The more Ian Johnson is “just having fun with it” the more he wins.

The former Washington State University cross country and track star won a close battle Sunday in the annual Cinco de Mayo 10K.

The top three finished within 19 seconds of each other as the local men’s field continues to press the competitive bar.

“It’s a strong group and everybody gets along for the most part,” said Johnson, a Tucson transplant who won last March’s Arizona Distance Classic Half-Marathon. “We support each other and we all help each other.”

Johnson had to outsprint Tucson native and “good buddy” Jason Colavito to win by 10.1 seconds (32:40.3), for his fourth victory in as many local starts this year.

The last flat stretch aided his effort.

“He’s stronger than me on the hills, but I kept at it,” Johnson said. “You don’t know about running. Every time can mean something different. I felt pretty good for the most part.”

Johnson is hoping at some point to make a national and international impact.

“It’s fun. I’m just letting things happen,” he said.

Another relocated runner, better known as a triathlete., was the women’s winner. Samantha McGlone, 29, won a close (22.3 seconds) one against Paula Morrison, Tucson’s most consistent top competitor.

“We love the weather, we’ve bought a house,” said McGlone, who has moved from Canada with coach and husband, Cliff English. “We’ve trained here for several years. It’s perfect for us.”

Both McGlone (39:16.2) and Morrison (39:48.5) said they were competing in an off-training spell.

“I’ve been going only about 20-30 miles a week,” said Morrison, 35. “But I’m happy with the way I ran.”

<h4>Final-stage exuberance </h4>
Fly V Australia's Philip Zajicek celebrates as he wins the final stage of the Tour of the Gila on Sunday in Pinos Altos, N.M. Mellow Johnny's Levi Leipheimer won the tour, with teammate Lance Armstrong taking second and Zajicek third.

PINOS ALTOS, N.M. – The last big test for Lance Armstrong before the Giro d’Italia was more than 105 miles of steep roads and windy descents in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico.

It was the hardest stage of the Tour of the Gila, but Armstrong and his teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner passed the test.

The Astana riders, who entered the five-day event as independents, used the tour as a tune up for the upcoming race in Italy.

Armstrong said he feels good enough to be a contender for some stage wins in Italy but that Leipheimer has the best chance for an overall win.

“The first priority is to protect him and make sure that he fulfills his potential there,” the seven-time Tour de France winner said. “It would be an amazing thing for an American to win the tour of Italy again. I’d be pleased to be there and help.”

Leipheimer won the Tour of the Gila on Sunday after finishing first in two of the early stages and coming in third behind Armstrong in the last stage, dubbed the Gila Monster.

Armstrong moved up in the overall classification from fourth to second after Sunday’s stage.

Nadal wins on clay again

ROME – Rafael Nadal is looking unstoppable on clay for a fifth consecutive year.

The top-ranked Spaniard won his record fourth Rome Masters on Sunday, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-2 for his third clay-court title in three weeks, adding to his victories at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open.

Having dropped only one set over the three-week stretch, it’s tough to imagine someone taking three sets from Nadal at the French Open, which begins in three weeks.

The Spaniard will be aiming for a record fifth consecutive title at Roland Garros, which would break a tie with Bjorn Borg, who won six French Opens overall.

“Every tournament is completely different,” said Nadal, who will play in the Madrid Masters before heading to Paris. “In Roland Garros we will see. Important thing is (to) play well. If I am playing well, I’m going to have a lot of chances to have good results in both tournaments. But you never know what can happen. Tennis is always like this.”

Djokovic is the only player to take a set from Nadal on clay this year, in the Monte Carlo final two weeks ago.

Pima sports roundup

The Pima Community College men’s golf team captured the Region I title Sunday in Phoenix, beating runner-up Scottsdale by 13 strokes.

Eric Briggs (Sahuarita High) finished first among individuals with a 294 total. Teammate Tom Callahan (Sierra Vista Buena) was second with a 296.

The Aztecs will compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament the Huntsville, Ala., from May 17-22.

• The Pima softball team lost to Yavapai 11-4 in the Region I Tournament title game Saturday in Prescott. The Aztecs won 2-1 earlier Saturday to force a second contest.

Pima finishes the season 52-17; Yavapai advances to the NJCAA National Tournament.

• The Pima women’s tennis team is tied for fourth after one day of the NJCAA National Tournament at Randolph Tennis Center.

Kelly Ponzio, Ali Brackey, Lori Cinnamond and Eunice Sanchez all won in singles play Sunday for the Aztecs.

Billups meets idol

DENVER – Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups was introduced Sunday before Denver’s win over Dallas by one of his childhood heroes, Hall of Famer John Elway.

Elway, who led the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships before retiring a decade ago, donned a Billups’ No. 7 jersey when he walked to halfcourt and introduced the floor leader born and raised in Denver.

“There’s only ever going to be one No. 7 in this town, and that’s John Elway,” Billups said after the game. “That was awesome. I’ll remember that forever, just because of my admiration for John. “There will only be one No. 7 in this town.”

Derby brought surprises

NBC’s three-hour coverage of a two-minute race Saturday mostly went according to script.

But there were surprises. The biggest: NBC race caller Tom Durkin, who has called more than 60,000 races, seemed to be caught flatfooted by 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird’s stretch run.

Durkin didn’t call the eventual winner’s inside charge – which, on replays, showed the value of NBC’s overhead cameras – and made only his second mention of the horse when Mine That Bird had a three-length lead. He always mentions each horse early in the race.

NBC’s early coverage was fluffy and generally served a promotional role for NBC corporate cousins, like the TV chefs from NBC-owned Bravo kissing each other after their cooking contest. Nancy O’Dell, from NBC-owned “Access Hollywood,” found red-carpet interviews with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning a chance to mention the Giants – on NBC! – playing the first game at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.

QUOTABLE

'We're supposed to win at home. This is our field.'

CHAD BILLINGSLEY,

Dodgers pitcher, after Los Angeles improved to 10-0 at home this season with a win over San Diego on Sunday

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

UA does well in landing recruit

Re: UA hoops gets oral commitment from Kevin Parrom

• This was a great grab, especially so late.

Need 1-2 more . . . maybe Lance Stephenson and either a hard-nosed 4, or a backup point. The hot new point is in the 2010 class.

It’s so nice to reload. 3829

• Time will indeed tell. In the meantime, the main guard is the “old guard” . . . Nic the Quick. BLKOJO

Welcome to Cat country, Look forward to watching you lead this team. JUST A FAN

RE: Lawmakers push for college football playoff

• It comes as no great surprise a Texan is bleating over this.

Throw in fan pressure from USC, Florida, Florida State, LSU and other powerhouses, and what you WILL end up with are 10-15 programs who land the very best recruits every year. Before long those schools will achieve complete dominance over berths in the so-called “playoffs.”

Is that what you really want? Just look at the Pac-10 . . . USC football basically owns the conference, and has for years now.

In similar manner the so-called playoffs will become an annual feed-fest for the few, and for the sports media who are also pushing as hard as they can.

Be careful what you wish for, people. This playoff hoo-hah may become your very worst nightmare. JOSE S.

———

ON THIS DATE

1935: Omaha, ridden by Willis Saunders, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Roman Soldier. Omaha goes on to win the Triple Crown.

1940: Gallahadion, a 35-1 long shot ridden by Carroll Bierman, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over favorite Bimelech.

1946: Assault, ridden by Warren Mehrtens, wins the Kentucky Derby by eight lengths over Spy Song. Assault goes on to win the Triple Crown.

1957: Iron Liege, ridden by Bill Hartack, wins the Kentucky Derby by a nose when jockey Willie Shoemaker, on top of Gallant Man, takes the lead but misjudges the finish line. Shoemaker stands up in the saddle before the finish, which allows Iron Liege to win.

