny-
der’s attorney filed documents saying Sny-
der isn’t competent to stand trial and is not
guilty by reason of insanity.
A lawsuit accusing Knicks center Eddy
Curry of sexual harassment was effectively
dismissed Thursday, leaving the dispute to
be settled by an arbitrator, rather than a
jury. Curry was sued in January by his for-
mer driver David Kuchinsky, who accused
Curry of making lewd and suggestive
remarks, brandishing a gun and failing to
pay $91,000 in wages and expenses.
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 15
Playoff glance
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7), all times ET
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Orlando leads series 3-2)
May 20: Orlando 107, Cleveland 106
May 22: Cleveland 96, Orlando 95
May 24: Orlando 99, Cleveland 89
May 26: Orlando 116,
Cleveland 114, OT
Thursday: Cleveland 112, Orlando 102
Saturday: Cleveland at Orlando,
8:30 p.m.
Monday: Orlando at Cleveland, 8:30
p.m., if necessary
WESTERN CONFERENCE
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver
(L.A. Lakers lead series 3-2)
May 19: L.A. Lakers 105, Denver 103
May 21: Denver 106, L.A. Lakers 103
May 23: L.A. Lakers 103, Denver 97
May 25: Denver 120, L.A. Lakers 101
May 27: L.A. Lakers 103,
Denver 94
Today: L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m.
Sunday: Denver at L.A. Lakers, 8:30
p.m., if necessary
NBA calendar
June 4—NBA finals start date
(possible move-up to June 2).
June 15—NBA draft early entry
entrant withdrawal deadline (5 p.m.
ET).
June 18—NBA finals latest possible
end date.
June 25—NBA draft.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NHL FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 16

STANLEY CUP FINALS

S GAME 1: PITTSBURGH VS. DETROIT Saturday, 8 p.m., NBC

Pens say they’re ready for Red Wings Playoff stats (Through May 26)
Pittsburgh Penguins
PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Pen- we’ll be ready for them.” POS.NO. PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW OTG S PCTG
C 87 Sidney Crosby 17 14 14 28 12 12 5 0 1 0 63 .222
guins will travel today to the city Pittsburgh appears to own several C 71 Evgeni Malkin 17 12 16 28 3 22 5 0 3 1 80 .150
called Hockeytown for their second important advantages over the R 13 Bill Guerin 17 7 7 14 11 11 2 0 2 1 50 .140
D 55 Sergei Gonchar 15 2 10 12 3 10 1 0 1 0 32 .063
Stanley Cup finals in as many sea- beaten-up Red Wings. The Penguins L 14 Chris Kunitz 17 1 11 12 6 15 0 0 0 0 34 .029
sons against Detroit, yet forgive are relatively healthy, Malkin and L 26 Ruslan Fedotenko 17 6 5 11 6 4 0 0 0 0 43 .140
them if they’re convinced they Crosby are rolling with a league- D 58 Kris Letang 16 3 6 9 3 26 1 0 1 1 43 .070
L 24 Matt Cooke 17 1 6 7 -2 12 0 0 0 0 24 .042
already live there. leading 28 points apiece and goalie C 25 Max Talbot 17 4 3 7 4 5 0 0 1 0 23 .174
Their games are drawing NFL Marc-Andre Fleury said “the emo- D 7 Mark Eaton 17 4 2 6 10 6 1 0 0 0 12 .333
playoff-like ratings in the Pitts- tion and the stress, all the stuff we C 48 Tyler Kennedy 17 3 3 6 -3 4 0 0 2 0 51 .059
R 81 Miroslav Satan 11 1 5 6 5 9 0 0 0 0 16 .063
burgh market—a 27.1 on little- didn’t know” last year are missing. C 11 Jordan Staal 17 2 4 6 -5 6 0 0 0 0 41 .049
watched cable channel Versus for The Red Wings were missing R 27 Craig Adams 17 3 2 5 2 4 0 0 0 0 22 .136
D 43 Philippe Boucher 8 1 3 4 -1 4 1 0 1 0 9 .111
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference stars Nicklas Lidstrom (2 games) D 44 Brooks Orpik 17 0 4 4 -1 16 0 0 0 0 7 ---
finals against Carolina, or 5½ times and Pavel Datsyuk (3 games) for D 4 Rob Scuderi 17 1 2 3 4 6 0 0 0 0 7 .143
the ratings in Raleigh. part of the Western Conference D 2 Hal Gill 17 0 2 2 6 4 0 0 0 0 15 ---
D 3 Alex Goligoski 2 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 ---
While there were empty seats in finals against Chicago, though R 17 Petr Sykora 6 0 1 1 -3 0 0 0 0 0 7 ---
recession-ravaged Detroit for Red they’re hoping both will return for L 9 Pascal Dupuis 10 0 0 0 -3 6 0 0 0 0 14 ---
TEAM TOTALS 17 65 107 172 12 188 16 0 12 3 594 .109
Wings home games, the last 115 Game 1 on Saturday. OPPONENT TOTALS 17 47 81 128 -12 252 10 2 5 0 492 .096
Penguins home games in the NHL’s Even if they don’t, the Red Wings
oldest arena were sellouts. Giant are the Red Wings, and the Pen- NO. GOALTENDER GP MINS AVG W L OT EN SO GA SA SV% G A PIM
29 Marc-Andre Fleury 17 1055 2.62 12 5 0 1 0 46 491 .906 0 0 2
banners bearing the pictures of guins knew from the moment they TEAM TOTALS 17 1060 2.66 12 5 0 1 0 47 492 .904 0 0 2
stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni lost to them a year ago they’d prob- OPPONENT TOTALS 17 1060 3.68 5 9 3 5 1 65 594 .891 0 0 0
Malkin hang from the girders of the ably have to beat Detroit to prove
new arena being built across the they indeed are the best.
street from Mellon Arena. “Watching their Game 4 against of Columbus and Chicago’s Patrick Alex Ovechkin-led Washington
Yes, the Penguins appear to have Chicago where they won 6-1, I don’t Kane and Jonathan Toews was ade- during the conference semifinals.
everything going for them—momen- know if we want to say we were quate preparation for trying to slow “I thought no one panicked, in
tum from a conference finals sweep, laughing at the situation, but it was Malkin and Crosby. Malkin had six part because of the experience we
two of the league’s best players in something we went through last goals and three assists in four games had last year,” Scuderi said.
high gear and the kind of fervent sup- year,” defenseman Brooks Orpik against Carolina; Crosby has a Now, after a full offseason and reg-
port that franchises in some higher- GENE J. PUSKAR / AP said. “You can try to run them out league-high 14 playoff goals. ular season, six weeks of playoffs, the
profile sports wish they had. Evgeni Malkin, left, and Sidney Crosby think they’re better prepared to face Detroit this year. of the building, be physical on them, “Crosby and Malkin are running NHL is right back where it was last
There’s only one thing missing: a but they’re skilled guys ... and away with the scoring lead in the year: Pittsburgh vs. Detroit for the
Stanley Cup, at least one of more games in three playoff rounds before was too late,” Crosby said. tough. They just play the game.” playoffs, and if we let them continue Stanley Cup, with Sid the Kid again
recent vintage than those won by being dominated during 4-0 and 3-0 The Penguins remember how frus- The question is whether the Red to run wild, it will be hard for us to going for his first championship and
the Mario Lemieux-led Penguins of losses that opened the finals in trating it felt to realize they weren’t Wings are playing it at the same win the series,” Detroit general the oh-so-successful Red Wings try-
1991 and 1992. Detroit, and they never recovered quite good enough, and they’re con- level they were last year. They’ve manager Ken Holland said. “You ing for yet another one.
The Red Wings have raised the before losing in six games. vinced the experience of losing in the added Marian Hossa, who defected can’t stop players that good, but we “Certainly two of the marquee
Cup four times since then, and the “It was kind of a shell shock,” finals was the best possible prepara- from Pittsburgh after last season, can’t let them do what they did franchises going toe to toe again in
NHL’s most polished and reliable defenseman Rob Scuderi said tion for winning it this time. but injuries are cutting into their against Carolina.” the finals, it’s something we all can
group of winners gave the Penguins Thursday. “We have that confidence in the skill and depth (Kris Draper, The Penguins believe they’ve appreciate even when we’re in the
an instructional lesson in what it “We were watching too much. dressing room that we’ve been Andreas Lilja). already benefited from losing to midst of it,” Penguins coach Dan
takes to be a champion last spring. We were waiting to see what it was through it, and it’s a great feeling,” And in Detroit, the Red Wings are Detroit last year, saying it helped Bylsma said.
The Penguins had lost only two going to be like and, by that time, it forward Max Talbot said. “I think wondering if controlling Rick Nash them rally from a 2-0 deficit against — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NHL FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 17

