Cricket World Cup 2011: India's place in the final against Sri Lanka built on the hard work of coach Gary Kirsten

Kirsten steps down after this World Cup, a year off beckoning following the three spent doing the job as a commuter from South Africa. In that time India have become the No 1 Test team and been among the top three one-day sides, winning six of their past seven bilateral series.

A win on Saturday at the refurbished Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai would be a very satisfying conclusion to his adventure.

Kirsten always seemed destined to become a coach. He was an acolyte of Duncan Fletcher and you could sense the analysis and hard work that went into his batting during his long career.

Both those attributes are the cornerstones of coaching, and both have improved India as a side. Kirsten was born too late to do national service in South Africa but you would not know it from his calm, disciplined demeanour.

India have certainly become a more professional unit under his regime with captain MS Dhoni. That process began under predecessor Greg Chappell when he dismissed Sourav Ganguly, an autocratic captain who preferred batting and leisure to the grunt work most modern teams undertake.

Kirsten, who averaged more than 40 in Test and one-day cricket for South Africa, relishes physical work but he also likes to pay heed to detail, a logical conclusion perhaps for a man who relaxes by running and reading.

India look a good fielding side, something you would have been pushed to say about them previously, and on that front they match Sri Lanka. Just that improvement has made a team of all the talents that much harder to beat, though beyond that Kirsten has not interfered too much, which is no easy thing for a coach trying to make his mark.

He did help to secure the services of Eric Simons, a former team-mate and coach at Western Province and his former coach for South Africa.

Simons, who acts as bowling consultant, is another heavily influenced by Fletcher. Indeed, the due care and attention was apparent in Mohali the other night, when India’s bowlers, less talented than their Pakistan counterparts, nonetheless triumphed because of better plans and field settings.

The duel in Mumbai could be distilled down to India’s largely orthodox batsmen against Sri Lanka’s maverick bowlers. Overseeing Sri Lanka will also be two foreign coaches, the Australians Trevor Bayliss and his assistant, Stuart Law.

Unlike Kirsten, Bayliss did not play international cricket but he was a useful middle-order batsman for New South Wales and a superb fielder. He will, however, be joining Kirsten in bidding farewell to his team after the final, his four-year stint as Tom Moody’s successor at an end.

He and Law, who did manage the odd game for Australia, preach that basic of Australian sport, aggression, something that has typified Sri Lanka recently, whether batting, bowling or fielding.

Another aggressive character, Chaminda Vaas has joined the squad following injury to Angelo Mathews while Suraj Randiv has flown from Colombo as cover for Muttiah Muralitharan, who is struggling with a hamstring strain.

Murali, who already looks 10 months into retirement after cultivating a paunch, will surely play, however inconvenienced. He knows you are a long time retired and that this is one final chance of glory.

Bayliss would not risk playing him on one leg if he was just a regular member of the team but Murali can still change the course of games even if not with the same certainty of old.

“The chances of Murali playing are good,” Bayliss said on Thursday. “He came through and bowled his 10 overs in the semi-final. He has pulled up a little bit stiff and sore. But with the character of the man and his will to want to win another World Cup, I wouldn’t be surprised if he played.”

That other Australian trait Bayliss has demonstrated is to keep picking away at something in the opponent in the hope that it finally gets to them. In this case, it is the pressure of India playing at home, which appeared to affect most of the team in the semi-final against Pakistan bar Virender Sehwag, who cut and carved with his usual gleeful abandon.

“There is a lot of pressure on India to perform,” stressed Bayliss. “We have been able to perform in this World Cup and the boys are quite confident that we can take them on and win.”

Brazil striker Neymar should apologise for banana slur at Scotland fans, but don't hold your breath

Once it’s out there, it’s out there – a lesson that has doubtless been impressed on young Heinz 57, or whatever pseudonym our teenage German friend from the Emirates employs when he goes on his social network to tell his mates how he triggered an international football diplomatic row and the indictment of 40,000 members of the Tartan Army on a charge of racism.

It would certainly be instructive to learn why the Metropolitan Police concluded that the throwing of a herbaceous plant of the genus Musa was not a racist act, when it happened in the immediate aftermath of Neymar’s second goal against Scotland on Sunday. It may be that our adolescent culprit explained to Herr Knacker that he was about to consume one of his five-a-day rations and that he was too far gone with euphoria to cherrypick a less contentious fruit.

At any rate, now that we can take an overview – what you might call a bananarama – of the whole episode, it offers one more example of the truth that, never mind fruit, if mud of any description is thrown online it is likely to stick forever.

The first menace, of course, is sloppy reporting, a perfect example of which was to be found on goal.com when the sports news website declared that, “Santos striker Neymar has revealed he will not be making a formal complaint after being subject to racist abuse during Brazil’s friendly with Scotland.”

Note the absence of the key word ‘alleged’, the use of which is one of the most basic lessons drummed into apprentice journalists – although evidently not in Brazil, where several newspapers and websites also took as gospel Neymar’s statement that the banana throwing and the Tartan Army’s dislike of his tendency to go to ground easily were both manifestations of racism directed against him.

Once that stone was cast into the sea of gullibility, the ripples became a tidal wave of waffle. For a top-class example, how about this version from an American website called Hispanically Speaking, which began, “There have been not one but two incidents in the last weeks where Brazilian soccer players have been taunted by banana-wielding xenophobes!’

After recounting the episode which occurred when Roberto Carlos of Anzhi Makhackala was baited by a Zenit St Petersburg fan who waved a banana at the Brazilian midfielder, Hispanically Speaking switched into pure fiction in respect of Sunday’s match and read as follows: ‘A similar incident took place at a Scotland vs Brazil game in London’s Emirate States Stadium, where Brazilian footballer Neymar was thrown at least one banana after he scored a penalty kick. “They screamed terrible things at me before I kicked the penalty,” said the player who added he didn’t want to speak about the incident so as to ‘not give the culprit any protagonism’. (sic)

“Witnesses say the banana hurler was a man from Glasgow, but no more details were provided. The term ‘banana’ republic has been used to negatively characterise Latin American nations that predominantly exported bananas or are agriculturally based. It also refers to countries that are considered less developed and rural.”

It is small comfort to discover that Hispanically Speaking is a recently established website that, by its own account, had “catapulted into the top 25,000 sites in the US”. A lie is a lie – where did they find witnesses who saw a ‘man from Glasgow’? – and this one is now drifting around cyberspace like a comet, to be seen again whenever some other lazy or malign commentator decides to preach on racists in football and cite the Tartan Army as examples of the breed.

Internet loons aside, a notable feature of this saga is the way others have scarpered clear of the fallout. The Scottish Football Association tried to get the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) and the match organisers, Kentaro, to exonerate the Scottish support from an indictment of racism, to no effect – although as Telegraph readers are aware, I elicited a statement from the CBF press office to the effect that they wanted nothing to do with Neymar’s utterances.

As for the player himself, one can understand how a young man being barracked by a crowd, for what he considers legitimate gamesmanship and they regard as play-acting, might automatically add the jeering to the banana-throwing and deduce racist abuse. But it is exactly because Neymar declared racism – when it occurs – to be a serious disfigurement of the game that he has a responsibility to withdraw the accusation when it is shown to be manifestly untrue.

Stewart Regan has now written to Ricardo Teixeira, President of the CBF, asking for an apology for the slur. He shouldn’t hold his breath. The player has had all week to retract his allegation, but yesterday’s headlines of ‘Neymar U-turn’ referred only to what seemed to be a reversal of his previously stated desire to play in Europe – although in this regard, as with Sunday’s remarks – he is proving to be a decidedly elusive character.

Mind you, next time there is a chant of “If you hate the ------- English clap your hands” at a Scotland game, somebody better explain the fine distinction between racism and banter. Not that there is any relief from this in Scotland itself, where songs sung by Rangers fans at the Old Firm derby in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final have pushed the issue of what counts as sectarian – as opposed to merely offensive – behaviour back into the spotlight.

Craig Whyte, the London-based Scottish businessman who has spent a considerable sum of money pursuing his hope of a takeover of the Ibrox club, has been particularly concerned about the prospect of who would be liable to pay the potentially crippling costs if a ruling goes against Rangers in the dispute with HMRC over offshore payments to players. However, in an increasingly litigious and rights-minded society, he might find that there are other threats to his bank balance.

If, for example, fans en masse sing songs that plainly fall within the legal definition of inciting sectarian hatred, at what point will the authorities no longer be able to resist the sanction of making a team play behind closed doors or without its own support in attendance? There is background chatter, as the intelligences services call it, about this possibility in certain corridors of power.

As Neymar has discovered - and Craig Whyte may yet do – banana skins come in more than one form.

'Significant differences': NFL, players apart on financial issues, but they have more time

WASHINGTON - Timeout, NFL. And NFLPA.

Buying time to try to close big gaps on big issues, the NFL and the players' union agreed Friday to extend the deadline for negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement by a week.

The current labor deal had been set to run out Thursday night. But the sides used an initial 24-hour extension to discuss and vote on the second, lengthier delay. Now the league and union will take a break over the weekend to assess their positions, resume mediation Monday, then have until the end of next Friday to talk.

"We're obviously having a lot of dialogue," Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday, the 11th day that he and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith have spent time at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. "We met for a lot of days. And we are going to meet for more."

Although the seven-day extension is the first true signal that owners and players might avoid a protracted legal skirmish and work stoppage, it's clear they are not close to a new CBA.

"It's a challenge," NFL general counsel and lead labor negotiator Jeff Pash said. "We've got very serious issues. We've got significant differences."

Most significant: money.

One person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the NFLPA has not agreed to any major economic concessions — and that the NFL has not agreed to the union's long-held demand that the league completely open its books and share all financial information.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because mediator George Cohen asked everyone involved not to comment publicly on the substance of the talks.

No one would say whether yet another extension would be possible if no new deal is reached by next Friday.

While Goodell and Pash declined to discuss any details as they spoke to reporters outside Cohen's office at about 3 p.m., Smith did the same on a sidewalk in front of the NFLPA's headquarters about three city blocks away.

Referring to next week's round of bargaining, Smith said: "We look forward to a deal coming out of that."

But when asked whether trust between the sides has been rebuilt, Smith replied: "When you say something about 'trust' or when you raise issues about things like 'confidence' — none of those things are repaired quickly."

