News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 27

PRO BASKETBALL I C2 Lakers hand Cavaliers their first home defeat of the season COLLEGE BASKETBALL I C3 Where's your team? Check out complete conference standings GOLF I C7 Nick Watney gets second career victory with Buick Invitational win 51 as I I I i)v rr 1 I MARTIN TRUEX Best lap time Best lap time was 187.817 was 188.001 Former DEI teammate Martin earns 2nd spot BY MARK DECOTIS The News-Press sports bureau DAYTONA BEACH A year ago, Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin were teammates at what was then Dale Earnhardt Inc. But Martin left for Hendrick Motor-sports while Truex stayed behind and suffered uncertainty. DEI merged with Chip Ganassi Racing to form Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and many employees were sent packing. Now Martin and Martin find themselves back together, sharing the front MORE COVERAGE: Get the latest NASCAR news on five-year, 117-race career and he.

became the 34th driver to win the pole forthe500. But true to his reserved, laid-back nature, Truex played it low-key. "It feels great," he said. "I'm just the lucky guy who gets to sit in that seat, and drive that thing, it's pretty awesome," he said of his Chevy. Truex's teammates Juan Pablo Mon-toya and Aric Almirola joined him in the top seven, Montoya fourth at 187.743 and Almirola seventh at 187.649.

See DAYTONA C4 I) row for next Sunday's Daytona 500 thanks to their qualifying efforts on Sunday at the big track. Truex turned in the day's best lap, 188.001 mph, and Martin the second best, 187.817, to secure the only spots up for grabs Sunday. The pole was the second 6f Truex's THE ASSOCIATED PflESS Martin Truex right, celebrates with his crew after winning the pole position lor the Daytona 500. SPRING TRAINING GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE More coverage: Log on to for constant updates NFC rallies to top AFC in Pro Bowl Fitzgerald earns MVP honor after scoring 2 touchdowns The Associated Press HONOLULU Larry Fitzgerald played as if the Super Bowl never ended. Fitzgerald caught five passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns, 44-year-old John Carney kicked two fourth-quarter field goals, and the NFC rallied to a 30-21 victory over the AFC.

The Arizona Cardinals' All-Pro receiver, coming off a record-break ing postseason and a spectacular Super Bowl in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, earned MVP honors. He caught a 7 I AMANDA INSCORETHE NEWS-PRESS Jason Bartlett, left, of the Tampa Bay Rays and Jose Morales of the Twins practice in the batting cages at the Lee County Sports Complex on Thursday in south Fort Myers. 46-yard scoring pass from Drew Brees before the half and a 2-yard TD pass from Eli Manning for the go-ahead score with 4:07 to play. The NFC defense took care of the rest. Fitzgerald said the victory over the AFC, which featured three members of the Steelers' defense, didn't ease the pain from the Super Bowl.

"No, not one bit," he said. Manning, making his Pro Bowl debut, was 8-of-14 for 111 yards. While big brother Peyton had better stats, 12-of-17 for 151 yards and aTD, Eli got the win. "He didn't play the whole second half, so it's not about beating my brother, it's just about having fun," Eh Manning said. The Manning brothers were the first quarterback brothers in Pro Bowl history.

And Carney, who was a perfect 3-for-3, became the oldest player in the game's history. He booted a 48-yarder with 2:06 remaining to make it 30-21 and sealed the win with a 26-yarder with 32 seconds to go. Signs of spring arrive INSIDE TODAY Rays shortstop joins Twins at workouts TRUCK DAY This morning, a moving van full of Boston Red Sox gear and supplies will pull into City of Palms Park, where it will be unloaded in preparation for spring training. Red Sox pitchers and catchers report Friday and have their first workout Saturday. Meanwhile, another truck, this one driving in from Minneapolis, will arrive at about the same time at the Lee County Sports Complex, where ft is expected to be unloaded Wednesday.

The Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers report Sunday and have their first workout Monday, Feb. 16. See PRO BOWL C4 RYAN HOWARD has agreed to a $54 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies avoiding a potentially contentious arbitration hearing. Howard, the 2006 NL MVP, led the majors with 48 homers and 146 RBI last season while helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. He batted just .251, struck out 199 times and made 19 errors at first base, but also was runner-up to Albert Pujols forMVRC4.

SPRING TRAINING CAPSULES: A team-by-team look at the squads training in Florida. C5 the Minnesota Twins, playing for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle in 2002. The Twins traded him to the Rays last preseason. Bartlett took turns with Twins catcher Jose Morales and Twins infielder Brendan Harris in the batting cage Thursday. On Saturday, Bartlett, his wife and their 7-month-old son Jayden moved from their Fort Myers home to a condominium in Port Charlotte, the new spring training home of the Rays.

"With the baby, I've learned to do things around the house," Bartlett said. He wasn't talking about changing diapers, either. See TWINS C4 BY DAVID DORSEY His offseason shortened by playing in the World Series and his routine transformed by the arrival of his baby son, Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett still managed to fit in his pre-spring training workouts. "You get a lot out of it," Bartlett said of the informal workouts that have been going on at the Lee County Sports Complex, spring training home of the Minnesota Twins. "When spring training rolls around, you're ready for it.

"If you're not ready for it, it's going to be a tough spring." Bartlett rose through the ranks of FGCU senior aids early Red Sox arrivals prospects such as undrafted free agent Cody McAllister, 24. He spent last season pitching in High-A Lancaster, Calif. He moved into a Fort Myers condominium with prospects on hand at the minor league complex. i Stephen Rassel, 23 and a senior at FGCU, is majoring in human performance. He aspires to be a big-league strength and conditioning coach.

For now, he has been assisting the Red Sox early arrivals with their workouts. "I am a Red Sox fan," Rassel said. "So it has been an awesome experience to work with the players and help them get better." I lister, who lives in the state of Washingtoa "It's snowing up there right now, so it's tough to get any work in there." McAllister said working out alongside the likes of Lester and Delcarmen has helped him. "They're good to look up to," McAllister said. "Those guys have established themselves in the big leagues.

"You can see what it takes to get there. They're on top of their game, and it shows." The players weren't the only BY DAVID DORSEY Over the past few weeks; little by little, Boston Red Sox big league and minor league players have trickled into town, doing informal workouts at the minor league facility off Edison Avenue in Fort Myers. The earliest arrivals included first baseman Kevin Youk-ilis, starting pitcher Jon Lester and relief pitcher Manny Del-carmen. They also included RASSEL Florida Gulf Coast senior THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NFC's Larry Fitzgerald, of the Arizona Cardinals, makes a catch for a touchdown during the second half of the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium In Honolulu on Sunday. some teammates on Feb.

1, "I wanted to get into the routine and take advantage of the coaching staff," said McAl- ME 1 EE.