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It wasn’t quite like the Celts/Sixers battles of old, but the Game 7 atmosphere at the Garden yesterday was hype. (Must have been all those “bandwagon jumpers,” eh Mike Bibby?) Reveling in the rowdy scene were NBA commissioner David Stern, super agent David Falk, Pats president Jonathan Kraft, Patriots players Jabar Gaffney, Laurence Maroney, and Chad Jackson, high-flying former Hawk Dominique Wilkins, nightlife king Patrick Lyons, Danity Kane’s Aubrey O’Day, “Bringing Down the House” author Ben Mezrich and wife Tonya, chef Ken Oringer, Sox execs Mike Dee and Sam Kennedy, and WAAF jock Greg Hill.
The town of Medfield paid tribute to Curt and Shonda Schilling over the weekend, dedicating two new ball fields at Medfield High School to the BoSox pitcher and his wife. Appropriately, the renovated fields were unveiled during the opening Saturday of the Medfield Youth Baseball & Softball season. Afterward, a crew of Sox wives squared off against the Medfield varsity softball team and won. (Playing were Dice K’s wife Tomoyo, Tiffany Ortiz, Ashley Papelbon, Kelli Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury’s significant other Kelsey Hawkins, Karen Varitek, Emily Cash, Stacey Wakefield, Maria Crisp, Dawn Timlin, Andrea Aardsma, Yuka Okajima, and Ana Delcarmen.) The Schills, who live in Medfield, have helped raise $450,000 of the $500,000 needed to renovate the high school ball fields.
Tom Brady was out and about while in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. The Pats QB attended the ostentatious pre-race party thrown by sisters Tricia and Priscilla Barnstable Brown, and later stopped by the Crown Royal Playboy Club, where, we’re told by a snoop at Louisville Courier-Journal, he completely ignored the entreaties of the pretty Playmates. Brady and his football player pals were spotted post-race dining at the Raw Sushi Lounge. Other Pats invited for the weekend included Randy Moss, Dan Koppen, Larry Izzo, Lonie Paxton, Matt Cassel, Tedy Bruschi, and Wes Welker. As usual, the guest list for the world’s most famous horse race was a regular rogues gallery, featuring former Sox pitcher David Wells (above, with wife Tina), reality TV types Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, boxer Lennox Lewis, “Idol” winner Taylor Hicks, and former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, among many more.

boston.com

Glenn McGrath finished playing for Australia a year ago but he remains in the mind of Stuart Clark, who has looked at vision of his former team-mate to prepare for the West Indies series. Clark operates in a similar way to McGrath and he believes his predecessor “found the key” to success in the Caribbean.
In ten Tests in the West Indies McGrath captured 50 wickets at 20.70 and he finished his career by winning the Player of the Tournament award at the World Cup. His 26 victims in 11 games were crucial to Australia claiming the trophy for the third consecutive time.
“He obviously found the key over here,” Clark, who is preparing for his 16th Test, told AAP. “From the footage and the vision we have looked at, he was successful by keeping it pretty simple and being consistent and patient on these wickets.”
Clark also plans to tie down the West Indian batsmen, who are led by Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and expects them to be a tough proposition at home. “They like to score runs quickly,” he said. “So I suppose I have to try and go against that and try to keep it nice and calm and force them to make the errors.”
Australia’s only warm-up for next Thursday’s first Test starts on Friday against a Jamaica XI and Clark will be one of a number of players looking to adjust to the conditions. Balls leapt at the batsmen during a net session at Sabina Park on Wednesday, including one from Brett Lee to Ricky Ponting, who was struck on the glove.
Ponting was unhurt, but the Australians will be happy to return to the safer conditions in the middle. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, is with the tour party and will decide whether Simon Katich and Ashley Noffke get a chance to impress in the practice game as the team management considers its options in case Michael Clarke, who stayed at home due to a family death, doesn’t arrive in time for the first Test.

usa.cricinfo.com

BENTONVILLE - When freshman Ashley Clark learned she had a failing grade in U. S. history, she was told she must attend a new program called guided study.
It wasn’t a punishment, she agreed; it was a chance for her to improve her grade and pass the ninth grade.
Guided study is one of Bentonville High School’s latest interventions to help its students succeed. Designed specifically for freshmen and funded with a grant, the program provides teachers in the four core curriculum areas - social studies, math, science and English.
Up to 15 students are allowed in each class, and the class meets during the school’s seminar period. Seminar is held twice a week and works much like a study hall. It’s a time when students can get extra help, do makeup homework or plan club meetings.
“I like getting the help because it makes it easier to learn,” Clark said. “Without (guided study ), I would probably be failing the class still.”
Students can be recommended for guided study by their parents, teachers, counselors or even by themselves, assistant principal Rose Spaulding said.
“Once they’ve been assigned, they have to stay in guided study until they have a C or better,” she said.
The reasons a student may need guided study vary. A student may simply be struggling to keep up in a large classroom environment, or the student could have been sick and needed extra time to catch up in a course, Spaulding said.
Brian Pelfrey is in the program for help in English class, he said.
“I’m getting better,” he said. “The way I’m going now, I should be able to move on (to the 10 th grade ). “
Pelfrey said if guided study wasn’t available, the process of trying to succeed would be much harder for a number of students.