STANLEY CUP FINALS

S GAME 1: PITTSBURGH VS. DETROIT Saturday, 8 p.m., NBC

Red Wings’ Hossa hopes his decision pays off Playoff stats (Through May 27)
Detroit Red Wings
DETROIT—Marian Hossa’s combi- like to keep Hossa around. POS.NO. PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW OTG S PCTG
R 93 Johan Franzen 16 10 9 19 9 10 3 0 2 0 52 .192
nation of size, speed and skill helped Holland, Hossa and his agent did C 40 Henrik Zetterberg 16 9 9 18 10 6 3 0 0 0 59 .153
the banged-up Detroit Red Wings some negotiating during the season, R 11 Daniel Cleary 16 8 6 14 16 8 0 0 2 0 38 .211
C 51 Valtteri Filppula 16 1 13 14 9 6 1 0 0 0 26 .038
finish off Chicago to set up a Stanley but both sides chose to put talks on D 5 Nicklas Lidstrom 14 4 9 13 7 6 3 0 1 0 45 .089
Cup finals rematch with the team he hold until after the season. R 81 Marian Hossa 16 6 6 12 5 8 2 1 1 0 77 .078
spurned. “I like it here a lot, but we both R 26 Jiri Hudler 16 4 5 9 2 6 2 0 1 0 30 .133
R 37 Mikael Samuelsson 16 5 4 9 6 4 0 0 2 1 66 .076
“I thought he was the best player decided to stop talking to focus on the D 28 Brian Rafalski 11 2 6 8 8 11 2 0 1 0 19 .105
on the ice last night,” Red Wings playoffs,” Hossa said earlier this post- C 13 Pavel Datsyuk 13 1 6 7 4 9 1 0 0 0 47 .021
D 55 Niklas Kronwall 16 1 6 7 4 25 1 0 0 0 24 .042
general manager Ken Holland said season. “We’ll see what happens.” D 23 Brad Stuart 16 1 6 7 8 10 1 0 0 0 28 .036
Thursday, a day after Detroit’s Anaheim Ducks star Teemu D 22 Brett Lebda 16 0 6 6 7 10 0 0 0 0 17 ---
series-clinching win against the Selanne recalled saying, “the rich got D 52 Jonathan Ericsson 15 2 3 5 8 21 0 0 1 0 25 .080
R 96 Tomas Holmstrom 16 2 3 5 1 20 0 0 0 0 16 .125
Blackhawks. “I also thought he was richer,” when he and other NHL play- C 43 Darren Helm 16 3 0 3 2 4 0 0 1 1 27 .111
also the best player on the ice in the ers and fans were stunned by the L 8 Justin Abdelkader 7 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 ---
R 82 Tomas Kopecky 8 0 1 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 13 ---
previous game at Chicago. news of Hossa signing a one-year deal L 18 Kirk Maltby 13 0 1 1 -2 2 0 0 0 0 6 ---
“We were missing Pavel Datsyuk with the Wings last summer. D 24 Chris Chelios 6 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 ---
and Nicklas Lidstrom in both Selanne, though, understood why C 33 Kris Draper 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 ---
L 21 Ville Leino 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ---
games, so it was great to have him Hossa made the rare decision to D 14 Derek Meech 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ---
step up like he did.” leave money on the table. TEAM TOTALS 16 59 101 160 21 179 19 1 12 2 632 .093
If Hossa can help Detroit hoist the “Winning the Cup is priceless,” OPPONENT TOTALS 16 34 59 93 -21 295 15 0 4 1 460 .074
Cup, his eyebrow-raising decision Selanne said during the second
last summer will be validated. round of the playoffs. NO. GOALTENDER GP MINS AVG W L OT EN SO GA SA SV% G A PIM
29 Ty Conklin 1 20 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.000 0 0 0
The marquee free agent signed with Hossa had a team-high 40 goals 30 Chris Osgood 16 989 2.06 12 2 2 0 1 34 451 .925 0 1 2
Detroit at a relative discount for about during the regular season and has TEAM TOTALS 16 1012 2.02 12 2 2 0 1 34 460 .926 0 1 2
$7.5 million, declining an offer esti- scored at least 29 goals in nine OPPONENT TOTALS 16 1012 3.50 4 10 0 4 0 59 632 .907 0 0 0
mated to be worth $49 million to straight seasons with Detroit, Pitts-
remain with the runner-up Pitts- burgh, Atlanta and Ottawa.
burgh Penguins and reportedly many
more millions to play in Edmonton.
He has scored in just three games
this postseason—coincidentally all in
Red Wings expect Lidstrom
back for Game 1 vs. Pens
PAUL SANCYA / AP
“It should be interesting,” Pitts- Marian Hossa was a Penguin in last year’s Stanley Cup finals; this year, he’s a Red Wing. Game 4s, netting two goals in each of
burgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the three he’s played—but the 6-1, 210-
said. “We all know the reason why he Hossa is hailed for his dazzling “I know myself as a player, when pound forward often has been domi- DETROIT—The Detroit Red recovered after he was forced to
left us to go there. talents in Detroit, and is vilified in players get booed in other buildings, nant with and without the puck. Wings expect star defenseman miss two games. Holland said
“It will be cool to face him, but we Pittsburgh for leaving. it just motivates you and makes you Playing the team he left behind is Nicklas Lidstrom to play in the team won’t know until
can’t overthink it.” The cheers Hossa hears in Game 1 want to want to do better,” Brooks interesting, but it is relatively irrele- Game 1 of the Stan- Saturday, when the series
If Pittsburgh beats Hossa and the on Saturday and Game 2 on Sunday Orpik said. “If our fans want to boo vant to Hossa because he would ley Cup finals starts, if MVP finalist Pavel
defending champions, he will have likely won’t be as loud as the jeers him, I don’t know how much good desperately want to hoist the Cup against the Pitts- Datsyuk (foot) and Jonathan
lost a championship, a lot of money that will cascade on him when the it’s going to do us. regardless of whom he was facing. burgh Penguins. Ericsson (acute appendicitis)
and long-term stability. series shifts venues. “He’s a great player, it was weird “Being in the finals, that’s motiva- Red Wings gen- will be available.
“I have to make this not too big a When Hossa played Feb. 8 at Pitts- what happened, but everyone respects tion,” he said. “Last year I lost it, so eral manager Ken Kris Draper (lower-body
distraction,” he said Wednesday burgh, he was booed early and often. him as a guy and as a player. It was a this is another chance. Nicklas
Lidstrom Holland said on injury) is doubtful for Game 1,
night following Detroit’s 2-1 over- A former teammate isn’t sure that tough decision for him, but we’ve got “It’s going to be hard, but it’s a Thursday he’s but Holland expects him to play
time victory. “I just have to use it as provides a home-ice advantage for a chance to beat him here.” good chance.” encouraged by how Lidstrom’s later in the series.
an advantage.” the Penguins. Win or lose, the Red Wings would — The Associated Press lower-body injury has — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Hitchcock: Quinn-Renney pairing will prove strong
Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock,
who has worked extensively with
both Pat Quinn and Tom Renney, says
the Edmonton Oilers will thrive
under their new tag-team coaches—
Quinn as head coach and Renney
as trusted assistant.
“The thing that I learned most
from working with Pat (as an assis-
tant for two Canadian Olympic
teams and a World Cup team) is he
creates this culture with his staff
and his players that you don’t want
to let him down,” Hitchcock told
the Toronto Star. “He treats you so
well, his coaches and his players.
He treats the players with so much
respect. …
“It’s like coaching with your father.
You don’t want to let your dad down
and that’s the feeling you get when
you spend some time with Pat.”
Hitchcock also has a long history
with Renney and says the former
New York Rangers coach will
complement Quinn, who has been
out of the NHL coaching loop for
three years. Hitchcock calls Quinn
an up-tempo guy who likes to del-
egate authority. Renney is consid-
ered a superior tactician and
excellent teacher.
“When you’re out even one year,
you get behind in the Xs and Os, let
alone two or three years,” Hitch-
cock told the newspaper. “But Tom
is great at that and I think he’ll aug-
ment Pat and get Pat up to speed
very quickly. Tom is one of the best
strategy guys in the league.
“I think they’ll be a great pair. …”
Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma, the first
coach to begin a season leading an
AHL team and finish it at the helm
Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock calls Pat Quinn, left, an up-tempo guy who likes to delegate authority, while Tom Renney is considered a superior tactician and excellent teacher.
of an NHL team that reaches the
Stanley Cup finals, still pinches
himself every so often to make sure
he isn’t dreaming.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t feel fortu-
nate and blessed with how things
have progressed for me,” he told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “This time
last year, or in July, when (former
Wilkes-Barre coach) Todd Richards
went to San Jose to be an assistant
coach, I was just hoping to get the
head coaching job in Wilkes-Barre
for my first chance to be a head
NHL
INSIDE DISH
coach, let alone thinking that within
nine months I’d be coaching the
Pittsuburgh Penguins. …”
Since getting the call to replace
Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, Bylsma has
guided the Penguins to an 18-3-4
regular-season finish and series
wins over Philadelphia, Washing-
ton and Carolina in the playoffs.
“I do often, in the moments when
my mind’s not on hockey and focused
on the task at hand, think, ‘Man, I get
to coach some of the best players in
the world today, in a great situation,’ ”
Bylsma told the newspaper.
Flyers F Simon Gagne had sur-
gery Thursday to remove a bone
spur and adhesions that built up in
his right hip. Gagne’s recovery is
expected to take 4-6 weeks. He had
34 goals and 74 points this season.
Dean Blais, the coach and general
manager of the USHL’s Fargo Force,
has been named coach the U.S.
team at the 2010 world junior
hockey championships in Regina
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 18
Stanley Cup finals
Detroit vs. Pittsburgh
(Best-of-7), All times ET
Saturday: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8
p.m., NBC
Sunday: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8
p.m., NBC
Tuesday: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8
p.m., Versus
Thursday: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8
p.m., Versus
Saturday, June 6: Pittsburgh at
Detroit, 8 p.m., if necessary, NBC
Tuesday, June 9: Detroit at
Pittsburgh, 8 p.m., if necessary,
NBC
Friday, June 12: Pittsburgh at
Detroit, 8 p.m., if necessary, NBC
Betting line
FAVORITE ..........LINE UNDERDOG............... LINE
at Detroit ................-160 Pittsburgh .....................+140
Odds to win series
Detroit ....................-150 Pittsburgh..........+130
NHL calendar
Through Saturday—NHL
Combine, Toronto.
June 18—NHL awards show at
Las Vegas.
June 26-27—NHL draft,
BEN LEMPHERS / AP Montreal.
July 1—Free agency signing
period begins.
and Saskatoon. July 5—Deadline for player-
Blais, an associate coach with the elected salary arbitration.
NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets from July 6—Deadline for club-
2004 to 2007, coached the U.S. elected salary arbitration.
junior team in 1994 when it finished July 10—Deadline for
sixth. He was going to coach the eligible players to elect Group 5
team again in 2005, but opted to free agency.
take the Columbus job instead. July 20-Aug. 4—Salary arbitra-
The U.S. will open the world tion hearings held.
junior championship Dec. 26 Aug. 6—Deadline for sal-
against Slovakia in Saskatoon. ary arbitration decisions to be
Canada, Switzerland and Latvia rendered.
also are in Pool A and the U.S. will
play the Canadians Dec. 31.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Speculation continues to swirl around Rockies’ Hurdle
According to The Denver Post, the
slumping Rockies could be on the
verge of a managerial change.
Already facing a double-digit deficit
in the N.L. West, the Rockies were
swept (by a combined score of 23-7)
this week by the first-place Dodgers.
Those three losses dropped the Rock-
ies to 7-13 at Coors Field. The news-
paper noted the Rockies are 3-3 since
general manager Dan O’Dowd gave
manager Clint Hurdle a vote of confi-
dence, but speculation remains that
Hurdle is on a short leash. There was
a players-only meeting before
Wednesday’s loss, and afterward, 1B
Todd Helton acknowledged the team
was aware of the speculation about
Hurdle. Hurdle took over as Rockies
manager in 2002 and has a 534-625
record since then.
Following an MRI exam, Phil-
lies P Brett Myers was told that there
was fraying to the labrum in his
right hip, an injury that could
require surgery and jeopardize the
remainder of his season, according
to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Cubs P Carlos Zambrano was sus-
pended for six games by Major
League Baseball on Thursday, a day
after his tirade during a game
against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Zambrano said he won’t appeal
the penalty, which included a fine.
Barring rainouts, he is eligible to
return next Thursday and start that
night at Atlanta.
Things are dicey in Houston,
where general manager Ed Wade told
the Houston Chronicle that he doesn’t
“get into votes of confidence. I don’t
INSIDE DISH
Clint Hurdle, right, has a .460 winning percentage in eight seasons as Rockies manager.
think there’s any value to it.” The
last-place Astros have lost seven
consecutive games, putting man-
ager Cecil Cooper on the hot seat.
Yankees C Jorge Posada, out since
May 4 with a strained hamstring, will
come off the disabled list before
tonight’s game at Cleveland. RF Xavier
Nady, out since April 14 with a right
elbow injury, was 2-for-5 in a rehab
game with a home run.
Padres P Jake Peavy wasn’t in
dominant form Wednesday (four
earned runs in 6 1/3 innings), and
the team’s website reported ankle
tendinitis was to blame. He turned
his ankle while running the bases
in his previous start against the
Cubs (six shutout innings, 10
Baseball
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP
strikeouts). However, Peavy expects
to make his next start.
Sidelined by a sore groin, Mar-
lins SS Hanley Ramirez told the Sun-
Sentinel that he hopes to return to
the lineup tonight. In other Marlins
news, the newspaper reported the
team has interest in P Daniel Cabrera,
who was released by the Nationals
on Wednesday.
The plan still calls for Astros P
Roy Oswalt to start Monday (on an
extra day of rest), despite a bruise
under the index and middle fingers
on his right hand. Oswalt suffered
the injury in Tuesday’s start. If that
plan changes, P Brandon Backe could
fill in for Oswalt. Backe was acti-
vated from the disabled list Thurs-
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 19
THE LAUNCHING PAD
What to expect in the major leagues today
The future is now
The Orioles’ youth movement will take another important step forward
day and will pitch in relief for now. tonight with the major league debut of prized catching prospect Matt
Wieters. The fifth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Wieters hit .305 with five
According to The Kansas City homers, 30 RBIs and a .387 on-base percentage for Class AAA Norfolk this
Star, Royals OF Coco Crisp (shoulder) is season. In two levels of the minor leagues last season, he hit .355 with 27
homers, 91 RBIs and a .454 on-base percentage. Wieters, 23, is expected to
expected back in the lineup tonight. become the team’s primary catcher for the rest of the season. Tonight, the
Crisp left Tuesday’s game early and Orioles will host the Dontrelle Willis-led Tigers.
didn’t play Wednesday. The team
was off Thursday. Manager Trey Hill-
Happ-y to see ya
man told the newspaper that Crisp’s Phillies rookie lefthander J.A. Happ has two wins (both as a reliever) this
shoulder has been giving him prob- season. Both came against the Nationals, against whom he will start tonight.
lems for several weeks. And Happ isn’t the only one Philly excited about this weekend series.
Outfielder Raul Ibanez has six homers and 16 RBIs against Washington this
season, and first baseman Ryan Howard has four homers and 12 RBIs. Not
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch surprisingly, Philadelphia has won seven of the nine games between the
reported Cardinals OF Rick Ankiel teams in 2009. After this weekend, the Phillies and Nationals won’t play
(shoulder) is expected to return to again until September.
the lineup tonight after missing the
past three games. However, P Kyle Prelude to a sell-off?
Lohse won’t make his scheduled Although it’s still early, this is a vital weekend for the A’s. They play four games
start tonight, after being hit in the against A.L. West-leading Texas this weekend at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington,
beginning with a doubleheader today. This is a chance for last-place Oakland
forearm by a pitch is his most to make up some ground on the first-place Texas—or possibly hasten the exits
recent outing. Lohse could start of some of the veterans (outfielder Matt Holliday, first baseman Jason Giambi,
Sunday. shortstop Orlando Cabrera, etc.). The two teams have split their four games this
season. In fact, the Rangers’ two losses to the A’s are their only two losses within
the division this season (compared to 10 wins).
On the comeback trail from
— Chris Bahr
Tommy John surgery last August,
Braves P Tim Hudson threw a 15-pitch
bullpen session Tuesday and a
20-pitch bullpen session Wednes-
day, according to the team’s website.
Hudson is on track to throw 75
pitches off the mound next week
and hopes to join Atlanta’s rotation
in August. Meanwhile, the website
also reported the Braves are
expected to promote pitching pros-
pect Tommy Hanson in the next couple
of weeks.
Rangers owner Tom Hicks told
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that
he is “open” to the idea of selling a
majority share of the team. The
newspaper noted that two months
RICHARD DREW / AP
ago, Hicks planned to sell only a
Ballyhooed prospect Matt Wieters makes his much-awaited debut tonight.
minority share of the Rangers.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 20

As June approaches, the struggling Rays shouldn’t ...

McNeal’s pick Bahr’s pick
Expect to contend Panic just yet

BY STAN MCNEAL BY CHRIS BAHR

smcneal@sportingnews.com cbahr@sportingnews.com

Mediocrity doesn’t cut it in the First things first: A champion-

A.L. East, and that is too bad for the
Rays. Mediocre is as good as it has
gotten for Tampa Bay this season.
A season after their historic run
to the World Series, the Rays have
spent two days over .500 (none
since they were
4-3 on April 13)
this season. They
have had stretches
when they’ve
played like con-
tenders. They won
five of their first
Stan McNeal seven against the
BASEBALL
Red Sox and took
two thrillers at
Yankee Stadium earlier this month.
Just last weekend, they mauled the
Marlins with outbursts of 15 and 10
runs. Mostly, though, Tampa Bay
has spent the season just trying to
be average. Until this week. The
Rays’ season has unraveled during
a cold stretch in which they suffered
more bad fortune than the Gatorade
cooler in the Cubs’ dugout. First, the
Rays lost second baseman Akinori
Iwamura for the season when he blew
out his knee and ankle trying to turn
a double play against the Marlins.
Two days later, shortstop Jason Bar-
tlett (sprained ankle) joined Iwamura
on the disabled list. In addition to
forming the foundation of the Rays’
defense, both Iwamura and Bartlett
were hitting over .300. And manager
The Rays lost solid defense and a .300 hitter when Akinori Iwamura went down.
Joe Maddon called Bartlett the team
MVP. On Monday, the Rays blew a
10-0 lead at Cleveland in a debacle
that low-lighted their season-long
pitching problems. Top prospect
David Price followed the lead of
other Rays starters who have been
unable to pitch deep into games.
Given a double-digit lead, Price
couldn’t make it through the fourth
inning. The bullpen—again—did
not hold up well to the stress.
Even if the bullpen can right
itself—a challenge made tougher
with no set closer—the Rays have
other woes:
Starters: Only two starters, Matt
Garza and James Shields, have
pitched to expectations.
Lineup: The lineup has sizable
LYNNE SLADKY / AP
holes because of slow starts by out-
fielders B.J. Upton and the injured
Pat Burrell, the club’s big free-
acquisition.
Acquisition: The club’s big offsea-
son trade—starting pitcher Edwin
Jackson for outfielder Matt Joyce—
has worked out decidedly in
Detroit’s favor so far. Joyce has spent
most of the season in the minors
while Jackson ranks among the A.L.
leaders with a 2.58 ERA.
Last and far from least: The Yan-
kees have surged to the top of the
A.L. East, and the Red Sox long ago
overcame their slow start. Catching
either team will take a great effort, a
task that seems out of reach for the
average (at best) Rays.
smcneal@sportingnews.com
ship-caliber team shouldn’t blow a
10-0 lead against anyone, let alone
a last-place squad. But that’s exactly
what the Rays did Monday at Cleve-
land. And then there was the 5-0
first-inning lead that evaporated
We d n e s d a y.
Those are the
kinds of come-
backs that fueled
Tampa Bay last
season but could
doom it this
season.
Chris Bahr Sure, the Rays
BASEBALL
are dealing with
more than their
fair share of injuries. This week,
they lost second baseman Akinori
Iwamura (knee) for the season,
then placed .373-hitting shortstop
Jason Bartlett (ankle) on the 15-day
disabled list. Prized offseason
acquisition Pat Burrell (neck) has
one homer and hasn’t played since
May 10. In the bullpen, closer Troy
Percival (shoulder) is out and might
not be back, and Plan B (Jason
Isringhausen) is shaky and a health
concern. Middle reliever Brian
Shouse (elbow) is out indefinitely.
And the rotation is without Scott
Kazmir (quad) indefinitely.
So, how in the world are the Rays
going to persevere and hang in the
race with the Red Sox, Yankees
and (perhaps) the fading Blue Jays?
Emerging superstar Evan Longoria gives the Rays hope for a rebound.
Talent. Second-year third base-
man Evan Longoria continues to
terrorize opposing pitchers and
already is among the elite hitters in
the majors. Outfielder Carl Craw-
ford finally is having a huge season
(sans the power most expected to
develop by now), and first baseman
Carlos Pena continues to mash.
Eventually, outfielder B.J. Upton,
who flashed so much talent last
postseason but who still might not
be 100 percent after offseason
shoulder surgery, should come
around. And although his first
start wasn’t great, David Price
should inject some life into an
underachieving rotation.
Resilience. This is the same
team everyone doubted last season.
Remember the slide right before
the 2008 All-Star break that was
supposed to signal the team’s offi-
cial downfall? The numerous late-
season prognostications of the
clock finally striking midnight?
The claims that a lack of postsea-
son experience would doom
NICK WASS / AP
Tampa Bay in the ALCS? Well, the
Rays undoubtedly remember, and
just as they did last season, they
will use it as motivation. Manager
Joe Maddon knows how to push all
the right buttons.
Front office. The last thing the
front office wants to do is lose the
momentum it finally began to
build last season. The team is put-
ting people in the seats and build-
ing a solid fan base. Expect
executive vice president of base-
ball operations Sporting News’
2008 MLB executive of the year
Andrew Friedman to plug any
glaring holes via trades. Remem-
ber, Friedman acquired Bartlett
and Matt Garza, signed Pena and
rebuilt the bullpen. So, he has an
eye for talent and knows how to
get results. Are there problems in
Tampa Bay? Undoubtedly. But
we’re approaching June 1, not
Sept. 1. There are four-plus
months remaining in a long sea-
son. The Rays are far from dead.
cbahr@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 21
Attendance report
New numbers have some MLB owners upbeat Through May 27

