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[Times art: Rossie Newson]
After 27 years at the St. Petersburg Times, Hubert Mizell is calling it quits. He will be missed, but his words will live on. Special report |
Bucs
Central perks
For the Bucs, playing in the NFC Central has meant 24 years of great players, standout coaches and memorable teams. But because of realignment, the Bucs have only more season to add to the memories.
The Preakness
Preakness winner makes his point
Point Given lives up to earlier expectations with a powerful victory.
Lightning
Jagr for Lecavalier? Forget it, Lightning says
Imagine Jaromir Jagr or Alexei Yashin in Lightning uniforms.
Devil Rays
Rays are in it, then blow it, again
Albie Lopez pitches valiantly through pain, but the Tigers capitalize on poor relief work, blown chances to win 10-5.
Fiore throws a fit after bullpen swap
ST. PETERSBURG -- The revolving door that is the Rays bullpen took another turn after Saturday's loss to the Tigers.
Third pick may still net one of top two
ST. PETERSBURG -- Most talk about the Rays concerns which faction of the ownership group is in charge, when John McHale Jr. will be named chief operating officer and how many of the veteran players general manager Chuck LaMar will be able to trade. (For the gullible types, there also is the question of whether the team will be folded after the season.)
Rays tales
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: There is another, shall we say, mature left-hander wearing a Tampa Bay uniform these days. When the Rays signed Jim Morris in 1999, he was a 35-year-old high school coach/teacher who had been out of the game for 10 years.
Baseball
Pudge may lead salary dumps
One-quarter of the season has been completed, which means a lot of general managers will soon decide whether to give up on the rest of the season.
Always the last to know
Success for an athlete is never enduring.
A fast adjustment
He is 27 years old and has won seven batting titles in Japan, so it is hard to think of Ichiro Suzuki as a neophyte.
NBA playoffs
Bryant's 45 extend Laker winning streak
L.A. takes Game 1 of West final from Spurs for its 16th straight victory.
Letters
Shelton's column on Selig was on the mark
Bud Selig is typical of his sport: overpaid and underachieved (Let's nip this in the Bud (May 15, 2001)). The owners should fire him and hire me. I can do his job as badly, and I'll do it for a lot less money. I promise to become invisible during a crisis, never to take a stand that might anger team ownership no matter how important the issue is to baseball, and surface only when everything appears quiet.
Et cetera
Week in sports
Fla. Hall in danger of closing
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame in Lake City has reduced its staff from six to three, scaled back its hours and postponed this year's induction ceremony because of financial troubles that might close the Hall.
Highs and lows
Outdoors
Captain's corner
Last call for kingfish. The water temperature is climbing into the upper 70s and that sends kingfish migrating northward. The last push of kings may be off Clearwater right now. On charters last week, we were surprised to still catch kings. Many needed to be measured for the 24-inch minimum.
Outdoors calendar
TODAY: Port Hudson Marina's fishing tournament, Port Hudson Marina, 869-1840.
Try black powder to hunt history
The snowflakes were heavy, the size of silver dollars, in late December 1979 near Cedar Creek, Mich. The extended deer-hunting season for black-powder guns was in its second day. The woods were vacant except for some deer and me with my .54-caliber Lyman trade rifle.
Colleges
College sports around the state
USF advances in softball
College baseball around the state
Tampa takes title 21-5 vs. Saint Leo
NFL
Jaguars WR Smith recovering
JACKSONVILLE -- Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith was released from the hospital after abdominal surgery and said he wants to play this season.
Preps
Balk gives Warhawks Class 5A championship
Seminole rallies to beat St. Thomas Aquinas 5-4 for its first state title.
Win should give Warhawks national title
TAMPA -- Some will try to put an asterisk next to Seminole's mythical national title.
State baseball tournament sidelines
This time, balk costs Aquinas in state final
The Raiders have seen a pivotal balk in a championship before. The other time, though, it gave them the title.
Coach's ejection fuels Hialeah's title run
TAMPA -- The question hung in the air even as Queen's We Are The Champions and Frank Sinatra's My Way played for the last time, as the last trophies and last gold medals were passed out, as the last victory photos were taken after the last state champion won the last state title at this week's state finals at Legends Field.
