That’s because the case hinges on jurors believing his account of what happened the night the 19-year-old was killed.

The questioning of Zimmerman’s truthfulness by the judge on Friday could undermine the defendant’s credibility if it is brought up at trial. It also may complicate how his defense presents him as a witness, said Orlando-area attorney Randy McCLean, who is a former prosecutor.

“The other key witness, unfortunately is deceased,” McClean said. “Basically, Zimmerman is going to be asking the jury to believe his version of the facts … As the case stands now, his credibility is absolutely critical to the case.”

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for the February shooting. The neighborhood watch volunteer says he shot Martin in self-defense because the unarmed 17-year-old was beating him up after confronting Zimmerman about following him in a gated community outside Orlando.

Witness accounts of the rainy night Martin was shot are spotty. There is no video of the fight, though photos prosecutors have released showed Zimmerman with wounds to his face and the back of his head.

Zimmerman’s credibility with the judge would be important if O’Mara tries to get a judge without the jury to dismiss the charges based on the law, said Orlando defense attorney David Hill.

“If he was in on something that was not truthfully revealed to the judge, when there is a ‘stand your ground’ hearing, of course you’re going to second-guess him,” Hill said.

Both McClean and Hill said O’Mara would be able to challenge the admissibility of the bond revocation at trial by questioning its relevance.

Zimmerman was arrested 44 days after the killing, and during a bond hearing in April, his wife, Shellie, testified that the couple had limited funds available. The hearing also was notable because Zimmerman took the stand and apologized to Martin’s parents.

Prosecutors pointed out in their motion that Zimmerman had $135,000 available then. It had been raised from donations through a website he set up and they suggested more has been collected since and deposited in a bank account.

Shellie Zimmerman was asked about the website at the hearing, but she said she didn’t know how much money had been raised. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester set bail at $150,000. The 28-year-old was freed a few days later after posting $15,000 in cash — which is typical — and has since been in hiding.

Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda complained Friday, “This court was led to believe they didn’t have a single penny. It was misleading and I don’t know what words to use other than it was a blatant lie.” The judge agreed and ordered Zimmerman returned to jail by Sunday afternoon.

“Does your client get to sit there like a potted plant and lead the court down the primrose path? That’s the issue,” Lester said. “He can’t sit back and obtain the benefit of a lower bond based upon those material falsehoods.”

The defense countered that Zimmerman and his wife never used the money for anything, which indicated “there was no deceit.” His attorney, Mark O’Mara, said it wouldn’t be a problem to bring Zimmerman back into custody by the deadline.

The judge said he would schedule a hearing after Zimmerman is back in custody so he could explain himself.

Police in Sanford did not immediately arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida’s “stand your ground” law that gives wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat in a fight if people believe they are in danger of being killed or seriously injured.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Trayvon Martin’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, said his clients have always said Zimmerman should remain in jail until trial, which O’Mara said he believed wouldn’t be until next year.

Crump was asked if he thought that if Zimmerman would be willing to lie about his finances that he would be willing to lie about what happen the night Martin was killed.

“We fully expect that the special prosecutor will make George Zimmerman’s credibility be front and center in this entire case,” Crump said. “And whatever dishonesty that comes forth by George Zimmerman that they can prove, you can best believe it will become the issue of this case.”

The revocation of Zimmerman’s bond also puts pressure on O’Mara to not delay the trial, McClean said.

“When your client is out on bond, the pressure is much lighter to rush to trial … because your client is sitting at home,” he said. “When your client is sitting at the Seminole County Jail, your client is going to want this resolved.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The infant was identified as Josiah Santil, said Coral Springs police Lt. Joe McHugh. The boy’s father, Janus Saintil, 24, was arrested Friday outside a Coral Springs apartment. Charges were not immediately filed. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Saintil kidnapped the child, the child’s mother, another female adult and a male adult at gunpoint Thursday night in North Lauderdale, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said.

The group drove about 85 miles north to Port St. Lucie, where Saintil left the baby at a house and then forced the male to take money from a nearby ATM. The elder Saintil fled the area after the male victim yelled for help. He apparently retrieved the baby before returning to South Florida, authorities said.

“When you say you’ve seen it all, this is one of those things,” Lamberti said. “It’s almost like the baby was carelessly discarded inside the trunk. Total lack of respect for the life. It’s one of those things, if you are a parent, it’s got to tug at your heart strings.”

Court records in Broward County show Saintil has been arrested numerous times over the past six years, including charges of armed robbery and trespassing. In 2008, he was sentenced to two years in prison for grand theft, according to court records.

Telephone messages left with Port St. Lucie police weren’t immediately returned on Friday.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is reiterating that he won’t join Mitt Romney on the GOP presidential ticket.

Bush says no one’s asked him to submit personal documents to the team picking Romney’s vice presidential nominee. He also says he’s certain he won’t be asked, either. Bush says he backs his “friend” and fellow Floridian, Sen. Marco Rubio, for the slot.

But the former governor did have some advice for whomever Romney chooses: “Have fun.”

Bush was in Washington on Friday to testify at a House Budget Committee hearing. He told the panel he would support higher taxes if the ratio was $1 raised for every $10 cut from spending. But he said it’s easy for him to go along with that because he’s not a candidate for anything.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A lawyer for Florida’s local elections officials is advising them to stop a state-directed effort to identify and purge ineligible voters after federal authorities demanded it be halted.

Ron Labasky is the legal adviser to the State Association of Supervisors of Elections. He sent members a memo Friday saying they should stop the effort until state and federal officials resolve their differences.

The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the state Thursday saying the effort that began at the urging of Republican Gov. Rick Scott appears to violate federal law.

Labasky says the letter’s tone implies the Justice Department is prepared to take legal action if the matter cannot be resolved.

Scott says the letter is still under review but that fair elections are his goal.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Records show 25-year-old Dante Martin — the so-called “president” of the percussion section bus — faces a misdemeanor hazing charge related to the beating of 21-year-old Requesta Harden.

Martin’s charge was included in affidavits for arrest warrants released Wednesday by the State Attorney’s Office in Orlando.

Eleven band members have been charged with felony hazing for Champion’s death in November. Two others face misdemeanor charges.

Champion had opposed hazing. But he was also vying to be the band’s top leader, and friends say he volunteered to be hazed in order to win respect from others.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The media groups are asking a judge Friday to ignore a request by prosecutors and George Zimmerman’s attorney to keep from being released publicly the names of witnesses and some statements the neighborhood watch captain made to police.

Prosecutors and Zimmerman’s attorney fear witnesses will be harassed if their names are publicized. Prosecutors also say some of Zimmerman’s statements are inconsistent.

The media groups say those aren’t good enough reasons to keep what is usually a public record from being released.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to killing Martin and is claiming self-defense.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

A report said 22-year-old Raul de Alejandro crashed his 1995 Buick into the 2012 Dodge driven by Rhonda Gee after he had an altercation with the clerk at a nearby convenience store Thursday. Gee, the 42-year-old wife of Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee, was taken to the hospital to be checked for head injuries.

Deputies say de Alejandro was arrested when his car broke down after the crash in the Tampa suburb of Valrico. The sheriff’s office says he’s a member of the “Dover Locos” gang. He faces a variety of charges.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The two groups named the park and forest “Important Bird Areas” on Thursday.

There are now 37 global IBAs in Florida.

More than 300 native bird species have been spotted at Dry Tortugas National Park and is the only known nesting site of Bridled Terns and Magnificent Frigatebirds in the United States.

The Withlacoochee State Forest has a significant population of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Bachman’s Sparrow and Bobwhite Quail — and important sandhill crane habitat.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Thabo Sefolosha of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives ahead of Stephen Jackson of the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals during the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 31, 2012 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (credit: Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - In a Western Conference finals filled with established stars, Thabo Sefolosha used a stretch of defensive excellence to turn the momentum in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s favor and stop a dominant seven-week run by the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Sefolosha set playoff career-bests with 19 points and six steals, and the Thunder snapped San Antonio’s 20-game winning streak by beating the Spurs 102-82 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.

The Thunder’s fears of falling into a historically insurmountable 3-0 series deficit faded quickly as Sefolosha got four steals to power an 8-0 Oklahoma City run in the first 3 minutes and set the tone for San Antonio’s worst offensive outing of the season.

“We need everybody to be aggressive and Thabo stepped up tonight and kind of sparked us,” Durant said.

Sefolosha, a guard from Switzerland, has been Oklahoma City’s defensive ace on the perimeter since coming over in a trade with Chicago midway through the Thunder’s first season after relocating from Seattle.

Coach Scott Brooks assigned him to clamp down on All-Star point guard Tony Parker, who had 34 points in Game 2.

“That was Scott’s idea. The whole time, we’ve been thinking about it and we made the adjustment tonight and it worked out good,” said Sefolosha, a veteran of the Swiss national team.

Parker and Stephen Jackson led the Spurs with 16 points apiece. Tim Duncan had 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting, taking 11 of San Antonio’s first 25 shots as the offense went through the All-Star center instead of Parker.

“It’s not about Tony,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s about our team, and we played much more poorly tonight than we have and I thought they played fantastic basketball in every way.”

The Spurs, who already set an NBA record for the longest winning streak carried over from the regular season into the playoffs, were trying to match the league mark for most wins to start the postseason. The Lakers won 11 straight to start the 1989 and 2001 playoffs, getting swept in the NBA finals the first time and winning it all the second.

The Spurs hadn’t lost since April 11 against the Lakers at home. They had been averaging 109.4 points during the winning streak and had been held to double digits only twice.

“They played like it was a closeout game, both offensively and defensively,” Popovich said. “They were very active, physical, they moved the ball well on offense. They did all those things better than we did. They beat us good.”

Parker and Duncan didn’t play in the final 15 minutes, and Popovich pulled the plug after a series of three straight turnovers allowed the deficit to reach 23 points early in the fourth quarter.

Sefolosha had a right-handed dunk off a lob pass from Russell Westbrook, who followed with his own two-handed jam on an alley-oop pass. Sefolosha followed with a reverse layup on another turnover-fueled fast-break to push the lead to 86-63 with 9:48 left.

