The supervisor is Fred Lief, followed by Dave Skretta at 5 p.m., and Ralph D. Russo at 1 a.m. The supervisor can be reached at (800) 845-8450, ext. 1630; sports photos, ext. 1918; graphics, ext. 7636; agate, ext. 1635. AP stories and accompanying photos can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For reruns, call the Service Desk (800-838-4616) or your local AP bureau.
TOP STORY:
FBN–NFL LABOR
WASHINGTON — The NFL and the players’ union are discussing the possibility of extending the midnight deadline for the end of the collective bargaining agreement, the AP is told. The sides are meeting before a federal mediator and trying to avoid pro football’s first work stoppage since 1987. By Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich. Sent.
AP Photos. AP Video.
— With:
— WASHINGTON — NFL Labor-Obama. Sent.
— NEW YORK — NFL Labor-Fans. By Rachel Cohen.
— FBN–NFL Labor-Chronology. Sent.
FBN–JIM LITKE-030311
The NFL is so popular that guys in suits, doing nothing more athletic than shaking the commissioner’s hand on a stage, still draw better ratings than the NBA playoffs. But show the owners and players entering and exiting negotiations for a few days, even family members will change the channel. By Sports Columnist Jim Litke.
AP Photos.
NEW/DEVELOPING:
BKW–MIDDLE TENNESSEE-PLAYER KILLED
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee officials are meeting with the women’s basketball team and will let the squad decide if it wants to play in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference tournament after the stabbing death of their teammate. By Teresa M. Walker. Availability 6 p.m.
AP Photos.
HKN–PROBERT-BRAIN STUDY
Researchers say NHL enforcer Bob Probert had degenerative brain disease when he died. He played 16 seasons in the NHL and died last July of heart failure at 45. He is the second hockey player to be diagnosed with the disease by the Boston University program. By Hockey Writer Ira Podell. Sent.
AP Photos by Fred Jewell, Tim Boyle.
GLF–HONDA CLASSIC
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods and top-ranked Martin Kaymer are absent, but five of the 10 highest-ranked players begin play in the Honda Classic. By Steven Wine.
AP Photos.
BBN–METS-MADOFF
NEW YORK — The Mets are among the former Bernard Madoff clients challenging a trustee’s calculations of gains and losses in the massive swindle. The trustee contends the Mets’ owners made $300 million more than they invested. Mets owner Fred Wilpon says he and his family were victims. By Tom Hays. Sent.
AP Photos.
BKN–MAGIC-HEAT
MIAMI — Trying to keep pace with Boston, the Miami Heat welcome new guard Mike Bibby when they host the Orlando Magic. The Heat and Magic have won seven of their last 10. By Tim Reynolds. Game starts 8 p.m.
AP Photos.
— With:
— BKN–Heat-Bibby. By Tim Reynolds. Sent.
SWM–INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS — Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is scheduled to swim in the 400 IM at the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Phelps is joined in the meet by Olympians Ryan Lochte, Jason Lezak, Cullen Jones and Katie Hoff. By Cliff Brunt. Prelims started 9 a.m., finals 6 p.m.
FBC–NCAA DIVERSITY STUDY
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida releases the 2010 College Sport Racial and Gender Report Card. By Kyle Hightower.
SOC–FIFA MEETING
ZURICH — The United States’ regional soccer body fails to gain an additional berth for the next World Cup. FIFA says all six continents will have the same number of spots for the 2014 tournament in Brazil as they did for last year’s World Cup in South Africa. By Grahm Dunbar. Sent.
AP Photos by Walter Bieri.
— With:
— SOC–FIFA-Finances. By Graham Dunbar. Sent.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
BKC–T25-ST JOHN’S-SETON HALL
NEWARK, N.J. — No. 15 St. John’s looks to keep its strong late-season run going by clinching a double-bye in the Big East tournament if it can beat Seton Hall. By Basketball Writer Jim O’Connell. Game starts 7 p.m.
AP Photos.
BKW–T25-CALIFORNIA-STANFORD
STANFORD, Calif. — The No. 2 Stanford women try to cap an unbeaten Pac-10 season when they host rival California and go for a 61st straight victory at Maples Pavilion. By Janie McCauley. Game starts 11 p.m.
AP Photos.
BKW–ONE SPECIAL BASKET
DAYTON, Ohio — A heart ailment forced Ebony Gainey to give up her basketball career at Dayton before playing a game. The school kept her on scholarship as an assistant. Her coach, who also has a heart condition, let her play two minutes in the Flyers’ final game. She scored a basket she’ll never forget. By Joe Kay.
AP Photos.
BKC–CIAA TOURNAMENT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From the parties to the fashion shows, from the cooking competitions to the celebrity sightings, the CIAA tournament is an extravaganza for fans. It’s also a tournament where the games are often an afterthought. By Mike Cranston.
AP Photos.