BY ERIC FISHER AMERICAN LEAGUE

SportsBusiness Journal
HOME GAMES ROAD GAMES
Amid declining attendance totals DATES TOTAL AVG DATES TOTAL AVG
and continuing waves of bleak eco- Baltimore 25 529,062 21,162 22 607,753 27,625
nomic news, an increasing number Boston 23 869,461 37,803 24 761,871 31,745
of Major League Baseball owners Chicago White Sox 22 561,637 25,529 24 566,095 23,587
and executives believe the worst of Cleveland 21 437,379 20,828 27 766,983 28,407
the fiscal meltdown is now behind Detroit 22 613,589 27,890 23 656,047 28,524
the sport.
Kansas City 27 588,149 21,783 20 573,216 28,661
While not a celebration by any
L.A. Angels 23 934,580 40,634 23 691,654 30,072
means, last week’s owners meetings
nonetheless showcased noticeable lev- Minnesota 29 755,666 26,057 19 546,752 28,776
els of optimism, fueled in part by N.Y. Yankees 23 1,026,625 44,636 24 802,108 33,421
attendance being on par with pre- Oakland 24 428,879 17,870 20 527,292 26,365
season expectations, albeit down; a Seattle 24 653,625 27,234 24 607,098 25,296
strong start for the MLB Network; and Tampa Bay 21 501,794 23,895 28 670,859 23,959
buoyant sales for MLB.com subscrip- Texas 23 606,593 26,374 23 572,378 24,886
tion products, among other elements. Toronto 22 487,138 22,143 28 643,425 22,979
The league’s roughly six percent AL Totals 329 8,994,177 27,338 329 8,993,531 27,336
drop in attendance thus far this sea-
son, while tracking to be the sharpest
fall in seven years, is an improvement
from April numbers, which showed NATIONAL LEAGUE
decreases of about 10 percent. In addi-
tion, industry sources said online HOME GAMES ROAD GAMES
ticket sales at MLB.com and the team DATES TOTAL AVG DATES TOTAL AVG
sites since opening day are up seven Arizona 27 722,663 26,765 20 510,210 25,511
percent compared with the same Atlanta 23 551,184 23,965 23 704,921 30,649
period in 2008. Chicago Cubs 22 866,783 39,399 23 876,570 38,112
“I think we have bottomed out in a Cincinnati 25 550,783 22,031 21 529,849 25,231
number of areas and that there are TONY GUTIERREZ / AP
Colorado 20 548,533 27,427 26 719,779 27,684
some semi-positive signs as many of Although attendance is off from 2008, it is in line with owners’ preseason expectations, giving clubs some hope that parks will be filled again.
Florida 23 412,786 17,947 25 731,412 29,256
the ... initiatives begin to get some
Houston 24 719,279 29,970 22 521,659 23,712
badly needed traction,” said Oak- start,” Selig said at the meetings’ con- entire offseason sales cycle in the controlled media arms. The five-
land A’s owner Lew Wolff. clusion. “Clubs have, of course, been depths of global recession. months-active MLB Network L.A. Dodgers 23 1,014,063 44,090 25 781,027 31,241
Baseball typically gets a lift in many very aggressive on pricing and promo- “It’s definitely a challenging back- continues to garner strong reviews Milwaukee 22 803,778 36,535 25 777,416 31,097
fan-related economic and affinity met- tions, and I told the clubs today I’m drop in terms of the broad economics, with regard to programming and N.Y. Mets 23 892,549 38,806 23 790,195 34,356
rics as warmer weather approaches proud of how they’ve reacted on that but we’re still seeing strong shows of production, and ad sales have begun Philadelphia 23 994,864 43,255 22 684,433 31,111
and schools let out for the summer. front, and I meant it.” support, and with regard to sponsors, to pick up. Within MLB Advanced Pittsburgh 20 313,365 15,668 27 838,369 31,051
But beyond that normal seasonality, MLB’s sales progress has been companies are still coming forward Media, sales for subscription-based San Diego 23 597,758 25,989 24 846,077 35,253
MLB commissioner Bud Selig issued keenly followed because of several key and taking a long view, that we’re products such as MLB At Bat and San Francisco 24 810,223 33,759 22 722,488 32,840
his most hopeful economic remarks to factors: the league sells more tickets going to come out of this,” said Minne- MLB.TV, as well as online All-Star St. Louis 26 1,050,968 40,422 21 546,220 26,010
both owners and press since before than any other major professional sota Twins owner Jim Pohlad. Game balloting, are up by double-
Washington 24 483,872 20,161 23 753,472 32,760
last fall’s credit market collapse. sport, it relies on attendance as its larg- Beyond the sport’s core ballpark- digit percentages.
NL Totals 372 11,333,451 30,466 372 11,334,097 30,468
“It’s still awfully early, but as we sit est single revenue source, and baseball related sales, meaningful gains are — Eric Fisher is a staff writer for SportsBusiness Journal.
MLB Totals 701 20,327,628 28,998 701 20,327,628 28,998
here on May 21, I’m encouraged by our was the first sport to go through its being registered within the league- E-mail him at efisher@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 22
Fantasy Focus LEAGUE LEADERS
American League Standings
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em Batting Average Home Runs East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Boston 28 20 .583 — — 6-4 W-1 17-6 11-14
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. New York 27 20 .574 ½ — 7-3 W-1 14-9 13-11
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Toronto 27 23 .540 2 1½ 1-9 L-9 16-6 11-17
Bartlett Tampa Bay .373 Beltran New York .367 CPena Tampa Bay 16 AdGonzalez San Diego 18 Tampa Bay 23 27 .460 6 5½ 3-7 L-5 11-10 12-17
Baltimore 22 26 .458 6 5½ 6-4 W-4 15-11 7-15
MiCabrera Detroit .366 Pence Houston .352 Teixeira New York 15 Ibanez Philadelphia 17
VMartinez Cleveland .359 Tejada Houston .346 Bay Boston 14 Dunn Washington 16 Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
AdJones Baltimore .357 JUpton Arizona .346 Morneau Minnesota 14 Bruce Cincinnati 14 Detroit 26 20 .565 — — 6-4 L-1 15-7 11-13
Minnesota 24 25 .490 3½ 4 6-4 L-1 19-11 5-14
AHill Toronto .344 DWright New York .345 Kinsler Texas 13 Pujols St. Louis 14 Kansas City 23 24 .489 3½ 4 4-6 L-1 15-12 8-12
ISuzuki Seattle .343 Hudson Los Angeles .340 Six tied 12 Reynolds Arizona 13 Chicago 21 25 .457 5 5½ 6-4 L-1 12-10 9-15
Morneau Minnesota .342 CGuzman Washington .340 Two tied 12 Cleveland 21 28 .429 6½ 7 7-3 W-4 11-11 10-17
MARK DUNCAN / AP West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Runs Stolen Bases Texas 27 19 .587 — — 5-5 L-1 15-8 12-11
Jim Thome has hit Brian Bannister well. Los Angeles 24 22 .522 3 2½ 6-4 W-1 13-10 11-12
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Seattle 22 26 .458 6 5½ 4-6 W-1 12-12 10-14
Start ‘em Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team
Oakland 18 26 .409 8 7½ 5-5 L-1 11-13 7-13
Jim Thome, DH, White Sox. Thome’s
solid May could get better tonight.
BRoberts
Scutaro
Baltimore
Toronto
42
41
Ibanez
Pujols
Philadelphia
St. Louis
38
38
Crawford
Ellsbury
Tampa Bay
Boston
30
21
Bourn
Taveras
Houston
Cincinnati
16
12
National League Standings
East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
He is 7-for-18 (.389) with three AdJones Baltimore 40 Zimmerman Washington 38 Figgins Los Angeles 19 Burriss San Francisco 11 New York 26 20 .565 — — 5-5 W-3 15-8 11-12
homers in his career against Morneau Minnesota 39 Hudson Los Angeles 37 Abreu Los Angeles 15 Fowler Colorado 11 Philadelphia 25 20 .556 ½ 1 6-4 L-1 9-14 16-6
Four tied 37 ASoriano Chicago 36 BUpton Tampa Bay 15 Kemp Los Angeles 11 Atlanta 23 24 .489 3½ 4 5-5 L-4 11-12 12-12
Kansas City’s Brian Bannister. Florida 22 26 .458 5 5½ 4-6 W-1 9-14 13-12
AdGonzalez San Diego 35 Bartlett Tampa Bay 14 JosReyes New York 11
Miguel Tejada, SS, Astros. Tejada is Washington 13 33 .283 13 13½ 2-8 L-3 7-16 6-17
Three tied 33 Two tied 11 DWright New York 11
on a tear in May and is 8-for-11 Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
lifetime against Pittsburgh’s Ross St. Louis 28 19 .596 — — 7-3 W-2 17-9 11-10
RBIs Pitching (5 decisions) Milwaukee 27 20 .574 1 — 4-6 L-2 13-9 14-11
Ohlendorf, including a 3-for-3 Cincinnati 26 20 .565 1½ ½ 6-4 W-4 13-12 13-8
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Chicago 23 23 .500 4½ 3½ 2-8 L-1 14-9 9-14
performance last month.
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Pittsburgh 21 26 .447 7 6 5-5 L-2 11-9 10-17
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Pirates. The Longoria Tampa Bay 51 Ibanez Philadelphia 44 Palmer Los Angeles 5-0 1.000 Martis Washington 5-0 1.000 Houston 18 27 .400 9 8 2-8 L-7 9-15 9-12
streaky LaRoche is slumping, but Bay Boston 48 Fielder Milwaukee 43 Halladay Toronto 8-1 .889 Broxton Los Angeles 5-0 1.000 West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
is 9-for-23 (.391) with two homers Morneau Minnesota 44 Dunn Washington 42 Greinke Kansas City 8-1 .889 Cain San Francisco 5-1 .833 Los Angeles 34 15 .694 — — 8-2 W-4 18-5 16-10
and eight RBIs in his career Hunter Los Angeles 40 Pujols St. Louis 40 Slowey Minnesota 7-1 .875 LiHernandez New York 4-1 .800 San Diego 24 23 .511 9 3 9-1 W-1 17-6 7-17
San Francisco 23 23 .500 9½ 3½ 5-5 W-3 16-8 7-15
against Houston’s Brian Moehler. CPena Tampa Bay 40 Hawpe Colorado 36 Buehrle Chicago 6-1 .857 Pelfrey New York 4-1 .800 Arizona 21 27 .438 12½ 6½ 6-4 W-1 11-17 10-10
Markakis Baltimore 39 Loney Los Angeles 36 Penny Boston 5-1 .833 Lincecum San Francisco 4-1 .800 Colorado 18 28 .391 14½ 8½ 4-6 L-3 7-13 11-15
Sit ‘em Teixeira New York 39 Cantu Florida 35 RRamirez Boston 4-1 .800 Stults Los Angeles 4-1 .800 z-first game was a win
Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds. Maybe Pitching matchups Today’s games (All times Eastern)
Phillips should take an extra day HIts Strikeouts
American League The Line
to rest his injured thumb. He is A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Oakland (Outman 2-0) at Texas (Hunter 0-0), 5:05 p.m., 1st game at Tex -110 Oak +100
1-for-14 in his career against Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Detroit (Willis 1-1) at Baltimore (Bergesen 1-2), 7:05 p.m. at Bal -115 Det +105
Milwaukee’s Braden Looper. AHill Toronto 75 Hudson Los Angeles 68 Verlander Detroit 85 JSantana New York 86 N.Y. Yankees (Pettitte 4-1) at Cleveland (Cl.Lee 2-5), 7:05 p.m. at Cle -135 NY +125
Johnny Damon, OF, Yankees. Damon VMartinez Cleveland 69 Zimmerman Washington 65 Greinke Kansas City 81 Peavy San Diego 84
Boston (Wakefield 6-2) at Toronto (Janssen 0-1), 7:07 p.m. Bos -115 at Tor +105
has just one hit in 18 career at-bats MiCabrera Detroit 64 Tejada Houston 64 Halladay Toronto 68 Lincecum San Francisco 84
Minnesota (S.Baker 2-5) at Tampa Bay (J.Shields 3-4), 7:38 p.m. at TB -150 Min +140
Crawford Tampa Bay 64 Beltran New York 62 FHernandez Seattle 66 JVazquez Atlanta 78
against Indians southpaw Cliff Chicago White Sox (Richard 1-0) at Kansas City (Bannister 4-1), 8:10 p.m. at KC -130 Chi +120
Morneau Minnesota 63 FSanchez Pittsburgh 60 Lester Boston 62 Haren Arizona 71
Lee. Cano New York 62 Ibanez Philadelphia 59 Garza Tampa Bay 60 Billingsley Los Angeles 69 Oakland (E.Gonzalez 0-0) at Texas (Feldman 3-0), 8:35 p.m., 2nd game at Tex -150 Oak +140
Adrian Beltre, 3B, Mariners. Beltre Five tied 61 DWright New York 59 Beckett Boston 59 JoJohnson Florida 59 Seattle (Vargas 1-0) at L.A. Angels (Lackey 1-0), 10:05 p.m. at LA -175 Sea +165
has shown some signs of life
recently, but is just 7-for-43 (.163) Doubles Saves National League The Line
lifetime against Angels right- A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L.
L.A. Dodgers (Billingsley 6-2) at Chicago Cubs (Lilly 5-4), 2:20 p.m. LA -110 at Chi +100
hander John Lackey. Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Houston (Moehler 1-3) at Pittsburgh (Ohlendorf 5-4), 7:05 p.m. at Pit -115 Hou +105
— Brad Pinkerton Longoria Tampa Bay 20 FSanchez Pittsburgh 17 Papelbon Boston 13 Bell San Diego 14 Washington (Detwiler 0-0) at Philadelphia (Happ 2-0), 7:05 p.m. at Phi -160 Was +150
MYoung Texas 17 Tejada Houston 17 Fuentes Los Angeles 13 FrRodriguez New York 13 Florida (West 0-0) at N.Y. Mets (Pelfrey 4-1), 7:10 p.m. at NY -180 Flo +170
MORE COVERAGE Byrd Texas 16 Hudson Los Angeles 16 FFrancisco Texas 10 Cordero Cincinnati 13 Cincinnati (Cueto 4-2) at Milwaukee (Looper 4-3), 8:05 p.m. at Mil -105 Cin -105
Callaspo Kansas City 16 Kotchman Atlanta 16 Jenks Chicago 10 Franklin St. Louis 12 San Diego (C.Young 4-2) at Colorado (Marquis 6-3), 9:10 p.m. at Col -130 SD +120
Get everything you need to Lind Toronto 16 Beltran New York 15 Sherrill Baltimore 10 Qualls Arizona 12 Atlanta (Jurrjens 4-2) at Arizona (Garland 4-3), 9:40 p.m. Atl -130 at Ari +120
dominate your fantasy league at BRoberts Baltimore 16 FLopez Arizona 15 MaRivera New York 9 Broxton Los Angeles 11
sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseball St. Louis (Pineiro 5-4) at San Francisco (Cain 5-1), 10:15 p.m. at SF -120 SL +110
Three tied 15 HaRamirez Florida 15 Three tied 8 Hoffman Milwaukee 11.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 23
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 2, Tampa Bay 1 Boston 3, Minnesota 1

Rookie helps add to Rays’ woes in Cleveland Young ump rings ’em up
MINNEAPOLIS—Getaway day Red Sox 3, Twins 1
CLEVELAND—The Tampa Bay Rays Indians 2, Rays 1 started a little bit early for the Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ellsbury cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .302
limped out of town, hoping a homestand Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Pedroia 2b 3 0 0 1 0 0 .333
will help the them get back on track. B.Upton cf 4 0 1 0 1 1 .192 Twins. J.Drew rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .252
Crawford lf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .317 Youkilis 1b 2 0 1 0 2 0 .375
Rookie David Huff and four relievers Longoria 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .324 Jason Varitek hit two home Lowell 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .303
combined to stifle the Rays and Victor C.Pena 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .239 runs, then was one of four people D.Ortiz dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .194
W.Aybar 2b 4 1 2 1 0 2 .284 Varitek c 3 2 2 2 0 1 .248
Martinez drove in both runs for the Zobrist ss-rf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .304 ejected by young umpire Todd Kottaras c 1 0 1 0 0 0 .200
Cleveland Indians in a 2-1 victory Thurs- Dillon dh 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Tichenor during separate argu- J.Bailey lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .188
a-Gross ph-dh 2 0 0 0 0 1 .250 Lugo ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 .260
day, completing a four-game sweep of the Kapler rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .188 ments in the seventh inning of Totals 30 3 6 3 4 3
defending American League champions. Brignac ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200 Boston’s 3-1 victory over Minne-
Navarro c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .215 Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
The Rays have lost five in a row over- Totals 35 1 8 1 2 9 sota on Thursday. Span cf 3 0 0 0 0 3 .311
all and 17 straight in Cleveland, the lon- The 32-year-old Tichenor, up Mauer dh-c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .407
Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Morneau 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .342
gest road losing streak against one team A.Cabrera ss 4 1 2 0 0 0 .321 from the Triple-A Pacific Coast Kubel rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .331
in club history. It was the first four-game Sizemore dh 3 0 1 0 1 1 .223 League, gave the boot to both Crede 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .240
V.Martinez 1b 4 0 1 2 0 2 .359 B.Harris ss 3 0 2 0 1 0 .274
sweep for the Indians since they did it to Choo rf 3 0 0 0 1 2 .289 catchers and both managers dur- Delm.Young lf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .245
the Rays July 10-13 at Progressive Field. Jh.Peralta 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .267 ing a wild seventh inning that Redmond c 2 0 0 0 0 0 .250
Garko lf 3 0 0 0 0 3 .261 Henn p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
“Maybe next time we come in, we’ll Crowe cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .182 ended with Red Sox starter Josh a-Cuddyer ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .284
have some candles and holy water,” Rays B.Francisco cf-lf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .259 Beckett giving a dismissive wave Ayala p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Valbuena 2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .182 b-Buscher ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .183
manager Joe Maddon said. “I have no Shoppach c 3 1 1 0 0 0 .228 toward home plate in disgust. Tolbert 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .200
good explanation for this.” Totals 29 2 7 2 2 11 “Everybody handles things Totals 30 1 5 1 4 10
The Rays’ run came on Willy Aybar’s Tampa Bay 000 001 000 — 1 8 0 differently,” Red Sox manager Boston 000 010 200 — 3 6 0
homer in the sixth, which was upheld Cleveland 001 010 00x — 2 7 0 Terry Francona said of Tichenor. Minnesota 010 000 000 — 1 5 0
after using video replay. DAVID RICHARD / AP LOB: Tampa Bay 9, Cleveland 6. 2B: Zobrist (12), “It looked like he had his hands a-walked for Henn in the 7th. b-struck out for Ayala
Aybar’s 1-0 pitch to right field was just Sizemore (11), B.Francisco (10), Shoppach (3). HR: full today. Their guys were get- in the 9th. LOB: Boston 6, Minnesota 7. 2B: J.Bailey
Cleveland P David Huff gave up just four hits but didn’t get the victory Thursday against Tampa Bay. W.Aybar (3), off J.Lewis. RBIs: W.Aybar (12), V.Martinez (3), B.Harris (5). HR: Varitek 2 (10), off Swarzak 2;
out of the reach of a leaping Shin-Soo 2 (36). SB: B.Upton (15). S: B.Francisco. Runners left ting ejected, we’re getting Crede (9), off Beckett. RBIs: Pedroia (17), Varitek 2
Choo. Replays showed the ball hit the who went 2-5 against the Florida Mar- Herges (1-0) struck out Evan Longoria in scoring position: Tampa Bay 4 (W.Aybar, Navarro, (ejected). That’s probably not (22), Crede (22). S: Span. SF: Pedroia. Runners left
Longoria 2); Cleveland 5 (Choo 2, Valbuena 2, Jh.Peralta). in scoring position: Boston 1 (Lowell); Minnesota 4
yellow line atop the wall before carom- lins and Cleveland, placing their short- to end the seventh inning with B.J. Upton DP: Tampa Bay 1 (Zobrist, C.Pena). your goal of the game.” (Redmond, Morneau, Tolbert, Buscher). DP: Boston 1
ing back into the field of play. First base stop, second baseman, closer and staff on second to preserve the slim lead. Joe Crede hit a home run in his (Pedroia, Lugo, Youkilis); Minnesota 2 (B.Harris, Tolbert,
Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Morneau), (Crede, Tolbert, Morneau).
umpire Angel Hernandez immediately ace on the disabled list in the span of a “He’s a lot better than I am,” Herges Niemann L, 4-4 3 5 1 1 1 4 53 4.44 return from a three-game
ruled it a home run, prompting Indians week. Now they return home to open a said of Longoria. “Anytime I get him out, Cormier 3 2 1 1 1 4 44 2.19 absence because of a bruised Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Howell 2 0 0 0 0 3 22 2.63 Beckett W, 5-2 7 3 1 1 4 8 111 4.60
manager Eric Wedge to argue. After a three-game series against the Minnesota I’ll take it. He’s going to get me a lot more Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA hand, but Beckett (5-2) was too Okajima H, 8 1 1 0 0 0 1 15 2.57
90-second video review, crew chief Tim Twins, having dropped six games back than I’ll get him.” D.Huff 4 4 0 0 1 2 71 10.97 much for the Twins. He allowed Papelbon S, 13-14 1 1 0 0 0 1 19 2.45
J.Lewis 1 1⁄3 3 1 1 0 1 28 5.54 Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Welke confirmed the call. of Boston in the A.L. East. Asdrubal Cabrera reached on a bunt Herges W, 1-0 H, 1 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 3 30 1.35 one run on three hits with four Swarzak L, 1-1 6 5 3 3 4 3 103 2.08
“You ask four people what they saw on “It was a strange series, all in all,” single in the third off starter Jeff Nie- R.Betancourt H, 7 1 0 0 0 1 2 17 3.71 walks and eight strikeouts in Crain 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 6 7.43
K.Wood S, 8-10 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 6.35 Henn 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 11 4.15
the replay, two of them are going to be Maddon said. “We need to play some mann (4-4). He scored on a groundout seven innings. Ayala 2 1 0 0 0 0 14 4.37
adamant that it was not a home run and games at home. We need to get our mojo by Martinez, who singled to drive home Niemann pitched to 1 batter in the 4th. Inherited Jacoby Ellsbury went 0-for-3
runners-scored: Cormier 1-0, Herges 1-0. WP: Cormier. Swarzak pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Inherited
two will be adamant that it was a home back.” Kelly Shoppach in the fifth for the game’s Balk: J.Lewis. Umpires: Home, Jim Reynolds; First, to snap a 22-game hitting streak. runners-scored: Crain 1-0, Henn 1-1. HBP: by Henn
run,” Wedge said. “I’m not talking about The Indians’ bullpen, which has only other run. Angel Hernandez; Second, Bill Welke; Third, Tim Welke. T: But Varitek hit solo homers off (Ellsbury). Umpires: Home, Todd Tichenor; First, Jerry
2:48 (Rain delay: 2:40). A: 27,356 (45,199). Layne; Second, Tony Randazzo; Third, Chris Guccione. T:
umpires, I’m talking players, fans, struggled much of this season, excelled The Indians’ bullpen did the rest. Over Anthony Swarzak (1-1) to lead off 2:56. A: 23,958 (46,632).
coaches, whoever it may be. But I appre- Thursday. Jensen Lewis, Matt Herges, their last 18 innings—all against Tampa the fifth and seventh innings, the
ciate the fact they went in and took a look Rafael Betancourt and Kerry Wood Bay—Tribe relievers have allowed one first first time the switch-hitter
at it. It has to be their choice. When they combined to hold Tampa Bay to one run run on 13 hits. It has allowed the Indians has hit two home runs in a game
do that, you have to respect what they on four hits over five innings after a 2 to rally for victories from 10-0 and 5-0 off righthanded pitchers since
come up with.” hour, 40-minute rain delay in the fourth deficits in the series. 2004.
It was a difficult road trip for the Rays, inning knocked out Huff. — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 24
AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE
Baltimore 5, Detroit 1 L.A. Dodgers 2, Chicago Cubs 1

