Guest Writer

CAL THOMAS

BOSTON – After Sept. 11, 2001, a day of infamy on which nearly 3,000 died at the hands of terrorists, The New York Times began publishing the names and pictures of the dead.

I made a deliberate effort to look at those pictures and to read the names and hometowns of each victim. I wanted to identify with them as much as possible.

Now the Times has published more pictures, names and ages, this time of American war dead. They are part of the 4,000 casualties to have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan since those wars began. They – and their families – deserve our gratitude.

Some politicians who oppose the war – mostly Democrats, but a few Republicans – offer obligatory and oblique references to “the troops” and their bravery, while undermining their sacrifice and objectives by calling for their immediate withdrawal.

That is not a policy, unless one regards surrender and retreat only to fight a bloodier war another day policy.

What is remarkable is that America continues to produce the kind of young men and women who are willing to lay down their lives for a principle: the principle of freedom – for others and for us.

This is a characteristic that may not be uniquely American, but it is one this country has fully embraced, as time and time again it fights wars to liberate others and protect itself.

As the excellent HBO series on the life of John Adams portrays, the notion of freedom was conceived in the hearts of our countrymen even before America became a nation. It is a story about sacrifice, separation from loved ones and the forsaking of familiar and comfortable surroundings in favor of misery and hardship.

The fight for independence involved emotional and physical pain and unenviable loss. But it also produced gain for those willing to pay the price.

“John Adams” tells another truth: Freedom isn’t free. It must be bought and paid for by every generation and sometimes more than once within a generation.

Freedom is not a natural state – otherwise more people would be free. Tyranny, oppression, dictatorship and the denial of human rights are the norm for much of the planet.

Mankind’s lower nature dictates that far too many seek to reduce others to servitude in order to elevate themselves.

President Bush has repeatedly said that freedom is a god-given right that resides in the heart of every human. Maybe, but sometimes one must fight to extract it from the hardened hearts of others who want it exclusively for themselves.

Looking at the faces of those who have fallen and when driving by Arlington National Cemetery, I am reminded of the cost of freedom.

Those who died allow me to travel freely. Those who sacrificed everything invested in freedom for my family and yours so that we can all live our lives where we choose to live them and worship where, and however, we please.

These are freedoms most of the world can only dream about.

It has been said that most of us no longer know anyone who is serving in the military – and that’s too bad. Some college campuses (such as Harvard) continue to ban the ROTC without acknowledging that Harvard might not exist were it not for soldiers willing to fight to preserve academic freedom.

“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose,” goes the Kris Kristofferson lyric. But that is a cynical view of freedom.

In a city and a state that helped give freedom birth, there are constant reminders of those who were freedom’s midwives.

If John Adams, his cousin Sam, Paul Revere and so many others from our past could speak today, they would remind us that freedom is never fully paid for and that its loss would exact a greater cost.

Folk singer Joan Baez plans to return to Cambridge this week to mark the 50th anniversary of Club Passim, where her career of singing mostly protest songs began. That she still has the freedom to sing those songs results from the sacrifices of the patriots who died for her right to protest.

It would be nice if she sang a song honoring them, but that’s probably “just blowin’ in the wind.”

Cal Thomas is an author and broadcast commentator. His e-mail address is calthomas@tribune.com.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Besides managing the Boston Red Sox, Terry Francona is now in the advice business.

The former University of Arizona baseball star urged Curt Schilling on Wednesday to use more discretion after the Boston pitcher criticized Barry Bonds.

“Schill came to me,” Francona said. “We talked a little bit and I said, ‘You probably just need to stay away from some of those things.’ ”

Schilling apologized Wednesday in his blog for telling a Boston radio station Tuesday that Bonds “admitted he used steroids . . . admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes and cheating on the game.”

“Regardless of my opinions . . . on anything Barry Bonds, it was absolutely irresponsible and wrong to say what I did,” Schilling wrote in his blog, 38pitches.com. “As someone who’s made it clear I have major issues with members of the media that take little or no pride in their work, it’s the height of hypocrisy for me to say what I did, in any forum.”