FEATURES:
BKN–NBA IN EUROPE
NEW YORK — David Stern has talked about having NBA franchises in Europe within a decade for so long that it seems it’s been more than 10 years now. These days, there’s more talk about eliminating teams than adding new ones. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. Sent.
— With:
— LONDON — BKN–NBA in London. By Chris Lehourites. Sent.
SKI–VONN-RECORD CHASING
TARVISIO, Italy — Back at full strength after her head injury, Lindsey Vonn can tie Sweden’s Anja Paerson this weekend on skiing’s career victory list. Vonn has 40 wins and will have three chances over the next three days to match Paerson’s mark. By Andrew Dampf. Sent.
AP Photo by Marco Trovati.
BBA–INDIANS-SIZEMORE’S CLIMB
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — With the Estrella Mountains as a backdrop, Grady Sizemore continues his uphill climb. He is coming off knee surgery and probably won’t be ready by opening day for the Indians. There’s a chance the three-time All-Star outfielder may never be the same. By Tom Withers.
AP Photos.
SPD–SPEEDY AMERICANS
Apolo Anton Ohno is moving merchandise. Chad Hedrick is enjoying retirement. And Stephen Colbert is taking aim at other comic fodder. No matter. U.S. speedskating is doing just fine a year after the Olympics, piling up medals on both the long and short track. By Paul Newberry.
AP Photos.
IDITAROD CHAMP
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Lance Mackey looks at his life now, and thanks his dogs. The four-time consecutive winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race credits them for bringing him across the finish line and handing him fame and fortune Alaska-style. “I can’t believe where we have come from,” he says. By Mary Pemberton.
AP Photos.
OTHER NEWS:
NBA:
— OKLAHOMA CITY — BKN–Thunder-Durant. By Jeff Latzke. Sent.
NFL:
— HOUSTON — FBN–Texans-Daniels. By Chris Duncan. Sent.
— EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — FBN–Giants-Moves. Sent.
— MILWAUKEE — FBN–Packers-Hawk. By Chris Jenkins. Sent.
— MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — FBN–Ex-Lions Player Charged. Sent.
— MEATIRIE, La. — FBN–Saints-Hartley. Sent.
Baseball:
— SARASOTA, Fla. — BBO–Union-Weiner. Sent.
— GLENDALE, Ariz. — BBN–Dodgers-Lilly. By Beth Harris. Sent.
— SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — BBN–Mets-Paulino. Sent.
— KISSIMMEE, Fla. — BBN–Astros-Castro. Sent.
Tennis:
— MONTERREY, Mexico — TEN–Monterrey.
— KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — TEN–Malaysian Open. Sent.
— SANTIAGO, Chile — TEN–Davis Cup-US-Chile. Sent.
Soccer:
— LONDON — SOC–FIFA-Goal-line Technology. By Rob Harris. Sent.
— LONDON — SOC–Man United-Ferguson Charged. Sent.
— SAO PAULO — SOC–Brazil Roster. By Tales Azzoni. Sent.
Winter Sports:
— OSLO, Norway — NOR–Nordic Worlds. Sent.
— GANGNEUNG, South Korea — FIG–Junior Worlds. Sent.
Also:
— SAN ANTONIO — BKL–WNBA All-Star Game. Sent.
— MUNICH — OLY–Munich 2018 Bid. By Nesha Starcevic. Sent.
— NEW YORK — RAC–Aqueduct Cancels. Sent.
— CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami-Athletic Director. Sent.
— PARIS — CYC–UCI-Radio Ban. Sent.
Capsules:
— BKN–NBA Capsules.— HKN–NHL Capsules.
— BKC–Top 25 Capsules.
— BKW–Top 25 Capsules.
— BBO–Spring Training Capsules.
___
| Thursday’s Time Schedule |
|---|
| NBA |
Orlando at Miami, 8 p.m.
Denver at Utah, 10:30 p.m.
| NHL |
|---|
Tampa Bay at Boston, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Washington, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Montreal at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Phoenix at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.
Detroit at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
| College Basketball (Top 25) |
|---|
| Men |
No. 10 Wisconsin at Indiana, 9 p.m.
No. 15 St. John’s at Seton Hall, 7 p.m.
No. 18 Arizona vs. Oregon State, 9 p.m.
| Women |
|---|
No. 2 Stanford vs. California, 9 p.m.
No. 9 UCLA vs. Washington, 10 p.m.
No. 15 Wisconsin-Green Bay at Wright State, 7 p.m.
No. 19 North Carolina vs. Clemson at Greensboro, N.C., 8 p.m.
| Exhibition Baseball |
|---|
Washington vs. St. Louis (ss) at Jupiter, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Boston at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Detroit vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Florida vs. Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
St. Louis (ss) vs. N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1:10 p.m.
Texas (ss) vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Cleveland vs. Texas (ss) at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Kansas City vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Arizona vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Oakland vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.
San Francisco vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 9:05 p.m.