1968: Dancer’s Image, ridden by Bob Ussery, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Forward Pass. Three days later, Dancer’s Image is disqualified when traces of a painkiller are found in tests; Forward Pass, ridden by Ismael Valenzuela, is declared the winner.

1969: The Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep as they beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1.

1993: Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals receives a record 21-game suspension without pay from the NHL for a blindside check on the New York Islanders’ Pierre Turgeon in a playoff game April 28.

1994: Charles Barkley scores 56 points, including a playoff record 38 in the first half, to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 140-133 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

1999: The New Jersey Devils become the first top-seeded team to lose in the first round of the playoffs in consecutive years when they lose 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7.

2002: War Emblem, a 20-1 shot, scores a wire-to-wire, four-length victory over Proud Citizen in the Kentucky Derby.

2003: Detroit becomes the seventh team in NBA history to advance after falling behind 3-1 in a series, beating Orlando 108-93.

2006: Kobe Bryant scores 50 points for Los Angeles, but the Lakers lose to Phoenix 126-118 in overtime, forcing a Game 7 in their first-round series.

Sean O'Hair watches his putt on the 17th hole during the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship on Sunday at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. O'Hair won the tournament at 11 under par.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Standing on the 18th tee, Sean O’Hair asked his caddie where he stood in the Quail Hollow Championship and was told that he had a one-shot lead.

“Over who?” O’Hair asked.

It wasn’t Tiger Woods. It might not have mattered.

Five weeks after blowing a five-shot lead at Bay Hill against the world’s No. 1 player, O’Hair was determined to keep putting himself in contention until he figured out how to win down the stretch.

That time came Sunday against one of the strongest fields of the year, with Woods in his rearview mirror.

O’Hair, 26, closed with a 3-under 69 – the only player from the last nine groups to break 70 – and made enough key birdies that finishing with consecutive bogeys on the two toughest holes at Quail Hollow didn’t cost him.

He wound up with a one-shot victory over Lucas Glover and Bubba Watson to become only the third player in his 20s with at least three PGA Tour victories. The others are Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott.

“Losing (stunk) at Bay Hill,” O’Hair said. “Even though it’s tough to lose like that, to lose a five-shot lead against Tiger, you still learn from it. I talked to my coach. I talked to my caddie, Paul (Tesori). And we just all said all I have to do is keep putting myself in those situations, and at some point I’m going to learn how to win. It’s just nice to win as quickly as I did after Bay Hill.”

O’Hair took the outright lead with a two-putt birdie from 70 feet on the 15th, then seized control with an 8-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the 16th hole, allowing him some room for error on the frightening finishing holes.

“I just hit it as hard as I could and tried to flight it,” O’Hair said, “and hit really a perfect golf shot.”

Glover, who bogeyed the par-3 17th, had a chance to force a playoff until his approach bounded over the firm green and his birdie chip turned away to the left. He closed with a 71 to join Watson (70) in a tie for second.

Woods struggled with his game throughout the final round, but he still had a chance to tie for the lead when he drove the par-4 14th green and had an eagle putt from just inside 25 feet. He three-putted for par, then failed to birdie the par-5 15th. Woods finished with 10 straight pars for a 72 to finish alone in fourth, two shots behind.

“I had my opportunity there at 14. I made a mistake there,” Woods said. “I knew the green was baked out. It was downwind, and I didn’t heed my own warning, and ended up putting too hard.”

Watson, who has never won on the PGA Tour or Nationwide Tour, was atop the leader board for most of the back nine until he couldn’t make the short putts required of champions. He missed from 6 feet for birdie on the 15th, and the same distance on the 16th.

Glover also missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 15th that ultimately cost him.

O’Hair allowed for a few nervous moments with a three-putt bogey from 25 feet on the 18th, one of the fastest putts on the course.

He was spared when Glover’s shot was too strong.

“I thought it was good, I really did,” Glover said of his pitching wedge. “It was either wind or adrenaline, probably a little of both.”

PGA Europe

GIRONA, Spain – Thomas Levet won the Spanish Open to become the first Frenchman to win five PGA European Tour titles, shooting a 4-under 68 for a two-stroke victory over Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti.

<h4>Peppers a no-show </h4>

Five-year-old John Michael Salamone wears his Julius Peppers jersey as he watches the Carolina Panthers during their minicamp on Friday in Charlotte, N.C. Peppers is not participating in the camp.

WASHINGTON – Tackling an issue sure to rouse sports fans, lawmakers pressed college football officials Friday to switch the Bowl Championship Series to a playoff, with one Texas Republican calling the current system as unworkable as communism and joking it should be labeled “BS,” not “BCS.”

John Swofford, the coordinator of the BCS, rejected the idea of switching to a playoff, telling a House panel that it would threaten the existence of celebrated bowl games.

Sponsorships and TV revenue that now go to bowl games would instead be spent on playoff games, “meaning that it will be very difficult for any bowl, including the current BCS bowls, which are among the oldest and most established in the game’s history, to survive,” Swofford said.

Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, who has introduced legislation that would prevent the NCAA from calling a game a national championship unless it’s the outcome of a playoff, bluntly warned Swofford: “If we don’t see some action in the next two months, on a voluntary switch to a playoff system, then you will see this bill move.”

After the hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s, trade and consumer protection subcommittee, Swofford told reporters: “Any time Congress speaks, you take it seriously.”

Yet it is unclear whether lawmakers will try to legislate how college football picks its No. 1 before the first kickoff of the fall season. Congress is grappling with a crowded agenda of budgets, overhaul of health care and climate change, and though President Obama favors a playoff, he hasn’t made it a legislative priority.

Britton must back up words

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ex-Arizona Wildcat Eben Britton’s bold, draft-day comments followed him to Jacksonville.

Britton, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Arizona standout who said he planned to become one of the greatest offensive tackles in NFL history, got razzed by teammates for his words during the team’s first day of minicamp.

“They’ve been messing with me a little bit, but it’s all in good fun,” Britton said Friday. “I just have to go out there and make sure I earn their respect on the field.”

Britton certainly will get the chance. The Jaguars lined him up at tackle and guard to start minicamp, trying to give him every opportunity to win a starting job on an aging line that was ravaged by injuries last season.

Jacksonville lost center Brad Meester, backup tackle Richard Collier and their top three guards – Vince Manuwai, Maurice Williams and Chris Naeole – for parts of last season. Coach Jack Del Rio said age had a lot to do with those injuries and vowed to upgrade the line in the offseason.

The Jags signed three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas, veteran Jordan Black and then drafted Virginia star Eugene Monroe and Britton with their first two picks on April 25. All those moves made the group one of the most competitive heading into minicamp and summer workouts.

Britton welcomed the challenge and didn’t back down from his recent remarks.

“I don’t regret saying any of it,” Britton said. “But at the same time, there’s been some repercussions.”

Britton said he was ripped on some Internet sites for suggesting he could be one of the best in league history. A few people even told him he disrespected players such as Jonathan Ogden, Anthony Muñoz, Orlando Pace and Walter Jones by implying he could be as good.

But Britton said that was never his intention.

“Those kinds of guys were my idols growing up and I would never disrespect any of those players,” said Britton, who recorded 289 knockdowns and was penalized just four times in 2,461 career snaps at Arizona.

“I hold those guys in the highest regard. What kid doesn’t want to come in and work hard and be recognized in even the same sentence with guys like that? That’s more what I was trying to get at. I would like to be considered as one of those guys (someday).”

The Associated Press

Pacquiao favored in title bout

LAS VEGAS – The last time Manny Pacquiao displayed his many talents he stopped Oscar De La Hoya in a fight no one thought he could win.

The beating he administered that night not only sent De La Hoya into retirement, but cemented Pacquiao’s status as boxing’s newest star.

Pacquiao returns to the ring Saturday night much the same fighter he was five months ago, taking on Ricky Hatton in a lucrative 140-pound fight matching two guys who love to brawl. The big difference now, though, is that everybody expects him to win.

