Rochette named Canadian flag-bearer

VANCOUVER — Joannie Rochette will carry the Canadian flag into tonight’s closing ceremonies for the Vancouver Olympics.

The 24-year-old figure skater from Ile-Dupas, Que., won a bronze medal less than a week after her mom Therese died of a heart attack.

Earlier it was short-track speedskater Charles Hamelin who was accepting flag-bearer congratulations at a party that drew many of the Canadian medallists.

Asked about carrying the flag, Hamelin said: “Yes, thank you very much.” His choice was confirmed by teammates. Two federal government sources also confirmed Hamelin as flag-bearer prior to the COC’s denial.

Prior to the news conference to name the flag-bearer a COC spokesman denied Hamelin had been offered the position.

Hamelin won double gold in the 500 metres and the men’s 5,000-metre relay.

The decision was made by chef de mission Nathalie Lambert and her assistants Joe Juneau and Steve Podborski, with the formal announcement set for today.

Long-track speedskater Clara Hughes carried the Canadian flag at the opening ceremonies.

Bilodeau wins Canada's first gold on home soil

Mogulist Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada's first ever gold on home soil laying down a near-perfect final run at Cypress Mountain on Sunday.

"I went out and I knew what to do," Bilodeau said immediately following the event.

The 2009 overall World Cup champion executed a back full off the top air and a perfect-scoring back iron cross off the bottom air to earn a score of 26.75.

Dale Begg-Smith, competing for Australia, took the silver medal. American skier Bryon Wilson claimed the bronze medal.

Bilodeau, of Rosemere, Que., has topped the podium six times at previous World Cup events. The 22-year-old has often said his brother, Frederic, who has cerebral palsy, has inspired him to push his limits.

"It's really getting me right now," Bilodeau said. "My brother is my inspiration. Growing up with a handicap puts everything in perspective.

"I have no regret on what I've done in the last four years. I've said I'm ready, the most ready I've ever been. I went out and knew what to do."

Vincent Marquis, the first Canadian to ski in the final, placed fourth ahead of teammate Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau in fifth place.

"My goal was to cross the finish line and give it all I have," Marquis said. "I am excited, but at the same time, fourth is so close."

Marquis received a score of 25.88 in the final while Rousseau laid down an exceptional run delivering a back iron cross off the top jump and earning himself 25.83 points.

Canadian Maxime Gingras finished in 11th place.

"It was amazing with the crowd. I was not too stressed, I went for it. I just wanted to make he podium," Gingras said.

Following her silver medal run on Saturday, mogulist Jenn Heil suggested a gold medal for Canada was within reach.

"That gold medal is going to come soon," she said.

Super Bowl is most watched TV show ever

NEW YORK – The New Orleans Saints' victory over Indianapolis in the Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M-A-S-H" to become the most-watched program in U.S. television history, the Nielsen Co. said Monday.

Compelling story lines involving the city of New Orleans and its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the attempt at a second Super Bowl ring for Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning propelled the viewership. Football ratings have been strong all season.

"It was one of those magical moments that you don't often see in sports," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports.

Nielsen estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched Sunday's Super Bowl. The "M-A-S-H" record was 105.97 million.

The viewership estimate obliterated the previous record viewership for a Super Bowl — last year's game between Arizona and Pittsburgh. That game was seen by 98.7 million people, Nielsen said.

The "M-A-S-H" record has proven as durable and meaningful in television as Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs was in baseball until topped by Hank Aaron. Ultimately, it may be hard to tell which program was really watched by more people. There's a margin for error in such numbers, and Nielsen's Monday estimate was preliminary, and could change with a more thorough look at data due Tuesday.

"It's significant for all of the members of the broadcasting community," said Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. CEO. "For anyone who wants to write that broadcasting is dead, 106 million people watched this program. You can't find that anywhere else."

Moonves predicted CBS will earn more in advertising revenue than in any other Super Bowl. The good ratings for the game and football in general also set CBS and other football broadcasters up well when selling advertising for next season, he said.

The Nielsen estimate also drew some congratulations from Alan Alda, the star of "M-A-S-H," and the slugger whose record was beaten.

"If the `M-A-S-H' audience was eclipsed, it was probably due in large part to the fact that the whole country is rooting for New Orleans to triumph in every way possible," Alda said. "I am, too, and I couldn't be happier for them. I love that city."

There are more American homes with television sets now (114.9 million) than there were in 1983 (83.3 million). An estimated 77 percent of homes with TVs on were watching "M-A-S-H" in 1983, compared with the audience share of 68 for the Super Bowl.

Nielsen also measures only the United States, and it's possible some World Cup soccer games were seen more worldwide. Accurate measurement of television audiences outside the United States is spotty at best.

Alda also wondered whether the numbers were too close to declare a new champion. He thinks Nielsen didn't take into account large numbers of people watching "M-A-S-H" communally, which is often the case for football games, too.

"Not to say I'm competitive, but in part we are talking about sports," he said. "And I actually AM competitive."

McManus didn't want to jinx it, but the abnormally strong viewership for football this year left him hoping for a record. The NFC and AFC championship games both had their biggest audiences since the 1980s. The growth of high-definition television and its appeal to sports fans has also helped.

A competitive game until the final minutes sealed it. McManus acknowledged some nervousness when Indianapolis jumped out to a 10-0 lead — a Super Bowl rout often makes people turn away from the game — but New Orleans roared back.

The Mid-Atlantic blizzard also helped CBS. After New Orleans, the highest-rated market was snowbound Washington, Nielsen said. More people watched the game from their homes in that area instead of going to parties or bars, and Nielsen does a much better job counting viewers in homes than outside of them.

"Bad weather in the Northeast and good weather in Florida was a good combination for us," McManus said.

The Super Bowl also proved a strong launching pad for the new CBS series "Undercover Boss" that premiered after the game. An estimated 38.6 million people watched the first edition of a series about corporate honchos working secretly as low-level employees in their own companies, Nielsen said. That's third only to a 1996 "Friends" and 2001 "Survivor" as the most-watched program after the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Dorito's was a big winner in a measurement of interest in the commercials played during the Super Bowl. TiVo Inc. said the snack company's ad featuring a boy telling a man to keep his hands off his chips and his mom was stopped and played back in 15 percent of homes with the digital video recorder.

The secretly filmed CBS promo with David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey came in second, followed by the Snicker's ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda flattened in a football game.

In general, however, TiVo found less interest in the commercials than it has in previous years, judged by how many people paused live action to see them, said Todd Juenger, general manager of TiVo's research department.

NBC plans 835 hours of Winter Olympic coverage

NEW YORK – NBC will spread 835 hours of coverage of the Vancouver Olympics over five networks and its Olympic Web site, all of it in high definition.

The network announced the numbers Thursday, saying it will be the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, and more than the last two Winter Games combined.

Coverage starts with Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 12.

In addition to NBC, programming will be on the USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC and Universal HD.

NBC's prime-time coverage will consist mainly of figure skating and Alpine skiing, with some freestyle skiing, speedskating and snowboarding mixed in.

Unsaid was who will host "The Tonight Show," the only hour on the NBC schedule between 3 p.m. and 5 a.m. that will not consist of Olympic programming.

Mark McGwire admits using steroids

NEW YORK – Mark McGwire finally came clean, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade. During a 20-minute telephone interview shortly afterward, his voice repeatedly cracked.

"It's very emotional, it's telling family members, friends and coaches, you know, it's former teammates to try to get ahold of, you know, that I'm coming clean and being honest," he said. "It's the first time they've ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody."

McGwire said he also used human growth hormone, and he didn't know if his use of performance-enhancing drugs contributed to some of the injuries that led to his retirement, at age 38, in 2001.

"That's a good question," he said.

He repeatedly expressed regret for his decision to use steroids, which he said was "foolish" and caused by his desire to overcome injuries, get back on the field and prove he was worth his multimillion salary.

"You don't know that you'll ever have to talk about the skeleton in your closet on a national level," he said. "I did this for health purposes. There's no way I did this for any type of strength use."

McGwire hit a then-record 70 homers in 1998 during a compelling race with Sammy Sosa, who finished with 66. More than anything else, the home-run spree revitalized baseball following the crippling strike that wiped out the 1994 World Series.

Now that McGwire has come clean, increased glare might fall on Sosa, who has denied using performing-enhancing drugs.

"I wish I had never played during the steroid era," McGwire said.

McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger's reputation.

"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."

He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez last February.

Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz.

Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional committee.

"I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry."

Big Mac's reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he refused to answer questions at a Congressional hearing. Instead, he repeatedly said "I'm not here to talk about the past" when asked whether he took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at any other time.

"After all this time, I want to come clean," he said. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team."

McGwire said he wanted to tell the truth then but evaded questions at that hearing on the advice of his lawyers.

"That was the worst 48 hours of my life," McGwire said.

La Russa immediately praised McGwire's decision to go public.

"His willingness to admit mistakes, express his regret, and explain the circumstances that led him to use steroids add to my respect for him," the manager said.

McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring training, and Monday's statement broke his silence.

"I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again," McGwire said in his statement. "I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season."

McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like the Yankees' Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH.

"During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years," McGwire said. "I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years, and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."

Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the publication of the Mitchell Report.

"Baseball is really different now — it's been cleaned up," McGwire said. "The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did."

Alomar, Martinez, Larkin & McGriff on Hall ballot

NEW YORK – Roberto Alomar is among 15 first-time candidates of this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven.

Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin and Fred McGriff also are new to the ballot this year. There are 26 candidates, three more than last year when Rickey Henderson was elected in his initial appearance and Jim Rice made it on his 15th and final try. Dawon fell 44 votes shy of the 75 percent needed and Blyleven was 67 short.

Also on the ballot for the first time are Kevin Appier, Ellis Burks, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile.

Other holdovers on the list announced Friday include Harold Baines, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

McGwire, hired last month as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, is on the ballot for the fourth time. While he hit 583 homers, eighth on the career list, he has been stigmatized since his 2005 congressional testimony, when he evaded answering whether he had used steroids. He received 118 votes (22 percent) in last year's vote, down from 128 in each of his first two tries.

Segui has admitted he used steroids.

Alomar, a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove second baseman, had a .300 batting average, 210 homers and 474 steals in 17 major league seasons.

Martinez spent all 18 seasons with Seattle, winning two AL batting titles and finishing with a .312 average and 309 homers. A seven-time All-Star, he was a designated hitter in 1,412 of 2,055 career regular-season games.

Larkin was a 12-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove shortstop in 19 seasons, all with Cincinnati. He had a .295 career average with 198 homers and won the 1995 NL MVP award.

McGriff is tied with Lou Gehrig for 26th on the career home run with 493 and had a .284 average in 19 seasons. He led the AL in homers for Toronto in 1989 and the NL for San Diego in 1992.

Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote, and results will be announced Jan. 6. Inductions, which will include anyone elected by the Veterans Committee, are scheduled for July 25 at Cooperstown. The Veterans Committee vote will be announced Dec. 7.

The complete ballot: Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Ellis Burks, Andre Dawson, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile

Alouettes battle back for Grey Cup title

It turns out the 13th man was the difference.

Damon Duval got a second chance, and now he has his first Grey Cup ring.

And the Saskatchewan Roughriders have nothing but heartbreak after prematurely celebrating a win.

With a two-point lead in the final seconds, the Riders forced Duval to try a 43-yard field goal for the win.

He missed.

The Riders had 13 men on the field and were flagged for too many men.

On his second try from 33, Duval hit it and sent a crushing blow to the Riders with a in the 97th Grey Cup in front of 46,020 spectators at McMahon Stadium.

Darian Durant threw a eight-yard touchdown Andy Fantuz and had a 16-yard run for a major, Luca Congi hit on field goals of 23, 40, nine, and 44 yards, and the Riders defence forced two turnovers.

Alouettes quarterback threw touchowns to Jamel Richardson and Ben Cahoon, while Avon Cobourne had a rushing TD and Damon Duval kicked field goals of 28 and 33 yards.

The Riders owned the first half, but Durant finally made a mistake fitting a quarterback in his first Grey Cup midway through the third quarter.

In trying to go deep to Rob Bagg, Durant was picked off by Billy Parker, but the Alouettes didn’t get anywhere from their own five-yard line.

On the ensuing possession, Durant ran for 14 yards and Wes Cates had rushes and receptions of eight each to set up another Congi field goal to make a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Late in the final frame, Durant made another horrible mistake, throwing up a prayer at midfield that was picked off by Jerald Brown.

The Als went straight down the field and scored as Ben Cahoon dove into the endzone for a 11-yard touchdown, but the two-point conversion failed and the Riders had a two-point lead.

To start that final frame, the Riders took control with a five-play, 75-yard run that was capped by Durant’s 16-yard touchdown run on a straight draw play.

That put the Riders up 16, but the Alouettes quickly answered as Cavlillo went 71 yards in six plays to set up Cobourne’s three-yard run. The two-point conversion was good and the deficit was eight.

The Alouettes came out in the second half more focused that the first, as Anthony Calvillo put together a nine-play, 74-yard drive and hit Jamel Richardson on a eight-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-10 Riders.

At the end of the half, Fantuz caught a 28-yard pass and stepped out at the one-yard line. It was ruled in complete but Ken Miller challenged and won, so Congi hit on a nine-yard field goal to make it 17-3.

After three straight two-and-outs and a fumble, the Alouettes finally got moving towards the end of the first quarter, putting together a 44-yard drive for a 28-yard Damon Duval field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3.

Montreal had another great drive going, but fumbled away a chance at points. Fullback Kerry Carter had the ball stripped by Riders linebacker Rey Williams and Chris McKenzie at his own 17-yard line.

On the Als fourth possession, and before the East Division champs had a first down, Marcus (Chunky) Adams stripped Calvillo as the Als QB was trying to evade the pressure.

Keith Shologan picked up the ball and rumbled to the eight-yard line, where Durant hit Fantuz on the next play to give the Riders a 10-0 lead.

The Als didn’t get any help from their punter in the first half, as Duval shanked two punts, the second one going just seven yards late in the second quarter that let the Riders get a 44-yard field goal to go up 13-3.

Riders defensive back Lance Frazier nearly had an interception on the Alouettes second possession, as he knocked a pass loose from Jamel Richardson, but that forced a second straight punt.

After forcing a second straight two-and-out to start the game, Saskatchewan took the ball with good field position and then used three Wes Cates runs to set up Luca Congi 40-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

The Riders made some progress on their first drive, using as 26-yard pass to Cates and a 12-yard run by Rob Bagg to get into position for a field goal.

But Congi missed a 42-yard attempt and Larry Taylor returned it out of the endzone.

The Alouettes won the coin toss and elected to receive, but they went two-and-out after Riders linebacker Mike McCullough made a great tackle on Ben Cahoon to drop him short of a first down.

Souped up Series as Phillies and Yankees get ready

NEW YORK – Even before the first pitch, this World Series seems souped up.

Stocked full of honed home run hitters, powerful pitchers and frenzied fans — plus a fast-talking shortstop fond of forecasting future results — the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies generated a Fall Classic of talk ahead of Wednesday night's opener.

"I think we mirror each other," Yankees star Alex Rodriguez said Tuesday. "They have switch-hitters, just like us. They have power, just like us."

So let the mighty matchup begin: Philadelphia, defending just its second World Series title, against the moneyed, much-admired and much-hated team that often sets baseball's standards for success and excess.

"Obviously they have a lot of the star power in their lineup and all the hype that goes along with being Yankees," Ryan Howard said. "We're from Philadelphia."

New York may be a heavy favorite in Las Vegas, but players on both sides predict a close Series, perhaps ending a record run of five straight that have ended in sweeps or five games.

Both teams worked out Tuesday in the mist of $1.5 billion new Yankee Stadium, where two freshly painted logos were in foul territory in honor of the ballpark's first World Series. Still standing across the street, covered in black mesh as if a ghost, is its 86-year-old predecessor, awaiting demolition after hosting a record 100 Series games.

CC Sabathia, 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his first postseason with the Yankees, starts Wednesday night for New York against former Cleveland teammate Cliff Lee, 2-0 with an 0.74 ERA for the Phillies. The latest-opening World Series ever, one that will stretch into November for only the second time, begins with a rematch of the April 16 ballpark opener, won by the Indians 10-2.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," Sabathia said.

George Steinbrenner, New York's 79-year-old owner, was expected at the stadium he built for the first time since opening day. First Lady Michelle Obama also planned to be on hand in a celebrity-filled crowd wondering whether the Yankees are on the way to a 27th title — and first since 2000.

Teammates 16 months ago, Lee and Sabathia texted each other often in the runup. Sabathia won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award with the Indians, and was followed by Lee last year.

"I think we made each other better," Lee said. "We helped each other out as far as how we thought we should approach certain teams and just what's the best frame of mind to have on the mound and stuff."

Pedro Martinez — the former Red Sox star — starts Game 2 for the Phillies against A.J. Burnett, and that should really juice up the crowd. Ever since he strangely said "I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy" following a 2004 loss at Fenway Park, chants of "Who's your daddy?" have boomed through the Bronx whenever he's pitched.

While most players practiced protestations of humility, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins attracted attention with a brash boast.

"Of course we're going to win," the 2007 NL MVP said on "The Jay Leno Show" on Monday night. "If we're nice we'll let it go six, but I'm thinking five. Close it out at home."

The Yankees responded with a verbal pie to the face.

"He's been Nostradamus, that's what I heard," catcher Jorge Posada said. "He's been (making) a lot of good predictions, so we've got to take that away from him."

Rollins had forecast the Yankees and Phillies would meet in the Series. Before the 2007 season, he said the Phillies and not the Mets were the team to beat in the NL East.

"That's just Jimmy," Howard said. "Obviously, with those comments, you know here in Yankee Stadium, you know they're going to be all over him. And you know what? He wants that. He relishes that moment."

With Howard and Rodriguez, this will be only the second Series with two former season home runs leaders since 1975's faceoff between Cincinnati's Johnny Bench and Boston's Carl Yastrzemski, according to STATS LLC. The other was in 1989's Earthquake Series, when Oakland's Bash Brothers of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire swept San Francisco and Kevin Mitchell.

No player in the major leagues has been scrutinized more than A-Rod, a postseason star following a scandalous spring training that included a steroid admission and hip surgery.

And Howard has carried the defending champion Phillies every bit as much as Rodriguez has propelled the Yankees to their first Series appearance since 2003 — and the first of his career.

"Ryan, along with his power, he's also become a great hitter," Rodriguez said. "And that's bad news for the National League and bad news for us."

The 34-year-old Rodriguez already has succeeded Reggie Jackson as the favorite Yankees target of wannabe amateur psychologists, who try to analyze past playoff flops and his relationships with Madonna last year and Kate Hudson this season. Now he wants to follow Mr. October as a champion.

A three-time AL MVP, he entered the first round against Minnesota hitting .136 (8 for 59) in the postseason dating to 2004 and was hitless in 18 consecutive playoff at-bats with runners in scoring position.

What a change.

He led the Yankees with a .438 average, five homers and 12 RBIs in series victories over the Twins and Los Angeles Angels, hitting tying home runs in the seventh, ninth and 11th innings.

"I think everyone is looking for a profound answer," he said, "and I don't have one."

Twins complete comeback, 6-5 over Tigers in 12th

MINNEAPOLIS – The Metrodome erupted in a jet-like roar as Carlos Gomez zoomed home with the winning run to finish off an AL Central race — and a thrilling tiebreaker — that didn't want to end.

Minnesota wouldn't quit, while the Detroit Tigers finished their historic fade. And there was little time for the Twins to celebrate, because the New York Yankees were waiting.

Alexi Casilla singled home the winning run with one out in the 12th inning and the Twins rallied for a 6-5 victory Tuesday night, completing a colossal collapse for the Tigers.

"This is the most unbelievable game I've ever played or seen," Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera said.

How was that for bonus baseball?

As Gomez scored from second — well ahead of a late throw from right field — Homer Hankies spiraled. The Twins celebrated and scrambled: They had 21 hours to get ready for Game 1 of the AL playoffs at Yankee Stadium against New York ace CC Sabathia. He'll face rookie Brian Duensing.

The Tigers will head home instead. They became the first team in history to blow a three-game lead with four games left.

"I guess it's fitting to say there was a loser in this game because we lost the game, but it's hard for me to believe there was a loser in this game," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Both teams played their hearts out. You can't ask for anything more than that."

The Twins overcame a seven-game gap in the final month, went 17-4 to pull even on the final weekend and won their fifth division title in eight years.

"We just feel like we have nothing to lose, man," outfielder Denard Span said.
Both teams had chance after chance to end it earlier, and each club scored in the 10th. Casilla was thrown out at the plate to end that inning by left fielder Ryan Raburn after tagging up.

The Tigers thought they'd taken the lead in the 12th. But with the bases loaded, plate umpire Randy Marsh ruled that Brandon Inge was not hit by a pitch by Bobby Keppel. The replay appeared to show the pitch grazing Inge's billowing uniform.

"I did not have the ball hitting him. We looked at replays, too, and the replays we've looked at, to be honest with you, were inconclusive," said Marsh, the crew chief.

Said Inge: "No matter what we did, it seems like it wasn't meant to be. This is the best game, by far, that I've ever played in no matter the outcome."

It was the first AL tiebreaker to go to extra innings, making up for Minnesota's disappointment last year when it lost 1-0 in Chicago to the White Sox in an AL Central tiebreaker. Had the Twins lost, it would've been the final baseball game at the Metrodome. Instead, the Twins get the Yankees — New York was 7-0 against Minnesota this season.

"We're not afraid. I can guarantee you that," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "We're not going to have to face questions like 'Can you beat them?' like we've had to answer during the course of the year. Once the playoffs start though, it's a new series and we know the importance of each game. You can pretty much throw everything else out the window."

A day after Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers at the Dome — "Monday Night Football" is what delayed this tiebreaker for a day — the Twins pulled off a Tuesday Night Frenzy.

Gardenhire and Leyland made so many moves for defense and relief that the lineups and pitching staffs were depleted by the end.

Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney (2-5) worked his longest appearance of the season, getting the last two outs of the ninth. But he didn't have enough to get out of the 12th. The Twins rushed out of the dugout in celebration even before Gomez reached the plate, and their comeback from a seven-game gap with 20 to play was complete.

Joe Mauer, who heard thunderous "M-V-P!" chants from the largest regular-season baseball crowd in Metrodome history throughout the game, led his team on a sprint around the warning track as they slapped hands with fans in the first rows.

"One of the best games I'll ever play in," Mauer said.

Keppel, Minnesota's eighth pitcher, loaded the bases with one out in the 12th. After the non-call on Inge, second baseman Nick Punto then scooped Inge's grounder and fired home in time to get the runner on the force. Then Keppel struck out Gerald Laird to squelch that rally.

Twins closer Joe Nathan found trouble in the ninth when consecutive singles put runners at the corners, but he got a strikeout and a line-drive double play to end that threat. The four-time All-Star gave two huge pumps of his right arm as he spun to thank his defense and run to the dugout, preserving the tie.

Inge's two-out double in the 10th gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead, but Michael Cuddyer sliced a triple past Raburn in left and scored on Matt Tolbert's bouncing single through the middle in the bottom of the inning.

On the potential winning sacrifice fly, though, Casilla strayed a bit too far from third and was thrown out by Raburn trying to score to end the inning. The split-second Casilla needed to retouch the base might have cost him the run.

He more than made up for that mistake later.

According to sports researcher STATS LLC, only three teams since 1901 have blown a three-game lead in the standings with four games left. The Houston Astros lost three straight games to Los Angeles in 1980, but they recovered to defeat the Dodgers in a tiebreaker game for the NL West. Milwaukee lost three in a row to Baltimore in 1982 to force a tie, but beat the Orioles in the final regular season game to win the AL East.

After splitting four in Detroit last week — a loss in the series finale Thursday would've given the division to the Tigers — the Twins came home for the final scheduled series in the bubble needing a sweep of the Kansas City Royals and did just that.

So with 54,088 fans in attendance, the place was erupting with noise and excitement. The chants for Mauer, who wrapped up his third batting title, were deafening. Leyland even told his players before the game to think of the loudest experience of their life and multiply it by four to anticipate the decibel level for this game. Dome ball came in handy again, on a day when the city was drenched by cold rain.

Rookie starter Rick Porcello pitched well beyond his 20 years for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera made up for a miserable weekend — on and off the field — with a two-run homer against Scott Baker in the third inning that made it 3-0. The crowd chanted "al-co-ho-lic" right before Cabrera went deep, a rude reference to the first baseman's fight with his wife after he came home late and drunk.

The Twins crept back, though, and Orlando Cabrera's two-run homer in the seventh gave them a brief lead that Magglio Ordonez ended with his leadoff homer in the eighth.

"We were dead and buried a couple times, and our team just kept coming back," Twins general manager Bill Smith said.

NOTES: This was the ninth tiebreaker game in baseball history, and the third straight year with a 163rd game. Only two of them went to extra innings. ... Seven members of the Metrodome's cleaning and maintenance crews were honored on the mound before the game for the work of those groups in converting the field back and forth from baseball to football in light of Monday's Packers-Vikings game.

Cox to retire as Braves manager after next season

NEW YORK – After 50 years in baseball, Bobby Cox figured the only way he would ever give up managing was to pick a specific time and announce it publicly.

So that's what he did Wednesday, revealing his plans to retire as manager of the Atlanta Braves after next season.

Now comes the hard part: sticking to it.

"There is a little bit of relief once you come to grips with announcing it," Cox said. "I've never lost the love to manage, period. But you have to make a decision. At my age, you have to make a decision. Somebody a little younger can start up."

The 68-year-old Cox, a four-time Manager of the Year, agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2010, the Braves announced before Wednesday night's game against the New York Mets. He will start a five-year consulting agreement to advise the team in baseball operations after he steps down as manager.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Braves slugger Chipper Jones said.

During an illustrious career on the bench, Cox has guided Atlanta to 14 consecutive postseason appearances (1991-2005) and the 1995 World Series title.

"They asked me to come back, and I said I would do it for one more year, and we'll announce the retirement along with it. It's the only way I think I'm ever going to walk away from the game, is to go ahead and say I'm going to, and then I've got to," Cox said. "There's no turning back now — win, lose or draw.

Whatever happens next year is going to be it."

A cigar-smoking baseball lifer, Cox managed the Braves from 1978-81, switched to manage the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-85, then returned to manage Atlanta in 1990. He led the Braves to five NL pennants and a record 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005.

"He's one of the greatest — not only managers, but people," Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre said in Washington. "He's a Hall of Famer."

Cox began Wednesday with 2,408 regular-season wins as a manager, fourth behind Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763) and Tony La Russa (2,550). Cox and Joe McCarthy are the only managers with six 100-win regular seasons.

"Bobby's one of the best ever," Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said in Cleveland.

Braves general manager Frank Wren said he won't start thinking about a successor for Cox until an appropriate time next season. Both men said Cox will have input.

"He's been the one constant through the entire run that we've had over the last 20 years," said Jones, who has played for Cox his entire career. "It'll be a sad day, a sad day when he leaves."

Still feisty, Cox has been ejected seven times this season, extending his major league record to 150.

"What you can always say about Bobby is that he always gets the best out of his players and that he's a class act," umpire Ed Rapuano said in Cleveland. "You could toss him, but the next day all was forgotten."

Jones said the Braves will have added incentive next season to send Cox out a winner. But the 37-year-old third baseman added that he's not sure he'll stick around long enough to play for a different manager.

"I'm just glad he'll be around for one more year," Jones said.

Wren said the agreement was reached last weekend while the Braves were playing Philadelphia, but Cox didn't want an announcement to take the focus off that series. The team had decided to reveal the news when it returned home to Atlanta next week, but Wren said all the public speculation and false information about Cox's future persuaded the club to make an announcement Wednesday.

Cox's entire coaching staff will be retained next season, too.

"We know we're growing older. I know Bobby feels like he's still capable. His mind is as good today as it will be five years from now. But there's a demand of pressure and energy on his job. We all come to that point," Braves president John Schuerholz said at a Turner Field news conference in Atlanta.

"He's comfortable with this. It's his plan. He's at peace managing a team next season to a championship level," Schuerholz added. "He's handled the highs and lows better than any other manager in baseball I've ever seen."

Cox said his role as adviser likely will include visiting Braves farm clubs to offer advice, evaluations and perhaps even hands-on instruction. He said it's a job he's excited about.

Still, many in baseball have a hard time imagining anyone besides ol' No. 6 in the Braves' dugout.

"He may change his mind. Bobby loves the game. It's in his blood," La Russa said in Houston before his Cardinals played the Astros. "He always had his team ready to play."

Mets manager Jerry Manuel called Cox "an icon in the sport."

"Managers look to try to attain that level of status that he has," Manuel said. "I think that's unfortunate for the Braves — probably fortunate for everybody else in the division.

"He's had a tremendous, tremendous run. He has really set the bar tremendously high over there. So anybody that steps in there will have some big, big shoes to fill as far as stability and strategy."

Cox said the person he consulted most about the decision was his wife, Pam, and he acknowledged she was happy about it.

"She's been after me for quite awhile," Cox said with a smile.

Leafs acquire Kessel from Bruins

TORONTO - Brian Burke is turning to Phil Kessel to help speed up his rebuilding of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs general manager finally acquired the rights to Kessel after months of talks with the Boston Bruins, sources told The Canadian Press on Friday.

Burke is betting the farm that Kessel is a big step in the Leafs' rebuilding. In return for the rights to negotiate with the restricted free agent, Toronto sent a first and second round pick in the 2010 NHL draft to Boston, along with another first-round pick in 2011.

Kessel scored 36 goals and added 24 assists in 70 games with Boston last season.

The 21-year-old restricted free agent, who is in the last year of his entry-level deal, failed to negotiate an contract extension with Boston in the off-season.

The Bruins picked Kessel fifth overall in the 2005 draft.

Jays open 2010 season in Texas

It will all start in Arlington for the 2010 Blue Jays.

Major League Baseball announced next season's schedule on Tuesday, and Toronto is slated to begin its 34th campaign against Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The two clubs will get it going Monday, April 5, then have an off-day and wrap up the first series of the season over the following couple of days.

It will mark the first time the Blue Jays and Rangers open up together since '01 -- when Toronto beat Texas, 8-1, in Puerto Rico -- and the first time the Blue Jays start a season in Texas since 1990, when Nolan Ryan was the winning pitcher in a 4-2 Toronto loss.

The Blue Jays, 25-8 all-time on Opening Day, will be starting a season on the road for the third time in the past four years.

After that three-game set, Toronto will play three in Baltimore against the Orioles, then come to Canada for its first home series at Rogers Centre. That will begin Monday, April 12, when the Blue Jays play four against the White Sox, three against the Angels and three against the Royals.

Interleague Play will kick off at Rogers Centre in mid-June, when the Blue Jays host the Giants (June 18-20), Cardinals (June 22-24) and Phillies (June 25-27). Toronto will also go on the road to face National League West teams in the D-backs (May 21-23), Rockies (June 11-13) and Padres (June 14-16).

The Blue Jays most famously beat the Phillies in the 1993 World Series, and over the past two years, they're 6-3 against them during the regular season.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, will be making a stop in Toronto for the first time since the Blue Jays took two of three in '05.

As usual, the Blue Jays will play 18 games each -- nine home and nine away -- against the division-rival Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Rays. They'll also play at least one home and one road series against each of the remaining AL teams. In addition, the Jays will host two series against the Twins while going on the road for two series against the Indians and Angels.

The Red Sox will first come to town April 26-28, and the Yankees will follow June 4-6.

On the road, the Blue Jays will make their first stop at Fenway Park May 10-12, and they'll be at Yankee Stadium for the first time for a three-game series starting July 2.

The final four series will see the Blue Jays host the Mariners (Sept. 21-23), Orioles (Sept. 24-26) and Yankees (Sept. 27-29) before wrapping up the regular season with a four-game road series against the Twins Sept. 30-Oct. 3.

Favre back yet again

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Brett Favre's latest retirement lasted all of three weeks.

The three-time NFL MVP has done about-face for the second time in as many years and will play for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

If the wait for Favre's decision seemed never-ending, it was resolved Tuesday in a few short hours: the 39-year-old jumped on a team plane in Mississippi and was picked up at the St. Paul airport by coach Brad Childress himself. The two drove to the team's practice facility, where Favre waved to hundreds of cheering fans.

No less than 90 minutes later, Favre was on the field in his familiar No. 4 jersey with purple shorts and a purple helmet, a vision that has had Packers fans cringing about for months. He shook hands with a few of his new teammates and quickly began throwing as fans peeked through the security fence to catch a glimpse of the superstar.

Shortly after practice began, the Vikings confirmed the agreement that seemed so inevitable all summer, only to be held up July 28 when the man who holds every major NFL career passing record told Childress he wasn't ready to play, citing a lack of confidence in his beat-up body to hold up over an entire season.

Childress and Favre were expected to discuss the change of heart at a news conference later Tuesday.

Childress a few weeks ago said he had not planned to pursue Favre after he said he was staying retired. And yet here comes Favre, once reviled by a Vikings fan base that hustled to welcome him to town.

"I don't have any problem rooting for one of the greatest quarterbacks ever," said Phil Setala, a 23-year-old from Minneapolis who was at practice proudly wearing a purple No. 4 jersey.

Even the governor chimed in.

"It's going to be good for the team. It's going to be good for the state. It's going to be exciting," a giddy Gov. Tim Pawlenty said after a speech.

Last month, Favre explained his decision by saying he had to be "careful not to commit for the wrong reasons."

"I'm 39 with a lot of sacks to my name," he said.

He has a lot of interceptions to his name, too, more than any other quarterback in NFL history. The last time Favre appeared in the playoffs - a bitter loss at Lambeau Field by the Packers to the Giants in the NFC championship game following the 2007 season - he put up one of his worst performances in recent memory.

Now the question becomes how Favre will fit in with a team that's already done with the grind of training camp, not to mention how his health will hold up so soon after he questioned it. Favre had arthroscopic surgery to fix his throwing shoulder in May.

The Vikings got an encouraging performance in their preseason opener last week from quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who has been competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job, but neither of them have been consistently sharp in practice this month.

And neither is anywhere in Favre's league. His zinger of an arm and toughness in the pocket are a combination few possess. With an offence he claimed this summer he could operate in his sleep, Favre seems to fit well with Minnesota - especially given the Vikings' problems finding a reliable quarterback since Childress took over in 2006.

The Vikings have Pro Bowl players all over their roster, with reigning NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson in the backfield and a dominant defensive line. No matter who's behind centre, they ought to be in position to defend their NFC North title.

To win the conference, and perhaps that elusive Super Bowl, they'll need stability at the sport's most critical position.

Favre has wrestled with retirement for most of this decade and the will-he-or-won't-he saga became an annual off-season drama for the Packers, his longtime home. In Green Bay, the latest news elicited a few shrugs, little more.

A few months after Favre's tearful goodbye news conference in March 2008, Green Bay traded him to the Jets when he tried to come back, only to learn the Packers were committed to Aaron Rodgers. Favre started strong in New York, but faded down the stretch amid problems with his throwing arm and, with another "I'm done" announcement, headed for his second retirement.

The Jets released him from his contract right after the draft and soon after, the Vikings were openly expressing interest. Favre spent the summer working out in Mississippi and led everyone to believe he was on his way back to the NFL until last month.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever made," Favre told ESPN then. "I didn't feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable."

Jays GM sets loose deadline for Halladay trade

TORONTO - J.P. Ricciardi set a loose deadline of next Tuesday for completing a Roy Halladay trade, sending potential suitors a clear message that if they want the ace right-hander they had better ante up soon to get him.

The Toronto Blue Jays general manager also turned up the posturing by saying "at this point it's probably unlikely we'll trade Doc," after both he and Halladay recently pegged the chances for a deal at "50-50."

"If we don't have him traded by the time his last start gets here it's probably not going to get done," Ricciardi said before Tuesday's series opener with the Cleveland Indians.

"As you get closer and closer to the deadline, no-one's really stepped up yet and at that point I think time starts running out on you. And, like I've said, we've got to be highly motivated to move him. We haven't been highly motivated yet."

Ricciardi said some sort of cutoff is necessary in order to give the teams enough time to tie up all the loose ends a deal of such magnitude brings, from physicals for all the players involved to appropriate signoffs from ownership.

Halladay also has a full no-trade clause so his approval will be needed, as well. He has two starts remaining before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Friday at home versus Tampa Bay and July 29 at Seattle.

Ricciardi added that he'd like Halladay to pitch against the Mariners with some type of resolution to the matter, but next Tuesday is not a drop-dead date by any means.

If the Blue Jays and another team are making progress at that point, talks could extend right up to the last minute July 31. However, if no preliminary work is in place by then, talks aren't likely to get started then or afterwards.

The Blue Jays are seeking a high-end package of prospects that includes elite young pitching for the 2003 Cy Young Award winner. They're more likely to get it now rather than if they wait until the off-season.

"History tells you if a guy has more service time for a team, he's probably going to be more valuable to that team at that point," said Ricciardi. "If the off-season comes and someone feels the same way and wants to blow you away, I guess you can get something but history tells you having a guy for a year and a half is more important than having him for a year."

Halladay, who is making US$14.25 million this season and is due $15.75 million in 2010 before his contract expires, has been on the open market for a couple of weeks now.

The Philadelphia Phillies are considered the favourites to land him, with Boston, Milwaukee, San Francisco, the Yankees, Dodgers and Angels all in the mix to varying degrees.

Asked how many teams had expressed serious interest, Ricciardi declined comment, offering only, "there's been enough."

Ricciardi also hinted that if Halladay is moved, the stripping down of the team won't end there. Shorstop Marco Scutaro, catcher Rod Barajas and infielder John McDonald will all be free agents after the season while third baseman Scott Rolen, first baseman Lyle Overbay and closer Scott Downs are all signed through 2010.

"Everything feeds off if we do something with Doc," said Ricciardi. "The first thing we're concentrating on is if we're going to trade Doc, obviously. If we are trading him, then we'd be open to doing other things."

Sakic hangs 'em up And Retires after 20 NHL seasons

DENVER - Stoic Joe Sakic finally cracked, allowing for a rare show of emotion.

Delivering a speech that had kept him up most of the night fretting, the longtime Colorado Avalanche captain broke down, his voice betraying him as he stared into a room packed with family, friends and teammates - even the governor of the state.

Sakic officially hung up his skates Thursday, ending his standout 20-year career. Try as he might, he simply couldn't get through his prepared speech without choking up.

"So many great memories," Sakic said, fighting back tears.

The pride of Burnaby, B.C., Sakic had hoped to play one more season, possibly culminating his career by suiting up for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

His body simply wouldn't allow it.

Sakic missed most of the 2008-09 season with an aching back that required surgery to repair a herniated disk. He tried to make his way back onto the ice before the end of the season, but couldn't.

That's when he suspected his career was finished.

"I didn't think I could be the player I wanted to be," said the 40-year-old Sakic, who has been the face of the franchise since the team moved to Denver in 1995. "I always said to myself that the minute I thought I'd slipped, and not be the player I wanted to be, it was time for me to go."

Sakic announced his retirement in the same room of a Denver hotel where John Elway did. Only fitting, since both were icons in the Mile High City.

"We can't put into words what he meant to this franchise and to our hockey fans," Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix said.

Sakic's No. 19 sweater will also be retired, getting raised to the Pepsi Centre rafters during a ceremony at the season opener, which is not yet scheduled.

It will be just the third in the 14-year history of the Avalanche, joining Patrick Roy (33) and Ray Bourque (77). The organization also retired four when they were the Quebec Nordiques.

"He's such a great leader. He made the team top-notch," Paul Stastny said.

Sakic once played alongside Paul Stastny's father, Peter, the two on the same power-play unit in Quebec.

"He was a complete player and one of the greatest in history," Peter Stastny said in a statement.

Sakic certainly had an impressive resume.

He wore the captain's "C" for 16 straight seasons and guided the team to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, won league MVP honours in 2001, was a 13-time all-star and led Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

Sakic also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 2001, showing his true character by handing the Stanley Cup over to Bourque after winning the title and letting the longtime defenseman hoist the trophy.

It was a moment that friend and longtime teammate Adam Foote mentioned in his speech Thursday.

"A humble superstar that you are, you stood back, you let a gray-bearded, 22-year seasoned veteran, who was waiting patiently like a young boy on Christmas morning, hoist his first Stanley Cup," Foote said.

"That class act of yours might go down in history as one of the NHL's most memorable moments that united the entire hockey world."

Foote will remember Sakic as much for his class as his clutch play on the ice.

So will Lacroix, who choked up repeatedly when giving his speech. Sakic waited to announce his retirement until Lacroix was healed following complications from a knee replacement surgery.

"My family and I are privileged to know you. We're better people because of that," Lacroix said. "You make everyone around you so much better."

Known for his lethal wrist shot and precision passing, Sakic leaves the game among the NHL's career scoring leaders. He's eighth in points (1,641), 11th in assists (1,016) and 14th in goals (625).

He was never an intimidating presence - he's only five-foot-11 and 195 pounds - but made up for it with determination and intelligence.

There are only four players in league history that have scored more points with one franchise than Sakic: Gordie Howe (1,809) and Steve Yzerman (1,755) with Detroit, Mario Lemieux with Pittsburgh (1,723) and Wayne Gretzky with Edmonton (1,669).

Sakic was originally taken by Quebec with the 15th pick in the 1987 draft. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 6, 1988, picking up his first assist against the then Hartford Whalers. Two nights later against New Jersey, he scored his first goal.

That would be a familiar occurrence for the quiet superstar.

"I'm sad to see him leave the game," former teammate Peter Forsberg said in a statement. "I'm glad I got the chance to play alongside him for many years ... He's a very classy person and a great team leader."

Casting call: 4,500 performers sought for Olympic ceremonies

Olympic organizers in Vancouver are looking for 4,500 dancers and performers and athletes to volunteer in the televised performances for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games next February.

"We're looking for people with all types of performance skills and levels of ability who want to play a part in sharing Canada with the world," said David Guscott, the executive vice-president of celebrations and partnerships with the 2010 Olympic organizing committee, known as VANOC.

The ceremonies inside BC Place will be broadcast around the world and are intended to tell the story of Canada to an estimated television audience of 3.5 billion.

"Previous experience isn't a requirement, but taking quick action is. This is the one and only call for participation," he said.

VANOC is also looking for about 1,000 volunteers to help backstage at the ceremonies. Applications can be filed online at the VANOC website.

All performers must be 17 or older by May 1, 2009 to apply, although possible opportunities for performers younger than this are still being considered.

"Above all, we're looking for volunteers with lots of personality, a positive attitude, tons of energy, and a willingness to perform on a stage in front of thousands of people live and billions more around the globe."

Auditions will start in May and candidates will be notified this summer if they have been successful. Rehearsals will begin in November and continue until the Feb. 12 opening of the Games, including over the December holiday period.

Rehearsals will be held twice a week and each volunteer performer will rehearse for more than 100 hours to prepare for their role.

It will be the first time in Olympics history that the ceremonies will be staged at an indoor venue.

They are being produced by Australian David Atkins, who also produced the ceremonies for the Summer Games in Sydney in 2000.

The federal government is spending the $20 million to cover the majority of the cost.

ESPN facing job cuts, hiring freeze

NEW YORK - ESPN's top executive told employees that he's instituting a hiring freeze and won't give any raises to top executives as one of television's most successful enterprises feels the effect of the economy.

ESPN and ABC Sports chief George Bodenheimer said he expected 200 jobs will be cut within the next year, mostly positions currently unfilled.

The moves come despite what Bodenheimer called a record year for ESPN in 2008, although the company doesn't release financial details. Cable television's top sports franchise showed its muscle by outbidding everyone in November for the rights to televise college football's Bowl Championship Series for four years starting in 2011.

"The economy is worsening," Bodenheimer said, "and ESPN and our business partners - especially some of our major advertisers - are feeling the impact more acutely than at any point in our lifetime."

He spoke to ESPN employees Wednesday through a company computer connection, and his message quickly became public.

The company is not ruling out layoffs, although the vast majority of job cuts will come through not filling open jobs, a spokesman said. Bodenheimer said he's ordering a review of operations over the next few months to find ways to save money.

Although top executives won't see raises, Bodenheimer told the troops that some merit raises will still be available to lower level staff.

He also said the company will make key investments both in the U.S. and internationally. ESPN and partner ABC are expected to be bidders later this year when the rights to televise the 2014 and 2016 Olympics goes up for auction.

"Our goal remains to come out of this period stronger," Bodenheimer said.

Rickey runs to the Hall, As Henderson, Rice get elected

BOSTON - Down to his last at-bat, Jim Rice made it into the baseball Hall of Fame.

The former Boston Red Sox slugger was elected to the Cooperstown shrine on Monday in what was to be his final year of eligibility, getting seven votes more than needed. He is the third player elected by the baseball writers in his final year, joining Red Ruffing (1967) and Ralph Kiner (1975).

"I don't think it matters what ballot I was on as long as I got in. That was the key thing right there," he said in a conference call. "Everything was timing, because my numbers have not changed over the last 22 years. The only thing I can say is I'm glad it's over with. I'm in there and they can't take it away."

Rice will join career stolen bases and runs scored leader Rickey Henderson at the July 26 induction ceremony. Also to be honoured are former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected last month by the Veterans Committee, as well as broadcaster Tony Kubek and writer Nick Peters, the winners of the Frick and Spink awards, respectively.

Rice received 412 votes of the 539 ballots cast for 76.4 per cent, topping the required 75 per cent. Last year he was 16 votes shy, sending him back to the members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for a 15th and final time before he would be relegated to the Veterans Committee.

"It's about time," said former teammate Fred Lynn, who edged Rice for the 1975 rookie of the year award. "Throw out the statistics. Jimmy was the dominant force in his era. That's really all you can say when you're trying to compare guys that played in the '70s and '80s to the guys that are playing now. ... In his heyday, Jimmy was a feared hitter."

Henderson, who received 94.8 per cent of the votes, appeared in 72 games for Boston in 2002. Rice and Henderson will be the 20th and 21st left-fielders to be inducted and the first since Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski, who preceded Rice in the shadow of the Green Monster and entered Cooperstown in 1989.

Rice joins Yaz, Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr as the only Hall of Famers who played their entire careers for Boston. "It was long overdue," Yastrzemski said.

From 1974-89, Rice batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs, earning eight all-star selections and finishing in the top five in AL MVP voting six times. He won the award in 1978 when he batted .315 with 213 hits, 46 home runs, 139 RBIs, a .600 slugging percentage and 406 total bases - the only AL player to top 400 since Joe DiMaggio in 1937.