Bonds is 10 homers short of matching Hank Aaron’s home run record of 755.

A recent ABC News/ESPN poll said 3 out of 4 baseball fans believe Bonds knowingly used steroids, despite his reported claims to a federal grand jury that he thought the “clear” and the “cream” were flaxseed oil. And 52 percent of fans said they are rooting against him breaking Aaron’s record.

“There’s good people and bad people,” Schilling told the radio station about Bonds, the day before issuing his apology. “It’s unfortunate that it’s happening the way it’s happening.”

Francona said he would let Schilling keep writing his blog.

“I don’t care, as long as he stays away from certain things,” Francona said.

The Associated Press

BOSTON – Mitt Romney blew away the top-ranked Republican presidential candidates in fundraising during the first three months of the year, reporting he had raised an astonishing $23 million. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, favored in the polls, trailed far behind.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has amassed a sizable lead in national popularity polls of GOP candidates, reported raising $15 million this quarter.

McCain’s $12.5 million appeared to be another sign the Arizona senator’s campaign is flagging.

- The Associated Press

The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic

You know your commute makes you cranky. It turns out it could also make you sick.

The bulk of the ultrafine particle pollution commuters are exposed to each day is inhaled on the way to and from work, says a report released Wednesday by the Clean Air Task Force, a Boston-based advocacy group.

Commuting takes up a small slice of the day – the average one-way commute in Tucson is 24 minutes – but it packs a powerful pollution punch.

Concentrations of the ultrafine particles emitted by diesel vehicles are four to eight times higher inside a car, bus and train than in open air, the report said. Particles can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

Cars directly behind diesel trucks have higher concentrations of pollution inside than those traveling on routes less used by trucks.

The study specifically investigated diesel exhaust levels during commutes in New York, Boston, Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio.

The study documented diesel particle levels four to eight times higher inside commuter cars, buses, and trains than in the ambient outdoor air in those cities. These kinds of results though are likely during a commute anywhere in the country.

Relief may be on the way. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring all gasoline stations to phase in a type of diesel with 97 percent less sulfur. New heavy trucks must be fitted with particulate traps to reduce emissions.

The combination of ultralow-sulfur diesel and tailpipe filters is expected to reduce pollution from big vehicles by 90 percent.

WHAT TO DO

To reduce your exposure to pollution on your commute, health experts recommend:

• Keep your windows closed.

• Close the outside vents.

• Choose routes with less truck traffic.

• See if your employer offers compressed workweeks or telecommuting opportunities.

To read the Clean Air Task Force report, go to www.tucsoncitizen.com and click on this story.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Ex-Arizona Wildcat Tedy Bruschi sniffs out plays and smacks down runners the way he did the last time the Patriots won the Super Bowl.

That’s pretty remarkable, considering he had a stroke in between.

“He is kind of the glue out there, just making the calls, getting the signals and getting the communication to the defense,” fellow inside linebacker Mike Vrabel said. “That’s a lot.”

The honors might not have come Bruschi’s way as they once did, but his teammates know he provides what they need. He has the strength to stop the run, the speed to keep up with receivers and the smarts to direct one of the NFL’s best defenses. He’ll need all three, plus his usual intensity, Sunday when New England visits the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game.

Running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes will try to elude him, tight end Dallas Clark will try to outmaneuver him, and quarterback Peyton Manning, a master at calling plays at the line or scrimmage, will try to baffle him.

Not long ago, the versatile athlete had trouble just walking.

He had a minor stroke 10 days after the 2005 Super Bowl and three days after he played in the Pro Bowl. In the title game, he had a sack and an interception in the 24-21 win over Philadelphia that gave New England its third championship in four years. He is one of only 10 current Patriots who played on all those teams.

But as he left a Boston hospital after being treated, he walked tentatively with wife, Heidi, by his side.