One big fight can create a lot of expectations, and the biggest task for Pacquiao may be managing those expectations in the ring.

His trainer isn’t worried. Pacquiao, says Freddie Roach, is more focused than ever.

“The win over Oscar just gave him more confidence,” Roach said. “So many people said he couldn’t do it, but he did. Oscar could still beat a lot of guys, but he didn’t win a second of that fight.”

Once again, Pacquiao will be facing a fighter who is bigger than him as he fights for only the third time above 130 pounds. Pacquiao weighed in at 138 pounds Friday while Hatton was at the class limit of 140 pounds.

But oddsmakers who saw him dismantle an even bigger De La Hoya make him a 2-1 favorite to beat the once-beaten Hatton and win a title in his sixth weight class since turning pro.

Coming off a rugged training camp that Pacquiao believes was his best ever, he’s not about to argue the point.

“I believe that I am improving and everybody knows and can see that by my last few performances,” Pacquiao said.

The Associated Press

Rosen makes cut

Former St. Gregory College Prep star Matt Rosen shot a 6-under-par 66 Friday to finish in a tie for 14th place in the final round of a Gateway Tour event.

Rosen ended with a 9-under 207 for three rounds. Tucsonans Jacob Rogers and Brian Kontak each ended with a 3-under 213 to tie for 37th.

Citizen Staff Report

Cooper to coach USC

LOS ANGELES – Michael Cooper will leave the Los Angeles Sparks to coach Southern California’s women’s basketball team. Athletic director Mike Garrett announced Cooper’s hiring Friday.

Cooper will leave the Sparks, who begin play on June 6, after their WNBA season ends in late September or early October.

The Associated Press

The Bounce: Congressmen push for college football playoff

QUOTABLE

'Everybody is getting their money's worth.'

PAUL PIERCE,

Boston forward, on the Celtics-Bulls series. Game 7 is Saturday in Boston.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Fans like idea of Parrom joining UA hoops

Re: Recruit Kevin Parrom visiting UA

• Hopefully Parrom decides to come to Arizona. I wish Wise would come back, but it just doesn’t make any sense to come back next year to play on another tournament bubble team. ZONA2SANDIEGO

• I’m confident Kevin will be our next Wildcat and we’ll be grateful for his commitment. PA

Re: Chuck Cecil inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

• I am 66 years old, an ex-coach, and have seen over 1,000 football games. I was fortunate to be in Arizona Stadium for the 106-yard return. The single greatest football moment of my life. Thanks Chuck, and congratulations. Well deserved. OLDBOB

Re: UA coach Mike Stoops to get $1 million a year

• Well rewarded. Stoops took over a program that was in the toilet from Mackovic. He’ll lead the program in the right direction both football- and academic-wise. 3202

———

ON THIS DATE

1917: Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and James “Hippo” Vaughn of the Chicago Cubs pitch a double no-hitter for nine innings, but the Reds win 1-0 with two hits in the 10th.

1939: Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees does not play against the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium, ending his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.

1967: The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup in six games.

1995: Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers becomes the first Japanese native to play in the majors in three decades. Nomo pitches five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, but the Dodgers blow a 3-0 lead and lose to San Francisco 4-3.

2001: James Hylton, a 28-year-old construction worker from Keizer, Ore., bowls the fifth perfect 900 series in the 106-year history of the sport.

2002: Mike Cameron hits four homers and comes close to a record-setting fifth in leading the Seattle Mariners to a 15-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

The Associated Press

<h4>Game interrupted </h4>

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez breaks his racket during a match at the Italian Rome Masters tennis tournament in Rome on Thursday.

One member of the Baucus family wasn’t enough.

The University of Arizona football team received a commitment from offensive tackle Mickey Baucus on Thursday. His brother, Jack, a tight end, signed with the Wildcats in February as part of the 2009 recruiting class.

The two could some day line up next to each other.

“My brother being there is obviously huge,” Mickey said in a phone interview Thursday. “We are really close and wanted to play together in college. I’m excited to have the chance.”

The younger Baucus, from Carmel High School in Mundelein, Ill., scheduled several unofficial trips this spring to check out schools.

Arizona was the place for a 6-foot-8, 255-pound player who has good size and leverage for his tackle position.

“Combined with good flexibility for a big man, we feel he has the tools and athletic ability to start his career at left tackle,” ESPN.com wrote.

“For a person of his size, his ability to bend at the waist and knees is an attribute. . . . Can dominate at the line of scrimmage.”

Baucus took little time to accept a scholarship offer from UA offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.

“I’ve been ready to commit for two months now,” Mickey said. “This is the right choice for me. I told my brother and he was stoked.”

Jack is rehabilitating a knee injury that he suffered late in his team’s November playoff run.

“He is sprinting now and the rehab is going really well,” Mickey said.

Jack arrives in June, with Mickey slated for the 2010 season.

More A-Rod accusations

NEW YORK – A new, unflattering biography of Alex Rodriguez reportedly says he may have used steroids as early as high school and even after he joined the New York Yankees.

Rodriguez admitted in February to using steroids while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, but insisted he stopped before he was traded to the Yankees in February 2004.

He brushed off a question Thursday about details from Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts’ upcoming book “A-Rod” that cast doubt on his earlier statements.

“I’m not going there,” he said after homering in an extended spring training intrasquad game in Tampa, Fla. Rodriguez has been rehabbing from hip surgery in March and hasn’t played for the Yankees this season.

“I’m just so excited about being back on the field and playing baseball. My team has won two games (in a row) up there and hopefully I can come back and help them win some more,” he said.

The Daily News reported Thursday that Roberts’ book portrays the three-time AL MVP as a needy personality who wanted his ego stroked constantly and a player who tipped opponents to pitches in blowout games, hoping the favor would get returned someday.

A high school teammate of A-Rod’s told Roberts that the future No. 1 draft pick was on steroids as a prep player and his coach knew it – an allegation the coach, Rich Hofman, denied.

Rodriguez said he wasn’t worried that the steroids issue was being brought up again.

“No. Not really,” he said. “I’m in a good place. I think more importantly physically I feel like I’m getting better everyday.”

The Associated Press

McDaniel going for title

Canyon del Oro High School graduate David McDaniel will go after his fourth straight Tucson City Amateur golf title this weekend at Randolph North.

McDaniel led the field in the first two tournament rounds last weekend at Dell Urich with a 5-under 139, and leads Ironwood Ridge High sophomore Alex McMahonby two strokes. Phil Summersett trails by four.

Play will resume Saturday at Randolph North with the five other flights. Finals will be Sunday.

McDaniel has won eight straight area amateur tournaments he has entered, winning three times each the Tucson City and Pima County amateurs and the 2006 and 2007 Oro Valley amateurs. He was not entered in the Oro Valley tournament event in 2008.

Citizen Staff Report

Cinco de Mayo Sunday

The 26th annual Cinco de Mayo 10K road race, Tucson’s oldest, will be held Sunday. The race will commence at 7 a.m., with a two-mile fun run set at 7:05.

The race course begins at Cholla High School and goes through rolling hills along Starr Pass Road.

Doug Friman of Tucson won his second Cinco de Mayo title last season (32 minutes, 36 seconds) as did Paula Morrison (36:57) in the women’s division.

Citizen Staff Report

NUMBER OF THE DAY

33.5

Career scoring average by Michael Jordan in the NBA playoffs, the best in league history. Other leaders:

Allen Iverson 29.7

Jerry West 29.1

Tracy McGrady 28.5

LeBron James 27.9

Elgin Baylor 27.0

George Gervin 27.0

Hakeem Olajuwon 25.9

QUOTABLE

'It's special to be part of this, and I know that it's a series people will be talking about for a long time.'

JOAKIM NOAH,

Bulls center, on the Boston-Chicago series in the NBA playoffs

———

ON THIS DATE

1920: Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves and Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers each pitch 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, the longest game in major league history.