"It was the most dynamic offensive year that I have every played with anybody," Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley said.

Rice drove in 100 or more runs eight times when runs were more scarce than today, batted over .300 seven times and topped 200 hits four times. He is the only player in major league history with at least 35 homers and 200 hits in three consecutive seasons (1977-79).

He helped Boston reach the World Series in 1975 and 1986.

Canada wins fifth consecutive gold

OTTAWA - Canada's junior hockey team is back on top of the world, and this gold medal might be the sweetest one yet.

Record-setting crowds packed arenas in the nation's capital to watch the Canadian team roll through the world junior championship with an unbeaten record, collecting a fifth-straight gold medal with a 5-1 victory over Sweden on Monday night.

It was the second straight tournament victory for four players on the Canadian team, but it left them with a feeling unlike any other.

The victory tied the country's record of five consecutive titles in this tournament set between 1993 and 1997. Canada's 15th gold at the world juniors also tied Russia/Soviet Union for the all-time lead.

The Canadian players jumped all over the ice in celebration after the horn sounded on their latest victory.

"It feels unbelieveable," said defenceman P.K. Subban. "The first thing I want to do is thank God. I mean we've been blessed since Day 1.

"We started our trek in Petawawa. We were a bunch of individuals, we came to Ottawa as one team with one mission."

Canada goes for a record six in a row at the 2010 world junior tournament in Saskatoon and Regina.

Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion scored twice while Subban of the Belleville Bulls, Montreal Junior forward Angelo Esposito and Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats added singles for the hosts.

Tavares had two assists and finished tied with Hodgson for the tournament lead with 16 points. The 18-year-old from Oakville, Ont., was named the tournament's most valuable player and top forward. He remains a strong candidate to go No. 1 overall in the 2009 NHL draft.

Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Chiefs made 39 saves for the victory.

"I can't say enough about all the guys, all 22 guys, the coaching staff," said Tavares. "There's nothing better than this."

Joakim Andersson scored for the Swedes and goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 26 shots.

The 20,380 at Scotiabank Place set a new single-game attendance record at the world junior tournament. It was the fourth time a new mark was established in Ottawa and erased the previous high of 20,223 that was set during Canada's preliminary-round game against the U.S.

The audience included Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.

"Throughout the tournament, Canadian players not only produced world-class hockey on the ice, they also represented our country with tremendous dignity and pride off the ice," Harper said in a statement. "I want to commend all of the players, coaches, volunteers, families and staff who contributed to this successful tournament.

"This is a well-deserved victory."

Canada led 2-0 after two periods, but history has shown that to be an uncomfortable margin. The Canadians had the same lead going into the third period of last year's final in Pardubice, Czech Republic, but the Swedes scored twice to force overtime.

The hosts started the third with a man advantage because of Mikael Backlund's interference penalty to end the second.

Canada's power-play was running hot at 51 per cent heading into the final and Hodgson scored his team's second of the game 33 seconds into the final period. The Vancouver Canucks prospect wired a shot that beat Markstrom low stick side.

The Swedes cut into their deficit with Andersson wheeling the puck out front and getting a deflection over Tokarski's shoulder at 8:30.

Eberle and Hodgson added empty-net goals to secure the victory.

Markstrom had an eventful evening as he was involved in two helmet-removing collisions - one of his own making - and was tripped outside his crease in the first 40 minutes.

In what was already a testy game with punches and face washes after the whistle, a second-period incident turned the heat up even more.

After Canada's Patrice Cormier knocked Carl Gustaffson into the boards and shoved him again, Markstrom came out of his crease and checked Stefan Della Rovere during the same play. Markstrom was penalized for roughing and Della Rovere and Cormier for interference.

Angelo Esposito and Markstrom collided in a footrace for the puck in Sweden's zone early in the second period with Markstrom getting the worst of it.

Defenceman Victor Hedman took exception to that, grabbing Esposito's head and punching the Montreal Junior forward, which made Heman public enemy No. 1 at Scotiabank Place. The rival of Tavares for first overall pick in the draft was soundly booed any time he touched the puck after that.

Esposito responded to getting punched in the head by scoring his country's second goal of the game. The Atlanta Thrashers prospect stepped out from behind the goal-line and backhanded the puck upper far corner at 4:06.

Tokarski preserved Canada's slim 1-0 lead 90 seconds into the second period by stopping a streaking Magnus Svensson Paajarvi.

The Canadians dominated the opening six minutes, outshooting Sweden 10-5, and taking a 1-0 in the first minute on Subban's power-play goal.

Sweden took control of the game in the final minutes of the period and trailed Canada 13-12 in shots heading into the second.

Backlund, a first-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames, shoved his glove in Tavares's face after a whistle just 22 seconds into the game, and his roughing penalty put Canada a man up.

Subban and Hodgson dug away at the puck during a goal-mouth scramble and Subban shoveled it past Markstrom's stick for his team's 20th power-play goal of the tournament.

In an entertaining first-period moment, Tavares and Backlund took a turn stealing the puck from each other.

Germany and Kazakhstan were relegated to the world 'B' championship for finishing ninth and 10th. Switzerland and Austria will join Canada, Sweden, Russia, Slovakia, the U.S., Czech Republic, Finland and Latvia in Saskatchewan.

According to organizers, 453,282 tickets were sold, which is a tournament attendance record that wiped out the previous high of 325,138 set in Vancouver three years ago.

"Just look at the support we got, playing in Canada," said Tavares. "They want nothing but the best but they (put) the support behind us."

Because of the sheer size of Scotiabank Place it wasn't a difficult ticket to get and there were still some available for Canada's semifinal and the final late last week. Scalpers were asking $350 for upper-level seats prior to the final.

The attendance record was easily attainable of Scotiabank's capacity and the Civic Centre, the site of Pool B games, also holds 10,000. Most European arenas hold 16,000 to 18,000.

Futile first: Lions 0-16 after 31-21 loss to Pack

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Nobody will remember the Detroit Lions came close to winning their last game. All anyone will know — now and forever — is 0-16. The worst record in NFL history, a dubious distinction that will permanently stain everyone involved.

The Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-21 on Sunday, making them the first team to go winless through a 16-game season. The 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) were the last NFL team to complete a season without a victory.

"I've got to live with this," center Dominic Raiola said. "I've been here eight years. This is on my resume."

It's also on the resume of Lions coach Rod Marinelli, who faces an uncertain future.

"No competitor wants to go through something like this," Marinelli said. "This is not fun to go through, obviously. But there's people going through a lot worse than this."

Asked what the next step might be if he does keep his job, Marinelli said, "Let me get through step one first."

The Lions' last loss didn't come without a fight. After falling behind 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, Kevin Smith's 9-yard touchdown run put Detroit back within a field goal.

But Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers responded with a 71-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver and the Lions' Dan Orlovsky threw an interception on fourth-and-27 with 3 minutes left, dooming Detroit to futility of historic proportion.

"It's just kind of numb," veteran kicker Jason Hanson said. "It's here. It's been coming, though, a train rolling down the tracks for a while. We tried to stop it. We couldn't."

The Lions were building toward this for years and now have lost 23 of their last 24 games. The 0-16 record will be a lasting testimony to the Matt Millen era. With as president of the team from 2001 until he was fired on Sept. 24, Detroit won only 31 games — none this year, of course.

It's so bad that some Lions can't remember the last time they won.

"I don't ever want to be a part of this again," Orlovsky said. "We haven't won since, November of '07, maybe? I don't even know the last time we won a game."

The Lions haven't won since Dec. 23, 2007, actually, when they beat Kansas City. Green Bay is where this woeful streak began at the end of last season. Since then, the Lions have lost 17 straight and have been outscored 551-281.

Marinelli has gone 10-38 in three seasons. His future has not been announced, but team owner William Clay Ford has decided the leaders of the front office, Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand, will be back in some capacity.

"I am positive that every aspect of what we do as a football team has to be rethought and analyzed," Hanson said.

Orlovsky was 22-of-42 for 225 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Lions, whose bid to steer clear of the record book came undone in large part because of ill-advised penalties.

Rodgers was 21-of-31 for 308 yards and three touchdowns for the Packers (6-10), and Ryan Grant and DeShawn Wynn rushed for 106 yards each.

After a disappointing season of their own, Rodgers said the Packers wanted a win to build momentum for next season. Left unsaid was that they didn't want to be the only team to lose to the Lions this year.

"We didn't want to lose, no, we didn't," Rodgers said. "But really it's not on your mind once the game starts. I didn't even think about it until the fans started chanting in the fourth quarter. They played hard, they really did."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy didn't want any part of the 0-16 discussion.

"I want to politely try to avoid the question here," McCarthy said. "That's tough. That's a tough deal. But we were focused on winning the game."

With the Lions trailing 14-7 early in the third quarter, safety Kalvin Pearson then put a hard hit on Grant to cause a fumble, and recovered the ball at the Packers 11.

Calvin Johnson caught a pass from Orlovsky and broke three tackling attempts to score a tying 14-yard touchdown with 10:20 left in the third quarter.

But the Packers drove for a 36-yard field goal by Mason Crosby early in the fourth quarter. After a three-and-out by Detroit's offense, Lions linebacker Ernie Sims' penalty for a late hit out of bounds on Grant played a key role on a drive that ended with a 5-yard pass from Rodgers to fullback John Kuhn.

The Lions weren't finished, as Orlovsky used two long completions to John Standeford to set up Smith's touchdown with 8:34 left. After the ensuing kickoff, Rodgers reared back and threw deep to Driver, who blew past Lions cornerback Leigh Bodden and ran in for a touchdown.

Orlovsky led the Lions back into Packers territory, but a taunting penalty on Smith moved the Lions back near midfield and Orlovsky threw an interception to Nick Collins.

"It was a very bad, selfish decision," Smith said. "I let my emotions get the best of me. It was tough, but it is no excuse."

Perhaps more than anything, the penalties got Raiola riled up.

"Stupid," Raiola said. "You know, just uncalled for. You're in a game like that, you can't do that. Just dumb."

And very much like the Lions.

Notes: Green Bay's Donald Driver and Greg Jennings each had 100 yards receiving Sunday. Combined with Grant and Wynn's 100-yard rushing days, it is the first time in league history a team has had a pair of 100-yard rushers and 100-yard receivers in a single game, according to Elias. ... Packers rookie TE Jermichael Finley caught his first career touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Thanks for the memories, Wendel

Wendel Clark provided Maple Leafs fans with many reasons to cheer, but here is The Toronto Sun's top-10 list:

- The wild applause at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre when Clark put on the Leafs jersey on draft day 1985. The Leafs had finished last overall the year before and there was an immediate sense that this Saskatchewan farm boy was something special.

"When he put the sweater on, a few thousand people suddenly sounded like 20,000," assistant GM Gord Stellick said. "It told you a lot about Leaf fans, that they'd take to Wendel like that after the year we'd had."

- Clark's homespun take on a wild brawl with the Detroit Red Wings in his rookie year: "Just like a bar in Kelvington on a Saturday night."

- His check that flattened Bruce Bell of the Quebec Nordiques.

- How he dealt with a persistent reporter who kept asking why he wouldn't fight distant cousin Joey Kocur of the Wings. After the reporter's 10th attempt, Clark brought the conversation to an abrupt end by saying "would you like me to fight you?"

- The famous video of him strolling in front of the Gardens with his mullet and rural wardrobe.

"He was part of this city, like Toronto's son," Tie Domi said. "You saw him grow up, you saw him go away (twice), but you always knew he would come back."

- How you knew he was going to shoot, even on a 3-on-0.

- He took on all comers, from John Kordic to Slava Fetisov to Marty McSorley.

"He was 5-foot-10 but played like he was 6-foot-3," Steve Thomas said. "It showed the heart he had."

- The strong relationship with his parents, Les and Alma, who drove hours and hours to see him play in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg and the Western U.S. Les had the greatest hockey influence, but Wendel never forgot his mother's role.

"It's because of my mother's sacrifices that I'm in the NHL," Clark once said.

When Wendel took a shine to playing the saxophone in high school, Alma agreed to pay for lessons, but only if he saw them through and didn't cut hockey practice.

- The standing ovation he received for hitting the post in a 2000 playoff game against the Devils.

- His tearful 2000 retirement at the ACC: "This will bring closure," Clark said in front of friends and family. "I started as a Leaf and now I can end as a Leaf. No matter where I've played, this always has been like home."

Burnett opts out, becomes free agent

TORONTO -- A.J. Burnett is going to be a free agent. On Tuesday, Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, confirmed that the pitcher will opt out of his contract with the Blue Jays, walking away from the $24 million he was scheduled to make over the next two seasons.

Braunecker met with the Blue Jays on Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Dana Point, Calif., to inform the club of his client's decision. Braunecker stressed that Burnett's choice doesn't mean that the right-hander doesn't still have interest in re-signing with Toronto.

Burnett signed a five-year contract worth $55 million with the Blue Jays before the 2006 season. After a pair of injury-riddled campaigns, Burnett pieced together arguably the best showing of his career in '08, posting a personal-best 18 wins with an American League-leading 231 strikeouts.

Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who was not immediately available for comment, has indicated that the club would be willing to discuss a new multi-year contract for the pitcher. Braunecker chose not to comment when asked if Toronto had already fielded an offer to retain the pitcher.

Beyond the Blue Jays, the Yankees, Orioles and Red Sox have all been rumored to be interested in Burnett, who makes his offseason home outside of Baltimore. Burnett is arguably the top available arm behind free agent CC Sabathia and could be in the market for a four- or five-year deal worth between $15-18 million annually.

Blue Jays end season with big win

BALTIMORE -- It's not difficult to decipher what went wrong for the Blue Jays this season. In the early stages of the 2008 campaign, Toronto labored in the batter's box, and that made for an intimidating game of catchup down the stretch.

On Sunday afternoon, the Blue Jays showed that they've made some positive strides in that department, enjoying a 10-1 romp over the Orioles in their season finale at Camden Yards. That early hole proved too deep, though, and Toronto is now peering toward 2009 rather than moving on to the postseason.

"Hopefully, next year, if we're going back to Toronto [after the season finale], we're going back for a playoff game," said manager Cito Gaston, while his players packed their suitcases and prepared to welcome the coming winter.

The finale in Baltimore served as another reminder of the Blue Jays' potential. There was stellar pitching -- the one constant of Toronto's season -- in the form of a strong seven-inning performance from Jesse Litsch. There was also plenty of offense, led by a pair of home runs by Vernon Wells.

It was that combination that made for an easy victory. Throughout much of this season, the Blue Jays struggled to have both elements working in unison. Often, Toronto's dominant pitching went wasted in light of low run support. And on the days the bats did show up, it wasn't always enough.

It wasn't until the Jays' season was on life support in late August that the offense, pitching and defense all clicked, producing a 10-game winning streak, the longest such run for Toronto since 1999. That push temporarily put the Jays in the American League Wild Card discussion, but a fourth-place finish in the East was the end result.

"We just didn't get on the same page early on," first baseman Lyle Overbay said. "I think when we started winning all those games -- 10 in a row -- we did get on the same page. All three cylinders were clicking."

The pitching staff rarely was the issue.

Toronto finished with an 86-76 record, marking only the third time in the past 10 years that the team achieved at least that many wins, and the club led baseball with a 3.49 staff ERA. That represented the second-lowest team ERA in franchise history and the group's 1,184 strikeouts established a new club record.

Against the Orioles (68-93), Litsch yielded just one run over his seven innings, scattering three hits and ending with five strikeouts and one walk in the win. The victory gave the 23-year-old right-hander a 13-9 record this year and lowered his season ERA to 3.58. Litsch was one of three Jays starters to win at least 13 games this year.

"That's definitely good going into next year," Litsch said of Sunday's win. "Not just for me, but for all of us."

The offense will prove integral in 2009, considering the pitching staff includes more than its share of question marks heading into next year.

Toronto is at risk of losing starter A.J. Burnett to free agency, if he opts out of his contract, and the club will likely be without Shaun Marcum (right elbow) until 2010. Right-hander Dustin McGowan, who had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in July, is expected to be out until at least May.

Needless to say, depending on what the Blue Jays do to acquire pitching help this winter, the offense may have to bail out its staff more often in '09 than was required this year.

"I think our pitching has, obviously, led this team the last couple years," Wells said. "Offensively, that's where we need to turn things around and support those guys a little better."

Wells did just that for Litsch, slamming two home runs to give the center fielder a team-high 20 on the season. The Blue Jays also received a solo shot from Overbay, giving Toronto 126 long balls this year. That total represents the lowest power output by the club since the Jays belted just 106 homers in 1982.

The 10 runs scored by the Blue Jays on Sunday gave the team 714 this season, marking the fewest in a campaign since Toronto plated 654 in 1997. The Jays also ended with a .264 team average, a .331 on-base percentage and a .399 slugging percentage -- the last figure being the lowest by Toronto since '97 as well.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though.

The offense did gather steam after Gaston replaced former manager John Gibbons on June 20. Toronto held a 35-39 record upon Gaston's arrival and had hit just .231 with runners in scoring position with 49 homers in the first 74 games. With Gaston at the helm, the Jays went 51-37, launched 77 homers and hit .285 with runners in scoring position.

"Any time you make a change like that, something's going to change," said Wells. "You realize that you weren't doing enough, and you consequently ended up getting a good man fired.

"A new philosophy came in. It was more, just go up there and get your pitch and get to swinging. Guys responded and, unfortunately, it took a firing to do that."

The offense under Gaston produced the type of numbers Toronto hoped it'd put up when the season began.

"I think everybody knew that that was there, the offense," third baseman Scott Rolen said. "There's a lot of talented offensive players on the team, and everybody talked about, 'It's a matter of time.'

"I guess everybody was right, but maybe the timing was a little too late."

That's why Gaston and the players stressed that opening 2009 the way the club ended this season is important.

"I think we have to get off to a good start," Gaston said. "Early in the year, the problem we had was no hitting. I think it's getting better. We'd like to get it to a point where we're more consistent with scoring runs. That's what I think we really have to do."

Next year's Opening Day is more than six months away for the Blue Jays. That gives Toronto plenty of time to sort out what went awry in 2008 and to enjoy the few bright spots within this trying season.

That includes Sunday's win.

"It was nice to finish up with a win today," Gaston said. "The guys played hard, and they finished up good. I'm very proud of them."

Halladay wins 20th in Jays home finale

TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays began Thursday night with an address from team president Paul Godfrey affirming the futures of GM J.P. Ricciardi and manager Cito Gaston, and capped it by celebrating ace Roy Halladay's 20th win.

Thus ended the home portion of their disappointing 2008 season, an 8-2 victory over the New York Yankees allowing their franchise pitcher to post the seventh 20-win season in team history after bigger things had played out behind the scenes.

The Blue Jays (84-75) officially settled the key pillars of their management structure before hitting the road for three games in Baltimore to close out the campaign, with Godfrey confirming Ricciardi's return after Gaston's two-year contract extension was announced.

"To me, it says we're going to continue to try and win and that's important for me," said Halladay. "I like what Cito has done in the time he's been here. I think we've gone in some good directions and I've always trusted J.P. ...

"I like that they're coming back. I feel confident the organization will continue to go the right way."

As for his own future, Godfrey refused to tip his hand, although all signs point to his departure. He said a decision would come "probably next week sometime" and if he does indeed step down, bringing Ricciardi and Gaston back and his talk with the team would be his final acts after eight years in his role.

"I thanked all the players," Godfrey said, "basically told them that I'm sure they're as disappointed as everyone else about not making the playoffs, but that we honestly believe that we have the nucleus of a great team here.

"And I said that those who can come back, should come back next year."

He denied looking in the direction of A.J. Burnett, who can opt out of his contract after the World Series, when making that last comment. The expected departure of the enigmatic right-hander is one of the main issues the team faces this winter.

With Thursday's victory Halladay (20-11) and Burnett (18-10) surpassed Jack Morris (21) and Juan Guzman (16) as the winningest duo in team history, a 1-2 punch they'd be hard-pressed to match without Burnett.

"He's been huge for me," said Halladay. "To have somebody that's right there with you, I really felt like we kind of pushed each other at times."

It will take big money to keep Burnett, and with about US$70 million already committed next season, the Blue Jays are only likely to have in the neighbourhood of $20-$25 million to spend barring a payroll hike.

Godfrey also recently submitted cost projections for 2009 with player salaries at the top of the list.

"I think it will be an appropriate payroll," said Godfrey, "but I can't say it will be significantly higher."

A payroll around $95 million this season earned them a 47-34 home record and helped them draw a total of 2,399,786 fans, up for the sixth straight season. There was a crowd of 44,346 on hand to watch Halladay complete his second 20-win season.

The big right-hander, the club's foundation, mowed through the Yankees (87-72), allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk in his career-high matching ninth complete game. He struck out five, giving him a career-high 206 for the season.

And in a rare gesture of emotion, he traded hugs with his teammates and tipped his cap to the crowd before heading into the clubhouse.

"I want everybody to know how much I appreciate them and how important they were in this," said Halladay. "Really it was more that than being excited about the number, I just felt like there were a lot of guys who helped me do it."

The Blue Jays are expected to start talks on a contract extension with Halladay, who is signed through 2010, in the off-season and he's open to it.

"As long as we continue to make that effort to be that post-season team," he said, "then you can sign me up."

Win No. 20 was a highlight for fans in an event-filled season in which the Blue Jays locked up young cornerstones Alex Rios and Aaron Hill shortly before the home opener, cut ties with DH Frank Thomas two weeks later, fired manager John Gibbons on June 20, brought back Gaston to replace him, won 10 straight games in late August in early September in a too-little, too-late run at the post-season, and ultimately settled for what is likely to be fourth in the AL East.

The Blue Jays were 35-39 when Gibbons was fired following a three-game sweep in Milwaukee and have been 49-36 since.

"We felt very strongly that what we saw during the Milwaukee series was a problem symptomatic of the leadership and coaching of the club that if left, would lead to a very unsatisfactory conclusion this year," said Godfrey.

Not that the inevitable conclusion looming this weekend is particularly palatable either, but it's better than the fiasco they were headed for. More offensive nights like this one early in the season would have made the difference.

"It was a good night," said Gaston.

Vernon Wells erased an early 1-0 deficit with a two-run shot off Carl Pavano (4-2) in the third and after Joe Inglett's RBI single, added a two-run single in the fourth.

"The thing with (Halladay), if you can give him a few, he doesn't need too many," said Wells.

Travis Snider, the top prospect who's made quite a September impression, and Gregg Zaun, in his final days with the team, ripped RBI doubles in the fifth and Marco Scutaro's RBI single in the seventh made it 8-2.

The Yankees scratched out a run on Robinson Cano's RBI single in the third and picked up another when Cody Ransom scored on Francisco Cervelli's double play ball in the fifth.

Notes: A day after serenading Burnett with a standing ovation and chanting his name to prompt a curtain call, a sign in the outfield read "A.J. Stay." ... Snider batted eighth for the second straight game. ... Wells' first two RBIs of the night gave moved him past Lloyd Moseby's 651 for fourth on the club's all-time list.

Favre could get paid to stay off the field

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brett Favre's reinstatement to the NFL was held up again Friday as the three-time MVP mulled getting paid not to play through a marketing deal with the Green Bay Packers that could resolve the standoff over his retirement.

The potential agreement, worth a reported $20 million over 10 years, might end Favre's bid to return just months after retiring. It also would likely keep him from reporting to Packers training camp and a team that is not planning to start him at quarterback for the first time since 1992.

After talking to Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy about the marketing deal Wednesday, Favre confirmed he was considering it to ESPN on Thursday.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy made it clear Friday that, from the team's perspective, the agreement would be more than a buyout to make an awkward situation go away. In fact, it's been in the works for months. He first heard about it at Favre's retirement news conference in March.

"I know Mark Murphy talked to me about it in the past, how important it was for Brett to continue to be part of the organization after he was done playing," McCarthy said after practice Friday morning. "And frankly, it's good for Brett. Brett needs to stay a part of football, Obviously, he's a part of the Green Bay Packers."

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sat on Favre's reinstatement letter for the fourth straight day, giving the two sides more time to resolve the situation.

"The commissioner will take no action today on Brett Favre's reinstatement request. Discussions are continuing between the Packers and Brett," league officials said in a statement issued by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello.

Despite Favre's tearful farewell to football, he now is considering a comeback.

The problem is that Green Bay hasn't been eager to bring him back, with Aaron Rodgers taking over the starter's role. The Packers also don't want to release Favre, suspecting he would immediately sign with division rival Minnesota.

The Packers hold Favre's rights until his current contract expires after the 2010 season.

Tensions have built between Favre and the team over the past several weeks. Earlier this week, Favre sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell requesting to be reinstated from the team's reserve/retired list.

But Goodell has held off approving the request, hoping the two sides could resolve their differences. Murphy flew to Mississippi to meet with Favre and his agent, James "Bus" Cook, on Wednesday. That meeting apparently rekindled talks about the marketing agreement.

Favre said in a text message to ESPN reporter Ed Werder Thursday night that the marketing deal might be the best idea.

"There isn't a perfect solution to this, but Mark Murphy is at least trying," Favre told ESPN. "We know what they want and where I stand. His solution, although awkward and unsettling for most, may be the best in the end."

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk chuckled at the thought of being paid $20 million not to play.

"You could hand me a billion dollars, and I'm still going to be on the field," Hawk said. "It doesn't matter to me. But everyone has different situations, has different views on money. Money is not more important than football to me right now."

But if the deal can't be worked out, Favre still could be reinstated and report to camp, presumably forcing the team to trade him or reconsider releasing him.

Cook told The Associated Press Thursday that Favre understands he would be walking into a media frenzy by showing up for camp, but he's willing to handle that it if that's the only way he can force his way back into football.

"He's prepared to deal with it," Cook said. "He's ready to go back, but he can't go back until the commissioner reinstates him."

McCarthy has said the team has a plan in place should Favre report to camp. He'd have to pass a physical exam and a conditioning test, then likely would be limited to individual drills at first.

"He's not a part of our 80-man roster right now," McCarthy said. "And if or when he is, we'll deal with that then. And I think our team has done a great job of just staying focused."

The Packers did not practice yesterday, but players did hear from a guest lecturer: former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Fleischer's lecture on media relations was scheduled before the latest Favre controversy, but McCarthy said he took advantage of the opportunity to pick Fleischer's brain on how he might handle the team's current predicament.

McCarthy said Fleischer was "very encouraging" about the team's approach.

"As popular or unpopular as it is, for as tough or as difficult as it is, I think the organization has stood strong," McCarthy said. "They're decisive, and they're continuing to work through this. Everyone wants this resolved, don't get me wrong. No one thought it would get to this point, but this is where we are."

Blue Jays Fire Gibbons, Bring Back Cito Gaston

fter being swept in Milwaukee by the Brewers and losing five straight games, the Toronto Blue Jays have fired manager John Gibbons, coaches Marty Pevey, Ernie Whitt and Gary Denbo.

Cito Gaston has returned as the manager. Nick Leyva will coach at third base and Gene Tenace returns as the hitting coach. Roving hitting instructor Dwayne Murphy will take over as the first base coach.

Gaston becomes the first two-time manager of the Blue Jays, moving over from his position as club ambassador and special assistant to the president and CEO.

He managed the Blue Jays from 1989-1997 and led the team to four playoff appearances including back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993.

The team made the announcement Friday afternoon in Pittsburgh before the start of their three game series with the Pirates.

The Jays, who were expected to contend in the AL East and the Wild Card, find themselves in last place in the division with a 35-39 record.

Gibbons, took over the Jays job at the end of the 2004 season, replacing Carlos Tosca. In three full seasons from 2004-2008 under Gibbons, the Jays never finished with fewer than 80 wins or more than 87.

"You never really anticipate it, there's always that possibility," Gibbons said during a conference call. "We were struggling, there's no question about that. Hopefully change is good. I'm still a big fan of these guys and I want to see them succeed."

In 610 career games as a manger, Gibbons has a 305-305 record. He was making $650,000 this year.

The 61-year-old Tenace worked as the Blue Jays' hitting coach and bench coach between 1990-97. Leyva also is making a return to the Jays. The 54-year old was the third-base coach from 1993-97.

Gaston becomes the fourth Blue Jays manager in seven years under General Manager J.P. Ricciardi. Tosca replaced the fired Buck Martinez, whom Ricciardi inherited from former GM Gord Ash.

CFL legend calling it quits

TORONTO - Veteran CFL quarterback Damon Allen is calling it quits.

A league source requesting anonymity said Tuesday the Toronto Argonauts quarterback has decided to retire after 23 seasons. The source added Allen will make it official at a news conference Wednesday. The source said Allen will remain with the Argos in an unspecified role, but added it's very unlikely Allen will join head coach Rich Stubler's staff.

Dan Lawson, Allen's longtime agent, politely offered no comment when asked if his client had indeed decided to call it a career.

Allen, 44, had maintained as early as last week that he intended to attend training camp and compete for the starter's job.

However, the harsh reality was he would have gone into camp third on the depth chart behind newly acquired Kerry Joseph and veteran Michael Bishop, both of whom signed new deals with the Argos in the off-season.

Allen, a San Diego native, will leave the CFL as pro football's career passing leader with 72,381 yards. The younger brother of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen played on four Grey Cup-winning teams and in 2005, he captured the league's outstanding player award.

The six-foot, 190-pound Allen entered the CFL as a free agent with Edmonton in 1985 and also spent time with Ottawa, Hamilton, Memphis and B.C. before the Lions dealt him to Toronto in 2003.

At age 41, Allen led Toronto to a Grey Cup title in '04 against the Lions despite having suffered a fractured tibia earlier in the year. With brother Marcus on hand to watch in Ottawa, Allen captured Grey Cup MVP honours for the third time after completing 23-of-34 passes for 299 yards and one TD. He also ran five times for 10 yards and two TDs.

Allen opened last season as Toronto's starter but was replaced by Bishop in the third quarter of the first game before ultimately dropping to No. 3 on the depth chart behind backup Mike McMahon. Allen later regained the starting job when Bishop was injured and McMahon failed to impress.

However, Allen suffered a toe injury and was ultimately placed on the injured list, giving Rocky Butler the starting job. Allen finished the season 45-of-67 passing for 492 yards and three TDs with no interceptions.

A further sign Allen's time with Toronto had come to an end was the club's blockbuster off-season trade for Joseph, the CFL's outstanding player last year who led Saskatchewan to the Grey Cup.

Allen was a two-sport star at Cal State Fullerton. He led the Titans football team to a pair of Pacific Coast Athletic Association titles but was also a pitcher on the school's baseball team that captured the '84 College World Series. Allen was drafted by Detroit Tigers in '84, the same year that club won the World Series.

Allen never signed with Detroit and instead went to Edmonton in '85. In 1987, Allen replaced injured starter Matt Dunigan in the Grey Cup and captured his first MVP award after leading the Eskimos to victory.

He won his second Grey Cup with Edmonton in 1993 before returning to baseball in '94, signing a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He reported to spring training that year, but left to resume his CFL career with the Eskimos. Allen also won a Grey Cup with the Lions in 2000.

Despite his gaudy aerial numbers, Allen was hardly the typical strong-armed quarterback. Blessed with quick feet and a knack to sense an oncoming rush, Allen often relied on his legs to get himself out of trouble. In 1991 with Ottawa, Allen ran for 1,036 yards, becoming just the second quarterback in CFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season - Edmonton's Tracy Ham ran for 1,096 yards in 1990.

Allen is the CFL's career rushing leader among quarterbacks with 11,920 yards and third overall behind only Mike Pringle (16,425 yards) and George Reed (16,116).

As Allen got older, he showed a maturity that often comes with experience. Rather than risk injury by running downfield at the first sign of trouble, Allen often used his scrambling ability to evade the rush and give his receivers time to get open downfield. In 2005, Allen threw for a career-high 5,082 yards and completed 64.1 per cent of his passes en route to capturing his only CFL outstanding player award.

The following year, though, Allen suffered a broken finger that force him to miss roughly a month of action. He made football history Sept. 4 in Hamilton when he broke former CFL star Warren Moon's all-time passing record of 70,553 yards.

The historic completion was a shovel pass to Arland Bruce III, who took the ball 29 yards. Play was halted briefly as Allen was honoured on the field by then CFL commissioner Tom Wright.

Jason Reitman, Kevin Smith blog for NHL

LOS ANGELES - Jason Reitman, Lauren Conrad, Dierks Bentley and Kevin Smith are among the celebrities who will blog about their love of hockey on the National Hockey League's Web site.

Beginning Wednesday, more than a dozen celebs will follow their favorite teams through the Stanley Cup playoffs, said NHL spokeswoman Bernadette Mansur.

"As NHL.com bloggers, they can be irreverent and candid about their love for the NHL," she said.

A native Canadian who grew up in Los Angeles, Reitman, 30, became a hockey fan seven years ago. Since then, the Oscar-nominated director ("Juno") has dedicated himself to the cause, directing commercials for the NHL and serving on its entertainment advisory board.

"I'd come to really love the game and I was just a little upset because I felt there was more of an opportunity for particularly Americans to know about the game and follow the game," he told The Associated Press.

Reitman told the league to call him if he could be of any help and they asked him to blog.

"This year is a little depressing because my two teams, the (Vancouver) Canucks and the (Los Angeles) Kings, neither of them are in the playoffs," he said, adding that the invitation came "when the Canucks still had a chance."

"Now the Canucks aren't in it. So what I decided is that I'm going to write a kind of mythical blog about what the Canucks and Kings would be doing had they still been in," he said. "In my version, for the first time in NHL history, the Canucks and the Kings will be the first two Western Conference teams to actually meet in the Stanley Cup finals."

Conrad described herself as "a casual hockey fan" who has followed the Kings for the past two seasons.

"I'm blogging about the NHL playoffs because I love live hockey and I thought this would be a fun way to get more involved with the postseason," the reality-TV star said in a statement.

This is the second year that stars from movies, music and television have brought their hockey fan-dom to the blogosphere. Celebrities blogging about the 2008 quest for the Stanley Cup include David Boreanaz, A.J. Buckley, Tom Cavanagh, William Fichtner and Geoff Stults.

Jays ready for rumble in East

PHILADELPHIA–One last day of make-believe baseball behind them, the Blue Jays headed to New York yesterday primed for their most serious challenge in the AL East since the glory days of the early '90s.

Manager John Gibbons, who has the most to lose if this club does not contend, has been stark about his options this spring. His team must succeed.

"I don't want to be a manager just to be a manager. I want to be on a winner," Gibbons said yesterday. "I mean, this job's fun, but it's not that fun to get your brains kicked in."

Battered by injury, the Jays managed an 83-79 record in 2007, nowhere near good enough to catch the Yankees and Red Sox. In the off-season, Toronto added bench depth through utility infielder Marco Scutaro and catcher Rod Barajas. They shored up the left side of the infield by adding Scott Rolen and David Eckstein from St. Louis. That longer bench is paying dividends already, as Scutaro will step in for the injured Rolen for most or all of April.

The infusion of talent means expectations are sky-high. Gibbons, GM J.P. Ricciardi and the players seemed anxious to begin fulfilling them.

"Everybody says spring training's a week or two too long. Now we're ready to go, anxious to get to New York and especially to get back to Toronto," said second baseman Aaron Hill.

Hill has been the standout offensively this spring, going 21-for-47 through yesterday. Last year, he brought that same momentum into the first month of the season, hitting a scorching .313 with 20 RBIs in April.

"I got in the cage, stayed consistent with my workouts and the results have been great. I'll take those any time," Hill said.

On the opposite end of the spring spectrum stands slugger Frank Thomas, who's batted .173 through March. Miserable springs are de rigueur for the future hall of famer. Thomas shrugged off any doubts yesterday.

"That switch turns on when you get those 50,000 people in the stands," the 18-year veteran said off-handedly. "Same as always."

After being called out on strikes in the fourth inning, Thomas brooded in the batter's box for 10 long seconds. Then Hill stepped in and hit a two-run homer. That's the Jays pre-season in a nutshell.

Gibbons singled out first baseman Lyle Overbay, who's coming off an injury plagued season, and centre fielder Vernon Wells, who had shoulder surgery last fall, for praise yesterday.

Pitching? Not so much.

"We didn't dominate during the spring," Gibbons said. In particular, he has subtly called out young starters Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum in recent days. Both have battled with control while they try to refine their repertoires. The days of experimentation are over. Coming off breakout seasons, McGowan and Marcum will be counted on to shoulder a heavy load.

Yesterday, the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park had a regular-season feel. Thomas marched back and forth between his locker and the batting cages, basking in the "big-league atmosphere." Roy Halladay panted through his daily three-hour workout.

"He prepares himself so differently than the rest of the guys," Gibbons said of his ace.

Hill and new infield battery-mate Eckstein volunteered to go out before the game and work on turning the double play.

The bullpen committee sent out to pitch both these final exhibitions in Philadelphia threw with urgency, aware that someone has to go once B.J. Ryan returns.

Brandon League, in particular, showed flashes of brilliance.

Beginning tomorrow, they get to do it for real.

Rogers Centre to host '09 Classic

The first-round venues are set for the second running of the World Baseball Classic, which will begin on March 5, 2009, in Japan.

In 2009, Rogers Centre and Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City will host games for the first time, joining 2006 venues Tokyo Dome and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as first-round sites.

Rogers Centre is the home ballpark of the Blue Jays, and Major League Spring Training exhibition games have been played at the 27,940-seat facility in Mexico City.

"The 2009 World Baseball Classic will further demonstrate the remarkable global growth of our game," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "There has been incredible demand to host the games of the second World Baseball Classic, and we are pleased to have four international destinations as our first-round venues. We are excited about the 2009 World Baseball Classic and look forward to next March."

The 16-team field is the same as '06, though an expansion of the field to 24 countries and territories with qualifying rounds as a preface to reach the main competition is under consideration for 2013.

Next year's brackets are as follows:

Pool A -- China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea will begin play on March 5 in Tokyo Dome, where the A's are opening the regular season against the Red Sox this week.

Pool B -- Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa, from March 8-12 in Mexico City.

Pool C -- Canada, Italy, the U.S. and Venezuela, from March 8-12 in Toronto.

Pool D -- Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico, from March 7-11 in Puerto Rico.

Venues for the second round, plus the combined semifinals and finals are still to be determined, although San Diego's PETCO Park seems to be set for the second round and Dodger Stadium has the inside track for the semifinals and finals.

The semifinals and finals were sold out at San Diego's 45,000-seat home of the Padres in 2006. Japan vanquished Cuba, 10-6, to win the tournament and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who now toils for the Red Sox, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Attendance for the '06 tournament at its seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold, a major coup considering that the Asian bracket didn't reach the 80 percent capacity in Tokyo Dome that was originally projected.

It was the first time that all Major League players were allowed to represent their native lands in an international baseball tournament. The baseball competition in the Summer Olympics, which is slated for Beijing in August, includes non-25-man roster MLB players only.

In another new wrinkle for '09, a rules change has been made in the qualifying portion of the tournament, which will now be a double-elimination format in the first two rounds.

In '06, there was round-robin play as teams with the top two records in each bracket ascended to the second round and the semifinals with a complicated formula based on runs scored used as the first tie breaker.

The semifinals remain as single-elimination games.

Also, unlike '06, there will be a crossover of brackets in the semifinals. In '06, Cuba defeated the Dominican and Japan ousted Korea in the semifinals.

"The best baseball players in the world are looking forward with great anticipation to playing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic," said Don Fehr, the executive director of the Players' Association, who is a partner with Major League Baseball in the venture. "Implementation of double-elimination and crossover games to the World Baseball Classic next year will make the games even more intense and the tournament even more exciting for both players and fans. It will be an unforgettable experience."

New York Yankees release Billy Crystal

TAMPA, Fla. - Billy Crystal's "mahvelous" time with the New York Yankees is over.

The team released the actor on his 60th birthday, one day after he struck out in his only at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The announcement came at the bottom of the second page in Friday's game notes. Under transactions, it said "March 14 Released INF Billy Crystal."

The team gave Crystal, a longtime Yankees' fan, the opportunity to be the designated hitter and lead off in the first inning Thursday because of his ambassador-like role for baseball.

Rock stars courted for curling reality show

Move over American Idol and make room for Rockstar Curling, a reality television show that may indeed have a rock-star connection.

NBC confirmed yesterday it has an exclusive option to air a 10-episode sports reality show that will give the winners a shot at competing in the U.S. championships and even going to the 2010 Olympics.

And one aspect that would make this a draw to the button for NBC is a plan to land closet curlers Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi as part of the show, assuming the rockers aren't worried what being connected to a sport with brooms might do to their images.

According to sources, the two rock stars are among a group of entertainment types who rent arena time on occasion to pick up brooms instead of guitars.

Organizers are trying to negotiate a deal to get one of them involved, possibly as a host.

The series is the brainchild of New York-based sports marketing agency mktpartners and Carr-Hughes Productions of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Mktgpartners has an office in Toronto and has an advertising commitment from the likes of Tourism Canada, sources say.

"This show is all about the opportunity to expose American viewers to curling," said Colin Campbell, Canadian president of mktgpartners and one of the creators of the show. "We feel there might be some great athletes out there who might develop into good curlers given the chance."

While a curling reality show wouldn't be considered that unusual in Canada, where top events draw more than 1 million viewers, it's hardly a mainstream sport south of the border.

Generally, the only time it gets mentioned on U.S. television is when comedians make fun of the sport.

The jokes usually revolve around the use of brooms and the belief curlers are the least athletic of all Olympians.

But curling was one of the surprise hits of the last two Olympics for NBC, enough so that NBC aired 24 matches live from Turin on one of its cable channels.

Although curling seldom gets more than 800,000 viewers on NBC, it once drew higher ratings than an NHL playoff game that aired at the same time the next day.

Needless to say, the U.S. Curling Association is thrilled with the prospect of 10 weeks of exposure on a national network.

"We feel that the Rockstar concept is innovative, creative and will help U.S. Curling develop new awareness, interest and participation in our sport across America," said association chief operating office Rick Patzke.

The show would work a lot like the Idol series, though it would most likely air on weekend afternoons.

The show would involve U.S.-wide tryouts starting this year, open to anyone 18 or older. A panel of coaches will select two teams – five men and five women – to train for six months, all expenses paid, at Lake Placid, N.Y.

They would train eight hours a day under professional coaches before going to regional playdowns for the 2010 U.S. Olympic trials in February 2009.

If they win, they're off to the Vancouver Olympics, unlikely as that may seem.

The tryouts, training and national competition will all be part of the series.

"If the winners get anywhere, it will be because they've earned it," said Campbell.

Patzke said the television teams would be given no advantage.

"They would have to enter the U.S. Olympic team trials playdowns like any other U.S. Olympic-eligible team," he said.

"There are no special concessions."

Mktgpartners Canadian president Colin Campbell said in a statement that curling has a unique appeal to advertisers.

"The sport of curling is clutter-free compared to mainstream American sports sponsorship," he said, "and Rockstar Curling is an excellent opportunity for brands to capture the attention of consumers, leading up to the Olympics."

Tom Petty plays it cool at Super Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe — or any other kind — of malfunctions.

Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots' side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.

On the field, it was impossible to tell that the illuminated stage was heart shaped or that a large arrow was headed straight for it at the beginning of Petty's by-the-book rendition of "American Girl." The visual effect wasn't broadcast on the jumbotron. There were other illusions at play, too.

That cross-sectioned crowd of moms, dads and teenagers didn't descend from the stands to spontaneously rock out at Petty's feet. No, they had been assembled just outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium, waiting for their moment on the field since the start of the game in a long line reminiscent of an "American Idol" audition.

However, the audience did actually sing-along when Petty launched into "I Won't Back Down." That wasn't fake, although the screens featuring the words behind Petty seemed slightly unnecessary. Everyone sang like they already knew them.

When the stadium lights dimmed for "Free Fallin,'" those weren't lighters the audience just happened to have in their pockets, ready to whip out in unison for some groovy ambiance. They were actually tiny flashlights that had been previously distributed among the crowd. Hey, free souvenir!

The most spontaneous moment during the halftime performance didn't even make it on TV — and it probably happens every year. After Petty closed the halftime show with "Runnin' Down A Dream," the mob assembled around the stage confusingly ran off in all directions as stagehands frantically disassembled the stage at the same time.

It was the craziest part of the whole evening — except for the part when the Giants won.

Giants stun 'perfect' Pats in Super Bowl

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.

In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.

It was the most bitter of losses, too, because New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents' defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets.

But its defense couldn't stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York's first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.

"It's the greatest feeling in professional sports," Burress said before bursting into tears.

The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowl, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws.

Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.

Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants (14-6) gained something of a swagger and Manning cast off older brother Peyton's shadow and found his footing.

Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.

Not that the Patriots were very mighty this day. They even conceded with 1 second on the clock as coach Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of jubilant Giants coach Tom Coughlin, then headed to the locker room, ignoring the final kneeldown.

That it was Manning taking that knee was stunning. Peyton's kid brother not only matched his sibling's achievement of last year with the Indianapolis Colts, but he showed the brilliant precision late in the game usually associated with, well, Brady.

Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn't practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score.

The upset also could be viewed as a source of revenge not only for the Giants, but for the other NFL teams over Spygate back in September. That cheating scandal made headlines again late in Super Bowl week, and could have placed an infinite cloud over New England's perfection.

The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl; four AFC teams have done it. They also are the second team in three years to play nothing but away games and come away with the big prize; Pittsburgh did after the 2005 season.

Leafs fire Fergy, hire Fletcher

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to a face from their past to lead them into the future.

After weeks of speculation and rumours, the NHL club finally fired GM John Ferguson on Tuesday and hired Cliff Fletcher, whose years of front-office experience include a stint as GM of the Leafs in the 1990s.

"After full consideration of the Leafs' situation, it has become clear that change and a new direction is needed," Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, said during a news conference at the Air Canada Centre. "Regrettably, we did not win enough games to reach our goal, winning the Stanley Cup.

"Our team performance has fallen short of what is to be expected. Today, we need to forge the start of a new beginning for (the) Toronto Maple Leafs. And we begin with the man seated next to me, a man with Hall of Fame credentials, who is highly regarded by Leafs fans and by hockey people around the globe. We have reached out to Cliff Fletcher and his 50-plus years of hockey management experience to serve as general manager of the Leafs on an interim basis."

Fletcher, 72, has been given a 19-month contract. He will initially work as interim GM until a full-time replacement is found. He will then serve as a consultant for the balance of the contract.

Fletcher first served as GM of the Maple Leafs from 1991 to 1997, twice leading the team to the Western Conference final.

