MIAMI - Jason Terry slipped past LeBron James and into some free space along the baseline. He had a good look at the basket from about 18 feet ? and his shot didn't even come close to going in.
Terry clanged a 3-pointer from the other side the next time down court. Then Dirk Nowitzki missed a shot he normally makes.
Late in the fourth quarter, with Game 1 of the NBA finals starting to slip away, the guys Dallas rely on most had their chances to keep things close but couldn't do it.
When Shawn Marion got a shot blocked and knocked it out of bounds, Dwyane Wade walked up the court and swished a 3-pointer over Jason Kidd with 3:06 left, the Miami Heat were well on their way to a 92-84 victory Tuesday night that ended Dallas' five-game road winning streak this postseason.
The Mavs played far from the kind of game they wanted to start the championship series.
Nowitzki can't carry the entire load, so he's going to need help from Terry and the bench. And they didn't provide much help in this one.
The reserves scored a mere 17 points combined, which is less than Terry alone often scores.
He had 12 points, none in the second half. J.J. Barea made only 1 of 8 shots for two points, Brendan Haywood scored three points (all on free throws) in 14 minutes and Peja Stojakovic was scoreless in nearly 15 minutes.
Nowitzki scored 27 points, but 12 came on free throws. He made only 7 of 18 shots ? and just 3 of 9 in the second half.
Instead of coming out "guns a blazing," as many players and coach Rick Carlisle said they would, they struggled to get open shots and missed most of those they took instead. Good defense and 3-pointers kept them in it, though, and a 20-8 run that spanned halftime left Dallas up by eight midway through the third quarter.
Then, it was 2006 all over again, with Wade taking over.
Only worse, because now Wade has James and Chris Bosh with him, too.
Miami's trio of stars were the difference, as Dallas knew might be the case.
The Mavs had made a priority of stopping Bosh. He started strong, but then got into a funk so bad that he wound up face-down in the lane with the ball in his belly and the refs calling a 24-second violation early in the fourth quarter. Minutes later, Wade rebounded a miss by Kidd and whipped the ball ahead to Bosh for a dunk that sent white towels flying inside the arena, everyone knowing Miami wasn't about to blow an 89-79 lead with 1:08 left.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu is heading back to AC Milan after Dutch club FC Twente announced Friday that it will not exercise its option to purchase his rights.
Milan loaned Onyewu, a Washington, D.C., native, to Twente in January, and he played 14 games with the eventual Eredivisie runner-up. Twente also won the Dutch Cup, but Onyewu missed the final against Ajax with a minor injury.
Onyewu, 29, unlikely will be in the mix for minutes next fall with Milan, which just claimed its first Italian championship since 2004 and is stocked with world-class defenders.
Onyewu, under contract with Milan through the 2012-13 season, has played just once for the club since signing in the summer of 2009. A knee injury forced him out for most of the 2009-10 season, and the most noteworthy event of last fall was a training-ground brawl with forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic that made global headlines. Milan then sent Onyewu to the Netherlands four months ago.
Nonetheless, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley says he remains confident in the veteran defender, who has played 59 games and scored six goals for the national team. Bradley named Onyewu to the 23-man side that will play in June's CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. began practicing Friday in Cary, N.C.
?He?s had some ups and downs with injuries. We need to pay close attention to how he does when we start up camp,? Bradley said. ?The loan with Twente, by and large, was a good move and has helped. We will assess it further when we get going. He is a vital player, a vital defender, for us.?
FIFA president Sepp Blatter insisted Monday that his organization had done no wrong.
Clive Mason/Getty Images
ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA President Sepp Blatter insisted Monday that bribery scandals centering on two top officials have not put soccer in crisis, saying these are only "some difficulties'' that must be settled "inside this family.''
Blatter was speaking on another turbulent day for the sport's governing body when evidence emerged that FIFA's second in command suggested Qatar had "bought'' the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
On Sunday, senior executive committee members Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner were suspended by an ethics committee over allegations that Caribbean soccer leaders were paid $40,000 each to back bin Hammam's now-abandoned presidential bid.
Bin Hammam's withdrawal left Blatter as the only candidate in Wednesday's election, but his imminent coronation to a fourth term at the helm of the world's most popular sport has been overshadowed by scandal.
"Crisis? What is a crisis? Football is not in a crisis,'' he said during a spirited and sometimes raucous news conference. "We are not in a crisis. We are only in some difficulties and these difficulties will be solved - and they will be solved inside this family.''
Blatter also said there was "no issue'' in giving Qatar the right to host the World Cup, whatever FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke had said.
Qatar's World Cup organizers swiftly and "categorically'' denied Valcke's claim. They said they were "urgently seeking clarification'' from FIFA about the statement from its general secretary and are "taking legal advice to consider our options.''
Valcke told Warner in the email that Qatari bin Hammam might have been thinking that "you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC.''
The secretary general attempted to clarify his remarks Monday, saying that by using the word "bought,'' he meant that Qatar was using the "financial strength'' of an energy-rich nation to lobby for backing, but did not mean to claim any unethical behavior on its part.
"I have at no time made, or was intending to make, any reference to any purchase of votes,'' Valcke said in a statement about his email to Warner.
After years of dismissing claims of corruption, FIFA caved in Sunday, an extraordinary day in its 107-year history. On Monday, the fallout from the two suspensions came quickly.
Warner, the now suspended head of the 35-nation regional body representing North and Central America and the Caribbean, told the British broadcaster Sky he would consult a Swiss judge about the legality of the suspension, even though FIFA statutes prohibit soccer officials seeking verdicts at a national court.
Bin Hammam said he would appeal, saying the proceedings have been "absolutely not compliant with any principles of justice'' and that they "had been defined from the very beginning.''
The 62-year-old Qatari, who is suspended from his role as president of the Asian Football Confederation, acknowledged on his personal website that provided $360,000 for travel and accommodations of the 25 Caribbean Football Union members attending a May 10-11 meeting in Warner's native Trinidad.
FIFA's gravest corruption crisis was sparked by a file of evidence submitted by Chuck Blazer, the American general secretary of CONCACAF and a longtime FIFA executive panel member.
Blazer said there was "much more evidence'' to come detailing what happened when bin Hammam and Warner arranged the May 10-11 meeting.
FIFA's suspension of bin Hammam has meanwhile met with widespread anger in the Middle East. Asian Football Confederation Vice President Yousuf al-Serkal, an ally of bin Hammam from neighboring United Arab Emirates, said he didn't believe the charges and saw them as a bid to remove him from the presidential race.
"Bin Hammam has been mistreated,'' al-Serkal said. "Bin Hammam is the right person who should have been elected.''
"All the allegations were just from a report,'' he added. "I feel sorry for the person I have known for long time as a decent person.''
Newspapers in Egypt were especially critical of the 75-year-old Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term as FIFA's leader.
The Al-Dustour daily said bin Hammam had "surrendered to the tyranny of Blatter.'' Al-Gomhuria called the Swiss president a "sly fox who cannot be easily hunted'' and compared him to that country's longtime president, Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted from office this year.
Copyright 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
MIAMI -- Before Dwyane Wade even sat down for a post-practice news conference Monday, he offered a pre-emptive strike.
"I'm not hurt," he said.
