Gary Shelton
Two receivers, two sides to a Super story
NEW ORLEANS -- Two men. One is reaching toward the stars. The other has fallen to earth.
Bucs
Bucs coach decision could be near
Rich McKay wraps up interviews, meeting with Mularkey and Turner.
Golf
Top commentator quietly leaves Golf Channel
A controversial interview and "creative differences" lead to Peter Kessler and the network parting ways.
Horse racing
Historic loser tries again in green field
Zippy Chippy will attempt to break the most storied winless streak in racing history today when he is scheduled to run in a maiden special weight at Penn National Race Course. The 11-year-old is 0-for-91 lifetime and will face seven others in a $10,000, 6-furlong race that could provide him with his first win over something four-legged.
Colleges
Prosecutors rest case vs. agent
GAINESVILLE -- Sports agent William "Tank" Black abused his clients' trust, stealing millions from them without remorse, a prosecutor said during closing arguments Wednesday in Black's fraud trial.
Tech makes FSU first ACC victim
ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech wasn't about to take any chances with its first Atlantic Coast Conference victory.
Super Bowl
Faulk is best yet again
NEW ORLEANS -- St. Louis running back Marshall Faulk, who led the league in total yards and touchdowns, won his second straight NFL Player of the Year award Thursday.
Seeing double
This isn't the first Super Bowl in which a coach has had to choose a starting quarterback.
Brady to start at quarterback for Patriots
NEW ORLEANS -- Tom Brady wins again.
Preps
FHSAA suspends Dukes for six weeks
TAMPA -- Elijah Dukes, one of the county's top baseball prospects, was suspended from competition for six weeks retroactive to Jan. 17 after basketball referees reported that he verbally abused them after a game.
Pirates, Hurricanes move on
BROOKSVILLE -- Crystal River got past Dunnellon on Wednesday to advance to the finals, but there was a price.
Bulls show muscle in loss to Brandon
VALRICO -- Bloomingdale came within one match of tying Brandon in individual victories Wednesday night, a feat that hasn't been accomplished in more than 12 years. The Bulls had one wrestler fail to make weight at 171 pounds and had to forfeit, giving the Eagles eight wins to six for Bloomingdale.
Springstead, Central set for a showdown
LEESBURG -- No ties allowed this time.
Knights slip by; Gators swat Gulf
LAND O'LAKES -- Top-seeded Land O'Lakes and No. 2 River Ridge won in Wednesday's semifinals to set up the first district final between the two since 1994.
Pair of Titans, Dragons make oral commitments
TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Tech coach John Colbert entered this season never having coached a Titans player who went straight to a Division I-A school. Wednesday, the first two of what could be as many as eight D-I signees orally committed to play college football next year.
Hurricanes, Panthers squeak into final
LECANTO -- As expected, top-seeded Citrus and second-seeded Lecanto advanced to Friday's final, but it was how they got there that came as a surprise.
Eagles not out of surprises
SPRING HILL -- When Springstead coach Randy Strat inherited a team that lost nine seniors to graduation, he told an assistant the Eagles would be lucky to win half of their games this season.
Gulf takes long way with win in overtime
Bucs advance to face Land O'Lakes for district title.
Warhawks can't top Tornadoes
CLEARWATER -- With a berth in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship game on the line, Seminole tried to lull Clearwater to sleep.
Falcons pull off the upset
TAMPA -- Few of the water-logged fans Wednesday at Sickles would have predicted the outcome of the semifinal they were about to watch.
TBT upsets No.7 team to advance to 2A-9 final
BRANDON -- One of the state's best teams, Osceola, ended its season Wednesday by losing to a team that had never advanced past the district tournament, Tampa Bay Tech.
Countryside knocks off defending state champs
EAST LAKE -- Credit is due, now.
Outdoors
Daily fishing report
If a Super Bowl fish fry is a consideration, gather the goods now. Taking advantage of calm seas Tuesday, we worked 60- to 70-foot depths southwest of Pass-A-Grille.