Bruschi had surgery to repair a hole in his heart and missed the first six games last season, then played nine in a row before being sidelined for the regular-season finale and the first playoff game. He returned the next week for a loss at Denver that ended the Patriots season.

That setback left him “dissatisfied,” he said last summer, “because I think toward the end I really started to play good football again and I just wanted to win another Super Bowl.”

Beat the Colts on Sunday and he’ll still have a chance.

NFL PLAYOFFS

Sunday

NFC: New Orleans at Chicago, 1 p.m., Fox

AFC: New England at Indianapolis, 4:30 p.m., CBS

More on Sunday’s games, Page 4C

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

BOSTON – Defense contractor Raytheon Co. plans to sell its aircraft business for $3.3 billion to Hawker Beechcraft Corp., a new company formed by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs and Onex Partners.

The sale will have little effect on Raytheon Missile Systems, a Tucson-based subsidiary and southern Arizona’s largest employer.

The world’s fifth-largest defense contractor said Thursday it expects to pocket $2.5 billion after taxes from the sale of the Wichita, Kan.-based unit that makes Hawker and Beechcraft planes for commercial and military markets. The business has more than 8,500 employees and about 100 centers worldwide.

The deal included facilities and other assets in Little Rock, Ark., Dallas and two sites in Kansas, and the company’s maintenance, service and support network across the United States, United Kingdom and Mexico, Raytheon Chief Financial Officer David Wajsgras said on a conference call.

The aircraft division to be sold makes Beechcraft single-engine, two- and four-seat planes and Hawker midsize, twin-engine corporate jets. The planes compete with foreign companies including Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace and Brazil-based Embraer.

The sale of Raytheon Aircraft is part of the company’s strategy to focus on its core government and defense business, Raytheon Chairman and Chief Executive William H. Swanson said.

Raytheon’s shares slipped 4 cents to close at $53.82 on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Associated Press

BOSTON – Shawn Marion scored 29 points and Steve Nash added 16 points and 14 assists to help the Phoenix Suns extend their winning streak to nine games with a 116-111 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Raja Bell and Boris Diaw each added 14 points for Phoenix, coming off a 161-157 double-overtime victory in New Jersey on Thursday night. The Suns have won 11 of 12 after starting the season 1-5.

Paul Pierce scored 36 points for Boston, and Ryan Gomes and Tony Allen added 18 apiece. The Celtics have lost five straight and seven of eight.

The Suns’ game against New Jersey Thursday will be replayed on Sunday on FSNA at 7 p.m., following the Phoenix-Charlotte game at 4.

- The Associated Press

The Arizona Republic

By KENT SOMERS

The Arizona Republic

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – There are times a team plays so well in the NFL preseason that players wish the game counted.

There are other times when they give thanks that the outcome doesn’t matter.

It’s not hard to guess which side the Cardinals were on as they lost to New England 30-3 Saturday at Gillette Stadium.

“You have to show up every time you step on the football field, and we didn’t do that tonight against a good football team,” quarterback Kurt Warner said. “I just thank God it’s preseason.”

Backup quarterback Matt Leinart, who signed a contract a week ago, looked better than anyone had the right to expect. It was the rest of the team that looked shaky.

“I thought he did what he could do,” coach Dennis Green said. “Hopefully when he plays again, we’ll do better.”

The plan was for Leinart to replace Warner in the second quarter, but that almost didn’t happen thanks to a sputtering offense and a defense that couldn’t stop the Patriots on third down.

The Cardinals’ starting unit couldn’t run the ball, and the passing game wasn’t much better. As he did last week in the preseason opener, running back Edgerrin James made a cameo appearance, carrying twice for five yards.

Warner wasn’t sharp. One of his passes was intercepted, and a second interception was called back because of a penalty. Green kept him in the game in the hopes the offense would find a rhythm, but it was off the whole half.

Leinart, coming in just before the end of the first half, led the club to its one score, a 48-yard field goal by Neil Rackers with four seconds left in the half.

“Two-minute drill, my first series was pretty cool,” Leinart said. “I felt all right. I’ve only been practicing for a few days, so I have to get better.