If the sides hadn't extended the CBA, the union was prepared to decertify Thursday, meaning it no longer would represent the players, who would be giving up their rights under labor law and instead take their chances in court under antitrust law. The NFLPA took that course in 1989.

The owners, meanwhile, could have locked out the players, raising the specter of games lost to a work stoppage for the first time since the players' strike in 1987.

"This is going to get resolved through negotiations, not through litigation," Goodell said. "So talking is better than litigating."

That willingness to continue meeting with the mediator certainly indicates neither side was ready to make the drastic move of shutting down a league that rakes in $9 billion a year and is more popular than ever. The last two Super Bowls rank No. 1 and No. 2 among most-watched TV programs in U.S. history.

Cohen said that since he began mediating talks Feb. 18, he has been able to encourage the sides "to fully, frankly and candidly talk to each other" and that they are having "constructive discussion."

The key issues all along have been:

_ How to divide revenues, including what cut team owners should get up front to help cover costs such as stadium construction and improvement. Under the old deal, owners received about $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to add another $1 billion to that.

_ A rookie wage scale, and where money saved by teams under that system would go.

_ The owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games.

_ Benefits for retired players.

Under terms of the seven-day extension, no player transactions will be allowed while it is in effect, and players' health insurance coverage will remain in place.

"There's been enough serious discussion to warrant both sides taking this step," Pash said after the extension was announced. He also said he wouldn't be surprised if team owners participated in mediation next week, a step that could indicate discussions were reaching a critical stage.

"It's time for us really to dig — to dig deep — and try to find solutions," Pash added, "and try to be creative and try to compromise in a way that will work for everybody."

Goodell dismissed the notion that the NFL became more willing to negotiate after Tuesday's decision by U.S. District Court judge David Doty that sided with the union in a case about whether the league can have access to about $4 billion from TV contracts. The union accused the NFL of improperly negotiating deals to have money available in event of a lockout, and Doty — who has jurisdiction over NFL labor matters under the old CBA — agreed.

Mullin sees confident Hardy, Storm

Former St. John's superstar and Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Chris Mullin watches current St. John's star Dwight Hardy and believes he sees something familiar. The Big East Player of the Year candidate has made an impression with his knack for big shots, the biggest of which was the game-winner last Saturday over No. 4 Pittsburgh.

"Hardy reminds me of Boo Harvey a little bit," Mullin said, referring to a St. John's standout from 1988-90. "He's kind of a herky-jerky typical city player, you know, who has a knack for making big shots. He's very confident and not afraid of the moment."

Mullin is obviously enjoying this Red Storm season. The Johnnies are 18-9 overall and tied for third place in the Big East at 10-5.

"It's good for St. John's, it's good for New York City and probably good for the Big East," Mullin said on campus Thursday. "They've played with steady progress and have taken it a step further this year. It shows in the big wins they've had. In the past they competed, but didn't get the win. And now beating teams like Duke and UConn and Pitt - that catapults you to another level. I feel good for that group of kids, seniors who went through some hard times and stuck it out and now are reaping the benefits.

"I talked to a few of them and I told them they need to enjoy it. I'm proud of them. I'm happy for them."

The entire St. John's community could be happy for Mullin come the Final Four in April, when the inductees are announced for the Hall of Fame. Mullin is one of 12 finalists. He led the Johnnies to the 1985 Final Four and was chosen national Player of the Year.

"To get nominated and to be a finalist, that in itself is to me an honor," he said. "What happens from here is all gravy."

Mullin was at one point thought to be the front-runner to become Knicks GM and his name still is whispered about. In the meantime, the former Warriors sharpshooter and GM is working as an analyst for ESPN.

He is impressed with some of what first-year coach Steve Lavin has done.

"Coach Lavin has done a great job - just from talking to the kids - of instilling confidence in them," Mullin said. "Talent is one thing. Performance in practice is one thing. Performing on the big stage is a whole other."

Several Pistons skip practice as friction with Kuester boils over

PHILADELPHIA — Word of a player protest was news to Tracy McGrady when reached by phone this afternoon.

McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chris Wilcox were among the Pistons who missed this morning’s shootaround. Only six players were full participants for the entire shootaround. Team sources termed the absences a type of player protest because of dissatisfaction with coach John Kuester.

But McGrady said a headache had bothered him for the last three days. The team said Arnie Kander, the strength and conditioning coach, on Thursday night treated Prince for an upset stomach and McGrady.

“If it was some kind of protest, everybody would know about it, right?” McGrady told the Free Press.

The organization downplayed the absences. The team said that Wilcox overslept and that Rodney Stuckey and Austin Daye missed the team bus. Stuckey and Daye arrived toward the end of the media session following the shootaround. No reason was given for why they missed the bus or why Hamilton wasn’t around.

Ben Wallace also missed the shootaround. Spokesman Cletus Lewis said Wallace was dealing with a family matter. Wallace has missed games and practices over the past month because of the issue.

The healthy players practicing at the Wells Fargo Arena were Greg Monroe, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell and DaJuan Summers.

And despite the explanations for the absences, the sources indicated that the discontent was directed at Kuester, who has clashed with players repeatedly this season.

One source, who asked not to be identified, said he didn’t know what the next step would be, and didn’t say who organized the absences. But he said it was an organized protest and discussed among the players. Some players, though, decided it was best to show up.

Kuester said he would go with who was available in tonight’s game against the 76ers. It was uncertain whether the players who missed practice would be allowed or available to play.

“We’ll go with the group that was here,” said Kuester, who deflected direct questions about why so many players were absent. “We got a number of guys that have a bug, but these guys went through shootaround the way it was supposed to.

“We have some things, some excuses, not excuses, but absences because of headache and stuff like that."

Kuester was ejected from tonight’s game late in the second quarter when received two technical fouls arguing a non-call.

The six Pistons who attended the entire shootaround were the only ones to play in the first half.

Contact Vince Ellis at 313-222-6479 or vellis@freepress.com

Michigan State women don't want to share Big Ten title

Suzy Merchant has two sets of standards. One is for her children and the other for her Michigan State women's basketball players.

"I'm trying to teach my 4-year-old how to share," she said.

But as for her Spartans ...

"I think it's OK for them to be a little selfish," she admitted.

MSU has clinched a share of the Big Ten championship and can claim the school's first undisputed title tonight at 6:30 when it hosts six-time defending champ Ohio State.

"I think Cetera put it on her Facebook," Merchant said of senior Cetera Washington. "She wrote something like: 'Sharing the title is like sharing your boyfriend.' "

Although the 10th-ranked Spartans (24-3, 12-2 Big Ten) have stormed through the Big Ten, beating Ohio State (17-9, 8-6) is not a given.

The Buckeyes may be tied for fifth, but they convincingly beat MSU, 67-53, in Columbus and are on a four-game winning streak. They still have the Big Ten's most dominant player in 6-foot-4 Jantel Lavender and most dangerous guard -- Samantha Prahalis, who lit up MSU for 32 points at the Breslin last season.

OSU has also added 6-5 freshman Ashley Adams, who had seven blocks Sunday at Purdue, to its lineup, and Brittany Johnson hit five second-half three-pointers against Purdue.

In the game at Ohio State, the Buckeyes used a box-and-one to hold Kalisha Keane to five points and MSU was only 2-for-23 on three-point shots.

"I don't think we handled their dribble drive, and I definitely don't think we did a good job of keeping them off the boards, and the third thing is we let their defense bother us," Merchant said. "I think we're more schooled at that. We knew they zoned and they had man, but I had never seen them play a box-and-one.

"We were caught a little off guard. But we've practiced against a box-and-one every single day for between 10 and 15 minutes and we've seen it since."

MSU's win at Illinois on Sunday also clinched the No. 1 seed for next week's conference tournament.

"It takes a little pressure off, but it was interesting," Merchant said. "Our kids were happy, but they weren't excited and over the top. I think they're still pretty business-like."

Contact MICK McCABE: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com.

Report: Rockford OL Ben Braden picks Michigan over MSU

Michigan received its first football oral commitment for the 2012 class in Rockford offensive tackle Ben Braden, according to SuperPrep.com and mgoblog.com.

Braden is a 6-foot-5, 280-pounder who is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com. According to Scout.com's site, Wisconsin and Michigan State were also courting him.

Contact MARK SNYDER: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepwolverines.

Nation & world: Tiger Woods opens with 73 at Arnold Palmer tourney

Spencer Levin led after the opening round for the third time this year, so that's nothing new. It was his score Thursday afternoon at Bay Hill that surprised him and everyone else.

In warm, blustery conditions on a course that allowed only three rounds in the 60s and the most rounds in the 80s in nearly two decades, Levin had a six-under 66 and a three-shot lead over Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

Tiger Woods missed a 10-foot par putt on the last hole for a 73, his highest opening round since 1999 at Bay Hill, where he is a six-time winner. Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, the winner last week at Innisbrook, each shot 77.

Phil Mickelson shot a 70.

MORE GOLF: Amanda Blumenherst birdied the final four holes for a seven-under 66 and a one-stroke lead over Germany's Sanda Gal in the Kia Classic in Industry, Calif. Michelle Wie birdied the par-five 18th for a 68. Top-ranked Yani Tseng opened with a 71. Karrie Webb, coming off her second straight victory Sunday in Phoenix, shot a 72.

TENNIS: Three days into the Sony Ericsson Open, only one American remains in the women's draw -- Uzbekistan-born Varvara Lepchenko.

Three U.S. women lost in the second round in Key Biscayne, Fla., including Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who was eliminated by No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, 6-2, 7-5. American qualifier Jamie Hampton lost to No. 21-seeded Andrea Petkovic, 6-2, 7-5, and American Melanie Oudin was beaten by No. 29 Daniela Hantuchova, 6-1, 6-3.

In men's play, Kei Nishikori advanced to a second-round match Saturday against top-ranked Rafael Nadal by beating Jeremy Chardy, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. Radek Stepanek will next play Roger Federer after beating Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Pablo Cuevas will face 2010 champion Andy Roddick next after defeating Michael Berrer, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp says title is there for the taking following draw with West Ham United

But West Ham’s defence and goalkeeper Robert Green produced an outstanding performance designed to frustrate and thoroughly deserved

Harry Redknapp admits it would be a miracle and would probably prompt his retirement, but he remains adamant that, one day soon, Tottenham will win the Premier League. That Redknapp aired his belief after watching his side fail to score and drop two valuable points may be surprising, but the Spurs manager’s resolve and faith in his players shows no signs of abating.