All of Sefolosha’s big stops helped feed Oklahoma City’s transition game, and ended up leading to his own uncharacteristically high scoring output. Sefolosha had never scored more than 12 points in the postseason, and he only reached double figures in six of 53 games this season.

But scoring his own points has never been why the Thunder wanted Sefolosha around.

“He’s a great defender and he always does a great job. I think maybe a little more size might have helped,” forward Nick Collison said.

“But it’s just one game for us. The Spurs have still won 20 out of 21. We have to be able to do it again. They will probably make adjustments.”

The Thunder put together another 9-0 run coinciding with Manu Ginobili coming out of the game, and featuring Serge Ibaka sticking his tongue out after nailing a jumper from the top of the key. Brooks soon followed suit and pulled his own front-line players with the game well in hand.

A day earlier, Brooks had called out his players during a team meeting for not giving their all — specifically failing to make extra efforts to close out on San Antonio’s 3-point shooters.

“We knew what we had to do. We were not going to lay down and roll over just because we’re down 0-2,” Durant said. “We’re going to keep fighting. The coaches said we just needed to play harder.

“I can’t keep emphasizing enough that we just played harder on both ends of the floor.”

After Game 3, Brooks said he would “be shocked if there’s possessions we didn’t play hard” when he goes back over the video of the game.

Popovich couldn’t say the same, assessing that “I think they played smarter than we did and I think they played harder than we did.”

“They did definitely play with a lot more energy, a lot more passion than us tonight,” said Parker, who committed five turnovers.

Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 28-8 in the paint while building a 54-41 halftime lead, then never let the Spurs get closer than 11 in the second half. San Antonio had averaged 46 points in the paint while winning Games 1 and 2, and 47.8 during the playoffs before being held to 24 in Game 3.

“We wanted to bounce back after two losses like that. We had to play better and we did that tonight,” Sefolosha said. “We played with energy, we played with passion in front of our home crowd. They did a great job giving us a lift.”

Sefolosha set up Ibaka’s two-handed dunk and hit a 3-pointer during a 13-1 run early in the second quarter that gave Oklahoma City the lead for good, with San Antonio’s only point coming on a free throw by Ginobili after Durant was called for a technical foul while arguing a call from the bench.

“We just played a good basketball game,” Brooks said. “We played with a lot of force, we played with good energy, but we played defensive-minded basketball.

“That’s who we are. That’s how we win.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Ingredients

1 Chateaubriand (the top of the tenderloin) or
4 Filet Mignon
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 Portobello mushrooms or 8 oz Cremini mushrooms
cooking spray
2 tsp butter, 2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 cup white wine
2 TB sherry (optional)
1 package frozen puff pastry
1 egg, 1 TB water

Method

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.

Take the beef out of the fridge to take off the chill. (Only do this right before cooking.) Clean and take off Portobello stems. You can save the stems for stock, if you wish. If using Cremini mushrooms, wash and then grind finely in a food processor. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray. Heat the frying pan over medium high heat and add 1tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms, thyme and a generous pinch of sea salt. Brown the Portobello mushrooms on each side. If using Cremini, cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the white wine. When the wine evaporates, take the mushrooms off the heat and reserve on a plate. Wipe out the pan. Drain the Portobellos over paper towels on each side. If using Cremini, squeeze the cooled mixture inside a tea towel, getting rid of the excess liquid.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Season the beef with salt and pepper on both sides. Spray the pan you used for the mushrooms with cooking spray. Heat the pan over high heat. Add remaining butter and olive oil. Sear the meat for one minute on each side, until it’s browned only. Add sherry and flambe. (Do NOT add directly from bottle.) Remove from heat to a plate.

Roll out a sheet of puff pastry, being careful not to crush the edges of the pastry or it won’t rise.  Keep it at about 1/4″ thick.
If using Chateaubriand, spread the mushroom mixture over the top of the meat, lay the pastry over it, with enough to seal it at the bottom. Flip the pastry and meat over, seal at the bottom. Flip back over and put it on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. If using Filet, put one Portobello mushroom on each Filet and make four individual Wellingtons with the pastry, flipping it over the same way so the smooth side of the pastry is on top. Cut a slit in each small Wellington or 2-3 slits in a large Chateaubriand. Put on the sprayed sheet pan in the same manner.

Beat egg and add water. Brush the top and sides of each wellington with the egg wash. Bake approx. 20-25 minutes for the filet and 40-45 minutes for the Chateaubriand or until golden brown and a thermometer reads an internal temp of 125 degrees F.  Remove from oven and let cool five minutes. Serve immediately with some roasted potatoes (like French fingerlings) and mixed green salad.

Elizabeth Dougherty has been a food writer for over 10 years, attended culinary school and holds a Bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude in Hospitality, Business and Labor Relations from NYIT. She has been a talk show host of nearly 150 episodes of Food Nation Radio which airs each Saturday morning at 6 on AM1010 CBS and other stations. You can read her articles and hear previous shows on her podcast page on the Food Nation Radio Network website.

In a move that comes just months before the state could play a pivotal role in the 2012 presidential election, the U.S. Department of Justice contends that the state is violating federal law in its effort to identify and remove ineligible voters.

The state’s effort has already come under fire from local election supervisors who belong to both political parties, as well as Democratic members of Congress and voting rights groups.

Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Florida Department of State, said state officials were still reviewing the letter, but hinted Florida may fight federal authorities.

“Bottom line is we are firmly committed to doing the right thing and preventing ineligible voters from being able to cast a ballot,” Cate said.

Florida, at the urging of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, began looking for non-U.S. citizens on its voter rolls last year. An initial search turned up as many as 182,000 registered voters who may not be U.S. citizens.

Earlier this year state officials sent to local election officials a much smaller list of more than 2,600 voters and asked supervisors to start the process to remove them from the rolls.

Supervisors, however, have loudly questioned the accuracy of the list, with one GOP supervisor going on Twitter to show the picture of a U.S. passport of one voter found on the list. Earlier this week two Democratic members of Congress held a press conference with a World War II veteran whose citizenship had been questioned.

Federal officials said that the procedures the state is using to identify non-U.S. citizens has not been reviewed to make sure they are not discriminatory. Florida must get approval for changes in voting procedures because five counties are still covered by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

T. Christian Herren, chief of the voting section of the civil rights division, also said that removing voters from the rolls less than 90 days before a federal election also appears to violate federal law. Florida’s primary election is Aug. 14.

Herren’s letter gives Florida until June 6 to tell federal authorities whether they plan to halt the purge.

Voting rights groups who had called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene praised the decision.

“We commend the attorney general of the United States Eric Holder for ensuring that the right to vote, the fundamental pillar of our democracy is protected for all American citizens,” said Advancement Project co-director Penda Hair in a statement.

The intervention of the U.S. Department of Justice came the same day that Florida officials were trying to get another federal agency to help the state verify the citizenship status of thousands of voters.

Secretary of State Kent Detzner wants the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to let Florida have access to an immigration database maintained by the federal government.

“I hope you will understand the importance of making sure the vote of an eligible voter is not diminished by the vote of ineligible voter and provide my department the access it needs,” Detzner wrote to Secretary Janet Napolitano.

A Department of Homeland Security official said Thursday that the federal agency is aware of Florida’s request but that there a “number of legal and operational challenges” to granting the state access.

Detzner in his letter said that while Florida’s initial list was “credible and reliable” he acknowledged that his department’s ability to “validate a person’s legal status as up to date was limited.” The first list was drawn by comparing driver’s licenses to voter registration lists. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles initially planned to double-check its information with the federal database but has since been told that is not permitted.

Even without access to the federal database Cate had said the state is likely to circulate additional names to election supervisors in the weeks ahead.

But some election supervisors are already saying that they will ignore any additional names given to them by the Florida Department of State.

“It’s illegal under federal law and I’m going to follow the law,” said Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Now they meet tonight for the first of three games at Tropicana Field, but it’s not the kind of battle for division supremacy  you might have expected a week or so ago. In a short span, both the Rays and Orioles have gone from rolling to reeling.

Each are coming off a three-game sweep by their respective opponents, with the Rays suffering their first sweep of the season at the hands of the red-hot Chicago White Sox at the Trop and Baltimore losing three on the road to Toronto.

At 29-22, they’re both in danger of losing more ground in the increasingly tight division unless they can turn things around, starting this weekend. The Rays have lost four of five, while the Orioles have lost five straight and eight of their last 10. They’re starting to look more like the long-time cellar-dwelling team of recent seasons in Baltimore than one of the genuine surprises of the 2012 season.

Each team is dealing with a myriad of injuries (the Rays have nine players on the disabled list; the O’s have eight and now All-Star right fielder Nick Markakis has a wrist injury, suffered this week while taking a swing Tuesday night in Toronto.).

Overall the only thing separating the two top teams from the last place Red Sox is 2.5 games, making the AL East the tightest division in baseball. It also means that if either the Rays or the Orioles get swept this weekend, they could suddenly find themselves at or near the bottom looking up.

The Orioles’ chief problem during its slide has been shaky starting pitching and an inability to score timely runs.  Until recently, their pitching was the backbone of the the team this season, though the bullpen still boasts a 2.34 era. The Tampa Bay offense didn’t get a hit off of the Baltimore relievers until the final game of the last series played between the two in the beginning of May, when the Rays avoided a sweep by winning 9-8.

Manager Joe Maddon will also look for starting pitching to win them this series. David Price, Matt Moore, and Jeremy Hellickson all pitched well in their previous starts, but were unable to pick up wins. Part of the problem is that the team has had trouble scoring runs. Following the White Sox sweep, Maddon commented that “we’re playing hard. But we’re also making mistakes. We’re not playing a high level of baseball right now — too many mistakes on the field, things that we’re not used to doing. … We have to do a better job, whether it’s catching the ball or having better at-bats.”

The team batted just .241 in the past week. Despite their recent troubles, the Rays remain upbeat. “I’m very pleased where we’re at right now,” Maddon said, ” We have a day off to think about it, (then) we’ll come back and play the Orioles. We’re battling with them right now.”

