Gary Shelton
Where's the care about Rays' ways?
By now, there was going to be a crackle in the air. By now, we were going to be wondering if they could go all the way.

Bucs/NFL
Chicago facing unbearable defense
The Bears arrive Sunday in the shadow of five losses, inspired by the Buc defense.

Culpepper divulges Bucs vulnerabilities
TAMPA -- Among the insider information that former Bucs defensive tackle Brad Culpepper is bestowing on his new Bears teammates is a rundown of Tampa Bay's running backs.

Emanuel the QB gets the OK
DAVIE -- The Miami Dolphins will be allowed to use receiver Bert Emanuel at quarterback without having him check in with officials.

USF investigation
Ex-judge leads USF investigation
Athletic director welcomes the independent investigation into allegations of a racially divisive environment.

Hatchett brings vast experience
TALLAHASSEE -- When it comes to civil rights and racial injustice, few people have more experience than Joseph W. Hatchett, the first black man to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.

Tennis
A showdown of strong wills
Venus Williams, who says she's No. 1, meets top-seed Martina Hingis.

Sisters forfeit on Serena's injury
NEW YORK -- Serena Williams withdrew from the doubles field Thursday, citing an inflamed bone in her left foot, tournament officials said.

Martin breezes to semifinals
Todd Martin's baseline bombs and high energy stop Thomas Johansson 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Devil Rays/Baseball
Rupe gets blockage treatment
Rays RHP had blood clot in his arm, but it's not considered life- or career-threatening.

Pitching core thins more without Rupe
CLEVELAND -- Too bad TV analyst Joe Magrane is leaving for Australia this weekend. The Devil Rays could have used him on the mound.

Rays come up big in seventh
CLEVELAND -- It didn't take much for the Devil Rays to break their six-game, 0-for-September losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Indians on Thursday.

Yankees will start a rookie
NEW YORK -- Yankees left-hander Randy Keisler is scheduled to make his major-league debut Sunday in Boston, facing Pete Schourek.

Oakland going with Mecir as closer
Reliever Jim Mecir, traded by the Devil Rays to Oakland in the deal for potential starter Jesus Colome, is the Athletics closer for now.

Ernest Hooper
Bay area link to ESPN quiz show
TAMPA -- Like a lot of kids, Richard Brindisi grew up watching sports with his father. Football in the fall, hockey in the winter, baseball in the summer.

Lightning/NHL
Young goaltenders relish competition
BRANDON -- Lightning training camp opens Saturday at the Ice Sports Forum with two flashy, young goaltenders, no clear-cut No. 1 or sense of how their playing time will be split.

Players harbor playoff hopes
Familiarity with coach Steve Ludzik's system and a pair of eager goaltenders raise hopes high in Lightning camp.

Hamrlik signs with Islanders
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Restricted free agent Roman Hamrlik signed a four-year contract with the Islanders on Thursday. Terms were not disclosed, but he made $2.3-million last season.

Mutiny
Mutiny and L.A. meet
The Mutiny plays Los Angeles in the first round of Major League Soccer's playoffs next week, but which team has home field in the best-of-three series is uncertain. Tampa Bay (16-12-3, 51 points) is guaranteed a fourth or fifth seed in the eight-team playoffs. Los Angeles (14-9-8, 50 points) also will be a fourth or fifth seed, depending on what happens in the next two days. The fourth seed hosts Game 1 and Game 3, if necessary.

Et cetera
Making it easier to plan road trip
With all respect to necessity, the mother of Brian Rowe's invention was simple frustration.

Jockey inquiry in Pennsylvania
Several jockeys working at Penn National Race Course have been questioned by federal authorities in an apparent race-fixing and bribery investigation.

Sponsors let Kuerten play
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Gustavo Kuerten will join Brazil's tennis team after sponsors compromised on a dispute that nearly kept him out of the Sydney Games.

FSL
Rain puts off title opener
DUNEDIN -- Game 1 of the best-of-five league championship series between Daytona and Dunedin will have to wait at least a day.

Colleges
Bulls like having a say in schedule
TAMPA -- When South Florida athletic director Paul Griffin and football coach Jim Leavitt sat down a few years ago to chart a course for the future, they decided to build a Division I-A program that earned money without having to be the sacrificial lamb on Saturday afternoons for powerhouses like Florida and FSU.

Leavitt wants ball control
TAMPA -- Though much of the talk surrounding Saturday's South Florida-Kentucky game has centered on how the Bulls defense will fare against Hal Mumme's offense, USF coach Jim Leavitt said that isn't his biggest concern.

Golf
Sutherland's 65 leads by 1; Woods at 72
OAKVILLE, Ontario -- Kevin Sutherland, whose wife gave birth to their first child 10 days ago, committed to play the Canadian Open at the last minute and responded with his best opening round of the year, 7-under 65 Thursday at Glen Abbey Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead over Cameron Beckman.

Preps

• Tampa Bay top 10
  The Times' rankings of the top teams in Hillsborough, Hernando, Citrus, Pasco and Pinellas counties, with records and tonight's opponent:
• Mistakes prove costly as Ridgewood falls
  Palm Harbor University takes advantage and wins the Class 5A, District 7 match 15-7, 15-6.
• Cashing in on miscues key for Bucs
  Things were bad enough for Gulf coach Keith Newton Saturday morning, having to read about his own team's failures in the morning paper, but then this little gem jumped out at him:
• Lecanto needs three to dispose of Bears
  LECANTO -- Lecanto's front line kept pounding the ball at Central on Thursday night. Not all of the Panthers' spikes landed in play, but they were dictating the tempo.
• Sister act carries Countryside
  TRINITY -- Mitchell coach Joe Dixon is usually calm and focused before a match. Only this time, his eldest daughter, Erin, used a trick to get under his skin.
• Saying #&%! on field can be costly slip-up
  The penalty seems clear. If you say dirty words such as #&!% or %!&#; while playing high school sports in Hillsborough County, you'll get fined $50, get ejected and have to sit out the next game.
• Leopards survive scare from Eagles
  Facing a tie score late in each game, Hernando was the team able to pull away and take a 15-13, 15-13 victory over Springstead.
• Pinellas top 10
  1. (3) CCC (1-0) -- Obliterated a decent Lemon Bay team; will be tested by the Barons.
• Seminole at Northeast
  With a 1-0 record and a seven-game regular season win streak, currently the longest in Pinellas County, Seminole has what once belonged to Northeast.
• Super Showdowns
  It's early, but there are three big games tonight. And they could come down to the quarterbacks.
• Achilleas Houllis vs. Darrien Copeland
  Tarpon Springs knows what to expect out of its signal-caller, but Lakewood is less sure of its first-year junior quarterback.
• Clearwater Central Catholicat St. Petersburg Catholic
  It's only Sept. 8, but the result of tonight's game between Clearwater Central Catholic and St. Petersburg Catholic likely will determine which team will be taking a bus ride on Nov. 17.
• Tarpon Springs at Lakewood
  Tarpon Springs knows there are big games, and then there are games that set the tone for a season.
• Marauder edges Barons
  LARGO -- CCC's Kevin Lyons and SPC's Mike Craig ran stride-for-stride for the first 2.6 miles before Craig surged in front with an extended kick to win in 16:17, about 10 meters ahead of Lyons at the Indian Rocks Christian Invitational at Taylor Park on Thursday.
• Jesuit hopes history repeats itself
  After again losing in the opening week, the Tigers face Jefferson in a critical district game tonight.
• D'Qwell Jackson vs. Andrew Harris
  It's early, but there are three big games tonight. And they could come down to the quarterbacks.
• Hillsborough top 10
  Top 10 county coaching personalities