Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby was cleared Wednesday by doctors to practice with his teammates, but will still not be involved in any contact drills as he continues to recover from a concussion.
The Penguins will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and the Panthers on Saturday, but the former NHL MVP is not expected to play in those games, although he will be with the team.

"Everyone is jumping to conclusions, but it is good news," Crosby's agent Pat Brisson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, downplaying the notion that Crosby's return is imminent.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero was even more cautious Wednesday, saying Crosby is still "two or three weeks" away from playing in a game, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"I don't want to take away any hope from (Crosby), but to return to game action for the Stanley Cup playoffs takes a certain level of fitness and game-(readiness), and he is certainly not close to that at this point," Shero said.

The Penguins have five games remaining before the regular season ends April 10.

Crosby has not played since Jan. 5 due to a concussion, but has been working out on his own, and has been skating since March 14. He has been increasing his workouts to the point where he was able to stay on the ice for 45 minutes Sunday.

The 23-year-old, who guided the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009, was leading the league in scoring at the time of his concussion, with 32 goals and 66 points.

Despite losing Crosby, and enduring a season-ending knee injury to All-Star forward Evgeni Malkin, the Pens have managed to stay just four points behind the East-leading Flyers. The Pens dropped an opportunity to move into a tie with Philadelphia, losing at home to the Flyers 5-2 Tuesday night.

It probably won’t happen. But wouldn’t it be nice if former Washington Bullets championship coach Dick Motta invited Lionel Simmons, Antoine Carr, Bill Wennington, Rory Sparrow and Ralph Sampson this weekend over to hisBluebird Inn Bed and Breakfast in Fish Haven, Idaho?

There, you can imagine, that group would pop the cork on a bottle of champagne and have a toast to celebrate how the 1990-91 Sacramento Kings’ record for road futility lives on after the Wizards won their second road game of the season, 100-95, in overtime on Monday against the Utah Jazz.

“We didn’t want to go in the record books,” John Wall said after scoring a game-high 28 points to help the Wizards end their longest road win of the season at 1-4. “It was great. Everybody was happy, jumping around, clapping hands.”

The Wizards are 2-35 on the road this season, and no matter how they end up, their record away from Verizon Center will remain horrible. They may have avoided matching the 1990-91 Kings, who own the NBA record at 1-40 (with that lone victory coming against the Washington Bullets). But they will still finish with one of the worst records in NBA history: The 1997-98 Denver Nuggets went 2-39; the 1986-87 Los Angeles Clippers went 3-38 and the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks went 3-38. Those clunkers remain well within range.

With four road games left, the Wizards would have to win all of them to match the previous record for fewest road wins in an 82-game season in franchise history. The 2008-09 Wizards were 6-35 on the road. The 1966-67 Baltimore Bullets went 3-38 in an 81-game season, and the 1961-62 Chicago Packers went 3-39 in an 80-game season.

For the first 40 minutes against the Jazz, the Wizards (18-55) played like a team that didn’t want to have to go home with yet another loss. But after taking a nine-point lead on Jordan Crawford’s jumper with 7:35 minutes remaining, the Wizards didn’t get another field goal until Crawford tied the game at 85 and forced overtime by making a jumper with 4.4 seconds. In overtime, they outscored a Utah team that is going through a difficult transition following the resignation of Jerry Sloan and the trade of Deron Williams, 15-10.

The celebration for the win over Utah began the moment the horn sounded, as Wizards players hooted and hollered as they walked from the court to their locker room. After the game, Coach Flip Saunders called the Wizards “cardiac kids,” while veteran Maurice Evans could only shake his head in disbelief over how hard it was to pull out the win. “I felt like I was in Buffalo Wild Wings commercial, where they kept tripping you and making something happen to prolong the game,” Evans said with a laugh after scoring seven of his 12 points in overtime. “We always got to make it dramatic, but I’m glad that we got it.”

Saunders challenged his team before the game to see how it would respond at the end of a long trip and on the second end of back-to-back games. The Wizards were also playing without five of their top seven players, with Andray Blatche, Josh Howard and Rashard Lewis back home, and Nick Young and Trevor Booker watching in the locker room as they had to deal with injuries. With few players available, the remaining guys had to log major minutes and they undoubtedly were feeling it.

