general

Can Rays patchwork pitching win enough games?

March 7, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Suppose they could be average. Pedestrian. Run-of-the-mill. How good would the Tampa Bay Rays be then? By now, you are used to the starting rotation of the Rays being excellent, deep and talented. You are used to them making the opposing hitters look as bad as, well, the Rays hitters. Content beyond […]

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Bolts play well, but lose in shootout

March 6, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. Sometimes, you lose. It’s that simple. Sometimes, the other team has the final highlight. Sometimes,the other team makes the impressive comeback. Sometimes, the outcome doesn’t match the results. Ask the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had a six-game winning streak end Friday night in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Philipp […]

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Hedman’s last-second shot leads Bolts’ rally

March 5, 2021 general

Friday 4 a.m. Plenty of time, Victor. No reason to hurry. No rush, no muss. Why, you have a tenth of a second to spare. Victor Hedman highlighted one of the season’s best victories by the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night as the team overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to win a […]

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At quarterback, Bucs’ are among the lucky

March 4, 2021 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Around here, things are quiet. So quiet you can hear Tom Brady’s knee creak. Normally, a football season is a time of angst for a Bucs’ fan. It’s a time to debate Jameis Winston’s touchdowns vs. his interceptions, Trent Dilfer’s mistakes vs. sort-of-highlights, Josh McCown and the way the starting quarterback job […]

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Vasilevskiy surrenders nothing…once again

March 3, 2021 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. Derrick Brooks was unbelievable. LeeRoy Selmon was legendary. Warren Sapp was larger than life. Kevin Kiermaier was impressive. But at this point, you could make a case that Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best defender that Tampa Bay has ever seen. Vasilevskiy did it again Tuesday night. For the third straight game, he […]

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Rays hope Archer is better in his return

March 2, 2021 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. It sounds a bit hollow to talk about the rebirth of Chris Archer. Doesn’t that make it sound like Archer was anything much to return to? Hey, I like Archer. I’ve always found him an interesting quote when he gets an interesting question. But, too often, Archer has come across in interviews […]

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Who is Tampa Bay’s best-ever champion?

March 1, 2021 general

Monday, 4 a.m. When it comes to defining greatness, there are things the word describes. A team has to have an efficient, smart quarterback. This Bucs’ team had that. That one had that, too. A team has to have a dynamic defense. This Lightning team had that. That one, too. A team has to have […]

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Bolts play like champs in beating Stars

February 28, 2021 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. If you thought the Tampa Bay Lightning looked like the same team that won last year’s Stanley Cup championship, you should have seen them through the eyes of the Dallas Stars. The Lightning overwhelmed the Stars — the team they beat in the finals last season — with a complete performance Saturday […]

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Consider the stuffed trophy case of Tom Brady

February 27, 2021 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. I am Tom Brady’s trophy case. Frankly, I’m putting on a little weight. For most athletes, the hard part is winning a darned award. With Brady, it’s finding a place to put it. You could rent an entire house for Brady’s awards, and call it a museum, and charge people to visit. […]

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McElhinney stands big against Carolina

February 26, 2021 general

Friday, 4 a.m. At 37, Curtis McElhinney is a bit old for nicknames. But just in case, can someone check to see if “the Little Cat” is taken? McElhinney, the Bolts’ seldom-used backup goaltender, did his best Andrei Vasilevskiy impersonation Thursday night, leading the Bolts to a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. It was […]

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