After this series the Rays’ schedule will get no easier as they play in New York against the Yankees and then start interleague play against the Marlins, Mets, Nationals and Phillies.

Back in January, analysts has quite a scare: gas prices were soaring, with no relief in sight. Many predicted we’d see nationwide averages of $5 a gallon before all was said and done and in some places, we did.

Today, the outlook is a little brighter. Iran has backed away from its threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices have dipped below $100 a barrel. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is now $3.64, and you — optimistic, intelligent travel-planner that you are — fully expect to see that number drop some more before you hit the road on your long-awaited summer vacation.

Don’t — at least, that’s what many analysts are saying.

According to Tom Kloza from the Oil Price Information Service, drivers may see a little fluctuation in gas prices over the next few months, but prices should remain more or less where they are.

True, there are some factors pulling gas prices down, like:

• The aforementioned drop in oil prices (though it usually takes weeks for that to influence prices at the pump).
• A new agreement between Iran and the West on Iran’s nuclear program, which should calm tensions and ensure an uninterrupted flow of oil from the Middle East.
• The European economic crisis, which should cut demand overseas and leave North America with a larger supply of gas. (Remember, the U.S. is now a net gas exporter.)

There are also factors pushing prices up, namely:

• Increased demand during the travel-heavy summer months.
• The pricier summer gasoline blend, which incorporates costly additives to ensure proper performance.
• The North Atlantic hurricane season, which begins this Friday. Storms entering the Gulf of Mexico can interrupt drilling and exploration activities, which don’t affect oil supply so much as send investors and analysts into panics (which probably has more impact on the price of gas than any “real” factors).

All told, those weights and counter-weights should balance out and hold prices steady for the next few months — or so say the analysts. Of course, these are the same analysts who said we’d hit $5 per gallon, so, you know, take it for what it’s worth.

Do you expect gas prices to plummet before you head out on your summer road trip? Drop us a line and tell us why, or leave a note in the comments below.

_________________

This story originally appeared at The Car Connection.

Range Rover Sport HSE 2012

The Range Rover has been around for quite a few years, and it’s aged gracefully. It’s heavy, it gulps gas and it’s pretty expensive. But with it’s sophisticated air suspension, it’s one of the most comfortable rides you will ever experience and it’s a blast to drive.

The power lift gate with adjustable height opening is a new for 2012. The bi-xenon headlights are super powerful. The LED tail lamps are a work of art.

This is a five-liter V8 that cranks out 375 horsepower. It will scoot you to the country club, zero to 60 in six and half seconds. Here’s the downside. Look away from the average miles per gallon. It gets 13 city and 18 highway, and it drinks premium. You can opt for a 510 horsepower engine too. This beautiful knob is connected to a seamless six-speed transmission.

The Range Rover comes standard with full-time, four-wheel drive and a terrain response system, which allows the driver to select the type of surface he or she is traveling on like rock crawl or mud and ruts. Most owners of this capable off-roader will never use all this stuff. But trust me, it works. The navigations system is a little quirky and slower to respond than some of the newer systems available.

This Range Rover is gorgeous. The leather feels and smells amazing. The aluminum bits look thick and the wood trim is beautifully done. I can’t say enough about the great fit and finish.

As mentioned, the majority of people who own a Range Rover will only appreciate its road prowess while navigating a pothole on the way to the golf course.

Driving this nearly three-ton vehicle in the city, a country road or highway is pure bliss. You really do get what you pay for. In this case, you’ll pay about $70,000 for quality, luxury and safety.

___________________________________________

Mike West has been on the air in Seattle for more than 30 years as part of Seattle’s best morning show teams. He also did mornings on KLOS Los Angeles for a little over a year before returning to Seattle. He currently hosts Breakfast With The Beatles every Sunday morning on CBS Seattle station KZOK, 102.5 FM.

Investigators identified the pair as 50-year-old Michael James Melillo and 38-year-old Pavlos Kaimacliotis. Both were jailed Thursday awaiting a bail hearing Friday.

The FBI says Melillo planned to kidnap an unidentified wealthy Palm Beach Gardens man because he lost $100,000 at poker and to provide for his young son. Based on informants’ tips, the FBI inserted undercover agents posing as a fellow kidnapper and as the planned victim’s wife.

The FBI even staged a photograph showing the intended victim in restraints so Melillo would think the kidnapping took place.

No attorney was listed in court records for Melillo. Kaimacliotis’s lawyer didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Administrative law Judge Ken Welsch issued the decision obtained by The Associated Press Wednesday in response to Sea World Orlando’s appeal of two citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the death of Dawn Brancheau in 2010.

He said OSHA’s recommendation that SeaWorld use the barriers to protect trainers working with killer whales was “feasible.”

The judge also said prohibiting trainers from swimming with killer whales during performances would reduce the risks inherent in working with the animals.

“There are no known cases of killer whales killing humans in the wild,” Welsch wrote. “As far as the court can tell, all known injuries to humans have occurred from interactions with killer whales in pools.”

SeaWorld had said its safety protocols were sufficient to protect trainers. The judge said that while the theme park’s safety training program was highly detailed and intensive, “it cannot remove the element of unpredictability inherent in working with killer whales.”

The order could prevent trainers from performing with the whales in the water during shows, a move SeaWorld and its trainers have opposed.

“There’s not an awful lot we’re going to be able to say about the training, at least beyond the general contours of it, until we have reviewed” the decision, said SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs.

The judge also reduced OSHA’s fine against SeaWorld Orlando to $12,000 from $75,000 and changed a “willful” citation to “serious.” A “willful” violation indicates an employer acted with intentional disregard or indifference, and that wasn’t the case with SeaWorld, the judge wrote.

“The record demonstrates SeaWorld constantly emphasized safety training and was continuously refining its safety program,” Welsch said.

Brancheau, a 40-year-old veteran trainer who adored whales, had just finished a show on Feb. 24, 2010, when she began rubbing a 22-foot male whale named Tilikum from a poolside platform. He suddenly grabbed her ponytail in his jaws and pulled her in. Witnesses said the whale played with Brancheau like a toy. An autopsy showed she died of drowning and blunt-force trauma to her head, neck and torso.

Tilikum also was involved in the death of a trainer at a marine park in British Columbia in 1991. In a separate incident, the body of a man who had sneaked into SeaWorld was found draped over Tilikum in 1999. The man either jumped, fell or was pulled into the frigid water and died of hypothermia, though he was also bruised and scratched by Tilikum.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

When the New Jersey defenseman went to fire a rebound into a seemingly wide-open net, an untimely bounce off the unsettled ice turned a potential go-ahead goal midway through the third period into another dose of frustration for the Eastern Conference champions.

The Devils had plenty of chances to score on Quick, but they cashed in only one in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Kings on Wednesday night. Fayne’s was the most obvious opportunity lost for New Jersey, which also had a goal waved off because captain Zach Parise swept the puck in with his glove.

“I was just trying to get up into the rush,” Fayne said of his blown chance. “I saw (Steve Bernier) coming down the wing. We practice a lot shooting far pad, and I was just hoping he did it. He dropped it to (Ryan Carter), and he made a nice shot. It just kind of hopped up at the last second. I got a little bit of it, but not as much as I’d like to.”

LISTEN: Devils coach Peter DeBoer after the Game 1 loss

Fayne has no goals and three assists in 19 playoff games this year, following a regular season in which he scored four goals and set up 13 over 82 games. The humidity inside the Prudential Center didn’t do him or anyone else on the choppy ice any favors.

Parise had his prime scoring chance thwarted earlier in the third during a mad scramble in the crease. Parise tried to get at the loose puck, but couldn’t get his stick freed up from the maze of bodies filling the blue paint. With no other option, Parise stuck out his left glove and shoved the puck into the open side. Unfortunately for him, it was spotted by referee Dan O’Halloran, who immediately waved his hands to signal no goal.

The play went to video review for good measure, and the sweep was picked up there, too — confirming the on-ice decision.

“It’s definitely tough knowing that if one of those go in, then it would’ve been a win for us,” Fayne said. “But also I think it’s encouraging knowing that we had those opportunities. We know if we keep playing hard, keep pressing, that we’ll get some of those bounces.”

LISTEN: Parise speaks after Game 1

Many of the Devils said they were disappointed they let a seemingly winnable home game slip away, but felt Game 2 would be different if they cleaned up their mistakes.

New Jersey has trailed in all four playoff series it has played this year, including 1-0 deficits in the two previous rounds against Philadelphia and the New York Rangers. The Devils were behind 2-1 in both the first round and the conference finals, so this early hole isn’t about to faze them.

“We’ll never give up,” forward Ilya Kovalchuk said. “It’s just the first game. The fun begins. It wasn’t our best game at all and we know that. But give them credit, they are playing a pretty good game. They scored the big goal in the end. We’ll watch the video and we’ll see what we did wrong and try to eliminate those mistakes.”

The Devils were given a complete day off on Thursday by coach Peter DeBoer, taking advantage of the two-day break before Game 2 on Saturday night. By then, they hope to have figured out the Kings’ road mojo that has produced nine straight away wins in this postseason.

“If you have chances to score this time of year and you miss on them, yeah those are opportunities lost,” Carter said. “We could’ve maybe ended the game there in regulation, things like that. That’s huge this time of year.”

The Kings also controlled the Devils’ forecheck. Quick was a factor in that as well as he showed off his puck-handling skills that are very much like Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.

New Jersey was limited to 18 shots.

“I don’t think we want Jonathan Quick to play the puck at all,” Carter said. “That’s an extra man on the breakout, just like Marty with us. We’ve got to find a way to keep it away from him so we can get our forecheck going. So often that breaks it.”

Both Kovalchuk and Carter cited the jitters as a possible explanation for the Devils’ slow start in the series opener.

“It’s a big game,” Carter said. “It’s probably the first time for a lot of us in here on this stage. Getting into a game like that in front of that crowd with that energy, I think there is going to be nerves. We maybe played that way for the first couple of minutes, but after a while we settled down.”

