Gary Shelton The real thing [Times photo: Toni L. Sandys] Alvin? Chipmunk. Bert? Muppet. Keyshawn will set things right for Bucs fans.

Bucs/NFL
King: decisions, decisions
Coaches will grade the Bucs QB on how he understands the offense, not his timing or yardage.

Hastings joins battle at wide receiver
TAMPA -- Receiver Andre Hastings had his first practice with the Bucs on Thursday morning, but he felt like he was in Munich.

Camp survivor
In the spirit of CBS' Survivor series, the Times is asking Bucs players and coaches whom they would throw off the island, er, out of camp, and why. Here's today's episode:

Around the NFC

Around the AFC

Devil Rays/baseball
Rays get stifled by new Indian
Former Brewer Jason Bere baffles Tampa Bay for eight innings to lead Cleveland to a 5-1 win.

Harper already battle-tested
ST. PETERSBURG -- Pardon Travis Harper for not being a nervous wreck before his major-league debut tonight against the Baltimore Orioles.

As friends depart, Cal ponders future
Baseball players come and go. A lot of Orioles went before Monday's trading deadline. Two were among third baseman Cal Ripken's closest friends on the team, shortstop Mike Bordick and leftfielder B.J. Surhoff.

Cone back in Yanks' rotation
NEW YORK -- After 11/2 weeks in Florida at the order of owner George Steinbrenner, David Cone is rejoining the Yankees to start Saturday against Seattle.

Storm
Imperfect Storm hits brick wall in Orlando
Tampa Bay wastes first and goal three times in its 34-24 Arena football playoff loss.

Soccer
Rowdies' gathering celebrates team, title, time
Saturday, Tampa Bay's first pro sports champs reunite after 25 years.

The Rowdies: then and now
Ed Austin

Ernest Hooper
Korun hits sideline for Buc broadcasts
WQYK's Tom Korun will move from a three-man booth with Gene Deckerhoff and Scot Brantley to sideline reporter beginning with tonight's Bucs-Redskins broadcast.

Greg Auman
Cyber-campaigns for Heisman Trophy begin
College football season won't kick off for another three weeks, and even then, the Heisman Trophy won't be awarded for another 31/2 months. That hasn't stopped several expected front-runners from launching their 2000 campaigns online.

Motorsports
Mayfield riding out roller-coaster Winston Cup season
After two wins, two fines and two last-lap dramas, Jeremy Mayfield stays on an even keel.

Waltrip's last Indy drive earns front row, ovation
INDIANAPOLIS -- For about 20 minutes Thursday, Darrell Waltrip was the best again.

NBA
Magic-al deals? Hill, McGrady sign
With their signings, as well as the addition of Clearwater's Andrew DeClercq, Orlando has new championship hopes.

FSL
Daytona sweeps St. Petersburg
DAYTONA BEACH -- David Kelton drove in three runs and Gary Johnson homered and drove in two as the Cubs completed a doubleheader sweep of the St. Petersburg Devil Rays with an 8-7 win in 10 innings Thursday night.

Colleges
Seminoles' full squad reports, ready to begin workouts
TALLAHASSEE -- Seventy members of Florida State's national championship football team reported to school Thursday with the season opener three weeks away.

Et cetera
Top-ranked Hingis falls in Acura quarterfinals
Unheralded Amy Frazier turned in a dominating performance and stunned top-ranked Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-3 Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the $535,000 Acura Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.

Preps
Coach inherits talented team
Being an assistant coach on the college level was great, but Scott Miller discovered he missed having his own program. So the Eckerd College assistant is returning to the high school ranks.

Hernando majors win World Series
The title is the second in as many years for the county, following last year's World Series championship by the under-15 belles team.

Post 278 builds up lead, but can't hold off rain
LAKELAND -- The first four innings of the American Legion State Tournament semifinal game between Brandon Post 278 and Ft. Pierce Post 358 belonged solely to Ft. Pierce.

Citrus Park rallies, repeats as state champs
DUNEDIN -- Even after winning a state championship last year, coach Mario Mirabal never doubted that it would be a tough ride back to this year's 9-10 softball state title game.

South Brandon loses lead, state title
DUNEDIN -- The South Brandon juniors came up short Thursday night in their bid to win the state championship, falling to Palm Harbor National 11-7 despite leading 5-2 midway through the game.

Two area teams win state titles
DUNEDIN -- Behind a six-run fourth inning, the Palm Harbor National juniors took the lead and the state championship from South Brandon on Thursday night11-7.