Scramble

Wild defenseman Nick Schultz put on shoulder pads he bought for $200 at a local store. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom wore a catching glove with burn marks across it, and backup goalie Josh Harding had an old facemask with the wrong number. A day after a small fire destroyed most of their equipment, the Wild were back at work Saturday for a pregame skate. They played the Senators at night. No one was hurt in the fire, which broke out Friday in the back of a van carrying the team's gear after an afternoon practice.

The world is waiting Sunday to find out who bought the Powerball jackpot winning ticket at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla. Nobody had come forward by mid-morning.  It could take a few days before anybody claims the prize, but it's best to be skeptical of anything that comes out before lottery officials make a formal announcement. Remember the circus surrounding the Mega Millions jackpot winner sold in Maryland last year? It started in the middle of the night, just after it became clear that a hot ticket had been sold in Baltimore County.

Every Tuesday, blogger Matt Vensel breaks down a critical play, sometimes with the help of Ravens players, from that week's game. Today he looks at Joe Flacco's mad scramble on third down late in Sunday's victory. The Ravens struggled to move the ball throughout Sunday's 9-6 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. But late in the game, all they needed was a pair of first downs to wind down the clock and escape Arrowhead Stadium with a win. At the start of that final drive, they had converted just once on third down.

Ryan McGrath and other Baltimore-area runners were relaxing after the Boston Marathon, refueling with some burritos, when they heard the blasts. "I thought maybe it's one of those boat-type things that just shoots off a cannon every day," said McGrath, a Highlandtown resident who organizes a running group through Falls Road Running Store in Mount Washington. "One of my friends was like, 'Man, that didn't sound like a cannon.'" Police and emergency vehicles quickly flooded the area, and marathoners and spectators ran by crying, McGrath said.

Scramble shakes up status quo WWE decided to get more creative with the Smackdown version of the Championship Scramble, which is for the WWE title. Rather than being hand-picked, the participants had to win qualifying matches on Friday night's show. And instead of putting together the usual suspects, WWE made the bold move to include MVP, Shelton Benjamin and The Brain Kendrick in the contest along with champion Triple H and the ever-popular Jeff Hardy. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringposts.

With the pressure lessened on day two, Elinor Lees swept by the first day's leader -- and 1992 winner -- Sandy Bunting to win the Ocean Pines Ladies Golf Championship (OPLGA).Ms. Lees won with a 95-90--185 two-day total, coming from behind Ms. Bunting, who had led by five strokes after the first day of play but finished with 90-97--187.Ms. Lees says the pressure was less on the second day of the Aug. 2-3 tournament and it became a matter of competing and not thinking about the score. She caught Ms. Bunting on the ninth (27th)

Running XTERRA Parks & People Scramble 5K Where -- Druid Hill Park (starting at Stieff Silver Building) When -- Sunday, 9 a.m. What for -- People, music, running - in costume. Info -- 410-308-1870 Halloween Ghosts, Ghouls and Legends Where -- Sports Legends Museum When -- Sunday, 1 p.m. What for -- Two-hour children's event; costume contest. Online -- www.baberuthmuseum.com Pro soccer Red Bull New York@D.C. United Where -- RFK Stadium, Washington When -- Sunday, 6 p.m. What for -- MLS Eastern Conference semifinal Game 2. Online -- dcunited.

If Troy Smith proved anything this preseason, it was his ability to scramble out of trouble. So it shouldn't be such a surprise that the Heisman Trophy winner beat the odds yesterday when he survived the final major cutdown to make the Ravens' 53-man roster as the No. 3 quarterback. RAVENS@BENGALS Season opener, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., ESPN, Ch. 13, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Line: Bengals by 2 1/2

Scrabble bidders squabblingThe scramble for Scrabble took a new twist yesterday as the two companies seeking to acquire J. W. Spear and Sons PLC charged each other with breaking takeover rules.U.S. toymaker Hasbro Inc. claimed Spear's trustees are legally bound to sell it their 24.7 percent stake in the company, which has the rights to sell the Scrabble board game anywhere outside the United States and Canada.But the Spear board, apparently swayed by a higher offer by Hasbro's larger U.S. rival Mattel Inc., countered that it has received "professional advice" that trustees can accept either offer.

Carroll County's Piney Branch and Wakefield Valley clubs have drawn veteran opponents for first-round action of the Maryland state golf team matches.Piney Branch takes on Elkridge, one of the founding clubs of Baltimore golf, while Wakefield's 12-member squad faces Argyle of the Washington sector.This marks the first time Wakefield has met Argyle. Previously, Baltimore-area teams haven't been paired against a Washington opponentuntil the final round.Some 62 teams -- the largest field ever --are lined up for the matches on Saturday.