Kids are all right: O’s win again Dodgers add to Cubs’ losing ways
Dodgers 2, Cubs 1
BALTIMORE—Add David Hernandez to Orioles 5, Tigers 1 CHICAGO—Joe Torre stuck with
Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
the expanding list of Baltimore Orioles Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Ramon Troncoso and the Dodgers Pierre lf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .407
rookie pitchers who have collected a Thomas lf 2 0 1 1 2 0 .264 reliever rewarded his manager for the Furcal ss 3 1 1 1 1 0 .240
a-Raburn ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .244 Hudson 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .340
win and a game ball following their Polanco 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .263 vote of confidence. Loney 1b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .298
first major league start. Ordonez rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .263 Troncoso wriggled out of a bases- Blake 3b 3 0 0 1 1 2 .301
Mi.Cabrera 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .366 Ethier rf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .257
Hernandez took a four-hitter into the Granderson cf 3 0 2 0 1 1 .254 loaded jam in the ninth after Randy Martin c 3 0 1 0 1 0 .263
sixth inning, Luke Scott homered twice Inge 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .269 Wolf pitched impressively into the Kemp cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .295
Larish dh 3 0 1 0 1 1 .228 Wolf p 3 0 0 0 0 2 .083
and had four RBIs, and the Orioles 1-J.Anderson pr-dh 0 0 0 0 0 0 .302 eighth inning, helping Los Angeles Troncoso p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Thursday Laird c 2 1 0 0 2 0 .238 beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Thurs- Totals 33 2 8 2 3 9
Santiago ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .329 Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
night for their season-high fourth Totals 30 1 5 1 7 5 day night for its fourth straight A.Soriano lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .253
straight victory. victory. Theriot ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 .286
Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Bradley rf 3 0 1 0 1 1 .204
Nolan Reimold also homered for the B.Roberts 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .306 Juan Pierre had two hits and scored D.Lee 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .250
Orioles. The rookie has connected in Ad.Jones cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .357 a run for the Dodgers, who have the Re.Johnson cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .239
Markakis rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .297 Soto c 3 0 1 0 1 1 .218
three straight games and has five in 14 A.Huff 1b 1 1 1 0 2 0 .273 best record in baseball at 34-15. The Fontenot 3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .220
games since being recalled from Tri- Mora 3b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .276 Cubs have lost nine of 11. a-Scales ph-2b 2 1 1 1 0 1 .270
Scott dh 4 2 2 4 0 0 .318 A.Blanco 2b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .167
ple-A Norfolk on May 14. Reimold lf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .264 Wolf (3-1) allowed one run and six b-J.Fox ph-3b 2 0 1 0 0 1 .667
Hernandez (1-0) allowed one run, Zaun c 3 0 0 0 0 1 .209 hits. He struck out seven and walked R.Wells p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
C.Izturis ss 3 0 2 0 0 0 .256 Heilman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Totals 31 5 11 5 2 5 one. c-K.Hill ph 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286
Recalled from Norfolk before the game, Troncoso pitched the ninth after d-Fukudome ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .311
Detroit 000 010 000 — 1 5 0 Ascanio p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
the righthander became the fourth Baltimore 010 010 03x — 5 11 2 Torre let him bat in the top of the A.Guzman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
NAM Y HUH / AP Totals 32 1 9 1 3 10
Oriole this season to win his first inning. Torre wanted to give Jonathan
a-flied out for Thomas in the 9th. 1-ran for Larish in the Dodgers 2B Orlando Hudson, right, forced
start—joining Koji Uehara, Brad ROB CARR / AP 8th. E: Zaun (4), Mora (3). LOB: Detroit 10, Baltimore 5. Broxton the night off after he walked Los Angeles 101 000 000 — 2 8 0
2B: Larish (1), A.Huff (14). HR: Scott (7), off Galarraga; Chicago’s Reed Johnson’s at second base. Chicago 000 000 010 — 1 9 0
Bergesen and Jason Berken. three in Wednesday’s win at
Baltimore’s Luke Scott hit a solo homer in the Reimold (5), off Galarraga; Scott (8), off Perry. RBIs: a-homered for Fontenot in the 8th. b-singled for
These are truly good times for the second inning and a three-run shot in the eighth. Thomas (9), Scott 4 (22), Reimold (10). SB: Granderson Colorado. twice with nobody out in the eighth A.Blanco in the 8th. c-was announced for Heilman in the
Orioles, who will add catching pros- (8). CS: A.Huff (4). S: Polanco. Runners left in scor- Chicago had the bases loaded with and ninth inning and we feel like you 8th. d-walked for K.Hill in the 8th. LOB: Los Angeles 7,
ing position: Detroit 7 (Inge 2, Ordonez, Santiago 2, Chicago 7. 2B: Ethier (10), D.Lee (7). HR: Scales (2), off
pect Matt Wieters to the mix tonight. (today), so hopefully we can pie him.” Mi.Cabrera, Laird); Baltimore 2 (Markakis, Reimold). one out but Troncoso struck out Bobby got to feel confident coming out of Wolf. RBIs: Furcal (10), Blake (33), Scales (6). SB: Pierre
“Everybody is jumping around. Scott hit a solo shot in the second DP: Detroit 3 (Inge, Polanco, Mi.Cabrera), (Inge, Polanco, Scales, whose leadoff homer in the those two situations with at least one (10), Kemp 2 (11). Runners left in scoring position:
Mi.Cabrera), (Inge, Polanco, Mi.Cabrera); Baltimore 2 Los Angeles 6 (Ethier 2, Pierre, Martin, Troncoso 2);
Everybody is happy. Everybody has inning and a three-run drive in the (Mora, B.Roberts, A.Huff), (Mora, B.Roberts, A.Huff). eighth ended Wolf’s night, and Jake run and we were not able to do it.” Chicago 4 (Fontenot, Theriot, J.Fox 2). DP: Los Angeles
smiles on everybody’s faces,” center eighth off Ryan Perry. It was Scott’s Fox for his third save. Reminiscent of last year’s three- 4 (Furcal, Hudson, Loney), (Furcal, Loney), (Blake, Hud-
Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA son, Loney), (Hudson, Furcal, Loney); Chicago 2 (Theriot,
fielder Adam Jones said. “The team is sixth career two-homer game, and gave Galarraga L, 3-5 7 10 3 3 1 4 100 5.50 “Troncoso was amazing, got on that game sweep of the Cubs in the division A.Blanco, D.Lee), (Re.Johnson, A.Blanco, D.Lee).
getting a little younger, but it is getting him three longballs in two starts since Seay 1⁄3 0 1 1 1 0 8 5.65 high wire and then just wiggled him- series, the Dodgers got a strong outing
Perry 2⁄3 1 1 1 0 1 11 2.70 Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
more interesting. Everybody is enjoy- returning from the disabled list on Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA self off. It was terrific,” Torre said. from their starter. Wolf kept Chicago Wolf W, 3-1 7 6 1 1 1 7 109 2.84
ing it.” Wednesday. Hernandez W, 1-0 5 2⁄3 5 1 1 4 3 108 1.59 “He’s either scared or in control. I’m in check with his breaking pitches. Troncoso S, 3-3 2 3 0 0 2 3 31 1.95
Albers H, 3 1 0 0 0 2 1 17 4.91 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Jones finished the proceedings by “He’s hit some big, big shots for us,” Ji.Johnson H, 8 1 1⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 14 3.28 not worried about him anymore in After giving up a leadoff single in the R.Wells L, 0-2 7 8 2 2 1 7 111 1.80
stuffing a shaving-cream pie into Her- manager Dave Trembley said. Sherrill 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 2.61 those situations.” fifth, he struck out the side. Heilman 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 5.23
Ascanio 1⁄3 0 0 0 2 0 16 3.86
nandez’s face during the rookie’s post- Armando Galarraga (3-5) gave up Galarraga pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. Inherited After watching his team blow scor- “I finally had my fastball velocity A.Guzman 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 6 2.95
game interview. One day earlier, three runs and 10 hits over seven-plus runners-scored: Seay 1-0, Perry 2-2, Albers 2-0, ing opportunities in the eighth and back, couple of starts I was down a lit- Wolf pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. Inherited runners-
Ji.Johnson 1-0. HBP: by Galarraga (A.Huff). Umpires: scored: A.Guzman 2-0. IBB: off Troncoso (Soto).
Reimold got the pie treatment after hit- innings in losing his fifth straight Home, Adrian Johnson; First, Larry Vanover; Second, ninth, Cubs manager Lou Piniella tle bit, but I felt a lot stronger today,” Umpires: Home, Mark Wegner; First, Tim Timmons;
ting a game-ending homer in the 11th decision. Dan Iassogna; Third, Sam Holbrook. T: 2:46. A: 11,937 declined to talk to the media after the Wolf said. Second, Jeff Kellogg; Third, Rob Drake. T: 2:51. A:
(48,290). 39,579 (41,210).
against Toronto. “He pitched very well,” Detroit man- game. Wolf’s lone mistake came in the
How long can this continue? ager Jim Leyland said. “He gave us a “You feel like we had some good eighth, when Scales went deep on a 3-2
“As long as we keep winning,” Jones chance to win.” chances late in the game,” Reed John- pitch. He was replaced by Troncoso. Cubs’ Zambrano
said. “I guess Wieters will be here — The Associated Press son said. “Runners on first and second — The Associated Press suspended, Page 19
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Rehabbed but rusty Brady knows repeat of 589 points unlikely
FOXBOROUGH, MASS.—It might be time to
dump a big bucket of water on New
England.
Should Patriots fans be excited about
Tom Brady’s return? Absolutely.
The return of perhaps the league’s best
quarterback—maybe, best ever—will be a
major boon for an offense
that hit record-breaking
heights the last time
Brady made it through a
season and remained in
the top five without him.
But expecting the Patri-
ots to reach their offensive
Albert Breer heights of 2007 is a bit
PRO FOOTBALL ridiculous. Maybe more
than a bit.
That’s not to say anything appeared to be
wrong with Brady on Thursday, taking the
field in view of the media for the first time
since tearing his left ACL and MCL last
September.
The quarterback admitted to being rusty,
and in cold, damp conditions he didn’t hit
every receiver in stride. Yet, even looking
closely, outside of seeing a brace poking
through his sweatpants, it was hard to tell
Brady ever had been injured. Or that he
looked any different from the other 70-some
players in a late May practice.
Still, even if he does regain ’07 form, and
his teammates do, too, plenty would have to
go right to match that record output.
“I know the kind of effort we put in in
’07,” Brady said. “We need to match that.
And ’08, we worked hard that offseason; it
didn’t work out for us in the end. This year
is another bit of excitement. It’s a new chal-
lenge, and that’s why we’re here.”
That’s Brady himself tapping the brakes
in the wake of comments from Wes Welker
and Randy Moss earlier this week. Both
indicated that the ’09 offense could eclipse
the production of its forerunner.
So as Brady takes his final steps back, it’s
important to remember a few things:
In 2007, when a then 30-year-old Tom Brady threw 50 TD passes, he was the oldest QB to throw more than 40 TDs in one season.
Brady threw 50 touchdown passes in
2007. His previous high was 28 (’02 and
’04). His weaponry in ’07, of course, was
the best he’d ever had. Even then, only three
others have thrown as many as 40 touch-
down passes in a season, and only one (Dan
Marino) has done so twice. When Brady
crossed that threshold at age 30, he became
the oldest to do so.
The Patriots scored an NFL-record
NFL
589 points in ’07. Previously, Brady led
only one offense to more than 400 and that
one notched 437. Moss has been a part of
five offenses to score 400, but just two—the
’98 Vikings and ’07 Patriots—blew past
437. Only 10 offenses in the Super Bowl era
have hit 500.
It’s fair to assume chemistry between
Moss, Welker, Brady and the line will
improve. That unit quickly jelled as new
ELISE AMENDOLA / AP
partners in ’07, and time adds to that. But
the rest of the league now has plenty of tape
on those guys as a group.
Is it a coincidence that the Patriots were
held under 400 yards four times during
the 16-0 run and each occasion came in the
second half of the season? And that three of
those came in the final five weeks? Or that
the club’s offensive production declined
sharply weekly in the playoffs? Or maybe it
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 25
was actually tougher to prepare against
that array of talent—remember, Moss’
Vikings were most productive, by far, his
rookie year—when there wasn’t a whole lot
of tape to study?
The ’07 Patriots were remarkably
healthy. There was one big injury, to Sammy
Morris, a pretty good running back in a
high-flying offense. Also, complementary
receivers Donte’ Stallworth and Jabar Gaff-
ney are gone, replaced by Joey Galloway
and Greg Lewis (32 combined catches last
season).
Now, that doesn’t mean the ’09 Patriots
can’t counter any negative that could be
conjured. It’s just to say that sometimes, it’s
worth tempering optimism.
Randy Moss told ESPN.com that, “I think
that we could be a little bit better than two
years ago.” Wes Welker, talking to Sports
Illustrated, said, “I feel we’ve gotten better.”
Maybe. But the opposing defenses also
should show improvement at handling
these Patriots. Brady, even a year removed
from NFL realities, seems wise to that.
“We’re trying to do something special,
and we haven’t had the kind of season we’d
like in going on our fifth year,” Brady said.
“There’ve been some ups and downs, and I
think we need to realize you need to be
extremely consistent in everything you do
to accomplish your goals. It is challenging.”
Because of this special quarterback and a
special coach and a rooted-in system that’s
been humming along for nearly a decade,
the ’09 Patriots again have a real chance to,
as Brady says, “do something special.” It’s
why they’re prohibitive favorites, even if
the Steelers have won two Super Bowls
since the Patriots won their last.
But as for matching the ’07 production,
just know that it’s unprecedented—in fact,
no one’s come close—for a group of players
to repeat such a run.
And if the ’09 Patriots don’t, well, that’ll
hardly be reason to sound the alarms.
abreer@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 26
DEFENSE
Remaining free agents Defensive ends—Kevin Carter, Tampa Bay; Earl Cochran, Scouts’ views
A quick look at the remaining NFL free agents by position Houston; Sean Conover, NY Jets; Nick Eason, Pittsburgh;