“It’s obviously not college anymore. It’s different. I’m playing the best of the best.”

It’s not as if Leinart moved the Cardinals downfield with his arm. New England played conservatively, trying to prevent a big play. That left the middle of the field open for Leinart to run, which he did twice for 29 yards.

That’s 15 yards more than James and backup running back J.J. Arrington had combined in the first half.

Leinart completed 4 of 11 passes for 45 yards on the night. Two of the throws were dropped.

“I was nervous a little,” he said. “I just have to find a comfort zone when I’m playing, and that’s going to come sooner or later.”

Leinart played through the third, before giving way to John Navarre.

Leinart dispelled the notion that he’s not mobile.

“I always knew I could run around. I just didn’t have the opportunity at USC,” he said. “I didn’t have to. I know here that I’m not going to have to do that a lot. But they were in two-man (zone defense), and there’s no one who accounts for the quarterback in that situation. There were some big holes.”

Navarre took over at quarterback in the fourth quarter and completed 1 of 8 passes. He said he was taking some chances downfield because the Cardinals were so far behind.

“I might have thrown some balls I normally wouldn’t have,” Navarre said. “We called some plays downfield. I tried to force some balls into some tight situations.”

Navarre and Leinart are battling for the No. 2 job behind Warner.

The Hartford Courant

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tedy Bruschi set an aggressive tone early in Patriots’ training camp, hitting rookie tailback Laurence Maroney hard on back-to-back days.

Now the former University of Arizona linebacker will have to sit out for at least a week as he recovers from a wrist injury suffered Monday.

ESPN and the Boston Herald reported that the injury is a fracture, but New England quarterback Tom Brady sounded optimistic.

“Tedy’s been through a whole bunch, so I’m not worried about him at all,” Brady said. “Tedy’s got the most positive attitude of anybody I’ve ever been around. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s out here.”

Bruschi, 33, who had a stroke in mid-February 2005, returned Oct. 30 against the Bills. He had 72 tackles and two sacks in nine games but injured a calf at the end of the regular season.

Bruschi can play wearing a cast. But with the regular season 38 days away, there’s little reason to rush him.

The problem is that the 2006 plans were to shift Mike Vrabel to outside linebacker and pair Bruschi and Monty Beisel at inside linebacker. An important part of the Patriots’ great run defense in previous years was how well Bruschi and inside linebacker Ted Johnson, who’d played together since 1996, knew each other’s moves.

Citizen Staff Report

Ex-Arizona Wildcat Tedy Bruschi has a wrist injury that could be a fracture, ESPN reported Tuesday.

The New England Patriots linebacker was hurt Monday during an early practice. He missed the team’s second Monday practice and was held out of both sessions on Tuesday.

The Boston Herald reported that he will miss at least a week of practice while the team determines the extent of the injury.

Bruschi suffered a stroke in February 2005, and later had surgery to repair a hole in his heart. He returned in October and had 61 tackles in nine games.

- Citizen Staff Report

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi charged at Tom Brady as the quarterback threw a pass.

Later, the former University of Arizona linebacker gave rookie Laurence Maroney a light shove in the back after an incomplete pass to the running back.

Just like old times, Bruschi was back in the middle of the action Wednesday – a year after missing the 2005 minicamp while recovering from a stroke.

“The offseason workouts have gone great for me so far,” said Bruschi, who is entering his 11th NFL season. “I participated in virtually every one and I look forward to . . . being ready for training camp” in July.

Bruschi shared The Associated Press comeback player of the year award with wide receiver Steve Smith of Carolina, despite missing the first six regular-season games in 2005.

The Patriots’ minicamp ends today, and Bruschi’s leadership is critical, especially after the Patriots lost linebacker Willie McGinest as a free agent to Cleveland. The Patriots were 3-3 by the time he returned last season and went 7-2 with him before he missed the last regular season game with a calf injury, an improvement that impressed starting cornerback Ellis Hobbs, a rookie last season.

