Exclusive Lightning coverage by Gary Shelton Sports

Where is Losersville? It’s not around here

February 23, 2016 general

Tuesday, 6 a.m. In the tiny nation of Losersville, we can assume that children wear their T-shirts inside out. Here, kids keep training wheels on their bikes until they are 17, and they drink New Coke, and they still watch Mr. McGoo reruns. Adults still drive AMC Pacers, and eight-track tape players are still big, […]

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For the Lightning, the playoffs must start now

February 22, 2016 general

Monday, 6 a.m. Cue the music. Start growing the beards. Turn on the bright lights. The NHL playoffs have begun. Oh, not officially, of course. There is still a little more weeding out to do. There is still momentum to be gained. But, if a team wants to play then, it had better play now. […]

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Random thoughts: For UM, recruiting is child’s play

February 21, 2016 Baseball

Sunday, 6 a.m. Hi. I’m Sam Bruce, the eighth-grader who was offered a scholarship by the University of Miami. I’m flattered, of course, and I can see this happening provided I can get into that class on Spongebob Squarepants. – USA Today put together a fairly impressive 22-man lineup for less money than Roger Goodell’s […]

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Somehow, Lightning takes a win over Winnipeg

February 19, 2016 general

Friday, 11:58 p.m. So much to remember. The shootout goal by Steven Stamkos. The three goals in 241 seconds in the first period. The tying goal by Nikita Kucherov. The play of Andrej Vasilevskiy in overtime. So much to forget. The 41 shots. The sloppy play by the special teams. Four goals in the third […]

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Lightning falls out of playoff spot with defeat

February 17, 2016 general

Wednesday, 6 a.m. This is what a slump looks like up close. Other teams are racing toward your net like they’re on a buffalo stampede. You keep giving up breakaways, and eventually, they break you. Your captain remains in a two-goals-in-12 games slump. Good thing that all those trade rumors are cleared from his head, […]

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News alert: Nothing going on with Stamkos

February 16, 2016 general

Tuesday, 6 a.m. There for a second, it seemed as if there might be news on the Steven Stamkos front. And then Steve Yzerman jumped on it like a grenade. No, no, a thousand times no. There will be nothing interesting said. There will be nothing interesting done. The trade deadline will come, and it […]

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Bishop can’t pull another out for Lightning

February 15, 2016 general

Tuesday, 6 a.m. This is what it’s like to be Ben Bishop. You stand around, trying to stay loose, because the Lightning defense doesn’t give up a lot of shots. But then, all of the sudden, you are standing in traffic, and it is bearing down on you. The other team is on a breakaway, […]

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Random Thoughts: Arrival of a young hot dog

February 14, 2016 general

Sunday, 6 a.m. Shouldn’t I be outraged instead of so amused? Shouldn’t I be the old grump talking about how even professional hot dogs have influenced the kids? Well, maybe later. Right now, I’m too busy laughing at the Cleveland-area teen who a) shot an imaginary arrow after scoring; b) made a phone call while […]

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Ask Gary: Peyton for President?

February 13, 2016 general

(Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports.  Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, make a comment […]

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Lightning pulls one out against Nashville

February 13, 2016 general

Saturday, 5:59 a.m. How much difference is there between winning and losing? Between success and failure? Between a keeper of a game and a lost cause? For the Lightning, the answer is 27 seconds. Asked again, it is 64 seconds. As quick as two finger-snaps, the Lightning pulled out a game against the Nashville Predators […]

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