And that was news Miami Heat fans wanted to hear on the eve of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Wade, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and James Jones were all back in practice Monday, one day after being held out of contact drills for precautionary reasons. Everyone fully participated in the workout, which coach Erik Spoelstra said he had to cut a bit short because of how physical things were getting in the practice, during which the Heat had players in knee pads and mouthguards.
"Guys were hitting a little too hard," Spoelstra said. "A little bit too amped up."
The Heat host Game 1 of the Finals Tuesday night.
Wade has heard many questions about his health in recent days, dismissing them all, though his numbers in the Eastern Conference finals -- he never shot over 50 percent in any of those five games and was getting treatment on his surgically repaired left shoulder as the series wore on -- sparked speculation that something was wrong.
Wade has insisted there's no major issue, saying instead that no one is fully healthy at this point in the season. Like Spoelstra, Wade said Monday's practice was of the high-energy variety.
"Needless to say, this is one of the most anticipated practices for us all since training camp ... because this is the opportunity - this is the time where not a lot of people on our team have been," Wade said. "Not a lot of guys have been to the finals."
Wade said he wasn't shying away from contact in the session, either.
1. Roundtable: Coca-Cola 600 qualifying
? What did we learn, if anything, from Thursday night's Coke 600 qualifying session. Buzz Cutler and USA Today's Nate Ryan take a look.
Video url: http://www.rowdy.com/videos/600/roundtable-05-27-11-coke-600-qualifying
2. Roundtable: Kyle Busch apologizes
? Kyle Busch held a mea culpa media session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buzz Cutler and Nate Ryan thought his "sorrys" were sincere
Video url: http://www.rowdy.com/videos/599/roundtable-05-27-11-kyle-busch-apologizes
3. Big 3: Coca-Cola 600 preview
? Buzz Cutler and Nate Ryan from USA Today review the keys to NASCAR's longest race and highlight the drivers to watch
Video url: http://www.rowdy.com/videos/598/big-3-05-27-11-coca-cola-600-preview
The Texas Rangers weren't sure what to expect when they decided to move 27-year-old Alexi Ogando from the bullpen to the rotation this season. They weren't even sure how long the experiment would last.
After nine starts, Ogando is 5-0 with a 1.81 ERA and an AL-best 5.7 hits allowed per nine innings.
And he isn't going anywhere, except perhaps to the All-Star Game.
"One of our top priorities has to be developing our own starting pitching, and it's hard to consider taking our successful starters out of the rotation," general manager Jon Daniels told the Star-Telegram. "There are some unique things about Alexi's track record that we'll have to consider, but all in all we're thrilled about his development and plan for him to continue on this path."
With Ogando entrenched in the Rangers' rotation, the team would like to add a reliable setup man to its bullpen, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Among the possible trade targets mentioned by the newspaper: Padres closer Heath Bell, Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, Nationals setup man Todd Coffey and Diamondbacks setup man David Hernandez.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mets' third baseman David Wright has been sidelined indefinitely with a stress fracture in his back.
Wright sustained the injury on April 19, but continued to play with what he described as just discomfort. He underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed the extent of the injury.
"I was being counted on to help this team win games, now I'm not going to be able to do that for two weeks," Wright told the team's website (newyork.mets.mlb.com).
Wright will receive a second opinion on the injury before the team gives a definitive timeline on his recovery.
He had been struggling while playing with the injury and was batting just .226 with six home runs, well below his typical production, though he refused to blame his slump on his back.
"By no means is this thing a cop out or an excuse for what I've done so far," Wright said.
"I've played through it, and when I take the field, I expect to perform at a certain level."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
DETROIT (AP) -- Jose Valverde and David Ortiz had the two biggest matchups of an exhausting Sunday.
They split, and as a result, so did the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
Nearly seven hours after Ortiz's ninth-inning homer off Valverde gave the Red Sox a 4-3 victory in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, the Tigers closer retired Ortiz to finish off a 3-0 win in the nightcap.
"It was the same for me - I didn't feel anything different," Valverde said. "He's a good hitter, and there's nothing you can do about that, but the second game was my time."
In the second game, Justin Verlander (5-3) allowed four hits and walked two in 7 2-3 shutout innings, throwing a career-high 132 pitches.
"He's a real proud guy, and you could see the determination in his eyes," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I checked with him, he said he was fine, and he was up for the challenge."
Leyland said he will take advantage of Thursday's off day to give Verlander an extra day between starts.
"During the - I don't even know what inning it was, maybe the fifth or sixth - my velocity started to jump up, and I still didn't feel like I was overthrowing the ball," Verlander said. "I found a rhythm and had my mechanics and the ball was coming out live."
Josh Beckett (4-2) took his first loss since April 5 - his first start of the season. Beckett gave up two runs on five hits and a season-high five walks in six innings.
"Beckett's stuff was up in the first inning, and he gave up a couple runs," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "After that, Verlander never gave us a chance. He's one of the best in baseball. We made him work, but the higher he got into the pitch count, the harder he threw."
The loss ended Boston's five-game winning streak. The Red Sox had won 13 of their last 15 before the night game.
Detroit got a pair of runs in the first inning when Brennan Boesch hit an RBI double and scored on Miguel Cabrera 's base hit. Don Kelly drove in Cabrera for an insurance run in the eighth.
Valverde pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save, finishing a 10-hour day that included a 50-minute rain delay before the second game.
Ortiz's game-winning homer in the opener was his first pinch-hit home run in eight years.
"I don't like pinch hitting too much, but I did just what I do as a DH," Ortiz said. "I went to the cages, took some swings and got loose."
Ortiz, pinch-hitting for Jarrod Saltalamacchia , worked a full count against Valverde, then hit a line drive over the scoreboard in right-center.
"Valverde is so tough on right-handed hitters, it seemed like a easy decision with David sitting there," Francona said. "He worked the count and got a great swing."
Before Sunday, Ortiz had only faced Valverde once, hitting a grand slam on July 30 of last year.
Matt Albers (1-2) picked up the win with two shutout innings of relief, while Valverde (2-2) took the loss. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
Boston's Clay Buchholz and Detroit rookie Andy Oliver each pitched six innings and allowed three runs.
Oliver struggled badly in the first inning of his season debut, allowing a double, a walk, a hit batter and four stolen bases, but somehow escaped down just 1-0 on Adrian Gonzalez 's sacrifice fly.
"My slide step was a little slow in the first inning," Oliver said of the stolen bases. "From the second inning on, I relaxed and got focused on keeping guys off the bases."
The Red Sox got solo homers from Mike Cameron and Pedroia in the next two innings, but Boston's offense stalled util Ortiz's homer in the ninth.
Andy Dirks homered in the fourth, and Boesch's fourth homer pulled the Tigers with a run in the sixth.
Cabrera followed with a double, took third on Martinez's groundout and scored on Jhonny Peralta 's single.
NOTES: Before the first game, the Red Sox placed reliever Franklin Morales on the 15-day disabled list and recalled right-handed reliever Michael Bowden . ... The second game of the doubleheader was not originally scheduled to be televised, because of ESPN's exclusive Sunday-night contract, but a waiver was reached Sunday afternoon that allowed the game to be shown in both Boston and Detroit. ... Leyland had said he hoped moving slumping Ryan Raburn to second base would give him a "new season." Raburn went 0-4 with three strikeouts, dropping his season batting average to .195, and was out of the lineup for the nightcap.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) � The tenure of Jim Tressel ended Monday when the Ohio State coach resigned amid NCAA violations and mounting revelations that sullied the image of one of the country's top football programs.
