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.