Kicker rankings: Pats’ Gostkowski rises to the top

(R-restricted free agent, F-franchise tagged player):
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks—Brooks Bollinger, Dallas; Ken Dorsey,
Cleveland; Gus Frerotte, Minnesota; Charlie Frye, Seattle;
Drew Henson, Detroit; Quinn Gray, Kansas City; Trent Green,
St. Louis; Rex Grossman, Chicago; Brad Johnson, Dallas; J.P.
Losman, Buffalo; Jamie Martin, San Francisco; Craig Nall,
Houston; Marques Tuiasosopo, Oakland; Anthony Wright, NY
Giants.
Running backs—J.J. Arrington, Denver; Darian Barnes,
New Orleans; Tatum Bell, Denver; Brian Calhoun, Detroit; Jesse
Chatman, NY Jets; P.J. Daniels, Baltimore; Reuben Droughns,
NY Giants; Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay; DeShaun Foster, San
Francisco; Samkon Gado, St. Louis; Nick Goings, Carolina;
Ahman Green, Houston; Andre Hall, Denver; Kay-Jay Harris,
NY Giants; Maurice Hicks, Minnesota; Edgerrin James, Arizona;
Rudi Johnson, Detroit; Deuce McAllister, New Orleans; Travis
Minor, St. Louis; Chris Perry, Cincinnati; Andrew Pinnock,
Denver; Michael Pittman, Denver; P.J. Pope, Denver; Cecil Sapp,
Houston; Aaron Stecker, New Orleans; Selvin Young, Denver.
Wide receivers—Drew Bennett, St. Louis; Marty Booker,
Chicago; Drew Carter, Oakland; Jason Carter; Carolina; Keary
Colbert, Detroit; Jayson Foster, Denver; D.J. Hackett, Carolina;
Dante Hall, St. Louis; Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis; Ike
Hilliard, Tampa Bay; Darrell Jackson, Denver; Nate Jackson,
Denver; Matt Jones, Jacksonville; Joe Jurevicius, Cleveland;
Ashley Lelie, Oakland; Brandon Lloyd, Chicago; Dane Looker,
St. Louis; Marcus Maxwell, Baltimore; Anthony Mix, Tampa
Bay; Ben Obomanu (R), Seattle; Tab Perry, Miami; Jerry Porter,
Jacksonville; Kevin Robinson, Kansas City; Koren Robinson,
Seattle; Edell Shepherd, Denver; Travis Taylor, Detroit; Amani
Toomer, NY Giants; Kelley Washington, New England; Todd
Watkins (R), Oakland; Harry Williams, Houston; Reggie
Williams, Jacksonville; Wallace Wright (R), NY Jets.
Tight ends—Courtney Anderson, Houston; Adam Bergen,
Denver; Mark Bruener, Houston; Owen Daniels (R), Houston;
Nate Lawrie, Cincinnati; Michael Merritt, Kansas City; Chad
Mustard, Denver; Rob Myers, NY Jets; Jeff Robinson, Seattle;
Derek Schouman (R), Buffalo; Stephen Spach (R), Arizona;
Daniel Wilcox, Baltimore; Kris Wilson, San Diego.
Offensive tackles—Tyson Clabo (R), Atlanta; Anthony
Davis, St. Louis; Jon Dunn, Detroit; Wayne Gandy, Atlanta;
Kwame Harris, Oakland; Jonas Jennings, San Francisco; Levi
Jones, Cincinnati; Kyle Link, NY Jets; James Marten (R), Oak-
land; Fred Miller, Chicago; Rob Petitti, St. Louis; Jon Runyan,
Kalimba Edwards, Oakland; Ebenezer Ekuban, Denver; John
Engelberger, Denver; Simon Fraser, Atlanta; Roderick Green,
San Francisco; Brian Johnston, Kansas City; Travis LaBoy,
Arizona; Jayme Mitchell, Minnesota; Jerome McDougle, NY
Giants; Julius Peppers (F), Carolina; Josh Savage, New Orleans; Evaluating kickers is more than just and most accurate legs, as close to
Anthony Weaver, Houston; James Wyche, Jacksonville. checking their stats. Still, you can’t be an a sure thing as any kicker. He has
Defensive tackles—Kenderick Allen, Minnesota; Gary
elite kicker unless you make the clutch kicks. connected on 6-of-8 field-goal
Gibson, Carolina; La’Roi Glover, St. Louis; Vonnie Holliday, RealScouts, SN Today’s team of former NFL attempts from 50-plus yards the
Miami; Antwan Lake, New Orleans; Langston Moore, Detroit;
Kindal Moorehead, Atlanta; Dewayne Robertson, Denver; scouts, rank their Top 10 kickers for ‘09: last three years.
Orpheus Roye, Pittsburgh; Hollis Thomas, New Orleans; Josh
Thomas, Indianapolis; John Thornton, Cincinnati; Casey Tyler,
Dallas; Darwin Walker, Carolina; Ellis Wyms, Minnesota; Brian
Young, New Orleans; Jeff Zgonina, Houston.
1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots. In
just his third NFL season,
Gostkowski set team records for
5. Kris Brown, Texans. RB Steve
Slaton has given the Texans
the needed complement to QB
Linebackers—Rufus Alexander, Indianapolis; Jason Babin,
Kansas City; Rocky Boiman, Kansas City; Derrick Brooks, Tampa points and field goals in a Matt Schaub and WR Andre
Bay; Khary Campbell, Washington; Anthony Cannon, Detroit; season, and he did it with a Johnson. The result is one of the
Dan Cody, Baltimore; Rosevelt Colvin, New England; Donte’
backup quarterback getting him NFL’s most productive offenses,
Curry, Carolina; Donnie Edwards, Kansas City; Keith Ellison (R),
into field-goal position. New translating into more scoring
Buffalo; Troy Evans, New Orleans; Gilbert Gardner, Chicago;
Curtis Gatewood, Kansas City; Morlon Greenwood, Houston; England didn’t boast much of a chances for Brown.
Marques Harris, San Diego; Napoleon Harris, Minnesota; Abdul running game, either. With Tom
Hodge (R), Cincinnati; Mike Humpal, Pittsburgh; Brad Kassell,
NY Jets; Jason Kyle, Carolina; Teddy Lehman, Buffalo; Wesly
Mallard, Seattle; Jim Maxwell, Cincinnati; Willie McGinest,
Brady healthy, Gostkowski
should improve on his 90
percent completion rate and once
6. Robbie Gould, Bears. He doesn’t
have a big leg but has been
accurate in tough weather
Cleveland; Marques Murrell (R), NY Jets; Ryan Nece, Detroit;
Shantee Orr, Cleveland; Antwan Peek, Cleveland; Carlos Polk, again contend for the NFL points conditions. New QB Jay Cutler
Dallas; Junior Seau, New England; Matt Sinclair, Washington; title. should get Gould in striking
Gary Stills, St. Louis; Terrell Suggs (F), Baltimore; Dontarrious
range much more often this year.
Thomas, Minnesota; Pisa Tinoisamoa, St. Louis; Marcus
Washington, Washington; Nate Webster, Denver.
Cornerbacks—David Barrett, NY Jets; Fakhir Brown, St.
Louis; Terry Cousin, Cleveland; Jason Craft, St. Louis; Travis
2. John Kasay, Panthers. He turns
40 in October and doesn’t
kickoff anymore, but he started the
Look for a significant increase in
Gould’s point production.
Fisher, Detroit; Reynaldo Hill, Tennessee; William James,
Jacksonville; Michael Lehan, New Orleans; Sam Madison,
NY Giants; Ricky Manning Jr., St. Louis; Derrick Martin (R),
’08 season by connecting on 16
consecutive field-goal attempts.
He’s deadly accurate, and with a
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals. Rackers
bounced back from a couple of
down years to connect on 89.3
Baltimore; Chris McAlister, Baltimore; Mike McKenzie, New
Orleans; R.W. McQuarters, NY Giants; Deltha O’Neal, New punishing rushing attack and a percent of field-goal attempts last
England; Dunta Robinson (F), Houston; Lewis Sanders, passing game led by the steady season. He hasn’t put together two
New England; Duane Starks, Jacksonville; Brandon Sumrall,
hand of Jake Delhomme, he’ll have good consecutive seasons over his
NY Giants; DeJuan Tribble, San Diego; Jason Webster, New
plenty of chances to score. career and doesn’t have a strong leg,
England; Jimmy Williams, Houston; Stanley Wilson, Detroit.
Safeties—Oshiomogho Atogwe (F), St. Louis; Michael which limits his scoring chances. JULIE JACOBSON / AP
Boulware, Minnesota; Mike Brown, Chicago; Oliver Celestin,
Kansas City; Corey Chavous, St. Louis; Will Demps, Houston;
Mike Doss, Cincinnati; Hiram Eugene, Oakland; Mike Green,
3. Jason Elam, Falcons. He moved
from the rarified air of Denver
Sure, he plays with a high-powered
offense, but the Cardinals are about
Stephen Gostkowski, right, converted 36 of 40 field-goal attempts last season.

Philadelphia; Charles Spencer, Jacksonville; Barry Stokes, New

England; Mark Tauscher, Green Bay; Mark Wilson (R), Oakland.
Guards—Lennie Friedman, Cleveland; Pete Kendall,
Washington; Rodney Harrison, New England; Terrence Holt,
New Orleans; Dexter Jackson, Cincinnati; Sammy Knight, NY
Giants; Marquand Manuel, Denver; Marlon McCree, Denver;
to the friendly indoor confines of
the Georgia Dome last year, and he
responded with a career high 93.5
scoring touchdowns—37 percent of
his points last season were extra-
point kicks.
retirement, Longwell will compete
for the league scoring title. 10. Jason Hanson, Lions. It’s hard
to be a standout on a 0-16
team, but Hanson was every bit of
Washington; Matt Lentz, Detroit; Terrence Metcalf, Chicago;
Edwin Mulitalo, Detroit; Chris Naeole, Jacksonville; Grey
Ruegamer, NY Giants; Kendall Simmons, Pittsburgh; Rob Sims
(R), Seattle; Jason Whittle, Buffalo.
Lawyer Milloy, Atlanta; Chad Nkang, Jacksonville; Jarrad Page
(R), Kansas City; Pierson Prioleau, Jacksonville; Chris Reis (R),
New Orleans; Dwight Smith, Detroit; Jimmy Williams, San
percent completion rate in field-
goal attempts, including 11-of-12
from beyond 40 yards. Elam, 39, is 8. Ryan Longwell, Vikings. Lon-
gwell doesn’t handle kickoff
9. Lawrence Tynes, Giants. Though
John Carney was awesome
last year, earning Pro Bowl
that last season. Though the
Lions offense only provided him
22 field-goal chances, he con-
Francisco; Cameron Worrell, Chicago.
Centers—Brennen Carvalho, Green Bay; Jean-Philippe playing indoors behind what duties but has a strong and accu- honors for the Giants, Tynes is nected on 21 of them, including
Darche, Kansas City; Melvin Fowler, Buffalo; Matt Lehr, New SPECIAL TEAMS should be an explosive offense, so rate leg. He missed on some the one who got the contract 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards and
Orleans; Andy McCollum, Detroit; Jeremy Newberry, San Kickers—John Carney, NY Giants; Matt Stover, Baltimore.
Diego; Scott Peters, Arizona; Cory Withrow, St. Louis.
look for more of the same in ’09. mid-range kicks last season but extension. Tynes is younger and 14-of-14 from 40-plus yards.
Punters—Mitch Berger, Pittsburgh; Mike Dragosavich, was deadly from outside 50 yards, has a stronger leg, and he proved — RealScouts analyzes NFL and college players,
Indianapolis; Sam Koch (R), Baltimore; Kyle Larson, Cincinnati;
Ryan Plackemeier, Cincinnati.
4. Rob Bironas, Titans. Bironas
boasts one of the strongest
hitting all six attempts. If Brett
Favre actually does come out of
in the ’07 Super Bowl run that he
can make pressure kicks.
coaches and teams exclusively
for Sporting News Today.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Chargers reject proposal for $1 billion stadium as too big
The San Diego Chargers rejected a
developer’s proposal to build a $1 bil-
lion stadium as part of a redevelop-
ment of the land surrounding
Qualcomm Stadium.
Hours before the project was to be
announced Thursday, attorney Mark
Fabiani sent the developer a letter say-
ing the Chargers wanted him to stop
referring to the team in promoting
the project. The team says the project
would be too enormous for the Mis-
sion Valley site.
Southern California’s only NFL
team has said since 2002 it needs a
new stadium to remain financially
competitive.
The proposal would have included
a 70,000-seat stadium, a hotel and
other amenities.
The NFL Players Association is
asking a federal judge to keep the
suspensions of five players on hold
while the case over use of a banned
substance is appealed.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Paul
Magnuson threw out most claims by
Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Wil-
liams and Pat Williams, and all claims
involving three New Orleans Saints
players. Magnuson says players are
responsible for what they ingest.
On Thursday, the NFL players
union asked for an injunction so the
five players won’t have to serve their
four-game suspensions while the
issue is being weighed by an appeals
court.
Earlier in the case, the judge
granted a similar request that put the
suspensions on hold while the case
was in federal court.
Will Smith, Deuce McAllister and Charles
Grant are the three Saints.
Titans CB Nick Harper has under-
gone LASIK surgery to improve his
eyesight and says it could greatly
improve his ability to make
interceptions.
“I can tell a big, big difference,”
Harper told The Tennessean. “It’s like
night and day. I couldn’t believe I was
that blind. Now, I should be able to
catch some of those balls I dropped.
That might’ve cost me going to the
Pro Bowl. I think I dropped seven
interceptions last year.
“I thought the contacts would help,
but they would always pop out dur-
ing the games and I got tired of that.
So I quit wearing contacts in games.
“My vision was bad, that much I
do know—especially on deep balls.
Far away, it was fine. But as the ball
got closer, I would lose it.”
Colts CB Marlin Jackson was back
on the field, practicing Thursday
and surprising some because it nor-
mally takes players a full year to
recover from ACL surgery. Jackson
had his surgery Dec. 1. He says he
isn’t 100 percent yet.
RB Mike Hart might not be far behind
Jackson. Hart also tore his ACL in
October and said he could pretty
much do everything if asked.
The Broncos released RB J.J.
Arrington after he failed a physical
because of a balky right knee. The
Denver Post reported he will need
microfracture surgery on the knee.
Arrington figured to be a third-
down specialist, a role similar to the
one he played last season for the
Cardinals. He was one of three vet-
erans signed in free agency, along
with Correll Buckhalter and LaMont
NFL
INSIDE DISH
Jordan, after the team placed seven
backs on I.R. last season. The Bron-
cos also selected Knowshon Moreno
with the 12th overall pick.
Browns RB Jamal Lewis, who
had offseason arthroscopic ankle
surgery, looked good in practice
this week.
“I’ve always been impressed with
how physical and tough Jamal is,”
new Browns coach Eric Mangini told
The Orange & Brown Report. “This
system fits him and what I’ve seen
of him on tape has shown up on the
field.”
Lewis, who turns 30 in August,
has two 1,000-yard seasons in his
two years in Cleveland. He cur-
rently ranks 24th on the NFL’s all-
time rushing list at 10,107 yards.
Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson says
he was taken aback by Pro Bowl DT
Pat Williams’ claim that he wasn’t
working hard enough.
“It was kind of surprising, but it
is what it is,” Jackson told the St.
Paul Pioneer-Press. “I feel like I’m
doing what I’ve got to do. I put the
time in. Maybe I do have to put extra
time in. I guess when you’re not doing
as well, you’ve got to put the extra
time in. I feel like I’m working hard.
I’ve always been a hard worker. I’m
going to continue to do that.”
Ravens backup TE Quinn Syp-
niewski, who missed all of last season
after hurting his knee in training
camp, had a piece of a bone in his
knee reattached last week. Coach John
Harbaugh told The Baltimore Sun that
Sypniewski is “questionable” for the
start of training camp in late July.
Nick Harper hopes sharper eyesight will help him increase his INTs from two last season.
Harbaugh did report good news
on starting TE Todd Heap, who is
recovering from a lower back
injury. Harbaugh said Heap is
“improving very quickly.” Heap
JOHN RUSSELL / AP
practiced this week but did not take
part in any contact drills.
With WR Terrell Owens on the
opposite side, Bills WR Lee Evans is
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 27
looking forward to fewer double-
teams this season.
“I was double-covered a lot last
year. I think that will drop,” Evans
said via the team’s website. “It’s
hard to say by how much. I think
teams will just try to schematically
do different things that take people
away at certain times. It will be on
the quarterback to make the right
read on what the defense is trying to
do, see who’s open and make the
play.”
The Louisiana House has
approved a central piece of Gov.
Bobby Jindal’s deal to keep the Saints
in the Superdome.
The measure, now sent to the
Senate, would allow team owner
Tom Benson to act as the state’s land-
lord by letting the state lease office
space from Benson for up to two
decades. Benson plans to buy and
redevelop a vacant office complex
and a vacant former mall next to
the Superdome.
The Lions, after initially pen-
ciling in rookie DeAndre Levy at
middle linebacker, are now work-
ing him outside after signing ex-
Steeler Larry Foote to play in the
middle. The coaches told Booth
Newspapers that they aren’t sure
whether Levy, a third-round pick
from Wisconsin, fits better on the
weak side or strong side.
Former Lions DB/WR Terry
Barr, a rookie on Detroit’s last
championship team in 1957, died
Thursday at his Bloomfield Hills
home after a long battle with
Alzheimer’s disease. He was 73.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NASCAR FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 28