In an entertaining goalless draw West Ham defended superbly and while Tottenham played, at times, with all the dash and vigour that has lit up Europe, their finishing let them down.

Redknapp, though, was not surprised and claimed that Manchester United were being offered this season’s title on a silver platter.

“We’re almost handing the title to Man United this year,” Redknapp said. “This is as poor as Manchester United have played in years, and they keep stumbling along, away from home, nicking results when they should have got done.

“Chelsea have blown up, though they’re coming back a bit now. Arsenal, too. It is there for somebody this year to win the championship.

“It is not because they know how to do it,” Redknapp added. “We had a bit of luck when I was at Bournemouth and won the league. We had plenty of luck on our side and you need a bit of luck.”

And that offers Redknapp the determination to bring the Premier League pennant to White Hart Lane with what would be Tottenham’s first top-flight title since 1961.

“Winning the championship is the aim for me,” he added. “Whether other people believe it I don’t know. They might think I’m mad, but I think it is possible. I said last year that I thought we’d get in the top four, we’d never done it before and we did it.

“I didn’t come here and say we want to be in the Uefa Cup, I said I wanted to be in the Champions League and we did it. There’s nothing between us and Arsenal, not a lot between us and Chelsea and Manchester United. I think we’re closer. And the players believe it too. If I’d managed at Chelsea or Manchester United, I’d be disappointed if I didn’t win the title but if I do win one it will be a bit of a miracle, won’t it? I think if I did then I’d probably retire. But I do think it is possible.

“We have some real good players and if we can get one or two in and keep improving the squad, then the sky is the limit. There’s no reason you can’t do it. I think if you don’t believe you’ll ever do something you’ll never do it.”

Spurs would be closer to the leaders in this season’s race had they taken one of the 26 chances they created, with Jermain Defoe the chief culprit. That the striker was playing at all was a surprise given that he was up until the early hours of Saturday, mourning the passing away of his grandfather.

“To be fair to him, he was up half the night because one of his grandparents died on Friday night and was at their bedside,” Redknapp revealed. “But he wanted to play.”

Defoe remains one goal away from becoming only the 20th player to score 100 Premier League goals with a T-shirt under his Spurs jersey clearly showing the words '100 goals’ in preparation for the celebration.

“I hope he doesn’t wear that again,” Redknapp said. “It’s tempting fate. But he was unlucky.”

One reason for Tottenham’s failure was the outstanding performances by West Ham’s defence, particularly Wayne Bridge, on loan from Manchester City, and quite superb.

Team-mate Mark Noble led the praise for Bridge when he said: “It is a credit to him that Azza [Aaron Lennon] had to change wings with Gareth Bale because he wasn’t getting any joy.

“I am sure that if he keeps playing the way he does then Mr Capello [England manager] will be on the phone to him.”

Such a scenario is unlikely given his history with John Terry, the England captain. But, for now, his performances could go some way to keeping West Ham in the Premier League.

Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean given vote of confidence following worrying run of results

Kean, who succeeded the sacked Sam Allardyce last December, has lost eight of his 14 games in charge and it is understood that his position will be reconsidered should Blackburn lose at home to relegation rivals Blackpool on March 19.

Rumours of high-level meetings to discuss Kean’s future over the weekend have been denied by the club’s owners. But director Venkatesh Rao admits that the recent run has not escaped the attention of the owners.

“Yes, we are very concerned [with results], but we are now trying to improve all aspects,” Rao said. “Plans are looking very positive and I am sure in the future we will do something better.

“He [Kean] is very much there, he has just signed a contract and we like him a lot. He is very enthusiastic and he is very positive.”

Anuradha Desai, the chairperson of Venkys, Blackburn’s owners, added: “There is no question of the manager being changed.”

Bayern Munich have said that coach Louis van Gaal is to leave at the end of the season, one year early, after three defeats in a row and qualification for the Champions League on a knife-edge.

“The reason for the contract being annulled is differing views on the club’s strategic direction,” the Bundesliga club said in a statement.

The German giants, who are accustomed to winning, are fifth in the Bundesliga and seven points adrift of the second place that would guarantee Champions League football next season.

Everton will offer Sylvain Distin an improved contract at the end of the season as a reward for the 33 year-old’s impressive performances since replacing Joleon Lescott in the heart of David Moyes’s defence.

The Frenchman will have just a year left to run this summer on the deal he signed after arriving at Goodison Park for £5 million from Portsmouth in August 2009 and Moyes is hopeful of securing one of his most consistent performers for at least two more years.

“A contract extension is something we will look at in the summer,” said Moyes.

Complete UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch results from Sydney, Australia

Tonight's UFC PPV comes to us live from Acer Arena in Sydney Australia. Saturday's UFC event is headlined by BJ Penn vs. John Fitch for the #1 contender's spot in the welterweight division. Additionally, the fight card also features Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera and Dennis Siver vs. George Sotiropoulos.

Tonight's preliminary fights begin at 7pm EST (4pm PST) with 2 preliminary bouts streaming live on UFC's FaceBook page at 8pm EST and 3 preliminary bouts airing live at 9pm EST. It's believed that the opening fight of the night will be the preliminary bout of Maciej Jewtuszko (8-0) vs. Curt Warburton (6-2).

On Friday, all of the UFC fighters made weight with the main event fighters of BJ Penn coming in at 167 pounds and John Fitch coming in at 169 pounds. Both fighters are excited for this fight and have respect for each other. Each man is looking to get a shot at the legendary Georges St. Pierre.

***Click on each fight for Complete Recap***:

Official UFC 127 fight card:

Main Bouts:

-Jon Fitch (23-3) vs. B.J. Penn (16-7-1)

-Michael Bisping (20-3) vs. Jorge Rivera (19-7)

-George Sotiropoulos (14-2) vs. Dennis Siver (17-7) -  Siver wins via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)

-Chris Lytle (30-17-5) vs. Brian Ebersole (46-14-1) -  Brian Ebersole wins via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

-Chris Camozzi (14-3) vs. Kyle Noke (18-4-1) -  Noke wins via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:35 of Round 1

..........

Preliminary Bouts (On Ion Television):

-Ross Pearson (11-4) vs. Spencer Fisher (24-6) -  Ross Pearson defeats Spencer Fisher via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

-James Te Huna (12-4) and Alexander Gustafsson (10-1) -  Alexander Gustafsson defeats James Te Huna via Submission (rear naked choke) at 4:27 of Round 1

-Riki Fukuda (17-4) vs. Nick Ring (10-0) -  Nick Ring defeats Riki Fukuda via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 

..........

Preliminary Bouts (On Facebook.com/UFC):

-Tom Blackledge (10-6) vs. Anthony Perosh (10-6) -  Anthony Perosh defeats Tom Blackledge via Submission (rear-naked choke) at2:45 of Round 1

-Tiequan Zhang (12-1) vs. Jason Reinhardt (20-1) -  Tiequan Zhang defeats Jason Reinhardt via Submission (guillotine choke) at  0:48 of Round 1

..........

Preliminary Bouts (Non-Televised):

-Mark Hunt (5-7) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (21-3) -  Mark Hunt defeats Chris Tuchscherer by KO (Punches) at 1:41 of Round 2

-Maciej Jewtuszko (8-0) vs. Curt Warburton (6-2) -  Curt Warburton defeats Maciej Jewtuszko via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

I.M. Anonymous: It's us vs. them in NFL labor fight

Our Anonymous Athlete is an NFL veteran and former Super Bowl champion. He'll periodically share pro football's deepest secrets with the Daily News.

I don't know how this whole NFL labor issue is going to shake out. I have no clue whether there'll be a lockout or not.

But I do know this. Some of the things the Players Union has done haven't helped. We're not as united as we should be. Some players care what happens, others don't. The rich guys that are making all the money, they're saying, "I'm in a pool. I'm good." But the other guys, the guys who aren't making $10 million a year, those are the ones who are worried about all this.

The guys who make money on teams, they're the ones that actually have some control. It's not the guy that's making a million dollars. It's the guy that's making $8 million. If he goes to the owner and says something, they'll listen.

The QBs, if they all got together, 32 deep, and said something to the owners, if they say, "Hey, we're not having this s---," the owners will listen.

But you don't hear that, and some guys hardly seem like team players. Look, the big-name players on the team say they're team players. Well, if you're a team player, take a freaking pay cut. You're a team player, making $12-15 million, but you won't take a goddamn pay cut.

And then Roger Goodell looks good. He says he'll take a dollar for a year. All of a sudden, I'm getting emails asking can I live off a dollar a year. I'm like yeah, if I made what he had made, like $10 million a year, had all my bills paid, fine.

If some big-name guy would show up on TV and just say something (like Goodell) we'd be fine. But you haven't heard that. They don't want to give up their contracts.

And yet there are players tweeting, and we're having issues with ourselves out in public. That's what the owners want! They want us to fight!

And while we're doing that, we're losing important things. All the talk is about money, but I'd take a pay cut if I could have my
benefits. I don't know how many guys could say that, but that's what's important.

The 18-game season, I can live with. But the benefits is what's going to hurt. What's going to happen to our insurance? Right now, we have this great Gene Upshaw plan. You get at least $25,000 a year from the league, all the way up to $300,000. That money is sitting there for you, for health insurance, for your family down the road, when you're finished playing football and your COBRA (insurance) is up.

Thank God for that.

The way things are for retired players, that was a great idea. They might take that away, too. (The owners) already didn't pay into that this year, because it was an uncapped year. So we didn't get any retirement benefits or anything. That money went back into their pockets.

Not that we could do anything about that, because that's the deal we signed (for the uncapped year), and we shouldn't have. I've seen a lot of contracts, and it shouldn't have given them this leverage. We gave them too much leverage.

I just hope everything works out. I mean, the rich players will be fine, but some of the other guys, you'll see them filing for bankruptcy. It's crazy, but you'll see some guys having money problems.

Now you see all these emails coming from the Union, for seminars and internships and workshops. I did those when I got into the league. But for some guys, I wish they sent emails three years ago. A lot of guys never had nothing, so they didn't know to save.

Me, I'm fine, but I feel for a lot of guys. Unity is all we have. Brotherhood is all we have. It's us against the owners.

I hope we get that.

