REGION

REGION
Pirates offerarbitration to all
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates offered contracts to all their arbitration-eligible players, including right-hander Josh Fogg and utilityman Rob Mackowiak, who are eligible for the first time.
First baseman Daryle Ward avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $950,000, one-year contract early Tuesday. Ward, 29, hit 15 home runs and had 57 RBIs in 79 games last season.
The Pirates also offered contracts to shortstop Jack Wilson, first baseman-outfielder Craig Wilson, right-hander Kip Wells and reliever Brian Meadows.
The club has discussed a multiyear contract with Jack Wilson, who became the first Pirates player since Dave Parker in 1977 to get 200 or more hits in a season. Wilson was awarded $1.85 million in arbitration last winter and would likely more than double that if he were to go to arbitration again.
Players can file for arbitration Jan. 5, with the club and the player exchanging figures Jan. 18. If a case go to arbitration, the arbitrator will choose either the player's figure or the club's.
QB leadsall-state list
PITTSBURGH -- Dan Letorre put up some impressive statistics in leading Southern Columbia to its third consecutive PIAA Class A state championship. However, one set of numbers stood out above the rest.
His two-year record -- 29-1 -- sums up Latorre, and is a big reason why he leads The Associated Press' Class A all-state team as the player of the year.
The senior quarterback passed for 1,732 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 91 of 146 attempts while being intercepted only twice as Southern Columbia went 15-0. He also rushed for 1,042 yards and 20 touchdowns, including four scores in the Tigers' 35-0 rout of Rochester in the PIAA championship game.
NATION
AP tells BCS to stop using its poll
NEW YORK -- The Associated Press has told the Bowl Championship Series to stop using its college football poll to determine which teams play for the national title and in the most prestigious bowl games.
The BCS has used the AP poll of 65 writers and broadcasters as a component in its rankings since the system was implemented by officials from the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-10, Southeastern Conference and Notre Dame in 1998.
The AP said such use was never sanctioned and had reached the point where it threatened to undermine the independence and integrity of the poll.
The AP sent BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg a cease-and-desist letter, dated Dec. 21, stating that use of the poll is unlawful and harms the AP's reputation.
In its letter, the AP said some of its poll voters had indicated they might no longer participate because of concerns over having their reporters be so closely involved in the process of determining which teams play where.
"By stating that the AP poll is one of the three components used by BCS to establish its rankings, BCS conveys the impression that AP condones or otherwise participates in the BCS system," the letter said. "Furthermore, to the extent that the public does not fully understand the relationship between BCS and AP, any animosity toward BCS may get transferred to AP. And to the extent that the public has equated or comes to equate the AP poll with the BCS rankings, the independent reputation of the AP poll is lost."
This season, the AP poll and USA Today/ESPN coaches poll were given more weight than ever in the BCS standings. Each poll accounted for one-third of a team's BCS grade and total points were factored in, not just ranking, which was the case before.
A compilation of six computer rankings made up the final third of the BCS grade.
Donovin Darius fined, but not suspended
NEW YORK -- Jacksonville safety Donovin Darius was fined $75,000 by the NFL on Tuesday for a hit across the neck of Green Bay's Robert Ferguson that left the wide receiver temporarily paralyzed.
Darius, who was ejected from the game, wasn't suspended because league disciplinarian Gene Washington noted that this was the first time he had been fined for a violation.
Lefty to skipwinners-only event
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Masters champion Phil Mickelson has decided to skip the winners-only Mercedes Championships at Kapalua to start the new season, instead making his 2005 debut in the Buick Invitational near his hometown of San Diego.
Mickelson is a two-time winner of the Mercedes when it was played at La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. This will be the second straight time he has skipped Kapalua. He also didn't play in 2003, and he wasn't eligible this year.
That leaves the Mercedes with 31 players when the PGA Tour season begins Jan. 9.
Once the tour reaches the mainland Jan. 20 at Torrey Pines, Mickelson will play five of the next six tournaments through the Ford Championship at Doral. The only one he will skip is the Nissan Open at Riviera.
Wire reports