But he has no interest in becoming the team's full-time GM this time, saying it's a job for a younger man.

Peddie says the length of Fletcher's contract will give the team plenty of time to find the right man for the job.

"It gives us the luxury of conducting an absolutely thorough search," said Peddie.

Peddie recently admitted that he may have made a mistake by hiring a GM as inexperienced as Ferguson to run a team in this hockey-mad market.

Ferguson, who was hired as Leafs' GM in August 2003, was informed of the news by Peddie on Tuesday morning.

When reached by e-mail Tuesday, Ferguson declined to comment.

He was scheduled to meet with the media later in the day.

Fletcher takes over a Leafs team that has missed the playoffs the past two years and is in 14th place in the NHL's Eastern Conference standings with a 19-22-5-3 record. But they have won three of their last four games.

"I know here in Toronto the expectations are high," Fletcher said. "I look forward to the challenge and a few tough months ahead.

"The key here is to initially start the process to move the club ahead to the next level so that it can compete with all the top teams in the league, which will eventually lead to the playoff success."

The MLSE board of directors met Monday and decided to make the change.

Fletcher said he couldn't offer an assessment of the Leafs. Instead, he will immediately begin consulting with the club's hockey operations officials and accumulating information on what path to take the struggling franchise.

"The first step will be to meet with all the people involved in the hockey department here," Fletcher said. "I'm looking forward to their input on how they see the internal operation of the hockey team here and how they see the club moving forward.

"Out of that, a plan will developed on how we're going to pursue the next few weeks. There are 35 days to the trade deadline and within two weeks we should be prepared to philosophically at least know what direction we've chosen to go."

Leafs head coach Paul Maurice left the ice during practice Tuesday morning and was seen huddling with Peddie before returning to practice.

He was also scheduled to talk to the media Tuesday afternoon.

"Right now he's our coach but Cliff and/or the new replacement will ultimately make that decision and Paul understands that," Peddie said of Maurice's status with the club.

Fletcher, though, said Maurice and his staff will remain with the club until season's end.

"Paul Maurice is the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs," he said. "He will be the coach for the balance of this year as will the assistant coaches that work with him."

Leafs forward Jason Blake said the players have to take some responsibility for Ferguson's firing.

"I've only been here for a few months and there are certain things you can't control," he said. "We weren't getting the job done.

"There's a change a made and I think it's the players that have to be accountable to make sure we're ready to play. We're trying to turn this thing around and move in the right direction. I guess as players you can't control it so you've got to make sure you're ready to play."

Speculation about Ferguson's future with the club has been swirling recently as the club has struggled in January.

It's been a tough year for the 40-year-old native of Montreal. Ferguson Jr. lost his father in July, when the former NHL player, coach and manager succumbed to cancer.

Ferguson and Maurice both stated during training camp in September that the Leafs would be a playoff team and contend for the Stanley Cup.

There were several questionable moves during the off-season. Critics turned thumbs down on the rationale of giving mistake-prone defenceman Bryan McCabe a long-term deal and making him the team's highest-paid player at US$7 million this season. Signing free-agent Blake was a gamble that hasn't reaped any dividends. Blake scored 40 goals for the New York Islanders last season but has only nine goals this year after signing a five-year, $20-million contract.

Blake divulged early in the season that he has a treatable form of leukemia.

Prior to becoming the 12th general manager in Leafs history, Ferguson Jr. had been vice-president and director of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues since February 2001. There he earned a reputation of being one of the brightest young executives in the sport.

Ferguson's first season at the controls in Toronto went well. With Pat Quinn behind the bench, the Leafs knocked off Ottawa in a seven-game first round before being ousted by Philadelphia in six in the second round.

The lost lockout season followed, and Quinn was let go when the Leafs failed to make the playoffs in the spring of 2006 despite finishing with a winning record and 90 points.

Ferguson hired Maurice to take over May 12, 2006, and the Leafs finished with a winning record again but their 91 points was one short of qualifying for the 2007 playoffs.

Ferguson was assistant GM of the Blues for five years before being promoted by the team. He was a member of the Ottawa Senators scouting staff from 1993 to 1996. He played in the AHL for four years, 1989 through 1993, in the Montreal and Ottawa organizations after playing U.S. college hockey at Providence.

Austin leaves Roughriders for Ole Miss

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be defending their Grey Cup title without coach Kent Austin.

The 44-year-old announced Wednesday he is leaving to become offensive co-ordinator at Ole Miss, his alma mater.

"I struggled with this one pretty big time," Austin said at the news conference. "Having won the Grey Cup didn't make the decision any easier.

"I have a great love and affection for my university and it's not just the university, it's the people that I'll be working with."

From 1981 to 1985, he played quarterback at Ole Miss and grew up in nearby Nashville.

Austin is Ole Miss's second all-time passer and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

Austin replaces David Lee, his former quarterback coach, who left the school recently to join Bill Parcells with the National Football League's Miami Dolphins.

Last week, Riders general manager Eric Tillman said he gave Ole Miss permission to talk to Austin, but he would do everything in his power to keep him in Saskatchewan.

"As I jokingly said a couple of days ago, this is certainly a circumstance in life where Kent wishes he was a twin," Tillman said in a statement. Our loss is Ole Miss' significant gain.

"For everyone who bleeds green and white, this is a painful day, personally and professionally. Not only is Kent an outstanding coach, he's an equally good human being."

Austin took over as Roughriders coach on Dec. 6, 2006, succeeding Danny Barrett after being fired as the Toronto Argonauts' offensive co-ordinator.

He was hailed as a hero across Saskatchewan on Nov. 25 when the Riders defeated Winnipeg 23-19 in the 95th Grey Cup in Toronto for just their third title in the team's 97-year history.

Austin guided the Roughriders to a 12-6 regular-season record — the most victories by a rookie coach in franchise history — and the team's first home playoff game since 1987.

Tillman said Austin's place in Riders history has been cemented with his role as quarterback in the 1989 Grey Cup victory over Hamilton and coach in 2007.

He leaves Regina with two years remaining on his contract.

"From Day 1, I felt honoured and priviliged to be here [coaching the Riders]. We accomplished what we came here to accomplish, and that is to be champions," said Austin, adding he would have stayed if money was the deciding factor.

The Regina Leader-Post reported Wednesday that Austin and Tillman were close to agreeing on a contract extension that would have made the former one of the highest-paid coaches in the CFL.

Austin and Tillman reportedly had begun preliminary discussions about a contract extension before he was contacted by Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt about the offensive co-ordinator's vacancy.

Tillman also told the Leader-Post a week ago that he had a plan should Austin choose to leave.

"If you're not planning for the future before it gets here in this business, then you're always reacting," Tillman said. "I'm always running through what-if scenarios whether it be for quarterbacks, co-ordinators or coaches."

Tillman added one would be naive to think Austin's services wouldn't be in demand, in Canada or in the United States.

"It's a remarkable accomplishment what our coaches and players did in one year," he said. "[But] if Kent should decide [going to Ole Miss] is what he wants to do, we'll go to training camp with the same goals — that's to win a championship."

Stottlemyre makes Hall ballot debut

Todd Stottlemyre delivered when the Blue Jays were in need of a lift. On Aug. 26, 1992, Stottlemyre took the mound in Chicago, trying to point Toronto back in the right direction after the club had piled up six losses in its past seven games.

The White Sox were helpless. Stottlemyre methodically sliced through Chicago's lineup, holding the Sox without a hit until Dan Pasqua doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Toronto's starter finished the job, completing a one-hit shutout victory that ignited a late-season surge for the Blue Jays.

Toronto racked up 25 wins over its final 36 games during that magical '92 campaign, when the Jays cruised all the way to their first World Series title in franchise history. Stottlemyre played an important role in helping the Blue Jays reach that plateau, and now he's being honored with a place on the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

Voting results for the Hall of Fame will be announced on Jan. 8, and candidates need to be named on five percent of the ballots to be considered again. Joining the hallowed halls in Cooperstown, N.Y., will be a tall task for Stottlemyre, but he enjoyed a memorable Major League career nonetheless.

Over 14 seasons in the big leagues, Stottlemyre compiled a 138-121 record, good enough for a .533 career winning percentage between stints with the Blue Jays, A's, Cardinals, Rangers and Diamondbacks. The 6-foot-3 right-hander spent seven of those seasons in Toronto, where he won World Series titles in 1992 over the Braves and in '93 against the Phillies.

Stottlemyre didn't retire without accumulating some hardware, either. In 2000, he was honored with both the Branch Rickey Award and the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award -- accolades that recognize character and efforts off the field. Stottlemyre was involved in community initiatives with the Caring for Kids organization.

On the field, Stottlemyre -- the son of Mel Stottlemyre, who won 164 games with the Yankees from 1964-74 -- finished his career with 1,587 strikeouts and had eight seasons with 10 or more wins. The Blue Jays selected Stottlemyre in the first round (third overall) during the secondary phase of the 1985 First-Year Player Draft, and he moved into Toronto's rotation on a full-time basis four years later.

In his career with the Jays, Stottlemyre finished with a 69-70 record. The righty enjoyed his best season in 1991, when he went 15-8 with a 3.78 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 34 starts. Stottlemyre left Toronto via free agency in 1995, when he elected to sign with Oakland. In his first tour with the A's, Stottlemyre went 14-7 with a 4.55 ERA and finished second in the American League with 205 strikeouts.

Beyond the two World Series runs with the Blue Jays, Stottlemyre also made playoff appearances for the Cardinals, Rangers and Diamondbacks. In 15 career postseason games over 10 series, Stottlemyre posted a 3-5 record with a 5.91 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 53 1/3 innings.

On June 16, 1995, Stottlemyre recorded a career-best 15 strikeouts in a 10-inning performance against the Royals. But the signature moment in Stottlemyre's career might be during that late-August outing in 1992 at Comiskey Park, where he helped the Blue Jays to a much-needed win en route to the Fall Classic.

2008 Candidates

The 2008 ballot features 25 candidates, with 14 returnees and 11 newcomers.
• Brady Anderson
• Harold Baines
• Rod Beck
• Bert Blyleven
• Dave Concepcion
• Andre Dawson
• Shawon Dunston
• Chuck Finley
• Travis Fryman
• Rich Gossage
• Tommy John
• David Justice
• Chuck Knoblauch
• Don Mattingly
• Mark McGwire
• Jack Morris
• Dale Murphy
• Robb Nen
• Dave Parker
• Tim Raines
• Jim Rice
• Jose Rijo
• Lee Smith
• Todd Stottlemyre
• Alan Trammell

Patriots game to make U.S. broadcasting history

New England's quest at a historic 16-0 mark will be broadcast Saturday night on American networks CBS, NBC and the NFL Network, the league announced on Wednesday.

The road game for the Patriots against the New York Giants, was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 per cent of homes with televisions in the United States.

The league announced Wednesday that the NFL Network feed will be simulcast on NBC and CBS.

It's a major concession by league officials, who repeatedly said they would not show the game anywhere but the NFL Network. The NFL had faced mounting pressure from lawmakers in recent weeks to make the game available to more viewers.

The game will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas who were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it.

The NFL has feuded with major cable companies, which have declined to carry the NFL Network as part of basic packages.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," league commissioner Roger Goodell said. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

No team has gone unbeaten since the league moved to a 16-game schedule. The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 and then won all three post-season games.

Tejada named in Mitchell Report While Roberts, Knoblauch, Clemens, Justice Also Implicated

NEW YORK (AP) -- Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte were named in the long-awaited Mitchell Report on Thursday, an All-Star roster linked to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs that put a question mark -- if not an asterisk -- next to some of baseball's biggest moments.

Barry Bonds, already under indictment on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroids, also showed up in baseball's most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.

The report culminated a 20-month investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era.

It was uncertain whether the report would result in any penalties or suspensions.

Several stars named in the report could pay the price in Cooperstown, much the way Mark McGwire was kept out of the Hall of Fame this year merely because of steroids suspicion.

Besides Clemens and Pettitte, other ex-Yankees named include Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch and Jason Grimsley. Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts also is in the report, as is Yankees and Braves postseason hero David Justice.

Other players include: Mo Vaughn, Paul Lo Duca, Eric Gagne, Glenallen Hill, Gregg Zaun, Rondell White, Hal Morris, Todd Hundley, Larry Bigbie, Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Matt Herges, Kevin Brown, Mike Lansing, Wally Joyner, Nook Logan and Randy Velarde.

Tejada spent the past four seasons with the Orioles and was acquired in trade by the Astros this week for five players.

In 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Grimsley had accused six players, including Clemens and Pettitte, in a federal agent's affidavit as players who had used performance-enhancing drugs. Both Clemens and Pettitte denied the rumors at the time.

Pettitte, who in September reached the 200-win mark, recently agreed to return to the Yankees for one year and $16 million after mulling retirement for at least the second time in recent years. He has long credited Clemens, his longtime friend and teammate, with boosting his workout regimen and enabling him to stay in better shape. The two men have both worked with trainer Brian McNamee, who has also reportedly been linked to figures in the Mitchell Report.

Clemens, who has not made a decision yet whether to play in 2008, has maintained his famously rigorous workout routine and credits his long hours in the gym with helping him continue to perform at a high level. He initially retired after the 2003 season, but, thanks in large measure to Pettitte's persuasion, joined the Astros instead and won the 2004 NL Cy Young at age 42. He joined the Yankees in June of this season and finished 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA, then had to leave his start during Game 3 of the AL Division Series with a hamstring injury in the third inning.

Rafael Palmeiro, who was suspended by MLB for failing a drug test just weeks after reaching the 3,000-hit mark, had angrily denied using steroids during an appearance before Congress in March of 2005. After his suspension later that summer, he speculated he might have tested positive after receiving a B-12 shot from Tejada, who was his teammate with the Orioles in 2004 and 2005. B-12 isn't a steroid or illegal, and subsequent searches of Tejada's other vials of B-12 found no traces of steroids.

Stanton has pitched for eight different teams over a 19-year-career and was once one of the game's premiere left-handed set-up men. Roberts is a switch-hitting speedster and two-time All-Star who had hit just 12 home runs in 1,502 at-bats through 2004 -- with a career high of five -- before breaking out for 18 in 2005, including seven in April alone.

Tejada won the 2002 AL MVP award with Oakland and drove in no fewer than 98 runs between 2000 and 2006. After playing 1,152 straight games, Tejada landed on the disabled list with a broken wrist this season after being hit by a pitch. He finished the 2007 season batting .296 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI in 133 games.

Who's headlining the Super Bowl XLII halftime show?

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. So it only makes sense to have the biggest names in music headline the halftime show. For the Feb. 3 event, Tom Petty and Heartbreakers will join the ranks of Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince and the legendary Janet Jackson.

Let's hope the band sticks to Free Fallin' and not 'malfunction.

Roughriders win 95th Grey Cup Game

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have come full circle in their quest for Canadian football's most coveted prize.

Eighteen years after winning their last Grey Cup at Toronto's SkyDome, the Riders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 on Sunday to capture the trophy on the same field at Rogers Centre.

It is Saskatchewan's third Grey Cup win and their first since 1989, when Dave Ridgway's last minute field goal earned a 43-40 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The first quarter was a low-scoring affair, with the Riders held pointless after kicker Luca Congi missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt early in the stanza.

The Bombers got their offence going from there, with defensive back Greg Moss picking off Riders quarterback Kerry Joseph for the first interception of the game. Joseph did not throw a single interception in two games against the Bombers in the regular season.

Bombers quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie then grabbed the spotlight, leading a seven-play, 61-yard drive - including 16 and 42-yard bombs down the middle to Milt Stegall - which led to a 15-yard field goal by Troy Westwood.

After a couple of Winnipeg safeties conceded by Jamie Boreham in the second quarter, the Riders continued to struggle on offence. Joseph ran for 25 yards and hit D.J. Flick with a long pass to get into into the red zone later on, but a fumble recovery by Bombers linebacker Ike Charlton in the end zone left them scoreless.

Saskatchewan finally got in the game on Winnipeg's next possession, Dinwiddie's pass intended for Stegall was picked off by defensive back James Johnson for a 30-yard interception return.

Starting at their own 21-yard line, the Riders capped off the second quarter on a high note. They took advantage of a 24-yard reception by Wes Cates and an 18-yard pass to Andy Fantuz for a 45-yard field goal by Congi to lead by three at the half.

The Bombers' offence in the third quarter was a roller coaster ride to say the least.

The struggles started at 1:51 of the stanza when Saskatchewan lineman John Chick sacked Dinwiddie and forced a fumble recovery for Rider teammate Scott Schultz. Congi split the uprights from 17 yards out for a 13-7 lead. Dinwiddie settled down on the very next possession, hitting receiver Derick Armstrong for a 50-yard touchdown and a 14-13 Winnipeg lead. But later in the quarter, the former Boise State star was picked off by again by Johnson and Congi's third field goal of the game put the Riders ahead by two.

Joseph hit Fantuz with a 29-yard touchdown pass - and the Riders' first offensive touchdown of the game - to pad the lead by nine.

The Bombers showed plenty of fight and came right back, closing the gap with a safety and Westwood's second field goal of the night.

But with just under a minute left in the game, Johnson picked off Dinwiddie again for his third interception of the game and a Rider victory.

Led by the league's most outstanding player in Joseph, the Riders are in their first Grey Cup since 1997, when they lost lost 47-23 to the Toronto Argonauts.

In a storyline that has been stretched out well over the last seven days, Dinwiddie made his first career start on the CFL's biggest stage. He got the start after No. 1 quarterback Kevin Glenn broke his left arm in last weekend's 19-9 East Division final against the Toronto Argonauts.

No quarterback has ever made his first start in the Grey Cup or Super Bowl.

The Bombers are looking for their 11th Grey Cup title, with their last championship won 17 years ago to the day - a 50-11 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on November 25, 1990. Their last appearance in the Grey Cup was at Montreal's Olympic Stadium in 2001, when they lost 27-19 to the Calgary Stampeders.

The Riders were 11-point favourites, mainly because of Glenn's injury.

Lions to face Riders in West Final for the third time in four years

SURREY, B.C. - Facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL West final has almost become a tradition for the B.C. Lions.

For the third time in four years the Lions will battle the Riders Sunday with a trip to the Grey Cup on the line.

"It's not by chance the two best teams in the West are going to face off," Wally Buono, the coach and general manager of the defending Grey Cup champion Lions, said Monday.

"We have a history with the Riders. They are going to be a tremendous challenge for us."

The Lions will host their fourth consecutive West Final on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET). Over 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the game at B.C. Place Stadium.

Last year the Lions embarrassed Saskatchewan 45-18 in the West final. B.C. then defeated Montreal 25-14 in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg.

In 2004, the Lions advanced to the Grey Cup with a 27-25 win in overtime after Saskatchewan kicker Paul McCallum missed a field goal in extra time. The Lions lost 27-19 to Toronto in the championship game.

Quarterback Jarious Jackson, who began the season third on the B.C. depth chart, is expected to start against Saskatchewan. Bruising slotback Jason Clermont, who has been nursing a sore shoulder, will also play.

"Saskatchewan is an excellent football team," said Buono. "The clubs are evenly matched. They are both well rounded as far as they are good on offence, they have very good defences and they are good on special teams. They are both well coached. "

B.C.'s 14-3-1 record was the best in the league. It was the first time the Lions won 14 games in a season.

Saskatchewan finished second in the West with a 12-6-0 record. The Riders defeated Calgary 26-24 in the West semi-final Sunday in Saskatchewan's first home playoff game since 1988.

"Their offensive schemes were really good," said Clermont, who was third in the league this season with 86 catches for 1,158 yards and seven touchdowns. "Calgary did have a chance to win that game a few times.

"We'll look at some of the things they did defensively and we're pretty optimistic on what we can do with the game plan."

The Lions won two of the three games they played against Saskatchewan this year, outscoring them 88-67.

There also has been bad blood between the teams all season.

Lions quarterback Dave Dickenson suffered a concussion in a July 13 game after a hit by Rider defensive end Fred Perry. Dickenson didn't play again until the second last game of the season and Buono wanted Perry disciplined. The CFL investigated but ruled the hit was legal.

A melee broke out in a Sept. 22 match resulting in Lions guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli being suspended for one game while tackle Rob Murphy and receiver Cory Rodgers both were fined.

Clermont said emotions run high when the teams meet.

"They've been meaningful games we've played against them," said the Regina native. "They play us tough and it's always been physical.

"There are professionals on both sides with a lot of pride. You couldn't have scripted a better West Final."

The Lions could be without offensive lineman Jason Jimenez Sunday.

The CFL suspended the right tackle for one game Monday for a hit on Calgary Stampeder defensive lineman Anthony Gargiulo in the final game of the regular season.

Jimenez can appeal the suspension.

Bring on the Lions: Riders edge Stamps

REGINA - The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned their first home playoff win in 30 years Sunday with a 26-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL's Western semifinal.

Kicker Luca Congi kicked six field goals and quarterback Kerry Joseph threw a touchdown pass to D.J. Flick on the second play of the game for the Roughriders, who hosted their first playoff game since 1988 but hadn't won one in Regina in since 1976.

Saskatchewan moves onto the Western final next Sunday in Vancouver against division-winner B.C. Lions.

The Stampeders lost in the Western semifinal for the third straight season.

Trey Young scored off an interception in the first half. Calgary quarterback Henry Burris twice threw touchdown passes to Ken-Yon Rambo in the second half. Stamps kicker Sandro DeAngelis kicked one field goal.

In the Eastern Conference semifinal, Troy Westwood's field goal gave Winnipeg a 24-22 win over the Montreal Alouettes. The Blue Bombers advance to Sunday's Eastern final against the Toronto Argonauts.

The Grey Cup is in Toronto on Nov. 25.

Burris's 16-yard pass to Rambo with 53 seconds left pulled Calgary with two points, but the Stamps weren't able to get the ball back for a field-goal attempt.

Congi was named to the CFL's West Division all-star squad last week, but was removed from it three days later in favour of Calgary's Sandro DeAngelis after a tabulation error was discovered.

He made six of eight attempts Sunday and his sixth, a 10-yarder at 9:29 of the fourth quarter, was the difference.

DeAngelis didn't get out onto the field for a field-goal attempt until late in the third quarter. He was good from 18 yards to pull the visitors within five points.

After a 7-for-13 first half, Burris threw his first touchdown pass early in the third quarter with a 39-yarder to Rambo.

The Stamps' pivot was stopped on a third-and-one-yard attempt for a first down later in the quarter, which gave the ball to Saskatchewan on Calgary's 38-yard line.

Calgary head coach Tom Higgins challenged the call, but the Roughriders kept the ball and Congi kicked his fifth field goal of the game from 37 yards.

Saskatchewan quarterback Kerry Joseph, the West's nominee for the league's MVP, found the holes in Calgary's secondary to work the Roughriders into field-goal position, which drew chants of ``M-V-P'' from the 'Rider faithful.

The Saskatchewan defence was superior in this game as they clamped down on Calgary's receivers and held Calgary running back Joffrey Reynolds to a handful of yards.

The game had been long sold out, with 28,800 tickets sold within 30 minutes of a general call to buy on Oct. 29.<

The temperature at kickoff in Regina was nine degrees and the skies were mostly sunny. The hard northwest wind gusting to 60 kilometres per hour across Mosaic Stadium died to barely a breeze by the fourth quarter.

Congi took advantage of the wind behind him in the first quarter for field goals from 48 and 49 yards and was then wide on a 50-yard attempt. He had the wind against him in the second quarter but was good from 16 and 40 yards.

The Stampeders' offence in the first half was limited to a touchdown off Dwaine Carpenter's interception in their end-zone. Carpenter ran the ball 74 yards out and tossed it over to Young, who finished the major with a 39-yard run.

Burris worked the Stamps 50 yards downfield in the first quarter only to have his attempted touchdown pass to Rambo picked off by Eddie Davis in the end zone.

Saskatchewan scored on the first play after the kickoff when Joseph connected with Flick on a 62-yard play for a touchdown.

Joseph completed 23 of 35 passing attempts for 391 yards and one touchdown pass. He also rushed for 109 yards.

Burris was 20-for-36 for 323 yards and two touchdown passes.

Westwood's field goal gives Winnipeg 24-22 win over Als in East semifinal

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are off to the CFL's East final.

Embattled Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood kicked the winning 20-yard field goal on the last play of the game Sunday to give his team a 24-22 win over Montreal in the East Division semifinal.

Winnipeg faces the Toronto Argonauts next weekend for the right to go to the Grey Cup.

Sunday's win was Winnipeg's fourth of the season over the Als, who came into the game with their first losing record (8-10) since they rejoined the CFL in 1996. The Bombers were 10-7-1.

Montreal led for most of the game, which was played with swirling, gusting winds in front of a season-low crowd of 22,843 at Canad Inns Stadium.

The turning point came with 1:35 left in the game when Montreal quarterback Marcus Brady kept the ball on a third-and-one gamble and was stopped. A Montreal challenge was unsuccessful and the Alouettes turned the ball over for the fourth time in the game.

Winnipeg took over at the Als' 44-yard line.

Running back Charles Roberts ran three times for 24 yards and quarterback Kevin Glenn ran for three yards to set up Westwood's kick.

Westwood, whose inconsistency this season put him in head coach Doug Berry's doghouse, had earlier missed a go-ahead 39-yard field-goal attempt with about five minutes left in the game.

The 17-year veteran, who likely won't be back next season, said before the game he relished having the opportunity to make the winning kick.

Winnipeg got its TDs on a 19-yard reception by Milt Stegall and 19-yard run by Roberts, who missed the past two games with a deep thigh bruise.

Westwood also booted field goals from 18 and 33 yards and added a 74-yard punt single.

Westwood now has 45 career playoff field goals, moving him into third place on the CFL's all-time playoff list.

Montreal's scoring came off a one-yard run by fullback Kerry Carter and a 65-yard TD reception by Kerry Watkins. Damon Duval connected on field goals from 43 and 20 yards and Winnipeg conceded a safety.

Montreal led 16-10 at halftime after a first half that featured two Montreal turnovers and one by Winnipeg.

After the Bombers scored on their first possession with the TD toss to Stegall, Montreal receiver Ashlan Davis appeared to score on a reverse early in the second quarter.

However, a Bombers challenge reversed the call and it was ruled Winnipeg linebacker Ike Charlton had pulled Davis down before the ball crossed the goal-line.

With third and one yard to go, Brady handed the ball to running back Jarrett Payton, who was stuffed by Bombers linebacker Barrin Simpson.

Payton left the game late in the third quarter after a rib injury that kept him out of last week's game flared up.

The Bombers used the turnover on downs to claw their way close to midfield, but Glenn's throw to O'Neil Wilson bounced off his gloves into Montreal cornerback Davis Sanchez's hands.

The Als took over at Winnipeg's 50-yard line and it became the Eric Deslauriers show.

The rookie Montreal receiver made a leaping grab and stayed in bounds for a 39-yard reception and then hung onto a low 10-yard throw at the one-yard line.

After Brady was stopped on the next play, fullback Kerry Carter plunged in for the tying TD at 6:15 to make it 7-7.

Late in the second, newly acquired Als kick returner Bashir Levingston fumbled a punt return. Winnipeg linebacker Neil McKinlay recovered the ball at Montreal's 35, leading to Westwood's 18-yarder.

On Montreal's next possession, Brady fired the ball to Watkins, who got a good block from offensive tackle Luke Fritz and ran 65 yards for the TD and 14-10 edge at 13:19.

Westwood, who also did the punting in place of Pat Fleming (sore leg), conceded a safety to finish the first-half scoring.

Turnovers also played a role in the second half.

Glenn threw his second interception of the game (15th of the season) midway through the third quarter when Als DB Randee Drew stepped in front of a pass intended for Stegall.

After a drop by Watkins cut the drive short, Duval booted his 43-yarder and made it 19-10 at 7:48.

Roberts scored his TD at 9:27 of the third to finish off a four-play, 75-yard drive aided by Montreal penalties for a face mask and pass interference.

Bombers cornerback Juran Bolden, who missed the past three games with a back injury, stretched out and intercepted Brady six minutes into the fourth quarter.

Westwood ended up kicking the 33-yarder.

After missing his 39-yard attempt, he closed the lead 22-21 with a 74-yard punt single at 12:52.

Kravitz to headline Grey Cup halftime

Grammy-Award winning American rocker Lenny Kravitz will perform during the halftime show at the Grey Cup in Toronto next month, organizers of the Canadian Football League championship announced Wednesday.

Kravitz has recorded multiple hits over his music career including, Are You Gonna Go My Way, It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over, Fly Away, Mama Said, and the remake of the Guess Who anthem, American Woman.

The 95th annual Grey Cup is Nov. 25 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. CBC will have the game live at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Kravitz, who has sold over 20 million records worldwide, will release his ninth studio album, Love Revolution, on Feb. 5, 2008.

The American rocker is the latest big act to perform at the Grey Cup, one of the oldest professional sports championships in North America.

Others include:

2006 in Winnipeg: Canadian pop songstress Nelly Furtado.
2005 in Vancouver: American hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas.
2004 in Ottawa: Tragically Hip.
2003 in Regina: Bryan Adams and Sam Roberts.
2002 in Edmonton: Country star Shania Twain.

Sharapova unveils U.S. Open wardrobe

NEW YORK — Maria Sharapova loves New York, especially its style and skyline. When Sharapova defends her U.S. Open title next week, she'll be wearing tennis dresses decorated with graphic interpretations of the cityscape on the chest.

The designs, created in collaboration with Nike senior designer Colleen Sandieson, were unveiled Wednesday evening on a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.

Like last year, Sharapova will have one outfit dedicated for day play and another for night matches.

"It's always important to feel comfortable in what you're wearing when you're playing, but in tennis, you can do so many things with your wardrobe," Sharapova said wearing the flame-red dress in a flared shift silhouette that she'll wear at night.

The color is in honor of the Big Apple. "I've worn a red top before but never a red dress, but there is no better place to do it than New York," she told the Associated Press.

The dress is a sleek garment made of a breathable wicking jersey and constructed with a no-sew technique with seams bonded with heat and silicone instead of thread.

There are more than 600 Swarovski crystals incorporated into the design, adding a little flash to the outfit, but Sharapova said it's simple and classy, which suits her taste. "I don't like things with too much pattern ... things that are tacky."

There also are three crystal buttons down the back, creating a keyhole effect.

For the daytime, the look is similar but in black and white — and without the crystals. It has a scoop-back design that facilitates movement, according to Sandieson.

Performance is always the priority, Sandieson said, but she and Sharapova strive for designs that marry function with fashion.

"She has a fantastic game and I have a lot of respect for that but she has a great eye for detail," Sandieson said. "She's got a style that's very natural to her, and she also knows what she likes and doesn't like."

Sharapova, 20, has become a player in the fashion world and has sponsorship deals with Parlux Fragrances, handbag company Samantha Thavasa and watchmaker Tag Heuer in addition to Nike. She follows Venus and Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova as tennis players who are also seen as style icons.

"She wears clothes that a lot of other women would like to own and look good in," said Susan Kaufman, editor of People StyleWatch.

Kaufman also notes that today's tennis stars are photographed when they're off the court, too, giving more of a glimpse of their personal style.

Sharapova noted that the U.S. Open, which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 8, coincides with New York Fashion Week and she tries to make it to at least one show. For the past two years, it's been Marc Jacobs but she also hopes to make it to Michael Kors, Peter Som and Vera Wang this year.

Once her tennis career is over, she said, fashion is something she'd like to further explore.

Aaron outrates Bonds on television

NEW YORK - Hank Aaron is still the home-run king when it comes to television ratings.

ESPN2's broadcast of Barry Bonds' record 756th homer received a 1.1 cable rating on ESPN2 Tuesday night, which translates to 995,000 households.

When Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, to break Babe Ruth's record, NBC's broadcast received a 22.3 rating on NBC, the equivalent of 14.9 million homes.

Back in Aaron's day, there were only a fraction of the TV channels that viewers can choose from today. Also, baseball had far less competition for the attention of fans.

Aaron's historic home run in Atlanta was hit at 9:07 p.m. EDT, while Bonds' drive in San Francisco came at 11:51 p.m. EDT. During the 11:45 p.m. to midnight time period, ESPN2's telecast averaged a 1.7 cable rating (1.6 million homes), and for the following 15 minutes the rating jumped to 1.9 (1.8 million homes).

NBC did not have 15-minute breakdowns available for the 1974 game.

Bonds' game did better in San Francisco, where is received a 7.2 rating and 15 share on FSN Bay Area (172,000 homes). During the 15-minute time period when Bonds homered, the telecast got an 11.1 rating (265,000 homes).

Tuesday's game was the 10th added Giants telecast by ESPN/ESPN2 during Bonds' home run chase.

The rating is the percentage of television households watching a broadcast, and the share is the percentage watching among those homes with televisions on at the time.

Bonds makes history with 756th home run

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds hit No. 756 over the right-center field wall Tuesday night, and hammered home the point: Like him or not, legitimate or not, he is baseball's new home run king. Bonds broke Hank Aaron's storied record in the fifth inning, connecting on a 3-2 pitch from Washington's Mike Bacsik. Three days earlier, Bonds tied the Hammer with a shot to left-center in San Diego.

Conspicuous by their absence were the commissioner and Aaron himself.

Bud Selig was on hand for the tiebreaking homer, deciding to put baseball history ahead of the steroid allegations that have plagued the San Francisco Giants slugger. On this night, he sent an emissary, Major League Baseball executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon.

As for Aaron, he said all along he had no interest in being there whenever and wherever his 33-year-old mark was broken. He was true to his word, but he did offer a taped message of congratulations.

Absent, too, were the fans who held up asterisk signs, sure that Bonds wasn't the real deal and that his power came from steroids.

Bonds didn't face such suspicions at AT&T Park, in front of a loyal, home crowd that included his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Bonds has always denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Yet even with Bonds at the top of the chart, fans will surely keep debating which slugger they consider the true home run champion. Some will continue to cling to Aaron while other, older rooters will always say it's Babe Ruth.

"It's all about history. Pretty soon, someone will come along and pass him," Mays said before the game.

A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record by hitting 73 in 2001 and while he's no longer such a force, opposing pitchers remain wary.

Bonds and Giants management bickered in the offseason over contract issues. This big night was the main reason owner Peter Magowan brought back the star left fielder for a 15th season in San Francisco, signing him to a $15.8 million, one-year contract.

Bonds' once-rapid quest for the record had slowed in recent years as his age and balky knees diminished his pace. He hit 258 home runs from 2000-04, but has only 53 since then.

While steroids have tinged Bonds' pursuit, it was race that was the predominant issue when Aaron broke Ruth's mark in 1974. Aaron dealt with hate mail and death threats from racist fans who thought a black man was not worthy of breaking the record set by a white hero, the beloved Babe.

Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn watched Aaron tie the record but was not present for the record-breaker, a slight that bothered many fans of Aaron. Selig is a close friend of Aaron's and offered Bonds tepid congratulations when he tied the record.

"I think Hank is his own man," Mays said. "I think if he wanted to be here he would be here."

"When he hit 715, the commissioner wasn't there," he said. "You may not blame him because he wasn't represented the right way."

Bonds was destined for stardom at an early age. The son of All-Star outfielder Bobby Bonds and the godson of one of the game's greatest players, Bonds spent his childhood years roaming the clubhouse at Candlestick Park, getting tips from Mays and other Giants.

"I visualized him playing sports at a high level. He was 5 when he was in my locker all the time," Mays said.

In a matter of years, Bonds went from a wiry leadoff hitter with Pittsburgh in 1986 to a bulked-up slugger. That transformation is at the heart of his many doubters, who believe Bonds cheated to accomplish his feats and should not be considered the record-holder.

There are plenty of fans already hoping for the day that Bonds' total — whatever it ends up — is topped. Rodriguez may have the best chance, with his 500 home runs at age 32 far ahead of Bonds' pace.

Networks go deep for Bonds' historic homer

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - When San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's career home-run record, ESPN and Fox Sports aim to bring the occasion to viewers live nationwide.

ESPN and Fox Sports said Thursday that they are negotiating with Major League Baseball for the rights to bring Bonds' at-bats -- and perhaps a game -- to a nationwide audience.

For Fox Sports, that could mean carrying an extra game beyond its Saturday afternoon exclusive package, as it did in September 1998, when it broadcast Mark McGwire's 62nd home run of the season to pass Roger Maris' long-standing record. For ESPN, it would mean carrying live Bonds' at-bats each game as he nears the record.

"Do we have an interest? Absolutely," Fox Sports president Ed Goren said Thursday.

Fox Sports has exclusive rights to the Giants' July 14 game against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. "It would be an appropriate game to set a record," Goren said.

Bonds hit his 751st career home run Tuesday (July 3) against the Cincinnati Reds, putting him four shy of Aaron's record.

ESPN already has the rights to break in to programming and cover historic events like this one if they happen during its regularly scheduled baseball programming -- the Sunday, Monday and Wednesday game windows or ESPN's "Baseball Tonight," which airs several times during the day. The only caveat would be that it couldn't break in and televise something that is exclusively on Fox or the other national TV partner, Turner. TBS will carry three Giants games with the Atlanta Braves July 24-26, but the network said it isn't in negotiations to carry any more.

But ESPN is, senior vp programming strategy Len DeLuca said.

"We are working with MLB, working out the details to be able to cover (Bonds' at-bats) from a certain point," DeLuca said. ESPN carried McGwire's 61st home run of the 1998 season on a Labor Day telecast that ranks as ESPN's highest-rated non-NFL telecast.

Clemens signs deal to return to Yankees

NEW YORK - The seventh-inning stretch was ending when the low, familiar voice of public-address announcer Bob Sheppard told fans at Yankee Stadium to direct their attention to the owner's box behind home plate. Standing there, microphone in hand, was Roger Clemens to personally announce his return to New York.

"Well, they came and got me out of Texas and I can tell you it's a privilege to be back," he said. "I'll be talking to y'all soon."

With his brief address, shown on the right-center field videoboard to 52,553 fans and many more watching on television, the Rocket rejoined the Yankees in most dramatic fashion.

He agreed to a $28 million, one-year contract that will start when he is added to the major league roster for his first start, most likely in three to four weeks. Clemens will earn about $18.5 million under the deal, which will cost the Yankees approximately $7.4 million in additional luxury tax, meaning they are investing about $26 million in a seven-time Cy Young Award winner who will turn 45 in August.

"Roger Clemens is a winner and a champion, and he is someone who can be counted on to help make this season one that all Yankees fans can be proud of," owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "The sole mission of this organization is to win a world championship."

Clemens helped the Yankees win World Series titles in 1999 and 2000, then left after the 2003 season intending to retire. But when Andy Pettitte signed with the Houston Astros, Clemens also joined their hometown team.

The Rocket retired again after the 2004 and 2005 seasons, only to re-sign the Astros both times. Pettitte changed the dynamic when he rejoined New York this season.

Clemens had limited his field to the Yankees, Astros and Boston Red Sox, his original team. But when Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, spoke to the Astros and Red Sox in recent days, they said they'd prefer he join up with them in late June or early July. The Yankees, according to Hendricks, said: "We'd like you yesterday."

"Make no mistake about it, I've come back to do what they only know how to do here with the Yankees, and that's win a championship," Clemens said. "Anything else is a failure, and I know that."

Yankees manager Joe Torre had known for a couple of days that a deal was in the works. Talks intensified Thursday, with general manager Brian Cashman negotiating by Blackberry with Hendricks, who was at Fenway Park. Hendricks called Clemens on Friday, when the pitcher was in Austin, Texas, and a deal was approved by New York during a Friday late-afternoon conference call with Steinbrenner, Cashman, team president Randy Levine and Steinbrenner's two sons.

Clemens got up in Houston at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday and flew up to New York. He arrived at LaGuardia Airport at about 1 p.m., changed at a Manhattan hotel and arrived at the ballpark in the sixth inning. He wore a Yankees cap and one of his Yankees World Series rings during a postgame news conference, but wasn't sure which one.

"It's nice to have a choice," he said.

After Clemens addressed the crowd, fans started chanting his name in waves, as more and more realized he had returned.

"It feels like coming back home," Clemens said. "You feel like you're welcomed and you know what it's all about."

He begins with a minor league contract, and will start his workouts in Lexington, Ky., where his son Koby is playing in the Houston Astros' farm system. He hopes to start pitching in minor league games in about two weeks.

Clemens didn't even have a chance to tell Pettitte or other friends about the deal in advance.

"I'm not looking forward to the phone call or seeing Andy here shortly. He's going to be mad at me," Clemens said.

Clemens is eighth on the career wins list with 348 and second in strikeouts with 4,604. He was 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA last season for Houston.

"The only time I'll be disappointed is if my body breaks down, and I'm going to put the work and the time in to hopefully not allow that to happen," he said. "I expect to perform like I was 25, that's my expectations. Anything short of that would be a disappointment."

The Yankees, 14-15 and 5 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston, have seen so many pitchers get hurt that they are set to become on Monday the first team in major league history to use 10 starters in its first 30 games. The Yankees tried to persuade Clemens to join them when he visited their spring training camp on March 7.

"Make no mistake about it, the Yankees were in both of my ears the whole time," Clemens said. "And that was well before they even had the problems that they've had on the mound."

Clemens will have the same travel privileges he had with Houston last year, when he sometimes skipped road trips if he wasn't scheduled to pitch, spending time at home with his family and working with Astros minor leaguers. Torre discussed the arrangement with his veteran players before the Yankees agreed.

"If he'd like, I'd carry his bags out to the car," Jason Giambi joked.

Red Sox players were saddened to lose out on Clemens, but being in first place cushioned the blow.

"It would have been nice to have him, but we didn't need him," Curt Schilling said. "I feel like we were a legitimate World Series contender without him."

Houston catcher Brad Ausmus was disappointed.

"I would much rather have Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens on this team with us," he said. "They're big-game winning pitchers. I loved playing with them."

Clemens, despite annual retirement announcements, shows few signs of slowing down. He joked when a question was asked about the length of the contract.

"That's what I'd like to know," he said. "I think I can go right into senior softball."

Red Sock-gate

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling offered US$1 million to anyone who could prove it was not blood that blotted his famous sock in the 2004 playoffs, and criticized members of the media in a blog on his personal Web site Friday.

The controversy over what stained Schilling's sock was reignited this week when Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne said Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli had told him it was paint, not blood, and that it was done for a publicity stunt.

Mirabelli called that a lie, and Thorne said Thursday he had misreported what Mirabelli said.

Still, Schilling blasted Thorne and the media in general Friday in his first public statement since Thorne's on-air comments.

Schilling was injured in Game 1 of the 2004 AL championship series against New York. Team doctors stitched a tendon in his right ankle to keep it from flopping around, and he returned to lead the Red Sox to a remarkable win in Game 6 to tie the series at 3-3. The Red Sox went on to win that series, and won the World Series for their first title since 1918.

"If you have ... the guts, grab an orthopedic surgeon, have them suture your ankle skin down to the tissue covering the bone in your ankle joint, then walk around for four hours," Schilling wrote on his website www.38pitches.com. "After that go find a mound, throw a hundred or so pitches, run over, cover first a few times. When you're done check that ankle and see if it bleeds."

Thorne did not immediately return a message Friday left with his employer, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Schilling offered $1 million to anyone who could prove the blood on his sock was not authentic. But it's unclear where the sock is. Schilling has said he put it in the laundry; on Friday he wrote that he suspects a Yankees clubhouse employee still has it. The pitcher donated another bloodstained sock worn in Game 2 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame.

"If the blood on the sock is fake, I'll donate a million dollars to that person's charity, if not they donate that amount to (Schilling's charities for ALS research)," he wrote. "Any takers?"

Schilling also ripped several members of the national sports media for exaggerating stories based on their own insecurities and for "rolling their eyes" when he talks about his faith in God. His recommendation: "Put them all on an island somewhere.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, working in the media is a pretty nice gig," the pitcher wrote. "Barring outright plagiarism or committing a crime, you don't have to be accountable if you don't want to."

No Leafs, no fun

The best part of the hockey season begins tonight -- yet all LEafs fans are on the outside looking in.

It is a most unfortunate place to be.

It didn't hit me, really, until last spring, after a year without hockey, how much I loved the Stanley Cup playoffs and how much the absence of the Maple Leafs affected my regular playoff emotions.

It must be different in a place such as Columbus, where there have been no playoffs, and hockey isn't all over your television, and you don't have a fantasy playoff draft, and you have to never think about what game is being shown on any given night.

But Toronto is Hockey Country -- and it is a market that lives, dies and emotes on a far too personal basis about everything that is Maple Leafs. And by not being good enough to make the playoffs, it isn't only that Leafs fans aren't always certain where to turn, it's that they have been essentially robbed of the opportunity to be part of hockey at its very best.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are not like any other championship run in sports and I haven't always understood why. In baseball, you expect the World Series to be better than the divisional championships and better than the League Championships Series.

In the CFL and the NFL, the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl are the games that are expected to outshine any other.

But from this view, there is an inverse effect to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The first round tends to be the best round of the playoffs. The players are still fresh. The possibilities are endless.

By the time the third and fourth rounds come around, it is often like the television show Survivor. The last men standing win.

Which is how the Maple Leafs have robbed all of you.

They stole your opening round. They stole your unbridled optimism. They stole the great hockey belief -- and Mats Sundin was talking about this the other day -- that any team can win just by making it to the playoffs.

That may not be necessarily true, but fans and players love that talk and who are we to stomp all over anyone's dreams?

Just no dreams, this year. The Maple Leafs made certain of that. In their flimsy apology, printed in ad form in yesterday's Toronto Sun, they glossed over how low the goals of this hockey team really are.

"We share your disappointment," the ad read. "However, we accomplished much along the way that puts us in a great position moving forward to pick up those few points in the standings needed to reach that next level."

Some teams begin seasons in search of championships. The Leafs begin them in search of eighth place. And when they don't get there, the most intense NHL market in the business finds itself having to scatter and try to find enough to care about in other cities and other places.

It can't be good for hockey when the Leafs miss the playoffs. It can't be good for hockey when Edmonton is out and Montreal is out. These cities are the lifeblood of the game.

So, now we watch, not certain where to turn. Can we get passionate about watching San Jose play Nashville without an emotional attachment in a first-round series that should be good enough for a Cup final.

PASSIONATE

Can we get passionate about watching the hated Ottawa Senators -- listen, we all have to hate somebody -- against the charming Pittsburgh Penguins (who, by the way, were 32 points behind the Leafs last season)? If you can't find it in your hearts to cheer for Sidney Crosby and Gary Roberts, you may have no heart.