It simply wasn’t in time to hold down the Kings, who like the Devils advanced to the finals with an overtime victory in the conference clincher.

So New Jersey isn’t about to panic.

“A lot of that has to do with our veterans like (Patrik Elias) and (Brodeur),” Fayne said. “Those guys have been in this situation so many times that they really keep the locker room calm and positive.

“They know what it takes to win, so we kind of just feed off them.”

What’s your prediction for Game 2? Sound off in the comments below…

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The boy’s mother, Candace Mitchell, said she left him with her boyfriend for a few minutes and upon her return, the boy had head injuries from falling off a couch.

The Police said the boy didn’t receive medical attention for about five hours after the injury.

Mitchell is currently booked in the Hillsborough County Jail with a bail of $50,000.

The case is currently being investigated as a homicide.

Police are still investigating.

His night was called incredible, amazing and unbelievable — and that was by the Miami Heat.

And when it was over, Rondo could only express disappointment that the Boston Celtics needed more.

LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored eight of his 23 points in overtime and the Heat took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-111 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night, overcoming what will surely go down as the best game of Rondo’s career to move within six wins of an NBA title.

“We lost,” Rondo said, shrugging off talk of the historical ramifications of his night. “Simple as that.”

Rondo’s final numbers: 44 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds. He scored all 12 of Boston’s overtime points, giving the Celtics the lead three times, only to have the Heat answer each of those. And when he finally missed in the extra session — on a play where Rondo said he got struck in the face by Wade — then and only then could Miami put Boston away.

Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, where the Celtics will try to make this a series. No Celtics team has successfully rallied from an 0-2 hole since 1969.

“He really played his heart out and carried the load for us offensively,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. “He shot the ball, did everything possible you could ask for in him. You just hate to see an effort like that really go to waste.”

Mario Chalmers scored 22 points for Miami, which got 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists off the bench from Udonis Haslem. The entire Celtics bench combined for seven points, five rebounds and one assist.

Miami trailed by 15 points in the first half, making this the largest deficit the Heat have overcome to win a playoff game in their history. Miami had rallied from 14 points down to win twice before in the postseason, one of those being the game that clinched the 2006 NBA title.

“There just can’t be any other way with this team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And it has to be the hard way.”

The Heat won on a night where so many things — Rondo’s effort included — suggested that they were in going to be in trouble.

There was the big early deficit, a 7-for-20 shooting effort from the floor by James, Wade going scoreless until the final seconds of the first half, 16 missed free throws and two missed chances to win — both shots by James — at the end of regulation.

And if all that wasn’t enough, Boston’s Big Four were Big again. Pierce scored 21 points before fouling out. Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and added eight rebounds. Ray Allen, ailing right ankle and all, went through two gameday shooting workouts to try to snap out of a slump and apparently did, finishing with 13 points, the last three of those coming on a 3-pointer that tied the game at 99-all with 34.3 seconds left in regulation.

Miami managed to survive it all. Haslem’s dunk with 1:28 left in overtime to put Miami on top for good, Wade had a three-point play with 59.7 seconds left, and the Heat won their sixth straight East finals game going back to last season.

“One of the best games I’ve played in, win or lose,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “It’s easier said when you win — but it’s unbelievable.”

Miami was down by as many as 11 in the third quarter, before a pair of 3-pointers by James started a comeback. Wade made consecutive jumpers midway through the third to shake off a slow start to his night, and the 2006 NBA finals MVP set up Haslem for a three-point play that gave Miami its first lead since the opening minutes, 73-71.

As Haslem’s shot dropped, Wade spun at midcourt and punched the air. More highlights followed.

Miami’s lead reached seven points in the third after James blocked Pierce’s shot near the rim, sending the ball high into the air and starting a sequence that was capped by a three-point play from Wade, pushing the margin to 78-71. It capped a 12-0 run for the Heat, who took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

James stole the ball from Rondo early in the fourth, drove down the court and got wrapped up by Mickael Pietrus, who was assessed a clear-path foul, meaning Miami got two free throws and the ball. James missed both foul shots, Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer later in the possession, and the lead stayed at 85-81.

Barely a minute later, it was gone. Pietrus hit a 3-pointer, Rondo followed with a steal and layup and Boston led 86-85. The margin was out to five with 3:50 left after a jumper by Pierce, and the Celtics looked to be in control.

“We never felt like we were out of it,” Wade said.

They were right. A 9-0 run gave Miami the lead back, before Allen’s 3 tied the game. James missed a layup with 21 seconds left, but got his own rebound and extended the possession. He tried a jumper with 2 seconds left to win it, the shot missed, and the teams went to overtime, where the reigning MVP missed two more free throws to start the extra period.

“LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “And our team took 29.”

Miami finished 31 of 47 from the line, Boston was 26 of 29. The Celtics were called for 33 personal fouls, Miami 18.

Rondo nearly rendered all those talking points moot. He was 4 for 5 from the floor in overtime, but with Pierce having fouled out and Garnett and Allen having combined to play over 80 minutes at that point, it seemed like Rondo was going 1-on-5.

He almost pulled it off.

“Rondo was absolutely amazing,” James said. “The performance he put on tonight will go down in the record books.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Aphrodisiacs, in ancient times were divided into a few categories. (I will try to put this delicately.) There were the ones that made men more fertile. There were remedies designed to ensure women were more productive, as well. Of course, there were the foods to put one in the mood to take advantage of all this fertility. (And we wonder how there could be 300 million of us in this country.) We’ll take the “mood” without a side of “fertility”, thanks.

Probably the most famous mood food is the oyster; raw, of course. I like the small Kumamoto with a little mignonette, myself. A mignonette is normally finely chopped shallot, red wine vinegar and a little crushed black peppercorn.

Chocolate is considered by many to be the ultimate aphrodisiac. With it’s silky texture on the tongue and mild caffeine kick, it seems to contain all the elements for love. For a romantic ending to a meal, chocolate fondue can’t be beat. Just measure out some chocolate and scald an equal amount of cream. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until combined, keeping it warm in a fondue pot. One can dip squares of pound cake, sliced banana, cherries, marshmallows and more.

Elizabeth Dougherty has been a food writer for over 10 years, attended culinary school and holds a Bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude in Hospitality, Business and Labor Relations from NYIT. She has been a talk show host of nearly 150 episodes of Food Nation Radio which airs each Saturday morning at 6 on AM1010 CBS and other stations. You can read her articles and hear previous shows on her podcast page on the Food Nation Radio Network website.

MIAMI (AP) — Rajon Rondo posted a stat line never before seen in NBA playoff history. He was on the court for every second of a game that finished more than three hours after it started. He scored more points in a single overtime than anyone this season.

His night was called incredible, amazing and unbelievable — and that was by the Miami Heat.

And when it was over, Rondo could only express disappointment that the Boston Celtics needed more.

LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored eight of his 23 points in overtime and the Heat took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-111 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night, overcoming what will surely go down as the best game of Rondo’s career to move within six wins of an NBA title.

“We lost,” Rondo said, shrugging off talk of the historical ramifications of his night. “Simple as that.”

Rondo’s final numbers: 44 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds. He scored all 12 of Boston’s overtime points, giving the Celtics the lead three times, only to have the Heat answer each of those. And when he finally missed in the extra session — on a play where Rondo said he got struck in the face by Wade — then and only then could Miami put Boston away.

Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, where the Celtics will try to make this a series. No Celtics team has successfully rallied from an 0-2 hole since 1969.

“He really played his heart out and carried the load for us offensively,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. “He shot the ball, did everything possible you could ask for in him. You just hate to see an effort like that really go to waste.”

Mario Chalmers scored 22 points for Miami, which got 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists off the bench from Udonis Haslem. The entire Celtics bench combined for seven points, five rebounds and one assist.

Miami trailed by 15 points in the first half, making this the largest deficit the Heat have overcome to win a playoff game in their history. Miami had rallied from 14 points down to win twice before in the postseason, one of those being the game that clinched the 2006 NBA title.

“There just can’t be any other way with this team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And it has to be the hard way.”

The Heat won on a night where so many things — Rondo’s effort included — suggested that they were in going to be in trouble.

There was the big early deficit, a 7-for-20 shooting effort from the floor by James, Wade going scoreless until the final seconds of the first half, 16 missed free throws and two missed chances to win — both shots by James — at the end of regulation.

And if all that wasn’t enough, Boston’s Big Four were Big again. Pierce scored 21 points before fouling out. Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and added eight rebounds. Ray Allen, ailing right ankle and all, went through two gameday shooting workouts to try to snap out of a slump and apparently did, finishing with 13 points, the last three of those coming on a 3-pointer that tied the game at 99-all with 34.3 seconds left in regulation.

Miami managed to survive it all. Haslem’s dunk with 1:28 left in overtime to put Miami on top for good, Wade had a three-point play with 59.7 seconds left, and the Heat won their sixth straight East finals game going back to last season.

“One of the best games I’ve played in, win or lose,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “It’s easier said when you win — but it’s unbelievable.”

Miami was down by as many as 11 in the third quarter, before a pair of 3-pointers by James started a comeback. Wade made consecutive jumpers midway through the third to shake off a slow start to his night, and the 2006 NBA finals MVP set up Haslem for a three-point play that gave Miami its first lead since the opening minutes, 73-71.

As Haslem’s shot dropped, Wade spun at midcourt and punched the air. More highlights followed.

Miami’s lead reached seven points in the third after James blocked Pierce’s shot near the rim, sending the ball high into the air and starting a sequence that was capped by a three-point play from Wade, pushing the margin to 78-71. It capped a 12-0 run for the Heat, who took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

James stole the ball from Rondo early in the fourth, drove down the court and got wrapped up by Mickael Pietrus, who was assessed a clear-path foul, meaning Miami got two free throws and the ball. James missed both foul shots, Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer later in the possession, and the lead stayed at 85-81.

Barely a minute later, it was gone. Pietrus hit a 3-pointer, Rondo followed with a steal and layup and Boston led 86-85. The margin was out to five with 3:50 left after a jumper by Pierce, and the Celtics looked to be in control.

