Welcome to the Elites

Ward Melville's formidable boys' lacrosse team (3-2)hasn't lost a game to Smithtown East in five years. That is until last night.

On the beautiful day of April 23, 2009, the East boys' lacrosse team (4-0) marched onto the Melville field with one thing in mind, to win. They were all aware that East hasn't been able to get a win past Melville since 2004 and they were determined not to let that streak continue.

East started strong taking an early 3-1 lead. East senior Nick Travers came out of the gate firing with 2 assists and 1 goal leaving Melville shell shocked. It was clear, this was not the East team of seasons past.

To make sure Melville understood who they were dealing with, East senior Bobby Whitmarsh made 9 saves holding Melville to only 4 goals -- the least amount of points they've scored all year. Easts' Adam Hull put the finishing touches on Ward Melville ending the game East 5, Melville 4.

With this win, East puts themselves in the elite category of Suffolk County boys' lacrosse. Next on the hit list is 4-1 Walt Whitman, just one more team on the road to a Easts' championship season.

East Starts Off Strong Against Copiague

After two rain outs, the inter-league baseball series between Smithtown East (4-3) and Copiague (1-9) is in full swing. Last night, Thursday April 23 2009, East took it to Copiague in a 2-0 win to start the series.

East pitcher, senior Sean Apuzzo, struck out 10 batters in his 5 hit outing. To put Copiague away, Apuzzo drove in Easts' Kenny Anello with a double making the score 2-0.

East and Copiague go head to head again tonight at Smithtown East High School.

NFL Draft breakdown: team-by-team analysis

By Chris Harry

The Orlando Sentinel

(MCT)

A team-by-team look at draft needs:

ARIZONA CARDINALS 2008 record: 9-7 (AFC West champions, NFC champions, Super Bowl runner-up)

Offseason newsmakers: The Cards lost both their coordinators; Todd Haley (offense) became head coach in Kansas City and Clancy Pendergast was fired. They lost DE Antonio Smith (Houston), but kept most of their free agents and added Pittsburgh CB Bryant McFadden, a former McArthur High star.

Gotta have it! RB and OLB

The buzz: Just imagine how lethal the Arizona offense—last in the NFL in '08 in rushing yards (73.6 per game) — could be with a young back that can be featured with that passing game. Edgerrin James (2.8 yards per carry) doesn't have it anymore. WR Anquan Boldin, still griping about his contract, could be traded.

ATLANTA FALCONS 2008 record: 11-5 (NFC wild-card)

Offseason newsmakers: LB Mike Peterson brings a solid player and locker-room guy, but the Falcons also said goodbye to stalwart MLB Keith Brooking and on-the-come OLB Michael Boley. Look for Peterson to move outside in Atlanta. Dominique Foxworth, the club's best cover corner, went to Baltimore.

Gotta have it! DB and TE

The buzz: The Falcons have to beef up their secondary, with corner probably a more crying need than strong safety. If they don't make a deal for Kansas City Pro Bowler Tony Gonzalez, tight end could be the top focus; another weapon for franchise QB Matt Ryan.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 2008 record: 11-5 (AFC wild-card)

Offseason newsmakers: Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan became head coach of the N.Y. Jets. Re-signing MLB Ray Lewis was big, but so was losing OLB Bart Scott to the Jets. The Ravens offset loss of C Jason Brown with veteran Matt Birk (Minnesota).

Gotta have it! CB and WR

The buzz: Derrick Mason, 35, doesn't frighten secondaries, but he's been a reliable and productive wideout for years. QB Joe Flacco, as Batman, could use a young speedster to be his Robin for years to come.

BUFFALO BILLS 2008 record: 7-9

Offseason newsmakers: Terrell Owens, cut by Dallas, will commence poisoning his fourth team in six seasons as a member of the Bills. The team traded OT Jason Peters to Philly for an extra first-round draft pick.

Gotta have it! DE and OLB

The buzz: The Bills defense ranked 22nd against the run last season, so it needs to do a better job of getting off the field this season — or else T.O. will be upset. Buffalo could go anywhere in the front seven, given that 22nd ranked run defense.

CAROLINA PANTHERS 2008 record: 12-4 (NFC South champion)

Offseason newsmakers: By re-signing OT Jordan Gross, the Panthers were able to put "franchise" tag on DE Julius Peppers, who could be traded before the draft (with New England and Dallas two potential landing spots).

Gotta have it! DL and OL

The buzz: The Panthers need trench help, for sure, but they'd better find a quarterback of the future (or maybe the present) to stand behind Jake Delhomme. Were they not watching the playoff game against Arizona?

CHICAGO BEARS 2008 record: 9-7

Offseason newsmakers: Nothing really ... just one of the biggest trades in years. The Bears finally have a franchise quarterback after Jay Cutler (at a cost of two first-round picks, a third and QB Kyle Orton) arrived from Denver. They also brought in mammoth OT Orlando Pace, a stalwart in St. Louis, to protect Cutler's blind side.

Gotta have it! WR and CB

The buzz: The Cutler deal gutted their draft-day options, but plenty of receivers can be found after Round 1. The league's third-to-last pass defense needs to be addressed.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 2008 record: 4-11-1

Offseason newsmakers: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh signed with Seattle and OG Stacy Andrews bolted for Philadelphia. The Bengals compensated for their wideout loss with Laveranues Coles (N.Y. Jets) and re-signed RB Cedric Benson.

Gotta have it! OL and DE

The buzz: Only winless Detroit gave up more sacks than Bengals (51 last season). And only Kansas City, which won two games, rang up fewer sacks than the Bengals. Protecting the passer? Getting to the passer? Take your pick.

CLEVELAND BROWNS 2008 record: 4-12

Offseason newsmakers: One fired coach ( Eric Mangini of the New York Jets) replaced another (Romeo Crennel). WR Donte Stallworth faces DUI manslaughter charges in Miami. WR Braylon Edwards could be on the trading block; one of those QBs (Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson), too.

Gotta have it! LBs and WR

The buzz: Mangini has all sorts of holes on both sides of the ball, so the Browns may look to garner as many picks as possible by trading some of the rare assets mentioned above in hopes of stockpiling young players.

DALLAS COWBOYS 2008 record: 9-7

Offseason newsmakers: The waiving of Terrell Owens dwarfed the release of S Roy Williams and exit of DE Chris Canty, as well as the signing of LB Keith Brooking (Atlanta) and DE Igor Oshansky.

Got to have it! S and WR

The buzz: Everybody outside of Valley Ranch knew Owens and Williams weren't worth the trouble. Hopefully, for the Cowboys' sake, it won't take Jerry Jones as long to find some young prospects to replace them. Not having a first- or third-round pick (courtesy of the trade-deadline deal for WR Roy Williams) will make things tough.

DENVER BRONCOS 2008 record: 8-8

Offseason newsmakers: The firing of Mike Shanahan and hiring of Josh McDaniels, former offensive coordinator in New England, started the slippery slope to tearing apart the offense: as in the trading of Jay Cutler. The rebuilding begins with Kyle Orton (by way of Chicago) or Chris Simms and lean heavily on this draft. S Brian Dawkins (Philadelphia) was a nice veteran addition.

Gotta have it! NT and LB

The buzz: McDaniels thinks he can win with Orton. Good luck! In the interim, the arrival of a 3-4 defense means the Broncos need front-seven personnel. Oh, and don't rule out using their two first-rounders to make a deal.