nwanews.com

Schools are responsible for reporting home and away same day results with first and last names of scorers for both teams. Call David Grossman at The Star's hotline number: (416) 869-4394 or toll free at 1-866-249-1387 or e-mail to dgrossm@thestar.ca
Varsity Girls' Soccer — Jefferys 1 (Latoya Griffiths), Emery 1 (Terika Holdham); West Hill 1 (Nade Jovanovski), SATEC/Porter 1 (Samantha Perisiol); York Mills 4 (DeAndra Moore, Tess Yudin, Iyesa James-Newland, Deborah Zikos), Newtonbrook 2 (Lois Coulter-Mistelle, 2); Don Mills 3 (Holly Anderson, Alana Fonseca, Mercedes Mueller), Henry 0; Woburn 6 (Libby Atell, 3, Brittany Woodhouse, 2, Amanda Crompton), Campbell 0; Wexford 4 (Candace Diptee, Alisha Gatsis, Annie Hansson, Miranda Sarwan), Cedarbrae 2 (Natalie Spooner, 2); King 3 (Elena Janovski, 2, Evelyn Anoke), Churchill 2 (Tabitha Mungal, Vasiliki Nikolaskakos); Agincourt 6 (Krystiana Clarke, 3, Mariam El-Masri, 2, Esther Onguta), L'Amoreaux 0; Sr. Boys' Soccer — George Harvey 4 (Mark Williams, Hassan Mohammed, Ibrahim Akar, O'Marid Pereira), Etobicoke School Arts 0; Etobicoke 2 (Andrej Orlando, Luka Milanovic), Vaughan Road 0; North Albion 1 (Ivan Kizito), Kipling 1 (Abdi Mohammed); Jr. Boys' Soccer — North Albion 4 (Karam Virsingh, 2, Abdul Egal, Anthony Thompson), Kipling 1 (Abdi Mohamed); Vaughan Road 2 (Alex Iwanicki, Aaron Ewans), Etobicoke 1 (Abdisis Jama); Sr. Indoor Cricket - North Albion A 50 (Akash Shah, 19 runs), North Albion B 49 (Sagar Patel, 12 runs); Henry 45, Martingrove 42; Jr. Boys' Indoor Cricket — Semifinal - Kipling 36 (Akeel Cheema, 13 runs), George Harvey 35 (Michael Walton, 9 runs); Varsity Girls' Softball — Malvern 17 (Jacqueline Prewer, WP, Taylor Tupper, HR), Riverdale 16 (Emily Harrison-Curry, LP); Jarvis 19 (Hayley Franklin, WP), North Toronto 10 (Christina Zha, LP); Varsity Coed Volleyball —Macdonald 3, Campbell 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-18); Victoria Park 3, Westview 2 (28-26, 26-24, 22-25, 22-25, 15-8); Varsity Girls' Rugby — Malvern 20 (Hailey Appleton, T, Claire McBean, T, Jesse Porter, T, Kirsten Scott, T), Lawrence Park 5 (Rebecca Field, T); Sr. Boys' Rugby — Malvern 28 (Liam Underwood, 2T, Jeremy Stott, T, Dan Crow, T), Lawrence Park 0; Lakeshore 15, Harbord 10; Jr. Boys' Rugby - Malvern 19 (Henry Moody, 2T and 2C, Luke Mollet, T), North Toronto 0

thestar.com

Afghan prisoners captured by Canadian troops and transferred to local authorities may not seek protections under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a Federal Court judge ruled Wednesday. Meanwhile, the head of Canada's independent Military Police Complaints Commission announced he has been forced to call public hearings into allegations involving military police conduct in Afghanistan because the government has not co-operated with his more low-profile investigation. The hearing process is expected to begin within the next month.
The federal government is set to reduce the number of new immigration applications it accepts in a dramatic change of policy aimed at cutting the backlog of nearly 900,000 people who have already applied to enter Canada.
680News Toronto: Prostitute named in Gov. Spitzer scandal
CKNW Vancouver: Ferry's radar not properly monitored
CJAD Montreal: CSST tells workers to report possibly dangerous roofs
Globe: Tories stalling abuse probe, watchdog says
CBC: Gold hits $1,000 US an ounce
BBC: Kidnapped Iraqi archbishop dead
Washington Post: EPA tightens smog rules, ignores advice
CNN: The governor's gal
Marketwatch: Gold rallies to $1,000 level
Financial Post: Retail sales data add to gloom on Wall St.
Edmonton Sun: City chalks up $42M windfall