“We never felt like we were out of it,” Wade said.

They were right. A 9-0 run gave Miami the lead back, before Allen’s 3 tied the game. James missed a layup with 21 seconds left, but got his own rebound and extended the possession. He tried a jumper with 2 seconds left to win it, the shot missed, and the teams went to overtime, where the reigning MVP missed two more free throws to start the extra period.

“LeBron James took 24 free throws tonight,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “And our team took 29.”

Miami finished 31 of 47 from the line, Boston was 26 of 29. The Celtics were called for 33 personal fouls, Miami 18.

Rondo nearly rendered all those talking points moot. He was 4 for 5 from the floor in overtime, but with Pierce having fouled out and Garnett and Allen having combined to play over 80 minutes at that point, it seemed like Rondo was going 1-on-5.

He almost pulled it off.

“Rondo was absolutely amazing,” James said. “The performance he put on tonight will go down in the record books.”

NOTES: It’s the 10th time Miami has taken a 2-0 series lead. The Heat prevailed in each of the previous nine. … Haslem had his first postseason double-double since 2009. … Wade played in his 100th playoff game. … Celtics F Greg Stiemsma had four fouls in the first quarter, the first NBA player to do that since 2009. … Rondo had 22 points in the first half for just the second time in his career. He also did it Feb. 22, 2009 at Phoenix.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Alexei Ramirez drove in two runs and the White Sox extended their season-best winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Chicago left-hander Jose Quintana was ejected by plate umpire Mark Wegner with two outs in the fourth when he threw a pitch behind Ben Zobrist at knee level. Chicago manager Robin Ventura was also tossed by Wegner for arguing.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Ventura said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I was shocked. Usually if the guy feels it (had) intent, he gives warning and it goes from there, but it just shocked me.”

Quintana, through a translator, said he was not throwing at Zobrist.

“I was going to throw a fastball, but A.J. (Pierzynski) asked him for a changeup and instead of crossing him over, I went through and it just slipped away,” Quintana said.

Tampa Bay right-hander Alex Cobb (2-1) hit a pair of White Sox batters — Gordon Beckham during the first and Pierzynski in the third — during the game. Pierzynski was hit with a man on second and one out.

“I was just trying to get a fastball in, and yanked it a little bit,” Cobb said of the pitch that struck Pierzynski.

Pierzynski had made what Rays manager Joe Maddon called an awkward slide involving Zobrist in Tuesday night’s game.

“I didn’t ask for anything right there,” Maddon said.

Maddon said Wegner handled the situation well.

“When a pitcher throws behind somebody like that, it’s pretty obvious what their intent was regardless of the denials on the other side,” Maddon said. “I thought the home plate umpire did a great job, actually. That really stopped everything in its tracks.”

Dayan Viciedo had a run-scoring single and Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to help Chicago take a 3-1 lead in the third. Ramirez made it 4-1 with an RBI double in the fifth.

Luke Scott and Carlos Pena homered for the Rays, who have lost nine of their last 13 games at home.

“We’re not really playing a high level of baseball right now,” Maddon said. “Too many mistakes on the field.”

Addison Reed worked out of trouble in the ninth for his sixth save. Pena drew a leadoff walk, with pinch-runner Rich Thompson advancing to second on Matt Joyce’s one-out single. Zobrist and Scott then both popped out to shallow left.

“Anytime we get out there with a lead, we want to shut it down, but especially with everything that happened early on in the game you kind of want it a little more, to really shut the door on them,” Reed said.

Pena hit a two-run homer off Nate Jones (3-0) in the sixth.

Alex Rios hit a first-inning RBI single. Tampa Bay tied it at 1 on Scott’s opposite-field homer to left in the second.

Cobb worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second. After Alejandro De Aza hit a grounder and Beckham struck out, Adam Dunn hit a fly to center that B.J. Upton caught on the warning track.

Quintana allowed one run and one hit in 3 2-3 innings. Cobb gave up four runs and nine hits over five innings.

De Aza left in the sixth when he was hit near the right knee by the ball while diving back to second on J.P. Howell’s pick off attempt.

NOTES: Tampa Bay DH-LF Hideki Matsui was out of the lineup one day after homering in his Rays’ debut. He entered in the sixth and went 0 for 2. … Matsui will earn $615,519 from his contract with the Rays if he stays on the 40-man roster for the rest of the season. Matsui was put on the 40-man roster Tuesday, meaning he will earn 128 days of major league pay from the 183-day season. His contract lists an $880,000 salary while in the majors and a $250,000 salary while in the minors. … White Sox LHP John Danks (strained left shoulder) threw at 60 feet on level ground and could rejoin the rotation early next week. … Chicago 3B Brent Morel (lower back strain) is set to start a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. … Rays OF Desmond Jennings (sprained left knee) is scheduled to start playing in minor league rehab games Thursday.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

In an order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said the trial scheduled to start Jan. 14, 2013, will be conducted in at least two phases.

The first phase will explore possible causes of the April 2010 well blowout that triggered a deadly rig explosion and led to the massive oil spill. The second phase will address efforts to stop the flow of oil from BP’s Macondo well.

Barbier said he may issue partial rulings at the end of each phase.

A trial originally scheduled to start in February was postponed indefinitely after the settlement was announced.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

All of those in combination were the reason for the Bucs woes. If they were doing one thing right, they were doing three things wrong. They couldn’t maintain consistency at the quarterback position and the defense never seemed to give a worthwhile effort.

The Buccaneers defense gave up the most points in team history in 2011 while ranking third worst in team history with a point differential of negative-207. Even though the defense intercepted 14 passes (20th in the NFL) and recovered 10 fumbles (14th best in the NFL), they recorded an NFL-worst 23 sacks.

The key to any defense is being able to get pressure on the quarterback. If the quarterback has time in the pocket to throw, receivers will get open. NFL quarterbacks rely on timing and precision, and without an effective pass-rush, that timing will go unscathed.

Before the week-eight bye-week, the Bucs defense let up 24 points per game, in which the team went 4-3. After the bye-week, the defense let up 36 points per game and the team went 0-9.

Now to the offensive side of the ball. If a Bucs fan was asked about the identity of the team’s offense, they would probably say it is a team built for the trenches — especially with a running back like LeGarrette Blount.

The Bucs, as a team, had the LEAST rushing attempts of any team in the NFL and ranked third-to-last in rush yards. The Bucs also had 588 passing attempts, which was seventh most in the entire NFL.

Apart from the Buccaneers, the other nine teams categorized in the top-10 in pass attempts averaged 25.8 points per game. That must mean the Bucs offense scored a lot, right? Nope. The Bucs, with the seventh highest passing total in the NFL, scored 17.9 points per game — good for 27th in the league.

With those numbers, the Bucs play selection comes out to passing almost two-thirds of the time. With a young set of receivers and a bruising running back like Blount, this team MUST run the ball more than it’s 2011 average of 21.6 times per game.

Granted, the Bucs were playing from behind a lot of the time last season, but the team needs to assert its gameplan onto its opponent. While Raheem Morris was the head coach, it looked like a gameplan was a rarity.

There is absolutely no excuse for a team built like the Buccaneers to pass the ball as much as they did.

When Josh Freeman had a quarterback rating of over 85, the Bucs had a chance. When Freeman’s rating dropped below that mark, the team was a cinder block in the ocean.

In his career, Freeman has played well against the NFC East, which is a telling sign to how his career should turn out. However, against specifically the Atlanta Falcons, Freeman threw five interceptions in just two games.

In wins, Freeman was sacked once every 35 pass attempts and threw an interception once every 48 attempts. In losses, he was sacked once every 16 pass attempts and threw interceptions once every 21 attempts.

As a whole, the Bucs ranked last in the NFL in turnover differential — tying a league-worst 30 offensive fumbles and third-worst 24 interceptions thrown.

After looking at these numbers, it is absolutely apparent that the Bucs didn’t do any one, two or three things wrong, but a whole plethora of wrongs were committed.

Moving forward, the defense can’t get much worse than it performed last season. However, the team must find a way to generate some sacks and disrupt the pocket for opposing quarterbacks. It is imperative that the defense also forces more turnovers.

With the additions of Lavonte David and Mark Barron, the Bucs infused the defense with some young talent that will help improve the unit.

On offense, the Buccaneers must call plays that resemble a more balanced attack. The offensive line is going to be a strength, which plays directly into getting LeGarrette  Blount and rookie Doug Martin more carries.

A more balanced offense means that the Bucs will be less predictable. It also gives them a chance to play into team strengths.

With a strong offensive line, teams will have a hard time not only stopping the running game, but getting to Josh Freeman on passing downs. With a successful running game. there is space down the field to get the ball to guys like Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams and Dallas Clark.

While all of the Buccaneers’ woes may not be eliminated this season, with more discipline and a more cognizant gameplan, this will be a much more efficient team in every facet of the game.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Police say they’ve made an arrest in the 2009 slaying of a University of Tampa student.

Tampa police announced Wednesday that they’ve charged 22-year-old David Earl Williams Jr., who was already serving a prison sentence in South Florida for unrelated crimes.

Williams is charged with fatally shooting 21-year-old Ryan McCall while robbing the cross-country runner and a friend near the downtown campus in August 2009.

Police said Williams was developed as a likely suspect in the weeks after the crime. But it wasn’t until recently that other information and tips from the jail allowed investigators to build a case against him.

Detectives who went to interview Williams in prison last week said he admitted the robbery, but he said a second suspect killed McCall. However, detectives believe Williams acted alone.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Debbie Piscitella was arrested Monday after she allegedly choked a teenage boy in a local mall, physically confronting him about several disparaging Facebook posts he had made about Piscitella’s teenage daughter.

St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz told CBS Tampa that Piscitella, 46, and her daughter were at Tyrone Square Mall on Monday afternoon when the girl noticed a classmate of hers.

“The girl had received some Facebook postings from this boy that were apparently very rude and disrespectful,” said Puetz, adding that he didn’t know exactly what was said.