DETROIT LIONS 2008 record: 0-16

Offseason newsmakers: They lost a solid cornerback in Leigh Bodden (New England) and replaced with him with a decent one in Phillip Buchanon (Tampa Bay). LB Julian Peterson, a strong presence in Seattle, was acquired by trade. Now, it's up to a new president (Tom Lewand) and new coach (former Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz) to lead the club through its most critical draft in history.

Gotta have it! Everything

The buzz: With the exception of OLB Ernie Sims, all defensive positions are up for grabs (and should be), but the Lions also have a whale of a decision to make regarding that No. 1 overall pick (they also have the 20th in Round 1). Do they want to gamble that their franchise quarterback is there? And pay him? Or maybe they'll fix their left tackle problem for the next decade, instead. With those two picks, they maybe can accomplish both.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 2008 record: 6-10

Offseason newsmakers: Brett Favre retired again ... this time as a New York Jet.

Gotta have it! OLB and DE

The buzz: The Packers are moving to a 3-4, which means Aaron Kampman, a star at defensive end the last few seasons, will switch to linebacker. He'll need help alongside and in front. The Pack also will consider finding heirs to Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, given the depth of good tackles in the pool.

HOUSTON TEXANS 2008 record: 8-8

Offseason newsmakers: Acquired a good defensive end in Antonio Smith (Arizona) and linebacker in Cato June (Tampa Bay), and a bad backup quarterback in Dan Orlovsky, while trading serviceable backup QB Sage Rosenfels (Minnesota).

Gotta have it! More defense

The buzz: The Texans will serve themselves just fine by addressing any of the lines of defense, but look for them to start at outside linebacker and safety.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2008 record: 12-4 (AFC wild-card)

Offseason newsmakers: Tony Dungy finally made good on his retirement, replaced by loyal assistant Jim Caldwell. The Colts waived future Hall of Famer (and big-salaried) WR Marvin Harrison to re-sign other key players, like C Jeff Saturday.

Gotta have it! DT and WR

The buzz: The Colts ranked next-to-last against the run last season and were exposed in the playoff loss at San Diego. Peyton Manning, with his favorite target now gone, needs a young receiver to fold into that lethal passing game.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2008 record: 5-11

Offseason newsmakers: The Jags said goodbye to some team stalwarts, most notably RB Fred Taylor (with his 11,271 yards and 11 seasons of service), who bolted for New England. MLB Michael Peterson, had a falling out with Coach Jack Del Rio last season and was deemed expendable. DE Paul Spicer and OT Khalif Barnes are gone, too. A couple notable receivers, former first-round pick Matt Jones and big-money/big bust '08 free agent Jerry Porter, were released.

Gotta have it! WR and DT

The buzz: The Jags took receivers in the first round for three straight years ('04-06) and their passing game never developed. Bringing in Porter and Troy Williamson didn't help last year, either. Now with the first draft under new personnel chief Gene Smith, promoted following the resignation of James Harris, the Jags, armed the No. 8 overall pick, probably will be looking to give $60 million QB David Garrard yet another receiver; one they hope will improve the middling aerial attack.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 2008 record: 2-14

Offseason newsmakers: The Chiefs fired Herman Edwards and brought on Todd Haley, who worked magic as offensive coordinator with Arizona. Then they made a deal the club hopes will solve the endless journey for a franchise quarterback, acquiring Matt Cassel (along with LB Mike Vrabel) for a second-round pick.

Gotta have it! DE and OLB

The buzz: After trading '07 NFL sacks leader Jared Allen, the Chiefs finished with a league-low 10 sacks in '08, so they need a disrupter up front. Pro Bowl TE Tony Gonzalez could be dealt on draft day for picks.

MIAMI DOLPHINS 2008 record: 11-5 (AFC East champions)

Offseason newsmakers: Most of their work focused on re-signing players that played key roles to the monumental turnaround, like S Yeremiah Bell, OT Vernon Carey and LB Channing Crowder, though losing CB Andre Goodman to Denver was a blow. S Gibril Wilson, a big-money free agent a year ago in jumping from the world champion New York Giants, was signed after being released by Oakland.

Gotta have it! CB and WR

The buzz: Miami's pass defense was ranked 25th last season and with those coming-and-goings, Bill Parcells definitely will devote some his big draft horde—which starts at pick No. 25 — to the secondary. Receiver, too. Ted Ginn improved last season from his busted rookie year, but he's far from being the home run hitter the club envisioned.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 2008 record: 10-6 (NFC North champions)

Offseason newsmakers: None, really, though the Vikings should have been knee-deep in the Jay Cutler sweepstakes (See Jackson, Tarvaris). Reliable veteran C Matt Birk signed with Baltimore.

Gotta have it! QB and OT

The buzz: Unless they plan to make a move up the board, don't expect the Vikings to solve their quarterback issues in this draft. Instead, a bookend to play right tackle opposite Bryant McKinnie might make the QBs they do have feel a little more at ease in the pocket.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 2008 record: 11-5

Offseason newsmakers: After shipping QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel to Kansas City, the Patriots tried to patch some holes with aging veterans of first-round pedigree that were cut loose by their teams. The Pats signed RB Fred Taylor (Jacksonville), CB Shawn Springs (Washington) and WR Joey Galloway (Tampa Bay). CB Leigh Bodden, by way of Detroit, was a nice under-the-radar pickup.

Gotta have it! LBs and OT

The buzz: The dynamic linebacker corps that helped win three Super Bowls is showing its age (Ted Bruschi, Adalius Thomas) or is gone (Vrabel), so more help is needed along the lines of Defensive Rookie of the Year Jerod Mayo last season.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2008 record: 8-8

Offseason newsmakers: The Saints took pains in waiving RB Deuce McAllister, one of the most popular players in team history, and also cut CB Mike McKenzie. DE Paul Spicer (Jacksonville) will impact the pass rush, while the club hopes S Darren Sharper, the league's active interception and defensive TD leader, still has some splash left after 13 seasons.

Gotta have it! CB and OLB

The buzz: With only four picks in the draft (including only one in the first three rounds), the Saints would be wise to trade down if the difference-making receiver or cornerback is not available. They could also target center and pass rusher in later rounds.

NEW YORK GIANTS 2008 record: 12-4 (NFC East champions)

Offseason newsmakers: Troubled WR Plaxico Burress, the former Super Bowl hero, was joined on the waiver wire by DBs Sammy Knight and Sam Madison, while the Giants also took a backfield hit in losing Derrick Ward (Tampa Bay) to free agency, but did sign RB Brandon Jacobs to a fat extension. The club made to savvy moves on defense, though, signing DE Chris Canty (Dallas) and LB Michael Boley (Atlanta). Bill Sheridan, former linebackers coach, was promoted to defensive coordinator to replace Steve Spagnuolo, now head coach in St. Louis.

Gotta have it! WR and LB

The buzz: Many a Giant came out and said the season-ending suspension of Burress was the death blow to the offense (and the reign as league champs). The Giants need an elite target to take pressure off Manning and take advantage of that powerful Brandon Jacoobs-led running game weakened by the loss of Ward.

NEW YORK JETS 2008 record: 9-7

Offseason newsmakers: Eric Mangini was fired as coach and the one-year Brett Favre project was shut down, with Favre retiring. Enter Rex Ryan, former defensive coordinator in Baltimore, who coaxed one of his rising-star Ravens, LB Bart Scott, to join him with a big pay day. S Jim Leonhard, another unsung Raven, came along, too.