1943: Count Fleet, ridden by Johnny Longden, wins the Kentucky Derby by three lengths over Blue Swords.

2002: With a save against the Chicago Cubs, San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman sets the major league record for the most saves with one team, 321. He breaks Dennis Eckersley’s record of 320 with Oakland.

The Associated Press

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Doing what’s best for himself

Re: Zane Johnson leaving UA basketball team

• Zane’s an excellent shooter and it’s too bad he didn’t shoot more. I suspect he knows he’s not going to get much playing time because of the new recruits, so he’s doing what’s in his best interest. Good luck. EASEO

• Well how nice of Zane. Thank you oh so much for demonstrating the leadership skills you would have doled out to the team next year. ARIZONA91

Re: UA lands quarterback recruit Matt Brown

The new offense is attracting the top QBs. We have never had that luxury. 3829

I saw this kid at Nike and the Rivals combine in Dallas. He was MVP at both combines. Lightning quick with his feet, 4.5 speed and strong/accurate passer. DOLLAR BILL

Canyon del Oro sophomore Gentry Hicks.

Canyon del Oro sophomore Gentry Hicks might want to play at The Pines Golf Club at Marana more often.

The 15-year-old, who won the Class 4A Sonoran Region boys golf championship in the fall, fired a hole-in-one Thursday, using a 6 iron on the 200-yard par-3 sixth hole. Hicks and his foursome played from the gold tees. The ace, his first, was witnessed by his dad, Murray, and friends Derek Metz and Tom Olla.

In November, Hicks won the Sonoran Region individual championship in a playoff against teammate Ryan Klump. Hicks posted a two-day score of 145 (75-70) at Torres Blancas for the region title. He helped CDO to a second-place finish in the region behind Catalina Foothills.

A week later, he was one of three CDO golfers with top-20 showings in the 4A-I state championship in Buckeye at the Sundance Golf Course, leading the Dorados to a fourth-place finish.

For more on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.

<h4>Watching a high floater </h4>

Wang Yue Gu of Singapore keeps her eyes on the ball during a match in the first round of the women's singles World Table Tennis championships in Yokohama, Japan, on Thursday.

Three foes had to be subdued by golfer Glen Griffith on Wednesday: himself, Andrew Cochran and the unforgiving desert of The Stone Canyon Club.

He did just that in his 3-and-1 PGA club pro match play title victory.

“I had to stop and tell myself to relax,” said Griffith, the Tucson Golf Schools founder and director, referring to the crucial 15th hole. “I wasn’t doing what I always do. It was scary.

“I think playing in (PGA) Q School (in 2007) prepares me now. I can stay calm.”

Griffith was in the midst of seeing a 4-stroke lead fade during the Southwest Section Southern Chapter final.

“It’s like losing a 15-point lead in basketball in the last three minutes,” tournament director Rick Price said.

Griffith’s 15th-hole shot from the rocks found the fairway, and Cochran, a Stone Canyon assistant, three-putted.

A pair of bogeys all but sealed Cochran’s fate. It ended with Cochran misfiring off the tee on No. 17.

Cochran struggled and bulldogged his way to almost-ville, first going 20 holes Tuesday in the quarterfinals, then almost blowing a five-shot lead in Wednesday’s semifinals against Rich Elias.

Cochran won the semifinal on the 18th hole.

“Too many short putts,” Cochran summed up his foibles. “I missed a few.”

Three alone in the championship match that might well have made things different on a day when each golfer did not exactly light things up.

But that’s match play.

“You have to play smart,” said Griffith, who finished as the runner-up in the same tournament twice. “There’s no explanation for what happens. You don’t necessarily play conservatively because it’s the desert. You have to judge each situation.”

Griffith had to wait out semifinal foe Chris Dompier’s four straight birdies in the early going, 18 in two days. Dompier fell victim to the desert on the second nine of play.

When it’s mano a mano, Griffith is in his glory. He couldn’t care less if it’s not pretty, so long as he stays at least one ahead of the foe. “I love match play,” he said. “I was having fun.”

UA men’s golf finishes 9th

The Wildcats finished ninth at the Pac-10 Championships in Seattle on Wednesday.

UA shot a 43-over 1,483 total for four rounds. Washington (-16) won. Oregon (+2) was second.

UA’s Tarquin MacManus finished sixth among individuals with a 3-under 285. Washington’s Darren Wallace was first at -11.

Citizen Staff Report

MLB attendance down

Major League Baseball recognizes it will probably spend the year “behind in the count” but is pleased April attendance has declined by only 4.4 percent, compared with the same number of home games at each park a year ago.

“The first three weeks have been encouraging,” said Commissioner Bud Selig, who warned teams during the offseason of the impact of the global economic crisis. “I think clubs, overall, have been extremely sensitive to the economic environment in this country, and I’m proud of the way they have reacted.”

Nineteen teams have suffered a decline in attendance through Tuesday, according to Baseball-Reference.com, led by the Nationals at 30.4 percent.

The New York Mets and New York Yankees, each with a new stadium this year, have also had significant attendance drops. The Mets’ attendance is down 23.9 percent and the Yankees’ is down 12.2 percent.

The Mets’ average is skewed because their seating capacity has dipped to 42,000 from 55,601. They are at 91 percent capacity through 11 games at Citi Field compared with 87 percent at Shea Stadium last year.

The Associated Press

Alarm slows N.Y.-Det. game

DETROIT – The New York Yankees-Detroit Tigers game was delayed briefly by a false alarm.

Strobe lights flashed and fans were told to leave their seats Wednesday night during the bottom of the eighth inning.

“Attention, attention, attention,” a voice said over Comerica Park’s speakers. “An emergency has been reported.”

Fans were told to walk to the nearest stairway and to avoid the elevator.

Players on the field held their positions while the umpiring crew figured out it was just a false alarm and fans were later updated with a message on the video board.

The Associated Press

Spirit back in the mix

ATLANTA – ‘Spirit the Hawk’ was back for Game 5. This time, though, the real-life mascot was firmly attached to a trainer’s arm.

The hawk, who got loose during the Game 2 introductions and wound up causing a brief delay, was introduced along with the Atlanta players but wasn’t allowed to take flight.

The fierce-looking bird has become a bit of a celebrity since its April 23 fly-around, getting lots of national TV play and even its own site on Twitter. (We’ll have to assume someone is ghostwriting the animal’s thoughts in 140 characters or less.)

NBA commissioner David Stern even weighed in on the famous bird of prey, which spends most of its time on display at Zoo Atlanta.

“If you live long enough, you’ll see just about anything,” said Stern, who was in Atlanta Wednesday as part of his tour of playoff cities. “I really feel badly for the bird. He was probably frightened. I’m not excited about the Hawks having a bird that’s not well behaved.”

But Spirit looked in good form for this one, even if he was a bit confined.

He was brought out on his trainer’s arm and flapped out around at center court while the starting lineup was introduced. A secure tether ensured he didn’t get loose this time.

During the introduction before Game 2, Spirit was released from the rafters so he could fly to his trainer on the court. But apparently spooked by something, he settled on top of the scoreboard for a few minutes, then flew around the arena while the game went on below him.

The Associated Press

NUMBER OF THE DAY

5,110

Career total bases by Ken Griffey Jr., the most among active players. Other leaders:

Gary Sheffield 4,627

Manny Ramirez 4,560

Alex Rodriguez 4,543

Jim Thome 4,141

Ivan Rodriguez 4,138

Chipper Jones 4,049

QUOTABLE

'We were very insulted by it.'

DWYANE WADE,

Miami Heat player, after the Atlanta Hawks tried a bunch of highlight-reel dunks at the end of their win over Miami on Wednesday

———

ON THIS DATE

1961: Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits four home runs in a 14-4 victory over the Braves in Milwaukee.