As soon as the 13-year-old daughter pointed the boy out to her mother, Piscitella proceeded to grab the boy’s throat and began to choke him for “about five to eight seconds,” Puetz said.

Shaken by the incident, the 14-year-old boy would notify the police. The boy’s mother decided to press charges when she saw the red marks on his neck, according to WTSP. WTSP also reports that once Piscitella was arrested, she tried to tell police that the choking was accidental.

Piscitella has been charged with child abuse. She was released on $5,000 bail on Tuesday.

It has been only four days since Eugene chewed off most of Ronald Poppo’s face on the side of MacArthur Causeway in Miami. The incident remains one of the most bizarre, ugly reactions to the usage of a recreational drug in recent memory.

“The guy, he was like a zombie, blood dripping, it was intense,” witness Larry Vega told the New York Daily News. “The closest thing I’ve seen to it? ‘The Walking Dead.’”

Now, authorities are looking at the role that bath salts had on the chemical and psychological state of Eugene, regarded by family, friends and neighbors as a relatively normal guy. Even as the rate of reported bath salts-related incidents is on the decline, the prevalence of bath salts in the wake of the face-eating incident remains at a high level, despite the designer drug being banned in a majority of states.

Even before the Miami incident, bath salts were already feeling the heat from U.S. lawmakers. Last week, the Senate passed the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, banning dozens of synthetic drugs. Under the act, bath salts would be included as a banned drug in the Controlled Substance Act, as well as 2C-E, a hallucinogen, and synthetic marijuana such as “spice.” Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania told CQ Roll Call that the current language in the bill, which includes bath salts, will be in the final FDA bill that will be eventually signed by President Barack Obama into law.

As of April, 34 of 50 states have banned bath salts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But concerns remain in regard to where the usage of bath salts will be heading following the face-eating incident. Last year, the government banned mephedrone and MDPV, two common ingredients in bath salts, in an effort to help curb the increased usage. But like other synthetic drugs, there have been chemical modifications made to bath salts sold in head shops, thus making them legal outside the realm of prohibited chemicals. In the case of Eugene, his usage of bath salts that were potentially chemically-altered may have contributed to the more aggressive behavior.

“For [Eugene] to participate in this type of behavior is not something that’s considered unusual, but these bath salts could have contributed to his bizarre behavior,” Bernard Sangalli, director of the Connecticut Poison Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center, told CBS Miami. Connecticut is one of the states that has yet to legislatively ban bath salts. “Many times, these might be mixtures of the drug’s active component and oftentimes, the formulation could be changed based on the availability of the specific and full drug analog. There possibly could have been a mixture used from the supplier or source to get a cheaper or more plentiful version of the drug.”

He added: “What’s happening at this point is that in order to get around the particular types of bath salts that are trying to be outlawed or regulated, people are seeking substitutes that have changes in the molecular structure of the compound to try to get around these laws.”

Despite a significant jump in the number of reported bath salt-related incidents since 2010, recent statistics indicate that the rate of the number of bath salt-related incidents that are reported has taken a dip since last year. After an almost 2,000-percent jump between the number of reported bath salts-related incidents in 2010 and 2011, the rate that bath salt-related incidents are being reported in 2012 has cooled off, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. From the start of the year through April 30, there have been 1,007 phone calls made to AAPCC regarding bath salts, according to its latest statistics. This year, the rate for bath salt-related phone calls is down around 33 percent from the 6,138 total bath salt-calls in 2011.

Still, questions continue to linger nationwide following the role that bath salts played in the face-eating incident. Chemical modifications to bath salts could continue to happen if the market for the synthetic drug continues to be steady.

“It’s the same thing we’ve had with marijuana,” an official with the New York State Health Department told CBS Miami. “You can put this [legislation] in, but people will still find ways to get it.”

“The magic, to me, is sliping away. The pitching has carried this team,” Justin Pawlowski, The Commish said.

After a disastrous sixth inning against the White Sox on Tuesday night  in which the Rays let up five runs, the special feeling from this injury-riddled team has slowly started to fade.

It could be the mere fact that the Rays best players are on the DL, or the fact that reserve players are being relied on to play full-time.

Even though the Rays aren’t the only team in the AL East with injury concerns, they are a step behind those teams in one key category – that being money.

“When you have the money these other teams have you can afford to buy depth. You can afford to bring in players to replace your stars,” Justin said. “The Rays aren’t that fortunate. They’ve got to rely on super utility players to play every day and hope to get by. So when you talk about defying the odds, the Rays have defied the odds”

Right now, the Rays are just trying to stay above the surface until players like Evan Longoria and Desmond Jennings can return to the lineup.

“We haven’t seen the best guys on the field in a long time,” Justin said.

Demond Jennings will likely be returning soon, while Longoria still has to rehab his torn hamstring.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A fourth teen has been arrested in the brutal beating of a U.S. Army sergeant on a Tampa street earlier this month.

Tampa police said 18-year-old Brandon Miller turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued last week. Police said that Miller was uncooperative and showed no remorse when he was booked into the jail Tuesday.

The mugging of 24-year-old Johnny Aparicio gained national attention when security-camera footage of him being punched and kicked in the May 13 incident was released to the media. Police subsequently arrested three teens and charged them with aggravated battery and robbery.

Miller was being held on $50,000 bail. Jail records don’t list an attorney.

Aparicio, who sustained facial injuries, is recovering.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Is Doc as angry about last night’s officiating as everyone else is? What did Doc do to get that technical last night? What led up to the technical call on Doc?

“Listen, the officiating’s not why we lost the game. Obviously I had my issue and I can only say so much, but we have to play better as a team,” Rivers said. “That’s one of the things [officiating] we can’t focus on.”

Rivers did say that there was nothing else that precipitated his technical foul other than his saying, “Come on, Eddie” to referee Ed Malloy.

“I was surprised by it,” Rivers said. “Let me just put it that way.”

Rivers, though, doesn’t see Monday night’s officiating as a sign that there’s any type of conspiracy at play.

“I did TV years ago and it’s funny, every city I went into, those fans thought that there was a conspiracy,” Rivers said. “Obviously, it’s tough, it just is, so I try to stay away from the subject. But I don’t think there is.”

Regarding Ray Allen, is there more than just the ankle that is giving him problems? How tough is it for Doc to control Ray Allen’s minutes?

“He just has to try to figure it out,” Rivers said. “It’s a tough one. It’s as tough a decision you have because you’re still waiting for one [shot] to go in. But if it doesn’t go in, you have to make the choice, is he doing anything else? His spacing on the floor is terrific, he gives you that. But defensively he’s struggling as well, so every game we have to make a choice right now with Ray. … I will say this — I think 38 minutes is too much for Ray right now. We have to do a better job of managing his minutes and his minutes in a row.”

Rivers said he and the team haven’t made any decision about possibly resting Allen for a game, adding that the trainers aren’t even positive that a potential four-day rest would even help Allen heal.

How worried is Doc about the matchups against the Miami Heat? How healthy is Paul Pierce?

How comfortable are the Heat playing against the C’s? How has LeBron James changed since last season?

Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs is defended by Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 29, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. (credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs are making this look way too easy.

Parker had 34 points and eight assists, Manu Ginobili added 20 points and the Spurs stayed perfect in the playoffs with a 120-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday night.

So far, the Spurs have turned a hotly anticipated matchup between the league’s top two scoring teams into a lopsided mismatch more befitting of an early round.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Oklahoma City, and the Thunder can only hope that a change of venue throws San Antonio out of its groove. The Spurs put on an offensive clinic for three quarters on Tuesday night, shooting 60 percent and building a 22-point lead.

“We like to play like that,” said Parker, who hit 16 of 21 shots. “That’s the way we play.”

The Spurs set an NBA record with their 20th consecutive victory bridging the regular season and the playoffs. They came in sharing the longest such streak with the 2000-01 Lakers, who won 19 straight before losing to Philadelphia in the first game of the finals.

Those Lakers went on to win the championship and Parker’s performance is yet another reason to think the Spurs will do the same.

“It’s great and it is a great run,” said Tim Duncan, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds. “But we are only worried about the next two wins in this series. That is all that matters, at this point.”

The Thunder made a late surge to get within six points, but Parker, Ginobili and Duncan helped San Antonio finish them off. Oklahoma City is 5-0 at home in the playoffs, but only 14 teams have come back from 2-0 deficits to win a series in NBA playoff history.

“First, we’ve got to worry about Game 3,” Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said. “Regardless of what’s going on with this last game or the next game, we’ve got to worry about Game 3 and come in with the same mindset and try to get a win.”

Kevin Durant had 31 points, Westbrook had 27 points and eight assists and James Harden rebounded from a rough Game 1 to score 30 for the Thunder, who have lost two straight for the first time since early April. Oklahoma City dropped to 15-4 in games after losses this season.

“There are no moral victories for us,” Durant said. “We were down. We dug ourselves a hole. We did what we normally do, which is fight all game, and we lost.”

San Antonio picked up where it left off from the 39-point fourth quarter that turned Game 1 on Sunday. With sharp passes and hot shooting, the Spurs jumped to a 19-9 lead after the Thunder missed six of their first seven shots and had three turnovers in the first 4 minutes.

Durant was on the bench at the start of the second quarter, and Parker and the Spurs put together a 14-4 spurt to stretch the gap to 13 points. Westbrook hammered Parker’s arm on a drive and he crumpled to the court. That didn’t faze Parker, who scored the Spurs’ next seven points to keep San Antonio rolling.

The Spurs shot 58 percent (22 of 38) and had 13 assists in the first half. They also cut down their turnovers, committing only six in the first half after giving away 14 in the first two quarters of Game 1.

“You never go out and say, `We’re going to start out fast,”‘ San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “You don’t know what is going to happen. You just want your team to be aggressive.”

After the break, the Spurs resumed picking apart Oklahoma City’s defense with precision passes, scoring on five straight possessions. The biggest cheer from the crowd came after Ginobili flipped a behind-the-back pass to Parker in the corner for another 3 and the lead ballooned to 78-58.

Late in the third quarter, the Thunder began intentionally fouling Tiago Splitter, a 32 percent free-throw shooter during the playoffs.