Got a question for him? E-mail him at websports@nydailynews.com

Detroit Lions host draft prospects Prince Amukamara, Cameron Jordan

The Detroit Lions on Tuesday hosted two players they could take with the 13th pick of the first round, according to their Web site: Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara and California defensive end Cameron Jordan.

Amukamara is widely considered the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the draft, behind Louisiana State’s Patrick Peterson, and is projected to go in the top 10. A teammate of last year’s No. 2 overall pick and reigning NFL defensive rookie of the year, Ndamukong Suh, Amukamara would fill one of the Lions' most pressing needs.

As a defensive back, "I should be licking my chops to go out there,” Amukamara said, according to the site. “I played with Suh at Nebraska, and he made the games and life a lot easier for me.”

Jordan is ranked the No. 15 prospect overall by ESPN Scouts Inc. He had 5 1/2 sacks last year, playing mostly as a 3-4 defensive end.

The Lions, who play a 4-3, have taken players from Cal in the last two drafts. Running back Jahvid Best was a first-round selection last year, and linebacker Zack Follett went in the seventh round in 2009.

“My motto is 'Draft me, and I’ll play anywhere,'” Jordan said at the NFL combine last month. “I don’t care where I play. I just want to be on a team. I want to play football, and that’s what I love doing.”

North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter was scheduled to visit the Lions today. Last week, the Lions hosted Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith.

Contact Dave Birkett: 313-222-8831 or dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freeplions.

St. Louis 9, Detroit 4: Phil Coke rocked in Tigers' exhibition loss

AT JOKER MARCHART STADIUM, LAKELAND, FLA.

WHAT HAPPENED: The Tigers’ lefties struggled mightily. Starter Phil Coke gave up seven runs, three earned, in 3 2/3 innings. Adam Wilk replaced Coke and gave up a grand slam to Albert Pujols in the fourth inning. Daniel Schlereth was even worse. After striking out the first batter he faced, he walked four straight batters, including Pujols with the bases loaded. Will Rhymes and Clete Thomas, two guys battling to make the club, did well. Rhymes started at second and had three hits and a run scored; Thomas started in right and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

FIND THE BOX SCORE HERE

SAY WHAT? Lance Berkman twice lost control of his bat, and it went flying toward the Tigers’ dugout. Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who was seated next to the dugout, ducked in his seat as Berkman’s bat sailed past him in the first inning.

The second time, Berkman’s bat struck Tigers infield coach Rafael Belliard in the arm as it entered the dugout. Belliard said he wasn’t bruised and joked afterward that he was “a rock.”

When Berkman went up out for his third at-bat, he handed Leyland a catcher’s mask.

OVERHEARD: “That was an ugly day for us,” Leyland said. “We made a lot of mistakes — base paths, pitching. Just an ugly spring training game. Chalk it up and move on.”… “All day long our left-hand pitching didn’t do any kind of job against their left-hand hitters,” Leyland said. “It’s gotta be better than that.”…

Leyland, on whether the pitchers were getting squeezed: “I don’t believe that. What I saw, we had guys missing — way missing. When guys miss as far as we were missing, and get one close, they’re not going to get it. That’s just the way it works.”…

“I can’t remember ever walking four guys in an inning. I just can’t remember doing that,” Schlereth said. “Just one of those days, I guess. That’s why you play the game and show up in two days and pitch a lot better than that.”

THREE STARS: 1. Albert Pujols. 2. Colby Rasmus. 3. Clete Thomas.

NOTE: The Tigers today reassigned pitcher Brendan Wise to their minor league camp. The Tigers now have 39 players in major league camp. They must pare to 25 by Opening Day later this month.

Contact GEORGE SIPPLE: 313-223-4796 or gsipple@freepress.com.

Morneau optimistic day after first action

SARASOTA, FLA. - Twins first baseman Justin Morneau on Wednesday was the most upbeat he's been since arriving to camp as he talked about how good he felt after his first game action in eight months following a concussion.

So are you playing Thursday?

"All signs are pointing to playing in that game tomorrow," he said.

But that was before the club spoke with Morneau's doctors, who have other ideas.

They have recommended a more gradual transition to playing games again. So Morneau will play Friday against Boston instead.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire would not reveal the playing schedule doctors have prescribed for Morneau. He's made it clear to them that he likes to write out his spring training lineups a few days in advance, so he needs to have an idea of when he can put Morneau's name down.

"Letting the doctors tell me the days," Gardenhire said. "They give me a schedule and I'm going to follow the schedule."

Morneau was 1-for-2 with a three-run double Tuesday during a B game against Pittsburgh. As important as it was for him to get back on the field, it was just as important how he felt later in the day, overnight and the next morning.

But Morneau reported Wednesday morning that, just like the previous several weeks, he experienced no setbacks.

"Actually I was pretty pleased -- I wouldn't say 'surprised' is a good word -- with how it went," he said. "Obviously, I was sitting around all night waiting for something. It went well. Took a little nap. Had some dinner. Watched a movie. Went to bed. Everything was positive.

"Woke up today feeling pretty good."

Gardenhire spoke with Morneau before leaving for a game in Sarasota.

"He looked great this morning," Gardenhire said. "We're on the up and up. We're just moving forward."

Morneau expressed a desire to play every other day through an off day on Tuesday, then play in back-to-back games after that. That was before he spoke with Gardenhire -- and he learned of the doctors' wishes.

"I was excited writing out my lineup for [Thursday]," Gardenhire said, "then I got my note saying I could not do that."

Morneau would have faced Blue Jays righthander Jesse Litsch on Thursday. Now he's headed for a matchup against Boston's Jon Lester on Friday.

Lester throws lefthanded, which could be a big test for the lefthanded-hitting Morneau. Morneau has stood in for one of Francisco Liriano's bullpen sessions just to get used to tracking the baseball from that angle.

"The only way to get comfortable is facing them and getting at-bats against them," Morneau said.

Morneau looked and sounded like someone who is ready to prove he's over that final hump and has distanced himself from that concussion.

And he's looking forward to other players like Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young and Joe Mauer returning to the lineup in time for Opening Day.

"Hopefully we get all our guys back soon and get that lineup together," he said. "It's a pretty exciting lineup when it is healthy. Hopefully we get that on Opening Day."

Knicks bask in block party, hop to Orlando

ORLANDO - It was the swat heard 'round the NBA but felt mostly in New York. Amar'e Stoudemire rejected LeBron James and his actions seemed to speak for a generation of Knicks fans who are tired of losing and hungry for meaningful games in April, May and June.

"The league is excited about it," Stoudemire said. "They've been waiting on a winning product in New York. With the game (on Sunday), there was a lot of buildup going into that matchup and for us to come out victorious, and with the way we won it by playing (defense) in the final minutes, impressive. ... But again, we haven't quite done anything yet."

The Knicks insist that their stunning win over Miami is who they really are and that Friday's loss in Cleveland was an aberration. Mike D'Antoni's club is 30-27 heading into Tuesday night's game with the Magic and 2-1 since acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups last week from Denver.

The Knicks' own version of the Big Three - Amar'e, Melo and Mr. Big Shot - outplayed Miami's star trio in the fourth quarter and made all the key plays in the final minute. It was Billups' 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining that gave the Knicks the lead for good while Anthony's strong defense on LeBron, culminating in Stoudemire's block, preserved the team's second straight victory over the Heat.

"I don't think a lot of people thought we would win that game," Anthony said. "Let's just be honest about it."

Following their loss to Cleveland, the Knicks had a built-in excuse of trying to win while learning on the fly. But no one was talking about chemistry issues after they closed out Sunday's victory on a 13-2 run. It was a shocking finish, especially with Anthony and Stoudemire, two players often criticized for their unwillingness to defend, combining to shut down arguably the NBA's top player.

"If we're going to be a really good team then it's going to come down to those two making plays, both offensively and defensively," D'Antoni said. "I think they know that. And they bought into that, and (on Sunday) they took the first step."

Anthony was the Knicks' leading scorer for the second time in three games. He's now taken 69 shots with his new team compared to Stoudemire's 54. Shot distribution will be an ongoing issue but it's also one that D'Antoni addressed with his players almost immediately.

When he talked to Stoudemire and Anthony, he told his All-Star forwards that their shots will be based on one thing: Billups making decisions. D'Antoni wasn't trying to assign responsibility to the veteran guard as much as he was trying to remind his top two players that Billups, a former NBA Finals MVP, has something no one else on the Knicks owns: a championship ring.

Billups' leadership and knack for making clutch plays at both ends of the court has already paid huge dividends. D'Antoni believes that Billups, 34, still has four or five good years left. His contract calls for a team option in 2011-12 that the Knicks intend to exercise.

Two months ago, a Knicks-Heat playoff series did not seem to be a good matchup for the Knicks. Now they would gladly take their chances.

"I think we sent the message before when Paul Pierce said the Knicks have arrived," Stoudemire said. "That was the first message to the world that the Knicks had arrived. With the win over Miami, that topped it off. But again, we haven't done nothing yet."

'Melo to Manhattan: Knicks close deal

Carmelo Anthony is coming home and that could mean that Donnie Walsh is leaving.

James Dolan pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal for Anthony, the Brooklyn-born All-Star forward, who for months was angling for an opportunity to join forces with Amar'e Stoudemire in New York.

The price was steep as the Knicks traded Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and rookie center Timofey Mozgov to the Denver Nuggets. They also gave Denver $3 million in cash plus a 2014 first round pick and two second round picks the Knicks acquired from Golden State in last summer's sign-and-trade with David Lee.

In a separate deal, the Knicks also traded Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota who in turn sent Corey Brewer to Denver.

The Knicks get Anthony - who as part of the deal will get a 3-year, $65M extension - Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter.

The deal was completed late Monday night when Dolan, the Chairman of Madison Square Garden, included Mozgov in the trade. The Nuggets had insisted on Mozgov while Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni felt the Knicks were giving up too much even without Mozgov in the trade.

While New York will be buzzing Wednesday when Anthony makes his Garden debut in a Knicks uniform, the trade will likely create massive upheaval in the front office.

Walsh, the Knicks president, was over-ruled on the trade by Dolan, who was being advised by Isiah Thomas. Walsh's contract expires in June and according to sources close to the 69-year-old basketball lifer, Walsh will walk away.

Incredibly, there were deals all throughout the NBA that were being held up essentially because of Mozgov. When informed Monday that he might be the most important player in the NBA as of this moment, Mozgov replied, "Thank you.