But they would’ve felt worse if they had to go home with another road loss. “We definitely fought through fatigue, we fought the whole game,” JaVale McGee said after getting 17 rebounds -- his fourth consecutive game with at least 13. “The altitude was hurting us a little bit, but we fought through it. We just go through and got rebounds, played defense and that’s what worked for us.”

he Chicago Bulls came into Monday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers with a two game lead over the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. That's not the only spot they have their eyes on, though.

Bulls guard Ronnie Brewer has his sights set on something bigger. He believes that his team can track down the San Antonio Spurs for the best overall record in the NBA before the regular season ends. The Bulls trail the Spurs by four games after losing to the Sixers 97-85 on Monday, but they still maintain a two-game lead over Boston as the Celtics fell at Indiana.
"We're trying to win as many games as we possibly can because we know it's a tough race in the East," Brewer said after Monday morning's shootaround. "We're not just striving to be the first in our conference. We're trying to go out there and get the Spurs and have the best overall record in the league."

The Bulls have a 32-5 record at home, second only to the Spurs' 33-3 home mark. The two teams split their season series with each winning at home.

While Brewer says the players don't talk about the specific record they have at the United Center, he does acknowledge that the team has a certain mindset when they take the floor.

"We basically talk about protecting home court," Brewer said. "We don't want anybody to come in and beat us at home. We've had some mess-ups, you can call it that. We've let some close games slip through our hands, but for the most part, you don't want any team coming in there and beating you on your home court. You tend to not play as well on the road, but you're not supposed to lose at home and that's the pride that we take game in and game out."

One of the reasons Brewer seems so confident that his team can knock off the Spurs is due to the fact that Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has been playing at such a high level this season.

"He's been playing phenomenal," Brewer said. "He's carried us when we have guys injured. Nobody would have thought [with] [Carlos Boozer] and Joakim [Noah] sitting out so many games, that we'd still win the games and be where we are right now, so it's a true testament to how far he's came in his career. He's only improving; he's a young guy, he's very humble and he's willing to work hard every day. And I think guys feed off of that and just try to match his intensity and try to match his work ethic."

For many months now, it has been something of a foregone conclusion that the player at the top of the St. Louis Rams' NFL Draft wish list is Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. Most mocks have Jones heading to St. Louis when the Rams are on the clock with the No. 14 pick, and you get the feeling that some pundits have gone so far as to tailor their first round selections around the idea.

Shoot, I know I have.

However, there is some rumbling that the Rams might have other ideas for their No. 14 pick. For example, if you were to believe Wes Bunting at the National Football Post, the Rams have "a lot of interest" in Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget.

Liuget is obviously a very good player, and some would probably tell you that getting him at No. 14 would be a steal. But is he really a better option than Jones?

For the sake of argument, let's go ahead and try to imagine a scenario where Jones and Liuget are both there for the taking when the Rams are on the clock. If so, I personally have a hard time seeing the Rams passing up the chance to address a major weakness by drafting Jones just so they can add Liuget to a defensive line that is already very strong. They were just fine both stopping the run and rushing the passer last season, and I just don't see how adding Liuget is going to put them over the top.

A hunch tells me that the only way the Rams would draft Liuget is if they think they can get a suitable wide receiver later in the draft, perhaps with their No. 15 pick in the second round. And this just might be true. Gil Brandt of NFL.com reported last Sunday that the Rams sent wide receiver coach Nolan Cromwell to Maryland's Pro Day to check out Torrey Smith, who projects as a second rounder.

I kinda like the idea. Smith showed off his excellent speed with a 4.43 40-yard dash at the Combine, and he's definitely a player with the kind of big play ability the Rams should be looking for. Just go ahead and watch the highlights from his game against NC State this past season, in which he caught 14 balls for 224 yards and four touchdowns.

Do I still think the Rams will draft Jones if he's available? Absolutely. But in the event that he comes off the board before No. 14, Liuget and Smith are a pretty good Plan B.

