Penn State comment on ESPN raises questions

Just after 8:30 this morning on the West Coast, ESPN returned from a commercial break showing Penn State players who were chanting and moving rhythmically in a large circle, firing themselves up before the game.

Then, from off camera, came the words: "Where's that little kid?"

It sounded like Lee Corso's voice. Corso was with the network's GameDay crew at Stanford, but that unit was commenting on the pregame action in State College, Pa., where Penn State and Nebraska were preparing to kickoff.

Corso wasn't heard from for several minutes while others spoke with shots of Penn State coaches and players in the background.

An ESPN spokesman contacted by The Times' Diane Pucin was not aware of the incident and said he would check into it.

There might be an innocent explanation for it. But the juxtaposition of that camera shot and that off-camera remark was startling.

Someone needs to answer for it.

--Mike Hiserman

Tiger Woods falters in Australian Open, loses lead

Tiger Woods, leading a tournament for only the second time this year, surrendered the lead by starting with three consecutive bogeys and stumbling his way through the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday in Sydney.

Woods began the day at The Lakes golf course with a one-shot lead but managed only two birdies after his three-bogey start to finish the round at three-over 75. The former No. 1-ranked player in the world, who last won nearly two years ago at the Australian Masters before his marriage and game were torn apart in a sex scandal, is six shots behind leader John Senden.

“I just got off to an awful start,” said Woods, one of eight Americans playing the Australian Open in preparation for the Presidents Cup next week at Royal Melbourne. “The round should have been an easy 71, no problem. I played the par-fives bad, I didn't take care of [No.] 13. But if I take care of the par-fives and make a couple of putts, it's a one- or two-under round. But I made nothing today.”

Woods is unlikely to end the longest drought of his once-storied career, which includes 14 major championships, since he has won a tournament only once when trailing by six shots or more going into the final round -- nearly 14 years ago in Thailand.

“I need to play good on that front nine. Anything can happen on the back nine,” Woods said. “If I can just play a good, solid front nine and get things going on the back nine, they have some easy holes on the back nine. If I can shoot some low scores, I'll be right there.”

Senden, who won the Australian Open five years ago at Royal Sydney, birdied his last two holes to finish off a round of nine-under 63, giving him a one-shot lead over Jason Day, who celebrated his 24th birthday with a 68.

Greg Chalmers had a 67 to move to within two shots of the lead. He's followed by Nick O'Hern (66) and Nick Watney (68) another shot back.

ALSO:

Fans, foes impressed by Tiger's second round

Tiger has more work to do in comeback

Notah Begay III charts a course back to the PGA Tour

--Dan Loumena

Wire services contributed to this report.

Photo: Tiger Woods looks for a wayward shot on the 11th hole at The Lakes golf course on Saturday in Sydney. Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

UCLA upset by Loyola Marymount, 69-58

UCLA, nationally ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2008, was promptly upset by Loyola Marymount, 69-58, in its season opener on Friday night at the Sports Arena.

The Lions made 10 of 15 shots from three-point range against the No. 17-ranked Bruins. Ashley Hamilton scored 23 points and Anthony Ireland added 21 to lead Loyola to its first victory over UCLA in 14 games.

The Wear twins, transfers from North Carolina, accounted for nearly half the Bruins' points; David scoring 13 and Travis finishing with 11.

Reeves Nelson also had 13 points for UCLA, which shot only two of 15 from three-point range. Bruins point guard Lazeric Jones struggled from the field to finish with three points on one-of-12 shooting.

The Lions led for most of the game, including one point at halftime, despite playing without starting forward Drew Viney and coasted to the victory by maintaining a double-digit lead down the stretch.

Loyola opened its first double-digit lead, 53-42, on two free throws by Hamilton that capped a 12-0 run.

MORE:

UCLA makes a return to the Sports Arena

A bigger Pauley Pavilion coming in 2012

-- Dan Loumena

Wire services contributed to this report.

Photo: Loyola's Ashley Hamilton scores inside against UCLA during a season opener on Friday night at the Sports Arena. Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

USC defeats Cal State Northridge, 66-59, in season opener

Dewayne Dedmon had a successful debut for USC as the highly-touted sophomore forward finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the Trojans to a 66-59 victory over Cal State Northridge in the season opener for both teams on Friday at the Galen Center.

Trojans Coach Kevin O'Neill has called the 7-foot Dedmon, who didn't begin playing organized basketball until he was a senior in high school, a future NBA lottery draft pick.
 
Dedmon played only 25 minutes against the Matadors because of foul trouble and cramping in his legs, but his dunk with 3:17 left gave the Trojans a three-point lead that they would not relinquish.