By Jay LaPrete, AP
Football coach Jim Tressel resigns amid an investigation into his program, Ohio State says.
By Jay LaPrete, AP
Football coach Jim Tressel resigns amid an investigation into his program, Ohio State says.
"After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach," Tressel said in a statement released by the university. "The appreciation that (wife) Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable."
Luke Fickell will be the coach for the 2011 season. He already had been selected to be the interim coach while Tressel served a five-game suspension.
Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch said he was unaware of any buyout or severance package. He added that Tressel had returned from vacation Sunday night and met with athletic director Gene Smith, who then met with staff. Tressel typed his resignation and submitted it to Smith, he said.
Under terms of Tressel's contract, which was worth around $3.5 million a year through the 2014 season, Ohio State is not required to pay him any money or provide any benefits upon his resignation.
In a university video posted on YouTube.com, Smith said Tressel met with his Buckeyes players on Monday morning.
"Coach Tressel did what we all knew he would do," Smith said. "He did an eloquent job of explaining to the young men what transition really means and what they really needed to focus on. So he met with the team and exited."
Smith went on to thank Tressel, express his confidence in Fickell and to say that Ohio State would not comment on "any of the matters around (the NCAA) case or any further accusations that may emerge."
The resignation was first reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith speaks about the resignation of Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressel.
Clearly, the turmoil had been building. The resignation comes nearly three months after Ohio State called a news conference to announce it has suspended Tressel for two games ? later increasing the ban to five games to coincide with the players' punishment ? and fined him $250,000 for knowing his players had received improper benefits from a local tattoo-parlor owner. The school said at the time it was "very surprised and disappointed" in Tressel. Yet, the school still managed to crack jokes.
Asked if he considered firing Tressel, Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee said then: "No, are you kidding? Let me just be very clear: I'm just hopeful the coach doesn't dismiss me."
Gee was not joking about the Tressel situation over the weekend. Ohio State released a letter from Gee to the university's board of trustees which said, "As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the university and the senior leadership of the board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted coach Tressel's resignation."
Tressel's downfall came with public and media pressure mounting on Ohio State, its board of trustees, Gee and Smith.
Born: Aug. 18, 1973
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
High School: High school wrestling champion at DeSales (Columbus, Ohio) High School
College: Ohio State University
- Four-year starter on football team as a nose guard. Started a school-record 50 consecutive games from 1993-96.
Professional: Spent one season on the injured reserve list with the New Orleans Saints.
Coaching:
1999: Hired as graduate assistant at Ohio State
2000-01: Defensive line coach at Akron
2002-03: Special teams coordinator at Ohio State
2004: Linebackers coach at Ohio State
2005-present: Co-defensive coordinator/Linebackers coach at Ohio State (Named Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association in 2010)
Family: Wife: Amy, and four children.
"We look forward to refocusing the football program on doing what we do best ? representing this extraordinary university and its values on the field, in the classroom, and in life," Smith said in a statement Monday. "We look forward to supporting Luke Fickell in his role as our football coach. We have full confidence in his ability to lead our football program."
Tressel and Ohio State were to go before the NCAA's infractions committee Aug. 12 to answer questions about the player violations and why Tressel did not report them. He denied knowledge of improper benefits to players until confronted by investigators with emails that showed he had known since April 2010.
After several NCAA violations by him or his players over the years, Tressel's problems deepened after learning several players received cash or discounted tattoos. Contrary to NCAA bylaws ? and his own contract ? Tressel received emails from a former player about this and did not tell his athletic director, university president, compliance or legal departments or the NCAA for more than nine months.
The 58-year-old Tressel had a record of 106-22-0 at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to eight Bowl Championship Series games in his 10 years. Combined with a 135-57-2 record in 15 years at Youngstown State, where he won four Division I-AA national championships, Tressel's career mark was 241-79-2.
The author of two books about faith and integrity, he remains a scapegoat to many and a hypocrite to others. Even though he has many backers, a rising chorus of detractors had stepped forward during the ongoing NCAA investigation. There were also questions about his players and their friends and family members receiving special deals on used cars from two Columbus dealers.
But at one time his image was that of an honest, religious man who never said or did anything without thinking it through first. His nickname was "The Senator" for never having a hair out of place, praising opponents and seldom giving a clear answer to even the simplest of questions.
He'd gotten into trouble with the NCAA even before coming to Ohio State. He was the coach at Youngstown State when it received scholarship and recruiting restrictions for violations involving star quarterback Ray Isaacs.
Still, Andy Geiger, then Ohio State's athletic director, favored Tressel over Minnesota coach and former Buckeyes linebacker Glen Mason for the job after John Cooper was fired in January 2001.
Cooper was let go ostensibly because the program lost direction, with several off-the-field problems. But perhaps more damaging was his 2-10-1 record against rival Michigan and 3-8 mark in bowl games.
Introduced at an Ohio State basketball game in 2001, Tressel vowed that fans would "be proud of our young people, in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the football field."
Tressel's first team went just 7-5, losing the Outback Bowl, but upset 11th-ranked Michigan 26-20. But in his second year, with a team led by freshman tailback Maurice Clarett, the Buckeyes won everything. They went 14-0, winning seven games by seven or fewer points. Ranked No. 2, they took on top-ranked Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for the BCS national title. In the second overtime, Clarett bulled over the middle for a touchdown and the Buckeyes held to clinch their first national title since 1968. After the game, Tressel held aloft the crystal football.
The following summer, Clarett reported that a used car he had borrowed from a local dealer was broken into and that he had been hit by thousands of dollars in losses. Clarett's call to police came from Tressel's office. Clarett admitted he had made up the break-in call and later took a plea deal. But the NCAA began looking into Clarett and the team. Soon after, he was declared ineligible. He would never play another college game.
The Buckeyes went 11-2 in 2003 and followed that with an 8-4 mark in Tressel's fourth season. There had been a stream of players getting in trouble, but in December 2004 backup quarterback Troy Smith�(FSY) was suspended for the bowl game and the 2005 regular-season opener for accepting $500 from a booster.
Smith would go on to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy, leading the Buckeyes to a 12-0 record and a season-long No. 1 ranking. Despite being a heavy favorite in the national title game, the Buckeyes were routed by Florida 41-14.
A year later, Tressel guided the Buckeyes to the national championship game but lost again ? 38-24 to underdog LSU.
The Buckeyes were national contenders each of Tressel's next three seasons, with off-the-field problems mixed in. In 2005 offensive coordinator coach Jim Bollman was reprimanded for trying to arrange for a car and a loan for a recruit. Several other Buckeyes players were arrested on a variety of charges.
But the Buckeyes continued to win and play in rich bowl games. That was enough until his latest brush with the NCAA.
Ohio State announced in December during what would be a 12-1 season and a top-five national ranking that it would suggest to the NCAA that five players ? most of them top players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor�(FSY)�? would sit out the first five games of the 2011 season after they admitted they had received improper benefits.
