Reuters U.S. Sports Schedule at 2 PM EST on Wednesday, April 29

April 29 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Wednesday: - - - - The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427 - - - - BOXING Mayweather, Pacquiao discuss their megafight in Vegas LAS VEGAS - Undefeated American Floyd Mayweather and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines hold a joint news conference ahead of their 12-round welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand on Saturday. We continue our build-up to one of boxing's most eagerly anticipated fights in decades. (BOXING-WORLD/MAYWEATHER (PIX, TV), expect by 6 PM ET, by Steve Keating and Mark Lamport-Stokes, 400 words) - - May-Pac Preview LAS VEGAS - Setting the stage for boxing's first megafight in decades with only hours remaining before Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally enter the same ring. (FIGHTING-PREVIEW (PIX), expect by 8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Michael Woods, 600 words) - - - - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FEATURE: Character questions unlikely to sack QB Winston in NFL draft In a test of second chances, the losing Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to use their No. 1 pick in the National Football League draft on Thursday to sign a standout college quarterback dogged by character questions. (USA-FOOTBALL/WINSTON (PIX), expect by 3 PM, 650 words) - - 2015 Draft preview: Top talent to come after QBs CHICAGO - Redemption or regret, the 2015 NFL Draft will forever change the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (FBN-PREVIEW/NFLDRAFTPREVIEW, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 900 words) - - Titans balk at Browns' trade offer The Cleveland Browns offer their two first-round picks for the second overall pick, but the Tennessee Titans want more to make that move. Marcus Mariota is the target of the Browns, according to reports. (FBN-BROWNS-TITANS-DRAFT/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 275 words) - - OL Collins leaves Chicago to clear name LSU offensive tackle La'el Collins, a projected first-round pick, left pre-draft festivities in Chicago to discuss the recent murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend with authorities in Louisiana. He is not considered a suspect, according to reports, but is needed for a paternity test. (FBN-DRAFT/COLLINS, expect by 3:30 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - Mizzou DE Ray trying to map new path CHICAGO - Missouri defensive end Shane Ray, a projected top-10 pick who was busted with marijuana this week after also failing a drug test in college, said it's on him to change his path. (FBN-DRAFT/RAY, expect by 5 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 400 words) - - 2015 NFL Draft: 10 Bold Predictions - Third QB in Round 1? The unpredictable nature of the NFL Draft is what makes it riveting television. After evaluating the 2015 class for the past 12 months, here are 10 Bold Predictions from NFLDraftScout.com analysts Dane Brugler and Rob Rang. (FBN-DRAFT/PREDICTIONS, expect by 3 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, By Rob Rang and Dane Brugler, 1,285 words) - - NFL roundup News and notes from around the league. (FBN-NOTEBOOK/, expect by 7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - DRAFT COVERAGE 2015 NFL Draft coverage Thursday, April 30 2015 NFL Draft: CHICAGO - Running copy from Auditorium Theater, where quarterbacks could go 1-2 for the sixth time in the common draft era. (FBN-DRAFT/, expect first version by 8:35 PM ET, updates every 4-5 picks through end of first round, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 1,000 words) - - No. 1, in focus: CHICAGO - Breaking down the decision at the top - who is the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and what does his arrival mean to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? (FBN-BUCCANEERS-DRAFT/, expect first version by 9:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 625 words) - - In Perspective: CHICAGO - Veteran NFL writer frames the first round of the 2015 draft. (FBN-COLUMN/, expect first version by 9:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Ira Miller, 1,000 words) - - 10 Takeaways: The 10 most noteworthy takeaways from the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-ANALYSIS/TAKEAWAYS, expect ASAP at the end of the first round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 650 words) - - Trade roundup: Tracking all the trades made in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-DRAFT/TRADERECAP, expect ASAP at the end of the first round, The Sports Xchange, by Derek Harper, 500 words) - - Best of the rest: The best available players still on the board entering the second round Friday. (FBN-DRAFT/BESTAVAILABLE, expect ASAP at the end of the first round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 500 words) - - Predicting Day 2: Bold predictions for the second and third rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-DRAFT/PREDICTIONS, expect ASAP at the end of the first round, The Sports Xchange, by Rob Rang, 600 words) - - From team headquarters : News and notes from teams with a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-(TEAM)-NEWS/, expect ASAP at the end of the first round, The Sports Xchange, 