1976: Muhammad Ali wins a unanimous 15-round decision over Jimmy Young in Landover, Md., to retain his world heavyweight title.

1992: The Red Wings and Canucks become the ninth and 10th teams in NHL history to rebound from 3-1 deficits to win playoff series. Detroit beats Minnesota 5-2, while Vancouver defeats Winnipeg 5-0.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Ex-UA hoopster Johnson, Lady Cats praised

Re: Zane Johnson leaving UA basketball team

Good guy. I wish him all the luck. This opens a slot of someone else.

3829

Re: UA softball team

These gals continue to be the best in Wildcat athletics to be found . . . exciting to watch. Determined to win. Even in an off year for pitchers, they are truly exciting to watch. Candrea is the best Wildcat coach in any sport . . . a teacher, and a leader who prepares them to win. Candrea will guide them into a winner’s bracket, despite their pitching. The Pac-10 may be the toughest it has ever been. One of these teams will be national champion this year.

867

Pima Community College running backs coach Philo Sanchez.

NOTE: This article first appeared on the Grammer School Sports Blog.

The Pima Community College football coaching staff is stacked with Tucson ties that all bring something valuable to the table in the program’s effort to transform from laughingstock to winners.

Former Canyon del Oro High School coach Pat Nugent has surrounded himself with a staff of ex-head coaches that will undoubtedly make the Aztecs competitive. But as key to the transformation as any just might be the youngest of his assistants coaches, one of the few who has never been a head coach.

Former Sunnyside and Northern Arizona University star running back Philo Sanchez, the son of highly successful Sunnyside coach Richard Sanchez, has taken on the duties of instructing the Pima running backs, at least until he hears back from some law schools he has applied to in California.

“If I don’t happen to get in (to law school) this year,” Sanchez said, “then being a part of this is going to be a great opportunity. Coach Nugent has brought together a lot good coaches here and it’s something that I think is going to work for this team.”

Sanchez, a teacher at Sunnyside who has helped coach his dad’s team the past several seasons, graduated in 2002 from Sunnyside after rushing for 3,984 yards in his junior and senior seasons and went on to have a successful career at NAU.

But his role as a potential liaison between Pima and the pipeline of talent the Sunnyside program puts out each year will be vital. The Blue Devils consistently place a handful of players on junior college football rosters each year. There is no reason those contributors won’t have every reason to stay in Tucson now.

Sanchez was also the 2002 Tucson Citizen Student Athlete of the Year. Academics always have been a strong point for Sanchez. And if he doesn’t get into law school this summer, he likely will soon, so his tenure at Pima may be short-lived.

Still, as long as he’s there now, it won’t hurt the rebuilding project going on for the Aztecs.

For more on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.

<h4>One that got away </h4>

The Florida Marlins' Cody Ross fails to catch a ball off the center field wall during Monday's game against the Mets in New York. David Wright stretched the hit into a triple.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Despite injuries to fans from flying debris, NASCAR is satisfied with its safety standards, saying the fence at Talladega Superspeedway did what it was supposed to do – keep Carl Edwards’ car out of the grandstands.

In a spectacular last-lap accident, Edwards’ car sailed upside-down into the frontstretch fence, which bowed but held, before the battered vehicle returned to the track. Blake Bobbitt, one of seven injured by the debris, remained hospitalized Monday with a broken jaw.

“One of our primary goals over the years is to build a retaining fence that keeps the cars and parts and pieces out of the spectator areas. Nothing is bullet- proof,” NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Monday. “The retaining fence did what it’s supposed to do. There was some debris that went into the grandstand that fortunately did not (cause) serious injury. If there is something we come up with as we analyze this accident . . . we’ll make it as safe as we humanly can.”

Bonds welcomed in S.F.

SAN FRANCISCO – Barry Bonds received a warm welcome from San Francisco Giants fans in his first appearance at AT&T Park this season.

Bonds sat between team CEO William Neukom and president Larry Baer in the front row next to the Giants’ dugout during Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Baseball’s career home run king with 762, Bonds appeared relaxed as he smiled and waved during a standing ovation following the first inning.

The team showed a compilation of his home runs on the scoreboard as a tribute. The longtime Giants slugger also popped into the team’s broadcast booth and provided some in-game commentary.

Bonds was at the ballpark on Aug. 9 last season when the Giants celebrated the 50th anniversary of their move from New York to San Francisco – also with the Dodgers in town.

Bonds hasn’t played in the majors since 2007. His perjury trial has been delayed at least through July and likely beyond, as an appeal filed by prosecutors over key evidence for the trial winds through the legal system.

The seven-time NL MVP has pleaded not guilty to lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he testified that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

James’ stay over in Az?

The Cardinals drafted two running backs over the weekend, which is expected to lead to the release of running back Edgerrin James.

The Cardinals were holding on to James to make sure they were covered at running back. With selection of Chris “Beanie” Wells in the first round and LaRod Stephens-Howling in the seventh, the club now has five backs on the roster, excluding James.

James could be released before the team’s mandatory minicamp this weekend.

Stafford hits the big time

NEW YORK – Detroit Lions top pick Matthew Stafford appeared on Monday night’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” reading the Top Ten list.

The quarterback, who starred for three years at Georgia, was taken with the first pick by the Lions in the NFL draft Saturday. Stafford will try and help the Lions overcome the first 0-16 season in NFL history.

“If the Lions win one game this year, I’m a hero,” Stafford joked on the show.

Detroit desperately needed a quarterback to help turn around a team which has had the worst eight-year stretch in the league since World War II.

Rodman must pay $225,000

LAS VEGAS – A federal judge in Las Vegas has ordered former NBA star Dennis Rodman to pay a former casino employee $225,000 for grabbing and humiliating her at work in March 2006.

A lawyer for 28-year-old Sara Ure says Rodman never responded to the civil lawsuit filed against him in November 2007.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Jones entered a default judgment against Rodman on Monday.

Armstrong to miss event

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lance Armstrong is going to miss this week’s Tour of the Gila cycling race in New Mexico. Organizers blame what they say is a rarely enforced International Cycling Federation rule.

Race director Jack Brennan says the UCI plans to enforce a rule that prohibits top-level professional teams from competing in national-level events such as the 23rd Tour of the Gila.

The decision means Armstrong, who had planned to enter, won’t participate. The race runs Wednesday through Sunday in Silver City.

China lands WGC event

SHANGHAI, China – The HSBC Champions in China has been elevated to a World Golf Championship this year with a new qualifying criteria and a $7 million purse, the highest ever for a golf tournament in Asia.

Tiger Woods already has said he will play, along with defending champion Sergio Garcia. The HSBC Champions began in 2005 and had been sanctioned by every major golf tour except the PGA Tour.

That changes with its designation as the fourth World Golf Championship, and the only one not staged in the United States.

Woods was runner-up his first two times playing the HSBC Champions, and will return for the Nov. 5-8 event.

“It is an event that symbolizes the amazing progress of golf in Asia, and its new World Golf Championships status underlines how firmly China has established its place on the global golf calendar,” Woods said. “I enjoy playing around the world when possible, and having a WGC event in China is very important to the global growth of the game.”

The world’s No. 1 player has won every WGC event at least once since the series began in 1999.

The HSBC Champions again will be played at Sheshan International Golf Club. It will not count as official money in the United States.

Cops subdue ex-NBA star

NEW YORK – Former NBA star Jayson Williams was zapped with a stun gun by police in his swank hotel suite Monday after the reportedly suicidal athlete resisted attempts by officers to take him to a hospital.

Police were called to the hotel in lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City neighborhood around 4 a.m. when a female friend reported the former New Jersey Nets player was acting suicidal.

When officers arrived, the 6-foot-10, 325-pound Williams appeared drunk and agitated, police said. There were empty bottles of prescription drugs strewn around his disheveled hotel suite and suicide notes.

