Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/136265
2B Daily News – Wednesday, June 12, 2013 PATRIOTS 49ERS Tebow signs 2-year deal Harbaugh won't tolerate cheating FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tim Tebow and Tom Brady took turns, zipping passes over the middle and lofting tosses toward the corner of the end zone. On his first day with the Patriots, the New England newcomer was just a backup quarterback, No. 5 on his helmet and number three on the depth chart. And when practice ended Tuesday, Tebow talked — for all of 40 seconds. ''First and foremost, I just want to thank the Patriots for giving me an opportunity,'' Tebow said. For now, that's all it is. No promises of trick plays. No huge media circus. Not even a guaranteed job. To coach Bill Belichick, the focus is on football. And where Tebow fits in, well, the Patriots plan to find out. ''I don't know. We'll see,'' Belichick said. Two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that Tebow was signed for two years but no assured money. One person says he will make the veteran's minimum salary, $630,000 in 2013, with incentives. The Patriots already may be making money on their investment. The team's pro shop was taking pre-orders for jerseys with his last name — and no number — on the back. Prices ranged from $69.95 to $99.95, with free shipping. Tebow prefers the number 15, but second-string quarterback Ryan Mallett already has it. During practice, the three QBs worked under the close scrutiny of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2011 when Tebow enjoyed his greatest pro success. They all threw good spirals, although Tebow's velocity and delivery appeared to be the slowest. Asked how much McDaniels' background with Tebow contributed to the signing, Belichick shed no light. ''I don't know,'' Belichick said. About 10 minutes before the workout ended, Patriots owner Robert Kraft walked up to Tebow SPURS (Continued from page 1B) turning into a blowout in San Antonio's favor earlier in the third quarter. He hit two from long distance midway through the period to keep Miami within 10, but Neal added a runner and Ginobili threw down his second dunk of the game to push it back to 14 in a heartbeat. James has had an unusually difficult time scoring in these finals, entering the game averaging a pedestrian 17.5 points on 41 percent shooting. He posted his two lowest scoring outputs — 18 and 17 — in the two games in Miami, with the Spurs forcing him to be a jumpshooter and determined not to let him attack the rim. James has been content getting others involved, preferring to find Wade, Miller and his OPEN (Continued from page 1B) balance his game with his business. He signed with Nike for what is said to be upward of $20 million a year and then left Dublinbased Horizon Sports Management to set up his own management group. He said the toughest part of this season has been ''managing the expectations, probably of myself and other people.'' ''You want to contend and win tournaments and I haven't done enough of that this year,'' he said. Perhaps he could have continued to work on his game under the radar and without fanfare had it not been for that first-day grouping. With just about every and shook hands. Kraft put his arm around Tebow's back and Tebow put his arm on Kraft's shoulder. They chatted for a few minutes as Tebow threw. ''It's such an honor to be a Patriot and play for coach Belichick and coach McDaniels, learn under Tom and to be a part of this great franchise and part of a very successful franchise,'' Tebow said. ''I found that out firsthand. I lost to them several times.'' Tebow then strolled off without taking questions. Quite a contrast to Tebow's introductory press session with the New York Jets last year. He spoke for 30 minutes at that gathering, moved from the normal media room to the team's field house because the turnout was so large. At 25, Tebow owns a Heisman Trophy, two college national championship rings and one NFL playoff victory, plus a global following based as much on his beliefs as his ballplaying. With a rack of Super Bowl trophies in their possession, the Patriots want wins, not headlines. Tebow joined the perennial playoff team for the first practice of its three-day minicamp. It's uncertain whether the left-hander QB will last until training camp in late July or the first exhibition game on Aug. 9 at Philadelphia. And the season opener in Buffalo on