Earnhardt Jr. disappointed Hendrick: Chase still attainable for 88 team

pairing with Eury has ended
BY BOB POCKRASS
SceneDaily.com

Rick Hendrick has a simple mission for Dale Earn-

BY REID SPENCER
rspencer@sportingnews.com
DETROIT—What went wrong?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t sure why
his pairing with crew chief Tony
Eury Jr. stopped working. But Earn-
hardt’s level of commitment to mak-
ing things better is unquestioned—he
went as far as to tell team owner
Rick Hendrick that he would leave
the seat of the No. 88 Chevrolet if
that’s what it took.
Hendrick instead opted to remove
Eury, Earnhardt’s cousin, from the
crew chief’s position, breaking up a
combination that hasn’t enjoyed the
success that Earnhardt, Hendrick
and Eury had expected when Earn-
hardt and Eury came to Hendrick at
the start of the 2008 season from
family-founded Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Lance McGrew, who has worked
with Earnhardt in the Nationwide
Series, will serve as interim crew
chief for the No. 88 team. McGrew
will take over next weekend at
Pocono. Team manager Brian Whi-
tesell will serve as crew chief for
Earnhardt this weekend at Dover
International Speedway.
“We’re cousins, but we’re a lot like
brothers,” Earnhardt said Thursday
during an appearance for Michigan
International Speedway at Motor
City Casino. “We’ve been sort of at
odds with each other over the last
couple of weeks.
“As a whole, our relationship is
really, really strong, and we’ve
always really had a great enthusi-
asm to work together. We came to
Hendrick with a little bit of a risk.
We felt a lot of pressure when we
Starting this weekend, Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, no longer will have Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief.
went to Rick to work, but we jumped
in with both feet and really felt like
we were going to make it happen. It’s
really, really disappointing that it
didn’t work out like we wanted.”
Earnhardt hasn’t won a race since
June 2008 at Michigan. His only
other victory for Hendrick came in
his first competitive event with the
organization, the non-points Febru-
ary 2008 Budweiser Shootout.
The tipping point came at Lowe’s
Motor Speedway on Monday, where
Earnhardt fought an ill-handling
car all afternoon and finished 40th,
two laps down, in the rain-shortened
Coca-Cola 600. Even so, Earnhardt
struggled to identify the reasons
why his relationship with Eury sim-
ply stopped working.
“The only thing I can say was a
little bit of an issue was, most of last
year, we ran on right-front bump
stops, and we were running good
with that. And we had studied and
learned that. During the middle of
ERIK PEREL FOR SN
the season, (teammate) Jimmie
(Johnson) was trying some different
stuff, and he started having some
success with it.
“We started trying it and trying to
make it work and trying to learn it,
so we could be ready to go to the
Chase and not get our butts kicked,
and we really kind of got lost trying
to develop this other idea of how to
set the car up. And we got a way
from what was working and never
really regained that momentum
back.”
Ultimately, Earnhardt told Hen-
drick to do whatever he felt was nec-
essary to improve the team’s
performance.
Eury said in a team press release
that he has mixed feelings about the
switch, but called it “natural.”
“But I enjoy working at Hendrick
Motorsports, and this is where I
want to be,” Eury said.
— Reid Spencer writes for the
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
hardt Jr.’s new crew chief, Lance McGrew: Make the
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup or show enough
improvement that he thinks McGrew can lead Earn-
hardt Jr. back into championship contention.
If that doesn’t happen, expect more changes.
Hendrick announced Thursday that McGrew
would replace crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who will
assume McGrew’s research-and-development duties.
McGrew’s first race with Earnhardt Jr. will be next
week at Pocono. Earnhardt Jr. is 19th in the stand-
ings, 203 points out of 12th, with 14 races to go before
the 12-driver Chase field is set.
“The change we made is an effort to run better, and TERRY RENNA / AP
if we run better, we should have a shot at making the Rick Hendrick, above, said if this new crew chief arrangement for
Chase,” Hendrick said Thursday during a teleconfer- Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t work, he’ll keep looking for the right fit.
ence with reporters. “If we miss the Chase, I’ve got to
see some real momentum in this team before the end McGrew, who won the 2003 title in what is now the
of the year. I can’t go into the offseason thinking, ‘It’s Nationwide Series title with Brian Vickers and also
OK, and we’ll be good next year.’ You’ve got to see guided Kyle Busch in his first full season in NASCAR’s
some improvement, or you’ve got to change No. 2 series, has most recently worked with Brad Kes-
something. elowski in the No. 25 Sprint Cup car. He will work
“NASCAR needs Dale to run well because he’s got a with Keselowski this weekend and begin work with
tremendous following. We need him to run good Earnhardt Jr. next week because he has not worked
because he’s in one of our cars. The pressure on me is on the car Earnhardt Jr. will race at Dover.
he could have gone anywhere he wanted to go (when bpockrass@streetandsmiths.com
he left Dale Earnhardt Inc.). He picked our place to
come. There is a tremendous pressure on me to get
the job done. I do not ever want to let anyone in our
Something had to give
company down, and so I feel that (pressure), and I This is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 10th season in the Sprint Cup Series,
absolutely will do whatever I’ve got to to get him and he has never endured a start like this in his career. Check out
where he needs to be.” his stats from the first 12 races of each season.
Right now, that means McGrew will be joined by
team manager Brian Whitesell and Hendrick’s head Year Pts position Poles Wins Top 5 Top 10
chassis engineer, Rex Stump, in the running of the 2009 19th 0 0 1 3
team. McGrew currently has “interim” in his title and 2008 3rd 1 0 5 9
will be given the opportunity to prove he should have 2007 13th 1 0 1 5
that tag lifted. 2006 5th 0 1 4 5
“There’s not going to be any magic wand that’s 2005 15th 0 0 3 5
going to turn it upside down overnight,” Hendrick
2004 1st 0 3 7 9
said. “Our goal is to make the Chase, and we think we
2003 2nd 0 1 6 8
can do it. Some guys are going to have to have some
bad luck, and we have to run a ton better. We’ve got to 2002 12th 2 1 5 5
be up there running in the top 10, top five and going 2001 10th 2 0 2 5
for wins.” 2000 16th 2 2 3 4
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
INSIDE DISH
Kentucky-NASCAR
hearing set for July 30
A three-judge U.S. Court of
Appeals panel will hear oral argu-
ments in the Kentucky Speedway
founders’ antitrust lawsuit against
NASCAR and International Speed-
way Corp. at 9 a.m. July 30 in
Cincinnati.
Decisions on appeals typically
come anywhere from three weeks to
six months after the oral arguments
in the Sixth Circuit Court of
Appeals.
Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought
Kentucky Speedway last December,
and chairman Bruton Smith wants to
realign one of his Sprint Cup races to
the 1.5-mile oval.
But NASCAR has said it would not
consider a realignment request until
the case is resolved.
Without a settlement, no resolu-
tion can come until August, and
NASCAR already has said it is get-
ting late in the process for a formal
realignment request to be made.
When SMI bought the track, the
founders retained their rights to pur-
sue their lawsuit, which alleges that
the France-owned sanctioning body
of NASCAR illegally conspires with
the publicly traded, France-con-
trolled track operating company ISC
to keep tracks such as Kentucky from
obtaining Cup dates. SMI is consid-
ered a co-conspirator in the case.
— Bob Pockrass, SceneDaily.com
Count Penske Racing’s Kurt Busch
as a fan of Dover International Speed-
way’s new pit road.
During a national teleconference
this week, Busch was asked his
opinion on the improvements Dover
has made, lengthening pit road and
installing a SAFER
barrier from Turn 4
down the front-
stretch to near Turn
1.
The new pit wall
is 432 feet longer
than the previous
Kurt Busch boilerplate wall. The
changes allowed
track officials to widen the passing
lane on pit road by four feet and
lengthen the 43 pit stalls.
“I remember sharing a pit box at
Dover my rookie year because I qual-
ified so poorly,” Busch said.
“They only had 42 boxes, and the
last-place guy had to share with the
other last-place guy. It makes it diffi-
cult when you know you’re behind
the 8-ball to start with, and so now
that they’ve made improvements, it’s
going to be a better atmosphere for
everybody.”
— Rea White, SceneDaily.com
JTG Daugherty Racing says
RaceSavers.com will sponsor the
team’s No. 47 Toyota driven by Marcos
Ambrose in this weekend’s Sprint Cup
Series Autism Speaks 400 at Dover
International Speedway.
RaceSavers.com offers fans cou-
pons and discounts on consumer
packaged goods and services and
has a sweepstakes page where fans
can enter to win behind-the-scenes
access to races throughout the
season.
— SceneDaily.com
NASCAR
Truck series starts busy stretch at Dover
After six races in three months to open
the season, the Camping World Truck
Series enters a demanding stretch of five
races in 30 days today with the AAA
Insurance 200 at Dover International
Speedway.
It is a pivotal period in the 25-race sea-
son, challenging the resources and
strength of drivers and teams with con-
stant turnarounds and will have a major
impact on the championship.
“The summer stretch pretty much deter-
mines your season,” ThorSport Racing
Chevrolet driver Matt Crafton said. “Last
year, we put ourselves in contention dur-
ing that string of races, but fell off at the
end of the season and it cost us. I expect us
to be strong again this year and put our-
selves in position for good things to
happen.”
Crafton is third in the points, 89 behind
leader Ron Hornaday Jr., heading into the
Monster Mile. He was third in the previ-
ous race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, his
best finish of the season and fifth top 10.
3
for the road
Because Dover is such
a unique and difficult
track, most Sprint
Cup drivers like racing
on it. Three of them
weigh in with their thoughts on the
Monster Mile.
1. Clint Bowyer: “Dover is one of those tracks where
you want to win at. At some of these mile-and-a-
half tracks, you’re only as good as the equipment and
you really don’t have much of a say so. At places like
Bristol, Dover, Daytona and Talladega, you have to make
things happen. If the car isn’t handing, you can pick up
your end of the deal and make something happen.
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 29
AAA Insurance 200
at Dover International Speedway
When: 5 p.m. ET today
TV: Speed, 8 p.m. (tape delay)
Radio: MRN/Sirius XM Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: 1-mile oval
Race distance: 200 laps/200 miles
2008 winner: Scott Speed
2008 polesitter: Mike Skinner
Points leaders
1. Ron Hornaday Jr., 966; 2. Mike Skinner, 882;
3. Matt Crafton, 877; 4. Kyle Busch, 852; 5. Todd
Bodine, 837; 6. Terry Cook, 786; 7. Johnny
Benson, 779; 8. Chad McCumbee, 770; 9. Stacy
Compton, 762; 10. Brian Scott, 759.
Crafton was fifth at Dover last year and
emerged from the next five races second in
points. He ranked third with four remain-
ing in 2008, but faded to fifth. It still
equaled Crafton’s best season in eight full
truck series seasons and his best in seven
with ThorSport. DENNY MEDLEY / AP
— Tim Tuttle Ron Hornaday Jr. takes an 84-point lead into today’s race at Dover.
I won the Nationwide race at Dover a couple of years
ago, and I want to get a Sprint Cup win as well.”
2. Kurt Busch: “With the old car, it was pretty com-
mon for the teams to have one particular car—call
it their ‘concrete car’—that they would race exclusively
at Dover and Bristol. With the COT model, it is irrelevant;
at least it is with our team so far. … Concrete is certainly
more demanding on the driver and equipment. You
and your car really take a pounding. A great example
was during the last race at Dover when the car was
under such strain that we actually broke the fuel-filler.
I’ve never seen that happen before.”
3. Tony Stewart: “There are seams in Dover’s surface
and places where they’ve cut the concrete for
expansion. Those sections shift and change, and every
CHUCK BURTON / AP
Clint Bowyer’s best Sprint Cup finish at Dover is eighth
place, a feat he has accomplished three times.
year when you go there the bumps are a little bit dif-
ferent than they were the year before. Dover is a track still have to do the same things you always do. It’s just
that’s constantly changing. But it’s one of those places a matter of finding the package that’s right for that
where you really can’t change your driving style. You racetrack.”
SPORTING NEWS TODAY
Glance
PARIS—A look at the French
Open on Thursday:
Weather: Cloudy. High of 68
degrees.
Attendance: 34,875.
Men’s seeded winners: No. 2
Roger Federer, No. 5 Juan Martin
del Potro, No. 6 Andy Roddick,
No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 10
Nikolay Davydenko, No. 11 Gael
Monfils, No. 16 Tommy Robredo,
No. 24 Jurgen Melzer, No. 25
Igor Andreev, No. 32 Paul-Henri
Mathieu.
Men’s seeded losers: None.
Women’s seeded winners: No.
2 Serena Williams, No. 3 Venus
Williams, No. 4 Elena Dementieva,
No. 5 Jelena Jankovic, No. 7
Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 10
Caroline Wozniacki, No. 12
Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 24
Aleksandra Wozniak, No. 30
Samantha Stosur.
Women’s seeded losers: No. 13
Marion Bartoli, No. 18 A. Medina
Garrigues, No. 21 Alize Cornet,
No. 28 Sybille Bammer.
Stat of the day: 1—Match
point saved by Venus Williams
in her 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-5 victory over
Lucie Safarova.
Quote of the day: “I’m angry,
because even though it was
Federer, it was a near-miss. I was
so close to winning this match.”—
Jose Acasuso, after his 7-6 (8), 5-7,
7-6 (2), 6-2 loss to Federer.
On court today: No. 1 Rafael
Nadal vs. Lleyton Hewitt, No. 3
Andy Murray vs. Janko Tipsarevic,
No. 8 Fernando Verdasco vs.
No. 31 Nicolas Almagro; No. 1
Dinara Safina vs. No. 27 Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova, No. 3 Venus
Williams vs. No. 29 Agnes Szavay,
No. 8 Ana Ivanovic vs. No. 32
Iveta Benesova, Maria Sharapova
vs. Yaroslava Shvedova.
Today’s forecast: Sunny. High
of 73 degrees.
Today’s TV: Tennis Channel,
5 a.m.-noon EDT; ESPN2, noon to
6:30 p.m. EDT.
— The Associated Press
www.sportingnews.com
Federer struggles but still advances
PARIS—Close doesn’t count.
Roger Federer knows that as
well as anyone.
Still, even Federer had to
acknowledge he found himself in
a much tighter and tougher match
than he would have expected—or
is used to—in the French Open’s
second round Thursday before
producing a 7-6 (8), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2
victory over Jose Acasuso.
How near did the 45th-ranked
Acasuso come to a startling
upset—in straight sets, no less?
On four occasions, the Argen-
tine was a point from taking the
first set. After winning the sec-
ond, he held a set point in the
third.
Federer, whose season hasn’t
been up to his high standards,
was up to the task each time,
though.
“Mentally, I’ve always been
very strong, but I’m not being
put in a position like this very
often, you know,” Federer said.
Then, moments later, as if to
make sure everyone understood
him, Federer added: “Coming
through such a match is always
a great feeling. Like I said, I’m
not part of such close matches
that often.”
Particularly at this stage of a
Grand Slam tournament. And
particularly against anyone other
than Rafael Nadal, who sup-
planted Federer at No. 1 in the
rankings last year and edged him
in five-set Wimbledon and Aus-
tralian Open finals.
“I thought,” Acasuso said, “I
could have won this match.”
But this has not been a French
Open for underdogs or upsets,
Roger Federer, above, beat Jose Acasuso in four sets in their second-round match.
and no seeded men lost Thurs-
day, when the winners included
No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro, No.
6 Andy Roddick, No. 9 Jo-Wil-
fried Tsonga, No. 10 Nikolay
Davydenko, No. 11 Gael Monfils
and No. 16 Tommy Robredo.
Four seeded women went
home, though none higher than
No. 13 Marion Bartoli. Those
moving into the third round
included both Williams sisters—
Venus needed three sets, Serena
two—No. 5 Jelena Jankovic, No. 7
Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 4
Elena Dementieva, who advanced
when Jelena Dokic stopped play-
ing because of a bad back while
leading 6-2, 3-4.
“I really don’t deserve to win
today because of the way I was
playing,” Dementieva said.
The biggest surprise Thurs-
day might have been how well
Roddick played, given that he
Tennis
FRENCH OPEN
CHRISTOPHE ENA / AP
hadn’t made the third round at
Roland Garros since his 2001
tournament debut.
“There’s a lot of work to go,”
said Roddick, the only U.S. man
remaining of the nine who
entered the tournament. “By no
means have I accomplished any-
thing yet.”
In his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory
over 85th-ranked Ivo Minar of
the Czech Republic, Roddick hit
15 aces, saved all four break points
he faced and won the point on 23
of 26 trips to the net.
“I’m not going to sit here and
jump up on a soap box like I’m
really good on this stuff now
because I won two matches. I
think that’s what you need to
guard against,” Roddick said.
“Today I felt pretty good, and I
felt pretty in control of what I
was doing.”
— The Associated Press
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 30
Results Doubles
Thursday
At Stade Roland Garros, Paris
Purse: $21.8 million (Grand Slam)
Men, First Round
Leos Friedl and David Skoch, Czech Republic, def. Jamie Murray,
Britain, and Pavel Vizner, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2.
Rik de Voest, South Africa, and Ashley Fisher (14), Australia, def. Yen-
Surface: Clay-Outdoor Hsun Lu, Taiwan, and Frank Moser, Germany, 6-2, 6-2.
Singles Simon Aspelin, Sweden, and Paul Hanley, Australia, def. Feliciano
Men, Second Round Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, Spain, 6-4, 6-4.
Jeremy Chardy, France, def. Simone Bolelli, Italy, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, Jaroslav Levinsky, Czech Republic, and Igor Zelenay, Slovakia, def.
6-1. Jeff Coetzee, South Africa, and Jordan Kerr (11), Australia, 1-6, 6-4,
Tommy Robredo (16), Spain, def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Spain, 6-4, 6-1.
Marcel Granollers and Santiago Ventura, Spain, def. Philipp
6-4, 6-3.
Petzschner, Germany, and Alexander Peya, Austria, 6-1, 7-6 (2).
Maximo Gonzalez, Argentina, def. Andreas Seppi, Italy, 7-6 (8), 6-3,
6-3. Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske, Germany, def. Eric Butorac
Nikolay Davydenko (10), Russia, def. Diego Junqueira, Argentina, 4-6, and Scott Lipsky, United States, 6-4, 6-2.
6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Daniel Nestor, Canada, and Nenad Zimonjic (1), Serbia, def. Lucas
Arnold Ker and Horacio Zeballos, Argentina, 6-3, 6-4.
Juan Martin del Potro (5), Argentina, def. Viktor Troicki, Serbia, 6-3,
7-5, 6-0. Fabio Fognini, Italy, and Teimuraz Gabashvili, Russia, def. Yves Allegro
Igor Andreev (25), Russia, def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, Argentina, and Marco Chiudinelli, Switzerland, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4.
1-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Lukasz Kubot, Poland, and Oliver Marach (9), Austria, def. Mathieu
Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, def. Jose Acasuso, Argentina, 7-6 (8), Montcourt and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, France, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
David Ferrer and Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Spain, def. Ivo Karlovic and
5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Christophe Rochus, Belgium, def. Arnaud Clement, France, 6-1, 7-5, Lovro Zovko, Croatia, 6-2, 7-5.
4-6, 6-3. Johan Brunstrom, Sweden, and Jean-Julien Rojer, Netherlands
Tommy Haas, Germany, def. Leonardo Mayer, Argentina, 6-3, 7-6 (2), Antilles, def. Igor Andreev and Evgeny Korolev, Russia, 6-1, 6-1.
3-6, 4-6, 6-3. Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi, Italy, def. Sebastien Grosjean,
Jurgen Melzer (24), Austria, def. Guillaume Rufin, France, 6-2, 7-5, France, and Nicolas Lapentti, Ecuador, 6-4, 7-6 (8).
6-4. Bob and Mike Bryan (2), United States, def. Robby Ginepri and Robert
Paul-Henri Mathieu (32), France, def. Pablo Andujar, Spain, 6-2, 6-3, Kendrick, United States, 7-5, 6-4.
Women, First Round
6-4.
Serena and Venus Williams (5), United States, def. Andrea Hlavackova
Gael Monfils (11), France, def. Victor Crivoi, Romania, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Marc Gicquel, France, def. Andreas Beck, Germany, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-6 and Lucie Hradecka, Czech Republic, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
(3), 7-5. Second Round
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (9), France, def. Juan Monaco, Argentina, 7-5, 2-6, Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwan, and Peng Shuai (9), China, def. Olga Savchuk,
6-1, 7-6 (8). Ukraine, and Sun Tiantian, China, 6-3, 6-0.
Andy Roddick (6), United States, def. Ivo Minar, Czech Republic, 6-2, Yan Zi and Zheng Jie (16), China, def. Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska,
Poland, 6-2, 6-4.
6-2, 7-6 (2).
Philipp Kohlschreiber (29), Germany, vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero, Spain, Kveta Peschke, Czech Republic, and Lisa Raymond (2), United States,
def. Julie Ditty, United States, and Maria Emilia Salerni, Argentina, 6-1,
6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-7 (3), susp., darkness.
Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, leads Sergiy Stakhovsky, Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
susp., darkness. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, and Elena Vesnina (12), Russia, def.
Women, Second Round Severine Bremond Beltrame and Julie Coin, France, 6-2, 6-0.
Tathiana Garbin, Italy, def. Marion Bartoli (13), France, 6-3, 7-5. Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Germany, and Patty Schnyder (11),
Jelena Jankovic (5), Serbia, def. Magdalena Rybarikova, Slovakia, 6-1, Switzerland, def. Mathilde Johansson and Pauline Parmentier,
6-2. France, 6-3, 6-0.
Svetlana Kuznetsova (7), Russia, def. Galina Voskoboeva, Kazakhstan, Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia, and Ai Sugiyama (7), Japan, def.
Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, and Arantxa Parra Santonja, Spain, 6-2,
6-0, 6-2.
Jarmila Groth, Australia, def. Mariana Duque Marino, Colombia, 6-2, 6-2.
7-6 (9). Vania King, United States, and Monica Niculescu (13), Romania, def.
Lourdes Dominguez Lino, Spain, def. Alexa Glatch, United States, 7-6 Maret Ani and Kaia Kanepi, Estonia, 6-0, 6-2.
(0), 7-5. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, and Francesca Schiavone,
Aleksandra Wozniak (24), Canada, def. Petra Martic, Croatia, 6-3, 6-3. Italy, def. Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Czech
Venus Williams (3), United States, def. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, Republic, 6-3, 6-3.
6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-5. Vera Dushevina, Russia, and Anastasia Rodionova, Australia, def.
Caroline Wozniacki (10), Denmark, def. Jill Craybas, United States, 6-1, Lucie Safarova and Vladimira Uhlirova, Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-1.
Maria Kirilenko, Russia, and Flavia Pennetta (8), Italy, def. Jill Craybas
6-4.
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Spain, def. Viktoriya Kutuzova, Ukraine, and Carly Gullickson, United States, 6-1, 6-1.
3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Mixed
Melinda Czink, Hungary, def. Sybille Bammer (28), Austria, 4-6, 6-3, First Round
10-8. Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwan, and Ashley Fisher, Australia, def. Chuang Chia-
Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. Alize Cornet (21), France, 6-3, 6-2. jung, Taiwan, and Christopher Kas, Germany, 6-4, 3-6, 12-10 tiebreak.
Serena Williams (2), United States, def. Virginia Ruano Pascual, Spain, Severine Bremond Beltrame, France, and Robert Lindstedt, Sweden,
6-2, 6-0. def. Julie Coin and Nicolas Mahut, France, 6-3, 6-3.
Virginie Razzano, France, def. Anabel Medina Garrigues (18), Spain, Lisa Raymond, United States, and Marcin Matkowski (3), Poland, def.
6-2, 6-2. Rennae Stubbs, Australia, and Ross Hutchins, Britain, 6-2, 6-2.
Nadia Petrova, Russia, and Max Mirnyi (4), Belarus, def. Raquel Kops-
Kateryna Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Olivia Rogowska, Australia, 4-6,
7-5, 7-5. Jones and Eric Butorac, United States, 6-1, 6-4.
Samantha Stosur (30), Australia, def. Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, 6-3, Alisa Kleybanova, Russia, and Bruno Soares, Brazil, def. Yan Zi, China,
4-6, 6-4. and Nenad Zimonjic (7), Serbia, 7-5, 4-6, 12-10 tiebreak.
Elena Vesnina, Russia, and Daniel Nestor (6), Canada, def. Stephanie
Elena Dementieva (4), Russia, def. Jelena Dokic, Australia, 2-6, 4-3,
retired. Cohen-Aloro and Thierry Ascione, France, 6-2, 6-1.
Agnieszka Radwanska (12), Poland, def. Mariya Koryttseva, Ukraine, Cara Black, Zimbabwe, and Leander Paes (2), India, def. Virginie
6-1, 6-4. Razzano, France, and Jeff Coetzee, South Africa, 6-3, 6-3.
Sybille Bammer, Austria, and Lukasz Kubot, Poland, def. Dominika
Cibulkova and Filip Polasek, Slovakia, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 10-7 tiebreak.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Golf FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 31