400-600 words) - - Friday Second- and third-round coverage: CHICAGO -- Coverage of the second and third round of the 2015 NFL Draft from the Auditorium Theater. (FBN-DRAFT/, expect first version by 7:45 PM ET, updates throughout, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 800 words) - - Newsmakers in second round: CHICAGO - News and notes on the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft from the Auditorium Theater. (FBN-DRAFT, expect first version by 8:45 PM ET, updates throughout, The Sports Xchange, 800 words) - - Trade roundup: A rundown of all the deals from the second and third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-DRAFT/TRADERECAP, expect first version at the end of the second round, updates throughout, The Sports Xchange, by Derek Harper, 700 words) - - 10 Takeaways: The 10 most noteworthy takeaways from the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-ANALYSIS/TAKEAWAYS, expect ASAP at the end of third round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 650 words) - - Best of the rest: The best available players still on the board for rounds 4-7. (FBN-DRAFT/BESTAVAILABLE, expect ASAP at the end of the third round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 500 words) - - Predicting the end: Predictions for the final day of the draft, rounds 4-7. (FBN-DRAFT/PREDICTIONS, expect ASAP at the end of the third round, The Sports Xchange, by Rob Rang, 500 words) - - Saturday Draft coverage: News and notes from the third day of the 2015 NFL Draft. (FBN-DRAFT/, expect ASAP at the end of fourth round, updates throughout, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Reynolds, 500 words) - - Best of the rest: The best available undrafted free agents. (FBN-DRAFT/BESTAVAILABLE, expect ASAP at the end of the seventh round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 500 words) - - Winners and losers: Analysis of the 2015 NFL Draft with winners and losers. (FBN-DRAFT/WINNERSLOSERS, expect ASAP at the end of the seventh round, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 500 words) - - Grading all 32 teams Draft grades for every team. (FBN-DRAFT/GRADES, expect ASAP at the end of the seventh round, The Sports Xchange, by Rob Rang, 4,000 words) - - Sunday Reports for all 32 teams, including pick-by-pick analysis: Team-specific analysis of the 2015 NFL Draft with reports from team headquarters including analysis of every pick for all 32 teams. Will begin to move late Saturday evening. (FBN-(TEAM)-NEWS/, expect ASAP, The Sports Xchange, 1,000 words per team) - - Best prospects for 2016 An early look at the potential prizes in the 2016 draft. (FBN-DRAFT/2016, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Rob Rang, 650 words) - - Monday 2016 Mock Draft Never too early? A wide-eyed look ahead at next year from NFLDraftScout.com, which tracks players from high school to college and projects what the 2016 NFL Draft might look like. (FBN-DRAFT/, expect by 7 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Dane Brugler, 800 words) - - - - NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Thunder, Donovan open talks The Oklahoma City Thunder start discussions about their coaching vacancy with Florida head coach Billy Donovan. (BKN-THUNDER-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 235 words) - - Hawks' Korver wins NBA Sportsmanship Award Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2014-15 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner. Korver becomes the first Hawks player to receive the honor. (BKN-HAWKS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - Nets at Hawks ATLANTA - With the best-of-seven series tied 2-all, the Atlanta Hawks are back on their home floor looking to regain home-court advantage against the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed, the Brooklyn Nets. (BKN-HAWKS-NETS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after 7:30 PM ET tipoff, The Sports Xchange, by David Purdum, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Blazers at Grizzlies MEMPHIS - Back at the "Grind House" but without point guard Mike Conley (facial fracture), the Memphis Grizzlies look to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers to advance to the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors. (BKN-GRIZZLIES-BLAZERS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect ASAP after 9:30 p.m. ET tipoff, The Sports Xchange, by Don Wade, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NBA schedule at a glance Brooklyn at Atlanta, 7 PM ET (PIX) Portland at Memphis, 9:30 PM ET (PIX) - - NBA Roundup Roundup of all of the day's action in the NBA. (BKN-ROUNDUP/, running copy beginning with the end of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - - - GOLF Woods commits to five additional tournaments Tiger Woods made early commitments to five more events, stating on Twitter that it's "going to be a busy summer." (GLF-NEWS/TIGERWOODSSCHEDULE, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words) - - Golfing pioneer Calvin Peete dies at age 71 Calvin Peete, the most successful African-American golfer in PGA Tour history before Tiger Woods, has dies at the age of 71. (GLF-NEWS-CALVINPEETEDIES/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 723 words) - - Accuracy the key to Ko's dominance, says Euro No. 1 An astonishingly