I'm vaguely interested in Vancouver-Dallas because this is Roberto Luongo's playoff debut. Same goes for Calgary-Detroit, mostly to see if the annual Red Wings collapse is upon us.

Can't get excited about Devils versus anyone. Don't care about the Thrashers and Rangers. Will watch Buffalo beat the Islanders just to see what Wade Dubielewicz really is.

But it's not the same when there are no flags on cars, no horns honking, no non-stop analysis taking place on every radio station, in every coffee shop, on any of the hundred or so panels on sports television.

A playoffs without Toronto won't seem very much like playoffs at all.

Oilers honour the 'Moose'

EDMONTON (CP) - Once everything else was behind him - the street naming, civic celebration, a gala evening with old friends - Mark Messier skated onto the ice at Rexall Place in full equipment and hoisted the Stanley Cup for an Oilers crowd that seemed to cherish him more than ever.

A man and the city's adoring fans. That's what this week was really about in Edmonton. When Messier took a final lap of the ice after his No. 11 jersey had been raised to the ceiling on Tuesday, the old building almost shook on its foundation while the sold-out crowd saluted him in a manner that bordered on strident.

It was a stirring moment on an emotional day for Oilers fans, who earlier had been given the shocking news that assistant captain Ryan Smyth had been traded to the New York Islanders.

A few fans shouted encouragement for Smyth during the Messier ceremony, but the night still belonged to the Moose.

He was already in tears when he finished his skate with the Stanley Cup and placed it on a table at centre ice. His three-year-old son Douglas, wearing a vintage Messier jersey, promptly jumped into his arms as the crowd again cheered.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your support," Messier told the 16,839 in attendance. "(The Oilers are) an institution in the world of sports."

That institution started with the dynasty teams of the 1980's.

Messier, who grew up nearby in St. Albert, was the emotional leader of those talented teams that featured the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr and Al Hamilton - the men who have all previously had their jerseys retired in Edmonton.

Only one player will ever have worn No. 11 in the history of the Oilers. His name is Messier.

"One of the reasons that made it so special to play here is that I was born and raised here," he said to the crowd. "To be honoured in this way, standing down here, is a humbling experience."

Former teammates, friends and family joined him on the ice for the roughly 40-minute ceremony. It started with a video tribute that highlighted the many highs of Messier's fine career.

Six Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, one Conn Smythe Trophy and a point total of 1,887 that leaves him second all-time in league history. The most important thing for Messier is the mark he left on the city of Edmonton and the people he played with.

"I'd like to thank all the Oiler fans for properly honouring the greatest leader sport has ever produced," said current Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish, a former teammate of Messier's. "Mark, that skate brought back great memories.

"Welcome back to centre ice with the Edmonton Oilers."

While these ceremonies have become a regular occurrence around the league, they never seem to tire for the fans who attend them. It's part hero worship and part longing for a bygone era.

Messier is 46 now, yet it seems so easy for many to remember the glorious moments he produced for the Oilers more than two decades ago.

Even though the timing of the ceremony created a strange atmosphere because it coincided with the Smyth deal and the NHL's trade deadline, Messier thanked the team for it.

The Oilers had selected Feb. 27 so coach Gretzky and his Phoenix Coyotes could be there - just as they were when Coffey's No. 7 was honoured last season.

"Tonight would not have been the same without Wayne being here," said Messier. "Wayne was our leader. He was our inspiration. He was the guy we leaned on and he never let us down and never put himself above anybody."

Still, the Oilers regretted that the events had to coincide.

"When this day first came up months ago, I thought, 'Whatever we do on deadline day is not going to impact the evening,"' said GM Kevin Lowe. "I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined this sort of thing happening so I don't want to appear insensitive to the impact of the deal on the whole event."

Even Smyth himself wanted the day to be about Messier.

He refused to speak to reporters after news of the trade broke because he didn't want to take any of the spotlight.

"I want this to be a great night for Mark Messier," he said Tuesday morning before being traded. "For what he's done for this city. For what he's done for the run of five Stanley Cups."

Fortunately for all involved, Messier still had his moment. And it brought back a lot of memories seeing him holding the Stanley Cup.

Source: Jays give Gibbons extension

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Blue Jays have reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year contract extension with manager John Gibbons, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. An official announcement could come as early as Monday.

"We've talked, but nothing's done," Gibbons said early Monday morning.

Gibbons' new deal would pay him $650,000 in 2008 -- a $150,000 raise over his salary for the upcoming '07 season. Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi was not immediately available for comment.

Last week, Gibbons said that he wasn't too concerned about his contract situation, describing the issue as a "low priority."

"To be honest with you, I haven't given it a whole lot of thought," Gibbons said on Thursday about being in the last year of his current deal. "I'm not paralyzed by that. It's a game of results. If we play good, good things happen. If we don't? Bad things happen."

Gibbons was named Toronto's interim manager on Aug. 8, 2004, after the Blue Jays let manager Carlos Tosca go. Since then, Gibbons has led the Jays to a 187-187 record -- highlighted by an 87-75 mark last season. In 2006, Toronto finished second in the American League East for the first time since winning the World Series in 1993.

Gibbons might have received an extension at the end of last season had it not been for well-publicized confrontations with former Toronto designated hitter Shea Hillenbrand and former Jays pitcher Ted Lilly. Ricciardi has insisted, though, that those unrelated -- and overblown -- incidents had no bearing on Gibbons' contract status.

A sentimental journey for Keon

Dave Keon harbours no ill-will toward Maple Leafs forward Matt Stajan, general manager John Ferguson or the faithful Toronto fans.

In fact, if you looked closely, it almost appeared as if his eyes were getting a bit misty as he made his way along the blue carpet to centre ice at the Air Canada Centre last night for the ceremony honouring the 1967 Stanley Cup-winning team.

Led by fan favourite Johnny Bower, Keon's teammates joined the capacity crowd in clapping for the '67 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, who received a one-minute ovation in recognition of his long-waited return.

"None of us were going to joke with him about finally being back," Bower said. "In my case, I didn't want to bug him because I was scared he would turn around and go home."

Keon was gracious when asked about the reception, but was non-committal about the odds of him coming back.

"This was one night, one weekend," he said. "Let's leave it at that."

Having said that, he was quite appreciative of the warm greeting he received from the cheering throng.

"It was very nice," he said. "People have always been nice to me. I get letters all the time from people who wanted me to come back.

"John (Ferguson) did a nice job of bringing the entire team together."

Surrounded by a swarm of about 40 reporters, Keon added that young Matt Stajan should not be criticized for wearing his familiar No. 14.

"It's unfair (for him to get heat over it)," Keon said. "He shouldn't have to worry about that."

In the end, the ceremony lacked just two things -- the Stanley Cup and louder fans.

Since the Cup rests just two blocks away from the Air Canada Centre at the Hockey Hall of Fame, why could it not be on hand? After all, these players were the last Leafs to have their names engraved on it.

As for the crowd, the applause, while polite, lacked the deafening volume often associated in similar functions like those held in Montreal.

"Montreal has me back every year as part of their alumni," Senator Frank Mahovlich said. "They always honour their great heroes. It's nice to see Toronto doing this for us now, too."

The final word went to Ron Ellis, who made a prediction many fans will hold him to.

"People in Toronto are so loyal to the Leafs," he said. "Well, take it from me, this team will win another Cup. It'll be tough. But when it happens, look out!"

Jays take first step toward '07 season

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The next step has arrived. While fans back home in Toronto were digging themselves out of the winter's worst snowfall, the Blue Jays began reporting to their Spring Training complex in Florida.

With the offseason now officially in the rearview mirror, Toronto is eager to build on the progress it made last season. That quest began on Friday, when the Jays' pitchers and catchers filed into Dunedin, Fla. -- the only spring site the Jays have known in their 31-year history. On Saturday, those players will head to the Bobby Mattick Training Center for the club's first official workout.

"We like our team," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said on Thursday, when he first arrived at the complex. "We like the way we finished up last year and we think we're going to get better."

Once on the mounds, a select group of Toronto pitchers will enter into a competition that will last deep into March to determine the back end of the rotation. Right-handers John Thomson and Tomo Ohka, who both signed with the Jays in January, are the leading candidates for the final two spots, but they'll have to fend off Shaun Marcum, Josh Towers, Casey Janssen and Dustin McGowan.

The drills for pitchers and catchers will be in full swing by the time Toronto's position players are required to report on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, the Blue Jays will hold the first full-squad workout for their revamped roster.

At that time, Gibbons will get a look at all the pieces he's been provided with for the upcoming year. The Jays reeled in free-agent slugger Frank Thomas, added shortstop Royce Clayton, and picked up a few reserves in outfielder Matt Stairs, infielder Jason Smith and catcher Sal Fasano.

Some of Toronto's biggest offseason moves actually dealt with players already on the roster. In December, the Jays locked up center fielder Vernon Wells with a seven-year, $126 million deal that begins in 2008. Then in January, Toronto handed first baseman Lyle Overbay a four-year, $24 million extension.

Thomas, Wells and Overbay, along with All-Stars Troy Glaus and Alex Rios, help give Toronto one of the best offenses in the American League. It will be up to Gibbons this spring to find out how exactly that impressive lineup will shape up for Opening Day.

"I think [the fans] like what we've done," Gibbons said. "You see each year we get closer and closer to where we want to be, and it's time to get over that hump. It won't be easy, but it's long overdue."

The Blue Jays will use Spring Training to help answer some of their remaining questions. Once the season begins, Toronto hopes to make a run at the playoffs. Last year, the Jays placed second in the American League East, marking the first time the club finished higher than third in the division since 1993. It was a step in the right direction, but the Blue Jays want to take the next step.

Forsberg Nashville bound

The Nashville Predators have won the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes.

The intense trade winds surrounding the veteran centreman were abutted on Thursday, when Forsberg was dealt prior to the Flyers' game against the Toronto Maple Leafs for promising youngsters Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and a first- and a third-round draft pick.

Forsberg is expected in the Preadators' lineup tomorrow night in St. Louis against the Blues.

Forsberg will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The 33-year-old Swedish superstar was playing out the final months of a two-year US$11.5-million contract.

The former MVP, who's been slowed this season by a chronically troubled right foot, had 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points in 40 games for the Flyers.

Upshall, 23, a left-winger from Fort McMurray, Alta., had two goals and an assist in 14 games for the Predators. Parent, 19, a six-foot-two defenceman from Prince Albert, Sask., was the Predators' first round pick from the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Forsberg had a meeting with Flyers chairman Ed Snider on Sunday to discuss his future, but declined to comment the next day about the specifics of the meeting and refused to say whether he asked to be traded.

He had said that he didn't want to address his future until he solved the issue with his right foot.

The foot injury kept him out 16 games this season, but since returning from an all-star break Forsberg has three goals and nine assists in nine games.

On Monday night, Forsberg scored the go-ahead goal in the third period of the Flyers' 6-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.

The NHL trading deadline is Feb. 27.

Colts tame Bears for Super Bowl victory

MIAMI - A wet and wild Super Bowl, the winning conditions for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. A team built for indoors found its footing on a rain-soaked track and outplayed the Chicago Bears to win the NFL title 29-17 Sunday night.

The Colts were far less sloppy, particularly their star quarterback, who proved he can indeed win the big game — the biggest game.

That's what it was for Tony Dungy, too. He became the first black coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured two black coaches for the first time in Super Bowl history.

It was a game of firsts: the first rainy Super Bowl and the first time an opening kickoff was run back for a touchdown when sensational Bears rookie Devin Hester sped downfield for 92 yards.

And not since the Buffalo Bills self-destructed with nine turnovers in losing to Dallas 14 years ago had there been so much messiness. The first half was marred by six turnovers, three for each team. Even football's most clutch kicker, Adam Vinatieri, missed a chip-shot field goal, and an extra point attempt was botched, too.

The second half wasn't quite so ugly, but when much-maligned Bears quarterback Rex Grossman's wobbler was picked off and returned 56 yards for a touchdown by Kelvin Hayden with 11:44 remaining, it was over.

Chicago (15-4), which led the league in takeaways this season, finished with five turnovers, including two interceptions by Grossman.

The Colts (16-4) will take it. It's their first title since the 1970 season, when they played in Baltimore.

Manning ended up 25-for-38 for 247 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, and was the game's most valuable player.

It was confirmation of his brilliance, even if he didn't need to be dynamic. The son of a quarterback who never got to the playoffs, Manning has been a star throughout his college career at Tennessee and his nine pro seasons with the Colts.

Now he is a champion.

It also was a validation of Dungy's leadership. He helped build Tampa Bay, one of the NFL's worst franchises, into a contender before being fired after the 2001 season. The next year, the Bucs won the Super Bowl under Jon Gruden.

The Colts hoisted their coach on their shoulders and he switched his blue Colts cap for a white one that read "NFL champions." Dungy was carried from the sideline, then was lowered so he could share a long embrace and a handshake with Smith.

Then Dungy waded through the mob to find his quarterback, giving him a big hug.

The Colts reached the pinnacle by winning four postseason games with a defense that made a complete turnaround in the playoffs.

And with a running game that perfectly complemented Manning, thanks to Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, who combined for 190 yards — 113 on 21 carries by Rhodes and 77 on 10 carries by Addai, who also had 66 yards receiving.

Chicago was denied its first Super Bowl title since the powerhouse 1985 team. These Bears could have used Da Coach, Sweetness and their buddies.

It rained from start to finish; there was even "Purple Rain" during halftime when Prince sang some of his signature songs. And though Vinatieri twice was a victim of the slop, he kicked three field goals.

Hester's spectacular return provided a stunning beginning — and a severe jolt to the Colts. The local product and only rookie All-Pro this season pumped his arms to excite the crowd before the kickoff, then lifted the fans from their seats with an electrifying run on which he never was touched.

He barely touched the ball again as Indy went to squibbing kickoffs.

Leading 16-14 at halftime, the Colts spent half the third quarter with a march to Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal. Twice on the drive, Manning fell to the ground while throwing. But he completed them.

Grossman had it even worse on Chicago's initial possession of the second half, twice in a row slipping and getting sacked. Maybe he would have done better on icy turf.

Thomas Jones, forced to carry the Bears' entire rushing load when Cedric Benson was hurt in the first half, was Chicago's best player. But with Grossman ineffective, even inept, all the Bears managed in the second half was Robbie Gould's 44-yard field goal late in the third period.

After Hester's opening dagger, Manning tried to force a pass to Marvin Harrison in double coverage and was picked off by Chris Harris to spoil Indy's first possession, but the Colts struck back on their next series, converting three third-downs. The final one was the most important as Manning got everything on a long pass to the uncovered Reggie Wayne even though Tank Johnson had his hands on the quarterback. Wayne trotted into the end zone for a 47-yard score.

Then the rain ruined three straight plays.

Holder Hunter Smith dropped the snap on the extra point and Vinatieri couldn't get off a kick. Then Vinatieri, well aware of who was lurking deep, squibbed the kickoff to tight end Gabe Reid, who fumbled at his 35, with Tyjuan Hagler recovering for the Colts.

But Manning and Addai botched the handoff on the next snap and Chicago's Mark Anderson recovered, the third turnover in the first 8 1/2 minutes.

Couldn't anybody play this game?

Jones certainly could. He used a sharp cutback to break a 52-yard run, the longest of his career, to the Colts' 5, and Grossman found Muhammad in the front of the end zone for a 14-6 lead.

Jones finished with 100 yards rushing.

A fourth giveaway in the opening quarter, by Benson on his first carry before injuring his knee, didn't damage Chicago.

Vinatieri, who made two Super Bowl-winning kicks for New England, nailed a 29-yard field goal early in the second period but was wide left from 32 y ards at the end of the half.

Vinatieri still set a record with 49 postseason points.

Nash earns all-star nod

NEW YORK (CP) - Canadian Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was one of seven reserves named Thursday night to the Western Conference team that will play in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18 in Las Vegas.

The Victoria born player, who will be making his fifth all-star appearance, is averaging 19.6 points and 12 assists per game through 43 games, while shooting 49.6 per cent from three-point range and 87.6 per cent from the free-throw line. Phoenix faced San Antonio at home later Friday.

One bad night may have overshadowed all the good Carmelo Anthony has done this season.

The NBA's leading scorer was not among the seven reserves announced.

Denver teammate Allen Iverson was chosen, extending his streak of consecutive all-star appearances to eight. He started the last seven games, while playing for Philadelphia. Anthony, who is averaging 31.3 points, but missed 15 games, while suspended for his role in the brawl at Madison Square Garden, was the most obvious omission.

Earlier Thursday, Anthony said that he hoped his suspension wouldn't prevent him from earning his first all-star spot.

"I hope no one holds that over my head over anything," he said. "Things happen. One incident like that is held over one person's head, life ain't fair."

"I did my punishment. I could've easily kept my name out there by appealing it and doing other stuff about it, but I just did my 15 games suspension and hopefully put that behind us."

Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were all chosen from the Phoenix Suns, the league's highest scoring team. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni will lead the West.

"It will be great to be able to go with our coaches and teammates," said Nash, the two-time NBA MVP. "It will be great to have them there and have them be recognized, too."

Stoudemire, averaging 18.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, made it after sitting out most of last season because of knee surgery.

"It was a goal of mine," he said. "I told you guys that before the season started, back in training camp, that I was planning on making it. So I was really striving for it."

"The past two years have been tough for me and it's definitely paid off. There may be people who doubt you, but you can never doubt yourself."

Dirk Nowitzki was the only player picked from the Dallas Mavericks, who have the league's best record. The Mavericks had been hoping Josh Howard would be selected as well.

"I think Dallas having the best record and only one guy, I thought that was surprising," D'Antoni said.

Detroit and New Jersey had multiple reserves picked for the Feb. 18 game. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, who both made their first appearances last season, are going back for Detroit, while Jason Kidd and former Toronto Raptor Vince Carter will represent the Nets in the game at University of Nevada-Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center.

"I'm happy that Rip made it, too, because he's having a career year," Billups said. "If I only made it, a piece of me would've been disappointed. I've always felt like we're a package deal."

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and first-timers Dwight Howard of Orlando and Caron Butler of Washington round out the East reserves.

The seven reserves were voted on by the head coaches in their respective conferences. Coaches couldn't vote for their own players, and had to select two forwards, two guards, a centre and two players regardless of their position.

The remainder of the West reserves were San Antonio guard Tony Parker and Utah forward Carlos Boozer.

The starters were announced last Thursday.

Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas were picked in the East. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant were voted in by fans to start for the West.

Anthony still has a chance to play in Las Vegas. NBA commissioner David Stern will choose a replacement for Yao, who is still recovering from a broken bone under his knee, and Boozer also could be unavailable because of a hairline fracture in his left leg.

He's expected to miss a few weeks, but said Thursday he hopes to return in time for all-star weekend. He doesn't know when he would need to resume running for that to happen.

"Hopefully if everything works out, it will be right on time," he said. "I'll put it like that."

Anthony and Josh Howard are the most likely replacement choices, but could face competition for those spots from Seattle's Ray Allen, Portland's Zach Randolph, the Clippers' Elton Brand and another Denver player, Marcus Camby.

Stern said that he expected to make his decision in the next few days, and that when doing so he wouldn't consider the suspension he gave Anthony for the punch the Denver star hit the Knicks' Mardy Collins with on Dec. 16.

D'Antoni will lead the West squad, because Dallas coach Avery Johnson is ineligible after coaching last season. The same three Suns were chosen as reserves to the 2005 game.

"I'm sure they'll be out there at some time, but I haven't thought about it," D'Antoni said. "I'm thinking about San Antonio and Utah and everyone else in between."

Washington's Eddie Jordan is close to clinching the East coaching spot, largely because of the play of Butler. The forward is averaging 20.6 points and 8.0 rebounds, both career highs.

"Coach Jordan gave me more and more freedom and I really thought I had a chance," Butler said. "I dedicated my time last summer and look what came out of it. I couldn't be happier with this, but I know there is still work to be done."

Toronto forwards Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa will take part in the rookie challenge on Feb. 16.

Prince headlines Super halftime show

MIAMI - Prince barely spoke, and still stole the show. It was billed as a news conference about the Super Bowl entertainment lineup, featuring pregame performers Cirque du Soleil, national anthem singer Billy Joel and Prince, the halftime-show headliner.

Typically, these events have been question-and-answer sessions.

Then again, there's little that's typical about Prince, the enigmatic six-time Grammy winner who once changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol and was best-known for racy lyrics and gyrations before toning his act down considerably in recent years.

"We are not taking questions at the end," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told a room packed with reporters and photographers, trying to give fair warning about a minute before Prince arrived, "but we think the trade-off will be pretty good."

The trade-off was a 10-minute concert with Prince and his 10-person entourage using that as their taste of what's coming at halftime on Sunday night.

His jacket, shirt, pants and shoes were orange — surprising since he is, after all, known as "The Purple One." Shielded from view moments before taking the stage, Prince came out, took a deep breath, grabbed his guitar and sauntered to the microphone.

"Thank you," he said, after finishing the quick set. "See you at the Super Bowl. Peace."

Then he was gone.

"I think he's brilliant," Joel said. "He's one of the most talented people in the industry today."

A six-time Grammy winner, Joel will become the first two-time performer of the national anthem in Super Bowl history. He also sang it before the 1989 game in Miami.

Sunday's game entertainment opens with Cirque du Soleil — touted as "a high-energy extravaganza of music, dance, gymnastics and circus arts" — pairing with well-known Miami artist, Romero Britto, for a pregame show. Grammy winner Louie Vega will provide an original musical score for the show.

Some Cirque performers were present. They were dressed as football referees and sat atop eight-foot flamingo puppets who pranced around the room.

Toronto Maple Leafs Of 1967 To Be Saluted

(TORONTO) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the 1967 Stanley Cup Championship team will be reunited and recognized in a pre-game ceremony when the Edmonton Oilers visit Air Canada Centre on February 17.

The game also marks the 80th anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs first game in 1927. Several players have confirmed their participation for the game next month including; George Armstrong, Bobby Baun, Johnny Bower, Brian Conacher, Ron Ellis, Aut Erickson, Larry Hillman, Larry Jeffrey, Red Kelly, Dave Keon, Jim Pappin, Marcel Pronovost, Eddie Shack, Allan Stanley, Pete Stemkowski, and Mike Walton.

“This is a terrific opportunity for our organization and our loyal fans to celebrate the achievement of a great team,” said John Ferguson, general manager of the Maple Leafs. “It’s really about saluting the last club of that Leafs’ era just before NHL expansion on a milestone anniversary of 40 years. It’s an occasion for them to enjoy their company once again and it also gives our fans the chance to cheer them as a group one more time.”

The 1966-67 edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs captured the franchise’s 11th Stanley Cup and fourth of the decade. The team defeated the reigning two-time Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens in the sixth game on May 2, 1967 as Canada was celebrating its centennial.

Ten members of the 1967 Maple Leafs would later be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. A total of 11 players from the 1967 team played on the three other Stanley Cup winning teams in 1962, 1963, 1964. They are: Johnny Bower, Larry Hillman, Bob Baun, Allan Stanley, Red Kelly, George Armstrong, Dave Keon, Bob Pulford, Eddie Shack, Frank Mahovlich and the late Tim Horton. Terry Sawchuk, Bruce Gamble, Horton, and coach and general manager Punch Imlach are the only gentlemen from the 1967 team that are deceased.

The Maple Leafs compiled a record of 32 wins, 27 losses, and 11 ties in 70 games in the 1966-67 regular season. The team’s 75 points placed them third in the standings behind Chicago (94 points), and Montreal (77). The Maple Leafs eliminated the first-place Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the opening round before completing the same feat in the Stanley Cup Final against the Canadiens.

Dave Keon led the team in regular season scoring with 52 points (19g, 33a) and he finished 12th among all NHL players in points that season. He earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as ‘the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs’ that year. Jim Pappin scored the Stanley Cup winning goal and he led all NHL players with seven goals and 15 points during the 12 games of the 1967 post-season. Forty years ago, the team was bolstered in the nets for the third and final season by two of hockey’s greatest goalies; Johnny Bower at age 42 and Terry Sawchuk at age 37. The unlikely playoff run came on the heels of a regular season in which the team needed three other goalies (Gamble, Gary Smith and the late Al Smith) at various points of the season. In addition, King Clancy spelled an ill Punch Imlach for a 10 game stretch behind the bench and led them to a 7-1-2 record.

Interestingly enough, the team had a 10-game losing streak from January 15 to February 8 scoring just 15 goals before regrouping to capture the Stanley Cup over their national rival. The hallmark of the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs was their experience. They sported the oldest lineup to ever win the Stanley Cup, with an average age of 31. Seven players were over 35 and 12 members were over age 30. Bower and Stanley (age 41) were the oldest members of the team in the last year of the Original Six.

Cooperstown bound?

NEW YORK (AP) - Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. will fall short of becoming the first unanimous Hall of Fame picks while Mark McGwire doesn't figure to be anywhere close to the necessary 75 per cent when 2007 voting is released Tuesday.

Paul Ladewski of the Daily Southtown in suburban Chicago wrote in a column Monday that he submitted a blank ballot because of doubts he had over performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

"At this point, I don't have nearly enough information to make a value judgment of this magnitude. In particular, that concerns any player in the Steroids Era, which I consider to be the 1993-2004 period, give or a take a season," Ladewski wrote. "This isn't to suggest that Gwynn or Ripken or the majority of the other eligible candidates padded his statistics with performance-enhancers and cheated the game, their predecessors and the fans in the process.

"But tell me, except for the players themselves, who can say what they put into their bodies over the years with any degree of certainty?"

Gwynn and Ripken likely will vie for the highest percentages ever in Hall voting. McGwire, also on the ballot for the first time, probably will draw only one in four votes, according to a November survey of about 20 per cent of eligible voters taken by The Associated Press.

McGwire finished with 583 home runs, seventh on the career list, and hit 70 homers in 1998 to set the season record, a mark Barry Bonds broke three years later.

But many voters have said they won't select McGwire for baseball's highest honour until he answers questions about steroids use. McGwire's refusal to address his past during a 2005 congressional hearing damaged his reputation among many of the 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who cast ballots.

"I think I would vote for him," Gwynn said. "I think I would vote for a lot of those guys who are considered to have done it."

Tom Seaver holds the record percentage at 98.84, set when he was selected on 425 of 430 ballots in 1992.

Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News was among three writers who submitted blank ballots that year, joined by Bob Hertzel of The Pittsburgh Press and freelance writer Bob Hunter. Retired writers Deane McGowen and Bud Tucker did not vote for Seaver.

"That was the first year that baseball intervened with Pete Rose and kept his name off the ballot," Hagen said Monday. "I just felt like that was a way of protesting.

"It had nothing to do with Tom Seaver."

Ty Cobb was left off four ballots, Nolan Ryan wasn't on six, Hank Aaron on nine, Babe Ruth on 11 and Willie Mays on 23. Joe DiMaggio needed to appear on the ballot three times to get in, receiving 44 per cent and 69 per cent in his first two tries.

"I'll admit I sort of felt that sooner or later it might come my way," DiMaggio was quoted as saying by The New York Times after he was elected in 1955. "But after failing to make it during the first two elections for which I was eligible - well, I just wasn't too sure."

Past elections also were cited by Ladewski as reasons for submitting a blank ballot.

"What makes Gwynn and Ripken so special that they deserve to be unanimous selections?" he wrote. "Walter Johnson, Cy Young and Honus Wagner didn't receive such Hall passes.

"Neither did Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams. In fact, nobody has in the history of the game. Based on the standards set by the Hall of Fame voters decades ago, is there a neutral observer out there who can honestly say Gwynn and Ripken should be afforded an unprecedented honour?"

Reliever Bruce Sutter made it last year on the 13th try, when Jim Rice fell 53 votes short and Goose Gossage was 54 shy. Rice is on the ballot for the 13th time this year, and he may have a better chance at gaining election next year, when Tim Raines and David Justice are the top first-time eligibles. Rickey Henderson goes on the 2009 ballot.

Gwynn and Ripken are baseball dinosaurs who spent their entire major league careers with one team.

In a 20-year career with the San Diego Padres that began in 1982, Gwynn won eight NL batting titles to tie Honus Wagner's NL record and was a member of 15 all-star teams. He finished with a .338 career average and won five Gold Gloves as an outfielder.

Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games, breaking Lou Gehrig's ironman record of 2,130. Ripken spent 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, hitting .276 with 431 home runs. A 19-time all-star, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1982, the AL MVP award in 1983 and 1991 and was a two-time Gold Glove shortstop.

Jose Canseco also is on the ballot for the first time. The former Toronto Blue Jay said he used steroids along with McGwire when they were teammates. Two-time Cy Young award winner Bret Saberhagen, former NL MVP Ken Caminiti and Harold Baines also are on the ballot for the first time.

A player remains on the ballot for up to 15 elections as long as he gets five per cent of the votes every year.

Any players elected will be inducted during ceremonies held July 29 at the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with anyone elected from the Veterans Committee vote, which will be announced Feb. 27.

Golden Troika - Canada wins third-straight gold!

LEKSAND, Sweden (CP) - Canada won a third straight world junior hockey championship and its first in Europe in a decade with a 4-2 win over Russia on Friday.

After taking the title in Vancouver last year and in Grand Forks, N.D., in 2005, the challenge for this Canadian squad was to win it outside North America. The country hadn't done so since 1997 in Geneva, Switzerland.

"It's unbelievable, a great feeling," Canadian forward Jonathan Toews said. "Tonight was a battle from start to finish. The Russians are a great team but we came out hard and finished hard, too."

Canadian defenceman Marc Staal also won gold in Vancouver but said this year's victory is a "totally different feeling."

"Winning in Europe is unbelievable," he said. "From the start (of the tournament) we just kept it simple. We clogged up the middle, teams got frustrated and turned it over."

Defenceman Kris Russell also won his second straight gold.

"Both are special and both are unique but to win it over here where Canada hasn't won in 10 years is quite a feat," he said.

Canada rode its excellent goaltending, defencemen and special teams to the final and the only question mark then was whether the team could produce enough goals at even-strength against the skilled and speedy Russians.

"The guys that we knew could score came through for us tonight," said Canadian coach Craig Hartsburg.

The Canadians were snakebitten in their semifinal against the U.S. and won that game 2-1 via a shootout.

But University of Michigan forward Andrew Cogliano, Bryan Little of the Barrie Colts and North Dakota forward Toews all scored in a five-minute span starting at 15:35 of the first period, with power-play goals by Little and Toews.

"We got that quick start and it made it easier for me to play," Canadian goaltender Carey Price said.

Brad Marchand of the Val-d'Or Foreurs gave Canada a 4-0 lead six minutes into the second period, but Pavel Valentenko and Gennadi Churilov scored power-play goals for Russia to cut Canada's lead in half heading into the third.

Both sides had power-play opportunities in the third period they couldn't convert. Russia pressed for a goal, but couldn't solve Price in the third period. Canada also withstood being two men down late in the third after Staal took a penalty for tripping and the Russians pulled their goaltender.

Price was named tournament MVP by the media and chosen best goaltender of the tournament by the International Ice Hockey Federation directorate.

He was the difference in Canada even getting to the final with his outstanding performance in overtime and in the shootout of the semifinal.

The Montreal Canadiens' draft pick stopped 25 of 27 shots against Russia and made a key stop on Anton Krysanov, who was breaking in alone short-handed early in the third period.

Russian counterpart Sergei Varlamov, a Washington Capitals draft pick, also made 25 saves.

Canadian captain and defenceman Kristopher Letang and Toews were named to the all-star team.

Hartsburg switched centres heading into the game, putting Toews between Steve Downie and Marchand and moving Cogliano to the second line with Tom Pyatt and Ryan O'Marra.

Cogliano and Little scored their first goals in regulation time in the tournament, after scoring in the shootout against the U.S. in the semifinal.

Andrei Kiryukhin dropped the puck down to Churilov at the face-off circle and his sharp-angled shot beat Price with 36 left in the second period.

Valentenko scored Russia's first goal at 11:27 of the second period. Price couldn't see the puck behind a couple of Russian bodies and Price was beaten stick-side by Valentenko's shot from the blue-line.

After helping kill off a second Russian power-play, Toews drove down the left wing and fed a charging Marchand, who shovelled the puck past Varlamov at the six-minute mark of the second period to make it 4-0 for Canada.

Russia opened the second period with a man advantage, during which Andrei Kiryukhin's blast from the blue-line squeaked between Price's pads and slid towards the goal-line. Russell stepped in to clear the puck.

Downie of the Peterborough Petes collected a rebound and sent the puck over to Toews at the hashmarks, where Toews whipped the puck high over Varlamov's stick to make it 3-0 with a power-play goal at 18:02 of the first period.

Little backhanded a rebound on a Letang shot over Varlamov's stick at 17:29.

Ryan O'Marra of the Saginaw Spirit cruised through the slot and dished the puck to an unchecked Cogliano, who fired the puck past Varlamov's glove at 15:35.

James Neal of the Plymouth Whalers dealt Igor Musatov a hard check at centre ice early in the first period.

Price dropped his pads and stopped a streaking Igor Makarov coming down the middle just less than three minutes into the game.

About 300 fans were among the announced crowd of 5,223 at Ejendals Arena to cheer on the defending champions.

A large group of them in the standing section of rink began chanting "We want gold" 10 minutes before the puck dropped and "You've got nothing" when Canada took a 4-0 lead.

They were joined by several Swedes, including a Swedish drummer, because the Canadians had cheered for their country in a 2-1 loss to the U.S. in the bronze-medal game earlier.

Following the game, the arena announcer specifically thanked the Canadian fans who were in Sweden for their enthusiasm throughout the tournament.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper watched the game from Ottawa. During a brief phone with Hartsburg carried live on TSN, he said the team had made all of Canada proud.

"You had the whole country cheering for you," said Harper. "I think everybody has taken an early weekend to watch the game."

Notes: The 2008 world junior hockey championship will be held in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic ... Canada will have five players eligible to return for the 2008 tournament: defenceman Karl Alzner, goaltender Leland Irving and forwards Sam Gagner, Brad Marchand and Jonathan Toews ... Belarus and Germany were relegated back down to the B world championship, while Denmark and Kazakhstan earned promotion to the A tournament in the Czech Republic.

GAME SUMMARY
LEKSAND, Sweden (CP) -- World junior hockey championship gold-medal game Friday:
First Period
1. Canada, Cogliano 1 (O'Marra, Pyatt) 15:35
2. Canada, Little 1 (Letang) 17:29 (pp)
3. Canada, Toews 4 (Downie, Franson) 18:02 (pp)
Penalties -- Churilov Rus (slashing) 7:00, Anisimov Rus (holding) 16:47, Valetenko Rus (high-sticking) 17:47, Helm Cda (boarding) 19:02.
Second Period
4. Canada, Marchand 2 (Toews) 6:00
5. Russia, Valentenko 2 11:27 (pp)
6. Russia, Churilov 2 (Loginov) 19:24 (pp)
Penalties -- Downie Cda (roughing) Anikeyenko Rus (charging) 2:42, Staal Cda (high-sticking) 3:43, Alzner Cda (holding) 11:21, Toews Cda (hooking) Kucheryavenko Rus (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:11, Toews Cda (hooking) 15:09, Letang Cda (roughing) Glovatsky Rus (roughing) 15:09, O'Marra Cda (high-sticking) 19:03.
Third Period
No scoring.
Penalties -- Ryasensky Rus (interference) 2:33, Bumagin Rus (hooking) 2:50, Helm Cda (hooking) 7:34, Little Cda (checking to the head, misconduct, minor served by Marchand) 11:23, Staal Cda (tripping) 18:12.
Shots on goal by
Canada 15 11 3--29
Russia 7 10 10--27

Goal (shots-saves) -- Canada, Price (W, 6-0); Russia, Varlamov (L, 5-1)
Power plays (goals-chances) -- Canada 2-5; Russia 2-8.
Referee -- Danny Kurmann (Switzerland); Linesmen -- Milan Novak (Slovakia), Fredrik Ulriksson (Sweden).
Attendance -- 5,223 (7,650).

Toronto Blue Jays move into future with Vernon Wells at centre of franchise

TORONTO (CP) - The "sticker shock" was intense. But the Blue Jays came to feel the US$126-million, seven-year contract extension for Vernon Wells is market value for a franchise player.

And despite the jaw-dropping size of the deal, the Jays believe they still have payroll room to manoeuvre elsewhere while locking up a player some believe, is just starting to become the superstar he can be. The 28-year-old batted .303 with 32 home runs and 106 RBIs last season and won his third straight Gold Glove Award. He's the rare breed of ball player who can win games with both his bat and glove.

He's also a reserved but highly respected clubhouse leader, someone who maintains an even keel in all situations and commands respect from his peers.

Underlining that leadership is the way he structured his contract, which starts in 2008 and gives the Blue Jays the fiscal wiggle room to keep adding more talent.

Wells' deal is the sixth-richest in baseball history. And it's believed to be the biggest ever handed out by a sports team in Canada.

He gets a $25.5-million signing bonus payable in three equal instalments on March 1 in 2008, 2009 and 2010. His salary is just $500,000 in 2008 and $1.5 million in 2009 before climbing to $12.5 million in 2010 and $23 million in 2011. The final three seasons are worth $21 million apiece.

That leaves the Blue Jays with a pricey but manageable core of six players - Wells, Halladay, A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Frank Thomas and Troy Glaus - that will cost them about $60 million in 2007, $61 million in 2008, $57 million in 2009 and $58 million in 2010.

"I think this will be Roy (Halladay) and Vernon's team as long as they're here," said general manager J.P. Ricciardi. "Roy will always be the guy the pitchers look up to and I think Vernon will be the guy the everyday players look up to."

And he's the player expected to lead them back to the post-season for the first time since 1993.

"The biggest thing was leaving flexibility for this team to get better over the next few years," said Wells. "By no means did I want to sign here and hinder this team from getting better."

The Jays are expected to have a payroll in the neighbourhood of $100 million over that span - the team doesn't plan to publicly announce a figure this season, it was about $76 million last year - so Ricciardi should have enough room to build a solid roster around them.

Wells' salary won't jump until 2011, when he becomes the only Blue Jay under contract.

"We can work around that, which is what we wanted to do," said Ricciardi.

The new deal also contains a no-trade clause and an opt-out provision after the 2011 season.

Wells is under contract in 2007 for $5.6 million - part of the $14.7 million, five-year deal he signed before the 2003 season - and would have been eligible for free agency after the season. He could have commanded even more money on the open market but instead Wells, with the help of his agent Greg Genske, settled on a number and an accepted when offered to him.

"I'm not going out there to try and make a name for myself in that way," Wells said of trying to break the bank next fall.

"For me to be selfish, to be greedy and want more and more, this is plenty. My kids can't spend all this money, this is enough to set my family up for the rest of their lives."

Team president Paul Godfrey said he needed "smelling salts and someone to prop me up to give them to me," when Vernon Wells' representatives first floated the idea of an extension some three months ago.

"We know the contract was going to be high," he said Monday "But it's like going to buy a house or a car, the sticker shock always takes you back. That's why deals aren't made overnight."

It wasn't until this fall's frenzied off-season spending began around the majors that the Blue Jays realized the numbers were simply reflective of an industry awash in cash. The $136-million, eight-year contract the Chicago Cubs gave Alfonso Soriano and the $100-million, six-year deal between Carlos Lee and the Houston Astros were among the key eye-openers.

Once the Blue Jays examined all the facts it became clear that Wells was asking for a fair market price (staggering as it is) and that they'd have to meet it to retain the all-star centre-fielder.

"Soriano and Lee are both great ball players," said Godfrey. "But when you compare their stats to his stats offensively and defensively, Wells is the type of player we thought fit in long-term with this organization."

On Dec. 8, Wells' 28th birthday, the Blue Jays called their marquee man and told him they would meet his contract demands. Talks gained momentum last week, with an agreement in principle reached late Thursday and the contract completed Friday, tying him to the franchise through 2014.

The agreement dwarfs the Blue Jays' previous largest contract, a $68-million, four-year pact with Carlos Delgado in the fall of 2000, and more than doubles the richest deal ever handed out by Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, the $55 million over five years given to pitcher A.J. Burnett last winter.

Among contracts in Canada, it eclipses the $94-million, six-year deal the Toronto Raptors gave Vince Carter in the summer of 2001, which at the time was believed to be the biggest deal north of the border.

Compared to his peers in the majors, Wells' deal ranks behind only those given to Alex Rodriguez ($252 million for 10 years), Derek Jeter ($189 million for 10 years), Manny Ramirez ($160 million for eight years), Todd Helton ($141.5 million for 11 years) and Soriano.

He's the 13th player to get a nine-figure contract.

Wells' first reaction was shock when the Blue Jays called him and told him they were willing to meet his price and hanging up the phone, it hit Wells that he was on the verge of becoming a very, very rich man.

"I got emotional just because this was actually happening, you're actually sitting back and thinking about the situation and what they're committing to you, it's a lot of money," Wells said. "You start thinking about your kids you start thinking about everything else."

Wells is unconcerned with the added expectations his new-found wealth will bring.

"Once I get on the field, money doesn't matter," said Wells. "I go out and play the game no matter if I'm making the minimum or making whatever I'm going to be making. I take pride in this game. I'm going to struggle and I'll be the first to tell you if I'm doing poorly ...

"I'll take the good with the bad and hopefully everybody will do the same. If not, I can deal with it. I'm a big man and I can take the criticism."

Aside from buying a house in suburban Toronto, Wells has no big expenditures planned. He will make a $1-million donation to the team-run Jays Care Foundation over the duration of the deal and plans to deepen his involvement in other charitable causes.

Other than that, he's just glad he's another step closer to finishing his career in Toronto.

"This gives me the possibility of doing that," he said. "It would be great to be a Blue Jay for life and hopefully to win some championships and to maybe don a Blue Jay hat one day in the Hall of Fame."

Toronto courts Wells

Is Wells worth the money?

TORONTO (CP) - The talk in Toronto all off-season has been on how the Blue Jays seemed to be paving the way for Vernon Wells' exit by removing him from their marketing campaigns and Christmas cards.

The contract offer they've made to the all-star centre-fielder would suggest otherwise. Wells is pondering a proposed seven-year deal believed to be worth US$126 million, a package that would by far be the richest deal in franchise history.

It would also be among the largest contracts ever handed out in baseball, ranking behind those given to Alex Rodriguez ($252 million for 10 years), Derek Jeter ($189 million for 10 years), Manny Ramirez ($160 million for eight years), Todd Helton ($141.5 million for 11 years) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million, eight years).

Soriano's contract was signed this off-season and likely helped push the bar up for Wells, whose current contract expires after the 2007 campaign.

"We have made an offer and that's where it's at," Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said in an interview. "We're not going to negotiate through the press, I'm not going to say where it sits."

Greg Genske, Wells' agent, didn't immediately return a message.

The offer is the biggest ever made by Ricciardi, dwarfing the $55 million for five years he gave starter A.J. Burnett as a free agent last winter, and would be the club's largest financial commitment to a player since Carlos Delgado signed a $68-million, four-year deal after the 2000 season.

Wells is due to make $5.6 million next year and should he hit the open market next fall, he'd likely fetch even more money than what's on the table now from an industry awash in cash. But the offer is the first clear indication of how far the Blue Jays are willing to go to lock up their marquee player.

"We will not talk about contract negotiations," an unusually terse Paul Godfrey, the team president, said Wednesday. "We're not going to make any comments."

On Friday, Godfrey said the Blue Jays had set a flexible deadline of about a month to get an extension done with Wells in order to not have the issue serve as a distraction from other matters of business.

If the Blue Jays don't get Wells' signature on a new deal, they can either play him this season and take two draft picks as compensation should he leave as a free agent, or try to trade him now.

There are already thought to be a handful of potential trade partners with their eyes on Wells, including the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.

Wells' future has been a hot topic among Blue Jays fans since last spring, when he and the club agreed to revisit the possibility of an extension this fall. Debates over the sincerity of the team's desire to keep him have been commonplace, with some wondering if another big deal could potentially become an albatross on the franchise the way Delgado's contract did.

Delgado's deal came at another hopeful time for the franchise but when the team crashed and burned on the field in 2001 and suffered staggering financial losses, the payroll was eventually cut to around $50 million with some 34 per cent of that devoted to the first baseman.

Although the annual average value of the proposed Wells deal is similar at $18 million, the Blue Jays have more to spend these days and his salary would represent about 18-19 per cent of a payroll expected to be in the neighbourhood of $95-100 million.

Still, news that Wells was no longer being used in the club's marketing campaigns triggered speculation that he would soon be trade bait. That turned up another notch at the winter meetings when the team's Christmas cards began arriving in mailboxes minus the franchise player.

The rumour mill heated up again after the winter meetings when the Blue Jays came up empty on pitchers Ted Lilly and Gil Meche. Wells' name began surfacing in trade rumours for pitching.

Ricciardi said the Blue Jays have lukewarm interest in the remaining pitchers on the free-agent market and are doing their best to find an arm for their rotation via trade. Wells is not on offer.

"We're scouring the (trade) market, just trying to do some things," he said. "I think the (free-agent) market is a little thin for us."

The Blue Jays also took care of some housekeeping Wednesday, signing backup infielder John McDonald to a $750,000, one-year contract.

McDonald, 32, batted .223 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 104 games last season. He began the year as a backup but took over as the starting shortstop when Russ Adams faltered.

He'll share time at shortstop this season with the recently signed Royce Clayton.

Prince to perform at Super Bowl halftime

NEW YORK - McCartney, Jagger and now Prince.

For the third year in a row, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act will headline the Super Bowl halftime entertainment. This time it's Prince.

The Purple One, winner of six Grammy Awards and nominated for five more this year, will play at the game in Miami on Feb. 4.

The Super Bowl, which will be televised by CBS, is annually television's highest rated show. An estimated 141 million people watched last year's game between Pittsburgh and Seattle.

The Rolling Stones headlined the halftime show for that Super Bowl, and two years ago it was Paul McCartney.

The NFL has tended to take a more cautious approach since Janet Jackson's widely criticized "wardrobe malfunction" at halftime of the 2004 game. That game also was televised by CBS.

Last year, Mick Jagger's microphone was silenced as he sang sexually suggestive lyrics in a couple of songs the Stones performed.

Prince gained attention early his career with raunchy lyrics and racy performances, but has toned down his act somewhat in recent years.

Story One - Stairs climbs north

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (CP) - Unlike their courtship of other players this off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays had little trouble getting a deal done with Matt Stairs.