The mild central Arizona winters can be catnip for NBA players who refuse to go quietly into the twilight of their careers.

Breathing the relatively warm, dry air for half of each regular season seems to have done wonders in helping prolong the productivity of senior Phoenix Suns Steve Nash and Grant Hill. But while climate is an attraction for golden oldies in all walks of life, it's also reasonable to imagine Nash and Hill continuing to excel regardless of weather conditions.

They, like several of the league's ranking graybeards, are thriving due more to commitment and preparation than abundant sunshine. This attention to detail (or lack of it) probably is the main reason why other aging NBA employees - such as Suns teammate Vince Carter - are not moving gracefully toward the basketball light.

Carter, whose limited exposure to the redeeming powers of Nash's passing skill and the franchise's celebrated training staff began in December, may have other issues we'll explore later. But on the day he arrived from Orlando in a six-player trade, Carter claimed he was ready to embrace the influence of Nash and Hill.

"You see a guy like Grant come here and it seems like he's drinking from the fountain of youth," Carter said during his introductory press conference. "I'm ready to start drinking whatever he is."

A guy like Hill is someone who appeared on a cover of GQ magazine that framed the daunting question "Can Grant Hill Save Sports?" That was 1995, back when Hill was considered a mortal lock to achieve basketball immortality. But well-documented injury and illness limited the star-crossed small forward to participating in 200 games over seven seasons after leaving the Detroit Pistons for a free-agent contract with the Orlando Magic in 2000.

Perhaps this limited participation spared him from a typical level of wear and tear.

Now in his fourth season with the Suns, the 38-year-old Hill is providing 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds for a Phoenix team still clinging to the hope of landing a postseason ticket. But Hill, who has made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts, isn't exactly staggering toward the finish line. At 6-foot-8 and a lean 225 pounds, he represents - on an almost nightly basis - the Suns' best chance of keeping the opposition's top scoring threat in check.

Name the high-profile player and Hill probably has guarded him. The list includes New Jersey point guard Deron Williams, super-quick Golden State two-guard Monta Ellis (shooting 41 percent and averaging a measly 18.8 points in four games vs. the Suns), Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Miami's LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Clippers' rookie power forward Blake Griffin.

While simply attempting to deal with the names on this list is worthy of reward, Hill has succeeded in either limiting their production or forcing these players to work harder than usual to post numbers. If enough voters have been paying attention, a spot on the league's All-Defensive Team should be automatic.

We're not sure what Hill's been drinking during this healthy run in Phoenix, but we know that he - like Nash - follows a consistent, comprehensive training regimen. This includes a diet that, according to witnesses, is about as a strict as what you see on those reality TV survival programs.

OK, they're probably not wolfing down handfuls of pre-game crickets, but chicken, fish, dried fruit, vegetables and raw nuts are in, while pasta, rice, breads and other processed foods routinely are out.

Nash, who turned 37 last month, has had plenty of excuses to give in and head for the McDonald's drive-through window for a discipline-busting cheeseburger, fries and a shake.

It began, at least publicly, when pick-and-roll co-star Amar'e Stoudemire left for New York, leaving Nash to find ways to incorporate several mismatched newcomers into the Phoenix offense. The door began revolving last summer and continued in December. Nash also has persevered through the end of his marriage, season-long rumors of his departure through trade or eventual free agency, and nagging injuries that kept him out of four games the Suns lost.

Through it all, Nash has been jockeying with Boston's Rajon Rondo to be the league's assist leader while providing almost 16 points per game. By the way, his overall field-goal percentage is above 50 percent, again, and - despite a recent cold streak brought on by injury-related balance issues - the 3-point accuracy is at 41 percent.

Efficiency has not defined the post-trade performance of the 34-year-old Carter. To be fair, there have been glimpses of Vinsanity-esque productivity, but the numbers - 14.3 points per game on 42-percent shooting - are skewed higher by big bursts in the first quarter. With knees we almost can hear creaking from press row, Carter no longer has the north-south burst, cutting ability or vertical explosion that used to enable him to transform shaky decisions into highlight-reel maneuvers. Instead, Carter - asked to provide the Suns with a measure of go-to scoring power - either fades to shoot contested jumpers or makes low-flying moves to the rim that usually end badly.