The Bounce

QUOTABLE

'I don't think I've ever had a team play defense like that. Defensively, when you play this well, offense just happens.'

GEORGE KARL,

Denver coach, after Denver beat New Orleans 121-63 in an NBA playoff game Monday night

———

NUMBER OF THE DAY

58

Margin of victory for Denver Monday in the Nuggets’ 121-63 win over New Orleans in an NBA playoff game. It tied the mark for the widest margin in the postseason. Others:

58: Minneapolis 133, vs. St. Louis 75, March 19, 1956

56: L.A. Lakers 126, at Golden State 70, April 21, 1973

50: Milwaukee 136, vs. San Francisco 86, April 4, 1971

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Praise for UA’s Roth, not so much for Britton

Re: UA softball player Laine Roth

• Congratulations on your four great years at Arizona and . . . for winning two national championships and counting. Keep your spirits up. CLAUDIA44

Re: Ex-Wildcat Eben Britton picked by Jacksonville

• Boo hoo. Enjoy your contract, you’ll get between $3-$5 million or so, better than everyone else that’s not a whiny, pampered athlete. TRODELPOST

Re: Britton says he’ll lead Jaguars to Super Bowl

• I guess just like he led Arizona to the Rose Bowl. ROBBOBOSO

———

ON THIS DATE

1987: The NBA awards expansion franchises to Charlotte, N.C., and Miami for 1988, and Minneapolis and Orlando, Fla., for 1989.

1995: Michael Jordan, in his first playoff game since his return from retirement, scores 48 points and Chicago beats the Charlotte Hornets 108-100.

2007: JaMarcus Russell, the big-play quarterback from LSU, is the first pick by the Oakland Raiders in the NFL draft.

NEW YORK – Concerns about swine flu prompted CONCACAF to cancel the rest of its under-17 soccer championship in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States had clinched spots in the semifinals of the tournament, being played in Tijuana.

But after the Mexican government announced it was closing schools nationwide, CONCACAF said Monday it would abandon the tournament “to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans.”

Health officials say 20 deaths in Mexico are confirmed to be from swine flu, which is also suspected of causing more than 100 other deaths there.

The U.S. team, which had won all three of its group matches, was heading back to Bradenton, Fla., where the players and coaches are based.

“Our primary concern is the safety of our athletes and all of the athletes that were involved in the tournament,” said Neil Buethe, spokesman for US Soccer. “If CONCACAF feels this is the best decision to ensure the safety of all the athletes, we support that.”

Varnado to test waters

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State forward Jarvis Varnado announced Monday that he has declared for the NBA draft but won’t hire an agent.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound junior from Brownsville, Tenn., said in a school news release that he wanted to get a feel for his draft status. By not signing with an agent, he could return to Mississippi State.

<h4>QUOTABLE </h4>
'Winning is the most important thing. I'm too old for a cake and I don't want to get fat.'

KOSUKE FUKUDOME,

Cubs outfielder, after driving in five runs in Chicago's win over St. Louis on his 32nd birthday Sunday

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Mark Sanchez’s first pass with the New York Jets was right on target.

The fifth overall pick in the NFL draft clutched his new No. 6 green and white jersey at his introductory news conference Sunday and softly tossed it over two rows of seats, right into the hands of his father.

“Over the linebacker,” a beaming Nick Sanchez said, “and into the seam.”

The Jets are hoping for a whole lot of that on the field for years to come after trading up 12 spots Saturday to select their new face of the franchise.

“It’s very rare that you find a team that you like so much and you end up getting drafted by them,” Mark Sanchez said. “You usually end up getting heartbroken on draft day.”

Sanchez, decked out in a black pinstriped suit, dark green tie and white Jets cap, caught a flight from his home in Mission Viejo, Calif., shortly before midnight and landed in the New York area early Sunday morning. He then went on a head-spinning media tour, including a stop at the draft site at Radio City Music Hall, along with his family and agent David Dunn.

“This is so cool,” said a smiling Sanchez as the cameras flashed while he held up his jersey – punter Reggie Hodges worked out a side agreement for the No. 6.

“There’s a lot of work ahead,” the former Southern California star said. “This isn’t an end point. Getting here isn’t it. It’s about winning games and playoff games and getting into championship games.”

Two ASU players taken late

TEMPE – Arizona State did not have a player taken in the NFL draft until the seventh round, when the Philadelphia Eagles took guard Paul Fanaika 213th overall.

Ten picks later, ASU safety Troy Nolan was drafted by the Houston Texans.

Fanaika, 6 feet 5, 327 pounds was selected with a pick the Eagles got in a trade with Seattle.

The 6-1, 207-pound Nolan had four interceptions in 2008.

The Arizona Republic

Miami’s streak snapped

NEW YORK – Once the nation’s foremost football factory, the University of Miami barely got a mention during this year’s NFL draft.

The U’s streak of 14 years with at least one first-round draft pick was snapped Saturday. Then Sunday came, and just how far the Hurricanes’ talent-level has fallen since Butch Davis left for the NFL and handed the program to Larry Coker in 2001 was magnified.

The first and only Miami player drafted went in the sixth round. Linebacker Spencer Adkins was taken 176th overall by the Atlanta Falcons.

The Associated Press

Recovering Byrd

Being drafted by San Diego might help LSU wide receiver Demetrius Byrd in his recovery from a car accident.

Byrd was chosen in the seventh and final round, 224th overall.

Earlier this week, Byrd was hospitalized in critical but stable condition after a car crash in Miami. Byrd had scrapes and bruises, but was held in intensive care for observation.

LSU officials said Byrd’s car hit a utility pole after a tire blew out. No other cars were involved.

Last season, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver had 37 catches for 513 yards and four TDs. He also played a key role in the Tigers’ 2007 national championship.

The Associated Press

Mr. Irrelevant

The final pick of the draft, ending the 15-hour, 15-minute extravaganza, was South Carolina place-kicker Ryan Succop.

Selected 256th overall by Kansas City, the 22-year-old Succop was a three-year regular kicker for the Gamecocks. Being picked last carries the distinction of getting called “Mr. Irrelevant.”

“I don’t really mind it. I don’t plan on being irrelevant,” Succop said. “I’ve been very blessed and I plan on making an impact right away. I’ve been blessed with the ability to do it and I’m looking forward to doing it.”

The Associated Press

Rhodes hits 450th homer

KOBE, Japan – American Tuffy Rhodes, a former Tucson Toro, has become the 12th player in Japanese professional baseball to hit 450 home runs.

Rhodes hit a solo homer in the fourth inning Sunday for his 450th, then added a three-run shot in the fifth and a two-run homer in the eighth to lead the Orix Buffaloes to an 11-3 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters.

“When I first came to Japan, I never thought I would hit this many homers,” Rhodes says.The 40-year-old leads all active players in Japanese baseball with 452 home runs. Tomoaki Kanemoto of the Hanshin Tigers is next with 429.

Sadaharu Oh holds the record for most home runs in Japan with 868.

Rhodes, who played with the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, is in his 13th season in Japan.

The Associated Press

Soccer fans stay home

MEXICO CITY – Thousands of Mexican soccer fans had to forgo a beloved tradition Sunday, forced by a swine flu epidemic to cheer from their living room couches instead of the sun-soaked seats at packed stadiums.

To the south of Mexico City, the Pumas team took on the Chivas at the picturesque Olympic Stadium, decorated by muralist Diego Rivera, but its sold-out, volcanic-rock bleachers were empty. They tied at 1.

Also Sunday, America faced the Tecos team in Mexico City’s enormous Estadio Azteca as fans watched the action on television.

Only a few people milled around outside the stadium, with most of the city’s 20 million inhabitants hunkered down at home. Most of those who ventured out wore surgical masks, which were being handed out by soldiers on street corners.