"It didn't take very long for me to say yes," the Fredericton outfielder, speaking from Bangor, Maine, said Wednesday of his preliminary agreement on a one-year deal. "It took about 10 minutes to get done. I was extremely happy, I'm really looking forward to coming back to Canada."

The contract is expected to be finalized and announced later this week, allowing the Blue Jays to keep an extra spot open on their 40-man roster for Thursday's Rule 5 draft.

Stairs joins the Blue Jays as a fourth outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench, brigning with him a .358 average plus nine home runs and 23 RBIs in 106 career at-bats at the Rogers Centre.

Toronto will be the 38-year-old's 10th stop in a nomadic yet solid career that will leave him among the greatest Canadian batters to ever play the game. In 1,416 games over 14 seasons, Stairs has 220 homers (second only among Canadians to Larry Walker's 383) and 751 RBIs.

He also reunites with general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who helped sign Stairs as a free agent Dec. 1, 1995 with the Oakland Athletics, where he enjoyed his finest seasons.

"I didn't think we'd be apart 15 years," Stairs said in his trademark deadpan. "J.P. is a good guy, we go way back, and he knows what he's doing. He's a good GM."

Ricciardi wouldn't confirm the deal but said he had spoken with Stairs' representatives. On Tuesday, he admitted the club's interest in him.

"I've always liked Matt," said Ricciardi. "I helped bring him over to Oakland so I've known him a long time."

Stairs batted .247 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs last season for Kansas City, Texas and Detroit. The Royals did Stairs a favour by moving him to a contender in a deadline deal but when the Rangers faded they put him on waivers and the Tigers claimed him.

He played 14 September games with Detroit, hitting two homers with eight RBIs in helping the Tigers reach the post-season. Ineligible for the playoffs because he wasn't on the roster before Sept. 1, Stairs went home while his teammates reached the World Series.

In coming to Toronto, he sees a chance in getting back to the post-season.

"That's the biggest thing for me now," he said. "The last few years in Kansas City I was mainly in a rebuilding situation helping out in a leadership role as the older guy in a younger clubhouse. Now I'm coming back to Canada on a team with that has a chance to get to the post-season.

"It's something I'm looking forward to."

---------------------------------------------------------
Story Two - Lilly signs with Cubs

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (CP) -- Spurned by Ted Lilly, the Toronto Blue Jays shifted gears at the baseball winter meetings Wednesday by zeroing in on Gil Meche and reaching a preliminary agreement on a one-year deal with Canadian outfielder Matt Stairs.

Larry OBrien, the agent for Lilly, told general manager J.P. Ricciardi and his staff during a morning meeting that they were out of the running for the left-hander. Later that night, OBrien said Lilly had agreed to a four-year, US$40-million deal with the Chicago Cubs, pending a physical.

"At the end of the day, Ted decided he wanted a change of scenery," OBrien said in an interview outside the Disney Dolphin Hotel. "The decision had nothing to do with length of contract or money. The offers are all about the same."

Lillys departure means Meche becomes the Blue Jays main target to bolster their starting rotation. Meche is also being pursued by the Cubs while the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers are also said to have jumped hard into the chase.

The Blue Jays had hoped to leave Orlando with both Lilly and Meche. Their best offer, believed to be for slightly less than the one to Lilly, has been made and its up to Meche now.

"I think weve done everything we could possibly do," said Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi. "Really the ball is in their court at this point.

"I dont think its going to be a long wait. I think well find something out in the next few days."

Ricciardi said the goal now is to add one more pitcher, be it Meche or someone from their fallback list, which includes Jeff Suppan and Mark Redman. That pitcher would join ace Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett and Gustavo Chacin with a host of internal options to compete for the final spot.

"If we walk out of here with one, well be in the same boat we were in last year with three good pitchers in the front," said Ricciardi. "Our ultimate goal was to have two guys, we tried to get two, we didnt get one, well see if we get the other one."

Josh Towers and Shaun Marcum are chief internal candidates to fill out the rotation.

The deal with Stairs is expected to be announced later this week, allowing the Blue Jays to keep a spot on the 40-man roster open for Thursdays Rule 5 draft. The Fredericton native and Ricciardi know each other from their days in Oakland and Stairs nearly signed with Toronto before the 2003 season.

"Im very excited," Stairs said in an interview from Bangor, Maine. "We worked on it (Tuesday) night and it took about 10 minutes to get done. I was extremely happy, Im really looking forward to coming back to Canada."

Stairs batted .247 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs last season for Kansas City, Texas and Detroit. The 38-year-old is a career .358 hitter with nine home runs and 23 RBIs in 106 at-bats at the Rogers Centre and is happy to be joining a team with post-season aspirations.

"Thats the biggest thing for me now," he said. "The last few years in Kansas City I was mainly in a rebuilding situation helping out in a leadership role as the older guy in a younger clubhouse. Now Im coming back to Canada on a team with that has a chance to get to the post-season. Its something Im looking forward to."

A deal with veteran infielder Chris Gomez, who spent 2004 with the Blue Jays, could also be completed in the next few days.

"We had Gomey here before and he did a great job for us, hes a great guy, a good veteran player," said Ricciardi. "Hes a guy weve talked about."

But Lillys loss was sure to sting, with the only solace being that he didnt end with the rival New York Yankees. The Boston Red Sox took a major step forward Tuesday when they reached tentative deals with outfielder J.D. Drew and shortstop Julio Lugo, making the AL East as competitive as ever.

OBrien said Lillys decision to cut the Blue Jays had nothing to do with his altercation with manager John Gibbons in the tunnel after he was pulled from a Aug. 22 start in Toronto.

"None whatsoever," said OBrien. "As a matter of fact, his relationship with Gibby got better after the altercation.

"He has a respect for John and the organization . . . Ted is happy to be a Cub and he wants to be part of bringing a pennant and World Series to Chicago.

Word of Lillys decision came shortly after new Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella kept up his teams pursuit of Lilly and Meche.

Piniella said he has been on the phone with both -- he knows Meche from their days in Seattle where he also managed Pete OBrien, brother of Larry OBrien -- and believes they would benefit from a move to Wrigley Field.

"Part of my job since Ive been here in Orlando has been a little bit like a college recruiter, calling these guys. I enjoy that," Piniella said.

"I think theyve both been successful major-league pitchers but I think theres still some upside there for them. Weve got a good pitching coach in Chicago, Larry Rothschild, theyll benefit from that experience also. Hopefully things will fall our way."

...Riders part ways with Barrett

Danny Barrett will not return as head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders next season, the CFL club announced on Monday.

At a news conference at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, General Manager Eric Tillman said the team would not be renewing Barrett's expiring contract, ending Barrett's seven-year tenure with Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Danny Barrett will not be back behind the bench next season.

"The decision that was made … it's one I've come to accept," said Barrett, who owns a career coaching record of 57-68-1. "You don't always have to agree with things but you have to accept things in life."

Led by Barrett, the Roughriders endured a difficult season in 2006, culminating in a 45-18 loss to the B.C. Lions in the Western Division final.

It marked the third time in four years the Roughriders reached the Western Division championship. However, the team has posted only one winning season and has not held a home playoff game during Barrett's time behind the bench.

After the Western final loss on Nov. 12, Barrett, whose contract expires at the end of December, pegged his chances of returning in 2007 at "50-50."

Tillman wanted to move in new direction

Tillman said he did consider bringing back Barrett for one more season, but in the end felt that it was time to go in another direction.

"In the final analysis I had to take emotion out of the equation and look at the internal turmoil that this organization has faced the last couple of years … I realized as much as I have affection and respect for Danny, that we had to either make a multi-year commitment or stabilize the ship."

It had been speculated that Tillman, who took over from the fired Roy Shivers in late August, had planned to make changes to the Roughriders coaching staff in the off-season.

At least publicly, Barrett had the support of his players, but many in the media had speculated that Tillman wanted to put a new stamp on the franchise.

Though Tillman did not name a replacement for Barrett at Monday's news conference, it's believed he's interested in hiring Kent Austin. The former Saskatchewan quarterback spent three seasons as the offensive co-ordinator for the Toronto Argonauts before being fired last August.

Lions upend Alouettes to win Grey Cup

WINNIPEG (CP) - Paul McCallum kicked a record six field goals as the British Columbia Lions defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-14 to claim the Grey Cup in a defensive battle Sunday.

Ian Smart had a touchdown for the Lions, the CFL's best team in the regular season, who won their fifth Grey Cup and their first since they beat Montreal in the 2000 championship game.

''I can't even describe it, it's just feels so good,'' Lions receiver Geroy Simon, the CFL's most outstanding player who made four catches for 41 yards, told CBC. ''They did as great job of covering me, but we knew our big guys were going to step up and make some plays, they did a great job.''

Robert Edwards ran in a TD for the Alouettes, but fumbled on the one-yard line to kill a late comeback attempt with 4:06 left in the game. Otis Floyd recovered for B.C.

Damon Duval booted a field goal and the defence forced two safeties for Montreal, which was in its fifth Grey Cup in seven years and remains with only a win in 2002 to show for it.

McCallum, named the game's outstanding Canadian, tied a record for Grey Cup games shared by three other kickers, including his kicking coach Don Sweet, who booted six in 1977, Hamilton's Paul Osbaldiston in 1986 and Edmonton's Edmonton's Sean Fleming in 1993.

''The guys did really well, they got me in position I just did my job,'' McCallum told CBC. ''I don't know what to say it hasn't really sunk in yet.''

In a losing cause Montreal's Anthony Calvillo was 20-of-41 for 234 yards, pushing his career yardage total in the championship game to 1,468 yards. That broke Doug Flutie's record of 1,421.

And slotback Ben Cahoon made 11 receptions to break Als great Hal Patterson's record of 29 career Grey Cup catches, upping it to 31.

A full house of 44,786 turned out in clear, -3 C cold to see a game that unfolded as predicted - a clear B.C. win.

The Lions entered the game as seven-point favourites and showed it in a dominant first half in which Montreal only twice moved the ball into B.C. territory.

But the Alouettes defence limited first-half damage to a 19-3 Lions lead on Smart's TD and four McCallum field goals. Paris Jackson caught five passes for 65 yards and Ryan Thelwell had four for 39 yards in the opening 30 minutes alone.

Lions quarterback Dave Dickenson - named the game's outstanding player after going 18-for-129 yards for 184 yards and ran for 53 more - led a long opening drive that resulted in a 34-yard McCallum field goal and then took his team from his own 18 into range for a 35-yard McCallum boot.

''I was going to do what it takes,'' Dickenson told CBC. ''We deserved this.''

CFL outstanding rookie Aaron Hunt forced a Calvillo fumble at the Montreal 23, setting up yet another McCallum field goal.

Smart scored the game's first TD on a 25-yard run untouched around the left side 4:12 into the second quarter.

''This is a very emotional night and an emotional game for me,'' Smart told CBC. ''Yhis is a team that let me go early in the season, they told me I wasn't good enough so I felt like I had something to prove.''

Montreal finally got into the B.C. end midway through the quarter, Duval's 46-yard attempt was wide left. On Montreal's next possession, Duval was good from 43 yards to put Montreal on the board.

Dickenson led a final drive for a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the half.

The Montreal defence returned with renewed resolve in the second half and momentum shifted as it forced a Dickenson fumble at the Als' 46 that stood up after a challenge and video review.

The offence was stopped, but Duval angled a punt out at the B.C. one and two plays later, McCallum conceded a safety at 8:47.

Getting the ball back, Calvillo led his best drive to that point and Edwards scored on a two-yard run to cut B.C.'s lead to seven points.

The Lions are 5-4 in Grey Cup games while the Alouettes are 5-10. B.C coach Wally Buono, going against Grey Cup rookie Jim Popp, improved his record in championship games to 4-4.

It was a fifth trip in seven years to the Grey Cup game for the Alouettes, but their only win was in 2002 in Edmonton. The Lions lost a Grey Cup to Toronto in 2004.

As they have done often this season, the Lions used all three quarterbacks, with backups Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson going in for short running plays.

There was some nastiness before the game as Montreal's Avon Cobourne and B.C.'s Floyd got into a jawing match and others joined in as the teams passed each other for player introductions.

Next year's Grey Cup is to be played indoors at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Barrett unsure of his future

REGINA (CP) - Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Danny Barrett waxed philosophically when asked Monday about his future.

"I feel good about my future," Barrett told reporters, a wide, toothy smile shooting across his face. "I'm alive, I'm breathing, I've got a beautiful family. Future looks good." Asked whether his future includes the CFL team he has led for the last seven years and he's a little less sunny.

"I would say 50-50," Barrett said. "I'm an open-minded individual, always have been.

"I know a lot of things have been said out there about different things, but right now it is 50-50 and I look forward to sitting down sometime in the next couple of days and seeing what is going to happen."

Barrett's future was the question on everyone's mind as the Roughriders gathered to clean out their lockers Monday. The team was dispatched from the playoffs in humiliating fashion by the B.C. Lions 48-18 in Sunday's Western final.

It was a less-than-storybook ending to a tumultuous season for a team that has lost three times in the Grey Cup precursor since 2003.

While the players lined up to support their coach, there was a subtle sense of resignation in the locker-room that things could be different next year.

"I don't know if there should be changes, but I anticipate changes," said linebacker Reggie Hunt, a five-year veteran with the club. "Who knows what's going to happen? We got a new general manager in the middle of the season so anything's possible."

Speculation about how long Barrett would remain with the Roughriders has been rampant since the middle of the season when the team fired his friend and mentor Roy Shivers as general manager.

Shivers and Barrett joined the Roughriders following a disastrous 3-15 season in 1999, forming the first African-American management team in pro football history.

While the two have been credited with restoring respectability to the community-owned franchise they have also been criticized for never being able to rise above the level of mediocre.

Barrett's regular season record as a head coach is 57-68-1 including 9-9 finishes in each of the last three seasons. The team has never finished higher than third, meaning Barrett never achieved the oft-stated goal of hosting a home playoff game.

The Roughriders' new general manager Eric Tillman, who has said his priorities are quarterbacks, Canadians and the kicking game, has been diplomatic about the Barrett situation saying the two enjoy a good relationship.

After Sunday's loss, Tillman said he would sit down with his coach over the next three days and decide what direction the team will head.

Barrett is quick to point out that it's a two-way street.

His contract expired at the end of the season and he will have to decide if he even wants to come back.

"I am a free agent," he said. "I'm open for anything and everything. I'm not going to pigeon hole myself. Obviously you want to stay at the highest level that you can. I'm not going to even rule out being a general manager."

The players - Barrett's biggest allies over the last few months - want him back.

"He's a father figure," said defensive back Omarr Morgan, a free agent who has spent seven years with the club.

"Anytime any of the players get into something in the community they come back and tell Danny. He's like a father figure and to deal with what he has been dealing with the last seven years, most coaches can't do that. I'd love to see the next coach they bring in and how he handles it, because it's hard."

Whatever happens in the off-season, wide receiver Matt Dominguez said he hopes the changes are not catastrophic.

"I'd like to see Danny back. I think some things need to be tweaked, but I don't think our team needs to be overhauled," Dominguez said.

"You don't need to renovate the house. You just need to fix the basement and that is the kind of team that we've got."

Lions win West final in a rout

A healthy and hungry Dave Dickenson will have a third chance to complete what he started but couldn't finish against the Montreal Alouettes earlier this season.

The B.C. Lions quarterback shredded Saskatchewan's defence for 273 yards through the air and tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Paris Jackson on the way to a 45-18 victory over the visiting Roughriders in Sunday's CFL West final.

"We feel like it's our year. We feel we are the best team," Dickenson said. "You have to finish it. It doesn't mean anything if you don't win [the Grey Cup]."

Dickenson will lead the Lions into the 94th Canadian Football League championship on Nov. 19 in Winnipeg against Montreal, 33-24 winners over the Toronto Argonauts in the East final earlier on Sunday.

It will mark B.C.'s second Grey Cup appearance in the last three years and second versus the Alouettes in league history.

The Lions upset Montreal 28-26 in the 2000 championship at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

This season, B.C. dominated the East champions, posting a 2-0 record and outscoring the Alouettes 84-33. However, Dickenson was forced to leave both contests early due to injury.

But he made an impression, connecting on 28 of 37 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns in a combined five quarters of work.

On Sunday, Dickenson completed 27 of 37 pass attempts, including 19 in a 29-point first half.

The veteran CFLer was masterful at avoiding a Roughriders front four that caused havoc for Calgary quarterback Henry Burris in the West semifinal a week ago.

A scrambling Dickenson amassed 211 yards and three touchdown passes in the first half alone and let running back Joe Smith and a swarming Lions defence do the rest.

"They've got a lot of weapons," Saskatchewan coach Danny Barrett said. "I thought Jackson and [Lions slotback Jason] Clermont, they stepped up their play well today. I thought Dave threw the ball outstanding."

Smith added a pair of majors on a five-yard reception and six-yard run, while former Roughriders kicker Paul McCallum booted five field goals to tie Lui Passaglia for the club playoff record.

A Lions defence that led the league with 59 sacks this season brought quarterback Kerry Joseph down five times and made him hurry throws.

The ear-piercing noise of 50,084 fans at B.C. Place Stadium also resulted in Saskatchewan taking several time-count and procedure penalties.

Down and seemingly out, the Riders awoke late in the third quarterback and cut into a 32-4 B.C. advantage with two touchdowns.

After the visitors converted a third-and-five near midfield, running back Kenton Keith hooked up with Joseph on a 39-yard pass-and-run to make it 32-11.

Shortly thereafter, Saskatchewan defensive back Davin Bush forced a fumble by Geroy Simon — the CFL's top receiver in 2006 — that was recovered by linebacker Jackie Mitchell.

A few plays and a Dante Marsh pass interference call later and Keith made it a two-touchdown game with a four-yard plunge.

Controlled the clock

Undaunted, Dickenson controlled the clock and put McCallum in position to increase the margin with field goals of 18 and 41 yards in the fourth quarter.

McCallum, who signed with the Lions as a free agent last winter, was the goat of the 2004 West final at B.C. Place Stadium when he missed two field goals, including an 18-yarder in overtime, in a 27-25 B.C. triumph over the Roughriders.

The Lions broke Sunday's game open in the first 30 minutes, scoring 26 unanswered points after Saskatchewan rookie kicker Luca Congi connected on a 40-yard field goal to answer McCallum's 21-yarder early in the first quarter.

With the Riders smothering Simon, Dickenson spread the wealth or kept the ball himself.

He exposed Saskatchewan rookie James Johnson on numerous occasions and made the defensive back pay at both ends of the second quarter.

With the game tied 3-3, Dickenson eluded pressure and found the outstretched hands of Jackson, who outran Johnson and hauled in a 14-yard pass deep in the end zone to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive.

"We have different receivers that can do different things," said Jackson, who finished the game with five catches for 66 yards. "I just try and do what I can do."

With 21 seconds left in the half, Jackson shrugged off double coverage from Bush and Johnson to haul in a 35-yard pass to give B.C. a 29-3 lead.

Alouettes returning to Grey Cup

The Montreal Alouettes will make a return trip to the Grey Cup following a 33-24 victory over the Toronto Argonauts Sunday at Olympic Stadium.

The Alouettes used a key turnover at the start of the second half to help defeat the Argonauts in the East final for the second straight season.

"Some funny bounces happened," said Argonauts head coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons. "But we certainly thought that, disproportionately, we didn't get the breaks.

"Both teams could have played the same game and we could have been on top."

It was the fifth consecutive year the two teams met in the East final, with Montreal holding a 4-1 advantage.

The Alouettes now head to Winnipeg for the 94th Grey Cup and will play the B.C. Lions, who won Sunday's West final over Saskatchewan.

The Alouettes are looking to win their first title since 2002 and hope to erase last year's demoralizing defeat to the Edmonton Eskimos — 38-35 in overtime.

"We're excited, but man, I'm tired of losing [to] them," said quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who will lead Montreal into the Grey Cup game for the fifth time in seven years. "I'm going to stress that.

"I'm going to go out and win because I remember 2002 — that parade and that feeling. The last two times we lost it wasn't a good feeling. We've been here so many dang times it shouldn't bother us anymore. That's how I'm going to approach it."

Calvillo threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, while running back Robert Edwards balanced Montreal's attack with 137 yards rushing and a touchdown.

"I'm a little dehydrated now, but it was worth it," Edwards said in a raucous Montreal dressing room. "I get to rehydrate with a little champagne."

Estelle's major touches off shouting match

Montreal broke open the game at the start of the second half, taking advantage of a Toronto turnover to lead 23-3 just 43 seconds into the third quarter.

On the first play from scrimmage, Toronto quarterback Damon Allen was intercepted by cornerback Mark Estelle, who scampered 78 yards for the touchdown.

Estelle's major touched off a shouting match between frustrated Argos linebacker Mike O'Shea and receiver Arland Bruce at the sideline.

The interception was also enough for Clemons to pull Allen in favour of backup Michael Bishop for the second consecutive post-season game.

Allen, who was also benched last week in the East semifinal for the more athletic Bishop, was sacked twice in the first half and pressured on several other occasions.

The change made little difference initially.

Bishop was sacked by Dario Romero on Toronto's next drive, forcing the Argos to punt.

Bruce's TD reduces Als' lead

However, Montreal's Avon Cobourne fumbled Noel Prefontaine's punt that was recovered by Chris Hardy. Bishop hit Bruce three plays later with a 23-yard touchdown at 9:52 of the third, reducing Montreal's lead to 23-10.

Yet any momentum gained on Bruce's touchdown ended on the team's ensuing possession. Running back Ricky Williams was stripped of the ball by defensive back Ricky Bell, setting up Montreal's next score.

Calvillo hit receiver Thyron Anderson with a 52-yard touchdown strike on the following play to give Montreal a commanding 30-10 lead with less two minutes remaining in the third.

Bishop, who finished the game throwing for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, rallied Toronto in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns drives, bringing the Argos to within striking distance.

He first found receiver Michael Palmer alone for a 10-yard score at 3:13. Bishop then led the Argos on an 84-yard scoring march that resulted in a one-yard touchdown plunge by Williams, cutting Montreal's to 30-24 at 12:27.

The comeback fell short as Damon Duval iced the game for Montreal, nailing a clutch 44-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining.

The loss signals the end of Williams's brief CFL career. The 29-year-old veteran, banished for one season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, was on loan by the Miami Dolphins and is expected to return next season.

Meanwhile, the Alouettes snapped a 3-3 tie at 6:29 of the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Duval at 6:29. The drive was made possible after Cobourne returned a missed field goal attempt by Prefontaine 77 yards, taking the Alouettes into Toronto territory.

Montreal increased its lead to 13-3 on the next drive with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.

Edwards broke a tackle and pushed across the goal-line for the game's first touchdown.

Duval put Montreal in front 16-3 following a 29-yard field goal to end the first half.

The Alouettes took control from the opening quarter, but a pair of turnovers killed early drives despite gaining 111 yards through the air.

Captain Sundin out 3-4 weeks

The Maple Leafs will be without their captain and most valuable player for the next 3-4 weeks.

The team announced today that Mats Sundin suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow during a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Monday.

The veteran Swede seemed to hurt himself during a second-period collision with the Flyers' Ben Eager, yet shook off the pain to set up the game winner one period later.

"It could have been worse," GM John Ferguson said. "At least no surgery is required.

"I'm confident we can get through this."

Nik Antropov will take Sundin’s spot on the top line with Alexei Ponikarovsky and Kyle Wellwood.

"I know there is more pressure to pick up the offensive slack," Wellwood said. "I welcome the challenge."

Last season Sundin was hit in the eye by the puck in the opener against Ottawa and missed the next six weeks. The Leafs rallied in his absence and played above .500 hockey until he returned.

Game 4 of World Series postponed by rain

ST. LOUIS - Pitchers dominated the first three games of the World Series and the rain took over.

Game 4 was postponed Wednesday night because of rain and will be made up Thursday at 8:27 p.m. EDT, potentially sending the World Series into scheduling chaos. More showers are expected the next two days, and nobody was certain when the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals would play again.

"They're going to be dicey," said Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office.

Game 5 at Busch Stadium was pushed back to Friday night, which was supposed to be a day off in the Series. It doesn't look much better this weekend in Detroit, with a forecast of rain and cold.

The Cardinals lead the best-of-seven Series 2-1 after a 5-0 victory behind ace Chris Carpenter on Tuesday night. A silver tarp covered the infield all evening, players didn't come out to warm up and Game 4 never got started.

"You want to go out there and play, but you can't control the weather. It's not that big of a deal," St. Louis outfielder Preston Wilson said.

Steady showers all day led to the first World Series rainout since the 1996 opener between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. The rain fell harder as the night progressed, and the game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 51 minutes, the first time a Series game in St. Louis has been rained out.

It also was the fourth washout of a wet postseason. The Cardinals had two games rained out in the NL championship series against the New York Mets, and Game 2 of Detroit's first-round series at Yankee Stadium also was postponed.

The postponement gives St. Louis manager Tony La Russa a chance to juggle his rotation if he wants. He could bring Jeff Weaver back on regular rest in Game 5 instead of pitching rookie Anthony Reyes again. Reyes, however, tossed eight-plus strong innings for a 7-2 victory in the opener.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland could do the same with Kenny Rogers, who beat Weaver in Game 2 on Sunday night and extended his shutout streak to 23 innings this postseason. But Leyland specifically set up his rotation to give Rogers two starts at home, and the Series doesn't shift back to Detroit until Game 6.

A sparse crowd at Busch Stadium was informed of the rainout about three minutes after Major League Baseball made the announcement. Fans covered in plastic who had hoped for the rain to stop quickly filed toward the exits.

No Joke: 'Borat' Is Make Unglorious Slash

Apparently coming to the conclusion that middle-America will not "get" Borat (official title: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan), 20th Century Fox has cut in half the number of theaters that had been booked to show it, the studio confirmed Tuesday.

Fox distribution chief Bruce Snyder told today's (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times that despite enormous pre-release publicity and marketing, the studio's research had concluded that the movie was "soft in awareness."

The Times noted that industry analysts could not recall a similar action by a studio taking place just two weeks before a film's opening.

Fox indicated that it hopes that by opening Borat in 800 theaters, the resulting word of mouth will propel it into a stronger position the following week when it will be expanded to 2,200 screens.

Furtado to headline Grey Cup

Canadian pop diva Nelly Furtado will perform during the halftime show at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg next month, organizers of the Canadian Football League championship announced Friday.

"The Grey Cup is a national treasure and I'm thrilled to be performing," Furtado said in a statement.

Recent Canadian Idol winner, Eva Avila, a 19-year-old from Gatineau, Que., will sing the national anthem.

CFL commissioner Tom Wright called Furtado, winner of Grammy and Juno Awards, a great Canadian talent.

"The Grey Cup is a Canadian tradition and the largest single-day sporting event in the country," Wright said.

"As part of the Grey Cup entertainment experience, the CFL is proud to present Nelly Furtado in the Rogers Grey Cup Halftime Show. We’re thrilled to have one of Canada’s greatest talents entertain CFL fans everywhere on Grey Cup Sunday."

The 94th annual Grey Cup is at Canad Inns Stadium on Nov. 19 (CBC, 6 p.m.).

Furtado, who rose to fame with 2000's I'm Like a Bird from her record-breaking debut album Whoa, Nelly!, is back atop the North American music charts with hits like Promiscuous and Maneater from her third album, Loose.

The 27-year-old native of Victoria is the latest big act to perform at the Grey Cup, one of the oldest professional sports championships in North America.

Others include:

2005 in Vancouver: American hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas.
2004 in Ottawa: Tragically Hip.
2003 in Regina: Bryan Adams and Sam Roberts.
2002 in Edmonton: Country star Shania Twain.

Pete Rose admits taking amphetamines

NEW YORK - Pete Rose says he took "greenies" in his playing days, if only to lose a few pounds. Oh, and he doesn't bet on baseball anymore, but if he did, he'd pick the Twins and the Padres.

In an appearance on the "Late Show" taped Monday, Rose was asked by host David Letterman whether he ever used any performance-enhancing drugs as a player. Rose said he never did, but when prodded about "greenies," explained that he used them — though they were nothing more than "diet pills."

"Well, I don't think greenies would ever help you do anything," he said. "You know, I took greenies before in spring training only because I tried to lose some weight, see."

Letterman then asked whether the pills ever helped him ward off fatigue.

"No, not like steroids," Rose replied. "If I took steroids, I'd have gotten 5,000 damn hits."

Neither Letterman nor Rose used the word "amphetamines," which were commonly nicknamed "greenies" at the height of their supposed popularity in baseball. The sport added amphetamines to its list of banned substances last year.

Rose said he still enjoys watching baseball — as many as three games a day — and still holds out hope that he'll be reinstated. Letterman asked Rose who he likes in this year's playoffs.

"You sound like you're betting on baseball," Rose said, drawing laughter and applause. "You know, baseball's going to hate me — the two teams I like are San Diego and Minnesota. And I liked the Yankees until they lost Randy Johnson, I liked the Mets, who've had a fantastic year, until they lost (Pedro) Martinez. St. Louis is going into the playoffs playing as bad as you could play. Detroit, I don't think they have the experience."

He added that he can't bet on baseball anymore "because I know too damn much about it."

"It wouldn't be fair," he said.

Rose, the career hits leader banned from baseball for betting on games as a manager, also explained the story behind the balls he signed with the words "I'm sorry I bet on baseball" that hit the market last month.

He said he signed the balls in 2005 for a friend who planned to keep them for 10 or 15 years. But the friend passed them on to a partner, and they wound up in the hands of a collector who put them up for auction — prompting Rose to sign and market his own apology balls.

Saints march in as Superdome comes alive

NEW ORLEANS - As rock bands blasted and tailgate parties served up barbecue and brew, thousands of people poured into the streets Monday night, hoping to forget about Hurricane Katrina during a Mardi Gras-like celebration of the Saints' first home game since the storm.

Crowds swamped the area around the Louisiana Superdome in a human sea, creating a huge traffic jam for the team's emotional return and the reopening of the stadium, which underwent $185 million in repairs to erase damage done during and after Katrina.

"This is exactly what the city needs," said Saints season ticket holder Clara Donate, 58, who lost her home and all her possessions to Katrina's floodwaters. "We all need something else to think about."

The Saints and the Atlanta Falcons were both undefeated at 2-0 early in the NFL season, and the game received Super Bowl buildup. The Goo Goo Dolls played to the crowd outside the dome. Green Day and U2 performed for the crowd of more than 68,000 inside.

Harold Johnson couldn't get into the Superdome, but he planned to sit with his neighbors outside his government-issue trailer and watch the game on television.

"I don't want to talk about Katrina. I don't want to talk about insurance. I don't want to talk about anything but kicking Falcon butt," Johnson said as he stocked up on beer at a grocery store for the cookout with his neighbors.

Even with its gleaming new cover, the Superdome remained a symbol of Katrina's misery. Tens of thousands of storm victims suffered there in withering heat after last summer's hurricane filled the city with stinking floodwaters.

The Saints have not played a regular-season home game since 2004. They last played in the Superdome in a 2005 preseason game a few days before Katrina.

After the storm, the Saints became the NFL's traveling show, establishing a base in San Antonio and playing every game on the road amid speculation that owner Tom Benson might not bring them back to New Orleans.

Even now, a high-rise hotel, an office tower and an upscale shopping center stand empty just a few hundred feet from the stadium, with white boards covering blown-out windows. A few miles away, entire neighborhoods are wastelands of decaying houses.

Johnson and his neighbors were holding the party outdoors because none of them had room inside their trailers.

Amid the desolation, some residents could not bring themselves to celebrate the team's return.

Irma Warner, 71, and her husband, Pascal Warner, 80, live in an apartment in suburban Metairie while working six days a week to restore a home flooded by 7 feet of water in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood.

"We rode around through the Ninth Ward yesterday," Irma Warner said. "When I saw that, I thought, how can they spend $185 million on the Superdome. What about all these poor people?"

But she appeared to be in the minority. Downtown offices and City Hall shut down early in anticipation of crowds at the Superdome. Teachers promised to assign little Monday night homework so students could watch the game on television.

Tanyha Brown of Metairie said her husband was leaving work early so they could attend the festivities outside the Superdome. With no tickets to the game, they planned to watch from a nearby bar.

"This is the best holiday since Mardi Gras," Brown said.

Habs to play Sens in pre-season game as part of Hockeyville grand prize

MONTREAL (CP) - The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will face off in a pre-season game on Sept. 25 near a Nova Scotia town recently dubbed Hockeyville.

The NHL teams were announced Tuesday, several weeks after Salmon River, N.S., was awarded the grand prize of hosting an exhibition game and given the honourary title of being Canada's most passionate hockey community.

Salmon River was voted Kraft Hockeyville by viewers of the CBC reality TV show's season finale. The town also received prize money for rink repairs and hockey equipment.

"The entire Montreal Canadiens organization is excited to be part of the Kraft Hockeyville experience," GM Bob Gainey said in a release. "Many of our players grew up playing hockey in local community arenas and have fond childhood memories of places just like this."

Due to the limited number of seats in the local community rink, the game will be played in nearby Truro, N.S., allowing the maximum number of Salmon River residents to attend the game.

"It is a thrill to play in front of Canada's most passionate hockey community," said Senators president and CEO Roy Mlakar. "Salmon River demonstrated the spirit of what teamwork and the game of hockey is all about."

The seven-episode series debuted in March, looking at Canada's most hockey-mad regions. A panel of judges narrowed the field down to 25 communities, and then viewers voted on which towns or cities advanced.

Leafs agree to deal with Peca

TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs had a tentative deal in place with centre Michael Peca after meeting with the unrestricted free agent and his camp Monday, a source told The Canadian Press.

An official announcement was expected Tuesday with Peca, an unrestricted free agent, agreeing to a $2.5-million US, one-year deal. The Leafs and Peca have been courting each other for well over a week with both camps agreeing Toronto is a good fit for the 11-year NHL centre.

The 32-year-old Toronto native, a two-time Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's top defensive forward, makes his off-season home in Buffalo, making Toronto an ideal geographical location.

Peca, who earned $3.99 million last season in Edmonton, rebounded with a strong second half and terrific playoff after a slow start to the regular season. He put up six goals, five assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 playoff games, winning key faceoffs and killing penalties while centring a line between Fernando Pisani and Raffi Torres that was instrumental in the Oilers' magical run. He had nine goals and 14 assists in 71 regular-season games.

In Toronto, Peca fills one of the voids left by centres Jason Allison and Eric Lindros, the latter signing with the Dallas Stars on Monday. Allison, also an unrestricted free agent, isn't expected back with the Leafs.

Peca, who has 394 career points (160-234) in 693 regular-season games with Vancouver, Buffalo, Long Island and Edmonton, was traded to Edmonton from the Islanders last Aug. 3 in exchange for forward Mike York and a fourth-round pick in last Saturday's entry draft.

Peca, a junior star with the Ottawa 67's, was also a member of Team Canada's 2002 Olympic champion team in Salt Lake City.

Young lifts AL over NL in All-Star game

PITTSBURGH - The All-Star game was all set up for the National League this time. Trevor Hoffman on the mound, one strike to go, fans on their feet at Pittsburgh's enchanting ballpark. But no matter the setting or the season, the Nationals can't find a way to close out the AL.

Down to a final strike, Michael Young hit a two-run triple off Hoffman for a 3-2 victory Tuesday night that kept the Americans unbeaten for the past decade.

"You're never going to forget these things on this kind of stage," said Hoffman, who has 460 saves. "You feel like you let a lot of people down."

Young took home the MVP award — and the AL won home-field advantage in the World Series for the fourth straight year.

"Nobody wants to make the last out of anything, whether it's a regular season, World Series or an All-Star game," said Troy Glaus, whose double set the stage for Young.

Behind David Wright's homer and some daring, old-style baserunning, the NL took a 2-1 lead into the ninth.

Houston manager Phil Garner went to Hoffman, who is closing in on Lee Smith's career saves record (478) and has converted 24 of 25 chances this season.

After getting two soft comebackers, Hoffman gave up a single to Paul Konerko, who was replaced by pinch-runner Jose Lopez.

Then the NL nearly caught a break — it hasn't had many since its last victory in Philadelphia in 1996.

Glaus' smash bounded over the left-field fence for a ground-rule double, perhaps preventing Lopez from scoring. He was held at third, until Young made that moot.

The Rangers' underrated shortstop lined an 0-2 pitch into right-center and slid into third with what was probably the biggest All-Star game hit since Texas teammate Hank Blalock's go-ahead homer off a normally dominant Eric Gagne in the eighth inning in 2003.

"I'm not going to lie. This is a pretty big highlight in my career," Young said. "No one's really giving huge rallying calls to getting home-field advantage in the World Series, but we're all aware of how important this game is."

Mariano Rivera worked around Lopez's error at third base for the save, retiring Milwaukee slugger Carlos Lee on a popup with a runner on second to make the AL 9-0-1 in the Midsummer Classic over the past 10 years.

The NL's best result was a tie in 2002 in Milwaukee.

Call it a decade of dominance for the American League, which got an early homer from Vladimir Guerrero.

In fact, the AL has owned the NL year round lately, sweeping the last two World Series and winning a whopping 61 percent of interleague games this season.

"I wouldn't necessarily say domination. We got the breaks tonight," Derek Jeter said. "It's one of those things right now. We're on a roll. The NL was on a roll a few years back."

Once the AL was ahead, manager Ozzie Guillen brought in ol' reliable for the New York Yankees. Rivera's third All-Star save tied him with Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for the career mark since the stat became official in 1969.

"I was honored. We have a lot of great guys and he chose me, the old one," Rivera said.

Toronto lefty B.J. Ryan got the win with a hitless eighth.

An exhibition played with a crisp, competitive feel, the game was halted before the fifth inning for a ceremony at home plate for a tribute to the late Pirates great Roberto Clemente.

Bud Selig presented the commissioner's historic achievement award to Clemente's widow, Vera, who was escorted to the podium by Pirates Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski.

Guillen, wearing a Clemente T-shirt under his gray Chicago White Sox road jersey, appeared to wipe tears from his eyes, and highlights of Clemente's stellar career were shown on the video board high above left field.

The Hall of Fame right fielder was killed in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua on New Year's Eve 1972.

"Roberto was a hero in every sense of the term," Selig said.

With several National Leaguers admittedly tired of losing, they certainly came out to play.

Garner smartly worked his pitcher-batter matchups — as he said he would — and the NL employed a drastic overshift against Boston slugger David Ortiz.

The AL's 41-year-old starting pitcher, Kenny Rogers of Detroit, made a hard dive for Chase Utley's infield single in the second.

NL starter Brad Penny of the Los Angeles Dodgers said Monday his nerves would be "flowing," and maybe that helped him at the outset.

Popping the mitt of Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca — the two were traded for each other nearly two years ago — Penny struck out Ichiro Suzuki, Jeter and Ortiz in succession with a series of 98 mph fastballs.

The only other pitcher to start an All-Star game with three straight Ks was Boston's Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park in 1999, when he set down former MVPs Barry Larkin, Larry Walker and Sammy Sosa.

Guerrero hit his first All-Star homer in the second off Penny, over the short porch in right field. Wright, who hit 16 homers in the first round of the Home Run Derby before losing to Philadelphia's Ryan Howard in the finals Monday night, connected in the bottom half against Rogers.

"I got a lot of practice last night," Wright said.

Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Beltran each stole a base in the third against strong-armed catcher Ivan Rodriguez, an 11-time Gold Glove winner and 13-time All-Star.

Soriano was on second when Beltran singled, but Toronto's Gold Glove center fielder, Vernon Wells, cut down the speedy Soriano with a perfect throw to the plate.

Beltran reached second on the throw and stole third with two outs — with Albert Pujols at the plate. The Mets' center fielder then scored on a wild pitch by Roy Halladay that glanced off Rodriguez, giving the NL its first lead since that eighth inning in 2003.

"I was prepared to close the game out. I prepared like it was a regular-season game, and came out and threw strikes, but sometimes it happens," Hoffman said.

Notes:@ Some players and umpires wore yellow wristbands with the initials RCW for Roberto Clemente Walker. Even pitchers were allowed to wear them, on their glove hands. Young's special wristband is headed to the Hall of Fame. ... The NL lost for the first time in five All-Star games in Pittsburgh. ... Wright became the 13th player to homer in his first All-Star game at-bat. ... Beltran played all nine innings, the first All-Star to do it since Ken Griffey Jr. and Ray Lankford in 1997. ... At 2:33, this was the fastest All-Star game since it took 2:26 in 1988. ... A third baseman for most of his career, Glaus shifted to first base for the ninth inning. He's never played the position in a regular-season game. "That made me nervous," he said.

Shakira to headline World Cup closing ceremony

BERLIN (AP) - Shakira will headline the closing ceremony at the World Cup on Sunday.

The Colombian songstress will work her way down the stone stairs from the Marathon entrance of Berlin's Olympic stadium with local musicians and dancers in a 10-minute performance prior to the final between France and Italy.

Californian choreographer Doug Jack, who has worked on opening and closing ceremonies at the last five Olympics, said the program aimed to bring the energy and enthusiasm from the Fan Mile - where hundreds of thousands have gathered to watch World Cup matches on giant TV screens - into the stadium.

The mixture of vibes from the Fan Mile and the Love Parade, the capital's techno fest that drew 1.5 million to downtown Berlin at its peak in 1999, is something Jack said he wants to "bring into the arena and let go before the match."

For Shakira, it's a stop between gigs in Spain and Croatia.

Her single Hips Don't Lie is second in Billboard's Hot 100 behind Promiscuous by Canadian Nelly Furtado, whose Forca was anthem of the 2004 European championship.

The ceremony's creative director, Dieter Brell, said the World Cup had given Germany a chance to express a new image around the globe.

"We want to show Germany as our generation sees it," he said. "We're trying to be modern with the image of Germany we're presenting.

"We're a country that can dance and party and knows how to have fun."

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo will sing at halftime in the final, "so there's a musical framework for what is happening on the pitch," Brell said.

Italy scores two in extra time against Germany

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) - With scandal tearing apart the national sport back home, Italy kept plowing through soccer's premier event Tuesday with a last-minute win just when it seemed a penalty shootout was inevitable.

Fabio Grosso twisted a left-footed shot into the far side of the net with one minute of extra time remaining, then Alessandro Del Piero clinched the 2-0 win in injury time with a counterattacking goal as Germany pressed desperately to equalize.

"We deserved it," Grosso said. "We have a great group. We've beaten some very good teams. Now we're going to celebrate reaching the final with all our well-wishers."

The swiftness of the goals was stunning - three-time champion Germany had pressured for the game's last hour and slowly stretched the tight Italian defence. But Italy, which has allowed only an own-goal in six games at this year's tournament, held off the hosts and attacked from the start of extra time.

Now the Italians head to Berlin for Sunday's final in search of a fourth trophy of their own. They'll play the winner of Wednesday's Portugal-France match in their sixth World Cup final.

"I can honestly say Italy deserved to win," Italy coach Marcelo Lippi said. "We controlled the play more than Germany did and, in the end, we got these two great goals, which allowed us to avoid the roulette of a penalty shootout."

In handing the Germans their first loss in 15 games at Dortmund, the Azzurri also remained undefeated in five World Cup meetings with Germany - this was their third win to go with two draws.

The deciding goal seemed to come out of nowhere.

Italy's reserves rushed onto the field after Grosso took a brilliant tap pass from Andrea Pirlo in the box and curled his shot beyond the leaping reach of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and just inside the post.

With the hosts pushing forward in desperation, the Italians struck again on a two-on-one break. Del Piero finished with a right-footed blast into the top of the net just before the whistle sounded.

The Italians, who last won the World Cup in 1982, mobbed each other and rolled around on the field as their fans in a sliver of the stadium jumped in delight, waving the green, white and red flags in ecstasy.

"We have beaten a very strong team," Del Piero said. "They could have scored first on a couple of occasions. But we've done it. It's a fantastic feeling."

What the Italians have faced off the field could easily have sapped them of their resolve. Their domestic league match-fixing scandal reached new heights Tuesday when a prosecutor urged the demotion of four Serie A teams for which many of Italy's players star. Every Italian team member plays at home - and 13 of the 23 play for the teams under investigation.

While the Italians celebrated, the Germans collapsed in dismay.

"It's bitter to lose like that," Germany defender Philipp Lahm said. "We had set ourselves the target of reaching the semifinals, but once you've reached that you want to go all the way."

The home crowd lingered to cheer their players, who were supposed to be too young and inexperienced to challenge for this trophy. Instead, coach Juergen Klinsmann's entertaining squad performed superbly, and the crowd sang to them and chanted their names and "Deutschland, Deutschland" after the match.

Captain Michael Ballack and several others cried as they left the field, defeated, but unashamed.

"It was an even game," Germany striker Miroslav Klose said. "Compliments to the Italians, they took advantage of their fast breaks. We can be proud of our young team."

Italy is unbeaten in 24 games as it heads to its first World Cup title game since losing to Brazil in 1994.

Germany will play in the third-place game Saturday in Stuttgart.

"The boys are sitting there and have a bitter pill to swallow," said Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup played in Italy. "It hurts terribly."

Klinsmann's contract with Germany runs out at the end of the tournament and he has been vague about his future. There have been reports that the U.S. Soccer Federation has approached him to become coach of the United States.

Klinsmann chose to continue living in California until shortly before the World Cup and he won't be resettling in Germany despite such calls from many German soccer officials.

"I really hope that Klinsmann will continue. He left a big influence on this team, the players trust him," said Franz Beckenbauer, the president of the organizing committee who won the title as player in 1974 at home and as coach in 1990. "They should mature until the European championship in two years."

Yzerman to retire

Detroit has called press conference for 1 p.m. today and Steve Yzerman is stepping down.

The Detroit Red Wings Captain has made the difficult decision to retire and he's expected to make the announcement during a press conference today in the Motor City.

The sure-fire hall-of-famer has decided his body can no longer take the grind of another NHL season.

Five Blue Jays named as all-stars

Jason Bay to start in NL outfield

TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Blue Jays, seeking to break up years of dominance in the American League East by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, are sending more players than their division rivals to next week's all-star game.

Ace Roy Halladay, closer B.J. Ryan, third baseman Troy Glaus plus outfielders Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, who will miss the game because of injury, were all voted by their peers onto the AL squad announced Sunday by Major League Baseball, the second highest total in club history. Seven Blue Jays were in the 1993 game.

This time, the defending World Series champion Chicago White Sox and National League East-leading New York Mets lead the way with six players each in the 77th all-star game next Tuesday at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

The Blue Jays are next with five, plus manager John Gibbons will serve as one of Ozzie Guillen's coaches, followed by the Red Sox and Yankees with four apiece.

