In Tampa Bay, Gruden still the last coach to matter

December 16, 2014 general

Tuesday, 1:53 p.m. His face is frozen in time, his mouth agape in the moment, his eyes narrow with fury. Here, Jon Gruden never gets older. He is captured in mid-exultation, striding forward to pump his fist, extolling his team ever forward. In the statue that stands in the lobby of One Buc Place, he […]

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Ask the Expert: Scot Brantley

December 16, 2014 College Sports in Florida

Scot Brantley was an all-American linebacker for the University of Florida and played eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Bucs. He has been a radio host in Florida for years. He follows not only the Gators but all of college football. Each week, Scot answers your questions on GarySheltonsports.com. To ask Scot a question, you […]

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Is it baseball yet? Rays’ Cash is ready to roll

December 15, 2014 general

Monday, 5:31 p.m. ST. PETERSBURG Say this much for Kevin Cash’s new home. The yard sure is spacious. The living room is too long and narrow, if you want to know the truth. The bathroom needs upgrading. There isn’t any closet space. The hallways feel kind of cold. The neighborhood isn’t great. But as Cash […]

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Ask the Expert: Jerry Angelo

December 15, 2014 general

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. Another day, another meek performance by the Bucs’ offense. […]

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Is McCown the biggest Mariota fan of them all?

December 14, 2014 general

Progress, he said. Progress? The Tampa Bay Bucs are going nowhere, not in their season and not in their improvement. You could call time out for a measurement, and you could hold the football up to the light, and you could have a doctor check for a pulse. None of it would matter. The Bucs […]

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Ah, an assistant’s life fits Muschamp just fine

December 13, 2014 College Sports in Florida

What we are to assume, it leads to believe, is that he’s smarter than Smart. He’s surer than Chavis. He’s more sane than Lane. He’s more down to it than Pruett. Yep, that Will Muschamp is certainly a genius, all right. For a failed head coach, he’s the best assistant coach in football. And so […]

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To all fields: David makes his impact without sacks

December 13, 2014 College Sports in Florida

…in Tampa. He missed the Pro Bowl last year. Frankly, he might miss it again this year. On the other hand, Lovie Smith doesn’t need an all-star game to convince him about the abilities of linebacker Lavonte David. To him, David is the best player at his position in the league. It doesn’t matter than […]

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Will the Glazers dabble in free agency again?

December 12, 2014 general

Friday, 11:39 a.m. TAMPA Soon, it will be their game again. Soon, all of the decisions will belong to them. The evaluation will be theirs. The understanding. The poise under pressure. The credit card. Soon, this game will leave the hands of Josh McCown and Gerald McCoy, and of Lavonte David and Mike Evans. Soon, […]

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Lightning gets lucky bounces in win over Carolina

December 12, 2014 general

Friday, 12:30 a.m. TAMPA Some games, you win by skill. Some games, you win by smarts. Some games, you win by muscle. Then there are games like this one, which you find lying in a field of four-leaf clovers. This time, money fell from the sky, and winning lottery tickets floated by on the breeze. […]

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Lightning set to play against Carolina

December 11, 2014 general

Thursday, 12:18 p.m. The Lightning enters tonight’s game with Carolina with a rare hunger. Tampa Bay has lost lost two straight games, and for a change, it isn’t atop the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. For Tampa Bay, goaltender Evgeni Nabokob is in net. Here, forward Steven Stamkos talks about getting off to a […]

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