Sept. 8 is still nearly three months away. By that time, he might even have another position — H-back, tight end or punt protector. But at least he has an NFL job after signing with the Patriots on Tuesday. That prospect seemed to be a long shot when no team hurried to sign him after the Jets cut him on April 29, three days after they drafted quarterback Geno Smith out of West Virginia. Belichick, as usual, was brief in his hopes for Tebow. ''We'll try to do what we think is best for our football team,'' Belichick said. Might he be used on special teams on defense? ''We'll see. I don't know.'' What about people who have questioned his ability to play quarterback in the NFL? ''I've already said that,'' Belichick he said. ''I've answered the question twice. He's a talented player who is smart and works hard.'' Tebow's former coach with the Jets wasn't about to offer any advice to Belichick, either. ''Oh, please, he's not going to listen to me, and he shouldn't,'' Rex Ryan said. ''He'll just do what he does, and that makes sense.'' Ryan never found a way to use Tebow productively after the Jets acquired him to great fanfare following his trade from the Denver Broncos in March 2013. ''I'm happy for the young man to get another opportunity in the league,'' Ryan said. ''Obviously, Tim had more success in Denver than he did here.'' New York went 6-10 last season, while New England was 12-4 and advanced to the AFC title game. With the Jets, Tebow completed six of eight passes and ran 32 times for 102 yards. Tebow had a lot more success in college at Florida. With the Patriots, he's reunited with two former college teammates, tight end Aaron Hernandez and linebacker Brandon Spikes. ''It's good to see a Gator in the building,'' Spikes said. ''I was happy for him. He got to get his job back and ... come out here and compete, so that's good to see him smile, that big smile I'm used to seeing the last few years down in Florida.'' Hernandez caught 111 passes in three years as Tebow's college teammate and was surprised when the Patriots signed him. ''I was a little shocked and I was happy because we had a long relationship in college and it's good to play with a college teammate again,'' Hernandez said. ''Great teammate. Great leader.'' Brady is still one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, so there will be no quarterback controversy as there was in New York, where fans clamored for Tebow to replace a struggling Mark Sanchez. On the Patriots, he's merely a player looking to compete for a roster spot. supporting cast for open shots rather than force anything like he used to do in Cleveland. He and Bosh started out a combined 3 for 11, and the four-time MVP appeared to grow frustrated late in the second quarter. He slammed both hands on the press table after a 1 for 6 start, then got a layup in transition with just over two minutes to play in the half for his first points of the second quarter. He showed a flash of getting going with six straight points late in the third quarter, but Neal hit two 3s out of the fourth quarter gates, Green hit a couple himself and the lead swelled to 94-65 to end all doubt. It was the first time since 2007 that a finals game was played in San Antonio, a proud military city that had grown accustomed to hosting the NBA's biggest event in the middle of the last decade. The Spurs won three titles in five seasons during that span, and the core of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili were back for one more this time around. They've waited a long time to see another one — Parker said it felt like ''forever'' to him — and let their voices be heard early in Game 3. The crowd chanted ''Go Spurs Go!'' as the lights dimmed before the game, a familiar refrain that could be seen all across town this week — on the backs of taxi cabs, hanging from banners on buildings and even being chanted by kids appearing on a local morning show. The uncommon stability in the organization has struck a cord with the fans here, who have watched their core grow up and grow old right in front of their eyes. They watched from afar as their team squeaked out camera, reporter and fan at the course turned to the M c I l r o y - Wo o d s - S c o t t grouping, the buzz from first hole of the tournament might well feel more like the first hole of a playoff. And maybe that can give McIlroy's game a jolt. ''It gets you focused from the first shot,'' he said. ''There's going to be