That backfired, too. Splitter went 5 for 10 over a 54-second span before Popovich replaced him with Duncan, and Oklahoma City trailed by the same margin — 16 — that it did when Brooks called for the “Hack-a-Splitter” strategy.

It may not have showed on the scoreboard, but the Spurs seemed to lose their edge after that.

“There’s a reason why you do it, to kill the rhythm,” Parker said. “I think it got us out of our rhythm.”

Parker, Ginobili and Duncan were on the court together at the 8-minute mark, after the Thunder cut the deficit to eight. Ginobili’s floater in the lane was only the Spurs’ third field goal of the fourth quarter and put San Antonio up 99-89.

The Thunder had the deficit down to six with just over 5 minutes remaining. The Spurs missed 12 of 15 shots during one stretch, but Parker hit an off-balance, high-arcing jumper with 3:39 left for a 107-96 lead and San Antonio controlled the game from there.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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A Chinese man called the “cannibal monster” was arrested two weeks ago for the murder and mutilation of at least 20 people in Yunnan province.

Several reports indicate 56-year-old Zhang Yongming ate his victims, sold the victims’ flesh to others and also fed them to his dog. Many of the victims were young boys.

Hong Kong’s The Standard reports that authorities found wine bottles with eye balls inside of them and pieces of flesh hanging in his home.

Yongming – who was convicted of murder in 1978 – was released from prison in 1997.

In North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported earlier this month that three people were executed over the past few years for cannibalism. A man was executed for killing a girl and eating her in December 2009 and a father and son were killed in 2006 after being found guilty of cannibalism.

The victim of the gruesome attack in Miami, 65-year-old Ronald Poppo, remains in critical condition after 31-year-old Rudy Eugene attacked him and ate his face on Saturday. Police shot and killed Eugene at the scene after ordering him to stop.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Philip Humber didn’t match the performance in his previous win. Nearly impossible to do that.

After more than a month without a win, though, he was still pretty happy.

Humber won for the first time since throwing a perfect game in April, and the Chicago White Sox extended their winning streak to seven games by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 on Tuesday night.

“I just tried to simplify things,” Humber said. “My only goal was let’s not walk anybody. I walked one guy, but at the same time, I feel like that’s really kind of been what’s been biting me lately. I’ve just been beating myself a lot. That was something I was kind of proud, just being able to pound the strike zone.”

Hideki Matsui homered in his Tampa Bay debut. The Rays purchased the 2009 World Series MVP’s contract from Triple-A Durham before the game.

Humber (2-2) was 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA over six starts since his gem against Seattle on April 21. The right-hander allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings Tuesday.

“It was a good start and hopefully something I can build on,” Humber said.

Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo both had two RBIs for the White Sox, who have won six in a row on the road.

Ramirez had an RBI double during a five-run sixth against James Shields (6-3) as Chicago took a 6-2 lead. A.J. Pierzynski, Viciedo and Orlando Hudson hit run-scoring singles, while Alejandro De Aza drove in a run with a grounder.

“We were able to get to him one inning,” said White Sox DH Adam Dunn, who started the sixth by drawing a walk. “Other than that, he shut us down. I know that we were going to have to really grind it out against him. He’s one of the best in the game, and anytime you get a guy like that and something kind of goes wrong, you need to take advantage of it.”

Shields gave up six runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Matsui put the Rays ahead 2-0 on a long homer to right off a Humber fastball in the fourth. It was his first homer since Sept. 19 against Texas while with Oakland.

“It was nice to hit the home run, but we lost the game,” Matsui said through a translator. “Physically I feel fine. So hopefully I can just keep building from here.”

Matsui, who turns 38 on June 12, started in left field. He played 13 games with Durham after signing a minor league contract with Tampa Bay on April 30.

“He’s been a quality batsman in the league for a long time,” Humber said. “First pitch of the at-bat, I felt like it was a pretty decent pitch, but he put a good swing on it. You’ve got to tip your cap sometimes, but he’s a good hitter and it’s not a mistake he’s been around as long as he has.”

The White Sox got to 2-1 in the fifth when Viciedo singled, went to third when Shields was charged with an error for an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Ramirez’s single.

Viciedo hit a solo shot in the eighth. The White Sox have homered in 15 consecutive games.

“We just weren’t at the top of our game,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Chicago’s Paul Konerko went 0 for 4, including three strikeouts, to stop his 14-game hitting streak.

NOTES: Matsui got a nice ovation, with a few fans giving him a standing ovation, before his first at-bat. He finished 1 for 4. … Viciedo has driven in 12 runs in his last six games. … Maddon said 3B Evan Longoria (partial tear left hamstring) continues improving, but is at least a few weeks away from being ready for a minor league rehab assignment. … Pierzynski has 12 RBIs over his last 12 games. … With the addition of Matsui, Tampa Bay DH Luke Scott could get some playing time at first base.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Justin Pawlowski was joined today on The Commish by Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune to talk about the Bucs status at this point in the offseason.

“This team is going to be as in shape as any. They want to use this heat to their advantage,” Justin said.

“We’ve heard that before from previous coaches, Cummings said. “I’m not sure we’ve seen it addressed this early in an offseason program.”

The Florida heat has a tendency to take its toll on athletes, and Schiano is doing his due diligence trying to get this team acclimated to that heat.

“It’s clear that it’s not just another example of discipline, but he’s got a method behind his madness making sure these guys are getting into top shape,” Cummings said.

There are a lot of players on this roster that have something to prove. It is apparent that before proving play on the field, players must first pass the test of conditioning by training in this brutal heat.

Is this going to be the most in-shape team in Buccaneers history? Let’s not jump the gun just yet, but as Justin said, it’ll be hard to find a team in better shape than the Bucs this season.

AUDIO: More Bucs news, including changes for Josh Freeman, Jeremy Zuttah’s new role in the offense and the expectations for Quincy Black heading into the season.

The team announced the move before Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

Matsui, who turns 38 on June 12, played 13 games with Durham after signing a minor league contract with Tampa Bay on April 30. He has played nine seasons in the major leagues with the New York Yankees (2003-09), Los Angeles Angels (2010) and Oakland Athletics (2011) following a 10-year career with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Central League.

To make room for Matsui on the roster, the Rays optioned outfielder-designated hitter Stephen Vogt to Durham and transferred outfielder Brandon Guyer from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

First Friday St. Pete
Friday 5:30pm – 10pm
Central Ave. between 2nd and 3rd Street
Downtown St. Petersburg
Website: www.firstfridaystpete.com 

Friday night Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg again will be transformed into a large block party starting at 5:30pm.  Come out and meet up with old and new friends and enjoy some of the best live jazz and oldies Tampa Bay. The band this month is Tin Pan Alley. In addition to a live music – there will be many charming pubs, restaurants and wine and cigar bars to hang out in. Tampa radio station Q105 will be on hand too.

For a suggestion on where to eat for First Friday click HERE.

_________________________________________________

Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles
Fri – 7:10pm / Sat – 4:10pm  (Concert) / Sun – 1:40pm
Tickets: (800) 745-3000
Tropicana Field
1 Tropicana Dr. / Saint Petersburg 33705
Website: raysbaseball.com 

Come watch the Rays and Baltimore Orioles battle it out for first place. Friday night the first 10,000 will receive a Jeremy Hellickson Rookie of the Year Figurine. Saturday’s concert is: LL COOL J FEATURING DJ Z-TRIP. Sunday’s giveaway will be a Desmond Jennings Bobblehead to the first 10,000 kids 14 & under. Tickets start at $20.75.

For a list of the Best Baseball Bars click HERE.

__________________________________________________

Brothers of the Sun Tour featuring Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Saturday Pre-party Noon – 6:30
Concert: 4:30pm / Tickets: $45 – $285
Raymond James Stadium
4201 North Dale Mabry / Tampa 33607

Pre-Party starts at noon (between gates C & D) and is free. Beer, food & live music. Win tickets to SandBar and upcoming shows. Staging for both Chesney and McGraw’s set includes an LED video wall with nearly 2,400,000 pixels for sharpness and clarity. Lighting for Chesney’s set includes 80 strobes and 48 Syncrolites that are placed throughout the stadium to send five foot diameter beams of light criss-crossing the night sky.

Children 2 and under are free if they sit in their parent/guardian’s lap.

Show Schedule:
Free Corona Light Preparty 12 – 6:30
Jake Owen – 4:30
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – 5:30
Tim McGraw – 6:30
Kenny Chesney – 8:30

Click here for a list of the Best Tampa Bay Party Concerts In June.

_________________________________________________

www.cirqueoverthepark.com

Cirque Over The Park
Saturday / 5pm – 11pm
Curtis Hixon Park
600 N. Ashley Drive / Tampa 33602
Website:  www.cirqueoverthepark.com 

Tampa Bay’s newest, most unique entertainment concept featuring high flying Cirque-style aerialist and acrobats overhead, upscale chill style VIP lounge furnishings, gourmet food trucks, cocktails, beer, wine, musconic and merriment for all! Cost: $20 general admission or $75 VIP

_________________________________________________

Downtown Digital – Block Party 2012

( Photo credit www.digi-fest.com )

Saturday all day at Jannus Live
200 1st Avenue N. / St. Petersburg 33701
(727) 776-5774 / Website: www.digi-fest.com 

Downtown Digital will feature the latest and biggest sounds from across the country, along with the hottest emerging artists. What better way to relieve that post exam stress. We’ll be mixin’ it up with some breakbeat, dubstep, hip hop and more. Live music and DJs makes this a sick all day party for everyone.

For more information on weekend events current and future click HERE.