Gotta have it! WR and QB

The buzz: Though Ryan will want to get his defense set quickly, the Jets need to undue everything they did with Favre last season and start rebuilding the passing game.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 2008 record: 5-11

Offseason newsmakers: The Raiders excited no one by promoting Tom Cable, who replaced Lane Kiffin last fall, from his interim post to head coach. They also managed to re-sign their best player, CB Nnamdi Asomugha, to a long-term deal and plucked 39-year-old QB Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay) off the market to be the top backup to club cornerstone JaMarcus Russell.

Gotta have it! WR and OT The buzz: The 31st-ranked offense in the league needs weapons for Russell to throw to and a line of defense to block for him and RB Darren McFadden, last year's draft centerpiece.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2008 record: 9-6-1 (NFC wild-card, NFC runner-up)

Offseason newsmakers: Popular (and big-hitting) S Brian Dawkins was cut and signed with Denver. The Eagles also let OT Tra Thomas (Jacksonville) and L.J. Smith (Baltimore). Signing OT Stacy Andrews (Cincinnati) was a nice get. Trading for OT Jason Peters, by way of Buffalo, was even better.

Gotta have it! TE and DE

The buzz: Bringing in both Andrews and Peters solved Philly's aging offensive tackle issues. Now, the Eagles can focus on getting a tight for Donovan McNabb to replace the departed L.J. Smith and a pass-rusher to help out defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who takes over for Monte Kiffin as the team of NFL DCs.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2008 record: 12-4 (AFC North and Super Bowl champions)

Offseason newsmakers: The reigning Super Bowl champs stood pat—the Steelers always do, it seems, and just keep winning—and focused on keeping their own free agents, such as OT Max Starks. Two pretty good ones got away, though, in CB Bryant McFadden and WR Nate Washington.

Gotta have it! OT and DE

The buzz: The draft is where the Steelers stock up for their championships (two in the past four seasons). Prime focus likely will be the offensive line, where Starks was franchised and OG Chris Keomeatu will play on a one-year restricted free-agent tender.

ST. LOUIS RAMS 2008 record: 2-14

Offseason newsmakers: Steve Spagnuolo, mastermind of the New York Giants defense, was hired as coach and promptly oversaw the release of WR Torry Holt and OT Orlando Pace, both of whom could one day be in Canton and represented two of the past ties to the Super Bowl championship team of 10 years ago.

Gotta have it! OT and WR

The buzz: As much as "Spags" will want to zero in on that 28th-ranked defense, the Rams have to address those gaping holes left by Pace and Holt. After that, it'll be a middle linebacker and defensive tackle.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 2008 record: 8-8 (AFC West champions and AFC runners-up)

Offseason newsmakers: Managed to wade through a public-relations nightmare by locking up franchise fixture and star RB LaDainian Tomlinson to a contract extension, while franchising backup RB Darren Sproles. The Chargers said goodbye to DE Igor Olshansky (Dallas).

Gotta have it! OL and S

The buzz: The unit that protects QB Philip Rivers needs to be upgraded, but don't be shocked if the Chargers pick a running back to cover themselves with L.T., who has been sidelined from the postseason each of the past two years. Sproles just isn't big enough to take the pounding of a featured back.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 2008 record: 7-9

Offseason newsmakers: Interim Coach Mike Singletary was promoted to the head post and looked to implement a new and tougher attitude in an organization that once was the envy of the league. As for personnel, very little of note went down, unless you count the waiving of OT Jonas Jennings.

Gotta have it! OLB and WR

The buzz: Singletary is going to want to build that defense, so why not start at the position — linebacker — he dominated all those years on his way to the Hall of Fame. After 36-year-old Isaac Bruce and second-year pro Josh Morgan, the 49ers don't have much at receiver. Then again, they don't have much at QB, either.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2008 record: 4-12

Offseason newsmakers: Out went Mike Holmgren, after 10 seasons, and in came Jim Mora Jr., the former coach in Atlanta who as defensive coordinator was Holmgren's hand-picked successor. The Seahawks plucked one of the biggest names available in free agency, signing WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh by the way of Cincinnati, to upgrade their passing game. LB Julian Peterson, their lone Pro Bowl player in '08, was traded to Detroit and Leonard Weaver, one of the better fullbacks in the league, signed with Philly.

Gotta have it! DT and OT

The buzz: The Seahawks could bypass but their biggest needs and use the rarified draft position to take a quarterback ( Matt Hasselbeck will be 34 this fall), but star OT Walter Jones is 35 years old and coming off micro-fracture surgery. This is a good time (and Seahawks are in a good place at No. 4) to strike for a franchise left tackle.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2008 record: 9-7

Offseason newsmakers: The hierarchy was gutted with the firing of coach Jon Gruden (after seven seasons) and General Manager Bruce Allen (after five). The duo was replaced in-house by 32-year-old Raheem Morris, the club's secondary coach the past two seasons and now the youngest head coach in the NFL, and Mark Dominik, 37, player personnel director since 2004. Icon defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin left for the University of Tennessee. LB Derrick Brooks, arguably the best player in team history, along with RB Warrick Dunn, WRs Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard, and LB Cato June were released.

Got to have it! DT and DE

The buzz: With the exception of signing LB Angelo Crowell, who was a tackling machine in Buffalo for four seasons but who missed all of '08 with a knee injury, the Bucs did next to nothing to rebuild a defense that was virtually deconstructed. The absence of a second-round pick would seem to assure that Dominik and his crew lock onto a top-flight defensive lineman or end in the draft with the 20th pick; someone who better fits the system of new coordinator Jim Bate.

TENNESSEE TITANS 2008 record: 13-3 (AFC South champions)

Offseason newsmakers: Veteran QB Kerry Collins, 36, was re-signed, meaning $50 million man Vince Young will be fighting to regain his starting spot again. WR Nate Washington (Pittsburgh) will help. Tampa Bay DT Jovan Haye was brought in to soften the defection of superstar Albert Haynesworth.

Gotta have it! WR and CB

The buzz: One of the league's least explosive passing attacks (27th overall) needs more than Washington (a No. 3 with the Steelers) can provide. And blooming CB Cortland Finnegan could use a sidekick on the other side.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2008 record: 8-8

Offseason newsmakers: The Redskins returned to their insane spending ways by giving DT Albert Haynesworth a $100 million contract that represented the highest ever for a defensive player. They also re-signed CB DeAngelo Hall ($55 million) and brought in OG Derrick Dockery ($26 million). DE Jason Taylor, for whom the Redskins wasted a second-round pick to acquire from Miami, was cut.

Gotta have it! OT and DL

The buzz: They used three second-round picks last year all on receivers—that was before wasting the '08 No. 2 on Taylor—and all three were rookie busts. Not sure where the Redskins will screw up this year, but they're old on the offensive line and thin on the defensive line.


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(c) 2009, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

Visit the Sentinel on the World Wide Web at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

East Looks Strong Heading into Copiague Series

On Thursday April 16, Smithtown East baseball won the best 2-out-of-3 series against East Islip. Islip, who currently sits tied for 4th with East, was destroyed 9-4 by the hands of Peter Magistrale and Kenny Anello. Magistrale hit two bombs off Islip; but since there isn't an outfield fence they were scored only as triples. Anello went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI's, burying any hopes of Islip winning the game.