Attention to balance, stepping into the catch when he's open or using proper footwork to stop for mid-range attempts rarely appeared in Carter's game when he was younger and physically superior. Now that the pop has abandoned his legs, this lack of detail and adaptation often makes Carter a liability late in games.

Similar failure to prepare and adjust - on the court and off - also help to explain the grinding halt of Allen Iverson's NBA career. The iron will that served Iverson during his prime became career-dooming stubbornness when A.I. was asked to take a slightly limited role.

Like Carter and Iverson, Bryant's early years frequently were underscored by tremendous athletic feats. But like Michael Jordan, Kobe has continued to add and adapt as the regular seasons and playoff runs take their toll on his 32-year-old knees. Still capable of rising to high-noon challenges, Bryant thrives because he understands how to attack from different spots on the floor and how to get there when it matters.

This adaptive quality is seen in Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who will be 33 in June and averages more than 23 points per game by knowing how to take what defenders give him.

On the flip side, Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic struggles to maintain what had been a high-level of play because he doesn't read defenses or prepare for these situations like Bryant or Nowitzki. Sure, he never was close to their level in the first place, but his inconsistency should make Magic fans cringe as the 32-year-old Hedo pulls in that fat paycheck.

Maybe he wasn't around Nash and Hill in Phoenix long enough to get that paycheck off of processed foods. 

From a collective standpoint, the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs offers long-in-the-tooth stars who manage to keep their teams in title contention.

In Beantown, the work ethic starts with Kevin Garnett, who has demonstrated preparatory intensity his entire career. Another Celtic refusing to surrender to the harsh reality of time is 35-year-old Ray Allen, a long-time premium athlete whose commitment to staying sharp has resulted in a 17-point-per-game average and a 46-percent mark from beyond the arc.

The Cs also are hoping for an uprising from codger Shaquille O'Neal; had Shaq done more work over the summer during his career, the regular breakdowns probably wouldn't have turned him into a role player before his time.

The Spurs have attempted to inject some youth to assist their veteran core but still rally around old post man Tim Duncan. Although Duncan's physical downshift is hard to miss, his attention to maintenance should help the recovery from a current ankle injury. NBA "bigs" typically can remain productive in their golden years because they aren't require to zip around the court. But those who give short shrift to conditioning eventually surrender to the bulk that's been compromising their knees, ankles and feet.

Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili, a resilient wing player with a history of injury, has been able to produce another quality season at age 33. Manu is shooting a chilly 43 percent from the field but is expected to help San Antonio - which holds the league's best record - rise far above last year's playoff run.

Thanks to Nash, Hill and their pals, the Spurs were swept by Phoenix in the Western Conference's semifinal round.

For the Arizona fountain of youth, that was as close as it gets to happy hour.

The Lions have it all going in the right direction but it can be undone as quickly as it set up.

Detroit is picking outside the top 10 and I am sure it feels good to do so.

Last year's No. 2 overall pick, Ndamukong Suh, is a once-in-a-decade type talent and it seems that Matt Stafford, when healthy, is as legitimate as his No. 1 status indicates.

They have weapons on the outside and in the backfield but could use someone to protect them all.

Detroit also has a massive hole at cornerback and desperately needs a playmaker there.

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan went through all the divisions and broke down needs and writes:

"The Lions have been pointed in the right direction since GM Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz took over. DT Ndamukong Suh was a brilliant selection, and now the Lions don't have to blitz to apply pressure. Now, the job is to build up the back seven. At least one linebacker and two secondary players have to come out of this draft.

QB Matthew Stafford has missed several games due to injury in his young career, and an elite left tackle will be hard to pass up in the first round. Jeff Backus played well there, but at 33, it might be time to draft his replacement. While RB Jahvid Best had a very good rookie campaign despite playing through injuries, adding another running back could be in the mix. The problem for the Lions is they only have five picks. They might have to move down once or twice to create more picks to satisfy their needs."

Kirwan hits it perfectly though, "one linebacker and two secondary players" do need to come out of this draft.

