Fast Break
College football
Heisman list out; Lombardi picked
Ohio State’s Troy Smith and Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn were selected Wednesday as finalists for the Heisman Trophy, along with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.
Smith is the odds-on favorite to win the award Saturday night in New York.
Smith is fourth in the nation in passer rating (167.9) and has thrown for 2,507 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading Ohio State to the national title game Jan. 8 against Florida in Glendale, Ariz.
Meanwhile, Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley won the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s top college lineman or linebacker Wednesday, becoming the first Wolverine to win the honor.
The 6-foot-2, 269-pound Woodley ranks among the nation’s leaders in sacks (11), tackles for loss (15.5) and forced fumbles (4).
College basketball
UW ends series with Gonzaga
UW coach Lorenzo Romar confirmed Wednesday that the schools will not meet next season, and he said any resumption of the series remains unsettled.
Washington leads 29-13 in a series that originated in 1910. However, Gonzaga had won seven straight until last season, when the Huskies won, 99-95. The Bulldogs have won five straight in Spokane.
See story, C7
Baseball
M’s swap arms with Braves
It won’t be the easiest sell to fans as a consolation prize. But the Seattle Mariners finally broke the ice Wednesday in their pursuit of a starting pitcher by trading for Atlanta Braves left-hander Horacio Ramirez.
The price for the 27-year-old, oft-injured hurler was steep, with the Mariners sending hard-throwing, 26-year-old setup man Rafael Soriano the other way.
It’s a move destined to be debated by fans, given Soriano’s stature in Seattle’s bullpen and coming as it did the same day the Mariners lost out in bidding on free agent Jason Schmidt.
A major-league front-office source said the deal should be announced no later than today, once Seattle’s medical staff signs off on paperwork for Ramirez.
–Seattle Times
Baseball
Former Bulldog cleans up knee
Pittsburgh All-Star outfielder Jason Bay (Gonzaga University/North Idaho College) recently had arthroscopic surgery to relieve irritation under his left kneecap.
Bay had the procedure a week ago and walked out of the hospital minutes after it was done, Pittsburgh said.
Despite being bothered by his knee throughout last season, Bay hit .286 with 35 homers and 109 RBIs.