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Ms Dupre was born Ashley Youmans. She left home in New Jersey at the age of 17 and moved to New York where she hoped to become a singer, the Times said.
Ms Dupre did not comment when asked by the newspaper when she first met Mr Spitzer and how many times they had met.
“This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated,” she told the Times.
It is not clear whether or not Ms Dupre will face charges but she is reported to have hired a lawyer.
Federal investigators have alleged that a wiretap caught Mr Spitzer arranging to meet a $1,000-an-hour prostitute named Kristen who worked for the Emperor’s Club VIP prostitution ring.
Mr Spitzer is reported to have paid thousands of dollars over 18 months to the ring.
He could be charged with soliciting and paying for sex, breaking banking laws and with transporting someone across state lines for immoral purposes.
He could also lose his licence to practise law in New York.
It marks a spectacular downfall for the man once known as the “Sheriff of Wall Street” for his investigations of organised crime, financial crime and prostitution.
The father of three teenage girls is a leading supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton in her battle against Senator Barack Obama to become the Democratic Party’s candidate for president.

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A "straight lay" at a legal brothel in Nevada, she said, will run about $1,000. But a whole night can run up to $20,000. And if you want a "bungalow party," which involves more time and more ladies of the evening, you can drop $100,000 easily.
When it comes to consorting with soiled doves, "you can drive a Saturn or you can drive a Cadillac," Harper says.
By Nevada standards, she says, Spitzer was driving a Saturn.
Full disclosure: Harper has written a book, "Madame Dream Maker," that will be published this year by Stephens Press, which is owned by Stephens Media LLC, owner of the R-J.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the call girl named in the Spitzer case, lists Celine Dion as a "top five" friend on her MySpace page. The wannabe singer’s song "What We Want" was getting major play time Wednesday, with more than 400,000 plays by 6 p.m. Pacific time at www.myspace.com/ninavenetta. Along with Dion, Dupre named Madonna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Amy Winehouse on her "top five" friends list. …
Former Miss Nevada Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann in "Gilligan’s Island," is back in the headlines. Wells, whose father ran the Thunderbird Hotel, was busted for possession of marijuana in her car near her home in Driggs, Idaho. But her lawyer told TMZ.com that a third party came forward and claimed full responsibility for the marijuana. Wells, 69, pleaded guilty last month to one count of reckless driving and received a five-day sentence that was suspended. …

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GREENVILLE — Casey Ashley is hoping BASS officials will let him sing the national anthem again this morning before the second day of competition in the 38th Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell.
“Every time I sing the anthem, I always do good,” said the 24-year-old pro angler from Donalds.
He sang the anthem at Friday morning’s launch and posted a tie for fifth place with 18 pounds, 10 ounces, just 2 ½ pounds behind the leader, Charlie Hartley of Grove City, Ohio.
Ashley might have a promising career as a singer if he ever decides to quit bass tournaments. He flew to Nashville last week to record a song about a pro angler’s life on the tournament trail.
“It’s called ‘Fisherman’ and it’s about fishing, the weather and traveling to fish,” Ashley said.
While he’s out fishing today, he also will make his debut as a country music recording artist on ESPN2 as part of the first day of ESPN Classic television coverage. The show airs at 7 a.m.
An ESPN2 camera crew filmed the session at Legends, the same Nashville studio used by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and many other recording stars.
“Fisherman” was written by Rodney Clawson, whose credits include co-authoring “I Saw God Today”, released this month by George Strait and already a Billboard Top 20 single. Fisherman is available at www.outdoormusic.com as a download or autographed CD.
Whether or not he sings the anthem at today’s launch, Ashley served notice to the rest of the 50-angler field that he is a contender for the $500,000 first place prize.
And for those who figured the cold winter rain Friday would drop water temperatures and give the bass lockjaw, Lake Hartwell showed it is among the best for bass fishing as 15 anglers weighed in limits of 15 pounds or more.
With the cold rain gone a day earlier than predicted, and sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s predicted for today, the water is expected to warm and make the bass more aggressive.
At least it will make for more comfortable fishing, said Ashley who fished deep Friday, catching two of his bass from 40- and 45-feet deep.
“I plan to stay in the same area and start out deep Saturday morning,” he said. “I hope to get five fish deep, then when the sun gets up, move shallow. The sun will make the shallow fish bite better, but probably not until the last hour. It will take that long to warm the water up.”
Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, the only other S.C. Pro in the 2008 Classic, is also looking forward to a warmer day with sunshine.
“If the water temperature gets up to about 52 degrees, the fish should start chasing the bait better,” said Auten, who is in 26th place after weighing in a five-bass limit at 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
“I went for broke today and fished for big fish. I got three of those bites and caught two of them. Tomorrow I’m going to fish for a limit of 2-pounders, then, when the sun gets up, go shallow and flip a jig around docks.”
Hartley said his first day lead was the result of driving down to Lake Hartwell from Ohio to practice almost every weekend before the Dec. 15 cutoff last year.
Asked if the warmer weather Saturday would make the fishing better, Hartley said, “I don’t know if it can get any better than today.”

thestate.com