They had sold memorabilia such as championship rings, uniforms and in the case of Pryor, a Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award, for cash or discounted tattoos at a Columbus parlor. The violations came to light in a U.S. Attorney investigation into drug trafficking involving the owner of the parlor, Edward Rife. When federal agents raided his home and the parlor, they came across hundreds of signed Ohio State items.
A 10-day investigation by Ohio State resulted in the self-imposed five-game penalties and the players repaying the money they gained to charity. The NCAA allowed the players to play in the Sugar Bowl, a move many observers said showed the national governing body put the money interests of the bowl ahead of routine punishment in other similar cases.
Tressel had learned that Pryor and wide receiver DeVier Posey�(FSY)� were involved in the memorabilia deals when he received an email from lawyer Christopher Cicero, a former Ohio State walk-on and letterman in the 1980s, back in April 2010.
It was not until Ohio State began to work on an appeal of the five-game suspensions for the players that investigators came across the emails between Cicero and Tressel. The coach then finally admitted that he knew of what has been called Tattoo-Gate by local media.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.
MILWAUKEE -- San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is out for the season after having surgery Sunday to repair three torn ligaments in his ankle sustained in a collision at home plate last week.
"He's not going to be back this season," head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said in a conference call with reporters. "He will have another surgery somewhere in the 8- to 10-week mark to take out some of that hardware that the doctors put in. That's already determined. ... Add that to rehab time, and I don't see him making it back this season."
Groeschner said Posey had two screws inserted into his lower leg to stabilize the ankle over a surgery that lasted about 90 minutes early Sunday morning.
"We're very pleased with how his ankle came back together. He had that fractured fibula as well," Groeschner said. "After re-X-raying the fracture, we felt like we didn't really need to do anything with that, which was nice."
The 2010 NL Rookie of the Year broke a bone in his lower left leg and injured the ankle in a collision with Florida's Scott Cousins on Wednesday night. Groeschner said the team is optimistic Posey will be ready for opening day next season, but that he has a long road ahead.
"I think it's a good prognosis," Groeschner said. "He just had a very devastating injury, he just had surgery and he still has a long rehab process to go. We're optimistic and we'll see how he does at the end of the summer, where he's at."
Groeschner said that they hope to ease him into spring training and that there might be the need for another arthroscopic surgery next year or several years later depending on the amount of scar tissue that occurs during the healing process.
"He's a young guy, he's strong, he's got some good genes, he can obviously play the game well. This may hinder him a little bit; it's probably too early to tell," the trainer said. "We'll just see how he does with the rehab and where this goes."
Posey was injured when Cousins collided into him as the Giants catcher was attempting to catch a throw in San Francisco's 12th inning loss to the Marlins.
Posey was in immediate pain, something he had said hadn't subsided when he talked for the first time since the injury on Friday. Groeschner said Posey will still be hurting for a few more days, but expected that to subside soon.
"He was fairly comfortable. He's still going to be in pain for the next few days, which we've warned him. I think now that his ankle's fixed, not only the physical pain but some of the mental stuff will start getting better for him now that he knows he's on the road to recovery," Groeschner said.
Posey finishes 2011 hitting .284 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 45 games. Last year, Posey was recalled from the minors in late May and hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs in 108 games.
The collision has sparked a debate on if rules should be changed to better protect catchers at the plate. Posey felt Cousins could have slid around him but said it was a legal play. His main objective will be to continue his career as soon as he can, starting with Sunday's procedure.
"It's a good first step in getting Buster back to his playing days again," Groeschner said.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Dan Wheldon was zipping toward the final corner of Sunday's Indianapolis 500, surely figuring the best he could do was another runner-up finish.
Then he came upon J.R. Hildebrand's crumpled car, all smashed up and sliding along the wall.
The rookie had made the ultimate mistake with his very last turn of the wheel, and Wheldon, not Hildebrand, made an improbable turn into Victory Lane.
"It's obviously unfortunate, but that's Indianapolis," said Wheldon, who won Indy in 2005 and finished second the last two years. "That's why it's the greatest spectacle in racing. You never now what's going to happen."
This might have been the whackiest one ever.
In his first event of the year, Wheldon captured the ultimate IndyCar prize. But the 100th anniversary of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" will be remembered more for the guy who let it slip away with the checkered flag in sight.
Leading by almost 4 seconds and needing to make it around the 2�-mile track just one more time, Hildebrand cruised through the first three turns with no problem.
The fourth one got him. He went too high, lost control and slammed into the outside wall. Wheldon sped past, while Hildebrand's battered machine skidded across the line 2.1 seconds behind, still hugging the concrete barrier.
"It's a helpless feeling," Hildebrand said.
The 23-year-old Californian got into trouble when he came up on another rookie, Charlie Kimball, going much slower as they approached the last corner. Instead of backing off, the leader moved to the outside to make the pass -- a decision that sent him slamming into the wall to a collective gasp from the crowd of 250,000.
"I caught him in the wrong piece of track," Hildebrand said. "I got up in the marbles and that was it."
While Wheldon celebrated his second Indy 500 win, series officials reviewed the video to see if Wheldon passed the wrecked machine before the caution lights went on. He clearly did, and Hildebrand's team said it wouldn't protest the result.
That gave the Brit another spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Not bad, considering he doesn't even have a full-time job.
[+] Enlarge
Todd Warshaw/Getty ImagesDan Wheldon, right, shot into the lead off Turn 4 of the final lap as JR Hildebrand skidded along the wall.
"I just felt a lot of relief. It's an incredible feeling," Wheldon said. "I never gave up."
He took the traditional swig of milk and headed off on a triumphant lap around the speedway -- a lap that Hildebrand should have been taking.
Instead, the youngster stopped by the garage to get a look at his mangled car, which was hauled through Gasoline Alley instead of being wheeled into Victory Lane. He's now in the company of athletes such as Jean Van de Velde, who squandered a three-shot lead on the last hole of the 1999 British Open, and Lindsey Jacobellis, whose hotdogging wipeout at the 2006 Winter Olympics cost her a certain gold medal.
They had it in the bag -- and threw it all away.
"I'm just frustrated. It's not because we came in here with the expectation of winning and we didn't," Hildebrand said. "I felt like I just made a mistake and it cost our boys. I guess that's why rookies don't win the Indianapolis 500 a whole lot, and we'll be back next year, I guess."
After losing his ride from last season -- with Hildebrand's team, no less -- Wheldon had plenty of time to hang out with his wife and two young children, while also dealing with the burden of his mother being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He longed to get back behind the wheel, and when May rolled around he had a one-off deal with retired driver Bryan Herta's fledgling team.
They came up with a winning combination, which may well lead to a bigger gig.
For now, though, there are no guarantees -- even for the Indy 500 champion.
"I think my contract expires at midnight," Wheldon said, managing a smile.
The 200-lap race was dominated much of the day by Chip Ganassi's top two drivers, defending champ Dario Franchitti and 2008 winner Scott Dixon.
But after a series of late pit stops, things really got interesting. Second-generation racer Graham Rahal spent some time up front. Danica Patrick claimed the lead but had to stop for fuel with nine laps to go. Belgium driver Bertrand Baguette had already gotten past Patrick, but he didn't have enough fuel, either.
?
It's a helpless feeling. ... I caught him in the wrong piece of track. I got up in the marbles and that was it.
