Yes, Rays’ Pena is worth your fond memories

September 17, 2015 general

Thursday, 6:05 a.m. Somewhere, there is a young boy in Haiti, fed, clothed, safe. He can tell you all about greatness. He can tell you all about impact. And if Carlos Pena wants to take a night to say goodbye, well, it’s okay with him. Forget the silliness that will come with ceremony. Just give […]

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Ask the Expert: Jerry Angelo

September 17, 2015 NFL

Jerry Angelo is a former personnel director for the Bucs and former general manager of the Bears. Each week, Angelo answers your questions regarding the NFL. Send your questions to GarySheltonsports@gmail.com with “ask the expert” in the subject line. The most interesting question will be selected. Thursday, 6 a.m. What surprised you the most? The […]

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Urgency hits Tampa Bay Bucs early in the season

September 16, 2015 general

Wednesday, 12:33 p.m. First came the storm. Now Lovie Smith must switch the narrative. Last Sunday, his Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared lost and without vision, like blind mice scrambling in a coat closet. Next Sunday, after a hurricane of criticism from steamed pewter-and-red faithful washed out this season’s early hope, Smith needs the skies above […]

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Franklin finally makes his season worthwhile

September 16, 2015 general

Tuesday, 11:40 p.m. A night like this probably seemed beyond his dreams. After all, he is only Nick Franklin. He only had 10 hits on the year, and he was hitting only .133. He was in the game only because shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera injured himself coming out of the batter’s box, and once in the […]

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Why do fans prefer stormy to stable?

September 16, 2015 Florida

Wednesday, 6 a.m. One of the guys lost his mind. The veins in Jim McElwain’s neck were like undersea cables. His face was flushed. He could not stop yelling. McElwain would seemingly finish his piece, and he would start to turn away, and then he would start up all over again. This was the face […]

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What Lovie said, what Lovie should have said

September 15, 2015 general

Tuesday, 6 a.m. He can’t say it, okay? He just can’t. Right about now, Lovie Smith may want to open a vein. He may want to throw himself upon the mercy of the court. He may want to quote to John McKay and suggest that execution of his offense – not to mention his defense, […]

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Ranking the state’s quarterbacks after week 2

September 14, 2015 College Sports in Florida

Monday, 9:30 a.m. Two weeks in the shallow end of the pool. Most teams haven’t given themselves a chance to lose yet. By the same token, most teams haven’t given their quarterback a chance to fail yet. A brief glance at the top quarterbacks in the state: 1. Brad Kaaya, Miami: Kaaya is like an […]

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Smith’s seat turns hotter already in 2015

September 14, 2015 general

Monday, 6 a.m. The man with the headset is the one to blame. He pleads for this free agent and that one, and the priority is his choosing. He decides to call the defensive signals if he wants. He picks the offensive coordinator. He is the architect of the team. When things go bad, where […]

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Bucs’ defense was disappointing vs. Titans

September 13, 2015 general

Sunday, 10:30 p.m. The scope of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive disaster Sunday afternoon was captured in glimpses near their sideline after a merciful end to their paddling at Raymond James Stadium had been reached. Warren Sapp, a Hall of Famer who made his name serving as a wrecking ball of a defensive tackle, spoke […]

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Winston struggles in his first game with Bucs

September 13, 2015 general

Sunday, 9:20 p.m. For 192 seconds, it was still possible to hope. Even after the other guy started well, even after the Bucs’ defense established that it wasn’t anything special, even after the day had started to turn foul with the smell of last year, it was still possible to believe. There was a fresh […]

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