"Maybe this will bring a little recognition to what's going on up here and hopefully we can continue to let it go," Glaus said after an 11-6 loss to the Phillies. "So far it says we have some guys who have had good first halves. There's a lot more games to play, a lot more to accomplish."

Pittsburgh Pirates star Jason Bay of Trail, B.C., is the only Canadian in the contest and will start in the NL outfield after receiving 2,635,930 votes, the second-highest total among players in the Senior Circuit.

He's the first Canadian to start in the all-star game since Larry Walker in 1999 and it's the 10th straight year at least one Canuck has been named to an all-star team. The last time two Canadians went to the contest was 2001, when Walker and Paul Quantrill took part.

The Blue Jays won't have a single starter in the game, with Wells coming closest by finishing fifth in fan voting among AL outfielders.

Starting for the American League, which has a 40-34-2 edge over the National League, will be Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez at catcher, Boston's David Ortiz at first and Mark Loretta at second, the Yankees' Derek Jeter at short and Alex Rodriguez at third, with the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero, Boston's Manny Ramirez and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in the outfield.

"We don't have the kind of support that the Red Sox and Yankees have where they pretty much have their whole starting lineups starting in that game," said Wells. "These guys have played well and we've been able to have a good first half."

Rios, who remains in a Toronto hospital with a severe left leg infection, was replaced on the roster by Gary Matthews Jr. of Texas. He can still attend the all-star game festivities although it wasn't clear if he would.

"I would assume he'd go and get introduced. He should," said Gibbons. "He got recognized by his peers, he's having that kind of year."

Added Wells: "This definitely won't be his last one, that's for sure."

Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., was a tough omission. Jim Thome and Paul Konerko, both of the White Sox, are the AL's backup first basemen.

Aside from Halladay and Ryan, Guillen's pitching staff includes three members of his White Sox: Jose Contreras, an early favourite to start for the AL, Mark Buehrle and closer Bobby Jenks. Minnesota's Johan Santana, Detroit's Kenny Rogers, Mark Redman of Kansas City and Oakland lefty Barry Zito are the other starters.

Also in the AL's fearsome bullpen are Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon and ageless Yankees stopper Mariano Rivera.

Joining Bay in the NL's starting outfield are Carlos Beltran of the Mets and Washington's Alfonso Soriano.

Paul Lo Duca of the Mets is the starting catcher, Albert Pujols, the St. Louis slugger who led all players with 3,418,555 votes, is at first, Philadelphia's Chase Utley is at second, the Mets' David Wright is at third and teammate Jose Reyes is at short.

Houston Astros manager Phil Garner can choose from Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine of the Mets, Arizona's Brandon Webb, Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, St. Louis' Chris Carpenter, Brad Penny of the Dodgers, San Francisco's Jason Schmidt and Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs for his starting pitcher.

In the NL bullpen are Philadelphia's Tom Gordon, Milwaukee's Derrick Turnbow, San Diego's Trevor Hoffman and Colorado's Brian Fuentes.

The bevy of all-star selections came as nice surprise to the Blue Jays, who weren't sure how the whole selection process was going to play out. The fact that all five were chosen in the players' vote stirred some pride in the clubhouse.

"I think every player will tell you that having the respect of other players is probably the biggest compliment," said Halladay. "The way we've been playing lately and the way guys have been producing, I think other teams are going to recognize that, especially when we get a chance to play them."

Halladay, who was going to start last year's game until a broken leg felled him the weekend before the game, won't have a chance to start this one. He's starting Sunday in Kansas City and will likely only be available for an inning.

"I don't really see a problem pitching. That's the reason you go, you look forward to getting in the game," said Halladay, 10-2 with a 3.22 ERA. "It was disappointing not to be able to go last year, but it's going to be more fun for me just because there are so many guys from here going."

Halladay, Ryan (1-0 with 0.45 ERA and 22 saves) and Wells (.315 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs) were obvious picks, but things were going to be tough for Rios (.330 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs) and Glaus (.248 with 22 homers and 57 RBIs).

But Glaus was a clear winner in the players' vote at third base over Oakland's Eric Chavez (205-183), Wells was second and Rios fifth among outfielders while Halladay was second among starters and Ryan second among relievers.

"You want to be respected by your peers, that's the biggest thing," said Ryan.

Cito Gaston was the manager the year the Blue Jays sent seven players to the 1993 all-star game, his reward for leading the club to its first World Series title in 1992. He was the manager again in 1994, when four Jays took part in the contest.

More recently the Blue Jays had three players chosen for the 2000 and 2003 affairs.

"I would have guessed five but I don't know how it all sets up," said Gibbons. "We have some good players, guys having good years. We have a good club. It's good for the town, well represented."

Glaus is hoping the all-star game isn't the only place the Blue Jays end up one-upping the Red Sox and Yankees.

"Obviously the talent that was in here was very, very good," he said. "Hopefully we can all stay healthy and put a run together and kind of get back into this thing and see where it goes."

Carolina edges Oilers to win Stanley Cup

RALEIGH, N.C. - This time, the Stanley Cup gets to stay on Tobacco Road. A couple of low-scoring Carolina defensemen put Edmonton's comeback on ice and Cam Ward stopped nearly everything that came his way, giving the Hurricanes their first NHL championship with a 3-1 victory in Game 7 on Monday night.

Aaron Ward and Frantisek Kaberle found the net for the Hurricanes — a couple of unlikely players to carry the offense, considering they were each six-goal scorers during the regular season and had combined for only four in the playoffs.

Then there's the guy who made sure two goals were enough. Cam Ward, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs, wasn't even Carolina's No. 1 goalie at the beginning of the postseason, but the 22-year-old rookie got the call when Martin Gerber struggled in an opening round against Montreal.

The young star wound up winning more games in the playoffs (15) than he did backing up Gerber during the regular season (14).

"I mean, this is a dream come true," Ward said. "I couldn't be with a better group of guys. They definitely deserve it."

Justin Williams finished off the Oilers, scoring an empty-net goal with 1:01 remaining after Edmonton had cut the lead in half early in the third period.

Edmonton defenseman Chris Pronger, a stalwart throughout the series, gave up the puck in the Carolina zone and wound up making a helpless dive to block Williams' gimme into the goal.

Bret Hedican, among a contingent of 30-something Carolina players who had never won the cup, leaped in the air after Williams' shot went in. The crowd of nearly 19,000, which stood throughout the game, went into a frenzy.

"We want the cup!" they chanted over and over.

They got it, bringing the trophy to territory best known for college basketball.

"I can't describe it," said Hedican, who lost in two previous trips to the finals. "Both times were gut-wrenching. I've got the scars. But tonight, all that work, all that hard work, and our team winning, it all paid off."

It paid off, too, for captain Rod Brind'Amour, Glen Wesley, Doug Weight and Ray Whitney. Along with Hedican, they had been in the league for a total of 78 seasons without winning the cup.

Now, they'll all have their names on it.

The Hurricanes were born in the old World Hockey Association as the Boston-based New England Whalers, and entered the NHL in 1979 playing out of Hartford. When their demands for a new arena were turned aside, the team headed south in 1997.

The first two years in Carolina were a dismal experience, the team forced to play 80 miles away in Greensboro while a new arena was built in Raleigh. Few fans turned up in the beginning and the upper deck was curtained off, the demand for tickets so light.

Now, the Hurricanes are champions, capitalizing on their second trip to the finals. Four years ago, they were beaten in five games by Detroit.

The Oilers have nothing to be ashamed of, making it all the way to the final game of the season after barely getting into the playoffs.

Fernando Pisani did it again for Edmonton, scoring his playoff-leading 14th goal just over a minute into the third to make a game of it, and goalie Jussi Markkanen had another strong game with 25 saves.

The series looked as if it would be a rout when Carolina rallied from a three-goal deficit to win Game 1 and blew out the Oilers 5-0 in Game 2. The Oilers also had to cope with the loss of playoff star Dwayne Roloson, who had played every minute of the postseason in goal until he went out with a knee injury in the opener.

But, led by Markkanen and Pisani, the Oilers rebounded from a 3-1 deficit. They pulled out an overtime win in Carolina — with the cup somewhere in the bowels of the RBC Center, waiting to be handed out if the Hurricanes won.

Edmonton returned home and blew out Carolina 4-0 in Game 6.

That's where the comeback ended. Brind'Amour made sure of that, urging on his teammates to finish what they started.

Appropriately enough, the captain was the first one to get the cup. Brind'Amour broke down in tears of joy as he lifted it up.

"He's the leader of this team," Cam Ward said. "Once again, he came up huge for us."

Right from the start, Carolina seized the momentum with the sort of energy and passion that had been missing since Game 5.

Erik Cole delivered a big hit at center ice to force Edmonton into a turnover, and Matt Cullen took off the other way with the puck. He swept in on Markkanen, who made a good save off his chest.

The Hurricanes didn't let up, keeping Edmonton bottled up in its own zone. Mark Recchi got possession behind the net and attempted a pass to Andrew Ladd standing in front, only to have the ricochet back to Aaron Ward moving in from the point.

That worked out just fine for Carolina. The defenseman delivered a slap shot that skidded through a half-dozen players scrumming in front of the net and on through the legs of Markkanen, who appeared to be screened.

It was the Hurricanes' first goal in 95:01 since the second period of Game 5.

Carolina thought it had another goal in the final seconds of the period. Brind'Amour flipped a pass to Craig Adams, who fanned on his first shot but then backhanded the puck off Markkanen's stick.

The goalie fell facefirst to the ice, the puck spinning over him and toward the post. Defenseman Steve Staios dove into the net and stuck out his right glove in an attempt to keep the puck out.

It was hard to tell exactly where the puck was on most of the replays, but one angle appeared to show the puck sliding under Staios and just across the goal line. However, the officials ruled that play was dead as soon as Staios struck the puck with his hand since a delayed penalty had been called on Edmonton's Ethan Moreau — a huge break for the Oilers with 4.1 seconds left in the period.

Carolina finally made it 2-0 with just over four minutes gone in the second. Kaberle fired a slap shot over a diving Jason Smith, whose sweater appeared to catch part of the puck and cause it to dip under Markkanen's left pad when he had his glove out to make the save.

Pisani gave the Oilers hope at 1:03 in the third, crashing the net to knock in a loose puck after Cam Ward had already made one save and turned aside a rebound try.

Edmonton was the first eighth-seeded team to reach the finals under the current format, knocking off three higher-ranked teams — including regular-season champ Detroit — along the way.

The Oilers were in the finals for the first time since 1990, when they won their fifth cup in seven years. For most of the '80s, Edmonton was the center of the hockey world with star-studded teams led by Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr.

But spiraling salaries and changing economics sent the Oilers into a tailspin, putting their very future in doubt. Now, in the first season of the new salary cap-protected NHL, they made a title run with a blue-collar team featuring few big names.

But Edmonton failed in its bid to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since Montreal's championship in 1993.

Instead, the cup is remaining in Dixie. Tampa Bay won in 2004 and now the trophy belongs to Carolina after an entire season was lost to a lockout.

Country rocker Toby Keith's hit "How do You Like Me Now?" blared out in the arena as the Hurricanes passed around the cup.

A fan held up a sign, "Hockey, The New Southern Sport."

Notes:@ It was the first time that three straight Stanley Cup finals have gone to Game 7. ... Bill McCreary and Brad Watson were picked as the referees, working their second game in a row. This was the 11th straight finals appearance for McCreary.

Oilers force Game 6

RALEIGH, N.C. (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers continue to amaze.

They didn't qualify for the NHL playoffs until the 81st game of their 82 in the regular season. They fought their way to the championship series as the first No. 8 seed ever to do so. They were given little chance in the final after losing first-string goalie Dwayne Roloson in the first game. They were all but written off after the Carolina Hurricanes took a 3-1 series lead.

Yet, they've forced the series back to Edmonton for a Game 6 Saturday night.

Fernando Pisani's second goal of the game 3:31 into overtime, on a short-handed breakaway, gave them a 4-3 victory Wednesday night. Ales Hemsky and Mike Peca also scored for the Oilers.

"That's all we were thinking about - just trying to get back to Edmonton for Game 6," said Oilers defenceman Chris Pronger. "It's huge going back home."

Cautioned goaltender Jussi Markkanen: "We still have a long way to go."

It was 3-3 after 40 minutes and it stayed that way until Pisani ended it.

He intercepted a weak pass from Carolina's Cory Stillman, broke in alone on goalie Cam Ward and flicked a wrist shot into the top inside corner of the net.

"It happened so quick," said Pisani. "The pass was coming slow so that's why I jumped up.

"I decided to go for it and it worked out well."

Eric Staal, with two goals, and Ray Whitney scored for the Hurricanes - all on power plays.

The Oilers remain convinced they are the better team and can best survive a long series.

"You get a sense that you're giving yourself an opportunity to get back in the series," said Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish. "We all sensed that.

"We really had a sense that we were starting to turn the tide and momentum .n.n. this puts us right back into it."

Carolina lost two players in Game 5: defenceman Aaron Ward left early in the second period with an upper body injury, and centre Doug Weight hurt his right shoulder early in the third.

Heavy rains that flooded parts of the city earlier in the day didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 18,974 in the RBC Center. Fans were tailgating under tarps and awnings hours before the opening faceoff.

The Oilers started quickly in their bid to extend the series. Pronger slapped a blue-line drive that Pisani deflected through Ward's legs after only 16 seconds.

"We wanted to get off to a better start and we certainly did that," said Pronger.

Referees Paul Devorski and Mick McGeough dealt Edmonton the first three penalties, and Carolina jumped ahead 2-1 on power plays.

Staal shoved his own rebound past Markkanen at 5:54 and Whitney connected with a high slapshot from the circle to the left of Markkanen, who was screened by Weight. Matt Greene was in the penalty box on both goals, and coach Craig MacTavish used him sparingly the rest of the night.

Entering the game, Carolina was 5-for-25 and Edmonton 1-for-25 on power plays. It was a factor that had swung the series in Carolina's favour.

The Oilers needed to do better, and they did on Carolina's first penalty. With Matt Cullen off, Dick Tarnstrom slid the puck to Hemsky, and Hemsky fired a high bullet from the circle to the right of Ward that found the top of the net at 13:25 for Edmonton's first power-play goal since Game 1.

The Oilers went up 3-2 when Hemsky stickhandled to Ward's doorstep, the puck slid loose to Peca at the side of the crease as Ward was falling, and Peca lifted it into the top of the net at 19:42.

Staal tied it 3-3 at 9:56 of the second period with yet another Carolina power-play goal. Steve Staios was in the penalty box. Ray Whitney's shot missed the net, hit the back boards and bounced off the back of Markkanen's left leg. Staal banged at the puck and it went in for his ninth goal and league-best 27th point.

"It's was breakneck pace - lots of energy, lots of action, lots of chances," said MacTavish. "Heck of a hockey game."

The Hurricanes had to be confident they could win the game and the series in the final 20 minutes because they had outscored opponents 25-10 in their 22 previous playoff games this spring.

But the Oilers hung in there with great defensive play, and Markkanen kept the score even when he got his left shoulder in front of a Whitney shot as the 'Canes stormed his crease with eight minutes left in regulation. The Oilers held Carolina to two shots on Markkanen in the third, and got off five of their own. They were still very much alive, and Pisani proved it.

Notes: Shots on goal were 24-22 in Carolina's favour during regulation time . . . On power plays, Carolina was 3-for-7 in the game to go to 8-for-32 in the series, while Edmonton was 1-for-7 to slip to 2-for-32 in the series . . . Stillman extended his point streak to 13 games with an assist on the Whitney goal . . . Edmonton inserted Todd Harvey in place of Georges Laraque.

Oilers lose Game One and Roloson

RALEIGH, N.C. (CP) - The Edmonton Oilers' bid to become the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 13 years is a longshot proposition now that goaltender Dwayne Roloson has been lost for the balance of the NHL's championship series.

Ty Conklin or Jussi Markkanen will have to start Game 2 Wednesday.

Roloson hurt his right knee in a pileup in his crease with the score 4-4 with about five minutes remaining in the opener Monday night, Conklin was sent in to replace him, and Rod Brind'Amour jumped on his first mistake to score with 31.1 seconds left to cap a furious comeback and give the Carolina Hurricanes a thrilling 5-4 win.

Afterwards, coach Craig MacTavish emerged from a gloomy Oilers dressing room to announce the worst.

''Our goalie's not good,'' said MacTavish. ''He won't be back in the series.''

The Oilers now face the prospect of trying to become the first Canadian team to win the title since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 without the leading candidate for playoff MVP honours.

''I know we can, I feel very confident that we can, bounce back from it,'' said MacTavish. ''Our goaltenders are capable of coming in here and playing well, both Jussi and Ty.''

It might be wishful thinking because Conklin, for one, certainly didn't look up to the task on Brind'Amour's winner. Conklin, who hadn't played a post-season minute, stopped two shots after replacing Roloson before leaving his crease to go after a puck in the last minute. He backhanded it, it struck teammate Jason Smith's stick, and trickled right to Brind'Amour. The Canes captain couldn't believe his good luck as he slipped it into the open net.

''It was just a matter of flipping it into the net,'' Brind'Amour said after his playoffs-leading 11th goal. ''You don't get too many of those, but I'll definitely take them.''

Conklin said he held onto the puck too long.

''I didn't make the play quickly enough,'' he said. ''It's not a mistake I would normally make.''

He'd been inactive for weeks so it was unfair to blame him for the loss. It was his teammates' failure to protect a three-goal lead that led to the loss despite a 38-26 advantage in shots on goal.

Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney scored two goals each and Justin Williams had one for the Hurricanes, who trailed 3-0 late in the second period. The Hurricanes have made a habit of comeback victories this spring, and they'd done it again.

Carolina equalled the biggest comeback in championship series history, becoming the sixth club to win a game in the final in which it trailed by three goals.

Chris Pronger, with the first successful penalty shot in championship series history, Fernando Pisani, Ethan Moreau and Ales Hemsky scored for the Oilers.

Roloson was hurt when Andrew Ladd, being pushed by Marc-Andre Bergeron, crashed into him.

''He was coming with a lot of speed,'' Bergeron said of his attempt to contain Ladd. ''I tried to shut him off before he got to the net.

''Unfortunately, he ran into Rollie. Rollie was runner over like that a few times like that in the playoffs and he was always fine. It's just bad luck this time. Obviously, it's something we didn't want to have to deal with.''

Canes goalie Cam Ward was outstanding. He made a win-saving stop of a Shawn Horcoff shot with three seconds remaining. At 22, Ward was the youngest goalie to start a championship series game since a 20-year-old Patrick Roy helped the Canadiens win the title in 1986.

''He definitely played outstanding hockey,'' said coach Peter Laviolette. ''There were a couple of goals he had no chance on just based on redirects, and there were some that should have been in the net and weren't because of his play.

''I don't think a situation like this, being in the Stanley Cup final, fazes him.''

Brind'Amour started the Carolina comeback when he scored off a rebound at 17:17 of the second period.

''We were not panicking and we knew if we could pick it up we had a chance,'' he said afterwards.

Whitney made it 3-2 at 1:40 of the third when he beat Roloson to the short side with a slapper from the circle to the goalie's right.

Whitney tied it 3-3 off another rebound during a power play at 5:09.

Williams scored a short-handed goal at 10:01 after the puck hopped over Steve Staios' stick blade at the Carolina blue-line to set up a Williams breakaway.

Ward then made one of his most spectacular save of the night when he slid to get his mitt in front of a Horcoff shot that was headed for the open side of the net.

''Just out of pure desperation I put my glove out and I was very fortunate to make the save,'' he said.

Hemsky tied it 4-4 with a spectacular effort while Eric Staal served a high-sticking penalty. Dashing down the right wing, the speedy Czech cut across the front of the crease, pulled the puck to his backhand and stuffed it in at 13:31.

Roloson got hurt, Conklin coughed up the puck on Brind'Amour's winner, Ward again robbed Horcoff, and 18,700 erupted in a victory celebration.

''My dad was probably having a heart attack,'' said Brind'Amour, who also scored the winner in the Eastern final last Thursday. ''We're fun to watch but that's not the way you want to do it.''

The Hurricanes had dodged a bullet.

''We played terrible for two periods,'' said Whitney. ''We left feeling very fortunate.

''We are not kidding ourselves. We're not real pleased with the way we played.''

Notes: Edmonton was 1-for-7 and Carolina 1-for-5 on power plays ... There have been 15 teams, most recently Tampa Bay in 2004, that rallied from a Game 1 loss to win the Stanley Cup ... 26 of the 40 players in uniform were Canadians - 14 Oilers and 12 Hurricanes ... Ward is from the Edmonton region and will be married there next month ... The teams hadn't met since December 2003 ... Carolina has to re-sign Erik Staal, Justin Williams and injured forward Erik Cole this summer. To find the cash, it might let go recently acquired veterans Doug Weight and Mark Recchi, who can become unrestricted free agents July 1

Stanley Cup finals start tonight

RALEIGH, N.C. - The first game of the best of seven Stanley Cup final is slated for tonight in Raleigh, N.C. The Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the final by eliminating Buffalo while Western champ Edmonton knocked out Anaheim.

On the eve of the NHL championship opener Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers were adjusting to the weather down South, where temperatures in the upper 80s felt more like a day at the beach than a skate on a frozen pond.

"We just flew in, so we don't really have a feel of the atmosphere here," said Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish, whose team sought an extra day of refuge in New York during an extended layoff before heading North Carolina on Sunday.

The Carolina Hurricanes' road to the finals, meanwhile, took a detour on Sesame Street. A Muppet-themed ice show at its home arena — the site of Game 1 on Monday — forced Carolina to shift practice to the training rink.

Detroit, Denver or Philadelphia this is definitely not.

"It's a little bit of a different venue here than maybe what is the norm in the Stanley Cup finals," MacTavish said.

Different is what the NHL wanted when it fought for a new deal with players. Owners demanded a salary cap to ensure that 30 teams could not only survive financially but also have a realistic chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

After a yearlong lockout, two small-market teams are the only ones standing as was the case two years ago when Tampa Bay edged Calgary in Game 7.

"You can't judge it yet," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said. "You have to wait until three years from now. Edmonton and Carolina are in the finals this year, but there is a very fine line from winning and losing this year. There's really good teams that missed the playoffs."

The Oilers did their part in taking out the best one that got in: Edmonton squeaked into the playoffs during the final days of the regular season and then eliminated the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in six games.

Small market success stories are nice, but they don't capture much attention in the United States — where hockey has fallen even further off the map than before the lockout. Television ratings in the first year of deals with cable partner OLN — which will show Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven series — and network carrier NBC have been minuscule.

"There's teams that are more popular in this league such as Detroit and Colorado and probably the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers," Rutherford said. "But the fact of the matter is when you get into June, it's basically those two markets that have the most interest whether it's small markets or big markets."

After dispatching Detroit, the Oilers knocked out San Jose and Anaheim to become the first No. 8 seed to reach the finals since the league adopted the current postseason format in 1994.

By beating Anaheim in five games, the Oilers have been waiting around for over a week. The layoff will have reached eight days by the time the first puck drops.

"It's really starting to hit home now that we're here," top defenseman Chris Pronger said. "It's pretty tough when you're at a neutral site.

"Sometimes you forget how hard it was to get here. We kept kind of picking up steam as we went along and went series-to-series. We're just harnessing that and getting that edge back and making sure that we're focused."

The Hurricanes weren't a popular preseason pick. Since their surprising run to the 2002 championship round, Carolina hadn't even made it back to the playoffs.

In his first full season behind the bench, coach Peter Laviolette get his message across quickly. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 14-3-1 mark and established that they were for real.

They never faltered, and had a shot at the top seed in the East until the final day of the season. Carolina settled for second place, but it never hurt them. The Hurricanes didn't have to face No. 1 Ottawa, so they held home-ice advantage in every round.

Even though the former Hartford Whalers are in the finals for just the second time in franchise history, they are by no means satisfied.

"I don't think at one point did anybody in our locker room or myself say we want to be conference champs," Laviolette said.

Edmonton was the epicenter of hockey in the late 1980s, when Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier owned the NHL and the Oilers won five titles in seven years. They are in the finals now for the first time since the last championship in 1990 — two seasons after Gretzky was traded away in the sport's biggest deal.

Ryan Smyth, an Alberta native, joined the team he always wanted to play for in 1995 — less than a year after Edmonton chose him with the sixth pick in the draft. He has spent his entire career there and saw action in only 44 postseason games until this special run.

"We worked hard to get here and we don't want to pass up this great opportunity," the 30-year-old forward said. "It takes a long road to get here it doesn't come very often. I think we've got to take full advantage."

While the Hurricanes still have eight returning players from the 2002 squad, Michael Peca and Dwayne Roloson are the only Oilers with finals experience.

In fact, these teams aren't even familiar with each other. With a new schedule created to emphasize more local rivalries, the Oilers and Hurricanes didn't meet this season — only the second time that has happened to Stanley Cup finalists since 1927.

"I knew they were going to do some damage in the playoffs," said Hurricanes forward Mark Recchi, making his first finals appearance since winning the Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991. "Obviously, they were fighting to get in but looking at the left side, the two teams that I wouldn't want to face is Edmonton and San Jose."

It's easy to say that now that Carolina isn't staring at Detroit, Colorado, Calgary or Nashville — the West's top four teams who were all knocked out in the first round.

Even the Oilers don't think they'll surprise the Hurricanes.

"I don't think there is any sneaking up at this point," said Edmonton center Fernando Pasani, who has an NHL-best nine playoff goals. "We know their tendencies, they know ours."

Italy bids ciao to Games

Led by snow explorers with a white horse symbolizing victory, the Olympic closing ceremony began in grand style at Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Italy, Sunday.

Canada had a star turn in the ceremony, as the next Winter Games will be in British Columbia in 2010.

Canadian opera star Ben Heppner sang a stirring rendition of Canada's national anthem, which started the section of the program that signifies the countdown to Vancouver.

Heppner, an internationally renowned tenor, performed the anthem a cappella joined by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police honour guard. Heppner's performance led to the passing of the Olympic flag by Turin Mayor Sergio Chiamparino to Vanvouver mayor Sam Sullivan.

Canadian pop superstar Avril Lavigne rocked Stadio Olimpico in a special eight-minute celebration.

The theme of the closing ceremony is Carnivale Italiano, the Italian masked festival that included performances by some of Italy's most famous circuses. Popular Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is the headline performer.

Following the Italian national anthem, the flag-bearers of each nation entered the stadium simultaneously.

Canadian speed skater Cindy Klassen had the honour of leading Canada into the closing festivities as its flag-bearer. The news came to no one's surprise as the 26-year-old Winnipeg native won a Canadian record five medals and is the nation's most decorated Olympian with six career medals.

In his final speech to the Italian people, IOC President Jacques Rogge closed the Torino Olympics by saying "these have been wonderful, fantastic Games." In grand tradition, he then called on the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in Vancouver for the 21st Winter Olympics.

Some 2,000 performers took part in the ceremony. It's expected this closing ceremony was viewed by a television audience of 500 million people.

Jet-lagged Canadians beat Italy

It seemed all Canada needed to find its game was a scare by a motivated Italian team Wednesday morning at Palasport Olimpico arena.

Jarome Iginla scored two power-play goals to lead Canada to a 7-2 win over Italy as the team opened defence of its Olympic gold medal.

The Canadians looked sluggish and confused early as they missed passes and good scoring opportunities.

The result was only a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period on Iginla's goal. He took a perfect pass from Todd Bertuzzi and then one-timed a shot from the slot to beat Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 5:33.

Italy scored the tying goal on the power-play just 43 seconds into the second period that shocked Canada and prompted the home crowd into loud chants of "Italia, Italia," after Giulio Scandella directed a shot to the Canadian net that beat goalie Martin Brodeur.

The mometum didn't last as Dany Heatley scored a power-play goal to give Canada a 2-1 lead a 1:12 later.

Heatley's goal seemed to settle the Canadians en route to five unanswered goals. Winger Todd Bertuzzi, who had two assists in the game, said his Canadian team wasn't unnerved by the Italian goal.

"Not at all, not with the amount of character we have," Bertuzzi told CBC Sports.

"We know what we have to do, we came out strong in the second period, we kept building and building, our passes got better and we started scoring goals."

Iginla's second goal with the man advantage gave Canada all the insurance it would need.

He took a nifty cross-ice pass from Joe Sakic and wristed a shot to the short side past Italian goaltender Jason Muzzatti at 6:04.

While motivated by the crowd, the Italians were undisciplined as Canada's speed produced three goals on the eight chances on the power play.

Canadian coach Pat Quinn's decision to put Iginla, Bertuzzi and captain Sakic paid off in this game as the three combined for five points.

"We all play similar roles on the power play," said Bertuzzi. "Me and Jarome are better suited for around the net and in the corner. It was pretty easy, especially [playing with] Jarome and I tried to get him the puck in the slot and worked off Joe."

Shane Doan, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Joe Thornton scored Canada's other goals, while forward John Parco tallied for Italy's second goal.

Despite Canada's immense advantage in talent and 50-20 edge in shots, Italy worked hard and Muzzatti made several key saves.

The Italians are making only their third Olympic appearance in hockey. They participated in the 1948 and 1956 Winter Games.

Italy does have some players with limited NHL experience.

Muzzatti, a former Calgary Flames first-round pick, had his only NHL shutout in 1996 when he stopped all 40 shots to lead the Hartford Whalers to a 1-0 win over a young Martin Brodeur and the hometown New Jersey Devils.

"It was a tremdous challenge for us," said Muzzatti, who gained a lot of respect from the Canadian team. "My boys worked so hard to keep it at [7-2]. There's a lot of people at home saying prayers in Toronto and I think they helped me keep it to seven."

The win gives Canada its 91st Olympic victory, the most by any coutnry.

Canada's next game is Thursday (CBC, 2 p.m. EST) against Germany.

Super Bowl Ratings 2nd Only to 'M-A-S-H'

NEW YORK - The Pittsburgh Steelers' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl was watched in an average of 45.85 million homes, the second-highest total in television history behind the final episode of 'M-A-S-H' in 1983.

Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory Sunday got a 41.6 preliminary national rating, Nielsen Media Service said Monday, up slightly from the 41.1 rating last year. The share remained the same at 62.

The game was watched by an estimated 141.4 million people in the United States, ABC said, the second-highest total to view a program behind the 144.4 million who tuned to New England's victory over Carolina in the 2004 Super Bowl. That number estimates the total amount of people to watch the game at any point.

The estimated average of 90.7 million people — or the estimated number of viewers throughout — was the largest Super Bowl audience since the Steelers last played in the title game in 1996, a loss to Dallas that attracted an average of 94.1 million people watching. This year's audience was 5 percent bigger than the 86.1 million people who watched the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles last year.

In 1983, the final episode of `M-A-S-H' was watched in an average of 50.15 million homes.

Super Bowl viewers feasted on another halftime show controversy, when the NFL briefly shut off Mick Jagger's microphone to avoid sexually-suggestive lyrics in two Rolling Stones songs. ABC also scored solid ratings for an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" following the game.

While the Steelers won by 11 points, the game wasn't really decided until the final five minutes or so, which kept the audience attracted, said Larry Hyams, ABC research executive.

"The Super Bowl obviously is a national event and people are going to tune in regardless of whether the teams have national appeal," Hyams said. "It's up to the game to hold the audience."

The Super Bowl is traditionally the biggest television event of the year. The Academy Awards, jokingly called the Super Bowl for women, often comes in second; last year, 41.5 million people saw the Oscars.

Pittsburgh had the largest Super Bowl rating (percentage of all sets, whether on or off) of any media market, with a 57.1, Nielsen said. Seattle followed directly behind with a 55.

The "Grey's Anatomy" episode after the game was seen by 38.1 million people, Nielsen said. That's 15 million more than has ever watched a single episode of the medical soap. It was the most-watched entertainment program of the season so far — even beating "American Idol."

Since 1991, only two post-Super Bowl programs have drawn a bigger audience: "Survivor" in 2001 and "Friends" in 1996. It was solid exposure for a series that has already been growing in appeal during its second season.

At halftime, Jagger was silenced during portions of the songs "Start Me Up" and "Rough Justice." An NFL spokesman said the band knew ahead of time that the league — still skittish over Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction from two years ago — wouldn't accept the particular lyrics.

"It wasn't that big of an issue for us," said Frank Supovitz, the NFL's senior vice president, who said the league wanted to make the halftime show family entertainment.

No Superbowl snub for Stevie Wonder

There's no controversy, Stevie Wonder said.

The Motown legend appeared at a news conference Thursday featuring the Super Bowl pregame performers.

Before a reporter could ask a single question, Wonder lifted his microphone up and said: "If we didn't want the Stones, we wouldn't be here. We want the Stones."

In the weeks leading up to Sunday's game at Ford Field, some Detroiters, including Aretha Franklin — who sat beside Wonder Thursday — complained that the city's Motown legacy was being snubbed with the choice of the Rolling Stones as the halftime entertainment.

Wonder put that to rest, saying he didn't "have a problem with the Stones."

"They even recorded two of my songs," he said with a smile.

The Stones were scheduled to speak to the media at a news conference later Thursday afternoon.

Wonder will play a 12-minute set before the game, and Franklin will team on the national anthem with singer Aaron Neville, keyboardist Dr. John and a 150-member Detroit-based choir.

Wonder, a 21-time Grammy winner who was born in Saginaw, will join with singers John Legend, India.Arie and Joss Stone for the pregame show. They are expected to perform some of Wonder's hits, as well as other Motown hits. In addition, the Four Tops will also perform prior to kickoff, but they will not be carried live on the ABC broadcast.

Neville said he was thrilled at the opportunity to perform alongside Detroit's own "Queen of Soul."

"I'm like a schoolboy about it," he said. "I have butterflies."

Neville, a New Orleans native, predicted the anthem would be a "bit of New Orleans and Motown mixed together.

Franklin talked about being asked in the past to perform at the Super Bowl and how excited she was to finally be able to do so in her hometown.

Near the end of the news conference, Franklin was asked whether she was surprised the big game was returning to Michigan, considering the subzero temperatures that plagued the 1982 game played at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Her reply: "I never knew it came the first time."

NBC unveils Sunday night NFL plans

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Nine months before it takes over the Sunday night NFL game from ESPN, NBC is making more moves to brand that night its own.

NBC Sports said Wednesday that the name of the studio show will be "Football Night in America."

NBC's multiyear rights deal begins in early September with a Thursday night extravaganza and game. The details of the first Sunday night game won't be announced until April, but the four-hour coverage will be anchored by NBC Olympics and sports personality Bob Costas.

He also will host the studio show, which NBC Sports said is the first primetime Sunday broadcast TV show about the NFL. The one-hour show will begin at 7 p.m. ET, around the same time games on CBS and NBC will conclude. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.

Several other pieces of the broadcast already are in place, with the naming of John Madden as on-air analyst and Cris Collinsworth as in-studio analyst. A play-by-play announcer hasn't been picked, though the natural -- Al Michaels -- agreed during the summer to remain with ABC and move to ESPN when it takes over "Monday Night Football" in the fall.

Stones Roll to Super Bowl

The British have always been better at that whole propriety thing.

Maybe that's why, for the second post-Janet year in a row, the NFL has chosen across-the-Pond entertainers to headline TV's most watched event of the year.

The Rolling Stones have been tapped to headline the Super Bowl XL Halftime Show, it was announced Tuesday by the NFL and ABC, which is broadcasting the big game Feb. 5 at Detroit's Ford Field.

"We are thrilled to perform for millions of fans at one of the most exciting and highly anticipated sporting events of the year," the band says in a statement.

The sentiment was echoed by the Super Bowl brain trust.

"We are excited to welcome one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands in history to the Super Bowl," says Steve Bornstein, the NFL's executive vice president of media, and the man in charge of the event. "As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Super Bowl this season, it is fitting we work with the Rolling Stones whose music has thrilled audiences around the world for years."

The performance will cap the Stones' season-long promotional deal with the NFL and ABC. The band had earlier created multiple segments and intros for the entire 2005-06 season of Monday Night Football.

Sir Mick and his mates will follow in the footsteps of fellow knight Paul McCartney. The ex-Beatle's halftime extravaganza, though watched in part by more than 133 million viewers in the U.S., generated more headlines for its lack of headline- (and breast-) grabbing theatrics than for its entertainment value.

The NFL went with the decidedly uncontroversial McCartney as part of the damage control from the previous year's highly scrutinized, fine-inducing, wardrobe-malfunctioning Janet Jackson show.

News of their Super Bowl duties marked the second big announcement of the day for the Stones, who earlier revealed plans for a European summer tour, kicking off May 27 in Barcelona.

The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang tour is set to hit more than 20 countries in 30 days, and like its North American counterpart, several hundred audience seats are expected to be built into the stage for each performance.

The seemingly unstoppable group just released Rarities: 1971-2003, a collection of hard-to-find B-sides, live recordings and remixes jointly put out by Virgin Records and Starbucks' Hear Music. The Stones' also recently made available a limited edition version of their current album, A Bigger Bang, with expanded audio and video content.

Meanwhile, the band continues on the North American leg of its latest road show, which runs through Dec. 3 in Memphis.

White Sox Win 1st World Series Since 1917

HOUSTON - The Chicago White Sox are World Series champions again at last, and yet another epic streak of futility is not just wiped away but swept away.

After seven scoreless innings, Jermaine Dye singled home the only run in the eighth, and the White Sox beat the Houston Astros 1-0 Wednesday night to win their first title in 88 years.

Just a year ago, the same story line captivated baseball when the long-suffering Boston Red Sox swept St. Louis to capture their first title in 86 years.

Who's next, the Chicago Cubs, without a championship since 1908?

It was the third title for the White Sox, following wins in 1906 and 1917. And it was the first since "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the "Black Sox" threw the 1919 Series against Cincinnati.

In the Windy City, where the Cubs have long been king, Chicago's South Side team for once trumped its North Side rival, no small feat for the Sox.

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf once said he'd trade all six of the Chicago Bulls' NBA titles for a single Series ring, a statement he now regrets. No swap is needed now: He's got the prize he dreamed of since he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said during the regular season that he might retire if his team went on to win the Series, and now he'll have to reveal that decision.

Chicago's sweep, its eighth straight postseason win, made it only the second team to go through the postseason 11-1 since the extra round of playoffs was added in 1995, joining the 1999 Yankees. But the White Sox fans didn't get to enjoy a single celebration in person: the division title and all three rounds of the postseason were won on the road.

Houston, which finally won a pennant for the first time since it joined the National League in 1962, became the first team swept in its Series debut.

On a night when pitching dominated, winner Freddy Garcia and Houston's Brandon Backe pitched shutout ball for seven innings, with Backe allowing four hits and Garcia five. They each struck out seven.

Brad Lidge, Houston's closer, came in to start the eighth, and Chicago sent up Willie Harris to bat for Garcia.

Harris lined a single to left leading off, and that led to Houston's downfall. Scott Podsednik bunted a difficult high pitch in front of the plate, and the speedy Harris took second on the sacrifice. Carl Everett pinch hit for Tadahito Iguchi and grounded to second, moving Harris to third.

Dye, the Series MVP, swung and missed Lidge's next pitch, took a ball, then grounded a single up the middle, clapping his hands as he left the plate. Harris trotted home from third, and the White Sox celebrated in the third-base dugout.

But it wasn't quite over yet.

Cliff Politte relieved to start the bottom half and hit Willy Taveras on the hand with one out. Politte bounced a wild pitch on his first offering to Lance Berkman, moving Taveras to second, then intentionally walked Berkman, nearly throwing away the next pitch.

Morgan Ensberg flied to right-center, dropping him to 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the Series, and Chicago brought in left-hander Neal Cotts to face pinch-hitter Jose Vizcaino, who hit a broken-bat grounder to shortstop.

Juan Uribe charged in, backhanded the ball by the grass and threw hard to first, beating Vizcaino by half a step.

After Chicago wasted a leadoff double by A.J. Pierzynski in the ninth, Jason Lane lofted a 3-2 pitch off Bobby Jenks into short center for a single leading off the bottom half.

Brad Ausmus sacrificed and pinch-hitter Chris Burke fouled out to Uribe, who fell into the left-field seats as he leaned in to make the grab. Uribe ran to the mound with the ball and gave Jenks a slap.

Orlando Palmeiro then pinch hit, and grounded to short for the final out and the White Sox poured out of their dugout and jumped around the mound.

Houston was 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position on the night and 10-for-48 (.208) in the Series, and Lidge fell to 0-2 in the Series and 0-3 in the postseason.

After Chicago's 14-inning, 7-5 win that lasted a Series-record 5 hours, 41 minutes and ended at 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, the crowd was more subdued at Minute Maid Park. Most of them had to know that no team has ever overcome a 3-0 Series deficit.

Chicago stranded runners in three of the first four innings, including Podsednik after a two-out triple in the third, but Backe's changeup got stronger, and he struck out five straight — one short of the Series record — following Dye's leadoff single in the fourth.

He retired 11 batters in a row before Aaron Rowand's two-out single in the seventh, and Joe Crede followed with a drive high off the out-of-town scoreboard in the left-field fence, missing a home run by a few feet. Rowand, who had slowed slightly just before getting to second, was held up at third.

After a conference at the mound, and with Everett on deck as a potential pinch-hitter, Houston elected to pitch to Uribe, the No. 8 hitter, instead of intentionally walking him and forcing Chicago to decide whether to bat for Garcia. Backe fanned him on his final pitch and skipped off the mound before high-fiving teammates.

Houston, meanwhile, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the first six innings. The Astros stranded runners on second base in the first two innings. With two on and one out in the sixth, Ensberg struck out and after Mike Lamb was intentionally walked to load the bases, Garcia struck out Jason Lane.

Notes: The record of six straight strikeouts was set by Cincinnati's Hod Eller against the White Sox in 1919 and matched by Baltimore's Moe Drabowsky in 1966 and St. Louis' Todd Worrell in 1985.

A new script for Fox, ESPN as baseball playoffs begin

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - It's a postseason with all the elements: big-market teams, some of the game's greatest stars, a Chicago White Sox team trying to end its own curse and a possibility for a rematch between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Eight teams -- also the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves -- will vie in the Divisional Series that begins Tuesday on Fox and ESPN.

"We've been saying for years -- you can't script October," Fox Sports president Ed Goren said. "For two years going into three, baseball has provided sports fans, I think, with memories for a lifetime."

Fox and ESPN, which have TV rights to the postseason, see plenty of possibilities that could boost ratings. There's the curse of history that has denied the White Sox a World Series win since 1917 as the South Siders are hoping for some Red Sox magic this year. There's the redemption sought by the Cardinals, who were swept by the Red Sox in last year's Series. And there's the always potent ratings combination of the Red Sox and Yankees, the two teams with arguably the most national appeal.

"You could write so many story lines on October 3," Goren said. "We'll just see how they play out."

"It probably worked out in terms of ratings and interest the way it did," said Tim Scanlan, senior coordinating producer of ESPN's Divisional Series baseball coverage. ESPN's telecasts begin Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT with the Cardinals-Padres; it continues at 4 p.m. with the Red Sox-White Sox.

Fox's primetime game will be the Yankees-Angels from Anaheim. Fox has the choice to pick its primetime game.

"Both games are outstanding matchups," Goren said Monday. "We will have the Red Sox and the White Sox on our air moving forward, but it was pretty much a tossup. Market size is a factor, but again, you can make an argument that it's a wealth of riches, whether it's Yankees-Anaheim or Red Sox-White Sox."

Not that there aren't nightmare ratings scenarios even with this crop. Fox and Major League Baseball can't be happy with the possibility -- however small -- of a San Andreas Fault Series: the Angels vs. Padres, a small-market team with the worst record of any team in the playoffs.

After the lowest-rated World Series in history between the Angels and San Francisco Giants in 2002, baseball rebounded to score big ratings in 2003 and '04, particularly built around the thrilling seven-game Yankees-Red Sox series that sent the Yanks to the World Series in 2003 and the greatest comeback in baseball history in 2004 that sent the Red Sox to their first World Championship since 1918.

The postseason rights deal between MLB and Fox ends soon; Goren said he's interested in getting the deal done as soon as they can. But he didn't think that another year of big ratings will have an effect on the negotiations.

"There are a lot of positive things happening with baseball," Goren said. "We have a 10-year history. I don't see one year making a difference."

Crucial Blue Jays-Red Sox Game Washed Out

BOSTON - The scheduled game between Boston and Toronto was postponed by rain Monday night, forcing the Red Sox to play a day-night doubleheader and alter their pitching rotation in the middle of a tight pennant race.

The game will be made up Tuesday at 1:05 p.m., and the teams will play again at 7:05 p.m. as scheduled.

With Curt Schilling's start washed out Monday, Red Sox manager Terry Francona decided to go with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (15-11) in the opener Tuesday, a move made easier by Wakefield's ability to come back on short rest. Schilling (7-8) is scheduled to pitch the night game.

"We're doing it now for obvious reasons, rest," Francona said. "We're trying to take whatever happens and make it to our advantage."

The Red Sox, who entered Monday tied with New York atop the AL East with seven games to go, subsequently changed plans for a potential showdown series at Fenway Park this weekend against the Yankees. Schilling was pushed back from Saturday to Sunday to allow for his normal four days of rest. Wakefield is scheduled for Saturday.

Toronto manager John Gibbons will go with the same order of starters Tuesday that were scheduled for the first two games of the series: David Bush (5-10) in the opener and Gustavo Chacin (12-9) in the nightcap. Bush is 0-2 with an 11.70 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox this season.

Francona was happy the game was called early and Schilling wasn't forced to warm up a few times. The tarp was never taken off the field, and the postponement was announced by team officials approximately 35 minutes after the scheduled starting time.

"Oh yeah, that's huge," Francona said. "That was something we wanted to stay away from. That gets you in a tough situation — up and down, pitch, don't pitch. He'll pitch tomorrow and it's fairly normal, just like having an extra day."

Toronto has been one of Boston's toughest opponents this season, winning nine of 14 meetings. The Red Sox play the Blue Jays on Wednesday and Thursday before the highly anticipated three-game series against the Yankees opens Friday night.

"I've never been involved in a pennant race, but I think it increases the pressure on them," Blue Jays first baseman Shea Hillenbrand said. "It's tough to win two games in one day. We're feeling good and we're ready to take on the Red Sox."

After Francona met the media and explained the change in plans, most of the players were gone from the clubhouse.