"You told me this," he added. "I didn't know that. I will know this. It's great. But I don't feel nothing about it."

There are reports that the Nuggets, after making any deal with the Knicks, could send Mozgov, along with another player, to the Nets for first-round picks. That would unite Mozgov with fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov, who owns the Nets.

While Prokhorov could end up with the two Knicks, Dolan won the border war, not only landing Anthony but keeping him out of New Jersey.

"This is Jim and the Russian and Jim does not want to lose to Prokhorov, which is why I think the Knicks will overpay for Carmelo," one league official said before the trade was completed. "It looks like they are both willing to overpay for him."

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ISU postpones world championships in quake-stricken Japan

Figure skaters know they won't be traveling to quake-ravaged Japan next week for the world championships.

But what's going to happen in the weeks after that?

The International Skating Union left open the possibility that worlds might still be held before the end of the season when it stopped short of canceling the competition in its official statement Monday.

Several U.S. coaches and skaters said they hoped the ISU can to find a venue in another country to host the event in the coming weeks.

Friday's earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan's northeastern coast and triggered emergencies at nuclear power plants. The championships were scheduled to begin Monday at Yoyogi National Gymnasium near Tokyo. That event was to be followed by the season-ending ISU World Team Trophy April 14-17 at Yokohama. Both have been indefinitely postponed, according to the ISU.

"As far as I know, they're weighing all their options, looking at different venues and seeing if that (moving worlds) is possible," said Jason Dungjen, who with his wife, Yuka Sato, coaches U.S. ladies champion Alissa Czisny at the Detroit Skating Club.

Igor Shpilband, who coaches five world-bound ice dance teams with Marina Zoueva at the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, said: "It's really not the time right now in Japan for this type of event, and it's really not safe to go there. The ISU is doing the right thing. I hope they get a different venue soon. It doesn't matter where; we're ready to go. But we need those answers soon."

Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the 1961 plane crash that killed the U.S. world team that was en route to Prague for the world championships. That was the last time the world championships were cancelled.

World-team members who train at the Detroit SC and at the Arctic FSC practiced as usual Monday, the coaches said.

"We're continuing training as if worlds will be held in a few weeks," Czisny said. "I'm just saddened by all of this going on."

The ISU gave no time line when a final decision on worlds will be made.

Contact Jo-Ann Barnas: 313-222-2037 or jbarnas@freepress.com .

Metro+state: Cornerstone in NAIA final

Wes Hudson scored 18 points to lead Cornerstone University to an 82-52 victory over Northwood (Fla.) in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II men's national championship Monday night at Point Lookout, Mo.

The Golden Eagles (33-4) play St. Francis (Ind.) (28-9) for the title at 10 tonight.

Women's basketball: Kallie Benike had 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead Davenport to a 68-55 victory over Walsh (Ohio) in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II national championship at Sioux City, Iowa. Cara Bedard led Walsh (29-5) with 20 points. The Panthers (37-0) play Northwestern (Iowa) (34-1) for the title at 8 tonight. ... Lisa Staehlin scored 17 points to lead Michigan Tech a 69-57 win over Wis.-Parkside (24-7) in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional final at Houghton. The Huskies (29-2) advance to the Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo., playing Arkansas Tech (30-2) in a quarterfinal at 7 on March 22.

Baseball: Michigan State first baseman Jeff Holm is Big Ten co-player of the week, and MSU right-hander David Garner is Big Ten freshman of the week after helping the Spartans go 4-0 last week. Holm was 8-for-16 with eight RBIs. Garner allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in a win over Pittsburgh.

Fencing: James Hu of the Renaissance Fencing Club in Troy finished second in Division II men's foil at the North American Cup last weekend at Cobo Center. Other club members who won medals were Anatolie Senic, second in Div. II men's saber; Inga Cho, second in Div. II women's saber; Carolyn Grant, third in Division II women's foil; and Mike Cho, Yves LeBlanc and Jon Zelkowski, third in veteran men's team foil.

Gymnastics: Michigan's Thomas Kelley is Big Ten gymnast of the week after posting four top-five finishes versus No. 2 Oklahoma. Kelley won the high bar (15.350) and took third in the floor exercise, fourth on the still rings and fifth on the parallel bars. He tied for second in the all-around (87.350). ... Central Michigan's Andrea de la Garza is MAC gymnast of the week. A senior from Macomb Dakota, she won the vault (9.925) and the all-around (39.400) in a victory at New Hampshire, and she posted four top-three finishes in a win over Bowling Green.

Lacrosse: Detroit Mercy's Scott Harris, a junior from Saline, is Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference offensive player of the week after tallying five goals and four assists in two games. UDM freshman Shayne Adams is MAAC rookie of the week. He had four goals and an assist in two games.

Softball: Central Michigan Kari Seddon is MAC West pitcher of the week. A senior from St. Clair, she struck out 19 in 15 2/3 innings.

Wilson Central is too much for Hunters Lane

Wilson Central scored 12 unanswered points to open the second quarter of its Class AAA girls sectional game Saturday night at Hunters Lane, then held on for a 52-43 victory.

The win puts the Lady Wildcats (26-5) back in the state tournament after a two-year absence, while thwarting Hunters Lane's try for its first appearance in 10 years.

"If we hadn't gotten off to such a good start, we may not be going back to Murfreesboro," Wilson Central Coach Bud Brandon said, acknowledging the Lady Warriors' scrappy attempt to rally in the second half.

"They've been a second-half team, a fourth-quarter team. They've got seven seniors, and they're very determined. I told our team at halftime they wouldn't be the same team coming back out."

Wilson Central hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and connected twice more as part of a 12-0 run that led to a 35-17 halftime cushion.

"In the first half, we were very patient offensively, got the shots we needed, played our game," forward Taylor Peterson said after scoring a game-high 23 points. "In the second half, I think we were playing up to their tempo, passing it into their hands."

Hunters Lane (24-6) went to a 1-3-1 press and dropped into the same halfcourt defense to open the second half, creating turnovers and going on a 13-2 spurt. Kaysia Taylor's basket with five minutes to play pulled the Lady Warriors within 39-34.

"They were very aggressive in the 1-3-1 — getting tips, jumping our passes," Peterson said. "We had trouble getting the ball inside or getting our 3s like we did in the first half.

"We were confident in what we were doing, but as we got away from what we were doing, they got more confident. And that gym is louder than any gym I've been in."

Hunters Lane never got any closer. CaSandra Thomason scored Wilson Central's final four points from the foul line to preserve the win.

"We were up six points with three minutes to play, and we made the decision to hold the ball," Brandon said. "We went to the free throw line, we knocked them down, and we're moving on."

Thomason finished with 11 points for Wilson Central. DeAndrea Sawyers scored 11 to lead Hunters Lane, with Erika Cook adding 10.

"Wilson Central's got a great team, and we wish them the best of luck next week," Hunters Lane Coach Schronda Moore said. "We just waited too late to start playing, getting a hand in their faces and playing with defensive aggressiveness."

"We should have gone to our 1-3-1 earlier."

Tigers sign six more players to 40-man roster

The Detroit Tigers today agreed to terms with six players on contracts for the 2011 season: right-handed pitcher Robbie Weinhardt, left-handed pitchers Andy Oliver, Daniel Schlereth and Brad Thomas and infielders Cale Iorg and Will Rhymes.

The Tigers now have 31 players on the club’s 40-man roster under contract for the season.

High school track preview

TRACK AND FIELD

GIRLS TO WATCH

• Kanellar Carney, East Literature, Jr. Won last year's Class A/AA pentathlon while also winning the high jump and placing in the top three in the 100 and 300 hurdles.

• Mychelle Cumings, Hunters Lane, Sr. The Liberty signee has won the past three Class AAA shot put titles and the past two discus titles.

• Sarah B. DeLozier, Ensworth, Sr. Finished second in Division II in the 1,600 (5:04.88) and 3,200 (11:32.80), while also qualifying in the 800.

• Jordan Lavender, USN, Sr. The Virginia recruit won Division II titles in the 100 (11.86), 400 (54.90) and long jump (18-101/4).

• Veonka Manning, East Literature, Sr. Finished second in Class A/AA in the 100 (12.00) and 200 (24.82).

BOYS TO WATCH

• Tyler Anderson, Hillsboro, Sr. Ranked among the top three nationally in the long jump and triple jump. Third in last year's Class AAA 200.

• Chris Charles, CPA, So. Won the Class A/AA pole vault and placed sixth in AAU nationals with a 13-6 effort.

• R.J. Ellison, Independence, Sr. Ran the lead leg on the Eagles' 4x200 and the anchor on the 4x400, both of which won Class AAA titles.

• Quamel Prince, Antioch, Jr. Swept AAU and USA Track & Field age-group national championships in the 800. Second in AAA meet.

• Steve Wade, Brentwood, Sr. Won the Class AAA shot put and should also contend in discus after qualifying at 170-7 as a junior.

STORY LINES

• Cane Ridge's Janetra Gleaves, The Tennessean 2010 female track athlete of the year as a junior, is expected to miss the season as she continues to recover from a torn right Achilles suffered prior during basketball practice in October. The Vanderbilt signee won the Class AAA pentathlon and the 100- and 300-meter hurdles last year while also scoring points in the 100 and high jump.

• M.L. King's boys will go for a Class A/AA three-peat. Their win last spring, combined with the Lady Royals' state title, gave the school the first sweep of both crowns since Brainerd in 1999. Senior sprinter/jumper Jalyn Burr and a trio of juniors— pentathlete Amia Butler and sprinters Jasmine Owens and Leslye Williams, a Brentwood Academy transfer — should anchor the MLK girls' chances. Sophomore distance runner Sam Klockenkemper should help keep the boys competitive along with seniors Sam Brobeck (800) and Lyle Burns (discus/shot put).

• Brentwood will try to repeat as Class AAA boys champ. East Tennessee State signee Steve Wade could win the discus and shot put, and junior Jake Lazas steps in for his brother, Kevin — The Tennessean 2010 male track athlete of the year — in the decathlon. Senior Patrick Kellett will be a mainstay on the 400 and 800 relays and possibly run those open events as well, and junior Paul Stuart is the team's top distance runner.

NFL lockout injunction hearing scheduled for April 6

MINNEAPOLIS -- A request by NFL players to keep the league and its teams from locking them out will be heard by a federal judge on April 6 -- the first time the two sides will be in a courtroom since the labor pact fell apart.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson scheduled the hearing. The players filed their request last week, hours before the lockout took effect Saturday, along with an antitrust lawsuit will hundreds of millions of dollars at stake if it goes forward.

