Las Vegas

The new-look Washington Wizards have slowly been taking shape over the past two days at Verizon Center. No. 1 overall pick John Wall, fellow rookies Trevor Booker and Hamady N'Diaye, third-year center JaVale McGee and other players hoping to find an NBA home are preparing for the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, with the first game on Sunday. Fourth-year veteran carryovers Nick Young and Al Thornton worked on developing some chemistry with their new teammates, while leaving open the possibility of a cameo appearance in summer league.

The dog days of summer are usually a hoot for the Ravens. For about four weeks, the players have carte blanche to enjoy what little respite they have before the start of training camp, which rolls into the regular season and -- they hope -- the playoffs. Defensive tackle Cory Redding has a good reason for staying home this summer. He and his wife welcomed their third child, a boy, in May. "So we're staying home," Redding said. "We're not going anywhere. I'm staying here and hanging out with the kids for the most part."

H eidi Klotzman says her fashion sense can change from day to day. "Some days, it's all about comfort, and I could care less. Other days, I want to be like my grandma. My grandma was very elegant. She had this regal taste about her." When we glimpsed the 28-year-old CEO/founder of HeidnSeek Entertainment at a Mother's Federal Hill Grille happy hour, she was more than just inspired by her grandmother. She was wearing a sweater dress that had once been her grandmother's. The Pikesville resident describes her style as "classic with an edge."

Romantic interlude Andrew Kinnear took his dog out to play in Saturday's snow and came home engaged. His flight to Las Vegas was canceled - he had thought of proposing in front of the fountain at the Bellagio - and a friend egged him on to pop the question on the steps of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Locust Point. So with his boxer Clinton and friends standing in knee-deep drifts on East Fort Avenue, Kinnear brushed off the church steps, got down on one knee and took out a ring.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- With the pro football playoffs approaching, Jim Nielsen could think of nothing more appealing than a drive to Delaware. No, his beloved Philadelphia Eagles had not moved across the state line. Nielsen and his son just wanted to add a little spice to their football watching, by betting on the games. Before this season, that would've required a search for offshore bookmakers or a flight to Las Vegas. But now, eager NFL wagerers from Maryland, Pennsylvania and other states can simply visit one of Delaware's three slots parlors to take advantage of the nation's newest state-licensed sports book.

1st Mariner Arena is the top arena of its size in the U.S., according to industry publications Billboard Magazine and Venues Today. After a star-studded year including performances from Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Jay-Z, the aging venue took the No. 1 spot for arenas with capacities from 10,001 to 15,000. The results were based on the number of tickets sold and gross revenue, according to Frank Remesch, 1st Mariner's general manager. "We had a heck of a run this year," Remesch said.

Just in time to perhaps see some playing time before Big East play, DePaul center Mac Koshwal has been cleared for practice after missing the last eight games with a foot injury, coach Jerry Wainwright said Sunday night. Barring complications after a full-go workout Monday, the 6-foot-10 junior will play Tuesday at Florida Gulf Coast to knock off rust before the Dec. 28 conference opener at Pittsburgh. "He's a kid that's always had a great motor," Wainwright said. "But I'd certainly like to have him swim a couple lengths before he's racing against Michael Phelps."

TODAY'S TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS M. bask. Old Spice semi: Mich. vs. Marquette ESPN Noon 76 Classic semi: W.Va. vs. Texas A&M ESPN 2:30 NIT Tip-Off 3rd pl.: Ariz. St. vs. LSU ESPN2 2:30 Old Spice consol.: Creighton vs. Xavier ESPNU 2:30 NIT Tip-Off final: Duke vs. UConn ESPN 5 Old Spice semi: Alabama vs. Fla. St. ESPN2 5 76 Classic consol.

BOWL DATE TIME TV LOCATION CONFERENCE TIES OUR PICK BUZZ New Mexico D. 19 4:30 ESPN Albuquerque, N.M. Mountain West vs. WAC Wyoming vs. Fresno State A win at Colorado State this week gets Wyoming in. St. Petersburg D. 19 8 ESPN St. Petersburg, Fla. Big East...

$2 million in U.S. funds to map broadband needs A coalition of rural Maryland counties will receive $2 million in federal stimulus money to begin mapping broadband needs and existing fiber-optic cable in western, southern and Eastern Shore counties, but it won't pay for building new connections. The Salisbury-based Maryland Broadband Coalition will use $1.5 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration over two years to collect information about the need for broadband, as well as what already exists in those areas, and the other $500,000 will go toward planning costs over the next five years.