The Associated Press

NUMBER OF THE DAY

23

Players drafted out of the Pac-10 in the seven-round NFL draft. Other top conferences, with number of teams in parenthesis:

SEC (12) 37

ACC (12) 32

Big Ten (11) 28

Big 12 (12) 28

Big East (8) 27

Mountain West (8) 16

Roadblock? What roadblock?

The Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose shoots over the Boston Celtics' Brian Scalabrine during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference playoff in Chicago on Sunday. The Bulls won 121-118 in double overtime.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Hard work pays off for Britton

Re: Ex-Wildcat Eben Britton selected by Jacksonville in NFL draft

• Good luck to this guy who is arguably one of the nicest and hardest working guys to have ever put on the Arizona Football uniform!

JUST A FAN

• First off, congratulations big Brit! And thank you.

But those was some pretty classless comments. You are going to be making millions and you’re “angry” because you didn’t get into the first round . . . there are people losing their homes and jobs. Grow up, man.

Definitely could have used another year in college to mature as a man and a person.

3834

———

ON THIS DATE

1956: Rocky Marciano retires as the undefeated heavyweight boxing champion. He finishes with a 49-0 record, including six title defenses and 43 knockouts.

1968: Jimmy Ellis wins the world heavyweight boxing title with a 15-round decision over Jerry Quarry in Oakland, Calif. This is the final bout of an eight-man elimination tournament to fill Muhammad Ali’s vacated title.

1994: Former Arizona Wildcat Scott Erickson, who allowed the most hits in the majors the previous season, pitches Minnesota’s first no-hitter in 27 years as the Twins beat Milwaukee 6-0.

Tortorella

NEW YORK – The New York Rangers can expect beefed-up security during a return trip to Washington they never wanted to take.

No one else will help protect them on the ice against the suddenly surging Capitals.

John Tortorella’s view from a suite was no better than the one from the bench, and the suspended coach watched helplessly as Washington dominated his Rangers for the second straight game and put them on the brink of elimination, too.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist again didn’t make it to the third period, and Washington defenseman Tom Poti torched his former team in the Capitals’ 5-3 victory Sunday that set up a decisive Game 7 on Tuesday.

“He can’t play every game like a god,” Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said of Lundqvist, who had stopped 141 of 149 shots in the first four games when the Rangers grabbed a 3-1 series lead. “He can’t save the game all the time.

“When we play our game, we play simple. We play hard and nobody can stop us.”

Tortorella served a one-game suspension following a confrontation with a fan Friday during New York’s 4-0 loss in Game 5 that sent the series back to Madison Square Garden. Tortorella squirted water into the crowd and threw a water bottle into the stands.

On Sunday, Tortorella sat high above the ice and rested his chin in his palm as the game turned from bad to worse under the Capitals’ offensive onslaught.

Jim Schoenfeld, Tortorella’s lone assistant coach, ran the club in his absence and said before the game that Tortorella had been sticking up for his players against slurs from the crowd.

Even the return of benched forward Sean Avery couldn’t spark the Rangers, who have been outscored 9-3 since moving within one win of advancing.

“We wouldn’t put this on Torts and we won’t put this on Shoney,” captain Chris Drury said. “We just didn’t play well enough.”

Tortorella will be allowed to coach Game 7 in Washington, where the Rangers claimed in a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman that security was lax – a factor they said led to the water incident.

“When you’re down 3-1, there is no pressure on you,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “They expect you to lose. Now we see how (the Capitals) can handle it when they’re expected to win.”

Hurricanes force Game 7

RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Staal scored two goals less than 3 minutes apart, Cam Ward made 28 saves in his third career playoff shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes routed the New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Sunday night to force a decisive Game 7.

Ray Whitney had a goal and three assists, Jussi Jokinen scored Carolina’s first power-play goal since Game 2, Chad LaRose had two assists and Staal added an assist for the Hurricanes.

They outshot New Jersey 37-28 while their reconfigured top line produced the first three goals, and that helped lead to the most lopsided final score of the NHL’s tightest first-round pairing.

The best-of-seven series is even at three games apiece, with the winner-take-all Game 7 set for Tuesday night in New Jersey.

<h4>Bowled over </h4>
Milwaukee's Mike Cameron knocks over Houston catcher Humberto Quintero while trying to score from second base in the fourth inning Friday. Cameron was out on the play and Quintero left the game.

DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry is the best off the bench.

Terry, an ex-Arizona Wildcat who was mostly a full-time starter before taking on a different role the past two seasons, was presented Friday with the NBA sixth man award that goes to the league’s top reserve.

“The ability to do it, but also the willingness to embrace it, is something that’s got to be a part of it,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “That’s who he is. He wants to win and he wants to part of something that’s bigger than himself, and that’s really what this is all about.”

While starting only 11 of his 74 games in the regular season, Terry averaged 19.6 points and 3.4 assists while playing about 34 minutes a game.

Only Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd played more minutes for the Mavericks, though Terry usually comes off the bench shooting.

“No doubt, I’m a guy playing with my energy,” Terry said. “Instant offense, there are no warm-up shots. Jumping into the fire, that’s a special skill set.”

Terry got 111 of 121 first-place votes in the balloting and was the clear winner with 576 points. Denver’s J.R. Smith finished second with 155 points and three first-place votes, and New York’s Nate Robinson was third with 113 points.

Nowitzki, Kidd and other teammates attended the news conference in which Terry, who is known as JET, was presented the trophy.

It came on the day between Games 3 and 4 of the Mavericks’ first-round Western Conference playoff series against San Antonio. They lead 2-1.

“He’s been a big part of this team,” said Nowitzki, the NBA’s MVP two seasons ago. “He’s a great guy in the locker room, he’s one of our emotional leaders, always firing up the crowd. He’s one of the best clutch players I’ve ever seen.”

The only time Terry had a higher scoring average was 2000-01, his second NBA season, when he averaged 19.7 points for Atlanta.

Will Boldin stay?

NEW YORK – Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald believes disgruntled teammate Anquan Boldin would like to stay with Arizona.

“I don’t think he really wants to go,” Fitzgerald said Friday. “He’s been out there six years. His family is comfortable; his son is in school. There’s a lot of things that I think will be conducive for him to stay.

“But this is a business. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Boldin seemed to soften his stance last week after previously requesting to be traded. This weekend’s NFL draft is sure to be rife with rumors of potential deals for the wide receiver.

Boldin voiced his displeasure in last season’s training camp, accusing Cardinals management of failing to follow through on a promise of a new contract and vowing never to re-sign with Arizona.

Still, he went on to have his third Pro Bowl season as the Cardinals advanced to the Super Bowl.

“He was a big part of what we were able to do last year,” said Fitzgerald, who was participating in an event promoting the “Madden NFL” video game. “He’s helped me out tremendously. I hope he’s with us for the rest of his career.”

Fitzgerald reiterated his vow to restructure his four-year, $40 million contract if needed.

“Whatever it takes,” he said.

Fitzgerald to share cover

WASHINGTON – For the first time in its storied (some say cursed) history, the cover of EA Sports’ “Madden NFL” video game will feature two athletes: Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

“Being on the cover of ‘Madden’ is a real honor,” Fitzgerald said Friday after Electronic Arts made the announcement. “And sharing it with a talent like Troy is really special.”

The shared cover of “Madden NFL 10,” which arrives in stores Aug. 14, has something for everyone: Polamalu is a defensive AFC player and Fitzgerald an offensive NFC player.

EA Sports senior product manager Anthony Stevenson called the two Pro Bowlers “exemplary examples of the epic battle between offense and defense in the NFL.”

Both played in last season’s Super Bowl, which the Steelers won 27-23. Both athletes are known for their long, helmet-defying hair. Steel City football fans should be particularly happy, since Fitzgerald played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh. (He was also on the cover of EA’s “NCAA Football 2005.”)

UW-WSU deal dead

SPOKANE, Wash. – A proposal to play the annual Apple Cup football game at Qwest Field in Seattle for the next six years is dead.