Next on the schedule for East is the last place Copiague team. Copiague is currently 1-8 in League 3 play while East is 3-3. If East can sweep this series against Copiague they will only be 4 wins away from the post-season.

Madden retires from broadcasting, despite late efforts from NBC's Ebersol

John Madden, pictured August 5, 2006, retired from broadcasting Thursday, April 16, 2009, abruptly ending a career that altered the tone and content of sports analysis and made him an iconic, cross-generational media star. (Bob Larson/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

By Neil Best
Newsday
(MCT)

Boom!

Just like that, John Madden retired from broadcasting Thursday, abruptly ending a career that altered the tone and content of sports analysis and made him an iconic, cross-generational media star.

Why now? NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol, who flew cross-country Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to talk Madden out of it, said he knew his effort would fail when he heard the words, "It's time."

Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden beside Al Michaels for NBC's Sunday night NFL games.

"It's tough," Madden said during an emotional appearance on KCBS radio in San Francisco. "But I strongly feel this is the right time."

Madden said he "vacillated" over the past two months, but wanted to make his decision in advance of the NFL schedule being released last week. He first informed Ebersol on April 7.

Sandy Montag, Madden's agent and close friend for 25 years, said Madden, who turned 73 last Friday, is in excellent health and was in the middle of a six-year contract. He is believed to have earned about $5 million per season.

Madden said in a news release that nearing his 50th wedding anniversary and with his five grandchildren at an age "when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not," it was time to give up a career that began in 1979 and included stops at all four major broadcast networks.

His grandchildren range in age from 3 to 8.

"I still love every part of it _ the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people," he said.

Wednesday, Ebersol offered Madden options such as working in September and November while taking October and December, off, but Madden declined.

Montag said one factor in Madden's decision was the weak state of the Raiders and 49ers, near his Bay Area home, which in turn has meant fewer prime-time games involving those teams. That in turn forced Madden into numerous trips to the East Coast _ all by bus, of course.

Madden's lucrative endorsement career will continue, Montag said, including the video game that bears his name and has made him familiar to young athletes and fans beyond his TV work and his prior career as a Super Bowl-winning coach.

Ebersol called Madden "a kind of Everyman," known for making a complex game accessible to fans and for endearing quirks such as his taste for Thanksgiving turducken.

His final game was a critically acclaimed performance at Super Bowl XLIII. But he said going out on TV sports' greatest stage was not a factor in his decision.

There were whispers in some quarters Madden had begun to slip _ notably in a Wall Street Journal story last season that infuriated many at NBC. "That's --- ," Ebersol said of the theory.

Before calling the Yankees' home opener for the MLB Network Thursday, Bob Costas said Madden is "on the very short list of the most significant figures in the history of television sports."

Michaels said in a statement, "Working with John the last seven years (at ABC and NBC) has provided memories I'll always treasure. My only regret is that it wasn't 27."

Madden had been with NBC since 2006. When Collinsworth took his place for one game last season to ease his travel burden, there was speculation a succession plan had begun to take shape.

"I'm not tired of anything, but I'm going away," Madden said on KCBS. "That's what makes it hard."

___

© 2009, Newsday.

Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

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ARCHIVE PHOTOS on MCT Direct (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): madden

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IOC members met with protests in Chicago

By Kathy Bergen and David Heinzmann

Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

CHICAGO _ Protests punctuated the arrival of international Olympic officials in Chicago Thursday, the start of a six-day visit to size up the city and its bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

Adding to the tensions as the International Olympic Committee evaluation commission members flew into Chicago's O'Hare Airport was the expected indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and others on corruption charges later in the day, not the sort of image any city would be eager to cultivate.

Chanting "no contract, no Olympics," more than a thousand off-duty Chicago police officers formed a picket line ringing City Hall in the late morning to demonstrate their anger over troubled labor negotiations with Mayor Richard Daley's administration.

The protest occurred just hours before the first three members of a 13-member IOC delegation arrived at O'Hare, and later at the Fairmont Chicago, headquarters for their visit.

At 5 p.m., No Games Chicago, a group opposed to spending money on the Olympics rather than on basic needs such as housing and education, is expected to rally at Federal Plaza.

A third protest is expected during the visit, staged by Communities for Equitable Olympics, a coalition that is angry the City Council did not approve an ordinance requiring specific levels of community hiring, minority contracts and affordable housing prior to the visit. Plans for protests were being developed Thursday, a coalition spokesman said.

Asked about the prospect of protests during a press conference Wednesday, Daley said, "Everyone has the right to demonstrate. Let them demonstrate." Independent observers say protests have become quite common when cities are preparing to bid for or host Olympic Games.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

The first IOC member to arrive at the Fairmont was Nawal El Moutawakel, the evaluation chairwoman, from Morocco, who was riding in a black Suburban with Daley and Donna De Varona, a U.S. gold medalist in swimming.

Mounir Sabet, from Egypt, arrived next, with an Arabic-speaking member of the Chicago 2016 bid team, and Alexander Popov, from Russia, was third, riding with Olympics expert Charlie Battle, a consultant to Chicago 2016.

The entourage walked past a scrum of media at both locations, but did not comment.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Chicago is the first stop on the evaluation committee's itinerary. It will visit Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid in the coming weeks, and the full IOC membership will select a host city from among the four finalists on Oct. 2.

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

The police demonstration turnout seemed to please organizers, who were contemplating diverting some of the demonstrators across the street to Daley Plaza.

Police officers are angry that contract negotiations stretch on for years and this year Daley pulled a pay raise offer off the table and made the move public.

The demonstration drew the presence of the national Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury, who flew in from South Carolina.

"These guys are expressing their constitutional right to be out here," he said, noting Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. that requires its officers to live in the city limits. "These officers are all citizens of this city, and they have the right to be here."

___

© 2009, Chicago Tribune.

Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Final Four teams not immune to injuries

By Mark Stewart

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

(MCT)

For Raymar Morgan, the hits just kept coming.

Trouble for the Michigan State junior started with a bout with the flu. But instead of going away after a few days, that illness sparked an upper-respiratory problem that led to walking pneumonia and then mononucleosis.

From about mid-January to about mid-February, one of the Big Ten's best players was a shell of himself, but Morgan proclaimed that he was back to his old self before the NCAA tournament. And just on cue, he caught a break.

Too bad it was to his nose.

"It's been incredible what he's gone through," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said.

Injuries are part of any game and the teams that will play in the Final Four Saturday evening at Ford Field in Detroit have not been immune.

Connecticut has been hit the hardest, losing junior guard Jerome Dyson, its second-leading scorer, to a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 11.

Ty Lawson's jammed right toe gave Tar Heels nation a reason to fret until he returned after a three-game absence and led North Carolina to a second-round victory over Louisiana State.

And Villanova's Dwayne Anderson, one of the team's most experienced players, missed the first seven games of the season because of a stress fracture in his foot.

Still, none of the remaining teams has endured as much as Michigan State. Freshman forward Delvon Roe, a highly regarded recruit, was slow to round into form after two knee surgeries within nine months, the latter coming in August. Senior Goran Suton, the Big Ten's top returning rebounder, missed six games early in the season with a knee injury.

Both of those players appear to have recovered from their injuries. The jury is still out on Morgan, who has worked his way back into the starting lineup but is averaging just 15 minutes per game in the tournament.