consistent game that relies more on pinpoint accuracy than power has been the key to Lydia Ko's remarkable rise to the top of the women's world rankings, says the European No. 1 (GOLF-LPGA/HULL-KO, moved, by Andrew Both, 410 words) - - - - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL White Sox, Orioles play in empty Oriole Park BALTIMORE - Media milled about as per usual, but nothing but empty stands made for an awkward day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. (BBO-WHITESOX-ORIOLES-NEWS/SIDEBAR, expect approximately 90 minutes after the game ends, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Seidel, 750 words) - - Yankees shut down Tanaka NEW YORK - The New York Yankees officially placed right-hander Masahiro Tanaka on the 15-day disabled list with right wrist tendinitis and a right forearm strain. (BBO-YANKEES-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Rockies' Weiss: NL no place for DH PHOENIX - Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss is not among those who would like to see the designated hitter expanded to both leagues. In fact, Weiss is so little-red-schoolhouse old school that he would just as soon have interleague play go away. (BBO-ROCKIES-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 375 words) - - Mentor turned starter: Pierzynski playing well for Braes ATLANTA - Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski was signed by the Atlanta Braves in the offseason primarily as a tutor. Now, it is becoming difficult to get him out of the lineup. (BBO-BRAVES-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Stan Awtrey, 323 words) - - Padres: RHP Josh Johnson 'getting close' SAN DIEGO -- For a major league clubhouse to empty hours before a game to watch a teammate throw says something. That it was for right-hander Josh Johnson says everything. (BBO-PADRES-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Jay Paris, 377 words) - - Today's MLB schedule at a glance - - Slug convention: BBO-WHITESOX-ROYALS-FIRSTLEDE-WRITETHRU - - American League Tampa Bay at New York, In Progress (PIX) Detroit at Minnesota, In Progress (PIX) Chicago White Sox at Baltimore, In Progress (PIX) Toronto at Boston, 6:10 PM ET (PIX) Kansas City at Cleveland, 6:10 (PIX) Seattle at Texas, 8:05 PM ET (PIX) Los Angeles Angels at Oakland, 10:05 PM ET (PIX) - - National League Milwaukee at Cincinnati, In Progress (PIX) Washington at Atlanta, 7:10 PM ET New York Mets at Miami, 7:10 PM ET (PIX) Philadelphia at St. Louis, 8:10 PM ET (PIX) Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 PM ET (PIX) Colorado at Arizona, 9:40 PM ET (PIX) San Francisco at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET -- Interleague Houston at San Diego, 3:40 PM ET (PIX) - - MLB Roundup Running capsule recaps of all the games on the MLB schedule. (MLB-ROUNDUP/, expect first version ASAP after conclusion of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - - - NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Stanley Cup Playoffs Red Wings at Lightning TAMPA - Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. (HKN-LIGHTNING-REDWINGS-FIRSTLEDE/WRITETHRU (PIX), expect ASAP after 7:30 PM ET start, The Sports Xchange, 400-word first lede, 700-word writethru) - - Today's NHL schedule at a glance Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM ET (PIX) - - NHL Roundup Running capsule recaps of all the games on the NHL schedule. (HKN-ROUNDUP/, expect first version ASAP after conclusion of the first game of the day, The Sports Xchange, 500 words) - - - - HORSE RACING Kentucky Derby preview The postposition draw sets the stage for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby. (MSC-PREVIEW/, expect by 7:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Jeff Washburn, 600 words) - - - - SOCCER Montreal eyes improbable CONCACAF title The Montreal Impact tries to become the first Major League Soccer team to with the CONCACAF Champions League title and qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup when they host Mexico's Club America with a 1-1 scoreline after a draw in last week's first leg at Estadio Azteca. (SOCCER-CONCACAF/ (PIX), expect by 11 PM ET, 300 words) - - - - AUTO RACING NASCAR pursuit paying off for Suarez Daniel Suarez needed to be prompted by his friend and manager, but his move to NASCAR's Xfinity Series is paying major dividends. (CAR-SPRINT-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, special to The Sports Xchange, 475 words) - - GoDaddy dropping Danica Patrick's car sponsorship Danica Patrick will need a new sponsor to continue racing next year as GoDaddy says it's dropping sponsorship of her car at Stewart-Haas Racing and leaving NASCAR at the end of the 2015 season. (US-MOTORRACING-PATRICK/, moved, 341 words) - - Racing Glance Capsule previews of the week ahead in auto racing. (CAR-PREVIEW/, moved, The Sports Xchange, by Jerry Bonkowski, 375 words) - - - - JURISPRUDENCE Opening statements expected in Atlanta murder trial of ex-NBA player Javaris Crittenton ATLANTA - Former NBA point guard Javaris Crittenton pleads guilty in the 2011 shooting death of an Atlanta woman and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. (USA-GEORGIA/CRITTENTON, expect by 2:15 PM, 300 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (Expect by 8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)