Bolts beat Coyotes behind Stamkos’ goals

February 12, 2022 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. For almost half of his life, he has had the puck on his stick and the net in his eyes. For almost half of his life, Steven Stamkos has been the player the Lightning turn to with the most regularity. No, he isn’t the quickest player anymore. No, he isn’t the fanciest. […]

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Sluggish start dooms Bolts vs. Avs

February 11, 2022 general

Friday, 4 a.m. It wasn’t the height that beat the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night. It was the speed. For all the talk about the altitude in Colorado, it was a sluggish start that doomed the Bolts in a 3-2 loss to the Avalanche. The Avs scored two goals in the first 6:16 of the […]

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Do Bolts have enough to win it once again?

February 10, 2022 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. A half-season later (more or less), and the Tampa Bay Lightning have established this. They’re pretty darned good. When they focus, when they do not give up odd-man rushes, when they set the tempo and play their game, the Lightning remains one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams. But are they good […]

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A Brady comeback? You’ve got to be kidding

February 9, 2022 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. The urge always returns. After a while out of the spotlight, a player misses the celebrity, the locker room, the money. After a while, they ache for the locker room, for the plane rides, for the applause. It’s a sweet deal, being a former athlete. After a while, it’s easy to miss […]

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Was Smith the best hire for the Texans?

February 8, 2022 general

Lovie Smith? Really? What? Was Ray Perkins busy? The National Football League officially ran out of coaches Monday when it was reported that the Houston Texas — a team that exists solely to keep the Jacksonville Jaguars company in the basement of the AFC South division — were expected to hire good old Lovie as […]

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All-star games continue to be silly exhibitions

February 7, 2022 general

Monday, 4 a.m. Imagine that you love chess. Imagine that you love the strategies and the counters. Imagine you love the expertise and the flair. Then imagine you go to a match, and instead, what you see are grand masters focused … on a game of checkers. And that, people, is what’s wrong with the […]

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Remembering the last great Bengals team

February 6, 2022 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. The last time they were here, the world was young. Sam Wyche was smart, and Miami was on fire, and Joe Montana was on his way to becoming a legend. It was in January of 1989, and the Bengals– the Bengals — were in the Super Bowl. Then, like now, they had […]

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10 Quarterbacks the Bucs should consider

February 5, 2022 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. What? It’s been almost a week now, and the Bucs still don’t have a new quarterback? Slackers. By now, of course, the Bucs should have a new quarterback, a new backup quarterback and. of course, Kyle Trask. Opposing defensive coordinators should be losing sleep. The rest of the NFC South should surrender […]

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Some athletes just rub us the wrong way

February 4, 2022 general

Friday, 4 a.m. There are athletes who take away our breath. There are athletes that make us stand in appreciation. There are athletes who inspire us, athletes who thrill us, athletes that make us wear their jersey numbers as if we were still 12. And then there are the Annoying Ones. In this world of […]

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Bucs must be aggressive in finding a quarterback

February 3, 2022 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Here we are, then. At the outset of a new reality. The back of Tom Brady is growing smaller in the distance. He has taken his greatness, and the part of it he gave to the Tampa Bay Bucs, and gone home. From now on, if you want to watch him, you’ll […]

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