The case first went to Judge Richard Kyle, who recused himself for unspecified reasons. It was reassigned to Judge Patrick Schiltz, who stepped aside citing a conflict of interest because he represented the NFL in several cases as a private practice attorney.

The case may still be reassigned, even after the injunction request is settled. Deb Bell, interim division manager in the court clerk's office in Minneapolis, said cases are randomly assigned by computer.

The players want the case before U.S. District Judge David Doty, who has overseen NFL labor matters since the early 1990s and issued a number of rulings against the league.

Former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Tom Heffelfinger said there is a way for the case to still wind up in front of Doty.

"If either the court or one of the parties designates the case as a related case to one that has been previously assigned to another judge, it could get reassigned," Heffelfinger said.

The players want the case before Doty, who presided over the landmark settlement in 1993 that opened the doors for true free agency. Because that case has not been closed, Bell said, the possibility remains that the new case could be designated as related and therefore reassigned to Doty.

Nelson would have to consent to the case being reassigned, Bell said.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the idea that the players would prefer Doty to handle the case is overblown.

"To us, that's not an issue," Brees said Monday. "That was something that the owners seemed to be very concerned about and focused on. For us, it's about the facts and it's about the law. And we believe those are on our side. We're not concerned about that."

The owners tried to get Doty removed for bias after his 2008 ruling against the NFL that let quarterback Michael Vick keep more than $16 million in roster bonuses from the Atlanta Falcons. Doty ruled that Vick earned his bonuses before he was convicted of dogfighting charges and sentenced to prison, and his decision was upheld on appeal.

Most recently, Doty sided with the players in a March 2 ruling, saying the league improperly negotiated TV contracts with an eye toward building $4 billion in reserves for a lockout.

There are more than two weeks before the hearing.

"There's no hard-set deadline for us," said former player Kevin Mawae, who was president of the players' union before it was dissolved on Friday to clear the way for the antitrust lawsuit. "At the end of the day, our case to decertify was to make sure our players can play football. If that means we get an injunction now or next month -- as long as we have the ability to play football in the fall, that's what we want for ourselves and our fans."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment.

Chara booed as Isles keep winning

Zdeno Chara was booed every time he touched the puck Friday night at Nassau Coliseum, believed to be the first time he's been given that treatment in nearly 10 years since he was traded away in the Alexei Yashin deal in the summer of 2001.

The former Islanders defenseman avoided suspension from the NHL - but still possibly faces criminal charges in Montreal - for his hit Tuesday night that hospitalized Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty. Chara's 5-on-3 goal in the second period gave Boston a two-goal lead, but the Isles fought back for a 4-2 decision to improve to 4-0-2 in their last six games.

Matt Moulson (29th) and rookie Michael Grabner (28th) moved closer to the 30-goal plateau with scores bridging the final two periods, before Jack Hillen's left-point shot bounded in off Boston defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to snap a 2-2 tie 5:58 into the third. The Isles are 22-14-5 in their last 41 games and 10 points behind the Rangers for the eighth playoff spot in the East.

Chara had addressed the Pacioretty incident before and after Thursday's overtime loss to Buffalo, but he replied "we are done with that" when asked about it following Friday's morning skate. Pacioretty, who since has been released from the hospital, suffered a concussion and a fractured vertebra when checked by the Boston captain into a stanchion at one of the bench openings Tuesday night.

Islanders enforcer Trevor Gillies has been suspended for a total of 19 games over the past month for separate blows to the heads of opponents, but coach Jack Capuano didn't seem to mind that the 6-foot-9 Chara avoided further NHL discipline.

"I don't think Chara went out of his way to hurt him, but that's for the league to decide," Capuano said. "The league does a good job handing out things. The discipline we went through was a process, and you have to live with what they decide."

Pacioretty said he was "disappointed" Chara wasn't suspended, before adding he has "no desire for Chara to be prosecuted legally," and that "the incident, as ugly as it was, was part of a hockey game."

Chara's hit remains the focal point of a possible police investigation in Quebec, as well as the source of threats by Air Canada and Via Rail to withdraw sponsorships from the NHL.

Philadelphia 5, Detroit 3: Rick Porcello hit hard in Tigers' exhibition loss

AT JOKER MARCHART STADIUM, LAKELAND, FLA.

WHAT HAPPENED: Philadelphia opened the second inning with four consecutive hits — double, single, single, home run — to grab a four-run lead. Raul Ibanez started the string, and Brian Schneider ended it on a 2-1 pitch that Rick Porcello left up in the zone. The young right-hander struggled with his control early, giving up six hits in three innings. Detroit got one back in the second thanks to singles from Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez and one back in the third on singles from Will Rhymes and Don Kelly.

CRAFTY LEFTY: Adam Wilk threw two scoreless innings, giving up only one hit. He hit 90 m.p.h. a few times. “That’s pretty firm for a left-hander,” said manager Jim Leyland. The Tigers’ manager said he likes his crop of young left-handers, including Charlie Furbush. Wilk, who is 23, hasn’t given up a run in three outings this spring.

IT BEARS REPEATING: Andy Dirks collected two more hits today. He is now hitting .500. He was the lead-off batter against the Phillies. He also drew a walk.

RETURN TO ACTION: Magglio Ordoсez and Brennan Boesch were both back in the lineup. Ordoсez missed several days with a hamstring spasm and Boesch missed that many with a stiff back. Ordoсez drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Boesch singled — he finished 1-for-3.

THREE STARS: 1. Ibanez. 2. Schneider. 3. Dirks.

FIND THE BOX SCORE HERE

Contact SHAWN WINDSOR: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com.

Lions' No. 3 WR remains a vexing issue

INDIANAPOLIS -- Martin Mayhew is a hard man to surprise, but even the Lions general manager was taken aback by the complete lack of production his team got from the No. 3 receiver spot last year.

Bryant Johnson, one of the Lions' biggest free-agent signings two years ago, caught 18 passes and lost his job midway through the season. Derrick Williams, Johnson's replacement and a 2009 third-round pick, had three catches and finished the year on injured reserve.

"I expected that those guys would do better," Mayhew said Friday at the NFL combine. "But over a period of time it becomes apparent that it's not happening. It didn't happen for those two guys last year. Derrick's still a young guy. And he could still develop. Bryant's not so young and needs to really work harder to improve his game, to be a part of our offense next year.

"But that's kind of where it is with those guys. I think it impacted our entire offense not having a threat as that third receiver."

In all likelihood, Johnson, 29, and Williams, 24, will be competing for their jobs this fall. Johnson's $3.2-million base salary makes him a candidate for easy release, and the Lions are expected to add a receiver, through the draft or in free agency.

Mayhew said the Lions needed someone who "can take the top off the defense" to complement Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

"It opens up the field more and it creates more space when you have a guy who's a deep threat, and we didn't have much of that last year from those guys," Mayhew said. "When it was one-on-one with that third receiver and we made a determination based on the read to go to that third guy, we didn't win enough of those matchups."

Contact DAVE BIRKETT: 313-222-8831 or dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freeplions.

Sentencing for ex-Lion delayed on sex charge

Sentencing for a former Fraser Public Schools track coach and ex-Detroit Lions player who pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct was rescheduled from today to March 3 so counsel can provide the court with a brief about sentencing guidelines.

Tommie Boyd, 39, of Shelby Township pleaded guilty Jan. 11 in Macomb County Circuit Court to second-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from an incident in which he touched the buttocks of a then 15-year-old girl he coached. Five other charges, including criminal sexual conduct and accosting a minor for immoral purposes, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Judge Diane Druzinski accepted Boyd’s plea.

Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Beard told Druzinski last month that the prosecution was recommending one year in the county jail then six months wearing a GPS tether. The victim and her parents appeared in court and said they were in agreement with the plea deal. The Free Press does not name victims of sex crimes.

In January 2010, authorities accused Boyd of touching the girl at the school gym and at her Fraser home and having sex with her at a Roseville motel. The girl previously testified that Boyd offered her $5,000 then paid her $200.

Another case involving a different girl, then age 16, was dismissed by Roseville’s 39th District Court. Prosecutors appealed the ruling, but it was upheld by the Circuit Court.

Boyd’s attorney, Todd Flood, previously said “this is a just outcome for both sides.”

Boyd is being held in the county jail.

Contact Christina Hall: 586-826-7265 or chall@freepress.com.

Titans offense feeling its way toward future

AUBURN, Ala. — New Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer has no idea who his quarterback will be in 2011.

After watching Cam Newton at Auburn's pro day Tuesday, Palmer hesitated even to discuss the team's options in the NFL Draft or free agency. He's leaving that up to his new bosses.

Another bald eagle found killed in Tennessee

A second bald eagle has been killed in Tennessee in less than a month, this one east of Crossville in Cumberland County.

The other was found shot dead 30 miles away in Bledsoe County, the next county over.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating. The penalty is up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison for a federal offense.

These join a rash of shootings of highly protected species, notably five federally endangered whooping cranes killed since Dec. 30 in two separate incidents in Georgia and Alabama. They were part of a small group of cranes that have been re-introduced to the wild — some learning to migrate behind an Ultralight aircraft through Tennessee.

Bald eagles are no longer on the endangered species list as their numbers grow, but they're still a protected species under two separate federal laws.

An $8,500 reward is offered in each eagle case to the first person providing information that results in the successful prosecution of the person or people responsible.

Both eagles were mature with a white head and white tail. One was found in the Crab Orchard Community and the other near Big Springs Gap Road.

Tennessee has 140 eagle breeding pairs, said Scott Somershoe, ornithologist with the TWRA.

Most bald eagles, which primarily eat fish, are near rivers and lakes. It generally takes four or five years for birds to mature but many don't start breeding until much older. They can live up to 25 years in the wild.

Anyone with information about the eagle found in Cumberland County is asked to call Special Agent John Rayfield at (615) 736-5532, or TWRA Cumberland County Wildlife Officer Casey Mullen at 800-262-6704.

Anyone with information about the other is asked to call Special Agent Bo Stone at (865) 692-4024, or TWRA Bledsoe County Wildlife Officer Mark Patterson at 800-262-6704.

Pulmonary embolism suffered by Serena Williams commonly occurs on long-haul plane or car journeys

It is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition which may even be fatal, sometimes causing sudden death.