"I don't think it affects us in any way," Red Sox reliever Mike Myers said. "We've still got the same guys going in Game 1 and Game 2. I know history says it's harder to win a doubleheader, but with what we're going for I don't think it'll affect anything."

Tickets from Monday's rainout will be honored for the day game Tuesday.

Schilling, Boston's postseason star after pitching Game 6 of the AL championship series and Game 2 of the World Series following surgical procedures that sutured a tendon to skin in his right ankle, could be going with a playoff berth on the line Sunday.

"For Curt to have the opportunity, it's great to have him out there," Myers said.

NHL launches new campaign ahead of new season

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Stung by a yearlong lockout that was resolved in July, the National Hockey League, its players and media partners presented a united front Wednesday night in advance of the game's return early next month.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, a handful of players, along with representatives from NHL, Comcast and OLN (Outdoor Life Network), XM Satellite Radio and others attended an event at the Museum of Television & Radio to show off the league's new campaign and to talk up how hockey had changed. In the past several months, the NHL settled its labor dispute, embarked on a new contract with the players union, made some key rules changes and left its longtime cable home ESPN for a new start on Comcast's OLN.

The NHL's message: It's a whole new game.

"This is about our fans. This is about renewal," Bettman said. "This is about moving forward, about making the game the best it's ever been."

To help draw the fans back and highlight hockey's message, the NHL chose movie marketing company Conductor, a Los Angeles-based firm that has been responsible for a number of movie ad campaigns like "Spider-Man." The ads, known collectively as "My NHL," highlight the cinematic and dramatic qualities of hockey as well as the players, the battle on the ice and the fans who are passionate about the sport.

The campaign, which begins running this month, includes 30-second spots that are league- and team-specific, as well as in both French and English. The tell the story of hockey through five vignettes, including the first shown to press and business partners Wednesday night. It shows a goalie suiting up for a game with the help of a woman who tells him it's time to go on the ice and ends with the player heading off to the rink.

Horne said that hockey had talked to fans in its one-year layoff and they found out a number of things that were incorporated into the campaign.

"They wanted to get closer to the game. ... They said, 'Make it my NHL,"' Horne said.

The campaign is directed by Samuel Bayer, who won an MTV Video Music Award this month for Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

OLN's cable rights deal includes 58 regular-season games on Mondays and Tuesdays along with the All-Star Game beginning in 2007 and a number of playoff games. The first telecast will be the New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers game October 5, the first day of the new season. NBC, another new hockey partner that wasn't able to start its rights deal on time last year because of the cancellation of the season, begins its hockey telecasts January 14.

NHL Games Skate to OLN

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Even back when the National Hockey League was still playing games, its TV ratings weren't exactly stratospheric. But telecasts on ESPN and ESPN2 could at least draw a million viewers, maybe 2 million on a good night during the playoffs.

If an NHL game pulls in 2 million people on OLN, the league's new cable home, it will be a record for the channel.

The network previously best known for its Tour de France coverage, outdoor sports and "Survivor" reruns has ponied up a reported $200 million to become hockey's cable home for the next three seasons. It's the first foray into professional team sports by the network, which is owned by cable giant Comcast (which also owns the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and several regional sports networks).

"We are proud to be the new national television home of the NHL when the puck drops on Oct. 5," OLN President Gavin Harvey says. "Adding hockey to our lineup when the NHL returns to the ice with a fresh season, new energy, new players and a new attitude adds tremendous value to OLN."

If you don't remember the last time you saw an NHL game on TV, that may be because there haven't been any since June 2004. The league lost its entire 2004-05 season to a labor dispute after the owners locked out players.

OLN will televise at least 58 regular-season games on Monday and Tuesday nights, along with the NHL All-Star Game and most of the Stanley Cup playoffs, including the first two games of the Finals. NBC has the rights to a handful of weekend regular-season games and games three through seven of the Finals, in a deal for which it paid no rights fees.

OLN grabbed its biggest audience ever -- 1.7 million viewers -- last month for the final stage of Lance Armstrong's record seventh Tour de France victory. The network, which is available in about 64 million homes, averages fewer than a half-million viewers in primetime.

NHL, Players OK Agreement to End Lockout

NEW YORK - Open the arenas, break out the skates and fire up the Zamboni. The NHL is back. After losing an entire season to a lockout, players and owners ended an all-night bargaining session Wednesday by reaching their goal: a tentative deal, expected to include a salary cap, that virtually ensures hockey will return this fall.

The six-year pact still needs to be ratified by both sides. The players' association has scheduled a members meeting in Toronto next week, while the NHL board of governors plans to gather next Thursday in New York for a vote.

"It's a new day," Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said. "It's pretty exciting."

And about time.

"At the end of the day everybody lost," said Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's career scoring leader and the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes. "We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened."

The last round of negotiations began Tuesday at noon and culminated around noon Wednesday with a joint news release announcing the deal.

Though details won't be released until both sides approve it, a salary cap would be something players' union executive director Bob Goodenow never wanted.

Once everyone signs off on the deal, the league can begin the difficult task of gaining public support. No matter who won or lost, the fight cost the NHL a full season.

"To be totally honest, I really don't care what the deal is anymore. All I care about is getting the game back on the ice," Flyers star Jeremy Roenick said in a telephone interview during a celebrity golf event in Nevada.

"I think the deal is not great for the players. It is definitely an owner-friendly deal. For the last 10 years, the players have made a lot of money and now we are in a position where everybody is going to make money," he said. "Unfortunately, it had to take a whole year to get to a point where we could have been last year."

This lockout was worse than any in sports, dwarfing the one that cut the 1994-95 hockey season nearly in half and resulted in the agreement that expired last September.

In February, commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season, making the NHL the first North American sports league to lose a year because of a labor dispute.

"I don't want to get to the relief point yet until everything's finalized," said Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford, a former goalie. "What we went through was necessary. We had to get some controls on our business and certainly I'm hoping that's what this new agreement does."

While the NHL seems to have gotten what it wanted, there is no way to measure the damage done to a sport that already was the least popular of the four major leagues in the United States.

"That's going to be our next big step — winning back the fans," said Nashville Predators forward Jim McKenzie, a 15-year NHL veteran. "We'll have our work cut out for us."

If all goes according to plan, a scaled-down draft is expected to be held later this month and training camps will open in September from Vancouver to Miami. NHL games will be back on the schedule in October.

"It'll be a great thing to get the game back up," Columbus Blue Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said.

Selling the sport might take a while longer.

During the lockout, disgruntled Buffalo fan Doug Sitler sold more than 15,000 magnetic car ribbons that read: "I need my hockey fix(ed)."

"I think it's going to take a little bit of time for people to get back in the swing of things," he said. "But sports fans are pretty fickle. They have short memories. They really do."

It took all night and then some for the final round of negotiations to produce an agreement.

The sides met for 10 straight days in New York, and it became clear Wednesday morning — the 301st day of the lockout — that they weren't going to leave the room without an agreement.

The expected salary cap likely will have a ceiling of $39 million and a minimum around $22 million.

Player salaries will not exceed 54 percent of league-wide revenues, expected to be around $1.8 billion. Players will also put money into escrow, and after each season that will be used to balance out the set percentage based on actual revenues.

Bettman warned in February that offers the union passed up were better than any it would see once a year of hockey was lost.

Just days before the season was wiped out, the players' association said for the first time it would accept a salary cap if the league dropped its desire to link player costs to revenues.

That started a wild week that included the cancellation of the season Feb. 16 and a false hope three days later that it would be saved. Even Gretzky and Mario Lemieux — superstars turned executives — couldn't resurrect it during an emergency bargaining session in New York.

Negotiations resumed in mid-March.

Bettman promised "cost certainty" in the form of a hard salary cap to the owners and he has gotten it.

The landscape of the NHL will be quite different than it was in June 2004 when the Tampa Bay Lightning skated off with the Stanley Cup in the league's last game before the lockout. For the first time since a flu epidemic in 1919, there was no Stanley Cup champion in 2005.

When the league relaunches in the fall, it will do so with a new salary structure that keeps high-spending teams such as Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers in check.

The first order of business after ratification will be to get a majority of the players signed. The belief is that last season's contracts will be wiped from the books, leaving many players without deals.

Those who are still under contract will have their salaries reduced by 24 percent, a concept first proposed by the union last December. Some high-priced players will also be on the market as teams pare payrolls to get down to the cap.

Even with the salary rollback, nine teams would've been over the cap based on payrolls at the end of the 2003-04 season.

There will also be rules changes, some that could include the size of goaltender equipment to a shootout to eliminate tie games.

"Our focus right now, from the coaches standpoint, is we're waiting to see what our roster is going to look like and what the playing rules are going to look like," Hitchcock said.

The draft was supposed to be held last month in Ottawa, and the Canadian capital might get to host the event soon.

Junior hockey phenom Sidney Crosby is the consensus choice to be the No. 1 pick. Where he goes will be determined by a weighted draft lottery that will give each team some opportunity to snag him.

NBC will start its two-year television deal a year late, but the NHL still needs to find a cable partner.

"We are thrilled for the fans that hockey is returning to the ice, and we're delighted to be the network television partner of the NHL as it moves into what I believe will be an exciting new era," NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said.

The deal finally came down during sport's biggest lull of the year — the baseball All-Star break.

The NHL probably won't hold such an event until 2007 as next year's All-Star game is expected to be replaced by an Olympic break, allowing for players to represent their countries in Turin, Italy.

Skateboarder Clears Great Wall of China

LOS ANGELES - Daredevil skateboarder Danny Way rolled down a massive ramp at nearly 50 mph and jumped across the Great Wall of China on Saturday, becoming the first person to clear the wall without motorized aid, an event sponsor said.

Way botched the landing on his first attempt but then successfully completed the jump across the 61-foot gap four times, adding 360 degree spins on his last three tries, sponsor Quiksilver, Inc. said.

"I was aware of the dangers and my heart was pumping in my chest the whole time, but I managed to pull it off with the help of my team, and I'm honored to have my visions embraced by the people of China," Way said in a statement.

A crowd of several thousand people, including China's ministers of extreme sports and culture, gathered at the Ju Yong Guan Gate about a 40-minute drive from Beijing, Quiksilver's greater China marketing director Ryan Hollis said.

"It was pretty fantastic," Hollis said in an interview from Beijing. "He really has spent quite a few years even thinking about this whole idea. It's been in logistical planning for about eight months. ... It was pretty amazing today to see this happen, to see it adopted by the culture, adopted by the government."

Way's made the jump on an adaptation of the so-called mega ramp, a gigantic structure that he helped create near his home in the Southern California desert. He set a skateboard jump world record for distance (79 feet) on a mega ramp at last summer's X Games, and in 2003 set the height record of 23 1/2 feet at the desert ramp.

Event sponsor Quiksilver, based in Huntington Beach, makes skateboard apparel.

London Awarded 2012 Olympic Games

SINGAPORE - London was awarded the 2012 Olympics on Wednesday, narrowly defeating European rival Paris in the final round of voting to take the games back to the British capital for the first time since 1948.

After Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated in the first three rounds, London beat its cross-Channel opponent 54-50 on the fourth ballot of the International Olympic Committee vote — capping the most glamorous and hotly contested bid race in Olympic history.

"I'm looking forward to what I'm sure will be a fantastic Olympic Games," said Prince William, speaking from New Zealand.

Paris had been the front-runner throughout the campaign, but London picked up momentum in the late stages with strong support from Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Part of London's pitch was that it stepped in to help the Olympic movement by staging the games as Europe was still recovering from World War II.

The race had been considered too close to call as an unprecedented collection of world leaders and sports celebrities converged on Singapore to lobby for the bids.

London's victory handed Paris its third stinging Olympic defeat in 20 years, following failed bids for the 1992 and 2008 Olympics. Paris hasn't hosted the games since 1924.

IOC president Jacques Rogge opened a sealed envelope and declared the result in a live televised ceremony: "The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London."

The tan-suited London delegates in the convention hall leaped out of their seats, arms raised in jubilation and cheering wildly.

The voting figures weren't immediately released.

In London, crowds cheered and waved flags as they watched the announcement from Singapore on a giant screen in Trafalgar Square, and in the east London area where the main Olympic complex will be based.

The results of the first three rounds came as no surprise. Moscow was always considered the longshot, with New York and Madrid outsiders. Moscow went out with 15 votes in the first round, New York dropped out next with 16, then Madrid with 31.

Paris had the perceived advantage of bidding for a third time, especially since the IOC tends to reward persistence. The French capital also had a ready-to-go Olympic stadium in the Stade de France and embraced the IOC's blueprint for controlling the size and cost of the games.

But not even a personal appearance in Singapore by French President Jacques Chirac could secure victory.

"The heart of Paris and the heart of France are beating in unison in the hope of becoming Olympic host in 2012," Chirac said during the city's final presentation to the IOC. "You can put your trust and faith in France, you can trust the French, you can trust us."

Blair, who spent two days of lobbying in Singapore before leaving to host the G8 summit in Scotland, spoke in a video message — half of which was delivered in French, one of the IOC's two official languages.

"My promise to you is we will be your very best partners," Blair said. "The entire government are united behind this bid. ... It is the nation's bid."

London centered its bid on the massive urban renewal of a dilapidated area of East London. It's the fourth bid from Britain after failed attempts by Birmingham for the 1992 Olympics and Manchester for 1996 and 2000.

London got off to a slow start, but made big strides under Sebastian Coe, a two-time Olympic 1,500-meter gold medalist who replaced American businesswoman Barbara Cassani as head of the bid in May 2004.

Slash to handle anthems, Trailer Park Boys first pitch at Jays home opener

TORONTO (CP) - Laurel Lindsay knows it sounds cheesy but she can't help herself.

"You want to make a splash and you make a splash with Slash," she said with a laugh Tuesday after the Toronto Blue Jays announced plans to have the former Guns N' Roses guitarist perform the national anthems before the club's April 8 home opener against the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

"Opening night isn't your typical night," added Lindsay, vice-president, consumer marketing for the Jays. "It's about entertainment and it's the one game of the year when you can be different from other nights."

With the three main characters of the Canadian cult TV hit Trailer Park Boys on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, Blue Jays fans can be certain of that.

Rather than the safe, staid choices who typically perform the anthems at the Rogers Centre - it was R&B artist Keshia Chante at last year's opening day and Shawn Desman a year before that - Slash is a riskier, more memorable choice.

The renowned guitarist, famous for wearing top hats that sit precariously atop his wild curls and strumming with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, was a longtime member of rebel heavy metal band Guns N' Roses before joining rock supergroup Velvet Revolver.

Deb Belinsky, who is in charge of in-game entertainment for the Jays, pitched the idea to Slash last summer when he was in Toronto with Velvet Revolver for a show. He'll make a side trip from the group's current tour to play the home opener.

"He loved it," said Lindsay. "He loved the fact of coming here to perform solo and do the anthems. He's never done it before."

As for those worried about what Slash might do to O Canada, Lindsay says not to worry.

"It's going to be similar to a Jimi Hendrix style of anthem," she said. "It's going to be his rendition. He's been supplied with all the music and I know he's already practising."

The ceremonial first pitch, however, might not be as incident-free.

Showcase's Trailer Park Boys revolves around the troubled lives of Julian (played by John Paul Tremblay), Ricky (Robb Wells) and Bubbles (Mike Smith), who will take the mound in character and perhaps bring the shenanigans from the show with them.

"We'll know when they get to the mound," said Lindsay. "I have a feeling with these guys, you can't really predict a lot."

Actor Eugene Levy threw out the first pitch last year.

Raptors Rock Nets 100-82

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The sight of his old team made Vince Carter look like the player the Toronto Raptors wanted to get rid of. Carter struggled in his first game against the team that traded him to New Jersey earlier this season, missing 17 of 25 shots while being outplayed by Jalen Rose in Toronto's 100-82 victory over the Nets on Tuesday night.

Rose shot 12-for-15, scored 30 points and did a fine defensive job on Carter, who seem to be pressing in a game that he acknowledged meant a lot to him.

Rose led the Raptors on a 14-4 run early in the fourth quarter, and New Jersey never recovered. Chris Bosh had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Milt Palacio added 13 points for Toronto, which had six players in double figures.

Carter scored 22 points, and Jason Kidd added 20 for the Nets, who had no one else in double figures.

Carter seemed loose before the game as he discussed last weekend's slam dunk contest won by J.R. Smith of Atlanta. Carter said he has a dunk in his repertoire that no one had seen yet, a specialty he plans to keep under wraps until the next time he enters the dunk contest.

But once the game began, Carter missed several drives, was off-target with his jumper, committed four turnovers and missed four free throws.

Toronto led 71-64 after three quarters, getting 20 points from Rose on 8-for-10 shooting. Carter was 6-for-20 for 15 points.

Rose had a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter as the shot clock expired before Carter came up with his lone highlight-reel move of the night, spinning 360 degrees as he drove beneath the basket before spinning in a reverse layup.

But Rose answered by driving around Carter for a layup, then stealing the ball from Carter as he was double-teamed. The steal led to a 3 by Donyell Marshall that made it 79-66, and Carter followed by missing a running jumper to make the Nets 1-for-9 in the period.

Carter fouled Marshall on a 3-point attempt with 5:09 left, and Marshall made two of the free throws for a 17-point lead. That was it for the Nets, who were without starting center Nenad Krstic (viral infection) and Rodney Buford (left ankle), leaving them with only 10 players in uniform, one of whom, Jabari Smith, made his first career start.

Notes:@ Bosh, 20, became the third-youngest NBA player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career rebounds. Only Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady reached the plateau at a younger age. ... Krstic has a viral infection, and the team was worried he had mononucleosis before tests came back negative. "Hopefully antibiotics and rest will be the cure," coach Lawrence Frank said. Krstic will miss Wednesday night's game at Milwaukee, and Rodney Buford (left ankle) also will sit out against the Bucks. "He's not ready to roll," Frank said. We'll give him two more days and see where he's at."

CTV-Rogers score Olympics rights

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (CP) — The Olympics have a new TV home in Canada. And for the first time the price tag of the Winter Games has exceeded that of the Summer Games.

A consortium led by Bell Globemedia, incorporating CTV and Rogers Communications, was awarded Canadian television rights Monday for the plum 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Summer Olympics, another high-profile event with a quintet of glamourous cities bidding to host.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said the winning bid was $153 million US, an increase of 124 per cent on the $73 million spent for the 2006 and 2008 Games.

Of that, $90 million US is for the 2010 Games and $63 million for the 2012 Games.

“This is the first time that the amount for the Games exceeds the Summer Games,” IOC Finance Commission chairman Richard Carrion told an IOC news conference.

“We certainly believe that 2010 will be the biggest sport events in Canada this decade, may well be the biggest event in Canada this decade,” added Ivan Fecan, president and CEO of Bell Globemedia.

“We really felt we needed to be part of it and right at the centre of it. We also think there’s a huge amount of interest, from viewers and advertisers for 2010.”

The winning bid offers a wide-ranging Olympic menu of networks. CTV’s subsidiaries include TSN, TQS, RDS and the Outdoor Life Network. Rogers holdings includes Rogers Sportsnet and the Omni channels, plus radio stations.

The winning bid offers round-the-clock coverage.

CTV will get the glamour items on the Olympic calendar, with TSN and Rogers Sportsnet offering more indepth look at certain events. Outdoor Life will also play a role, as will the consortium’s ethnic and aboriginal stations.

In Quebec, TQS will be the main carrier with RDS also helping out in coverage.

More than 4,000 hours of coverage is planned.

Fecan called it the “most inclusive (Olympic) coverage” in Canada.

CBC paid a Canadian record $45 million US for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, part of a $165-million US package deal for five Olympics back in 1998.

In contrast, CTV paid $4.3 million US in 1988 for rights to the Calgary Games.

The IOC declined to specify financial details from the CBC bid. But CBC’s website, citing sources, said “there was a wide disparity in the amount of money each camp was willing to offer.”

Fecan called his offer “a strategic but responsible bid.”

It’s more bad news for CBC Sports, which is already suffering from the NHL lockout. There had been speculation the network might reduce its amateur sports coverage if it lost the bid.

The loss is also a blow to the prestige of the CBC, which has broadcast every Olympics since 1996, recently sharing coverage with TSN. It also holds the rights to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

“We would like to acknowledge the CBC for their efforts,” Carrion said. “They’ve been an excellent partner and will continue to be our partner in 2006 in Turin and 2008 in Beijing.

“This was obviously a very good result for the IOC. It was a very hotly contested negotiation.”

CTV broadcast the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, the ‘92 Summer Games in Barcelona and the ‘94 Winter Games in Lillehammer.

One source told The Canadian Press that CBC went into the bidding knowing they didn’t have enough cash to win.

“They knew their bid was not going to be enough,” said the source.

“What the strategy was, if it was close, people would look at the fact CBC does a good job of broadcasting the Games and is pretty dedicated to amateur sports in the country.”

But the decision is a resounding victory for the alliance of private broadcasters, led by CTV Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., and points to the intertwining of media interests.

CTV is owned by BCE Inc., which also owns Bell Canada. Bell paid $200 million Cdn for the telecommunication rights for the 2010 Games.

London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris are all vying to host the 2012 Games. The IOC will decide the 2012 host city July 6 in Singapore.

The stakes are high because of 2010. With the Games in Vancouver, Canadian interest will be sky-high.

NBC has already paid $2.201 billion US for the American television rights for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics. That deal included $820 million US for the 2010 Games.

The IOC will share a percentage of television revenues with the Vancouver Games organizing committee.

Monday’s decision came after each network made a two-hour presentation and then handed over a sealed bid.

The CBC option involved its main network, CBC Newsworld, its French service, the digital channel CBC Country Canada and its radio network. CBC was also allied with The Score on this bid, giving it another cable outlet.

Baseball Players, Owners OK Steroid Tests

NEW YORK - Baseball players and owners have reached an agreement on a tougher steroid-testing program and plan to announce it Thursday, The Associated Press has learned.

The agreement will include penalties for first-time offenders, an AL player said on condition of anonymity. Other details, such as the frequency of tests, were not immediately available.

Commissioner Bud Selig, asked about a steroid agreement at the owners meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., declined comment but did say: "We'll have announcements to make tomorrow." Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, also declined comment.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement," said Chicago Cubs pitcher Mike Remlinger, who was briefed on the deal Wednesday. "It was the right thing to do. I think it was something that needed to be done, and I think players understand it needed to be addressed."

The sides spent the past month negotiating the deal after the union's executive board gave its staff approval to pursue an agreement on a more rigorous testing program. Some in Congress threatened to take action unless baseball reached an agreement on its own.

"I think it's going to entail more testing, some out-season testing, yes, more in-season random testing and stiffer penalties," said New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, a senior member of the union.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said he anticipated confirmation of a deal by the end of the owners' meeting.

"It will be wonderful once it's done, but I don't want to pre-empt any announcement, and I certainly don't want to pre-empt all the work the commissioner has done on this, so I'll reserve my comments until after it's announced," he said.

Tony Clark, another senior union leader, said public questions about steroid use had caused players to think about a tougher agreement.

"The integrity of our game was beginning to come under fire, and there are too many great players, past and present, that deserve to be celebrated for their ability to play this game at a very high level," the free-agent first baseman said in an e-mail to the AP. "If a stricter drug policy brings that level of appreciation back, we felt that it was worth pursuing."

Players and owners agreed to a drug-testing plan in 2002 that called for survey-testing for steroids the following year. Because more than 5 percent of tests were positive, random testing with penalties began last year. Each player was tested for steroids twice over a single five- to seven-day period.

A first positive test resulted in treatment. If a player tested positive again, he would have been subject to a 15-day suspension.

No player was suspended for steroid use in 2004.

Since the 2002 agreement, baseball has come under increased scrutiny for steroid use. Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield testified before a federal grand jury in December 2003. Giambi and Sheffield admitted using steroids, according to reports by the San Francisco Chronicle. Sheffield said he wasn't aware when he used the substances that they contained steroids.

Bonds, according to the paper, admitted using substances prosecutors say contained steroids.

"Everybody believed that the program we had in place was having an effect and definitely it was doing what it designed to do," Glavine said, "but having said that, with the stuff that was going on and whatnot, it forced us to take a look at revising it or making it a little tougher. It was not a question anymore if that agreement was going to be enough. It was a question to address some of the new issues that came to light and get our fans to believe we were doing everything we could to make the problem go away 100 percent."

Sox First Baseman Won't Give Up Ball

BOSTON - Calling it "my retirement fund," Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz stashed in his safe deposit box the ball used in the final out that sealed the Red Sox's first World Series championship in 86 years. Now, his boss wants it back.

"We want it to be part of Red Sox archives or museums so it can be shared with the fans," Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino told The Boston Globe on Thursday. "We would hope he would understand the historical nature of it."

Mientkiewicz seems to understand it very well, which is exactly why he held on to it.

Historic baseballs have recently fetched impressive sums. The baseball Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk banged off the foul pole in the 1975 World Series sold for $113,373. The ball Barry Bonds hit for his 73rd home run went for $450,000. The most expensive baseball of all time is Mark McGwire's 70th homer, which went for $3 million.

Mientkiewicz said he thinks the Boston's World Series ball has more value than a home run ball.

"Those are important and all, don't get me wrong, but there are always going to be more home runs," he said. "This is something that took 86 years, and 86 years is a long time. Personally, I went through hell and back this year. But winning the World Series is something I'm going to remember for a long time."

Mientkiewicz came to Boston from Minnesota in a three-team midseason deal that sent Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs.

Mientkiewicz, who batted .215 for Boston, was used primarily as a late innings defensive replacement, and has indicated his unhappiness with the role.

Boston broke its championship drought by beating the New York Yankees in seven games in the AL championship series, then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games in the World Series.

After the game, Mientkiewicz said he put the ball in his locker, then gave it to his wife, Jodi, who put it in her purse. The next day, the ball was authenticated by Major League Baseball.

Carmine Tiso, spokesman for MLB, told the Globe that Mientkiewicz owns the baseball, though Joe Januszewski, Red Sox director of corporate partnerships, said he thinks the team owns it.

Mientkiewicz couldn't be reached for comment Thursday by the Globe after Lucchino said the club wanted the ball back. But on Wednesday, he left no doubt that he believes the ball belongs to him.

"I know this ball has a lot of sentimental value," Mientkiewicz said. "I hope I don't have to use it for the money. It would be cool if we have kids someday to have it stay in our family for a long time. But I can be bought. I'm thinking, there's four years at Florida State for one of my kids. At least."

Canada wins first WJHC gold since 1997

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (CP) - The Canadian junior men's hockey team put on a dominating display to win the gold medal at the world junior championship Tuesday with a 6-1 win over Russia.

After finishing a heartbreaking second the last three years in this tournament, Canada left nothing in doubt by scoring four times in the second period for a five-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes.

The sellout crowd of 11,862 at the Ralph Engelstad Arena - the majority of them Canadian - began singing goodbye to the Russian team midway through the third period.

They erupted at the final buzzer as the Canadian players mobbed goaltender Jeff Glass, hugging each other after throwing their sticks and gloves in the air while Queen's classic song We Are The Champions blared.

IIHF president Rene Fasel and Wayne Gretzky then presented captain Michael Richards with the championship trophy. Richards promptly skated it over to his teammates, who took turns thrusting it in the air.

Gretzky handed out the gold medals before players linked arms and sang O Canada in a tradition that began in 1982, when the Canadian team won in Minnesota, but had to sing the national anthem when it went missing.

''I'm so happy for the kids,'' coach Brent Sutter told TSN. ''They played a hell of a tournament right from the get go.''

Russia had no answer for a Canadian defence that gave up only 19 shots on Glass.

It was the first world junior title for Canada since 1997, when the country capped a run of five straight gold medals.

Canada scored three power-play goals and its penalty killers held the vaunted Russian power-play to one lone goal in the first period.

The Canadian team played with controlled emotion and relentless determination.

Ryan Getzlaf, Danny Syvret, Jeff Carter, Patrice Bergeron, Anthony Stewart and Dion Phaneuf scored for Canada, which lost the 2002 and 2003 championship games to Russia.

''It's an unbelievable feeling,'' Carter told TSN. ''This is what we were going for and we got it now.''

Getzlaf, who was a standout in the game for Canada, and Andrew Ladd each had two assists.

''It's amazing,'' Getzlaf told TSN. ''We were the team on the other side last year. This is our time now.''

Bergeron was named tournament MVP while Phaneuf was chosen the top defenceman. Both were named to the all-star team, too, along with Carter.

Russian defenceman Alexei Emelin scored a power-play goal for Russia in the first period.

Star Alexander Ovechkin was used sparingly in the second period and at the start of the third period, he was out of his skates and in his track pants on the Russian bench because of a right shoulder injury.

Canada put the game away in the second period with four unanswered goals - two of them on the power play - and chased Russian goaltender Anton Khudobin at 3:33 after the Minnesota Wild draft pick gave up three goals on 15 shots. He was replaced by Andrei Kuznetsov.

Phaneuf's shot from the blue-line beat Kuznetsov's outstretched glove at 13:19 to make it 6-1 for Canada. Stewart tipped in a Nigel Dawes pass at 8:54.

Kuznetsov gave up a long rebound on a Sidney Crosby blast and Corey Perry chipped it over to Bergeron who had an open net at 7:53.

Carter whipped a sharp-angled shot from the boards by Khudobin to spark Canada's outburst and send the Russian goaltender to the bench.

Canadian goaltender Jeff Glass didn't face a lot of shots again behind a formidable defence, but he did make a glove same from close range on Enver Lisin after Carter's goal.

Canada had a five-minute man advantage late in the second period after Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Dimitri Vorobiev put his stick in Dawes' face and was given a major and a game misconduct.

Emelin pulled Russia within a goal before the first period expired. His shot through traffic with 32 seconds remaining gave Russia a power-play goal.

Canada had taken a 2-0 lead on Syvret's power-play goal at eight minutes. Braydon Coburn's shot on net hit the end boards and Syvret collected it and banked it off Anton Khudobin.

Getzlaf scored 51 seconds into the game when he took a Carter drop pass and blasted it by Khudobin.

Canada killed off a 1:12 worth of a two-man Russian advantage early in the first period after Perry took an interference minor and Shea Weber hauled down Evgeni Malkin for a tripping penalty.

This Canadian junior team was the country's best in a long time and arguably the best ever. The NHL lockout combined with spike in talent in Canadian players born in 1985 made the 2005 team a formidable one. Players who might not have otherwise been available to the Canadian team from their NHL clubs were still playing in the junior ranks.

The closest team in depth and talent to this one may have been the team in 1995 - the last time there was an NHL labour disruption - and Canada dominated that tournament in Red Deer, Alta.

Canada outscored the opposition 32-5 during the round-robin portion of this tournament to finish first in Pool B. A 3-1 semifinal win over the Czech Republic, in which Glass faced only 11 shots and fewer quality scoring chances, sent Canada to the final of this tournament for the fourth straight year.

While the team's road to the final looked easy on paper, it wasn't without adversity as defence Cam Barker was sent home after three games with mononucleosis, forward Jeremy Colliton was able to play just over one period with a knee injury and defenceman Brent Seabrook played through a shoulder injury he suffered on the first day of selection camp.

Sutter, a Stanley Cup winner during his 18-year NHL career and a former international player for Canada, guided the team with a firm, but intelligent hand.

This was Canada's oldest team at the world juniors and with a record number of returning players from last year's tournament in Helsinki, they knew the drill and what was at stake.

A dozen players on this squad played for Canada last year and suffered the disappointment of wasting a two-goal lead in the third period. The U.S. scored three times in the period to win 4-3.

Attendance at the 2005 tournament was 195,771, which fell short of the record set by Halifax in 2003 at 242,173. The hundreds of Canadians who made the trek to Grand Forks, two hours south of the Manitoba border, swelled the number of spectators in the stands.

Tuesday's gold-medal game was as close to a home game for the Canadian team as it could be without actually being in the country.

The 2006 world junior hockey championship will be held in Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna, B.C.

Expos' Move to D.C. on Verge of Collapse

NEW YORK - Washington's new baseball team shut down business and promotional operations indefinitely Wednesday as its move to the nation's capital teetered on the brink of collapse.

The decision by major league baseball followed the District of Columbia Council's decision Tuesday night to require private financing for at least half the cost of building a new stadium. The September agreement to move the Montreal Expos to Washington called for a ballpark fully financed by government money.

"Yes, I think baseball is now in jeopardy," Mayor Anthony A. Williams said.

A previously scheduled news conference to unveil new uniforms was called off and fans who bought tickets to watch the renamed Nationals next season at RFK Stadium can get refunds, said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.

Baseball will not resume talks with other cities until after Dec. 31, the deadline in the agreement for Washington to put a ballpark financing law in place.

"In the meantime, the club's baseball operations will proceed, but its business and promotional activities will cease until further notice," DuPuy said.

He did not address where the team would play its 2005 home schedule if the deal with Washington falls through. It remains unclear whether baseball would move the franchise to RFK Stadium on a temporary basis, remain at Montreal's Olympic Stadium or go to another city.

Williams had signed the deal nearly three months ago, and publicly celebrated the return of major league baseball to Washington, which hasn't had a team since 1971.

"We had a deal. I believe the deal was broken, and the dream of 33 years is now once again close to dying. I would say close," Williams said at a news conference Wednesday.

Council Chair Linda W. Cropp proposed the amendment, which was approved 10-3 after she threatened to withhold support from the overall package, which then passed In a 7-6 vote.

"I am not trying to kill the deal," Cropp said. "I'm putting some teeth in it because I'm really disappointed with what I got from major league baseball."

The September agreement estimated the cost of building the ballpark and refurbishing RFK Stadium at $435 million, but critics claimed it would cost far more. The proposal, as initially approved by the council on Nov. 30, called for Washington to issue up to $531 million in bonds to cover the cost.

"I am very confident that we are going to be able to work through this and that we will have baseball here," said Councilman Jack Evans, who supported Williams on the original financing plan.

Bill Hall, chairman of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission's baseball committee, said, "We intend to deal with MLB's concerns and stadium cost issues in a way that keeps baseball in Washington, and do so over the next week or so."

Some of the communities that had lost out in the bidding for the team prepared to resume their efforts to lure the franchise.

"I don't think we've ever stopped," Norfolk group head Will Somerindyke Jr. said. "We always wanted to keep this area an option. If the opportunity arises for the Expos again, we are going to be standing there along with everyone else.

"Whether we could get something done by next year, I think that's a stretch," he added. "It would be very, very tough."

Somerindyke's organization has returned the deposits it collected on nearly 10,000 season tickets and almost 100 luxury boxes during its drive to get the Expos. He didn't think it would be difficult to get those deposits back.

Officials in Portland, Ore., were uncertain how to interpret the developments.

"We need to wait to see how Major League Baseball assesses this so we can respond," said Drew Mahalic of the Oregon Sports Authority.

Northern Virginia's group had hoped to build a ballpark near Dulles International Airport.

"We hope that the District of Columbia will be able to fulfill the terms of its agreement and succeed in bringing Major League Baseball back to this region," Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority spokesman Brian Hannigan said.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman went to baseball's winter meetings last weekend trying to attract attention to his efforts to lure a team. But he could not offer a firm stadium plan.

"It's just a glint in my eye, at this point," he said.

Washington has lost teams twice before: The original Senators became the Minnesota Twins after the 1960 season and the expansion Senators transformed into the Texas Rangers following the 1971 season.

"Here we are back where we were five years ago — the nation's capital, the center of the world, a city of possibility, aspiration and ambition and opportunity, and a city that cannot do what it says it's going to do," Williams said. "I'm saddened that we can go so far in five years and step back so far in five minutes."

The Expos became the first major league team outside the United States when they started play in 1969, but attendance at Olympic Stadium slumped over the past decade and the franchise was bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. In 2003 and 2004, some of the team's home games were moved to Puerto Rico to raise revenue.

Red Sox Win First World Series Since 1918

ST. LOUIS - The Boston Red Sox — yes, the Boston Red Sox! — are World Series champions at long, long last. No more curse and no doubt about it. Ridiculed and reviled through decades of defeat, the Red Sox didn't just beat the St. Louis Cardinals, owners of the best record in baseball, they swept them for their first crown since 1918.

Johnny Damon homered on the fourth pitch of the game, Derek Lowe made it stand up and the Red Sox won 3-0 Wednesday night. Edgar Renteria grounded out for the final out, wrapping up a Series in which the Red Sox never trailed.

Chants of "Let's go, Red Sox!" bounced all around Busch Stadium, with Boston fans as revved-up as they were relieved. Only 10 nights earlier, the Red Sox were just three outs from getting swept by the New York Yankees in the AL championship series before becoming the first team in baseball postseason history to overcome a 3-0 deficit.

It was Boston's sixth championship, but the first after 86 years of frustration and futility, after two world wars, the Great Depression, men on the moon, and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.

After all that, on a night when the moon went dark in a total eclipse, the Red Sox made it look easy.

Gone was the heartbreak of four Game 7 losses since their last title, a drought — some insist it was a curse — that really began after they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.

"We wanted to do it so bad for the city of Boston. To win a World Series with this on our chests — it hasn't been done since 1918," Kevin Millar of the Red Sox said. "So rip up those '1918' posters right now."

Damon's leadoff homer off starter Jason Marquis and Trot Nixon's two-out, two-run double on a 3-0 pitch were all that Lowe needed. Having won the first-round clincher against Anaheim in relief and then winning Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, Lowe blanked the Cards on a mere three hits for seven innings.

Relievers Bronson Arroyo and Alan Embree worked the eighth and Keith Foulke finished it off for his first save.

The Red Sox get to raise the World Series banner next April 11 in the home opener at Fenway Park, with the Yankees in town forced to watch.

Boston became the third straight wild-card team to win it, relying on the guts of Curt Schilling and guile of Pedro Martinez. And they took it in the same year they traded away popular shortstop Nomar Garciaparra.

Led by Series MVP Manny Ramirez, Boston got key contributions from almost everyone. Backup outfielder Dave Roberts did not play in the Series, yet it was his stolen base in the ninth inning of Game 4 in the ALCS that began the comeback against Mariano Rivera.

And while second baseman Mark Bellhorn was born in Boston, no one else on the roster came from anywhere near Beantown. And the only homegrown players on the team are Trot Nixon and rookie Kevin Youkilis.

No matter, this win might make all of them as much a part of New England lore as Plymouth Rock and Paul Revere.

Or, as Red Sox owner John Henry said close to gametime: "People tell me this is the biggest thing since the Revolutionary War."

The Boston win also left no doubt which city is now the most jinxed in baseball. It's Chicago — the Cubs last won it all in 1908, the White Sox in 1917.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals team that led the majors with 105 wins never showed up. The timely hitting, solid pitching and sharp baserunning that served them so well all season completely broke down.

Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, the meat of the order, combined for just one RBI. Rolen got it on a sacrifice fly, and it was little consolation as he went 0-for-15.

Ramirez, put on waivers in the offseason and nearly traded to Texas for Alex Rodriguez, was 7-for-17 (.412) with a homer and four RBIs. The left fielder's biggest contribution came in Game 3, when he bounced back from a couple of errors to throw out a runner at the plate.

Lowe was loose from the start. While the Cardinals took batting practice, he sat alone in the Boston dugout, his hat backward and singing the little ditty, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Lowe was equally relaxed on the mound. He gave up a leadoff single to Tony Womack, then retired 13 straight batters until Renteria doubled in the fifth. Renteria made it to third on a wild pitch, but Lowe fanned John Mabry — who unsuccessfully argued that he tipped strike three — and got Yadier Molina on a routine grounder.

At that point, the Cardinals were going quietly. About the only noise they made came when Molina, a 21-year-old rookie catcher whose two brothers catch for Anaheim, began yapping at Ramirez when the Boston star came to the plate in the fourth.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona quickly rushed out of the dugout to keep things calm.

Best known before this year for being Michael Jordan's manager in the minors, Francona made plenty of wicked smart moves. Oakland's bench coach in 2003, he took over after Grady Little was fired last fall. Baltimore and the White Sox also interviewed the man who managed Philadelphia to losing seasons from 1997-2000.

And while many Boston fans hollered for him to bench the slumping Damon in the ALCS, Francona stuck with him. Damon hit a grand slam and two-run homer in Game 7.

Facing Marquis, Damon yanked a shot over the right-center field wall and before he could circle the bases, the chants of "Let's go, Red Sox!" began echoing from the upper deck.

Damon became the second Boston player to hit a leadoff homer in the Series. The other? Patsy Dougherty, who did it in 1903 for the Americans — renamed the Red Sox five years later.

A single by Ramirez and double by David Ortiz got the Red Sox ramped up again in the third. Pujols threw out Ramirez at the plate, trying to score on a grounder to first base, and a walk loaded the bases with two outs.

Nixon took three straight balls and Francona gambled, giving his good fastball hitter the green light. That's what Nixon got, and he drilled it off the right-center wall for a 3-0 lead.

Notes:@ Ramirez tied Derek Jeter and Hank Bauer for the longest postseason hitting streak at 17 games. ... Damon hit the 17th leadoff homer in Series history. Jeter (2000) was the last to do it. ... This was Jim Burton's 55th birthday. A rookie in 1975 for Boston, he gave up Joe Morgan's go-ahead single in the ninth inning of Game 7 against Cincinnati. Burton pitched only one more game in the majors. ... The Red Sox led for 34 of the 36 innings. ... Larry Walker put down his first sacrifice since 1991. He bunted in the first inning, but Lowe threw him out. ... Boston teams continued to bedevil St. Louis clubs. The New England Patriots beat the Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl, the Bruins swept the Blues for the 1970 Stanley Cup and the Celtics won their first NBA title by defeating the Hawks in 1957.

Expos Era in Montreal Ends With 9-1 Loss

MONTREAL - The Expos era in Montreal ended with a 9-1 loss to Florida on Wednesday night, a game delayed for 10 minutes when players were pulled off the field after a fan threw a golf ball that landed near second base.

Hours after baseball announced that the 36-year-old franchise will be moved next season to Washington, D.C., a crowd of 31,395 showed up at Olympic Stadium for its final chance to say farewell.

It was the largest crowd of the year and about four times the season average. Fans were warned in the third inning that the game would be forfeited if anything else was thrown onto the field.

Three plastic bottles were tossed into left field in the sixth, one near Florida's Miguel Cabrera. But the teams remained on the field and no announcement was made. The game was delayed just a couple minutes as the bottles were retrieved by a ball boy.

With two outs in the ninth, a fan jumped onto the field near Florida's on-deck circle and was quickly escorted off by two security guards.

After Terrmel Sledge popped up for the final out, Marlins coach Perry Hill took the ball from third baseman Mike Mordecai and tossed it across the field to Expos manager Frank Robinson.

Montreal coach Claude Raymond stood alone on the field before he was joined by all the Expos as they waved goodbye to fans.

The crowd began standing when the Marlins came to bat in the top of the ninth. Fans, some with tears in their eyes, waved Canadian flags and held up signs. Some were still lingering in the stands 15 minutes after the game ended.

Peter McStravick, an Ottawa native and lifelong Expos fan now living in Boston, held a sign with pictures of commissioner Bud Selig, former team president Claude Brochu and Florida owner Jeffrey Loria, who sold the franchise to the other 29 teams to purchase the Marlins in 2002.

"Expos Hall of Shame," read the sign, "Merci de Rien (Thanks for Nothing.)"

"It's a funeral," said McStravick, who made a five-hour drive to attend the game.

Former Expo Carl Pavano (18-8) set a Marlins record for wins, and Cabrera hit his 32nd homer.

Sun-woo Kim (4-6) lasted only two-plus innings.

Montreal has three games remaining this season, in New York against the Mets. The Expos also played their first game at Shea Stadium in 1969.

With Florida's Jeff Conine at the plate in the third inning, Robinson came out of the dugout, summoned plate umpire Rick Reed and pointed out the golf ball.

Reed, the crew chief, waved all the players into the dugout as the crowd cheered. Security guards lined up along each baseline.

Drawing decent crowds was the problem for the Expos in recent years, prompting baseball to look for a new home.

The last major league team to move was the Washington Senators, who became the Texas Rangers for the 1972 season.

The Senators' final home game was forfeited on Sept. 30, 1971. Fans rushed onto the field with two outs in the ninth inning, upset over owner Bob Short's decision to move the team to Texas.

The Senators were leading the New York Yankees 7-5 when the game was declared a forfeit.

Fans were still streaming into Olympic Stadium during the second inning Wednesday night. The seldom-used upper deck was already filling with spectators as Kim threw the first pitch to Juan Pierre.

Wednesday night's game was the 2,786th for the last-place Expos in Montreal, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That includes 641 at Jarry Park, where the team started play in 1969, and 2,145 at Olympic Stadium, where the Expos moved in 1977.

The 1994 Expos were honored in a pregame ceremony. That team was 74-40, the best record in baseball, and six games up in the NL East when major league players went on strike, a work stoppage that ultimately resulted in the cancellation of the playoffs and World Series.

Several members of the 1994 team — including current Montreal left-hander Joey Eischen, Florida's Wil Cordero, pitchers Ken Hill, Gil Heredia and Tim Scott — were on hand to sign autographs as fans were allowed to mill about the outfield before the game.

Usherettes Marie-Claude Girard and Dominique Duquette were red-eyed from crying unabashedly as fans filed past them on and off the field.

Many fans brought gloves and played catch on the field, others sat or sprawled on the field's artificial turf. Security was increased, but the crowd cleared the field without any problems when the autograph session ended.

Recorded messages from former Expos Felipe Alou, who managed the team from 1992-01, Cubs slugger Moises Alou and San Francisco's Kirk Rueter and Marquis Grissom, were played on the video scoreboard.

The small group of players were introduced to the crowd before they walked to the outfield wall in left-center field, where they unveiled a banner with the Expos' logo reading, "1994 Meilleure Equipe du Baseball — Best Team in Baseball."

Kim Richardson's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was initially greeted with boos. Applause soon drowned out the jeers.

Montreal's Tony Batista took an extended curtain call after he came out of the game following the fifth inning. Batista, whose 32 home runs set a team record for third basemen, stepped out of the dugout and thrust both arms up high to the delight of the crowd.

The fans also gave ace Livan Hernandez a loud ovation, as well as the team's English and French broadcasters when they were shown on the video scoreboard during the game.

National Hockey League Locks Out Players

NEW YORK - No shots, no saves, no goals. The National Hockey League locked out its players Thursday, threatening to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season and perhaps beyond in an effort by management to gain massive economic change.