The cross-state rivalry of the Apple Cup pits the University of Washington against Washington State University and the games have traditionally alternated between the schools’ Seattle and Pullman home stadiums.

The two programs could not reach an agreement on how to divide up the tickets at Qwest, the 67,000-seat home of the Seattle Seahawks, officials said.

Washington wanted enough tickets for its entire season ticket base, which typically numbers more than 40,000, while Washington State insisted on an even distribution, officials said.

Super Bowl in mid-February?

NEW YORK – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell can envision a Super Bowl played in mid-February if the league expands its regular-season schedule to 17 or 18 games.

Team owners are expected to get a proposal, perhaps as soon as next month, that would eliminate two preseason games and add one or two to the regular schedule.

Goodell said Friday at a meeting with Associated Press Sports Editors such a format could push the Super Bowl back to President’s weekend.

“The idea has merit, I think,” he said Friday, referring to more regular-season games. “You are taking the quality and improving it, taking two meaningless games and making them meaningful within the 20-game framework.”

A Super Bowl that late in February could conflict with such other events as the Daytona 500, the NBA All-Star game and, every four years, the Winter Olympics. Then again, there is no bigger sporting event in America than the NFL’s title game.

Goodell outlined a scenario that would have two preseason games in August, followed by a dark week on Labor Day weekend, followed by the opening week.

QUOTABLE

'We have never looked at London or Mexico City as a site.'

ROGER GOODELL,

NFL commissioner, on reports that the league was talking with London as a possible site for a Super Bowl

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Happy to see ex-Cat Terry honored

Re: Ex-Wildcat Jason Terry wins sixth man award

• Between Jason Terry and Mike Bibby, they are by far my favorite Wildcats. I am so happy that he has done so well and stayed out of trouble. He’s awesome. TUCSONBUTTERFLY

• And none of us are surprised. His engaging and positive personality make him the perfect one to spark his teammates. MPOMEROY

Re: UA men’s basketball

• I’m not a Livengood “hater” but I don’t have much use for him. I’m glad he was able to land coach Miller but feel the Floyd fiasco was totally unnecessary and allowed Floyd to use UA for his own purposes. I had no respect for Livengood before and have no more now even though he managed to stumble around and finally land a quality coach. RJW52

———

ON THIS DATE

1950: Charles Cooper, an All-American from Duquesne playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, becomes the first black to be picked in the NBA draft when he’s taken by the Boston Celtics.

1965: The Boston Celtics score 42 points on a record 21 field goals in the final quarter of Game 5 to post a 129-96 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers and win their seventh consecutive NBA championship.

1993: Pittsburgh’s NHL-record 14-game playoff winning streak and its overall 21-game unbeaten string are snapped as the New Jersey Devils beat the Penguins 4-1.

The Associated Press

NEW YORK – Let’s forget, for now, who will wind up in Detroit as the top pick in Saturday’s NFL draft.

And what team will get star receiver Michael Crabtree. And where the six offensive tackles likely to go in the first round will land.

Sure, the draft is all about grabbing new talent, plugging holes or beefing up a pro team’s depth. It’s also about the intrigue beyond the actual selections.

Such as the trades and the trends.

Will Cleveland deal Braylon Edwards to the Giants or the Eagles or the Titans or another receiver-needy club? Don’t expect any hints coming out of Browns camp, where new coach Eric Mangini is more secretive than the CIA.

How about the Cardinals, tired of dealing with Anquan Boldin’s contract demands, sending him to one of those teams?

“I didn’t say a trade was necessary,” Boldin has said. “I just want something to get resolved. It’s something that’s gone on long enough.”

Both wideouts would carry a hefty price, including at least a first-round selection Saturday.

What about Julius Peppers? Carolina franchised the standout defensive end and would get two first-rounders as compensation if anyone signs him. But the Panthers likely would settle for less in a trade, albeit not less than at least one first-round spot.

Still, Panthers general manager Marty Hurney recently said: “We’ve known Julius for seven years, and it has been a good seven years.

“I think he knows how we feel, and we feel like he’s been happy here. And again, nothing has changed. We franchised him, and when we did we knew there was a period for the process to take place. When that process goes through then he’s going to be back.”

A smokescreen? Perhaps. That’s a part of the process, too.

Other players considered available this weekend, regardless of what camouflage is being used by various teams, are receivers Chad Ocho Cinco of Cincinnati and Roscoe Parrish of Buffalo; and running backs Ronnie Brown of Miami and Edgerrin James of Arizona (who likely will be released this spring if he is not dealt).

As for any trading frenzies, consider the flux the NFL is in these days. With the possibility of a noncapped 2010 season staring teams, players and agents in the face, the rules under which business has been conducted for so long could readily change. That might impact how the clubs treat this draft.

Will some teams look to unload picks to save money for bidding wars caused by the disappearance of the salary cap – even with new restrictions on free agency that would be in place?

Or might teams that often stockpile draft choices in future years (Eagles, Patriots) by trading down in the current grab bag opt to avoid that route?

Consider that both the Patriots and Eagles don’t have a lot of holes, but do have a lot of picks this weekend.

Last year, eight offensive tackles were selected in the first round, including six in a span of 10 picks midway in the round, starting with Ryan Clady of Denver at No. 12. A similar rush to grab such blockers – left tackle is considered as important a position as any other on offense, save quarterback – could happen this year, dropping the bevy of solid wideouts lower than projected.

Lorena Ochoa, a former UA golfer, watches her tee shot on the 9th hole during Thursday's first round of the LPGA Corona Morelia Championship in Morelia, Mexico.

MORELIA, Mexico – Defending champion Lorena Ochoa shot a bogey-free 8-under-par 65 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Michelle Wie and Na Yeon Choi after the first round of the LPGA Tour’s Corona Championship.

“It was a good day,” said Ochoa, a former Arizona Wildcat. “There is really not much more to add if you look at the score. I’m very happy because I’m in control.

“It’s very exciting to be in a position that I like. Hopefully, we can stay there the next three days, because my goal is to win it.”

Wie, who started on No. 10, eagled the par-5 fifth and birdied three of her final four holes. After opening the season with a second-place finish at Turtle Bay, she tied for 57th in Phoenix and tied for 67th in the Kraft Nabisco – shooting 71-81-81-71.

Eunjung Yi, Anna Nordqvist, Sandra Gal and Sarah Lee shot 67s, and Silvia Cavalleri, Kristy McPherson, Katherine Hull, Jill McGill and Mollie Fankhauser had 68s.

Second-ranked Yani Tseng and No. 5-ranked Suzann Pettersen were four strokes back at 69, No. 6 Cristie Kerr had a 70, and No. 4 Paul Creamer shot a 72.

Brittany Lincicome, coming off a win in the Kraft Nabisco, an LPGA major, on April 5, was 10 strokes behind Ochoa after a 75.

Zurich Classic

AVONDALE, La. – South Korea’s Charlie Wi took advantage of soft early morning conditions to shoot a bogey-free 6-under 66 for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Zurich Classic.

Jay Williamson, Nathan Green, Parker McLachlin, Charles Warren, John Merrick and Eric Axley opened with 67s. Former tournament winner David Toms topped a group at 68, and Masters runner-up Kenny Perry had a 69.

Danny Lee had a triple bogey on No. 4 and shot a 76 in his pro debut. The 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander missed the cut in the Masters as an amateur. He broke Tiger Woods’ mark as the youngest U.S. Amateur champion last year and became the European tour’s youngest winner in February at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Ballantine’s Championship

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea – Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, coming off consecutive second-place finishes, and New Zealand’s Mark Brown shot 7-under 65s to share the first-round lead in the Ballantine’s Championship.

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, England’s Robert Dinwiddie and South Korea’s Kang Kyung-nam opened with 66s on the Pinx course. South African star Ernie Els had a 68, and Fred Couples shot a 69 in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.