I was surprised to hear that Serena Williams has had treatment for a pulmonary embolism, as this condition commonly occurs from spending too long cramped up on a small seat at the back of a plane on a long-haul flight, the so-called economy class syndrome, or after a long car journey, or after surgical operations.

It is possible that Serena's pulmonary embolism could have been related to the operations on her foot. Her doctors will want to determine whether this was a one-off, or whether it was caused by some underyling problem that needs to be dealt with.

Surgery to remove the clot is the last resort when treating a pulmonary embolism, reserved for the most severe cases and the more common treatment is to give blood-thinning injections or even to administer powerful clot-busting drugs which dissolve the clot, and effectively it melts away.

It would be very unusual for this event to have caused any long-term damage to her lung, and I would expect her to make a full recovery, and to get back to a normal life pretty quickly.

I would expect that Serena will be treated with blood-thinning tablets over the next six months or so, but that should not prevent her from playing tennis, as it is not a contact sport like rugby or football.

Nor should it prevent her from flying. She will need her blood carefully monitored to ensure that the level of blood thinning is in the right range.

Dr Duncan Dymond is a consultant cardiologist at Barts.

Feb. 26 roundup: Country Day's Amir Williams leads the way

Boys basketball

Birmingham Detroit Country Day 86, Saginaw Arthur Hill 68: Amir Williams had 32 points and 20 rebounds for Country Day (17-2). Jodan Price scored 14 points, Lee Bailey had 12 and Kenny Knight added 10. Benjamin Batts scored 21 points for Arthur Hill (10-9) and Jordan Hare had 15 and Jalen Adams added 13.

Detroit Kettering 62, Napoleon 50: Antoine Smith scored 15 points for Kettering (7-8) and Josh Wilson added 12. Protrook Tyler scored 16 points for Napoleon (14-3).

•MORE SCORES, STATS

Romulus 69, Kalamazoo Central 68: Justin Moss had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Romulus (18-1) and Derrick Stephens added 12. T.J. Buchanan scored 21 points for Central (16-3) and DaQuavian McCants-Wilson added 19.

Troy Athens 62, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 44: Aaron Fox scored 17 points for Athens (8-10, 5-9 OAA White) and Tyler Channell added nine points and 15 assists. Alex Jones scored 15 for Stoney Creek (5-13, 5-7) and Tyler Curtiss added 12.

Hockey

Farmington 7, Farmington Unified 5: Zac Massa had two goals and two assists for Farmington (21-3, 8-1-1 OAA Red). Ethan Baker added two goals and an assist. Scott Newel had a goal and two assists for Unified (9-10-4, 4-4-2). Peter Nusek added a goal and an assist.

Michigan notes, quotes from loss at Illinois

AT ASSEMBLY HALL, CHAMPAIGN, ILL.

WHAT HAPPENED: The Wolverines started the game on fire, hitting their first five shots, but they went ice-cold after that, hitting only four of the next 25. They trailed, 32-22, at halftime, their fewest points in a half since the Jan. 15 game against Indiana.

Much of the problem was the terrible outside shooting. Yet they started scoring early in the second half by getting the ball low to Jordan Morgan -- at least until he went to the bench in foul trouble.

Then the rest of the Wolverines began pitching in, closing within a point with 15 seconds left. But they couldn't finish, missing a pair of shots to tie or win the game in the final seconds.

Illinois was led by Demetri McCamey's 18 points. Morgan led U-M with 12.

REASON TO HOPE: Michigan's unique ability to climb back into a game, no matter the adversity or deficit, has become the hallmark of the young team.

REASONS TO MOPE: The Wolverines struggled all night from three-point range -- their first made three wasn't until 2:13 left in the second half -- and they finished 2-for-18.

STAT OF THE GAME: Michigan shot just 30% in the first half, the primary culprit for the 32-22 halftime hole, which forced another U-M comeback from double digits.

PLAYING WOUNDED: Stu Douglass played much of the game with a gauze pad in his nose to stop bleeding. It may have affected him on the court as he missed his first four three-pointers and finished the half 1-for-6. His offensive game didn't progress much, but he was the primary ball-handler with Darius Morris on the bench.

SIDE TRIP: The Indianapolis Star reported that U-M coach John Beilein attended an Indianapolis-area high school game Tuesday night between Indianapolis Pike and Fishers Hamilton Southeastern, which featured a number of Division I prospects.

UP NEXT: Michigan travels to Iowa for a 4:30 p.m. game Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Contact MARK SNYDER: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @freepwolverines.

Zack Novak: Michigan basketball team's early struggles set up strong finish

Michigan coach John Beilein talked about his team’s basketball intelligence during the Big Ten preseason basketball meetings. He said the players adapted quickly to his lessons and figured that would bode well for the season.

He probably could not have predicted that his young team would use early struggles as a springboard for a run at the postseason.

Michigan lost to then-top-10 Syracuse by three points, to then-No. 3 Kansas in overtime and to then-No. 2 Ohio State by four points. Despite those near misses, they're projected to be in the NCAA tournament by several national bracketologists.

“I think the fact that we got knocked down so many times -- eventually, you’re going to learn how to make the smart plays, the winning plays at the end and limit your mistakes throughout the game,” co-captain Zack Novak said Tuesday. “We tried to focus on controlling the things we can control: defensive effort, being in the right position, rebounding, things like that.”

Novak, like many of his teammates, pointed back to a team meeting after the first Minnesota game -- with U-M sitting at 1-6 in the Big Ten -- as the moment the players embraced the change that allowed them to finish the regular season on an 8-3 run.

There were still some close losses in the final five weeks, including heartbreakers to Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Wolverines saw those as signs of progress.

“Brutal honesty, I think,” Novak said of the five-to-10-minute meeting between the Minnesota loss at Crisler Arena on Jan. 22 and the season-turning Jan. 27 win at Michigan State. “I think it was something that we needed, and I think it worked out. ... It was the fact that we had seen glimpses of what we could do, and we had been really close against some of the best teams in the country. ... You look at that and think, 'We’ve got a shot to do some things this year, and it would be a shame if, for the wrong reasons, we didn’t give ourselves a chance.' So we made a vow to each other to fix the things we could control.”

Point guard Darius Morris said he was the first one to speak in the meeting, but eventually, everyone got a chance.

“It started with me calling out myself,” Morris said. “Then the young guys … everybody started to come forward.”

That players-only discussion followed a film session in which Beilein and his assistants showed all of the team's mistakes.

“It was very apparent, after we watched the Minnesota film, some of the things we had to fix,” Beilein said. “Just staying in the play, moving on to the next play. It was very simple, subtle changes that we had to do -- complete buy-in and team-ownership thing. ... They’re young kids. They have fallen off the wagon a few times, but they just jumped right back on.

“Those are the best teams, (the ones) that are personally accountable.”

Join Free Press special writer Nick Meyer for a live blog of Michigan’s Big Ten tournament game against Illinois on Friday afternoon at freep.com/sports

Michigan school wins first game after star player dies

HOLLAND, Mich. — A west Michigan high school basketball team mourning the death of a star player returned to the court Monday, winning a state tournament game that turned into a tribute for the 16-year-old who collapsed after scoring a winning basket last week.

Fennville High was playing its first game just four days after star guard Wes Leonard died from a heart ailment. Unbeaten Fennville, one of the state's highest-rated Class C teams, beat Lawrence High 65-54 in a district opener. The Blackhawks move to Wednesday's second round with a 21-0 record.

Fennville teammates hugged and cried after the final buzzer sounded and the crowd of 3,500 erupted in a standing ovation.

"Wes would have wanted to win," said Adam Siegel, a teammate of Leonard's. "I wanted to win."

Leonard's absence overshadowed the game. In tribute to their fallen teammate, Fennville sent just four players onto the court before the opening tip. The fifth player took the court after a dramatic pause to wild cheering from the crowd.

Fennville's last game was Thursday, when Leonard made the game-winning basket in overtime on his home court against Bridgman to cap an undefeated regular season at 20-0. Teams shook hands after the game and Leonard was lifted off the floor in celebration, a wide grin on his face.

Seconds later, he fell to the court, stunning a crowd estimated at more than 1,400. Leonard was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy by the Ottawa County medical examiner showed Leonard died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

Fennville's decision to play Monday came after school officials talked to Leonard's family. The game was supposed to be played at Lawrence but was moved to Hope College in Holland to handle a larger crowd.

While some fans and school officials had talked before the game about how it wouldn't really matter who won, Fennville players didn't seem to have that attitude. The Blackhawks rallied from behind, with some players flashing Leonard's jersey number, "35" — holding up three fingers on one hand and five on the other — after certain baskets.

"I'm just proud of the way we handled things; I'm proud of the way Lawrence handled things," Fennville coach Ryan Klingler said. "The effort by both teams tonight is how it should be. I think Wes would be proud of us all. ... I think he was watching down on us. This is a game he'd have liked."

Even before the game started, it had turned into a tribute to the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Leonard. Players from Lawrence and Fennville wore black T-shirts honoring him during pregame warm-ups. Leonard's name and number were on the back; the phrase "Never Forgotten" was on the front. Teams also wore black wristbands with Leonard's initials on them.

The first standing ovation came as Fennville players stoically walked onto the court for pregame warm-ups, joined by Leonard's younger brother, Mitchell. The crowd again came to its feet and clapped as more members of the Leonard family, including his parents, entered DeVos Fieldhouse and settled into seats high above the Fennville bench.

A moment of silence was held for Leonard, who also was the quarterback on the school's football team.

The late player's uncle, Jim Leonard, said the family is overwhelmed at the support it's received.

Fennville schools superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer told the crowd the community had gone from the "highest of highs to the lowest of lows" in the span of a few minutes last Thursday.

"Since that time our community has been on a journey through shock, grief and sorrow," he said. "But this gathering tonight, we hope, is one more step in the healing process. Tonight, we seek to honor Wes' memory by participating in a game he loved."

Fennville is a town of about 1,400, but the school district covers a broader area in southwest Michigan near Lake Michigan. Most fans wore the Blackhawks team colors, black and orange, for the game in Holland.

"I don't think there's anybody left in town," said Lisa Wells, 39, of Fennville. "I think everybody's here."

Lawrence Superintendent John Overley said some of Lawrence's players were at Thursday's game and were "distraught" and "numb" at Leonard's death. Lawrence players said they were impressed with the sportsmanship of the crowd Monday and with Fennville's resilience.