“When he wasn’t out there we had a lot of mix-ups, just not a lot of order,” Hobbs said. “But when he comes he kind of ceases all the chaos. He knows how to get everybody in line and he just has a controlling voice out there. You know when you’re hearing his voice; it’s very demanding, but calm and in control.”

Bruschi’s voice is back, as strong as ever, 16 months after he was hospitalized for blurry vision and numbness in his left arm and left leg.

“I always judge myself by how I’m doing in the offseason workouts, and I’m doing great,” Bruschi said. “I just turned 33 (Friday), and I’m keeping an eye on myself to see if I’m getting old or not. I’m still feeling good.”

Citizen Staff Report

Shirley Reilly and Scott McDonald led a list of Tucson athletes who finished the 109th running of the Boston Marathon yesterday.

Reilly, 20, a member of the University of Arizona’s Adaptive Athletics program, placed third in the wheelchair race for the 26.2-mile distance in 1 hour, 53 minutes, 44 seconds. She was 10:58 behind winner Edith Hunkster of Sweden.

McDonald, a local runner and cyclist, finished in 2:42:43, 187th overall, 144th in his 30-34 men’s age group and 171st in the men’s division.

- Citizen Staff Report

• Kenyans sweep titles, Page 4C

• How locals fared, Page 5C

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

BOSTON – Overtime belongs to Maryland. So does the NCAA championship.

Freshman Kristi Toliver hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to cap a 13-point comeback, then made two free throws with 35 seconds left in overtime last night to give the Terrapins their first NCAA women’s basketball title with a 78-75 victory over Duke.

Piling up on the court, hugging and bumping chests, the Terrapins reveled in the youth that had been the biggest doubt surrounding them coming into the tournament. Even coach Brenda Frese, a former University of Arizona player, who was the coach of the year at 32 and a national champion at 35, is on the precocious side.

“Age is just a number,” Frese said. “When you got kids that believe and they believe in each other and they got that kind of confidence, you can accomplish anything as a team.”

Maryland (34-4) is 6-0 in overtime games this season – the first five on the road and the last in the championship – to complete the second-largest comeback in a women’s final. It was the first time the title was determined in overtime since Tennessee beat Virginia in 1991.

The Maryland players stormed the court twice – once after Toliver’s basket forced overtime and again when Blue Devils guard Jessica Foley’s desperation, well-covered 3-point attempt nicked the front of the rim at the overtime buzzer.

Foley made two free throws with 18 seconds left in regulation to give Duke a 70-67 lead, then Frese called a timeout to set up a play. Toliver, who had 12 turnovers in the semifinal victory over North Carolina, brought the ball down and veered to the right. With Duke’s Alison Bales in her face, she put the 3-pointer through the net with 6.1 seconds left.

“And I even felt her fingertips as I was holding my follow through,” Toliver said. “So, she did a great job contesting. I just had a lot of confidence. And I knew I wanted to take the big shot so I just took it.”

Duke (31-4) opted not to call a timeout. Lindsey Harding brought the ball down the court and put up a desperation leaner from the right baseline that went off the rim.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

BOSTON – The NCAA women’s basketball tournament will end with an absolute certainty: An Atlantic Coast Conference team will win the national championship.

Duke plays Maryland in an all-ACC final tomorrow night after the two rivals won their semifinal games yesterday.

Maryland surprised top-ranked North Carolina 81-70 in the Final Four’s first all-ACC matchup. Then Duke joined its league cohort in the title game by shutting down LSU and National Player of the Year Seimone Augustus in a 64-45 victory.

It’s the third time two teams from the same conference have reached the women’s championship game. Both previous cases involved Tennessee beating Southeastern Conference rivals – Auburn in 1989 and Georgia in 1996.

Maryland (33-4), in its third Final Four, reached the championship game for the first time. Duke’s only other appearance in the title game ended with a 62-45 loss to Purdue in 1999. The Blue Devils (31-3) are in the Final Four for the fourth time.