The Booze Cruize Brunch
Sunday 11am – 3pm
Gaspar’s Grotto
1805 E Seventh Ave. / Tampa 33605
(813) 200-7731  / Website: www.gasparsgrotto.com 

Every Sunday the best brunch in Tampa comes from “the galley” at Gaspar’s Grotto. Unlimited mimosas, a 3oz carafe of vodka to mix your own Bloody Marys or Scewdrivers, great buffet and hot food too. Dogs are welcomed

_________________________________________________

Styx in Concert
Sunday at 7:03 pm
Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 McMullen Booth Rd. / Clearwater 33759
Tickets: $35 – $79.50 / Website: www.rutheckerdhall.com  

_________________________________________________

Neil Diamond
Sunday at 8 pm
Tampa Bay Times Forum
401 Channelside Dr. / Tampa 33602
Tickets: $47.10 – $134.40
(813) 301-6500 / Website: www.tampabaytimesforum.com

Did we miss your favorie event? Have a current or future event you’d like us to write about? Email all event suggestions to barbara.Kelley@cbsradio.com.  You can also leave comments in the section below. CBS Tampa values your comments and opinions.

Related articles

• Best Tampa Bay Party Concerts In June (tampa.cbslocal.com)
• Best Tampa Bay Concerts In July (tampa.cbslocal.com)

First Friday St. Pete
Friday 5:30pm – 10pm
Central Ave. between 2nd and 3rd Street
Downtown St. Petersburg
Website: www.firstfridaystpete.com 

Friday night Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg again will be transformed into a large block party starting at 5:30pm.  Come out and meet up with old and new friends and enjoy some of the best Jazz and oldies in the Tampa Bay area. The band is Tin Pan Alley. In addition to live music – there will be many charming pubs, restaurants and wine and cigar bars to hang out in.

For a suggestion on where to eat for First Friday click HERE

_________________________________________________

Tampa Bay Rays vs Baltimore Orioles
Fri – 7:10pm / Sat – 4:10pm  (Concert) / Sun – 1:40pm
Tickets: (800) 745-3000
Tropicana Field
1 Tropicana Dr. / Saint Petersburg 33705
Website: raysbaseball.com 

Come watch the Rays and Baltimore Orioles battle for first place in the AL East. Friday night first 10,000 recieve Jeremy Hellickson Rookie of the Year Figurine. Saturday’s concert will be: LL COOL J FEATURING DJ Z-TRIP. Sunday: Desmond Jennings Bobblehead to the first 10,000 kids 14 & under. Tickets start at $20.75.

For a list of the Best Baseball Bars click HERE.

__________________________________________________

Brothers of the Sun Tour featuring Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Saturday Pre-party Noon – 6:30
Concert: 4:30pm / Tickets: $45 – $285
Raymond James Stadium
4201 North Dale Mabry / Tampa 33607

Pre-Party starts at noon (between gates C & D) and is free. Beer, food & live music. Win tickets to SandBar and upcoming shows. Staging for both Chesney and McGraw’s set includes an LED video wall with nearly 2,400,000 pixels for sharpness and clarity. Lighting for Chesney’s set includes 80 strobes and 48 Syncrolites that are placed throughout the stadium to send five foot diameter beams of light criss-crossing the night sky.

Children 2 and under are free if they sit in their parent/guardian’s lap.

Show Schedule:
Free Corona Light Preparty 12 – 6:30
Jake Owen – 4:30
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – 5:30
Tim McGraw – 6:30
Kenny Chesney – 8:30

For more info on the concert click HERE.

_________________________________________________

Photo credit: www.cirqueoverthepark.com

Cirque Over The Park
Saturday / 5pm – 11pm
Curtis Hixon Park
600 N. Ashley Drive / Tampa 33602
Website:  www.cirqueoverthepark.com 

Tampa Bay newest, most unique entertainment concept featuring high flying Cirque-style aerialist and acrobats overhead, upscale chill style VIP lounge furnishings, gourmet food trucks, cocktails, beer, wine, music and fun for all! Cost: $20 general admission or $75 VIP

_________________________________________________

Poster Credit: www.digi-fest.com

Downtown Digital – Block Party 2012
Saturday all day
Jannus Live
200 1st Avenue N. / St. Petersburg 33701
(727) 776-5774 / Website: www.digi-fest.com 

Downtown Digital will feature the latest and biggest sounds from across the country, along with the hottest emerging artists. What better way to relieve that post exam stress. We’ll be mixin’ it up with some breakbeat, dubstep, hip hop and more. Live music and DJs makes this a sick all round, all day
party for everyone.

For more information on weekend events current and future click HERE.

The Booze Cruize Brunch
Sunday 11am – 3pm
Gaspar’s Grotto
1805 E Seventh Ave. / Tampa 33605
(813) 200-7731  / Website: www.gasparsgrotto.com 

Every Sunday the best brunch in Tampa comes from “the galley” at Gaspar’s Grotto. Unlimited mimosas, a 3oz carafe of vodka to mix your own Bloody Marys or Scewdrivers, great buffet and hot food too. Served on their beautiful tropical patio or inside. Dogs are welcomed on the patio. There’s even a doggie brunch menu!

_________________________________________________

Styx in Concert
Sunday at 7:03 pm
Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 McMullen Booth Rd. / Clearwater 33759
Tickets: $35 – $79.50 / Website: www.rutheckerdhall.com  

_________________________________________________

Neil Diamond
Sunday at 8 pm
Tampa Bay Times Forum
401 Channelside Dr. / Tampa 33602
Tickets: $47.10 – $134.40
(813) 301-6500 / Website: www.tampabaytimesforum.com

Related articles

• Best Tampa Bay Party Concerts In June (tampa.cbslocal.com)
• Best Upscale Cigar Bars in Tampa & Pinellas (tampa.cbslocal.com)

Each week we’ll be providing you with insight into the best (and worst) baseball players to play in your fantasy baseball league.

As I turn in this week’s column, I own a three strikeout lead on my opponent in my one head-to-head league, and he still has Jonny Venters in the Sunday Night game. If I don’t turn in a column next week, it’s because the suspense has killed me.

5 UP

1. Norichika Aoki, OF, MIL: Aoki has moved into an everyday role in right field for Milwaukee, forcing their hand with his performance so far this season. Another 2-for-4 day Sunday raises his average to .313 with decent doubles power and a healthy 8.4% walk rate. He has 11 runs in 95 plate appearances and that rate should skyrocket with regular plate appearances in front of Ryan Braun. He won’t provide much in RBI or HR, and he only has one stolen base, but it can be extremely hard to find high-average guys at this point in the season and Aoki could be one.

2. Tom Wilhelmsen, RP, SEA: With Brandon League out as closer in Seattle, the Mariners are going to a committee. Expect Wilhelmsen to come out on top. The 28-year-old righty has 30 strikeouts in just 24.1 innings and is the best righty in the Mariners’ pen at this time. Don’t be fooled by his 4.44 ERA – a 3.24 FIP suggests that number will come down, and with a hot start he could entrench himself as Seattle’s closer.

3. Colby Rasmus, OF, TOR: Rasmus scorched the ball this week, going 10-for-28 (.357) with two homers, two steals and five RBI. The main scourge behind his .227/.298/.411 line remains a .260 BABIP. Owners who pick him up now likely won’t have to deal with that and can reap the benefits of hitter-friendly Rogers Centre as he heats up. He could be a sneakily cheap source of both power and steals.

4. Adam Wainwright, SP, STL: Wainwright followed up a shutout gem earlier in the week with a six inning, one run start Sunday against the Phillies, giving him just one run allowed in his last 15 innings. It’s time to buy on Wainwright. He’s seen his velocity tick up, particularly on his cutter, and that could indicate he’s returning to the form which had him competing for Cy Youngs in the latter part of the last decade.

5. Matt Moore, SP, TB: Moore’s 7 IP, 10 K, 2 ER start against the White Sox on Memorial Day was overshadowed by Chris Sale’s gem (and understandably so). But let’s not lose sight of the future ace — he now has four straight starts with at least six strikeouts and has allowed no more than three earned runs in each. He has a 30:10 K:BB ratio in those four starts (covering 22 innings) and looks like he might be turning a corner. Don’t get left behind.

5 DOWN

1. Derek Lowe, SP, CLE: Lowe was beat up in two starts this week, allowing 10 runs on 16 hits in 8.1 innings. Lowe struck out just five batters and has a swinging strike rate of just 4.6% on his career. What we saw last week is just what happens when a pitcher gives up as much contact as Lowe does – he allowed 16 hits, including a homer, and even his pristine control (just one walk) doesn’t always help with major league hitters in the batter’s box.

2. Michael Young, INF, TEX: Young has struggled mightily to open 2012, and another down week (.222/.236/.278 in 55 PA) has his overall line down to .282/.305/.379. His power is almost completely gone; he has just a .097 ISO, and at 36 there doesn’t seem to be much reason to believe it will come back. Young always seems to have fans somewhere, so a reasonable return could probably be had here, too.

3. Derek Jeter, SS, NYY: The Jeter cool-down has begun. The Captain is hitting just .250 in his last two weeks (12 games, 54 PA) despite a BABIP of .297 in that span. He’s certainly not worth giving up on – he’s probably a .280-.290 hitter with a very good run total at the end of the season – but if you can capitalize on his .338/.380/.465 start, do so and do so quickly.

4. Matt Capps, RP, MIN: Capps finally blew his first save of the season Sunday, giving up a two-run homer to Miguel Cabrera to lose the game for the Twins. The problem with Capps is that he just doesn’t miss bats any more – he has just a 4.5 K/9 and in many ways is the relief pitcher version of Lowe. He’s had exceptional control thus far, walking just one batter all year, but if he does lose track of the strike zone, it could fall apart very quickly in Minnesota for Capps.

5. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, NYM: Nieuwenhuis was a darling early in the season as he put up a .325 average in April. May has not been so kind. The 25-year-old has just a .261 average in May, and he may not even sustain that going forward. He was 0-for-4 with a strikeout Sunday, his 53rd of the year in just 47 games. It’s almost impossible to maintain any sort of a reasonable batting average with a 30% strikeout rate or higher, and Nieuwenheis is now at 30.5% on the year. Expect him to be closer to .250 than his current .288 for the rest of the season.

Jack Moore is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Mathematics and Economics. His work can also be found at FanGraphs.com, DisciplesOfUecker.com, RotoWire.com, AdvancedNFLStats.com and ESPN. Follow him on twitter at @jh_moore.