"They weren't just playing for themselves," said Austin Cammire, a Lawrence player. "It was great to be a part of."

Players on both teams were visited by former NBA player Bo Kimble, whose teammate at Loyola Marymount, Hank Gathers, collapsed during a game 21 years ago and died. Kimble, who is involved with a foundation aimed at increasing awareness about heart ailments, said he hoped to give athletes advice to help them cope with the tragedy.

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo also visited the teams before Monday's game.

A visitation for Leonard on Sunday drew such a crowd that a line of people who wanted to pay their respects wrapped around a Fennville church. Leonard's funeral is Tuesday morning in Holland.

Gerard Houllier has no regrets after leaving key players out as Aston Villa are beaten by Manchester City

Villa manager Houllier chose to start with England wingers Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, plus midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, on the substitutes’ bench, despite the prospect of last eight tie at home to Championship outfit Reading.

The Frenchman’s decision prompted an angry reaction on radio phone-ins in the Midlands following Villa’s 3-0 defeat, but Houllier defiantly claimed he would have no qualms over the making the same decision again.

“I started the game with three England internationals up front.” Houllier said. “Nathan Delfouneso is an England Under-21, Emile Heskey went to the World Cup last summer and Gabby Agbonlahor was called up for the last squad.

“In midfield, we had three internationals, the two centre-backs were internationals and the full-backs have also had international experience

“We have an important game against Bolton on Saturday, so it was important to use the quality in my squad. If I had to do it again, I would.

“If Downing or Young had started, I don’t think they would have done anything to stop the first goal.”

Houllier claimed his team selection was a result of Villa — currently sat in 12th position — being locked in a battle to avoid relegation.

“I still think we are in fight for Premier League survival.” Houllier said. “The players who played are top class players, but we were beaten by a team that was better than us and more ruthless in terms of goal opportunities.”

City manager Roberto Mancini, who complained of fatigue within his squad, backed Houllier’s decision to make wholesale changes.

He said: “Gerard has more experience than me and he knows it is impossible to play with the same players every three days.

“He changed seven or eight players, but I don’t have the option to do that. If I did, I would have done the same.”

Mancini added: “Before the Reading game, we have two important games, so it is important to focus on these first.

“Now is a key moment because we play important games and if we get these players back, we can make the Champions League.”

Five goal thriller sees Gold Coast through

Adelaide United and Gold Coast United have kept up the excitement with Gold Coast United edging the hosts to a 3-2 win, setting up a Preliminary Final match up with the Central Coast Mariners for a place in the Grand Final and Asian Champions League.

Big Apple Three lose to NBA's worst

CLEVELAND - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade needed 17 games to figure it out and those two All-Stars had the benefit of a full training camp. Time, unfortunately, is not on the side of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

Chemistry and familiarity are clearly legitimate issues for the revamped Knicks, but there is no excuse for playing with low energy and little effort. There is no excuse for what happened Friday night. "This was a game," Anthony said, "that regardless of how long we've been together we should have got."

If the Knicks really want to be taken seriously, they may want to start by beating teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, a club that at one point lost 26 straight games. That slide began after they beat the Knicks in December and Friday night they did it again, holding on for a 115-109 victory that exposed the Knicks for being undersized and lacking cohesiveness at both ends. "There is a learning curve," Mike D'Antoni said after his team fell to 29-27. "We know it and it's going to take a little while. But we have to be scrappy and have a little bit more fight in us. They'll learn that."

Stoudemire and Anthony each had big scoring games, finishing with 31 and 27 points, respectively, on a combined 49 shots but they had little success playing together until the fourth quarter. After three periods, the Knicks were a minus-21 with the pair on the floor. After falling behind 94-82, the Knicks were a plus-9 with the duo on the court. But the loss had less to do with Stoudemire and Anthony not being successful as a duo and more to do with the undersized Knicks being unable to hold their own on the glass or play consistent defense.

Cleveland held a 62-42 rebounding edge and scored 62 second-half points despite playing without newly acquired Baron Davis. The Cabs put up 115 points with players such as Christian Eyenga, Alonzo Gee and Samardo Samuels.

But leave it to Chauncey Billups, whose 26 points - all in the second half - nearly rallied the Knicks, to identify the problem. Here's a hint: It pertains to when the other team has the ball. "We've got to get familiar with each other at both ends," Billups said. "Offensively, we're probably going to be fine. We've got so many great players, great scorers. Mike's system is awesome offensively. Defensively we've got a ways to go. Pick and rolls really hurt us tonight. Rebounding really destroyed us tonight."

Billups is a former NBA Finals MVP for a Detroit team that won its title with defense and rebounding. These Knicks are still trying to outscore the opposition and Friday night they didn't make stops when it mattered and committed countless silly fouls. Cleveland shot just 31 of 44 from the line. But the Cavs' 19 offensive rebounds, including nine from leading scorer Antawn Jamison, were the difference. Jamison finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds, while the energetic J.J. Hickson added 24 points and 15 rebounds and Ramon Sessions scored 22.

Anthony scored 16 first-quarter points but made just four of his last 14 shots and aggravated a preexisting right elbow injury in the second half. He complained of feeling numbness in his shooting arm but said he would play Sunday in Miami.

Billups' 20 fourth-quarter points gave the Knicks a chance, and his up-and-under move made it 103-101 with 2:05 to play. After Byron Scott called timeout, the Knicks deflected the ball into the backcourt, which forced to Daniel Gibson to launch a shot 10 feet behind midcourt as the shot clock expired. The ball barely touched the rim and landed in Jamison's hands. After the officials used video replay to confirm that the shot had indeed hit the rim - no shot-clock violation - Sessions hit a layup, but Billups answered with one of his own.

Then after Hickson's putback and Stoudemire's easy layup over Gibson, the Cavs worked the shot clock down and ran a screen for Gibson, who hit a 3-pointer over Billups. The basket made it 110-105 with 30.6 seconds left, but Anthony came through in a big way by hitting a driving layup as he was fouled with 25.8 seconds to go. Anthony, however, missed the free throw and then fouled out when he hacked Sessions, who had rebounded the ball.

"They played hard and got after it and we're still trying to figure it out on our end," Stoudemire said. "This is to be expected."

17-0 run seals win for Vandy women

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Vanderbilt used a 17-0 run in the second half to snap a two-game losing streak on Thursday night.

The Commodores cruised to a 74-62 win at Mississipp Statei.
Trailing by six, Vanderbilt (18-8, 9-4 SEC) surged to an 11-point lead, 55-44, with 8:27 to play and Mississippi State (10-15, 2-11 SEC) would not threaten again.

"I got a little vocal at halftime because I didn't like our energy, our body language and we hadn't looked like that in a while," Vanderbilt Coach Melanie Balcomb said. "I think we might have been a little hung-over after the Tennessee game, but this shouldn't be our recovery look."

The Commodores were paced by Tiffany Clarke, who had 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Jasmine Lister added 16 points, including 14 in the second half.

With the win, Vanderbilt swept the season series with the Bulldogs and earned their fifth win in its last six games. It was Vanderbilt's first win of the season when trailing at the half (1-5).

Vanderbilt trailed 31-29 at the half and Mississippi State scored the first five points of the second half to take its largest lead of the game, 36-29, with 18:59 to play. The Bulldogs would maintain a sizeable cushion until the 13:48 mark when Vandy would go on its run.

Vandy will host No. 19 Kentucky in its annual Pink Out game Sunday at Memorial Gym. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game to support for breast cancer research.

Albert Haynesworth Reportedly Accused of Sexual Assault

Police are currently investigating a waitress' claims that she was sexually assaulted by Albert Haynesworth over the weekend, according to a report.

The U.S. Attorney's Office will review the evidence and determine whether charges should be filed for the alleged incident, which was said to have taken place at the W Hotel in Washington.

"There seems to be no truth to these allegations. We are currently evaluating facts and considering our own legal action against those involved," Chad Speck, Haynesworth's agent, said in response.

Haynesworth was already at a police station Saturday morning, where he was charged with assault from an alleged road rage incident in early February. He is due in court on March 31 to face those charges.

Chattanooga corner makes fast impression on NFL scouts

Chattanooga cornerback Buster Skrine made a big impression at the NFL Combine last week, but just how much he improved his draft status might depend in part on which measurement of his 40-yard dash times is most believable.

The NFL Network unofficially timed the All-Southern Conference performer as running 4.29 and 4.36 seconds in his two attempts. Those are blazing-fast times, close to the Combine record 4.24 that Titans running back Chris Johnson ran in 2008 when he was coming out of East Carolina.

Watching Skrine run was enough to excite Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, an NFL Network analyst, who said: "It's nothing technical, but just seeing that kid's first step, I was like 'Oh, he's got something!' He had a burst. He was low, he was smooth, and that was just one step."

Sanders added: "If he's a project, that's a project I can work with."

So it was a little surprising to learn that Skrine's official times, as clocked by National Football Scouting, were both posted as 4.48, neither of which put him in the top-10 times run by defensive backs at the combine.

Why the discrepancy?

"I'm not sure why that was," Skrine said by phone after returning from Indianapolis. "But me and my agent, we talked to numerous scouts and they had me as low as a 4.27 and the high was a 4.33. So I really don't know how I got posted as a 4.48. It's weird. But as long as the teams have their times, it's fine."

The good news for Skrine was that he posted some impressive official numbers in other Combine fields: Skrine officially had the fastest time in the 60-yard shuttle run (10.75), and he was second-fastest in the
20-yard shuttle (3.90) and the 3-cone drill (6.44).

"It felt good," said Skrine, who had five interceptions in four seasons at Chattanooga. "Some people had been saying I had tight hips. I don't know where they got that from, and they also (had) said my ball skills were a question. I've never had trouble catching a ball.

"I really wanted to prove those two things weren't questions in my game. I caught every ball and looked good in the turning drills and all the footwork drills."

The 5-foot-10, 186-pound Skrine will try to impress scouts even more at Chattanooga's pro day
March 23. But he feels like he's already headed in the right direction in the eyes of the NFL.

"Before I went to the Combine I was probably a mid-round to later-round pick," said Skrine, who is rated the 13th-best cornerback by The National Football Post. "That's understandable, just because I'm a small-school prospect. But after the Combine, many scouts told me my stock's going up, so that's always good."