Whether that happens in the first round or not is open but they desperately need a playmaker in the secondary.

They could also address the offensive tackle position if the value is right.

Detroit will have some tough decisions to make on draft day but adding more picks, talented defensive players and a new lineman will likely be priority.

Ben Howland met with the beat writers in his season closing press conference yesterday in Westwood. He touched on a number of topics. You can read the write-ups in ESPNLA, the LA Daily News,  and the LA Times.  There were two important pieces of information that are worth highlighting on BN.

We had suggested that Howland be aggressive in publicly communicating to his players thinking about the risks associated with prematurely jumping into NBA draft. It appears that Howland is listening as he publicly expressed concern about the upcoming NBA lockout:

The potential of an NBA lockout and a lengthy work stoppage next season is also a part of the conversation Howland must have this year. Labor strife, similar to that going on in the NFL right now, is lingering over the league and the draft.

"I have enough contacts and friends in the NBA; This is going to happen," Howland said. "I can't speak for what's going to happen in the NFL, but I can tell you the NBA, in my opinion, there is going to be a serious lockout. They're all preparing for it. They will not be playing, in my opinion, next December, maybe even January."

And that makes it even more important for players to make the right decision about leaving school for a potential pro career.

"If you are a guy who is in the 20-30 or late first round/early second round, definitely you want to improve yourself because you're not even going to get paid next year for half the year."

It is good to hear Howland making his concern so public. Guys like Tyler Honeycutt need to read that from all directions just so they are not getting eschewed recommendations, from folks who might be more interested in his immediate earning potential than his long term career.

There was also important news concerning UCLA's most important recruit for this upcoming season.

MLB’s Seattle Mariners, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers have joined three other professional teams in founding an organization to reduce sports’ impact on the environment.

The Green Sports Alliance (GSA) also includes the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC, giving the organization representatives from six major sports leagues. Backers hope to expand the alliance across North America.

Alliance members are working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Portland State University to identify and adopt environmental initiatives, and share information about ways to measure and reduce their environmental impact.

Members will submit quarterly reports sharing results on their greening initiatives. The GSA will aggregate results across teams and report annually on collective progress.

The EPA, NRDC and many of the parent leagues have endorsed the alliance, which encompasses the teams’ sporting facilities: Portland’s Rose Garden, Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, and Seattle’s Safeco Field, Qwest Field, Qwest Field Event Center and KeyArena at Seattle Center.

The GSA will encourage all teams and venues to measure their environmental impacts and seek ways to reduce them. It urges organizations to reduce energy and carbon emissions, conserve water, increase recycling, and promote renewable energy and alternative transportation policies.

Teams and venues are also encouraged to promote their greening initiatives throughout their respective leagues and surrounding communities.

GSA will be headquartered in Portland and led by executive director Martin Tull. The organization is planning a conference, the Green Sports Summit, to bring together facility managers, event producers and marketing directors with environmental leaders such as NRDC to share best practices and discuss opportunities and challenges the teams face

The first Green Sports Summit is scheduled for August 2011 in Portland.

“The founding members of the Green Sports Alliance have already implemented programs and policies that have significantly reduced their environmental impact and enhanced the experience for fans,” Tull said. “We look forward to expanding the Alliance to include teams and venues across North America so that we can help each other reduce our environmental footprint and create positive change in our communities.”

Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), said: “Major League Baseball applauds the leadership shown by the Seattle Mariners’ environmental efforts… We support all the members of the professional sports community working to advance this important cause and wish the Green Sports Alliance the best of success.”


NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “The NFL is proud to support the greening efforts of the Seattle Seahawks… Enhancing the sustainability of professional sports is a worthy goal, and we wish the Green Sports Alliance great success.”

Other teams and venues that have introduced environmental practices include the New York Jets and Giants, the Staples Center, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phoenix Suns, and England’s Manchester United FC.

Last April Major League Baseball announced it had adopted a program under which all 30 clubs will begin collecting and analyzing stadium operations data.

Eighty percent of North American professional sports teams plan to increase their environmental sustainability programs, according to a survey of more than 50 pro teams by ProGreenSports.