a lot of attention on that group and it's just nice to be a part of it.'' Starting May 6, 2012, McIlroy spent 32 straight weeks at No. 1 before relinquishing the top spot to Woods after his win at Bay Hill. Reaching No. 1 again is a worry for another day. Up first, conquering those Scottish-style bunkers known as the ''white faces of Merion.'' ''As long as I just put it walk out of Merion a on the fairway, I feel like champion again. I can take advantage,'' he said. MLS McIlroy planned to unwind Tuesday night by WESTERN CONFERENCE watching the San Antonio W L T Pts GF GA Spurs play the Miami FC Dallas 8 2 4 28 23 17 Heat in the NBA finals. Salt Lake 8 5 3 27 24 16 Portland 5 1 8 23 24 16 6 4 3 21 19 15 The Heat Big 3 of LeBron Seattle 6 6 2 20 22 18 James, Dwyane Wade and Galaxy Colorado 5 4 5 20 15 12 Vancouver 4 5 4 16 18 20 Chris Bosh might be the QUAKES 3 6 6 15 13 23 only trio in sports this Chivas USA 3 8 2 11 13 26 week that can top WoodsMcIlroy-Scott in A-list EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA star power. Montreal 8 2 2 26 22 15 7 5 4 25 23 19 ''They can sort of help New York 6 5 4 22 22 24 Philadelphia each other out, where Houston 6 4 4 22 19 14 we're trying to do our Kansas City 6 5 4 22 18 13 N. England 5 4 5 20 15 9 own thing,'' McIlroy said. Columbus 4 5 5 17 16 16 Chicago 3 7 3 12 11 19 ''We're trying to beat one Toronto FC 1 7 5 8 12 19 1 10 3 6 6 24 another. But it's nice D.C. again to pair the top-three NOTE: Three points for victory, one point ranked players in the for tie. —————————————————— world. It's a cool idea and Saturday's games Jose at Colorado, I'm just happy to be a part SanDallas at Portland, 2 6 p.m. FC p.m. Toronto FC at D.C. United, 4 p.m. of it.'' Montreal at Columbus, 4:30 p.m. He'll be happier to New England at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Game 1 in Miami thanks in large part to an incredible shot by Parker in the closing moments. James and the Heat responded emphatically in Game 2, ripping off a 30-5 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters to blow the Spurs out and snatch all the momentum. If any team was prepared to enter the hostile AT&T Center and get a victory, it was the Heat. They've won on the road in every series of the playoffs and have been the target of intense scrutiny ever since James, Wade and Bosh united three years ago to chase championships. They already have one championship in hand and a victory in Game 3 would go a long way toward a second. Of the last 12 NBA Finals to split the first two games, 11 of the Game 3 winners have gone on to capture the trophy. SANTA CLARA (AP) — Jim Harbaugh has used the recent run of suspensions on the division rival Seattle Seahawks for performance-enhancing drug infractions as a reminder to his own San Francisco team: Cheating won't be tolerated. Harbaugh's reigning NFC champion 49ers had begun their three-day minicamp Tuesday when the coach was asked about the issue surrounding the Seahawks. ''Is it a concern? I've definitely noticed it,'' Harbaugh said of the Seahawks. ''You don't know what it is. Even when people say what it is, you don't know that that's what it is. I've heard this thrown out or that, but that's usually the agents or the players themselves saying it's, for example, Adderall. But the NFL doesn't release what it actually is, so you have no idea. You're taking somebody at their word that I don't know if you can take them at their word, understanding the circumstances.'' Seattle defensive end Bruce Irvin was suspended last month for using a banned substance. A first-round draft pick last year, he will miss the first four games of the regular season — including a Week 2 matchup with the two-time defending NFC West champion Niners in Seattle on Sept. 15. Irvin became the fifth Seahawks player since 2011 to be suspended for using a performance-enhancing substance. The others were John Moffitt, Allen Barbre, Winston Guy and Brandon Browner. Harbaugh said he has made it clear to his players that he won't accept breaking the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs for a perceived edge. ''It has no place in an athlete's body. Play by the rules,'' Harbaugh said. ''You always want to be above reproach, especially when you're good, because you don't want people to come back and say, 'They're winning because they're cheating.' That's always going to be a knee-jerk reaction in my experience, ever since I was a little