Transfer Aaron Fuller had 16 points and nine rebounds in his USC debut while Maurice Jones added 16 points, making 12 of 15 free throws.

Jones made only two of 13 shots from the field, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. USC did not make a long-range shot in 15 tries.

Northridge trailed by eight points at halftime before pulling into a 54-52 lead with 4:13 left in the second half. Stephan Hicks led the Matadors with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Allan Guei and Vinnie McGhee each had 14 points.

--Dan Loumena

Wire services contributed to this report.

USC basketball: Trojans lead Northridge at half, 29-21; Dedmon has 8 points

Dewayne Dedmon won the opening tip in his debut for USC on Friday night against Cal State Northridge.

On the first missed shot on the defensive end, the 7-foot sophomore touted by USC Coach Kevin O'Neill as a future NBA lottery pick, snatched the rebound with two hands.  

And with 18:25 in the first half, Dedmon caught a no-look pass from a driving Maurice Jones on the left side of the basket, and Dedmon came up on the other side and dunked it strong with his right hand.

Then he took that right hand, balled it into a fist, beat his chest three times with it and roared.

Like that, Dedmon had matched his career-high in points scored for all of high school.

Yes, he only scored two points in high school -- all in his senior year, which is the first year he began playing organized basketball. His is a remarkable story that was featured in The Times. 

In the first half, which USC finished with a 29-21 lead, Dedmon had eight points, making four of five shots from the field while grabbing four rebounds.

He checked out of the game with 8:20 before halftime after picking up his second foul and did not return.

But before that, he scored six consecutive points during one stretch -- hitting three short-range jumpers -- and after a rebound the USC student section was chanting, "Ded-mon, Ded-mon, Ded-mon."

Aside from Dedmon, USC has looked young. It led 14-4 before the Matadors scored six unanswered points. USC responded with a 9-0 run, and the two teams exchanged more runs before the buzzer sounded.

USC is shooting 10 of 24 (41.7%) from the field while Northridge is shooting only four of 29 (13.8%). Junior forward Aaron Fuller is the leading scorer for USC with nine points.

For Northridge, Vinnie McGhee and Stephan Hicks each have six points. 

-- Baxter Holmes

Photo: Dewayne Dedmon. Credit: USC

Wilson Ramos rescued by Venezuelan police

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was rescued by Venezuelan police Friday two days after he was kidnapped by armed men in his native country.

Venezuelan Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami announced on state television that Ramos was rescued by police and that he was "safe and sound." The news was first reported on Twitter by Information Minister Andres Izarra, who wrote, "The baseball player Ramos found alive by security forces in mountainous zone."

The circumstances behind Ramos' rescue weren't immediately clear.

Ramos, who was a rookie this last season with the Nationals, was abduced at gunpoint outside his home in the city of Valencia.

Kidnappings have increased with regularity in Venezuela in recent years, but this was believed to be the first adbuction involving a Major League Baseball player. Many major league players employ bodyguards to protect them while playing winter league baseball in the country.

We'll have more on Ramos' rescue later at latimes.com/sports.

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Nationals' Wilson Ramos is kidnapped

-- Austin Knoblauch

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. Credit: Nick Wass / Associated Press

Sex-abuse scandal just got costlier for Penn State

The Times' Walter Hamilton is reporting that the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse allegations at Penn State could prove costly.

Here's a bit of what Hamilton had to report on the Money & Company blog:

Moody's Investors Service announced Friday that it may downgrade the university's credit rating in light of the lawsuits and other "reputational and financial risk" the school is likely to endure. The shocking allegations of abuse may scare away prospective students and anger deep-pocketed alumni who make large donations to the football powerhouse.

"While the full impact of these increased risks will only unfold over a period of years, we will also assess the degree of near and medium term risks to determine whether to downgrade the current Aa1 rating," Moody's said in a news release.

One risk is that Penn State's insurers may balk at footing the bill for settlements with victims. They potentially could argue that top school officials, including its now-exiled president, Graham Spanier, were aware for years of the abuses allegedly committed by the football team's former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, but took no action.

How bad will the fallout be at Penn State? Legendary former coach Joe Paterno, fired on Wednesday, has hired a criminal defense attorney for possible representation in civil suits.

MORE:

Assistant coach Mike McQueary placed on leave

Paterno fired: Tom Bradley news conference highlights

Full coverage: Child sex abuse scandal rocks Penn State

--Dan Loumena

Photo: Joe Paterno, who earlier this season became the winningest Division I coach in college football with 409 victories, patrols the sideline during a game in 2003. Credit: Phelan Ebenhack / Associated Press