Mika J. Cross, a human resources manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sometimes uses a laptop issued by the agency. But she is far more likely to check email or collaborate with colleagues on one of her two personal computers. As someone who frequently works from home, she finds using her own technology more convenient. "It allows for greater flexibility," said the 39-year-old Waldorf woman, who oversees a program that helps employees balance work and personal commitments.

One law firm has rented out a conference room in the downtown Hilton and invited patients of a Johns Hopkins gynecologist to discuss their legal options. Other firms are taking out newspaper ads, urging his patients to contact them. Others are asking clients to spread the word to other potential victims. Baltimore lawyers have begun jockeying for a role in finding out what happened in the offices of Dr. Nikita A. Levy, who is accused of secretly photographing and videotaping patients.

When it comes to the Super Bowl, Ravens fans are ready to go. Literally. In less than 24 hours since winning the AFC Championship, fans have booked just about every flight out of town to New Orleans. “[Demand] is overwhelming…” said  Buzz Levin, owner of The Travel Committee, a group and corporate travel agency based in Owings Mills. Levin said his company doesn't normally work with the general public, but being based locally and seeing the enthusiasm of the Ravens nation has caused him to make this Super Bowl an exception.

By the time the phone calls started pouring in from Ravens fans seeking transportation to Sunday's conference championship game outside Boston, Superior Tours in Baltimore was already expecting a busy holiday weekend. The company had charter buses booked for the presidential inauguration on Monday for more than a year. Managers tried this week to find another bus and put together a travel package for the Ravens game, but the effort fell apart because of the time crunch. "It just all fell on a really busy weekend," said Jeff Komins, one of the company's managers.

With zero touchdown passes, one interception and three sacks, quarterback Andrew Luck finished with a 59.8 passer rating in the Indianapolis Colts' 24-9 loss to the Ravens in Sunday's AFC Wildcard playoff game. But the top overall pick in the NFL draft in April impressed the Ravens defensive players with his ability to scramble, which he used three times to gain first downs. “He's amazing. He was keeping plays alive,” cornerback Corey Graham said. “He looked like Big Ben [Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers]

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University slogged through thigh-deep water to rescue tissue samples and evacuate lab animals when a flood crippled a cancer research building after Hurricane Sandy last month. "It was really an extraordinary community effort," said Landon King, vice dean for research at the university's medical school, who worked to save precious samples stored in large freezers after the power went out. "It could have been an absolute disaster. " In the darkened basement of the Koch Cancer Research Building, water rose until it stood more than three feet in places.

The Ocean Pines Ladies Golf Association -- 18 Holers held the annual Member-Guest Tournament recently with a large turnout pleased by a beautiful day and handsome scores.In the Best Two Balls of Foursome format, first low gross honors went to Ocean Piners Elinor Lees and Chung Cho with their Nutters Crossing guests Ellie Gore and Gail Nichols on a fine 167 score card.Nancy Hunter of the host club apparently canvassed the state to round up her guests -- Barbara Curtis of Nassawango, Sophia Haupt of Lakewood and Betty Hall from Montgomery -- and they took the runner-up gross slot with a very challenging 168. There were only two gross prizes.

Action is heating up in the Toyota/B. J.'s Ocean City Challenge Cup, a summer-long tournament in which two pros from each of the six local clubs compete in a 10-match schedule at better-ball match play, with three points up for grabs each round.Golfers who would like to see some excellent shot-making should contact any of the clubs below for dates and times of future matches.In the fourth round of play, the Ocean Pines team opened up a two-point lead in first, having lost only three of the possible 12 points so far. This time out, they blanked River Run, 3-0, knocking the river men into the basement with only four points.

When the votes from the 6th Congressional District were counted last week, John Delaney didn't just become Maryland's newest House member. He also became the state's newest employer. And as Delaney and his fellow members of the congressional Class of 2012 now head to Capitol Hill for freshman orientation, they'll also be reviewing resumes, interviewing job candidates and hiring the staff members whose work can be the difference between their success or failure in Washington. Every two years, Election Day marks the end of the campaign season and the start of a hiring frenzy, as dozens of new members choose from among thousands of candidates to fill highly coveted staff positions.

When Tony Romo escapes pressure, darts away from an opponent, and finds a receiver for a gain, the Ravens see similarities between the Dallas Cowboys quarterback and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger. “This guy is very elusive, he's athletic. It's the same thing with Roethlisberger,” said defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who referenced a play in the Cowboys' 27-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks where Romo spun out of a collapsing pocket and found wide receiver Miles Austin downfield for a 20-yard gain.