Since a 16-point, five-rebound outing against Robert Morris in the first-round of the tournament, Morgan's playing time has progressively decreased. He played just 10 minutes in the Spartans' 12-point victory over Louisville in the regional final.

He is averaging 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in the tournament. Last season, he led the Spartans in scoring (14.0 ppg) and was second in rebounding (6.1).

"After coming back and playing pretty well in some games, he struggled a little bit lately. But I still know how good he is," Izzo said. "And I still think he could be one of the surprise players in this tournament."

Morgan could figure prominently when the Spartans (30-6) face Connecticut (31-4) at 5:07 p.m. Saturday. The Huskies boast a powerful front line and Morgan will be needed to help against either All-Big East performer Jeff Adrien or Stanley Robinson, one of the team's hottest players.

And if that wasn't enough for Morgan to think about, there is his nose, which was broken in the regional semifinal against Kansas. The plan was for him to wear a mask during the Louisville game, but he wasn't comfortable with it and took it off after play began.

Perhaps his difficulties adjusting to playing with a broken nose _ besides the pain, it's tougher to breathe _ played into Morgan's 10-minute, four-foul effort against the Cardinals, but it doesn't explain his struggles for much of the rest of the tournament.

Before the first round, he said his health was fine.

"I'm back at 100 percent. I'm feeling well," he said last week. "My strength is back. It's just a matter of me getting my timing down, and I think that's back, so I am feeling all right."

Still, the experience took a lot out of him.

At his best, Morgan is a tough defender and rebounder with a nice mid-range game. When he's not 100 percent, it seems that his defense suffers the most, as he is prone to foul trouble.

Try as he might, he hasn't been the same player since he recovered from his illness.

Before Morgan got sick, he scored 20 points or more six times and opened the Big Ten season with three straight double-doubles in scoring and rebounding. Since his return, he has scored in double figures just three times in 12 games, although he showed signs of a breaking out in the final three games of the regular season, when he averaged 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

But that didn't carry over to the NCAA tournament. With the exception of the 16-point showing in the opening round, he has been largely ineffective.

Entering play Saturday, six of his teammates are getting more playing time.

The Spartans have gotten by, in part, because forward Draymond Green has played beyond his years. But how many times can Izzo go to the well and have the freshman deliver, especially against a team as physically mature as the Huskies?

The coach has to be hoping that one of his best players is ready to remind folks of what he can do.

"We need Ray more still," Izzo said. "He's still got a lot to give."

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© 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Visit JSOnline, the Journal Sentinel's World Wide Web site, at http://www.jsonline.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Burress hearing pushed back to mid-June

WRITETHRU


By Tom Rock

Newsday

(MCT)

NEW YORK _ It was the anti-Kentucky Derby _ the least-thrilling two minutes in all of sports _ but it gave Plaxico Burress and his attorneys another 2 ½ months to work on reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors on felony gun charges.

The New York Giants receiver, in a gray, checkered suit and accompanied by his wife, Tiffany, and defense attorney Benjamin Brafman, arrived in Part F of Manhattan Criminal Court at 9:14 a.m. Tuesday and at 9:24, he was standing in front of Judge Michael Yavinsky.

In less than two minutes, the sides formalized a previously agreed upon and expected adjournment, pushing Tuesday's scheduled pretrial hearing back to June 15. Burress then walked out of the courthouse and into a waiting black SUV while Brafman issued a brief statement in which he said there is no agreement in place but the two sides will continue working toward one.

"There's been a lot reported in recent days, a lot's been said that I don't think is necessarily accurate," Brafman said. "As we speak, there is no agreement of any kind. We're trying our best to see if there is a way to resolve the case."

The second-degree felony gun possession charges stem from the November incident when Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub. Those two charges each carry a mandatory minimum of 3½ years in prison if Burress is convicted. Most people facing such second-degree charges plea to a lesser charge and serve less jail time or get probation.

Assistant District Attorney John Wolfstaetter, who is prosecuting the case, is said to be open to an agreement but is insisting on substantial jail time. It's believed he wants Burress to serve for a year. Burress clearly would like to avoid a lengthy jail sentence, which is perhaps the only way he can play for the Giants in 2009. He has expressed a desire to those close to him to return to the NFL.

Asked if Burress is likely to play for the Giants this season, Brafman said that was up to Burress, his management team and the Giants.

"It's not a legal decision, it's a sports decision," Brafman said. "I assume a lot will depend on how, when and if this case is resolved and June 15 is the next day we are back unless there is a reason to come back earlier."

The Giants have a mandatory veterans minicamp scheduled to begin June 16, the day after the new hearing date.

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© 2009, Newsday.

Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Final Four teams are Familiar four

By Kate Hairopoulos

The Dallas Morning News

(MCT)

If you picked this Final Four, congrats.

Maybe, subconsciously, you channeled NCAA Tournament history. The advancement of Michigan State, Connecticut, Villanova and North Carolina to the party, which begins Saturday at Detroit's Ford Field, sets up several compelling connections to tournament lore.

Michigan State not only gets to play 90 miles from its East Lansing campus but returns to the Final Four for the 30th anniversary of its 1979 NCAA title. The famous showdown between Indiana State's Larry Bird and Michigan State's Magic Johnson that season helped shaped college basketball.

Two teams from the mighty Big East qualified, one shy of the record set by the Big East in the 1985 Final Four. No. 3 seed Villanova feels a connection to the program's upset championship run from that tournament almost 25 years ago.

"It's kind of eerie how this is playing out," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I hope to God history repeats itself."

Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Connecticut can win its third national title since 1999. Top-seeded North Carolina, in all its blue-blooded glory, can win its fifth national title in its NCAA-best 18th Final Four appearance.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun and UNC coach Roy Williams have four NCAA titles and 15 Final Four appearances between them.

MICHIGAN STATE

Motor City, Motown, whatever. To the Spartans, Detroit is an extension of home.

"That's been a dream and a goal since the day they announced where the Final Four was," coach Tom Izzo said.

The comforts are a reward for the Big Ten regular-season champions, who are 9-0 all-time as a No. 2 seed _ the same seed they earned for the 1979 title run. Using stifling defense and Goran Suton's offense, the Spartans manhandled top overall seed Louisville on Sunday.

Izzo reached his fifth Final Four, all since 1999, joining the ranks of coaches such as Bob Knight, Lute Olson, Guy Lewis and Rick Pitino. MSU's 2000 championship is the Big Ten's most recent national title.

CONNECTICUT

The No. 1-seeded Huskies lost key guard Jerome Dyson a month before the tournament, and their program has been scrutinized for possible NCAA violations, but they got to their third Final Four anyway. UConn won it all in 1999 and 2004, and coach Jim Calhoun can become the fifth coach to win at least three NCAA titles.

"I'm very emotional about this team getting to a Final Four," said Calhoun, in his 23rd year at the school. "I mean, really emotional, because ½ellipsis¾ maybe at a particular point in time, I'm saying, 'Are these the guys to get us there?'"

The emergence of Kemba Walker _ along with guard A.J. Price, forward Jeff Adrien and the rebounding, defensive presence that is 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet _ helped Connecticut beat Missouri on Saturday.

UConn elected not to cut down the nets as the West Regional champs. "Hopefully we will have a chance to cut them down somewhere else," Price said.

Projected winner:

UConn

VILLANOVA

Point guard Scottie Reynolds' driving game-winner with 0.5 seconds left Saturday against No. 1 seed Pittsburgh brought back the feel of 1985, when eighth-seeded Villanova became the lowest seed to win the title.