? --IndyCar rookie JR Hildebrand
When Baguette went to the pits with three laps to go, the lead belonged to Hildebrand. All he had to do was make it to the end.
He came up one turn short.
"My disappointment is for the team," Hildebrand said. "We should've won the race."
Not that Wheldon isn't a deserving champ. He has 16 career wins and finished in the top 10 of the series standings seven years in a row, capturing the title in 2005.
But in the peculiar world of auto racing, which runs on sponsorship dollars and not necessarily credentials, Wheldon was squeezed out of his ride at Panther.
He sat out the first four races of the year, but no way was he going without a ride at Indy. He's had too much success around this place.
"Dan Wheldon, he's a great winner," Patrick said. "And what a great story. He hasn't run this year. ... That's really cool."
Still, it was a bitter disappointment for Patrick, who ended up 10th.
"It's more and more depressing when I don't win the race," said Indy's leading lady, who might be heading to NASCAR next year.
Patrick knows about misfortune leading to victory for Wheldon. His first victory came when she led late in the race, only to have to back off the throttle to save enough fuel to make it to the finish.
This time, Wheldon never led a lap until the last one, the first time that's happened since Joe Dawson won the second Indy 500 in 1912.
It was the second time a driver lost the lead on the last lap -- it happened to another rookie, Marco Andretti, in 2006 -- and it's something Hildebrand will always remember.
"Is it a move I would do again?" he said. "No."
Rahal finished third, followed by hard-charging Tony Kanaan, who came all the way from the 22nd starting spot to contend for his first 500 win, just a year after leaving Michael Andretti's team. Dixon was fifth, followed by Oriol Servia, while Franchitti lost speed in the closing laps and slipped all the way to 12th.
Right from the start, the Ganassi cars showed just how strong they would be on a sweltering day at the Brickyard, where the temperature climbed into the upper 80s and the heat on the track was well over 100 degrees.
From the middle of the front row, Dixon blew by pole-sitter Alex Tagliani before they even got to the start-finish line, diving into the first turn with the lead.
Tagliani ran strong through the first half of the race but began having problems with his handling. Finally, on lap 147, he lost it coming out of the fourth turn and banged into the wall for a disappointing end to an amazing month for his car owner, Sam Schmidt, who watched the race from a wheelchair in the pits.
Schmidt has been a quadriplegic since a racing crash 11 years ago, but he's turned his efforts to building an IndyCar team. He had another car in the race, one-off driver Townsend Bell, who started from the inside of the second row and ran in the top 10 much of the day until he was collided with Ryan Briscoe on lap 158.
Briscoe's crash summed up the day for IndyCar's other elite team.
Roger Penske's trio of drivers capped a disappointing month with a grim performance on race day.
On the very first stop, Will Power drove out of the pits with a loose left rear wheel, which flew off before he got back on the track. While it bounced down pit road, Power set off around the 2�-mile oval on three wheels, sparks flying out from under his machine as it limped back for another tire. He finished 14th -- the best showing for Penske Racing.
Helio Castroneves, hoping for a record-tying fourth Indy win, started back in 16th spot after struggling in qualifying and did his best just to stay on the lead lap, much less challenge for the lead. That effort ended when Briscoe and Bell got together -- and Castroneves ran off a piece of debris, shredding a tire. He wound up one lap down in 17th.
Briscoe's crash left him 27th.
"It was a tough day," Penske said. "But you've got execute."
There was only one wreck on the much-debated double-file restarts but plenty of thrilling moves -- just what IndyCar officials were hoping for when they imposed the NASCAR-style procedure after each caution period.
At one point after taking green, Castroneves had to dive onto the lane that cars normally take coming out of the pits just to get through the second turn. The crowd erupted in cheers, clearly enjoying the show.
For Hildebrand, the cheers turned to groans on the final turn.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Duke guard Greg Paulus has been added to the Ohio State men's basketball staff as video coordinator.
Paulus, who spent last year as an assistant coach at Navy, was a three-year starter for the Blue Devils and played on four NCAA tournament teams. While pursuing his master's degree at Syracuse, he also played quarterback for a season for the Orangemen.
Buckeyes coach Thad Matta recruited Paulus out of high school in Kensington, Va.
Mavericks' head coach Rick Carlisle and guard Jason Terry discuss the team's age and experience, and what it means going into the NBA Finals.
Mavericks Overcoming Age
VIDEO PLAYLIST
Mavericks Overcoming Age
Mavericks Overcoming Age
Mavericks' head coach Rick Carlisle and guard Jason Terry discuss the team's age and experience, and what it means going into the NBA Finals.
Team On a Mission
Team On a Mission
ESPN's Colleen Dominguez reports on the Mavericks and their quest to avenge their 2006 NBA Finals loss to the Heat.
Keys To Victory For Heat
Keys To Victory For Heat
Barea's Journey
Barea's Journey
DALLAS -- Jason Terry's tattoo of the Larry O'Brien Trophy could be temporary.
If his Dallas Mavericks don't beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Terry said he would have the tattoo removed from the inside of his right biceps.
"I definitely know that it will hurt worse if I have to take this thing off than it did putting it on," Terry said Sunday after the Mavericks wrapped up their final practice before boarding their flight to Miami.
If the Mavs fail to win their first NBA championship, Terry said it would mean his tattoo was bad luck.
"I'm very superstitious," he said.
Terry got the tattoo on Oct. 19 during a get-together Dallas shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson had at his offseason home before the Mavericks played a road preseason game against the Orlando Magic. Stevenson, who has hundreds of tattoos on his face, neck, torso and arms, offered the services of his personal tattoo artist to his teammates.
Terry, the only player other than Dirk Nowitzki remaining on the Mavericks' roster from the 2006 Finals team, got the trophy inked into his arm to send a message to his teammates.
"It just symbolized the fact that we had a realistic shot of getting here," Terry said. "If I didn't think we had a chance, I wouldn't have put it there."
Terry certainly isn't backing off his belief in the Mavs now that they've earned a Finals rematch with the Heat, although he understands that Miami is considered the heavy favorite.
"Everybody knows that they're picking Miami to win. We know that," Terry said. "It really doesn't matter to us. We know we're very focused right now. We know what the job is and we know how we have to get it done."
Tim MacMahon covers the Mavericks for ESPNDallas.com.
Mohamed Bin Hammam's (left) ban means Sepp Blatter (right) will run unopposed for the FIFA presidency Wednesday.
Ahamd Yusni/EPA
ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA suspended senior executives Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner over bribery allegations Sunday, while completely exonerating President Sepp Blatter in the gravest corruption crisis facing football's world governing body.
Blatter now is in line to be re-elected unopposed to a fourth term Wednesday after his only challenger, Bin Hammam, withdrew his candidacy just hours before being provisionally excluded from all football activities by FIFA's ethics committee.
The ethics panel said there was sufficient evidence to further investigate allegations that bin Hammam and Warner, the CONCACAF President, offered $40,000 bribes to delegates at a Caribbean football association meeting on May 10-11 in Trinidad.
The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for bin Hammam, a Qatari who heads Asia's football confederation, in his campaign to unseat Blatter. The evidence was compiled by American executive committee member Chuck Blazer.
FIFA said bin Hammam and Warner, a FIFA vice president from Trinidad, will now face a full FIFA inquiry. If found guilty, they could be expelled from FIFA and banned for life from all football activity.