kid. We want to be above reproach in everything and do everything by the rules. Because if you don't, if you cheat to win, then you've already lost, according to Bo Schembechler. And (the late Michigan coach) Bo Schembechler is about next to the word of God as you can get in my mind. It's not the word of God, but it's close.'' On the field, the 49ers are spending additional time this offseason on red zone work given their failure to execute on multiple chances in the waning moments of a 34-31 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans. GIANTS Sandoval placed on DL with strained left foot PITTSBURGH (AP) — The San Francisco Giants put third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the 15day disabled list Tuesday because of a strained left foot. Sandoval will wear a walking boot for one week then be reevaluated. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy was hopeful Sandoval will be ready to play when he is eligible to come off the DL on June 25. Sandoval is hitting .289 with eight home runs in 57 games this season. He helped the Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers last October to win their second World Series in three years by hitting three home runs in Game 1. Infielder Nick Noonan was recalled from TripleA Fresno to take the World Series MVP's roster spot before the Giants played Pittsburgh. Noonan was optioned to Fresno on Saturday after spending the entire season with the Giants. Noonan hit .203 with one double in 59 at-bats for San Francisco. In one game with Fresno, he went 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs. MLB MLB National League American League West Division West Division W L Pct GB Arizona 36 28 .563 — Colorado 35 30 .538 1.5 San Francisco 33 30 .524 2.5 San Diego 30 34 .469 6 Los Angeles 27 36 .429 8.5 East Division W L Pct GB Atlanta 39 25 .609 — Washington 31 32 .492 7.5 Philadelphia 31 34 .477 8.5 New York 23 36 .390 13.5 Miami 19 45 .297 20 Central Division W L Pct GB St. Louis 42 22 .656 — Cincinnati 39 26 .600 3.5 Pittsburgh 38 26 .594 4 Milwaukee 26 38 .406 16 Chicago 25 37 .403 16 —————————————————— Tuesday's results Pittsburgh 8, San Francisco 2 Miami 5, Milwaukee 4 St. Louis 9, N.Y. Mets 2 Cincinnati 12, Chicago Cubs 2 Minnesota 3, Philadelphia 2 Colorado 8, Washington 3 Arizona at L.A. Dodgers, late Atlanta at San Diego, late Texas Oakland Seattle Los Angeles Houston East Division W 38 38 28 27 22 L 26 27 37 38 43 Pct GB .594 — .585 .5 .431 10.5 .415 11.5 .338 16.5 W L Pct GB Boston 40 26 .606 — New York 37 26 .587 1.5 Baltimore 37 28 .569 2.5 Tampa Bay 35 29 .547 4 Toronto 28 36 .438 11 Central Division W L Pct GB Detroit 36 27 .571 — Cleveland 31 33 .484 5.5 Kansas City 29 33 .468 6.5 Minnesota 28 33 .459 7 Chicago 28 35 .444 8 —————————————————— Tuesday's results Baltimore 3, L.A. Angels 2 Tampa Bay 8, Boston 3 Cleveland 5, Texas 2 Detroit 3, Kansas City 2 Minnesota 3, Philadelphia 2 Toronto 7, Chicago White Sox 5, 10 innings N.Y. Yankees at Oakland, LATE Houston at Seattle, late Today's games Cincinnati (Leake 5-3) at Chicago Cubs (T.Wood 5-4), 11:20 a.m. Atlanta (Maholm 7-4) at San Diego (Volquez 4-5), 12:40 p.m. San Francisco (Zito 4-4) at Pittsburgh (Liriano 4-2), 4:05 p.m. Milwaukee (Figaro 0-0) at Miami (Slowey 2-5), 4:10 p.m. St. Louis (S.Miller 7-3) at N.Y. Mets (Gee 4-6), 4:10 p.m. Philadelphia (Cloyd 2-2) at Minnesota (Pelfrey 3-6), 5:10 p.m. Washington (Ohlendorf 0-0) at Colorado (J.De La Rosa 7-3), 5:40 p.m. Today's games L.A. Angels (Williams 4-2) at Baltimore (Hammel 7-4), 9:35 A.m. Detroit (Verlander 8-4) at Kansas City (Shields 2-6), 11:10 A.m. Boston (Aceves 2-1) at Tampa Bay (Archer 1-1), 4:10 p.m. Cleveland (U.Jimenez 4-4) at Texas (Tepesch 3-5), 5:05 p.m. Philadelphia (Cloyd 2-2) at Minnesota (Pelfrey 3-6), 5:10 p.m. Toronto (Rogers 1-2) at Chicago White Sox (Sale 5-4), 5:10 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (P.Hughes 3-4) at Oakland (Straily 3-2), 7:05 p.m. Houston (Lyles 3-1) at Seattle (Bonderman 1-1), 7:10 p.m. Thursday's games St. Louis at N.Y. Mets, 7:10 a.m. Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 8:20 a.m. Washington at Colorado, 9:10 a.m. San Francisco at Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. Philadelphia at Minnesota, 2:10 p.m. Thursday's games N.Y. Yankees at Oakland, 12:35 p.m. Boston at Baltimore, 4:05 p.m. Kansas City at Tampa Bay, 4:10 p.m. Toronto at Texas, 5:05 p.m. Philadelphia at Minnesota, 5:10 p.m.