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Singh back, and among leaders, after first round at Colonial Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Schedule: Through-Sunday
FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Vijay Singh Course: Colonial Country Club (7,054 yards, par 70)
stopped playing at the Colonial Purse: $6.2 million. Winner’s share: $1,116,000
TV: Golf Channel (Today, 12:30-3:30 a.m., 3-6 p.m., 8:30-
Country Club when Annika 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2-5 a.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday,
Sorenstam showed up in 2003. 3-6 p.m.)
He’s finally back—and among
the leaders.
Singh shot a 6-under 64 on
James Driscoll 33-36 — 69 -1
Thursday, leaving him a stroke Leaderboard
Thursday
Jason Dufner
Danny Lee
35-34
34-35
—
—
69 -1
69 -1
behind Woody Austin, Tim At Colonial Country Club Alex Cejka 36-34 — 70 E
Clark and Steve Stricker after the Fort Worth, Texas Briny Baird 33-37 — 70 E
Purse: $6.2 million Matt Kuchar 36-34 — 70 E
first round of the Crowne Plaza Yardage: 7,204; Par 70 (35-35) Jeff Quinney 34-36 — 70 E
Davis Love III 35-35 — 70 E
Invitational. First Round Scott Verplank 33-37 — 70 E
“This is a good way to start a Woody Austin 31-32 — 63 -7 Greg Kraft 36-34 — 70 E
Tim Clark 31-32 — 63 -7 Michael Bradley 37-33 — 70 E
tournament,” Singh said. Steve Stricker 31-32 — 63 -7 Jeff Maggert 39-31 — 70 E
Kenny Perry 32-32 — 64 -6 John Rollins 35-35 — 70 E
Singh played the event all but Vijay Singh 33-31 — 64 -6 Lucas Glover 36-34 — 70 E
once from 1996-2002. He was Sean O’Hair 33-32 — 65 -5 Keith Clearwater 35-35 — 70 E
Jason Day 31-34 — 65 -5 Geoff Ogilvy 36-34 — 70 E
scheduled to return in ’03, then Ian Poulter 34-32 — 66 -4 Jerry Kelly 36-34 — 70 E
Kevin Na 32-34 — 66 -4 Paul Goydos 34-36 — 70 E
withdrew after making com- Steve Marino 32-34 — 66 -4 Johnson Wagner 35-35 — 70 E
Justin Leonard 30-36 — 66 -4 Bart Bryant 36-34 — 70 E
ments critical of the decision to Paul Casey 33-33 — 66 -4 Bo Van Pelt 35-36 — 71 +1
allow a woman into the field. The Kevin Sutherland 34-32 — 66 -4 Corey Pavin 37-34 — 71 +1
Harrison Frazar 33-34 — 67 -3 J.J. Henry 36-35 — 71 +1
gallery mocked his absence that Chad Campbell 32-35 — 67 -3 Rory Sabbatini 35-36 — 71 +1
Mark Wilson 33-34 — 67 -3 Todd Hamilton 36-35 — 71 +1
week (his name on the side of Joe Ogilvie 31-36 — 67 -3 Carl Pettersson 35-36 — 71 +1
chicken hats, T-shirts that read, Rocco Mediate 34-33 — 67 -3 Tim Herron 35-36 — 71 +1
Tommy Armour III 32-35 — 67 -3 Brett Quigley 34-37 — 71 +1
“Singh a different tune, Vijay”), James Nitties 32-35 — 67 -3 John Merrick 35-36 — 71 +1
Aron Price 34-33 — 67 -3 Vaughn Taylor 34-37 — 71 +1
but folks seemed to have forgiven Charlie Wi 34-33 — 67 -3 Rich Beem 34-37 — 71 +1
David Toms 32-35 — 67 -3 Bob Estes 34-37 — 71 +1
and forgotten on Thursday. Greg Owen 33-35 — 68 -2 Webb Simpson 33-38 — 71 +1
He heard cheers when he bird- Kevin Streelman 37-31 — 68 -2 Ken Duke 36-35 — 71 +1
Brian Gay 35-33 — 68 -2 Lee Janzen 36-35 — 71 +1
ied five straight holes in the mid- DONNA MCWILLIAM / AP Adam Scott 34-34 — 68 -2 J.B. Holmes 34-37 — 71 +1
Stephen Ames 35-33 — 68 -2 Stewart Cink 34-37 — 71 +1
dle of his round and people Vijay Singh made five straight birdies and didn’t hear the kinds of responses he might have heard had he shown up for the tournament in 2003. Tom Lehman 37-31 — 68 -2 Richard S. Johnson 34-37 — 71 +1
groaned along with him when he Mark Calcavecchia 30-38 — 68 -2 Steve Flesch 35-36 — 71 +1
George McNeill 32-36 — 68 -2 Ben Crane 34-37 — 71 +1
hit the flagstick on his 15th hole. Austin came in at 63 soon after, something only done by Ben Colonial victory, shot a 68 in his Perry tied him at 6 under with Dean Wilson 33-35 — 68 -2 Brandt Jobe 35-36 — 71 +1
Ian Baker-Finch 34-34 — 68 -2 Mark Brooks 34-37 — 71 +1
The good vibe likely was aided then Clark followed. All left for Hogan in 1946. Sabbatini is the second competitive start in 12 a birdie on their 17th hole, but Luke Donald 33-35 — 68 -2 Matt Weibring 38-33 — 71 +1
Fredrik Jacobson 34-34 — 68 -2 Jeff Klauk 36-36 — 72 +2
by his pairing with Kenny Perry, lunch expecting more low scores 2007 champion of this event and years. The 48-year-old Austra- Singh followed with a birdie putt Mathew Goggin 35-33 — 68 -2 Parker McLachlin 37-35 — 72 +2
a two-time champion, and Brian to come in because of the light the most recent winner because lian, a television commentator from the fringe to reach 7 under. Jim Furyk 34-34 — 68 -2 Will MacKenzie 36-36 — 72 +2
John Senden 34-34 — 68 -2 Tim Petrovic 36-36 — 72 +2
Gay, who was born in Fort Worth winds and soft greens, but ’08 champ Phil Mickelson is on for the last decade, hadn’t played Then came his lone poor hole, the Ryan Moore 34-34 — 68 -2 Billy Mayfair 36-36 — 72 +2
Nicholas Thompson 33-35 — 68 -2 Chez Reavie 36-36 — 72 +2
and considers this his favorite Stricker was the only player from indefinite leave to help his wife, tournament golf in eight years finale. Derek Fathauer 33-35 — 68 -2 Jonathan Byrd 36-36 — 72 +2
course. the afternoon groups to join Amy, who recently was diag- since shooting 74-77 at Colonial Singh put his drive in a bun- Ted Purdy 34-35 — 69 -1 J.P. Hayes 37-35 — 72 +2
Tom Pernice, Jr. 35-34 — 69 -1 Trevor Immelman 33-40 — 73 +3
Singh described the support them. nosed with breast cancer. to miss the cut. ker, then his approach into a Mike Weir 34-35 — 69 -1 Charley Hoffman 34-39 — 73 +3
Zach Johnson 36-33 — 69 -1 Cameron Beckman 36-37 — 73 +3
from the gallery as “no more than “If the wind blows, that is what Paul Casey, playing his first Singh opened slowly, mixing pond. After making his bogey Hunter Mahan 35-34 — 69 -1 Scott Piercy 36-37 — 73 +3
Ryuji Imada 33-36 — 69 -1 Rod Pampling 35-38 — 73 +3
I had last week.” is going to dictate the scoring tournament since moving up to one birdie with five pars. Then putt, he flipped his replacement Chris DiMarco 36-33 — 69 -1 D.A. Points 37-36 — 73 +3
“I haven’t been playing well so here,” Stricker said. “But if it con- No. 3 in the world rankings, came a run of five straight ball into the pond, too. Marc Turnesa 34-35 — 69 -1 Fulton Allem 37-37 — 74 +4
Heath Slocum 31-38 — 69 -1 Peter Lonard 35-39 — 74 +4
they’ve been very quiet,” he said, tinues to be soft, I think the scor- opened with a 66. He won the birdies. It was still his lowest round on Justin Rose 34-35 — 69 -1 Y.E. Yang 37-37 — 74 +4
Jeff Overton 34-35 — 69 -1 Dudley Hart 39-35 — 74 +4
laughing. “Maybe they’re going ing is going to continue to be BMW PGA Championship on Singh narrowly missed several the PGA Tour this year, and the Matt Bettencourt 37-32 — 69 -1 Steve Lowery 38-37 — 75 +5
to start making noise here soon.” good.” Sunday at Wentworth in England more birdie putts, often settling fifth time in six tries that he’s Jason Bohn 33-36 — 69 -1 D.J. Trahan 37-38 — 75 +5
Anthony Kim 32-37 — 69 -1 Troy Matteson 37-39 — 76 +6
Singh and Perry walked off Rory Sabbatini shot a 71 to for his third victory of the season. for tap-in pars. That includes the been in the 60s after doing so Ryan Palmer 33-36 — 69 -1 Bill Lunde 41-38 — 79 +9
Brian Davis 34-35 — 69 -1 Daniel Chopra WD
their final green leading the field. open his bid to sweep the Dallas Ian Baker-Finch, celebrating 15th, which might’ve been a tap-in only twice in his first 28 rounds. Nick O’Hern 34-35 — 69 -1
It didn’t last, though, because and Forth Worth events, the 20-year anniversary of his birdie the way it was coming in. — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 32
NCAA Division I regionals glance All times ET, double elimination
Zags to face Georgia Southern in NCAAs
At Clark-LeClair Stadium At McKethan Stadium At Alex Box Stadium At UFCU Disch-Falk Field
Greenville, N.C. Gainesville, Fla. Baton Rouge, La. Austin, Texas Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf
Today Today Today Today
Game 1 : South Carolina (38-21) vs. George Game 1 : Miami (36-20) vs. Jacksonville (36-20), Game 1 : LSU (46-16) vs. Southern U. (30-15), Game 1 : Texas State (41-15) vs. Boston College was a regular at the NCAA baseball
Mason (42-12), 3 p.m. 1 p.m. 2 p.m. (33-24), 2 p.m. tournament when he played at
Game 2 : East Carolina (42-17) vs. Binghamton Game 2 : Florida (39-20) vs. Bethune-Cookman Game 2 : Minnesota (38-17) vs. Baylor (29-24), Game 2 : Texas (41-13-1) vs. Army (34-19), 7 p.m.
(29-20), 7 p.m. (32-26), 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturday Stanford, highlighted by a national
Saturday Saturday Saturday Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. title in 1987.
Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner,
Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. Now, nearly 30 years after their
6 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Sunday last appearance, the Zags are in the
Sunday Sunday Sunday Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, NCAAs again—and it has nothing
Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m. to do with basketball.
6 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Monday
Monday Monday Monday Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 “I’ve always thought the North-
Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m., if necessary
p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary west has been underrated for
At Packard Stadium years,” Machtolf said. “Oregon
At Boshamer Stadium At Dick Howser Stadium At L. Dale Mitchell Park Tempe, Ariz.
State has woke everybody up a little
Chapel Hill, N.C. Tallahassee, Fla. Norman, Okla. Today
Today Today Today Game 1 : Oral Roberts (31-13) vs. Cal Poly bit and now this year with Wash-
Game 1 : Coastal Carolina (46-14) vs. Kansas Game 1 : Georgia (37-22) vs. Ohio State (40-17), Game 1 : Arkansas (34-22) vs. Washington State (37-19), 5 p.m.
(37-22), 2 p.m. Noon (31-23), 2 p.m. Game 2 : Arizona State (44-12) vs. Kent State ington State and us getting in, it just
Game 2 : North Carolina (42-16) vs. Dartmouth Game 2 : Florida State (42-16) vs. Marist (31-26), Game 2 : Oklahoma (41-18) vs. Wichita State (42-15), 10 p.m. shows there is great baseball play-
(27-16), 6 p.m. 4 p.m. (30-25), 8 p.m. Saturday
Saturday Saturday Saturday Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 5 p.m. ers in the Northwest.”
Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, Noon Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, The West Coast Conference
Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 10 p.m.
5 p.m. 4 p.m. 8 p.m. Sunday champion Bulldogs will take the
Sunday Sunday Sunday Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m. field today as the No. 3 seed in the TORREY VAIL
Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, Noon Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner,
Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 9 p.m. Fullerton regional and play Geor- Coach Mark Machtolf, left, led Gonzaga to a 35-16 record this season.
5 p.m. 4 p.m. 8 p.m. Monday gia Southern, the Zags’ first tour-
Monday Monday Monday Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 9
Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 p.m., if necessary ney game since 1981.
p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary
At Anteater Ballpark “We place the emphasis on every were set to break their long drought Fields has made things easy for
At Doug Kingsmore Stadium At Jim Patterson Stadium At Reckling Park Irvine, Calif. day and whether it’s a midweek away from the tournament when the Bulldogs offense this season. In
Clemson, S.C. Louisville, Ky. Houston Today
Today Today Today Game 1 : Virginia (43-12-1) vs. San Diego State game we’re going to come and give they took Game 1 of the WCC cham- 13 starts, Fields went 8-1 with a 2.86
Game 1 : Alabama (37-19) vs. Oklahoma State Game 1 : Middle Tennessee (43-16) vs. Vanderbilt Game 1 : Kansas State (41-16-1) vs. Xavier (40-21), 7 p.m. them our best shot,” Machtolf said. pionship tournament. ERA and tossed a pair of complete
(32-22), 3 p.m. (34-25), 3 p.m. (38-19), 3 p.m. Game 2 : UC Irvine (43-13) vs. Fresno State
Game 2 : Clemson (40-19) vs. Tennessee Tech Game 2 : Louisville (44-15) vs. Indiana (32-25), Game 2 : Rice (39-15) vs. Sam Houston State (32-28), 11 p.m. “We preach that if we do that But San Diego rallied back with games.
(30-22-1), 7 p.m. 7 p.m. (36-22), 7 p.m. Saturday enough times it becomes second 13-5 and 13-1 wins to take the con- In WCC play, Fields was even
Saturday Saturday Saturday Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 7 p.m.
Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, nature and then you don’t have to ference tourney crown and leave more dominant, going 5-0 with a
Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 p.m. worry about ‘Now we’re going to do the Bulldogs disappointed when 2.81 ERA.
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Sunday
Sunday Sunday Sunday Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 7 p.m. something different’ because it’s a they weren’t selected as an at-large Unlike two years ago, when the
Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, big game.” selection despite a 33-25 record that Bulldogs mostly rode the arm of
Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11 p.m.
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Monday The celebratory mood around the year. Gonzaga didn’t leave it to Clayton Mortensen to make a push
Monday Monday Monday Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 11 campus in Spokane, Wash., has chance this time. They wrapped up for a postseason bid, Fields got
Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m., if necessary
p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary nothing to do with the Zags’ power- the WCC regular season title by plenty of help from Steven Ames,
At Goodwin Field house basketball program that has beating Loyola Marymount in the who was almost Fields’ match.
At Russ Chandler Stadium At Oxford-University Stadium At Lupton Baseball Stadium Fullerton, Calif.
Atlanta Oxford, Miss. Fort Worth, Texas Today made domination of the WCC and next-to-last conference game of the Ames finished the regular season
Today Today Today Game 1 : Georgia Southern (42-15) vs. Gonzaga
Game 1 : Elon (40-16) vs. Southern Mississippi Game 1 : Missouri (34-25) vs. Western Kentucky Game 1 : Texas A&M (36-22) vs. Oregon State (35-16), 6 p.m. visits to the NCAA tourney every regular season, then swept the also 8-1 and an ERA just slightly
(35-23), 3 p.m. (39-18), 4 p.m. (35-17), 3 p.m. Game 2 : Cal State Fullerton (42-14) vs. Utah March a regular habit. Lions a week later in the conference higher than Fields.
Game 2 : Georgia Tech (35-17-1) vs. Georgia State Game 2 : Mississippi (40-17) vs. Monmouth, N.J. Game 2 : TCU (36-16) vs. Wright State (33-28), (26-29), 10 p.m.
(39-20), 7 p.m. (32-23), 8 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturday Instead, it’s their baseball pro- tournament. “I think it was consistent pitch-
Saturday Saturday Saturday Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 5 p.m. gram that is more well known in “Going into the season, we have ing. We always had a few guys that
Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. Game 3 : Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3 p.m. Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner,
Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, Game 4 : Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 9 p.m. recent memory for producing All- eight seniors this year and we could throw the ball but we were
7 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. Sunday Star Jason Bay than any accom- thought had a pretty solid team,” not as deep,” Fields said. “This year,
Sunday Sunday Sunday Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m.
Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. Game 5 : Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, plishments on the field. WCC pitcher of the year Matt Fields the pitching stepped up. ... The
Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Game 6 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 9 p.m. And this trip is arguably two said. “We’ve had pretty good lead- offense has always been there, the
7 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. Monday
Monday Monday Monday Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 9 years delayed. ership this year, and a couple of the pitching has been the problem.”
Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 8 Game 7 : Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m., if necessary In 2007, it appeared the Bulldogs young guys stepped up.” — The Associated Press
p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary p.m., if necessary
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Back Page FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2009 33
IN BRIEF
TRANSACTIONS