"We are satisfied that there is a case to be answered,'' Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of the ethics committee, said at a news conference at FIFA's headquarters.
Bin Hammam said the suspension is "unfortunate but this is where we are - this is FIFA.''
Two officials from the Caribbean Football Union, Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, were also suspended over the bribery allegations.
Bin Hammam, who denied any wrongdoing, had asked the ethics panel to investigate Blatter on grounds that he knew of alleged bribe attempts and did nothing about it.
But Damaseb said the five-man panel received "lots of confirmation from every individual conceivable'' that there was no evidence to take action Blatter, who has been office since 1998.
"Is there a reason I should not believe him?'' Damaseb, a Namibian judge, told reporters. "You can disagree with the decision I have taken. I can just give you the reasoning behind our decision.''
FIFA stressed that, despite the turmoil, the election will go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday during the congress of 208 national members.
With FIFA's reputation severely tarnished by repeated allegations of vote-buying and financial wrongdoing, Blatter responded Sunday by saying he regrets "what has happened in the last few days and weeks.''
"FIFA's image has suffered a great deal as a result, much to the disappointment of FIFA itself and all football fans,'' the Swiss official said.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke acknowledged that this was a watershed moment for the organization.
"It's sad - definitely there is a need for change,'' Valcke said. "FIFA must make the necessary changes so that the institution has systems in place to avoid that something like this happens again.
"This is the pattern of the work which we have to do very quickly in the next months - to change what has to be changed and put in place a number of systems to make sure that the presidential election also comes under a number of rules.''
Warner, the CONCACAF President, had warned that a "football tsunami'' would be unleashed after the findings of the FIFA panel were released.
The corruption crisis was sparked by Blazer, whose evidence file implicated his executive committee colleagues. Blazer, Warner's longtime No. 2 at the CONCACAF regional body, spent more than an hour at FIFA headquarters before leaving Sunday.
Bin Hammam, who decided to run for president after helping Qatar secure the 2022 World Cup, pulled out of the race early Sunday morning
"Recent events have left me hurt and disappointed - on a professional and personal level,'' bin Hammam wrote on his personal website. "It saddens me that standing up for the causes that I believed in has come at a great price - the degradation of FIFA's reputation. This is not what I had in mind for FIFA and this is unacceptable.
"I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first. It is for this reason that I announce my withdrawal from the presidential election.
"I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the FIFA ethics committee as I will appear before the ethics committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me.''
Bin Hammam and Warner, a 28-year veteran at FIFA's high table, are accused of arranging bribes for up to 25 presidential voters from the Caribbean Football Union.
Bin Hammam has acknowledged paying travel and accommodation expenses, and conference costs, but denies vote-buying.
Instead, he implicated Blatter's camp in a plot to remove him from the election contest, and fought back by bringing the FIFA president into the ethics case.
According to bin Hammam's formal complaint, Blatter broke FIFA "duty of disclosure'' rules because he was apparently aware via Warner that payments had been arranged and "had no issue.''
The evidence file was compiled by John Collins, a former United States federal prosecutor who is now a member of FIFA's legal committee.
Blatter succeeded Brazil's Joao Havelange, defeating then UEFA president Lennart Johansson at the 1998 FIFA Congress. Blatter acknowledges that claims of vote-buying surrounded his first election but has always denied involvement.
After facing a challenge from African football president Issa Hayatou in 2002, Blatter was re-elected unopposed for a third successive term in 2007.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tiger Woods said on Monday he did not suffer any new damage to his left knee at the Players Championship and fully expects to compete in next month's U.S. Open, the year's second major.
Woods limped off the TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida last week after just nine holes because of mild strains to his left knee and left Achilles' tendon.
"Aggravating my injury is very disappointing," Woods said on his website. "I'll do whatever is necessary to play in the U.S. Open, and I'm hopeful I can be there to compete."
The 14-times major winner indicated there is no timeline for healing but said it is doubtful he will be at the June 2-5 Memorial tournament as he undergoes rehabilitation and works on strengthening his leg.
The June 16-19 U.S. Open will be played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, Editing by Steve Keating)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tiger Woods said on Monday he did not suffer any new damage to his left knee at the Players Championship and fully expects to compete in next month's U.S. Open, the year's second major.
Woods limped off the TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida last week after just nine holes because of mild strains to his left knee and left Achilles' tendon.
"Aggravating my injury is very disappointing," Woods said on his website. "I'll do whatever is necessary to play in the U.S. Open, and I'm hopeful I can be there to compete."
The 14-times major winner indicated there is no timeline for healing but said it is doubtful he will be at the June 2-5 Memorial tournament as he undergoes rehabilitation and works on strengthening his leg.
The June 16-19 U.S. Open will be played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, Editing by Steve Keating)
Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of ?The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,? the Indianapolis 500. It?s the 33 fastest drivers and cars in the world battling for the right to achieve history, to drink from the bottle of milk, and have their face forever living on the Borg-Warner Trophy. And, oh yeah, the $2.75 million-plus expected payday to the winner isn?t bad, either.
After a dramatic qualifying weekend, this year?s race has the potential to be a great one. Here are my top five questions for race day:
1. Could this be the year of the little guys? Like the INDYCAR series itself, the Indy 500 in recent years has been dominated by the big boys?teams with experience, prestige, and cash. Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won two of the last three, including Dario Franchitti?s victory a year ago. Team Penske?s Helio Castroneves gave Roger Penske his 15th Indy 500 win in 2009. But this year could be different with 12 of the top 15 qualifiers, including pole-sitter Alex Tagliani, representing smaller teams. Now, of course, once the green flag is waived, the winning pedigree and experience of Ganassi and Penske cannot be underestimated.
2. Can Dario Franchitti repeat? The defending race and INDYCAR series champion has started this season strong, posting a win in the opener at St. Petersburg and is second in the point standings, just 14 behind Will Power. He is one of just two drivers with multiple 500 victories in the field. He definitely has the experience and skillset to become the first back-to-back winner in eight years.
3. Will Helio Castroneves get No. 4? Castroneves has the opportunity to make history and join Indy legends A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, and Al Unser in winning at the Brickyard four times. If the Brazilian is to do so, he?ll need to get his confidence back and avoid trouble. It has been a disastrous start to a year that has seen him make contact with other drivers in each of the four opening races.
4. Has Will Power mastered the oval? The series? points leader is a master of the road and street courses, but the question remains whether he can do the same on ovals. He claimed the road and street championship last year but lost the overall title due to his lack of oval prowess. While he has yet to post a victory in 21 attempts on ovals, he feels he?s due. Getting his first at Indy would definitely be proof.
5. Is the ?Andretti Curse? back? Michael Andretti thought the curse was gone when his team won the Indy 500 with Dan Wheldon in 2005. It looks like the curse may have returned. His cars struggled for speed all month with two of his racers failing to qualify. He then decided to buy A.J. Foyt?s car that qualified with driver Bruno Junqueira for Ryan Hunter-Reay. This has led to heavy fan and media criticism. But with Danica Patrick and his son Marco both posting podium finishes in the past at Indy, it?s still possible he could quiet those critics with a victory.
You can follow Kevin Graham?s random daily riffs on INDYCAR and sports in general at www.SportsMashup.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kevingraham1280.
