general

Bucs look to shore up defense against Carolina

October 26, 2017 general

Thursday, 2 a.m. For the Tampa Bay Bucs, third down has been a coin flip. Heads, you punt. Tails, you keep on marching. Too often, they keep on marching. Almost half the time (49 percent), opponents have picked up the first down on third down. That keeps drives alive, and it contributes to the 30th […]

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The curious case of McElwain and the death threats

October 26, 2017 general

Thursday, 2 a.m. The questions are these. In trying to defend against the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs, does Jim McElwain try the time-honored “pants-on-fire” defense? And in the secondary, who lines up in the Pinocchio position? Welcome to the strange case of Jim McElwain and the death threats, the ones he brought up but doesn’t seem […]

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Were we wrong for believing in the Bucs?

October 25, 2017 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. They fooled us. Shame on them. Foolishly, we thought there was something different about these Bucs, something better, something closer to the playoffs. We thought they were better on defense, dangerous on offense, solid in the kicking game. Shame on us. The players were more familiar, largely because of Hard Knocks, and […]

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Rays finally have a possible site in Hillsborough

October 25, 2017 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. To get from here to there, it would take the longest home run in the history of the game. It would have to travel over the Bay, over Amalie Arena and over Tampa. It would have to travel over Gandy, over Kojak’s and over most of the other sites proposed for the […]

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Lightning blows open close game against Carolina

October 25, 2017 general

Wednesday, 2 a.m. There for a while, the Tampa Bay Lightning had all it wanted from the Carolina Hurricanes. And then the last two minutes and 37 seconds happened, and once again, the Lightning were the hottest team in the NHL. The Lightning scored three goals in the last heartbeat of a game, and a […]

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Looking back at the Bucs loss to the Bills

October 24, 2017 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. 5 Observations 1. It wasn’t the defeat that struck you so much in Sunday’s game. It was the suddenness, like the floor of the gallows disappearing. Buffalo is a team that is limited offensively, but it took only 45 seconds to cover 75 yards (about the same as a typical Bucs’ safety). […]

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Bucs’ lead was gone in less than 60 seconds

October 23, 2017 general

Monday, 4 a.m. Forty-five seconds. The lead lasted 45 seconds. You can’t sell a new car in a TV add in 45 seconds. You can barely walk from your bedroom to your living room. You can’t play a short song. You can’t go to the bathroom. Forty-five seconds. All you can really do in that […]

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Random thoughts: What’s in a nickname?

October 22, 2017 general

Sunday, 5 a.m. Bears’ rookie Mitch Trubisky picked up the worst nickname in the NFL. He’s the “Pretty Boy Assassin.” Nothing wrong with Assassin (as Jack Tatum would tell you). But I don’t think “Pretty Boy” is going to inspire fear. – What? Was “Lovely Flower” taken? – Halloween costume suggestion: Ronda Rousey. The kid […]

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Bulls win again, but this time, it’s close

October 22, 2017 general

Sunday, 4:30 a.m. The USF Bulls, usually runaway winners, have to learn to finish. Games. And the season. The Bulls won their nation’s-best 12th game in a row Saturday night, beating Tulane 34-28. It was the team’s 24th straight game of scoring more than 30. Still, the victory wasn’t quite as clean as most USF […]

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Lightning capture convincing win over Pittsburgh

October 22, 2017 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Convinced yet? Are you convinced that the Tampa Bay Lightning are off to a hot start? Are you convinced that Nikita Kucherov is a rising star? Are you convinced that Andrei Vasilelvskiy is the answer in goal? Are you convinced that Mikhail Sergachev is going to be an asset? Are you convinced […]

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