The championship game appearance takes Maryland one more step in a remarkable climb under fourth-year coach Brenda Frese, a former Arizona Wildcat, who was just 10-18 in her first season.

“Coach Frese, from Day 1, said this team is going to do special things,” Maryland freshman Marissa Coleman said. “Now we’re the first (Maryland) team in the final game.”

Coleman is an example of what Maryland is all about – youth. The Terrapins start two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.

“I think that makes us better because we have nothing to lose,” Coleman said. “We just go out there and have fun.”

Both teams have great balance and a second-team All-American – Monique Currie for Duke, Crystal Langhorne for Maryland. But Duke is deeper and more experienced. Ten Duke players average double figures in minutes and nine average at least 5.6 points.

Maryland has five players averaging in double figures and had four double-figure scorers against North Carolina, Laura Harper leading with 24 and Langhorne adding 23.

Duke also had four double-figure scorers in its semifinal win, led by Mistie Williams’ 14 points.

Duke won both regular-season ACC games with Maryland, but the Terrapins pulled out a 78-70 win in the semifinals of the conference tournament a month ago. With that victory, Maryland broke a 14-game losing streak to Duke that began in 2001.

The Terrapins held Duke to 36 percent shooting in that game and did a better job against Currie, who scored 18 points but shot just 6 for 17. She had scored 31 on 13-for-21 shooting in Duke’s victory in Durham.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

BOSTON – Dallas had one too many shooters for the Boston Celtics to cover.

Jerry Stackhouse made a baseline jumper with 0.1 second left to lift the Mavericks over the Celtics 104-102 last night.

Ex-Arizona Wildcat Jason Terry hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 30 points, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 as the Mavericks won their third straight game. Dallas improved to 13-5 on the road, best in the Western Conference.

On the game-winning play, the original plan was to look for Terry or Nowitzki, but it was Stackhouse who got open.

Stackhouse got the ball in front of the Celtics bench and drove the right baseline before pulling up and nailing a 12-footer over Ricky Davis.

“Obviously, I’ve hit quite a few shots in this league,” Stackhouse said with a smile.

Stackhouse had 20 points and Keith Van Horn had 12.

“It was for JT if we could get him the ball because of the game he was having, or we would have liked Dirk to take the shot,” Stackhouse said. “At that point, it’s just a matter of whoever gets the ball.”

Stackhouse missed the first 26 games of the season with a sore right knee before returning on Dec. 23.

“It was a matter of time before Jerry got back into his rhythm,” Terry said. “We see it every day in practice. It’s nothing new to us.”

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 32 points, tying it with a 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds to play. The Celtics erased a 12-point deficit in the closing 5:50.

“They have a number of guys who can step up,” Pierce said. “That’s why they’re one of the better teams in the NBA.”

Bryant reaches 45 again

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant scored 45, making him the first player to get at least that many in four consecutive games in more than 41 years, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 96-90 for their third straight victory.

The last player to score at least 45 or more points in four consecutive games was Wilt Chamberlain in November 1964, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Bryant had 45 on Dec. 28 against Memphis, 48 on Friday night against Philadelphia, and 50 on Saturday night against the Clippers.

Last night Bryant scored 17 in the fourth quarter, reaching 45 by making two free throws with 9.6 seconds left. He had 10 rebounds and five assists. He had become the first player with at least 45 in three straight games since Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in 1990.

Bulls 113, Raptors 104: At Chicago, Kirk Hinrich scored 25 points and had 11 assists, Luol Deng added 21 points, and Chicago beat Toronto.

76ers 107, SuperSonics 98: At Philadelphia, Allen Iverson notched 41 points, John Salmons had 18 and Kyle Korver 17 to lead Philadelphia over Seattle.

Jazz 97, Wizards 89: At Washington, Mehmet Okur had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Utah moved above .500 with a victory over Washington.

Andrei Kirilenko added 17 points for the Jazz, who used balanced scoring and patient teamwork to win their seventh of eight games. They had assists on nine of their first 11 baskets and began to pull away with a 14-2 run starting late in the first.