Bucs

[Times photo: Jim Damaske]

Starting TE Moore is let go The team is likely to try to re-sign the popular player at a lower salary. Darrell Fry Mr. McDaniel: In a class by himself TAMPA -- He'll get up around the crack of dawn and make it to work long before most of the others arrive. It's a thankless gig. High demand. Low pay. Few perks. Skimpy resources.

Alvarez ready, and thankful
ST. PETERSBURG -- Two innings and 31 pitches.

Area camps
Wells, Giambi say they're ready to go

Golf
Bauer ready for big leagues
With her mom at her side, the Tampa golfer starts her rookie LPGA season today at Hawaii.

Revived Genuity hosts world-class field
After years of absence, many top players return to Doral because of changes to the track and its place on the schedule.

Divots
Golf instructors, beware. . .

Strange wants to keep same Ryder Cup teams
MIAMI -- The question is likely to be posed to Curtis Strange many more times before the Ryder Cup is played in September. The answer won't change.

Colleges
Gators cold going into postseason
GAINESVILLE -- It's not the most desirable way to enter the postseason, having lost four of seven and two of three.

Terps thrash Seminoles
TALLAHASSEE -- For Florida State this season, location has meant almost everything.

Parimutuels
Top colt gets new jockey for derby run
With his colt the hot property in the approaching Triple Crown chase, trainer Ken McPeek has secured Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey as his new rider beginning with the Louisiana Derby on March 10.

Lightning
Ciger skips game, practice
TAMPA -- Forward Zdeno Ciger's disenchanted stint with the team reached its zenith Tuesday night when he did not return from the locker room after the first period against Detroit.

Motorsports
Fast start has Busch ready for trip home
Kurt Busch knows the other side of Las Vegas.

Local
All-Stars out to keep streak alive
CLEARWATER -- Hillsborough County's string of state championships since 1996 ended last week when the Durant girls were knocked out of the semifinals by Satellite. On Saturday, however, Hillsborough has a chance to keep another streak alive. The county's All-Stars have beaten their Pinellas counterparts three consecutive times in the Senior Soccer Challenge.

Clearwater gets title shot
LAKELAND -- In the end, Clearwater reverted to form. A close game? That just didn't feel right.

Ninth Annual Senior Soccer Challenge
WHAT: Boys and girls all-star teams from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties face off against each other.

Panther secures state berth
BUSHNELL -- After coming up five pounds short of qualifying for the state meet last spring, Lecanto junior Phil Reed is off to a fast start in 2002.

Around the county
Football

County: It's too cold to play
TAMPA -- As temperatures dipped into the 40s and winds kicked up Wednesday afternoon, the county's athletic department decided to reschedule all baseball and softball games, tennis matches and track meets scheduled for Wednesday night.

Clearwater breaks open close game
Fourth-quarter runs carry the Tornadoes past Winter Springs 63-53 and into the 5A title game.

Youth no problem vs. Bears
LAKELAND -- Winter Springs had advanced to the state championship game three straight years, and the Bears knew exactly how they were going to make it four: Let Clearwater -- and its freshmen-laden lineup -- wilt in the state-tournament pressure cooker.

Outdoors
Daily fishing report
The increasingly precise regulation of inshore sport fish, together with stabilization of habitat quality, is resulting in fairly strong populations of most species. This, of course, is a great thing, but the intense angling pressure these fish receive is resulting in fewer large specimens of most types.