A Catholic school of 6,500 located just outside Philly, Villanova is back in the Final Four for the first time since coach Rollie Massimino engineered the upset of Patrick Ewing's Georgetown team. Current coach Jay Wright worked as an assistant under Massiminio for five seasons.

Reynolds, a former Oklahoma signee, is one of a myriad of dangerous Villanova players _ see Dwayne Anderson, Dante Cunningham and Corey Fisher _ who are tested, and perhaps once overlooked, in the bruising Big East. Nova shot 22-of-23 from the foul line against Pitt.

NORTH CAROLINA

All-American Tyler Hansbrough liked college in Chapel Hill enough to come back for one last chance at a national title after being crushed by Kansas in a national semifinal last season.

With Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, Deon Thompson and apparently healthy point guard Ty Lawson all clicking, the top-seeded Tar Heels dominated Oklahoma on Sunday.

Coach Roy Williams is in his seventh Final Four _ and third with UNC, including the 2005 national championship. The Heels beat Midwest Regional winner Michigan State, 98-63, in December.

Projected winner:

North Carolina

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© 2009, The Dallas Morning News.

Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): Michigan state

Japan captures 2nd-straight World Baseball Classic championship

By Al Balderas

The Orange County Register

(MCT)

LOS ANGELES _ Ichiro Suzuki doesn't get many chances to show off for a crowd at Dodger Stadium, but the Seattle Mariners outfielder took advantage of the opportunity on Monday night.

Suzuki drove in two runs with a two-out single in the top of the 10th inning to lift Japan to a 5-3 victory over South Korea and its second consecutive World Baseball Classic championship.

A near-capacity crowd of 54,846 watched the South Koreans send the game into extra innings with runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but that merely set the stage for Suzuki.

Seiichi Uchikawa started the 10th inning with a single to right field. He was sacrificed to second and moved to third when Akinori Iwamura singled to left field.

South Korean pitcher Chang Yong Lim almost worked his way out of the jam when he got pinch-hitter Munenori Kawasaki to pop out to shortstop, but he still had to retire Suzuki, who already had three hits.

Akinori moved into scoring position on defensive indifference, and Suzuki lined a 2-2 pitch into center field for the 5-3 lead.

Yu Darvish, who failed to close out the game in the ninth inning, got the job done in the 10th.

The Koreans, who were 2-3 against Japan in the tournament, had to feel good about its chances of winning its first WBC title because starting pitcher Jungkeun Bong had beaten the Japanese twice.

Though Bong entered the finale touting a 2-0 tournament record and 0.66 ERA, it didn't take long to see that he wasn't at his best. Bong needed 28 pitches to get through the first inning and had his pitch count swell to 74 by the end of the third.

Japan got runners on base in the first two innings and finally got someone home in the third.

Hiroyuki Nakajima led off that inning with an infield single, beating out a grounder to shortstop.

Norichika Aoki hit a line drive off the glove of second baseman Young Min Ko for an error. Nakajima took third on Kenji Johjima's grounder to third and scored on a single by Michihiro Ogasawara.

Japan's brought in a 1-1 tournament record and 1.87 ERA.

Iwakuma lived up to his hype by retiring the first 11 batters before Hyun Soo Kim hit a two-out single in the fourth. Iwakuma lost his shutout and lead in the fifth inning when Shin Soo Choo hit a home run to center to lead off the inning.

The home run was Choo's second since the tournament arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday. He hit a three-run home run in the first inning of South Korea's semifinal victory over Venezuela.

Sound defense and strong fundamentals kept the teams tied as they went into the seventh. Two batters after Choo's home run, Young Min Ko lined a single near the left-field line and tried to stretch the hit into a double. Uchikawa short-hopped the ball and easily threw out Ko at second.

Japan took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Nakajima and added a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Iwamura.

South Korea got one run back in the eighth and tied the score on Bum Ho Lee's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth.

Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who went 3-0 in the Classic, was selected as the MVP.

___

© 2009, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Students Earn All County Honors for the Winter Track Season

Congratulations to Smithtown High School East students Ashley Beck and Cara Hallahan for earning All County Honors this winter track season. Cara was the Large School Champion in the high jump and Ashley placed 2nd at the State Qualifier also in the high jump. Ashley represented Suffolk County at the State Track Meet at Cornell University.

Who doesn't love the annual trademarked hoops tourney?

By Reggie Hayes

The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

(MCT)

NCAA trademarks prevent newspapers and other media outlets from using common phrases associated with the upcoming basketball event involving college-aged men. Here are some alternatives, at no charge:

March Madness: "Pre-April Schizophrenia."

Elite Eight: "Exclusive Pairs of Teams in Four Predetermined Regions."

Final Four: "The Absolutely Last Three, Plus One."

The Road to Detroit: "Looking to Score off I-94."

WOULD YOU TAKE AN IOU?

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has requested the team trade him. The Detroit Lions have interest, but aren't sure they can meet the Broncos' steep demands for actual pro football players in return.

MANNY'S HAMMY

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez aggravated his sore left hamstring on Sunday, leaving his status doubtful for the start of the regular season. The good news is his wrist remains healthy enough to keep endorsing paychecks.

INFLAMED THROWER

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't expect injury-prone pitcher Joel Zumaya to be ready for Opening Day because of inflammation in his shoulder. "I say that because he hasn't really pitched in two years," Leyland said.

To be fair to Zumaya, all the Tigers took last year off.

JONES' CAREER IN A SAND TRAP

Wide receiver Matt Jones was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday for violating his plea agreement over a 2008 drug charge. He told a judge he failed a drug and alcohol screening because he had been drinking beer while golfing. He promised it wouldn't happen again. That's easy to say, but golf can be very addictive.

TURN LEFT, YOUNG MAN

Television ratings for the first four NASCAR races of the season are down 11 percent from last season. Too few lead changes and too many cautions are among the possible causes. NASCAR officials are contemplating potentially popular changes, such as allowing drivers to wreck one Busch per week without penalty.

A LITTLE LIQUID, A LITTLE LESS TIGER

Did you see where golfer Phil Mickelson was treated for heat exhaustion and mild dehydration at the CA Championship in Doral, Fla.? He toughed it out, won the event and looked up to see Tiger Woods a full eight strokes back. Turns out Mickelson can stand the heat after all.

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson hasn't been around the team lately while he recovers from a sore back. Coach Michael Curry said Iverson's absence is because "he doesn't want to be the story." Or at least that's what it said in the Detroit Free Press story all about Iverson.

JOHNNY B. BAD

Florida State will appeal an NCAA sanction that would take away wins in 10 sports. The penalty was assessed because 61 athletes who took a music history course where test answers were provided. Way to go, NCAA. It's about time athletes took challenging college courses like music history seriously.

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© 2009, The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

Visit the News-Sentinel, at http://www.news-sentinel.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Seniors Shine at Suffolk County Wrestling Tournament

As the first day of the Suffolk County wrestling tournament came to a close on February 13, Smithtown East was left with only two remaining wrestlers; the 140 pound senior captain Ryan Kopiske and 215 pound senior Kevin Cassidy. These two highly experienced wrestlers were about to do what many wrestlers only dream of - placing in counties.

Kopiske went into his weight class as an underdog and after a great match with Commack wrestler, Anthony Cavallo, he fell short of a victory. But this loss didn't mean failure for Kopiske. Although he lost, he still took 6th in a very tough weight class.

