Darrell Fry
Aikman's exit fitting -- class to the end
DALLAS -- They came, a room full of teammates, friends and reporters, to see him. They came to hear definitively what they knew they would inevitably see.
Devil Rays
Many factors in Rays' malaise
Questions about the manager and front office. Injuries. Surly veterans. Poor play all around. Is it any wonder Tampa Bay is 2-7?
Up next: Rays at Orioles
SCOUTING REPORT: The Orioles were supposed to be rebuilding after losing 88 games last season, their most in 10 years. But owner Peter Angelos couldn't commit to such a plan and instead signed retread veterans such as Mike Bordick, David Segui and Pat Hentgen.
Bullpen improves quickly
BALTIMORE -- There may be no overestimating how crucial it was for the Rays to win Wednesday's game and put the seven-game losing streak behind them.
Baseball
Baseball briefs
Parts of SkyDome roof fall onto field
Football
Aikman lands job in Fox's booth
Fox officials spent months waiting for the right person to come along for their No. 2 analyst spot. They found him this week when he retired after being cut from the Dallas Cowboys.
NFL briefs
Lions sign former Ram CB Lyght
Dissecting the XFL's disappointing season
Too much wrestling, too much hype, not enough good football are seen as the biggest reasons for the flop.
NBA
New rule to allow zone 'D'
NEW YORK -- Calling it the most significant rules change since the advent of the 24-second shot clock in 1954, the NBA has abolished its 54-year-old illegal defense rule, allowing teams to play a modified version of a zone.
NBA tests the waters for interest in online games
The landmark Webcast of tonight's Kings-Mavericks game at NBA.com isn't so much sailing into uncharted waters as a league dipping its toes to check the temperature.
NBA briefs
Magic ends its mini-slump
Et cetera
Sports briefs
Doctor says he spoke too soon
Preps
PHU finds out its future is in good hands
Hurricanes coach Chuck Poetter liked what he saw from a young lineup at the Dunedin Invitational.
Errors cost Buccaneers again
East Lake takes advantage of Gulf miscues to win 9-4 and take third in the Tarpon Springs tournament.
Warhawk out for the season
Seminole's Ryan Dixon is out for the season after having surgery on his right shoulder April 4.
Jacket, Eagle, Cowboy named county's best
TAMPA -- Holding their respective trophies, wrestler David Emch and basketball players Kenny Huebner and Janet Howard said they were a little surprised with the way Thursday morning turned out.
Top seeds lead Cowboys to title
TEMPLE TERRACE -- Three teams entered the Western Conference championships with something to prove. King came in as the only undefeated team in the county. Gaither had only one loss, courtesy of the Lions, and Plant had two losses -- one to Gaither, one to King.
Royal Knights follow familiar path to victory
River Ridge rallies for another win, this time defeating Northeast 7-5 at the Dunedin Easter Tournament.
Sponger errors propel Mustangs to title win
TARPON SPRINGS -- In a semifinal of the Tarpon Spring Tournament on Tuesday, Northside Christian's Lastings Milledge hit a home run that easily cleared the 400-foot plus centerfield wall at Sponger Field.
Wildcats sweep conference championships
TAMPA -- Wharton swept the boys and girls meets it hosted Thursday to win Western Conference championships.
Seminole brushes aside adversity
SEMINOLE -- If ever Seminole were vulnerable, it was Thursday, right?
Around Pinellas
BASKETBALL: Lakewood's Marcus Morrison, the Pinellas County co-Player of the Year, helped Fastbreak USA, an AAU-team based in Orlando, to a second-place finish in the Charlie Weber Invitational Friday through Sunday at Villanova.