Armstrong could have last shot at winning stage BASEBALL

MLB: Suspended Cubs RHP Carlos Zambrano for six
games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his
inappropriate and violent actions on the field and in the
BENEVENTO, ITALY—The slopes of the Mount Major League Soccer dugout during the top of the seventh inning in a May
Vesuvius volcano will likely decide the Giro EASTERN CONFERENCE 27 game.
W L T Pts GF GA American League
d’Italia winner. Today’s final uphill finish also Chicago 5 0 6 21 20 13 BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Recalled RHP David Hernandez
could be Lance Armstrong’s last chance to D.C. 3 1 7 16 17 15 from Norfolk (IL). Optioned RHP Chris Ray to Norfolk.
meet his pre-race goal of winning a stage. The Toronto FC 4 3 4 16 16 16 Claimed LHP David Davidson off waivers from Florida.
Kansas City 4 4 3 15 15 13 CLEVELAND INDIANS: Purchased the contract of RHP
seven-time Tour de France champion began Columbus 2 2 6 12 14 16
New England 2 3 4 10 8 16 Tomo Ohka from Columbus (IL). Optioned LHP Zach
the race riding in support of teammate Levi New York 2 6 3 9 10 13 Jackson to Columbus. Transferred RHP Anthony Reyes to
Leipheimer. But now that Leipheimer is sixth WESTERN CONFERENCE the 60-day DL.
and out of contention, Armstrong can try to W L T Pts GF GA National League
Chivas USA 7 2 3 24 17 9 CHICAGO CUBS: Placed INF-OF Ryan Freel on the 15-day
move up from 12th place. Seattle 4 2 4 16 14 8 DL. Recalled INF Bobby Scales from Iowa (PCL).
Denis Menchov of Russia enters the 19th Houston 4 2 3 15 11 7 WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Optioned C Luke Montz to
Colorado 3 2 4 13 13 11
leg with a 26-second lead over Danilo Di Real Salt Lake 3 5 2 11 14 13
Harrisburg (EL).
Atlantic League
Luca in the overall standings. Los Angeles 1 1 8 11 12 12
LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Announced INF Gabe Suarez has
FC Dallas 1 6 3 6 9 17
“I expect a hard day (today),” Menchov San Jose 1 7 2 5 10 21 been signed by the Houston Astros.
said after he and the other leaders, includ- Golden Baseball League
NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. CALGARY VIPERS: Released 3B Carlos Duncan. Signed 1B
ing Armstrong, finished in the main pack in
Wednesday’s game Toronto FC at Houston, 8:30 p.m. Clint Johnston.
Thursday’s 18th leg, 3 minutes, 57 seconds Columbus 2, San Jose 1 Columbus at Seattle FC, 10:30 p.m. Northern League
behind stage winner Michele Scarponi of Thursday’s game Kansas City at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. SCHAUMBURG FLYERS: Released RHP Lonnie Patterson.
Chicago 3, Chivas USA 2 Real Salt Lake at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Italy. Saturday’s games Sunday’s game FOOTBALL
Armstrong is 12:17 behind Menchov, but Colorado at New York, 7:30 p.m. FC Dallas at Chicago, 3 p.m. Canadian Football League
D.C. United at New England, 7:30 p.m. MONTREAL ALOUETTES: Signed OL Dylan Steenbergen
Bruyneel estimates he would be in better
and CB Kwasi Nkansah to three-year contracts.
position if he hadn’t slowed to help
TORONTO ARGONAUTS: Released PK Mike Vanderjagt.
Leipheimer in the race’s toughest stage to round of the European Open. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS: Signed QB Darrell Hackney
Monte Petrano on Monday. The Dane holed a difficult chip at the 563- and DB Jonathan Hefney.
yard par-5 No. 8 at The London Club to
HOCKEY
Horse Racing move ahead of early leaders Peter Hanson of National Hockey League
NEW YORK—The trainer of Kentucky Derby Sweden and Thomas Aiken of South Africa. MONTREAL CANADIENS: Signed F Mikael Johansson to a
winner Mine That Bird says Calvin Borel Sam Little of England and Jyoti Randhawa one-year contract.
will ride his horse in the Belmont Stakes if of India also shot 66. SOCCER
Rachel Alexandra isn’t entered. Ben Curtis had a 68 and John Daly had a 71. U.S. SOCCER: Announced the resignation of U.S. men’s
Trainer Chip Woolley said Thursday that national team assistant coach Peter Nowak.
Major League Soccer
he will wait to pick a jockey until Rachel JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP Soccer MLS: Fined Chivas USA G Leo Percovich $500 for inappro-
Alexandra’s co-owner Jess Jackson decides Kavya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas, rattled off the letters to ‘Laodicean’ to win the Scripps National Spelling NEW YORK—Landon Donovan and Mia priate actions and comments directed at the officiating
whether to enter his Preakness-winning Bee. The winning word means lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics. Hamm have joined the board of directors for crew following a game on May 23.
filly in the Belmont. the United States’ bid committee trying to win COLLEGE
The draw for post positions is Wednesday Hill, a sophomore from Bright’s Grove, third at 3-under 210. rights to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. WEST COAST CONFERENCE: Named Violet Palmer coordi-
and the 1½-mile race is June 6. Ontario, shot his third consecutive 2-under Oklahoma State led the eight teams quali- Donovan, a star for the Los Angeles Gal- nator of women’s basketball officials.
69 to finish at 6-under 207. fying for the new match-play format that axy, is the career scoring leader for the U.S. JUNIATA: Named Lauren O’Donnell women’s swimming
coach.
Golf Clemson junior Kyle Stanley matched the begins with the quarterfinals today. The national team. Hamm retired from the U.S. MISSOURI STATE: Named Kyle Moats athletic director.
TOLEDO, OHIO—North Carolina State’s Matt day’s low round with a 66 to finish second, team championship match is set for in 2004 after winning the Women’s World ST. LAWRENCE: Named Willi Steinrotter alpine ski coach.
Hill made three birdies on the homeward two strokes back. Saturday. Cup twice. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI: Announced the resignation
nine holes and held off his closest pursuers Tom Glissmeyer of Southern California England and Spain are considered the of men’s associate head basketball coach Billy Garrett to
become men’s assistant basketball coach at DePaul.
to win the individual title Thursday in the (66), Rickie Fowler (68) of the low team ASH, ENGLAND—Anders Hansen eagled leading contenders in the 2018 vote, with WAKE FOREST: Named Dave Wojcik men’s assistant
NCAA Division I golf championship at through 54 holes of medal play, Oklahoma his 17th hole in a 7-under 65 on Thursday the U.S. a favorite for 2022. basketball coach.
Inverness Club. State, and TCU’s Tom Hoge (70) tied for that gave him one-stroke lead after the first — The Associated Press