Cassidy on the other hand was ranked 2nd in his weight class. But his county championship pursuit would be cut short by Eric Woodley of Happauge (who took 2nd in county). But with vengeance, Kevin embarrassed Patchogue-Medford wrestler Joe Clemente by destroying him 8-0 in a major decision victory. With that Cassidy took 5th to go along with Kopiske's 6th place.

With two place-winners in this years counties, Smithtown East now looks to expand on their success going into next season.

Live from Walt Disney World

TheMatadorOnline.com's sports columnist Matt Stopsky might be on a vacation in the most wonderful place on Earth but that doesn't stop him from working.

Stopsky called into SmithtownRadio.com Live Tuesday evening to battle it out with SmithtownRadio.com Sports Talk host Mike Donato over the A-Rod issue. The two were back on the air Wednesday afternoon for a live, special edition of Donato's show.

In case you missed it but appearances can be downloaded on SmithtownRadio.com.

SmithtownRadio.com Live is an interactive radio show hosted by James Brierton, Dean Laurence, Amanda Boitano, Megan Russ and Trevor Higgins. Airs Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 pm et.

Sports Talk airs Wednesday nights at 8 pm et on SmithtownRadio.com.

Editorial Note: A special congratulation to our own Matt Stopsky. After his appearance on air Wednesday afternoon, Stopsky was invited by Donato to become a permanent co-host of Sports Talk. Stopsky of course accepted the invitation.

A-Rod: 'Judge Me From This Day Forward'

By Phil Sheridan
The Philadelphia Inquirer

TAMPA, Fla. (MCT) - In a nationally televised news conference attended by many of his New York Yankees teammates, Alex Rodriguez admitted injecting a performance-enhancing drug for nearly three years as a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001 to '03.

"I screwed up big time," Rodriguez said at the end of the nearly 40-minute news conference. "The only thing I ask from this group and the American people is to judge me from this day forward. That's all I can ask for."

Rodriguez said a cousin, whom he declined to identify, brought an "over-the-counter" substance called "Boli" from the Dominican Republic in 2001. It is possible that "Boli" is slang for Perobolan, which is the substance that Sports Illustrated reported triggered Rodriguez's positive drug test in 2003. Perobolan is not legal in the United States even with a prescription.

"It was his understanding that it would give me a dramatic energy boost and otherwise harmless," Rodriguez said. "My cousin and I, one more ignorant than the other, decided it was a good idea to start taking it."

Rodriguez said his cousin injected him with the substance approximately twice a month for six months.

"Neither of us knew how to use it properly," Rodriguez said. "We consulted no one and had no good reason to base that decision. It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing."

Rodriguez admitted using steroids from 2001 to 2003 after Sports Illustrated reported that he was one of 104 players to test positive during what was supposed to be anonymous survey testing in 2003.

Asked how a professional athlete in the first year of a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers would risk using a substance he knew nothing about, Rodriguez, who was 25 at the time, said only that he was "young and stupid." He also said he was not sure whether the substance was a steroid or whether it even helped him.

"I'm not sure what the benefit was," said Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP. "When you take any substance, it's half mental and half physical. If you take this glass of water and you say, I'm going to be a better baseball player, if you believe it, you probably will be. I certainly felt more energy, but it's hard to say."

If he "didn't think they were steroids," as he said, then why were he and his cousin so secretive about it?

"That's a good question," Rodriguez said after a pause. "I knew we weren't taking Tic Tacs. I knew it potentially could be something that perhaps was wrong. I really didn't get into the investigation. I wouldn't imagine doing something like that today, obviously. It's a different world, a different culture."

Rodriguez said he stopped taking "Boli" in 2003 after a neck injury that "scared me half to death" and because MLB began its drug-testing program with penalties in 2004.

"At that time," he said, "it became evident to me how serious this all was."

He said he had never taken human growth hormone but acknowledged using Ripped Fuel, a product containing the now-banned substance ephedra, "in the Seattle days." Rodriguez played for the Mariners from 1994 through 2000.

Asked about critical comments made by Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, his former Seattle teammate, in an interview with The Inquirer, Rodriguez said: "I'm sorry Jamie feels that way. He's definitely entitled to his opinion. . . . I'm going to focus on what I can do and move forward."

He reacted in similar fashion to questions about remarks made by MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt.

When the subject of his possible pursuit of the all-time home run record and his legacy came up, Rodriguez sounded especially contrite. His public admissions, first in an interview on ESPN and Tuesday, are clearly part of a strategy to salvage his reputation and his potential admission to the Hall of Fame.

"My best year of my career, arguably, was when I was 19, 20 years old in Seattle," Rodriguez said. "My other best year was in '07, just two years ago. So I hope that after my career is over, the evidence falls in my favor. But if it doesn't, I also understand that."

Rodriguez's 10-year contract with the Yankees, signed before the 2008 season, includes incentives worth millions of dollars if he catches and passes Barry Bonds for the all-time home run record. He has 553 home runs; Bonds' record is 762. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said there was little the team could do to change the contract.

"It is what it is," Cashman said. "We have to approach Alex as an asset who is going to be on this team a long time. If this is Humpty Dumpty, we've got to put him together again and put him back up on the wall."

Last week, Rodriguez was approached by the Taylor Hooton Foundation, which is named for a 17-year-old high school baseball player who committed suicide while withdrawing from steroids. Don Hooton, who has made steroid education his life's work since the loss of his son, said Rodriguez could help reach millions of young people.

"He's the perfect person to talk about this," Hooton said. "We've never reached out to any of the other players implicated in this."

Rodriguez said he would work with Hooton to try to educate young people about the dangers of steroid abuse. He apologized to baseball fans everywhere, as well as the Yankees organization and his teammates.

"For a week here, I kept looking for people to blame," Rodriguez said. "And I ended up looking at myself at the end of the day."
___
© 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): rodriguez

--
Posted By James Brierton to Matador: News at 2/18/2009 04:46:00 PM

A Day in the life of Tom Villani

One could only dream of being as good as Tom Villani. The all league soccer player is one of the best, and no doubt one of the coolest that ever lived! So one could only imagine what he does on a regular basis.
“Well, first I wake up, then go to school, play soccer, and go to bed,” said Villani on his amazing schedule.
But life as a soccer player isn’t always this much fun. “Soccer starts in summer,” said Villani. “We first start with our booster camp, much like footballs two-a-days. From there out my entire life is Soccer. If I don’t have a game, then I’m out at a pasta party with my team. On the weekends I hang out with my team, I barely even talked to my girlfriend during the season.”
What a commitment by Tom Villani, soccer team one, girlfriend zero! The commitment shows too. Villani has recently won an award, but is unaware of what yet. “I won All-League honors last year, so I’m hoping for All-County or All-Conference.”
Even though Villani is a great player he won’t admit that he’s the best player on the field. Villani talks about his team and his love with being with his guys. Villani said that one the biggest accomplishments of his season was defeating Centereach in the last game of the season. “When we first saw Centereach on our schedule we were pumped to play them because it was there homecoming. But around the 87th minute one of Centereach’s players scored a cheap goal. All we wanted then was revenge on Centereach.” Revenge is what they got. It was the last game of the season, they only needed one more win to get to play-offs, and their opponent was Centereach. The setting was perfect for getting revenge and Alex Nelson made it possible with the game winning goal. “The team went crazy! Everyone was jumping on each other, it was a great feeling.”
Unfortunately, the Smithtown East boys’ Varsity soccer team was eliminated in the second round of the play-offs by Bay Shore. But Tom Villani won’t end his astounding career on a negative note. Villani wants to play for the Catholic University of America, but oddly enough, it’s the only college on Villani’s top 5, that has not scouted him yet. Don’t worry though; Villani will be playing soccer somewhere in college to astound fans and critics alike. His commitment and talent will be greatly viewed by a national audience. Now what drives an athlete like Tom Villani? “Our greatest glory is in not ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.” That is a quote of a champion, which is a quote of Tom Villani.