By J. Michael Falgoust, Jeff Zillgitt, Mike Dodd, USA TODAY
The morning after the Dallas Mavericks had advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history, coach Rick Carlisle could only take a deep sigh in reflection.
By Eric Gay, AP
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle called his team's Game 5 win over the Thunder "a real test."
By Eric Gay, AP
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle called his team's Game 5 win over the Thunder "a real test."
The Mavs closed out the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-96 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, but it wasn't as easy as that. Wednesday's comeback at home was from five points down with five minutes left. The Mavericks also rallied from a 15-point deficit in the last five minutes of Game 4 on the road.
"The comeback in Game 4 was an unlikely scenario. But (Game 5) was the hardest game. It's not even close," said Carlisle, who will be coaching in his first NBA Finals. "They kept attacking us, kept driving at us with their quicker guys. It was a real test."
The Mavericks got 26 points each from Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki, who hit his only three-pointer with 1:14 to go to put them up for good. They overcame a game-high 31 points from Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and 40 points from Oklahoma City's bench.
Sixth man Jason Terry, who joins Nowitzki as the only Mavs left from the 2006 Finals loss to the Miami Heat, has the championship trophy tattooed on his right biceps. He's intent on getting the real thing.
"We're going to get it," Terry said. "We finally got back. The show is on now."
Injuries not new:
Heat guard Dwyane Wade missed dunk attempts in Game 3 and Game 4 vs. the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals and had struggled from the field, shooting 11-for-33 in those games.
Wade denied he was hurt. But during Game 5 on Thursday he was caught on camera having his left shoulder stretched.
Even teammate LeBron James said after the game that Wade was not 100%. And he praised his friend for hanging in.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the physical nature of the series had a lot to do with players missing shots.
"It's taken a toll on everybody, on both teams," he said. "It's as physical a series as I've been around."
Heat forward James Jones is dealing with an injured toe on his left foot and did not play in Games 3 and 4 after getting two minutes in Game 2. Jones wore a walking boot on his left foot.
New face:
With backup center Omer Asik sidelined for the postseason with a broken leg, the Bulls activated 6-9 forward Brian Scalabrine for Game 5 on Thursday. It was the first time he had dressed for a game this postseason. Scalabrine hadn't played since March 15.
Kurt Thomas, who didn't play in the first four games of the series, did yeoman duty filling in and giving the Bulls a boost.
A vote for Brown:
Heat forward LeBron James played for soon-to-be Los Angles Lakers coach Mike Brown from 2005-06 through 2009-10 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James had positive words for the coach.
"He always believed that in order to win basketball games and ultimately to win a championship, you have to defend," James said. "That's what he's really good at. He's great at that.
"He is great at also giving teammates and guys free speech. 'If you guys see something on the court, let me know, and if I feel like it works, then we can change it, we can go with it.' He's a great communicator."
Kings on target:
Sacramento Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof say they are optimistic the city can help finance a new arena after the release of a feasibility study Thursday at a special City Hall meeting. The Maloofs, in a statement, said "the political and public will are here" in Sacramento despite years of failed measures to finance an arena.
NBA Commissioner David Stern, who has said a new arena plan must be ready by March 1 or the franchise likely will relocate, also said he was encouraged.
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.
CAMERON, Texas (AP) - Brandon Everage, a safety on Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team, drowned while swimming in a Texas river. He was 30.
Milam County Sheriff David Greene said in a news release that authorities were called to the Little River in the western part of the county on Friday evening. Friends said they had been swimming when Everage, a Granger resident, went under water and didn't surface. A dive team recovered his body Saturday morning.
Everage was a reserve on Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team and a starter on the 2003 team that had a shot at the BCS title before losing to LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
Everage was a second-team All-American in 2002, when he had 94 tackles, six interceptions and three sacks. He was chosen as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given each year to college football's top defensive back.
As a senior, he had 60 tackles while starting the final 12 games at free safety for the Sooners, including the 21-14 loss to LSU in the Sugar Bowl with the BCS title on the line. He was not drafted and didn't play in the NFL.
Everage finished his career with 285 tackles - the fourth-most by a defensive back at Oklahoma - and 10 interceptions, plus 28 deflected passes. He played on Sooners teams that went a perfect 4-0 against Texas - including a 63-14 win in 2000 and a 65-13 win in 2003 - and won two Big 12 championships.
"Brandon was a favorite in the locker room and a favorite among the coaches. He played football with tremendous passion and had a special spark that inspired everyone," coach Bob Stoops said in a statement.
"We will always have fond memories of him. For now, though, we are deeply saddened for Brandon's family."
� 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mets' third baseman David Wright has been sidelined indefinitely with a stress fracture in his back.
Wright sustained the injury on April 19, but continued to play with what he described as just discomfort. He underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed the extent of the injury.
"I was being counted on to help this team win games, now I'm not going to be able to do that for two weeks," Wright told the team's website (newyork.mets.mlb.com).
Wright will receive a second opinion on the injury before the team gives a definitive timeline on his recovery.
He had been struggling while playing with the injury and was batting just .226 with six home runs, well below his typical production, though he refused to blame his slump on his back.
"By no means is this thing a cop out or an excuse for what I've done so far," Wright said.
"I've played through it, and when I take the field, I expect to perform at a certain level."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
At a time when the NFLPA* faces the possibility of losing the effort to lift the lockout via the court system, the union-turned-trade-association needs real leverage, if the next step will be to negotiate a win-win, long-term labor deal.� Although the most recently published comments from NFLPA* executive director DeMaurice Smith on the subject hint at a stubborn commitment to leverage-through-litigation, the broader circumstances could be cause for a glimmer of hope.
In a new interview posted today by Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports but conducted ?earlier this month,? Smith suggests that he?s committed to a future without a union.
?When I went into this,? Smith told Silver, ?my attitude was that the only way you have power is collectively, and I believed in unions as vehicles for employees asserting their rights.� But looking back on what Gene [Upshaw] experienced and understanding this particular situation, I?ve now come to appreciate the value of decertification in our particular circumstance.� And I don?t see why we?d want to go back to being a union.?
In 1993, Upshaw wanted no part of re-forming the union.� But there?s a good chance that Upshaw knew the NFL had to insist on a CBA in order to protect the NFL against antitrust challenges.� The settlement of the Reggie White antitrust suit in the 1990s or the Tom Brady antitrust suit today would still leave the NFL susceptible to challenges from players who were not yet in the NFL at the time of the settlement.� So if, for example, the Brady class agrees as part of the settlement that the draft will continue, any and all future incoming players could sue to challenge it as an antitrust violation.
Upshaw was very smart.� More than smart enough to know that, because of the antitrust exemption that comes with a multi-employer labor deal, the NFL needed the union more than the players needed the union.� Thus, Upshaw knew that he could get greater concessions by fighting against the return of the NFLPA.
Smith, in turn, is smart enough to know that, with the first shot of the Brady case seemingly destined to fizzle like John Madden?s ?last shot from a Roman candle,? leverage needs to be mustered for the inevitable negotiations that are moving to the front end of the horizon.