After the long-expected decision was approved unanimously Wednesday by NHL owners, commissioner Gary Bettman repeatedly belittled the union's bargaining position, talked about the possibility the confrontation could extend into the 2005-06 season and said the conflict has jeopardized the NHL's participation in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

"When we ultimately make the deal that has to be made, we will then see whether or not there is time for a season or some semblance of a season," he said. "If there is, great, and if there isn't, then we'll deal with the next season when it comes along."

Bettman claimed teams had combined to lose more than $1.8 billion over 10 years, and said management will not agree to a labor deal that doesn't include a defined relationship between revenue and salaries.

"Until he gets off the salary-cap issue, there's not a chance for us to get an agreement," union head Bob Goodenow said in Toronto, adding that players "are not prepared to entertain a salary cap in any way, shape, measure or form."

Far apart on both philosophy and finances, the sides haven't bargained since last Thursday and say they are entrenched for the long run, echoing words of baseball players and owners at the start of their disastrous 7 1/2-month labor war of 1994-95.

There is almost no chance the season will start as scheduled on Oct. 13, and Bettman told teams to release their arenas for other events for the next 30 days. Bettman said the season can't extend past June, and the lockout threatens to wipe out the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 1919, when the series between Montreal and Seattle was stopped after five games due a Spanish influenza epidemic.

"The union is trying to win a fight, hoping that the owners will give up. That will turn out to be a terrible error in judgment," Bettman said. "They are apparently convinced that come some point in the season, the owners' resolve will waver, and I'm telling you that is wrong, wrong, wrong."

NHL management claims teams combined to lose $273 million in 2002-03 and $224 million last season. Bettman said the union's proposals would do little for owners, and said the six offers rejected by the union would lower the average player salary from $1.8 million to $1.3 million.

Goodenow said players had offered more than $100 million in annual concessions.

"The notion that we don't have competitive balance is absurd," said Vancouver center Trevor Linden, the union's president.

Bettman made clear that declaring an impasse under U.S. labor law and imposing new work rules unilaterally was an option, but said it had not yet been considered.

"I think it's pretty fair to say that we're at an impasse right now, and my guess is that we've probably been at impasse for months, if not a year," he said. "At some point when we're at impasse, we could simply say, `We're going to open, and here are the terms and conditions. Let's go.' It's that simple."

Goodenow said attempting to impose terms would be a "very, very ill-advised strategy" and predicted "the results of it could be catastrophic." Bettman said the use of replacement players is not contemplated.

The 30 teams — 24 in the United States and six in Canada — had been set to start opening training camps on Thursday, the day after the expiration of the current labor contract. The deal was first agreed to in 1995 and extended two years later through Sept. 15, 2004. Bettman termed the extension "a mistake, in hindsight."

"It of kind stinks, packing up and moving out of here," Philadelphia right wing Tony Amonte said at his team's practice rink. "I can't say they weren't preparing us for it."

Some players are expected to sign with European leagues, and others could join a six-team, four-on-four circuit called the Original Stars Hockey League, which is set to start play Friday in Barrie, Ontario. Others could go to a revived World Hockey Association, which plans to open Oct. 29 with eight teams playing 76 games apiece.

Bettman said more than 100 employees from the NHL's central staff of about 225 will be terminated, most on Monday.

The stoppage is the first for a North American major league since the 1998-99 NBA lockout canceled 464 games, cutting each club's regular-season schedule from 82 games to 50.

It is the third stoppage for the NHL following a 10-day strike in 1992 that caused the postponement of 30 games and a 103-day lockout in 1994-95 that eliminated 468 games, cutting each team's regular-season schedule from 84 games to 48. That lockout ended on Jan. 11, five days before the deadline set by Bettman to scuttle the season.

Canada wins World Cup of Hockey

TORONTO (CP) - Shane Doan scored in the third period as Canada defeated Finland 3-2 on Tuesday night to add the World Cup of Hockey to its string of recent international triumphs.

Doan's goal 34 seconds into the third period stood up behind superb goaltending from Martin Brodeur as Canada ended the eight-team tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.

"That was pretty special, it's something I'm never going to forget," said Doan. "It was incredible, this whole experience has been incredible. It's a dream to score that goal."

Canada, which only a few years ago feared it had slipped a notch in the hockey world, now holds the 2002 Olympic gold medal, two consecutive IIHF world championship gold medals and the World Cup.

"This was an amazing group of players," Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky said.

Vincent Lecavalier, one of the young players who led Canada in this World Cup, was named tournament MVP.

"With all the young players, we have a great future here in Canada," Joe Sakic told CBC. "It's nice to win some tournaments. ...

"It's just awesome to be a part of this."

Sakic and Riku Hahl traded goals in the opening period and Scott Niedermayer put Canada ahead 3:13 into the second.

A spectacular goal by Tuomo Ruutu with one minute left in the second period sent the teams into the final frame at 2-2, but Doan broke the deadlock on the first shift of the final period when he banged a pass from Joe Thornton past Miikka Kiprusoff.

"Kipper didn't play his best game, our defence didn't help either," said Finnish coach Raimo Summanen. "I'm proud of the spirit and the attitude on our team."

It may have been the last top-level hockey available for a long time, as the NHL was set to lock out its players at midnight Wednesday unless a last-minute agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

The checking line of Doan, Thornton and Kris Draper had a huge night, producing two goals and tying up Finland's big line of Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Jere Lehtinen.

"It was a total team effort and I'm so proud of the guys," said Thornton. "It was four great weeks of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

The Finns played a strong forechecking game and several times had Canada boxed in its zone, but the home side responded with a robust checking game of its own.

The difference may have been in goal.

A chanting, sellout crowd of 19,370 saw Brodeur shine in his return to the net after missing a game with a wrist injury. He had the edge on Kiprusoff as Canada outshot Finland 33-29.

"I felt great, my wrist didn't bother me at all," said Brodeur.

It looked like Canada may have an easy night when Sakic scored only 52 seconds into the game, taking a feed in the slot from Mario Lemieux and scoring on the first shot on goal.

But a tenacious Finland forecheck had Canada running around in its zone when Hahl tipped Toni Lydman's point shot past Brodeur to tie the game at 6:34.

Niedermayer put Canada ahead on a routine shot during a rush down the left side that dribbled through Kiprusoff's pads.

But at the 19:00 mark, Ruutu chipped the puck free in the neutral zone, sidestepped a hit by Simon Gagne and blew past Niedermayer to beat Brodeur with a shot just inside the post.

It was the first time in the tournament Brodeur allowed more than one goal in a game.

Spirited checking helped Canada open the third period by keeping the puck in the Finland zone and Thornton flipped a pass out in front for Doan to score his first of the tournament.

Finland was seeking its first ever hockey win in a best-on-best tournament. Its last major title was at the 1995 IIHF world championships.

The winning team got $1 million, to be split equally between Hockey Canada and the players, who are to donate the money to a charity of their choice.

Canada also continued the Lucky Loonie tradition, this time with a twist. Instead of burying a loonie in the ice at centre or under a crossbar, six of the coins were taped under the Canadian bench, one for each of the team's wins at the World Cup.

ABC Calls Delay for NFL Kickoff

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - ABC and the NFL aren't taking any chances with this week's kickoff show, the first time football has had an entertainment-style revue since the notorious "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl halftime show in February.

There will be a 10-second delay in the telecast of the hourlong "NFL Opening Kickoff," an otherwise live musical event from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., and Jacksonville, Fla. The season's first game has last year's champions, the New England Patriots, playing host to the Indianapolis Colts.

ABC insisted on a five-second delay in the broadcast, according to Charles Coplin, the kickoff show's co-executive producer and vp programing at the NFL. ABC requires all live entertainment programing carried on the network to have a five-second delay, ABC Sports spokesman Mark Mandel said. "That was in effect before the Super Bowl (controversy)," he said.

Added Coplin on his way to Foxboro on Tuesday to oversee the production: "I think it's a precaution. I have no plans on using it. I would be surprised by using it, but there are always things that could go out of control."

Performers include Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz and Toby Keith, along with a newly reunited Destiny's Child.

Burned by the experience at the last Super Bowl, when Janet Jackson bared a breast during a performance with Justin Timberlake, the NFL took control over its entertainment destiny. The league now develops the content and works directly with the performers; it has control over song selection, wardrobe and staging, for instance. Coplin said the NFL wants to make sure that everything's appropriate.

"(The performers) understand what's appropriate and what's not appropriate, and that's very much a part of who we chose" to perform, Coplin said.

The NFL, which is always a ratings winner for ABC on Monday night, is going to face some tough competition when it bows Thursday. Leading the competition will be the premieres of "Joey" and "The Apprentice," both on NBC.

But that's not the only storm Thursday's game and show will face. Coplin said it isn't clear whether damage from Hurricane Frances, which hit Jacksonville over the weekend, will alter the plans to have Jessica Simpson sing from there as scheduled. Coplin wasn't sure about that, but he had other weather-related concerns in mind, too. It isn't supposed to stop raining in Massachusetts until Thursday at the earliest.

"We could really use a clear night and clear rehearsals," Coplin said. "I don't think we're going to have any luck."

Greece Captures European Championship

LISBON, Portugal - Greece won the European Championship in one of the biggest upsets in soccer history, beating host Portugal 1-0 Sunday on Angelos Charisteas' goal early in the second half.

Charisteas scored in the 57th minute with a header off a corner kick from Angelos Basinas.

Giourkas Seitaridis went on a speedy run down the right and was stopped by a block by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, with the ball rolling over the end line. Basinas floated the corner kick into the 6-yard box, and Charisteas timed his run perfectly to outjump Jorge Andrade and beat goalkeeper Ricardo Pereira from 5 yards.

"We are the best team in Europe. This is a unique moment," Charisteas said. "It's the greatest moment of my career. When I scored, I thought we could not lose."

The unheralded Greeks, a soccer outsider given little chance of advancing from a first-round group that included Spain, Portugal and Russia, had been to only two major tournaments before this, the 1994 World Cup and the 1980 European Championship, failing to win a game. Sunday's victory came just over a month before Athens hosts the Olympics, from Aug. 13-29.

When referee Markus Merk blew the final whistle, about 15,000 Greek fans in the Stadium of Light cheered.

Eusebio, the greatest player in Portugal's history, stood on the podium as 50,000 Portuguese fans watched in disappointment as their heroes received the second-place medals. Portugal also was in a major final for the first time.

In Athens, thousands of jubilant fans waving Greek flags and honking car horns poured into the streets. Thousands of fans, some crying and embracing, gathered in Omonia Square, many waving Greek flags and singing the national anthem. Some cried and embraced. Others spread out the national flag on the street and bowed in front of it.

No host had ever lost a European Championship final and only two have lost World Cup finals, Brazil in 1950 and Sweden in 1958.

"We couldn't take advantage of our chances," Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "There were shots that could have gone in, which would have changed the result. Unfortunately, they didn't go in."

Greece upset the Portuguese 2-1 in the tournament opener on June 12, ousted defending champion France 1-0 in the quarterfinals on a goal by Charisteas, then beat the favored Czech Republic 1-0 in the semifinals on an overtime header by Traianos Dellas, nearly identical to Charisteas' goal Sunday. The Greeks did not allow in their final 343 minutes of the tournament.

Portugal, which dominated possession, nearly tied the score with 16 minutes remaining but with goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis out of position, Ronaldo lobbed the ball over the crossbar.

Dellas blocked Ronaldo's shot with 10 minutes to go, and Nikopolidis allowed a rebound of Ricardo Carvalho's 25-yard shot, but Portugal didn't have anyone in front.

The game was briefly delayed with about five minutes to go when a fan dressed in black ran onto the field. Security chased down the man, who waved a banner with the emblem of the Spanish club Barcelona, then threw it at Portugal star Luis Figo.

Greece, led by Germany's Otto Rehhagel, became the first team to win the quadrennial European title with a foreign coach.

Senators Force Game 7 With Double OT Win

OTTAWA - Mike Fisher scored 1:47 into double overtime to give Ottawa a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night and force a seventh and deciding game in the first-round playoff series.

The Senators have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Maple Leafs in three of the past four years. Game 7 is Tuesday night in Toronto.

"Our crowd will be with us," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "Hopefully, we'll be a bit better than we were tonight."

Following a 2-0 loss in Game 5 on Friday, Daniel Alfredsson — the Senators captain — guaranteed his club would win Games 6 and 7.

"I don't think you've seen the last of us yet (in Toronto)," Alfredsson said following a closed-door meeting. "We're going to go home, win, and force Game 7. Then we'll come back in here and we'll win the series."

Fisher made Alfredsson's promise come true when he redirected Antoine Vermette's pass across the crease into a wide-open left side, setting off a wild celebration.

Toronto seemed determined to prevent that after Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan McCabe scored during a five-on-three power play 4:14 in.

The Senators were stifled by goalie Ed Belfour until Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal 4:55 into the third period.

Moments after the 6-foot-9 defenseman flattened Joe Nieuwendyk with a big open ice hit in Toronto's zone, Chara circled behind the Maple Leafs net. He spun around as he approached the left circle and put a wrist shot past Belfour, just inside the left post.

He pumped his fist repeatedly while the sellout crowd of 18,500 erupted in cheers. The goal ended Belfour's shutout streak at 116 minutes, 55 seconds.

"I thought we had good energy from the start," Senators coach Jacques Martin said. "But there's no doubt it gave us a big lift."

The Senators hadn't put a goal past Belfour since Chris Phillips scored eight minutes into the third period of Ottawa's 4-1 win in Game 4. Belfour recorded his third shutout of the series in a 2-0 win Friday.

Belfour also held the Senators scoreless for 157:45 earlier in the series while recording shutouts in Games 2 and 3.

Alfredsson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory in Game 4 after guaranteeing the Senators would not be shut out in three straight games. He also promised earlier this season that the Senators would win the Stanley Cup, though he didn't specify when.

Maple Leafs center Mats Sundin missed his second straight game because of a left ankle injury sustained in Game 4. His status for Game 7 is still undecided.

"I don't know at this point," Quinn said. "I'd still say probably doubtful."

Toronto missed an opportunity to win it in the last minute of regulation. Senators center Todd White swiped away a loose puck before Alexei Ponikarovsky could reach it in front of an open net.

"We had big chances and missed," Quinn said. "It would have been nice to have had those."

Red Sox Fans Pick Name for Documentary

Boston Red Sox fans have given a name to their pain, choosing "Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie" as the title of a documentary about their beloved, beleaguered baseball team.

The makers of a film about the dramatic 2003 season had asked fans to select a title online from among four choices. But so many varied responses came in that a second round of voting took place last week on the Red Sox and Boston Globe Web sites.

Nearly 8,000 people voted, and "Still, We Believe" was the favorite. Other choices included "This Is the Year," "The Ecstasy and the Agony" and "Always the Bridesmaid."

"The fans have spoken," Red Sox spokesman Charles Steinberg said. "This truly is a film about fans, for the fans, and now named by the fans."

The documentary follows last season, from spring training to the American League championship series, in which the Sox were five outs away from beating the rival New York Yankees in Game 7.

Instead of having a shot at winning their first World Series since 1918, they ended up losing 6-5 in 11 innings.

But at least Sox fans still have a sense of humor. Among the title suggestions they posted on the Boston Globe Web site: "Dude, Where's My Bullpen?" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Wish I Didn't Know What You Did Last Fall."

"Still, We Believe," a THINKFilm release, is scheduled to open May 7 in Boston and expand nationwide throughout the spring.

Pats Win Super Bowl on Another Late Kick

HOUSTON - Once again, the New England Patriots have Adam Vinatieri's foot to thank for a Super Bowl victory. Vinatieri gave New England its second NFL championship in three seasons with a 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds left for a thrilling 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

Vinatieri earlier missed a field goal and had another one blocked. But as he did in 2002 when he kicked the winning field goal to beat St. Louis on the final play of the Super Bowl, he proved he is perhaps the NFL's best clutch kicker.

For a contest that was scoreless for a record 27 minutes, this game was one of the all-time offensive shows between two of the NFL's best defenses.

There were 37 points scored in the fourth quarter alone and Tom Brady, who led New England on its winning drive, was 32-of-48 for 354 yards and three touchdowns.

Brady was voted the game's MVP for the second time in three seasons, although he did throw an interception that prevented New England from winning more easily.

"There have been some heart attacks, but they've come out on top," said coach Bill Belichick, whose team won its 15th straight game.

Carolina had tied the game at 29 with its third fourth-quarter TD on a 12-yard pass from Jake Delhomme to Ricky Proehl with 1:08 left. Then John Kasay kicked the ball out of bounds to give New England field position at its own 40.

Brady moved the Patriots 37 yards in six plays, hitting Deion Branch to set up Vinatieri's winning kick.

"I looked up and it was going right down the middle," he said.

The kick prevented the Super Bowl from going into overtime for the first time ever.

The Patriots led 14-10 at the half, and after a scoreless third quarter, they made it 21-10 on the second play of the fourth on a 2-yard run by Antowain Smith. It capped an eight-play, 71-yard drive featuring a 33-yard pass from Brady to tight end Daniel Graham.

Carolina wasn't about to give up, though, scoring on DeShaun Foster's 33-yard run on a six-play, 81-yard drive. But the 2-point conversion pass was behind Muhsin Muhammad and it was 21-16. The decision to go for 2 would come back to haunt coach John Fox.

The Patriots seemed ready to put the game away when they got the ball back, but Brady made a rare mistake — throwing an off-balance pass that Reggie Howard intercepted in the end zone.

Two plays later, Delhomme found Muhammad behind the New England defense for an 85-yard score, the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history, to give the Panthers a 22-21 lead with 6:53 left. Fox again went for the 2-point conversion and failed.

Brady came back with the TD pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel with 2:51 remaining, and Kevin Faulk ran in for the 2-point conversion to give New England a 29-22 lead.

About two minutes later, Delhomme and Proehl hooked up to tie the game, setting up Vinatieri's heroics.

The game was scoreless longer than any previous Super Bowl — nearly 27 minutes.
 
Then the teams got going — 24 points in the final 3:05 of the first half that left the Patriots with a 14-10 lead.

New England dominated that dormant period and finally took a 7-0 lead on the first of two 5-yard TD passes by Brady. The quarterback found Branch after Vrabel had sacked Delhomme, forcing a fumble and giving New England the ball at the Carolina 20.

At that point, New England had outgained Carolina 125 yards to minus-7, and Delhomme was 1-of-9 for 1 yard and had been sacked three times.

But the Patriots' touchdown seemed to wake up the Panthers. Delhomme led Carolina on a 95-yard drive, tied for second longest in Super Bowl history, capping it with a 39-yard TD pass to Steve Smith, who beat Tyrone Poole in single coverage. That tied it at 7-7 with 1:14 left in the half.

Brady came right back, hitting Branch for 52 yards behind Ricky Manning Jr. to set up the second 5-yard TD pass, this time to Givens.

Carolina wasn't finished, either.

Vinatieri squibbed the kickoff and Kris Mangum returned it 12 yards to his own 47. With 12 seconds and a timeout left, the Panthers crossed up the Patriots by handing the ball to Stephen Davis, who rushed 21 yards to the New England 32.

After a timeout, Kasay kicked a 50-yard field goal to close the half.

New England looked as if it might get off to a quick start, shutting down the Panthers on their first possession, then moving to the Carolina 13 after Troy Brown's 28-yard punt return.

But Vinatieri's 31-yard field-goal attempt was wide right. It was only the third time he had missed indoors in 34 attempts, all of them in Houston.

The Patriots continued to keep the Panthers backed up.

Carolina got its first first down with just over 2 minutes left in the first quarter on a holding penalty on New England's Ty Law but had to punt three plays later. Carolina's defense held up its end — Will Witherspoon ended another Patriots threat by dumping Brown for a 10-yard loss on a reverse to take New England out of field-goal range.

With just under 9 minutes left in the second quarter, the Patriots reached the Carolina 38. Brady's third-down sneak was barely stopped, then Antowain Smith barely got the 6 inches on fourth down, a spot that was upheld on replay.

The Patriots reached the 18, but Vinatieri's 36-yard attempt was blocked by Shane Burton.

Three plays later, Vrabel stripped Delhomme and Richard Seymour recovered.

On third-and-7, Brady, the self-described "slowest quarterback in the league," scrambled up the middle to the 5. On the next play, he found Branch in the end zone for the game's first score.

Molitor, Eckersley elected to HOF

NEW YORK (AP) - In their final confrontation, Paul Molitor wanted to beat Dennis Eckersley so badly he bunted in the ninth inning to win a game that was meaningless to the Minnesota Twins.

When they see each other this summer, they'll be going into the Hall of Fame together.

The two tough competitors were chosen Tuesday in their first year of eligibility, the only players to gain election. And they thought back to that night at the Metrodome in August 1998. 

"I was 43 years old,'' Eckersley recalled with a laugh. ``He dropped down a bunt and, guess what, it worked. He's a little weasel, that's what he is.''

Molitor turned 42 that night, and his single gave the Twins a 4-3 win over Boston, which was vying for the AL wild-card. Eckersley had a few choice words for Molitor that night. But the two always had great respect for each other.

``He had a way of being unpredictable,'' Molitor said. ``He could throw any pitch at any time, which added to his effectiveness. Not to mention he could throw it to a teacup.''

Molitor, a patient, proficient batter, is eighth on the career list with 3,319 hits, many in clutch situations. He also helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the second of two straight World Series titles in 1993, batting .500 with two home runs and eight RBIs as Toronto beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.  Molitor was named World Series MVP.

Molitor was picked on 431 of 506 ballots (85.2 per cent) cast by reporters who have been members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 10 or more years.

Eckersley, among baseball's most exuberant and colourful players, was selected on 421 ballots (83.2 per cent).

To gain election, a player must be chosen by at least 75 per cent of the voters (380).

Ryne Sandberg was third with 309 votes, 61.1 per cent, up from 49.2 last year. He was followed by Bruce Sutter (301), Jim Rice (276), Andre Dawson (253), Rich Gossage (206), Lee Smith (185) and Bert Blyleven (179).

Pete Rose, ineligible because of his lifetime ban from baseball, got 15 write-in votes, down three from last year.

Molitor, Seattle's hitting coach, became the first player elected to the Hall who spent more games at designated hitter than at any other position. He was a DH for 1,174 games (44 per cent), played 791 at third, 400 at second, 197 at first, 57 at shortstop and 50 in the outfield.

He hit 51 home runs and had 246 RBIs in his three seasons in Toronto. He joined the Jays in 1993 after 15 years in Milwaukee.

Molitor was a seven-time all-star who played from 1978-98 with Milwaukee, Toronto and Minnesota. He was primarily a DH in his final six seasons.

``It certainly extended by career and allowed me to accomplish some things offensively that I might not have otherwise,'' he said.

Eckersley, 49, joins Hoyt Wilhelm and Rollie Fingers as the only pitchers who were primarily relievers elected to the Hall by the BBWAA. The six-time all-star went 149-130 with a 3.71 in 361 starts, winning 20 games for Boston in 1978 and throwing a no-hitter for Cleveland against the Angels in 1977.

He was converted to a reliever when he moved from the Chicago Cubs to Oakland after the 1987 season, when he underwent treatment for alcoholism. He quickly became the game's dominant closer.

Eckersley is credited with coining the phrase ``walkoff homer'' - and one of the worst nights of his career included one. He allowed Kirk Gibson's famous game-winner in the opener of the 1988 World Series, which propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to the title in five games.

``I had the ultimate walk off in the World Series, a lot of pain in those walking offs,'' Eckersley said.

He was the American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 1992, when he was 7-1 with 51 saves and a 1.91 ERA.

Eckersley was a big reason Oakland won three AL pennants and one World Series from 1988-90. In 1989 and 1990, he had seven walks and 128 strikeouts in 131 innings.

``I could do no wrong. It was like walking on water at one point,'' he said.
In all, Eckersley went 197-171 in 24 seasons with 390 saves, third behind Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424).

``There's no way I would have gotten into the Hall just strictly as a reliever,'' he said. ``Being a starter had to have something to do with distancing me from some of the other relievers.''

Molitor, 47, hopes the Hall decided he should go in with a Brewers cap. Eckersley, who played for six teams, wouldn't say which team he preferred for the cap on his plaque, but he added, ``I liked playing for the Oakland A's.''

``As long as my moustache looks good, it's OK,'' he said.

Rose, who admits in his soon-to-be-released autobiography that he bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing them, must be reinstated by December 2005 to appear on the BBWAA ballot. In the 13 seasons he has been ineligible because of the ban, he has been written in on 230 of 6,171 ballots (3.7 per cent).

``I am a little disappointed in the timing of it,'' Molitor said, referring to Rose's book. ``Does it take away from the current class? ... In my mind, I think it does a little bit.''

Eckersley didn't care, saying: ``Bad timing, but it doesn't bother me.''

Fifteen players will be dropped from next year's ballot because they failed to draw at least 5 per cent of the votes. That group includes first baseman Keith Hernandez (22 votes), who was on the ballot for nine years, and pitcher Fernando Valenzuela (19), who was on for two.

Five-time AL batting champion Wade Boggs is eligible for the first time next year.

Molitor and Eckersley will increase the Hall of Fame's members to 258. The BBWAA has elected 100 players, including 40 in their first year of eligibility. Induction ceremonies are July 25 in Cooperstown, the small village in upstate New York.

Rose in Book Admits Betting on Baseball

NEW YORK - After 14 years of denials, Pete Rose has finally come clean and admitted he bet on baseball while manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

The career hits leader says in his soon-to-be-released autobiography that he hopes the acknowledgment will help end his ban from baseball, which could lead to his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Rose says he was a big-time gambler who started betting regularly on baseball in 1987 but never against the Reds, according to excerpts from the book released to Sports Illustrated for its issue that hits newsstands Wednesday.

"Yes, sir, I did bet on baseball," Rose told commissioner Bud Selig during a meeting in November 2002 about Rose's lifetime ban.

"How often?" Selig asked.

"Four or five times a week," Rose replied. "But I never bet against my own team, and I never made any bets from the clubhouse."

"Why?" Selig asked.

"I didn't think I'd get caught."

Rose repeated his admission in an interview on ABC News' "Primetime Thursday," parts of which aired Monday on "Good Morning America."

"It's time to clean the slate, it's time to take responsibility," Rose says in the interview. "I'm 14 years late.

"I just never had the opportunity to tell anybody that was going to help me. ... I couldn't get a response from baseball for 12 years. It's like I died and, and they knew I died and they didn't want to bring me back. They were just going to let me rot."

In "My Prison Without Bars," to be released Thursday, Rose writes that he regrets lying for all those years and says, "I wish I could take it all back."

"I've consistently heard the statement: 'If Pete Rose came clean, all would be forgiven.' Well, I've done what you've asked. The rest is up to the commissioner and the big umpire in the sky."

Rose agreed to the lifetime ban in August 1989 and applied for reinstatement in 1997, but Selig hasn't ruled on the request.

After meeting with Selig, Rose came away thinking he would be reinstated "within a reasonable period." Other baseball officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the following month that Selig wanted Rose to admit he bet on baseball as part of any reinstatement agreement.

"We haven't seen the book. Until we read the book, there's nothing to comment on," Selig told The Associated Press on Sunday night.

As long as Rose is banned from baseball, he is ineligible for the Hall of Fame ballot. His last chance to appear on the writers' ballot is December 2005. After that, if he's reinstated, he could be voted in by the veterans' committee.
 
Rose wrote that if he "had been an alcoholic or a drug addict, baseball would have suspended me for six weeks and paid for my rehabilitation."

"I should have had the opportunity to get help, but baseball had no fancy rehab for gamblers like they do for drug addicts," Rose wrote. "If I had admitted my guilt, it would have been the same as putting my head on the chopping block — lifetime ban. Death penalty. I spent my entire life on the baseball fields of America, and I was not going to give up my profession without first seeing some hard evidence. ... Right or wrong, the punishment didn't fit the crime — so I denied the crime."

In the book, Rose admits placing bets with Ronald Peters through Thomas Gioiosa and Paul Janszen — the three were the primary witnesses in the 1989 investigation by baseball lawyer John Dowd that led to the agreement in which Rose accepted a lifetime ban.

Dowd concluded Rose bet on baseball from 1985-87 and detailed 412 baseball wagers between April 8-July 5, 1987, including 52 on Cincinnati to win.

"During the times I gambled as a manager, I never took an unfair advantage," Rose wrote. "I never bet more or less based on injuries or inside information. I never allowed my wagers to influence my baseball decisions. So in my mind, I wasn't corrupt."

Former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent said Sunday: "I think John Dowd is owed a big apology by Rose.

"John is the hero. He did a great job. Now Rose admits John was correct," Vincent said.

Rose wrote that after breaking Ty Cobb's career hits record in 1985, and as he dealt with retirement as a player the following year, his betting became more of a problem. He details losing several hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I didn't realize it at the time, but I was pushing toward disaster," he wrote. "A part of me was still looking for ways to recapture the high I got from winning batting titles and World Series. If I couldn't get the high from playing baseball, then I needed a substitute to keep from feeling depressed. I was driven, in gambling as well as in baseball. Enough was never enough. I had huge appetites, and I was always hungry."

Asked during the ABC News interview what fans think about him, Rose said: "I think the powers that be in baseball understand that, 'Hey, maybe the fans like this guy. Maybe the fans want, want us to give him a second chance.'"

Janet Tapped For Super Bowl Halftime

Janet Jackson will perform on one of the world's biggest stages, the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. The National Football League championship football game is set to air Feb. 1 live on CBS from Houston's Reliant Stadium.

MTV is producing the Super Bowl halftime show, which will be sponsored by America Online, for the second time. The network previously produced the segment in 2001, which featured Aerosmith, 'N Sync and Britney Spears.

Last year's halftime event, produced by Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine and Tenth Planet Productions director/producer Joel Gallen, saw Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting perform at halftime. Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, Michelle Branch and Beyoncé all performed during pre-game festivities, while the Dixie Chicks were on hand to deliver the National Anthem.

Jackson is currently working on her next still-untitled album, which is due sometime in 2004 on Virgin Records. Her official Web site promises a world tour will follow.

Blue Jays' Halladay Wins Cy Young Award

NEW YORK - Toronto's Roy Halladay won the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday, easily beating Chicago's Esteban Loaiza.

Halladay, who won a major league-high 22 games, received 26 first-place votes and two seconds for 136 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Loaiza, who went to spring training with a minor league contract, got two firsts, 16 seconds and five thirds for 63 points.

Boston's Pedro Martinez was third with 20 points, followed by Oakland's Tim Hudson (15), Seattle's Jamie Moyer (12), the Yankees' Andy Pettitte (four) and Oakland's Keith Foulke and Minnesota's Johann Santana (one each).

Halladay, a 26-year-old right-hander, had never won more than eight games in a season before he went 19-7 in 2002.

He finished 22-7 with a 3.25 ERA this year, winning 15 consecutive decisions from May 1 to July 27 and tying for the AL lead with nine complete games.

His 1-0, 10-inning win over Detroit on Sept. 7 was the first extra-inning shutout in the major leagues since Jack Morris led Minnesota over Atlanta in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.

Loaiza went 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA and a league-high 207 strikeouts. Martinez, a three-time Cy Young winner, was 14-4 with a major league-leading 2.22 ERA.

Toronto pitchers have won the award in four of the last eight seasons, with Halladay following Pat Hentgen (1996) and Roger Clemens (1997 and 1998).

Halladay gets a $100,000 bonus for winning, Loaiza gets $90,000 for finishing second and Martinez $50,000 for finishing third.

Marlins Win to Advance to World Series

CHICAGO - Given one final chance to beat the demons of their past and the Marlins, the Cubs couldn't get it done. Kerry Wood failed to hold an early lead and Wrigley Field fell silent as Florida capped its stunning NLCS comeback with a 9-6 win in Game 7 Wednesday night.

Destiny? Fate? The fan in Game 6? Whatever. The Cubs were unable to end their long, strange drought because Ivan Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera and these remarkably resilient Marlins won their third straight game to clinch the National League pennant.

Now, the Marlins will head off to face Boston or the New York Yankees in the World Series starting Saturday night. In a cruel twist to the Cubs' faithful, Florida will make its second Series trip in only 11 years of existence — Chicago has been absent since 1945, prompting the team's sad little motto of "Wait 'til next year."

Alex Gonzalez provided insurance with a two-run double to left-center field in the seventh inning for a 9-5 lead. The ball hopped up against the brick wall, covered with ivy that has changed colors to orange and red.

That poison ivy will certainly be tinged with tears, too.

Even after being shut out in Game 5 by Josh Beckett, the Cubs were in excellent position as they returned home. But aces Mark Prior and Wood lost on back-to-back days for the first time this season and suddenly a sure thing had turned sour.

A sellout crowd of 39,574 minus the infamous Steve Bartman — the fan who deflected a foul ball during the Marlins' eighth-inning rally in Game 6, he was at home with a police guard — had the old ballpark shaking as Wood and Moises Alou homered for a 5-3 lead.

But Wood could only flip his glove into the stands as the wild-card Marlins rallied for three runs in the fifth. Luis Castillo added an RBI single in the sixth and Gonzalez hit a two-run double in the seventh for insurance.

Brad Penny won with an inning of scoreless relief for Mark Redman.

Beckett came out of the bullpen and pitched four innings of one-hit ball on two days' rest, allowing only a homer by pinch-hitter Troy O'Leary. Ugueth Urbina worked the ninth for a save.

Home teams had won 12 of the last 13 times a postseason series went to Game 7. But the Marlins became just the sixth team to ever overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series.

Florida has never lost a postseason series in its young history, going 4-0. That includes a thrilling Game 7 victory in 11 innings over Cleveland for the 1997 title.

This win sent 72-year-old manager Jack McKeon and the Marlins into the Series, something that seemed almost impossible when they were 19-29 back in late May. But McKeon, who had replaced the fired Jeff Torborg earlier in the month, somehow steered them deep into October.

Cabrera and Rodriguez once again played starring roles for Florida. Cabrera, a 20-year-old rookie, hit his third homer of the series while Rodriguez singled home a run that gave him an NLCS-record 10 RBIs.

Down 5-3 in the fifth, Rodriguez doubled home a run and Cabrera tied it with an RBI grounder. Derrek Lee, whose double keyed the eight-run rally in Game 6, followed with a single that put Florida ahead 6-5.

The Cubs had been hoping this would be the year they got a chance to win their first Series championship since 1908.

Instead, add this failure to all of their previous disappointments. That includes wasting a 2-0 lead over San Diego in the best-of-five NLCS, blowing a late lead in the 1969 NL race and losing Game 7 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field to Detroit.
 
Cubs manager Dusty Baker was trying to become the first manager in history to lead two different teams to the World Series in consecutive years. Rather, he fell short, just as he did last year when his San Francisco Giants lost the last two games of the World Series at Anaheim.

Athletes Bare All to Pay for Training

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Female Dutch athletes are baring all on a pay-per-view Web Site to fund training abroad during the winter after cuts in subsidies left them in the cold.

A nude runner basks in the sun embracing her knees, sitting next to starting blocks. Another black and white picture shows an athlete wearing nothing at all who is draped across a podium, her chin propped up on her arm as she looks into the lens.

"Most athletes travel to Spain, France, Portugal, South Africa or the Canary Islands early in the year to prepare for the new season in the sun," Joop Tervoort, an athletics trainer and one of the site creators, told Reuters.

"This year subsidies to the Royal Dutch Athletics Union were cut heavily and many athletes are still students who have a hard time scraping together extra money," he said.

Some 250 photos of six women are on www.sportmeiden.nl, which received almost two million hits on Monday alone.

Visitors can access the Web Site for 80 eurocents ($0.943) a minute and all the proceeds go to the women. They expect to earn about 1,000 euros ($1,185) each which will cover travel to warm countries and accommodation, Tervoort said. They will still need to pay for a coach, physiotherapist and masseur.

The Netherlands' 23-year old high jump champion, Frenke Bolt, features on the site that also includes female javelin throwers and shot putters and lists their achievements.

Tervoort also wants to attract internationally famed athletes, although most receive corporate sponsorship.

Sports personalities from other countries have already set the trend, with teams and individuals stripping off for extra publicity or to raise funds for sports associations.

The photographer and co-founder of the Dutch site, Alex Boer, said there was enough interest to add new photos each week and some male athletes had also asked to be included.

"First we will see how it goes as it is, then we will decide whether or not to set up a site for sportsmen."

Jordan could get the call to replace Kobe

CHICAGO (AFP) - Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson admits he has thought about asking one of his former players, Michael Jordan, to come out of retirement if Kobe Bryant is unable to play in the upcoming season.

"It has crossed my mind," Jackson said. "But I don't think I would ask Michael that question until it became absolutely necessary or it became a reality. It's just speculation."

Jordan, 40, played under Jackson on six championship teams with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan retired for the third time last April after the Washington Wizards failed to make the National Basketball Association play-offs.

Bryant faces charges of sexual assault and faces a Thursday hearing in Eagle, Colorado. He is probably going to sit out of two pre-season exhibition games against Golden State in Hawaii, where the Lakers are training.

The Lakers added Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a lineup that already featured dominating center Shaquille O'Neal and backcourt playmaker Bryant, whose absence would dim the club's hopes of a fourth NBA crown in five years.

But the Lakers, ousted in last year's playoffs by eventual champion San Antonio, would be in a solid position for a title run if Jordan replaced Bryant in the backcourt.

Jordan's two-year stint with the Wizards showed that time has weakened some of the skills that made him one of the game's all-time greats. But together with what amounts to an all-star lineup, Jordan could fill a key void.

Bruce Springsteen Getting The Cold Shoulder From New York Yankees?

While Bruce Springsteen can sell out 10 nights at Giants Stadium, he is having trouble getting a "meeting across the river" in New York City. A report in the New York Daily News says Springsteen wants to play with his E Street Band at Yankee Stadium in September, but that the team turned him down due to fears of damaging the field so close to the playoffs. It was noted, however, that the Boston Red Sox don't have the same fears, since they've OK'd two shows at their Fenway Park, even though they're within striking distance of the Yankees.

The story goes on to say that the crosstown New York Mets--who almost certainly aren't headed for the postseason--may make their Shea Stadium home available for the band.

A Springsteen representative had no knowledge of any New York City dates being added to Sprinsgteen's itinerary.

While New York's baseball teams decide what to do, another stadium show has been announced. Springsteen and company will play the first-ever concert at the new Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut, on September 16. The stadium is the home of the University Of Connecticut Huskies football team. Ticket information for the show hasn't been made public yet.

Springsteen plays the first of two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Friday (August 1).

Vancouver Wins Bid to Host 2010 Olympics

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - The Olympics are returning to North America in 2010, to a scenic Pacific coast city beneath snowcapped mountains.

By a mere three votes, Vancouver was selected Wednesday as the host of the Winter Games, taking the Olympics to Canada for the first time since 1988 and perhaps hurting New York's bid for the 2012 Games.

"It was a photo finish," Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said. "That's what is so great about sport. But winning is winning. I just want to guarantee everybody that it will be a great success."

The vote was closer than expected, with outsider Pyeongchang, South Korea, nearly pulling off a stunning upset in the first round of secret balloting by International Olympic Committee members.

The election wasn't without controversy — several members didn't vote, which could have swung the result the other way. The IOC said it was unsure why.

With a simple majority needed for victory, Pyeongchang got 51 votes in the first round, followed by Vancouver with 40 and Salzburg with 16. But Vancouver picked up Salzburg's votes in the next round and defeated Pyeongchang 56-53.

The words that Canada had waited to hear came from IOC president Jacques Rogge, who opened a white envelope and declared: "The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the 21st Olympic Winter Games are awarded to the city of Vancouver."

Awarding the 2010 Games to North America leaves Europe in a strong position for the 2012 Summer Olympics — at the expense of New York. Some members say back-to-back games in North America are unlikely.

"It's not complicated," said senior Italian member Mario Pescante, head of the European Olympic Committees. "With five countries interested in the Summer Games, the majority of European IOC members preferred to have games outside Europe. This is a very political vote in view of the summer games."

Paris, London, Madrid, Moscow, among others, are in the running for the 2012 Games.

Rogge disputed any 2010-2012 trade-off.

"We had two consecutive games in 2004 and 2006," he said. "There have been many other examples. This so-called continental rotation, we don't believe in that."

Officials working on New York's bid were quick to say they didn't believe Vancouver's selection would hurt the city's chances.

"We really didn't feel like we had a stake in the outcome here," said Dan Doctoroff, the leader of New York's 2012 bid. "Ultimately we've got to do the job in 2005. Between winter and summer, there's no evidence that it's ever made any difference whatsoever."

Vancouver, whose "Sea to Sky Games" concept plans for events in the city and the ski resort of Whistler, had been considered the front-runner.

The announcement was greeted with huge cheers from Vancouver boosters in the convention hall in Prague. And in Vancouver, wild cheering and flag-waving erupted among those gathered at a downtown arena.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! We did it!" screamed Jennifer Goepel, 28, her face painted like the red and white Canadian flag.
 
Vancouver was a top pick on technical merits alone. A recent IOC report gave Vancouver the best overall review, with high marks for its plans for sports venues, accommodations and financing.

Canada's understated campaign focused on the technical strengths of its proposal, with most indoor venues in Vancouver and ski and sliding events at Whistler.

"We made a decision that our program was going to be 100 percent about athletes and sport," bid president John Furlong said. "That's what we think tipped the scales for us."

Canada has hosted two previous Olympics — the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal and 1988 Winter Games in Calgary.

The games of 2004 (Athens, summer) and 2006 (Turin, Italy, winter) are being held in Europe and 2008 (Beijing, summer) in Asia, leaving North America in line for 2010.

Vancouver's selection was welcomed by NBC, which won the U.S. television rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics last month for just over $2 billion. "We're delighted with a win in the North American continent because it will allow much of the events to be shown live in prime time," NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol said. "It's like having a Games at home."

Ebersol said the time difference in Vancouver, three hours earlier than the East Coast, shouldn't be a problem. He said organizers could schedule finals from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (9 p.m.-midnight in the East.)

Wednesday's biggest surprise was the showing by Pyeongchang, the least known of the three bidders.

Of 111 ballots distributed in the first round, only 107 were cast. In the second round, 109 out of 112 eligible voters cast ballots. Had the missing four votes in the first round gone to Pyeongchang, the South Korean city would have won with a majority of 55. Had it received the extra three votes in the second round, the two cities would have tied 56-56.

The Koreans scored points with a strong presentation stressing how the games could promote winter sports in Asia and bring peace on the divided Korean peninsula.

Cho Myung-soo, vice governor of Gangwon province, said he was disappointed. "We will try again in 2014," he said.

Salzburg, which prided itself on its winter sports tradition and world-class venues, sustained a bitter defeat.

"We knew that we are not a favorite but we didn't expect to fall out after the first vote," Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said. "There are many reasons for that ... the geographical and geopolitical situation."

Looks good on ya, Curtis!

Game 7, Tonight!

Go Leafs, go!

Goalie Curtis Joseph fails to stop the final shot of the Red Wings' season — a blast from Steve Rucchin that gave Anaheim a 3-2 overtime victory Wednesday night. The Ducks won the series in a sweep.

Baseball Has Been Beddy Beddy Good To Me!

Go Jays, go!

Super Halftime Show Lined Up

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The halftime entertainment for Super Bowl I was handled by the University of Michigan and Arizona marching bands and cost the NFL almost nothing.

Thirty-six Super Bowls later, this year's halftime show will require a budget in the millions, it's own title sponsor, an Emmy Award-winning producer, a production crew that numbers in the hundreds and some of the record industry's hottest acts.

Sultry Grammy-winning singer and country diva, Shania Twain, will front Sunday's extravaganza between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders.

The Canadian will add her name to a long list of Super Bowl halftime alumni that includes Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys, Cher, the Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and U2.

Over the years, former-presidents, astronauts, Olympic figure skaters and even OJ Simpson have played varying roles in Super Bowl halftime and pregame shows.

"We are connecting the music world with the world of sport," declared producer Joel Gallen.

As the Super Bowl has grown in stature, so have the halftime shows -- in many cases rivaling the game itself for the spotlight.

A media conference Thursday with this year's headliners attracted over 40 television crews, or about four times as many as those who attended the NFL's rookie of year announcement one day earlier.

In an adjoining room, a press briefing jointly held by Milt Ahlerich, NFL vice-president for security, and the San Diego police chief could attract only 15 reporters.

Twain will perform two songs and producers have assured that the singer would not lip synch her hits as she did last November during her performance at the Grey Cup -- Canada's version of the Super Bowl.

The Canadian diva will certainly have a tough act to follow when she steps on stage in front of a worldwide television audience that is expected to exceed 800 million.

International superstars Paul McCartney and U2 appeared at last year's halftime show to offer their support to the American public at the first Super Bowl to be staged after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Murray, Carter Elected to Hall of Fame

NEW YORK - When Cooperstown came calling for Gary Carter and Eddie Murray, they answered in vastly different ways.

Carter shouted and punched the air in joy when he heard the words "Hall of Fame."

Murray could hardly speak, but for a much more somber reason.

The only switch-hitter with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, Murray became just the 38th player to be elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility Tuesday.

The steady, silent first baseman of the Baltimore Orioles could not enjoy the moment. Later in the day in Southern California, he was to attend the funeral of his sister, who died Jan. 2 at 38.

"Unfortunately, I cannot speak with you today because of the passing of my younger sister, Tanja, after her long-fought battle with kidney disease," Murray said in a statement.

"Although I dedicated my professional career to the game, I have dedicated my life to my family. The elation I feel by being recognized for my achievements on the field is overshadowed by the anguish of losing someone so dear to me," he said.

Always exuberant, Carter finally made it on his sixth try. An 11-time All-Star catcher with Montreal and the New York Mets, he may become the first player inducted with an Expos cap on his plaque.

"I got overly excited and screamed," Carter said. "Now we can do a little celebrating."

Murray easily exceeded the 75 percent necessary for election, getting chosen on 85 percent of the ballots (423 of 496).

Carter got in with 78 percent (387). He fell 11 votes short last year at 72.7 percent.

Murray and Carter played together for Los Angeles in 1991. They became the sixth set of teammates to be elected together; Minnesota's Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield made it in 2001.

No one else came close in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Carry-over candidates Bruce Sutter, Jim Rice and Andre Dawson were right around 50 percent, and first-timers Ryne Sandberg and Lee Smith didn't even reach that mark. Darryl Kile, the St. Louis pitcher who died last season, got token support.

Pete Rose, ineligible for the ballot because he's on baseball's permanently banned list, got 18 write-in votes — the same as last year. Rose and commissioner Bud Selig's aides have been negotiating terms of a possible reinstatement for the career hits leader.

Kile, who got seven votes, was among several players who did not receive the necessary 5 p