Bulletin: Baseball star Alex Rodriguez

Bulletin: Baseball star Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003, sources tell Sports Illustrated.

Column; Cassidy Breaks Into County Rankings!

With the ending of the regular season, Smithtown East 215 pounder Kevin Cassidy, has gotten into the county rankings for Wrestling. The previously unranked Cassidy has been a powerhouse all year for East. His only real bad loss came in the hands of the #1 over ranked wrestler in the county.

Now that Cassidy is ranked 4th in Suffolk county he is looking to dominate leagues and have a running start into counties.

Holmes Steals the Deal with Incredible Catch as Steelers Win Sixth Super Bowl

By David Haugh
Chicago Tribune



TAMPA, Fla. (MCT) - When the Pittsburgh Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl three years ago, the franchise dubbed it "one for the thumb."

Sunday night's 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII was one for the ages.

"If I could win any way, it would be like that," said winning coach Mike Tomlin, 36, the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. "Steeler football is for 60 minutes. It's never going to be pretty."

History will remember this Super Bowl as a beauty.

Santonio Holmes' 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds remaining capped a furious fourth quarter that included two lead changes, three TDs and a safety in the final 7 minutes 41 seconds.

On the game-winning play, Ben Roethlisberger bought time by shuffling to his right and fired a pass over three defenders to the only spot in the right corner Holmes could catch it. A fully extended Holmes kept both feet on the ground as he reached as far as he could to pull in the catch that instantly went into the Super Bowl time capsule.

It was Holmes' fourth catch on the game-winning eight-play, 78-yard drive, a series that started with the wide receiver making a request of his quarterback in the huddle.

"I said to (Roethlisberger) that I wanted to be the guy to make the play for this team," said Holmes, named most valuable player.

Holmes was put in the position to play hero only after his wide receiver counterpart, Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, made a rescue necessary.

Arizona created Fitzgerald's opportunity to win the game by forcing a safety with 2:58 left. A holding call on center Justin Hartwig in the end zone for tackling a blitzing Chike Okeafor made it 20-16 and got the ball back for Kurt Warner.

On the Cardinals' second play, from the 36-yard line, Warner took advantage of the respect the Steelers defense was giving Fitzgerald. Before the snap, safety Troy Polamalu lined up 24 yards deep and was in no position to break up the quick slant to Fitzgerald.

Cornerback Ike Taylor had jammed Fitzgerald before releasing the receiver to safeties whose depth made it impossible to make a play. The resulting 64-yard TD gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead and set up a happy ending so much of America had sought for Warner.

But the Steelers edited the script with a scene less sentimental but more dramatic.

"We're going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl," said Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

It gave the Steelers franchise its sixth Super Bowl title, more than any other team. To many the victory will validate the Rooney family's surprising choice of Tomlin over in-house candidate Russ Grimm to replace Bill Cowher in 2007

"I would like to thank President Obama and all of Steeler Nation for supporting us through the year," owner Dan Rooney said.

Warner nearly ruined the night for the Rooneys and all of Pittsburgh. He became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history to have three 300-yard passing games by going 31 of 43 for 377 yards and three TDs.

Taking what the Steelers gave him for the first three quarters, Warner stayed away from the deep passing game that defines the Cardinals. The no-huddle offense that had been good to Warner didn't appear until the Cardinals trailed 20-7 with 11 minutes left in the game. Then Warner got hot.

He completed all eight of his passes on an 87-yard drive that pulled the Cardinals within 20-14. Then after the safety, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for the 64-yard TD that stopped the "Terrible Towels" in the partisan Pittsburgh crowd of 70,774 from waving.

"My whole goal was to make good decisions and I was just going to be patient this game," Warner said. "The unfortunate thing is we made too many mistakes."

The most pivotal one came from Warner himself.

Down 10-7, Arizona had first-and-goal at the 1 with 18 seconds left in the first half and lined up with wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Fitzgerald flanked to the left. Steelers linebacker James Harrison, lined up outside Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy, faked as if he were rushing the passer before floating to the spot he anticipated Warner would throw. Warner never saw Harrison and threw it right into his hands.

Then the player who nearly quit to become a bus driver after getting cut four times weaved his way 100 yards through Arizona traffic and into the Super Bowl record books. He ran through Warner's tackle attempt, made a nifty cut and raced down the Cardinals sideline untouched until Gandy unsuccessfully tried knocking him out of bounds at the 10. Fitzgerald attempted to strip the ball at the end zone with the help of Steve Breaston, but Harrison prevailed, tumbling over the goal line to make it 17-7.

As Harrison, the NFL defensive player of the year, lay flat on his back after returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, Tomlin raced across the field to check on his man of steel.

Super man indeed.

"I would say it was the greatest play in Super Bowl history," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, 71, said. "We don't win without (that) play."

When Harrison finally got up after several anxious moments, Tomlin gave him a long embrace.

"I can stay on an even keel, but I got a little emotional then," Tomlin recalled of seeing Harrison on his back.

An even bigger rush of emotion would hit Tomlin later as he clutched the Lombardi Trophy after a game that once again exceeded its hype.

"Some said that we could not top last year's Super Bowl," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "But the Cardinals and Steelers did that tonight."
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SUPER BOWL

Smithtown Wrestling Tournament Results

This past Saturday marked the second annual Smithtown Wrestling Tournament, hosted at Smithtown East.

East finished fourth with 134 points, behind Connetquot 238, Londwood 391 and John Glenn 473.

For East, 140 pound senior Ryan Kopiske, and 215 pound senior Kevin Cassidy both made it to the finals in their respective weight classes. Kopiske took second aftering losing 3-0 to John Glenn's Terdick. Cassidy also took second after losing 12-1 to last year's Suffolk County Wrestling Champion Runner Up James from Longwood. The wrestler's first names were not released.

East Islip rolls over Smithtown East

Smithtown East Varsity Wrestling is very sore after getting destroyed in their 40-12 loss to East Islip in their season opener. East Islip won 10 of the 13 bouts and showed why they are the #1 team in division 3. The only positive highlights for Smithtown East was senior Kevin Cassidy's 1:49 pin, and senior Ryan Kopiske and junior Dan Reiter's close wins.

The team looks to get back on their feet as they ready themselves for the home opener against West Islip this friday.

Final victory of 2008 gives momentum to Cassidy

As a Smithtown East senior, Kevin Cassidy enters the new year looking to become one thing: a Suffolk county wrestling champion. Cassidy has been one of East's most highly regarded wrestlers for the past four years and now it looks like he might win it all.

During the holiday break, the East wrestling team went to Pennsylvania for a dual-meet tournament against five other teams. Cassidy went 5-0 and pinned every one of his opponents. Cassidy is looking to take this great momentum into the 2009 year.