Of course, if Smith isn?t saying what he?s saying for leverage, then it?s lunacy.� Apart from threatening the competitive balance of the game by putting the draft and free agency restrictions in peril and jeopardizing college football by giving the next Maurice Clarett a much stronger case for forcing early entry into the draft pool, Smith risks inviting a new union drive that would, if successful, render his employment irrelevant.� Even Upshaw, who commanded respect in every corner of every locker room, couldn?t keep his players from crossing a picket line.� If Smith tries to force a non-union reality onto the NFL, the players who will be affected by the absence of protections like minimum salaries and mandatory benefits eventually will come together and attempt to form a new union.
Thus, in lieu of focusing on the gloom and doom, we?ll assume it?s all about the leverage.� Making us even more comfortable in this conclusion is that Silver, like Upshaw and Smith, is smart.� And Silver wrote last week ? apparently after interviewing Smith and hearing all about the ?no union? strategy ? that he believes based on his conversations with both sides in this labor fight that the end result will be a multi-year CBA.
Which means that Silver believes the union will return.
To get there, the players need leverage.� And part of that leverage will be a reluctance by the NFLPA* to remove its asterisk.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Mets' third baseman David Wright has been sidelined indefinitely with a stress fracture in his back.
Wright sustained the injury on April 19, but continued to play with what he described as just discomfort. He underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed the extent of the injury.
"I was being counted on to help this team win games, now I'm not going to be able to do that for two weeks," Wright told the team's website (newyork.mets.mlb.com).
Wright will receive a second opinion on the injury before the team gives a definitive timeline on his recovery.
He had been struggling while playing with the injury and was batting just .226 with six home runs, well below his typical production, though he refused to blame his slump on his back.
"By no means is this thing a cop out or an excuse for what I've done so far," Wright said.
"I've played through it, and when I take the field, I expect to perform at a certain level."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
CHICAGO - The injuries are piling up on the New York Mets, and so are the losses.
R.A. Dickey left with a foot injury in the third inning and the Chicago Cubs took advantage, beating the Mets 9-3 on Thursday.
Dickey was running to cover first base when he felt something in his foot and collapsed to the ground. He eventually limped off the field and down the dugout steps, and was replaced on the mound by reliever Pedro Beato. The team said Dickey had "pain in his right heel."
"I felt a real intense burning sensation in my heel and involuntarily went down," Dickey said. "I walked around and it subsided. I'm optimistic and I feel like I'm a pretty quick healer."
Preliminary examinations showed no damage to the Achilles' tendon, a good sign for the right-hander. Mets manager Terry Collins said Dickey will get a full evaluation Friday when the team returns to New York.
The Mets already have starters Johan Santana, Chris Young and Bobby Parnell on the disabled list. First baseman Ike Davis has been banged up, third baseman David Wright has a stress fracture in his back, and outfielder Angel Pagan has been out for a while.
"You've got to stay as healthy as you can," Collins said. "It's hard to keep asking guys from Triple-A or your extra players to fill in for these guys."
New York's bullpen allowed eight hits and seven runs after Dickey departed. Beato (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs in 1 1-3 innings.
Carlos Zambrano (5-2) allowed two runs ? one earned ? on six hits and two walks while picking up his first win at Wrigley Field since Sept. 4. He doubled and scored a run at the plate, and has four hits in his last four at-bats to raise his average to .375 on the season.
Carlos Pena stayed hot for Chicago, lacing a two-run homer in the fourth. It was Pena's sixth of the year, all of them since May 3. Pena has reached base in 19 of his last 20 games.
Alfonso Soriano had a two-run double, a single and scored a run for the Cubs. Rookie Tony Campana added three singles and made a couple of nice catches in center in his first start.
Kosuke Fukudome also had three hits, including his first homer of the season, a solo shot in the eighth that gave the Cubs their last run. Chicago matched its season high with 17 hits.
The Mets added to their season-long injury woes in the third.
Zambrano reached on a two-out single, and Fukudome chopped a grounder to second. First baseman Daniel Murphy had come off the bag in pursuit the ball, so Dickey ran over to cover first. He stumbled and fell, and remained on the ground for several minutes.
"I knew I couldn't go any more," Dickey said. "It's frustrating because I felt like I wasn't going to give up much today."
The Cubs got to Beato in the fourth. Starlin Castro led off with a walk, and Pena lined a 2-1 pitch into the right-field bleachers through a stiff wind. Koyie Hill added an RBI groundout, and Zambrano lined a run-scoring single, giving Chicago a four-run inning.
The Cubs tacked on another couple of runs in the fifth on Soriano's two-run double.
The game didn't start so well for the Cubs. After the first two innings passed quickly, the Mets broke out on top on a mash and some miscues.
Jose Reyes lined a double into the left-field corner. As he rounded the bag at second, the throw from Fukudome skipped by second baseman Barney. Reyes raced for third as Barney retrieved the errant throw, but Barney's throw to third was wild, allowing Reyes to score.
Barney also was charged with an error in the first trying to flip a ball to shortstop Castro at the second base bag, giving Chicago three errors in the first two innings. The Cubs entered the game 15th in National League fielding percentage.
The Mets' second run came in the fifth, when Jason Pridie led off with a triple and scored on Josh Thole's two-out single.
More depressing spring weather delayed the start of the game for 31 minutes. The temperature at game time was 42 degrees and a 15 mph wind was blew out of the north.
The Mets' 7-4 win on Wednesday was called in the seventh inning because of a building rain storm, heavy winds, cold temperatures and fog. The conditions persisted overnight in the Chicago area, right up to the scheduled 2:20 p.m. EST first pitch.
The temperatures stayed crisp and the wind stout, but the rain subsided.
NOTES: Pagan (strained left oblique) could rejoin the Mets on Friday. ... Davis (ankle) worked out inside for the second consecutive day, according to Collins. He is still unable to move laterally or do on-field activities. ... Wright (back) received good news Wednesday, Collins said. Wright has begun core workouts and doctors think his back his healing well. ... The Mets have won five straight rain-shortened games dating to 2007. ... The Cubs have won 345 games to 344 for New York, with two ties, in a rivalry that dates to 1962. ... Thursday's game snapped string of 10 straight night games for the Cubs, the longest such streak in franchise history. ... The Mets finished their six-game trip at 2-4, and now return to New York for a 10-game homestand beginning Friday against Philadelphia. ... The Cubs, in the midst of nine straight at Wrigley, host Pittsburgh in a three-game series beginning Friday.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Dan Wheldon's last-turn, steal-victory-from-defeat triumph in Sunday's 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 left race fans believing in Cinderella lore and storybook endings, writes ESPN's Terry Blount. Story 
The Indy 500 roared back to life Sunday after more than a dozen years in hibernation. The multitudes are back. So are the agony and the ecstasy that have distinguished this race for 100 years, writes ESPN's Ed Hinton. Story 
The usual suspects to win didn't in the Indy 500 on Sunday, with the Team Penske crew laying an egg and the Target Ganassi duo of Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti leaving with egg on their faces, writes ESPN's John Oreovicz. Story 
Foyt. Rutherford. Parnelli. Luyendyk. Granatelli. The Unsers. The living legends of the Indianapolis 500 gathered at Gasoline Alley on Sunday in a throwback weekend for the ages, writes ESPN's Ryan McGee. Story 
It's a helpless feeling. ... I caught him in the wrong piece of track. I got up in the marbles and that was it. 
