Special teams allow Lightning to win again

March 1, 2020 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Before a team can re-establish itself as special, it must start with the special teams. Cue the Tampa Bay Lighting, winners again. The Bolts took a shaky 4-3 win over Calgary Saturday afternoon to stop a four-game losing streak. Tampa Bay is now 41-19-5 on the season, and once again is headed […]

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Do you believe Brady and the Bucs are serious?

February 29, 2020 general

SATURDAY, 4 a.m. The notion is a sexy one, I admit. The best-ever quarterback and the worst-ever franchise, linked on the gossip pages. How can you not find a headline in that? But I don’t buy it for a second. No matter what you read, and where, Tom Brady is not coming to the Tampa […]

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Bolts’ slide continues in 3rd period collapse

February 28, 2020 general

Friday, 4 a.m. For a long time, it looked as if the Lightning might never lose again. Now, the question is if they will ever win. Once again, the collapsible Tampa Bay Lightning took it on the chin Thursday night, losing their fourth straight game. This time it was a 5-2 decision against Chicago, as […]

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Can Meadows repeat last season’s success?

February 27, 2020 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. For a year, he was a star. For a year, he was the finest offensive threat that the Tampa Bay Rays had. Now, the question for Austin Meadows is basic: Can he do it again? A year ago, Meadows wasn’t just good. He was splendid. He hit .291. He had 33 homers. […]

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Bolts lose third straight as special teams struggle

February 26, 2020 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. The new guys were supposed to be the cavalry. They were supposed to push the Tampa Bay Lightning over the top. So far, however, it has been a bad chemistry experiment. And the reinforcements — Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and Zach Bogosian — haven’t tasted victory since joining the Bolts. Tampa Bay […]

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Should Rays invest in the future with Adames?

February 25, 2020 general

You run the Tampa Bay Rays, and the heavy lifting is over. The off-season is complete, and the roster is assembled. Once again, your team is prepared to be the mongoose to the cobra that is the New York Yankees in the AL East.The power has been imported. The arms have been retained. So what […]

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Bucs would like better odds of making playoffs

February 24, 2020 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. The Tampa Bay Bucs didn’t get any closer to the playoffs this weekend. But they might soon. I will pause for a minute while you chuckle. Got it out yet. I’ll wait another few seconds. Go ahead. Get one lass snicker in. After all, the playoffs are a land out of reach […]

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Vipers fall to 0-3 with loss in home opener

February 23, 2020 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. They scored some points. They held a lead. Is that enough for the Tampa Bay Vipers? Probably not. The Vipers lost again, falling to 0-3 in the young XFL season after a 34 -27 loss to the undefeated Houston Roughnecks. The Vipers held a 27-26 lead in the fourth quarter until Houston […]

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Bolts staggered again by Arizona’s offense

February 23, 2020 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. It has happened as quickly as falling off a cliff. The Tampa Bay Lightning are officially in a slump. Only yesterday (actually, it was three days ago), the Lightning was riding an 11-game winning streak, and it seemed as if they would coast down the stretch of the NHL season. They had […]

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Kiffin fits in well in Bucs’ Ring of Honor

February 22, 2020 general

Saturday, 4 am. Even now, he is imagining how the salt and pepper shakers could blitz the dining room chair. He squints, and he imagines the coffee table coming hard around the edge and blitzing the television set. The way he has it drawn up, the flower pot in the corner is about to come […]

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