No NBA All Stars For Heat

     There will be nobody representing the Miami Heat in the 68th annual NBA All-Star Game. The contest will take place on February 17 in Charlotte.
     Dwyane Wade is playing in his final season in his NBA career. The last time the Heat did not have player in the all-star game was in 2017.

J.B. Shuck Heads To Pittsburgh

     Outfielder J.B. Shuck has signed a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played last season with the Miami Marlins.
     Shuck participated in 70 games last year and had a .192 batting average along with four RBI. He previously had short stints with the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.

Dan LeBatard On National List Again

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz appeared for the third straight year on the Barrett Sports Media list of top national sports shows in the United States. The ESPN Radio and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM program finished with the third-place spot in 2018.
     They ended up in third place in 2017 and fourth place in 2016. The Dan Le Batard Show was launched on 790 The Ticket back in August 2004.
     Other former local Miami talent did show up on the national list. Former Ticket morning co-host Joy Taylor finished first as the on-air sidekick on The Herd with Colin Cowherd at Fox Sports Radio. She joined the program in June.
     Former Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM evening host Damon Amendolara ended up in ninth place. Scott Ferrall, who once was the mid-morning host on WQAM, finished in 20th place.

Bulls Run By Heat

     The Chicago Bulls handled the Miami Heat 105-89 at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat, who had a two-game winning streak stopped, won their last meeting against the Bulls back on January 19. The Bulls have the fourth worst record in the NBA.
     Chicago(12-40) raced out to a 31-21 lead after one quarter before Miami(24-25) chopped it down to 50-48 by halftime. The Bulls extended their margin to 78-68 at the end of three quarters.
     Tyler Johnson got a team-high 15 points for the Heat. Justise Winslow was able to contribute 14 points. Bobby Portis had a game-high 26 points for the Bulls.

Marlins Sign Neil Walker

     The Miami Marlins have signed infielder Neil Walker to a one-year contract. He spent last season with the New York Yankees where they made the American League playoffs as a wild card.
     Walker began his major league career with his hometown team the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009. He helped the club end their 21-year playoff drought in 2013. They made and hosted the National League Wild Card game for three consecutive seasons.
     He joined the defending National League champion New York Mets in 2016. Walker was traded during the 2017 season to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Miami Marlins On Magazine Covers

     The annual baseball magazines came out this past week. Several Miami Marlins players appeared on the front cover.
     Street & Smith had third baseman Brian Anderson make an appearance. Pitcher Jose Urena showed up on the cover of Athlon Sports.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia Retires

     Former local high school and Miami Marlins catcher Jarrod Saltamacchia retired on Monday. He helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Series title in 2013.
     Saltalamacchia was with the Marlins for parts of two seasons. He signed a three-year contract with the club in 2014. Saltalamacchia compiled 11 home runs, 44 RBI and a .220 batting average in 114 games during his first season with the team. He was released by the Marlins after nine games in 2015 where he had a .089 batting average, one home run and one RBI.
     He played high school baseball with the Royal Palm Beach Wildcats until 2003. He was considered one of the best players in Palm Beach County while there.

FHSAA Has New Football Playoff Point System

     The Florida High School Athletic Association approved a new playoff point system for high school football. The new RPI format will begin for the 2019-2020 academic year.
     The new formula will take into consideration three factors. It will consist of the percentage of team record, percentage of opponents team records and percentage of opponents opponents team records. Team record would be 35 percent, opponents team record would be 35 percent and opponents opponents team record would be 30 percent. All three areas would be added to get a final RPI number.
     The FHSAA had used a different playoff point formula during the 2017 and 2018 football seasons. It replaced the policy of a district winner and district runner-up making the FHSAA playoffs.

Two Local Morning Shows On National List

     Two morning sports shows on Miami sports format radio stations appeared in the top 25 list ofmorning sports shows in the United States by Barrett Sports Media . Both programs are part of Entercom Communications.
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM was represented by Jonathan Zaslow, Brett Romberg and Amber Wilson on the Zaslow, Romberg and Amber Show which finished 21st in 2018. They were not in the top 25 back in 2017.
     Their sister-station Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM had the Joe Rose Show with Zach Krantz show up in 24th place. The program ended in 16th place in 2017 and 18th place in 2016.

Heat Strike Knicks

     The Miami Heat bounced the New York Knicks 106-97 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. The Knicks have the second-worst record in the National Basketball Association.
     New York(10-38) had a slim 26-25 lead after one quarter and stayed in front 58-52 at halftime. Miami(24-24) had a 29-12 spurt to begin the second half and moved ahead 81-70 after three quarters.
     Dwyane Wade picked up a double-double for the Heat with 15 points and 10 assists. Wayne Ellington contributed 19 points and Hassan Whiteside compiled 13 points along with 16 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks with 22 points.

Miami Wins NFL Flag Football Title

     The Second-To-None Miami Dolphins defeated the Tucson Arizona Cardinals 18-0 to capture the NFL Flag Football Title at Camping World Stadium on Sunday. Miami went undefeated throughout the entire tournament. Tucson was the defending champions.
     The Dolphins got on the scoreboard during their first possession at the 6:57 mark. Gulliver Prep running back Yulkeith Brown raced to the right side and scored from 10 yards away.
     They made it 12-0 with 32 seconds left in the first half. Gulliver Prep quarterback Carson Haggard threw a nine-yard swing pass to Brown on the right side.
     Miami expanded their lead to 18-0 at 8:19 of the second half. University School wide receiver Brandon Inniss tossed an option pass 23 yards to wide receiver Bob Golden in the front of the end zone.

Javy Guerra Goes To Blue Jays

     Javy Guerra has signed a minor-league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent the past two seasons pitching with the Miami Marlins.
     Guerra made 32 relief appearances in 2018, had a 1-1 record with a 5.55 ERA. He had a 1-1 record with a 3.00 ERA in 2017 and appeared in relief for 16 games.

Junichi Tazawa Signs With Cubs

     Junichi Tazawa signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs. He recently pitched part of two seasons with the Miami Marlins and was released by the team in May.
     Tazawa went 3-5 in 2017 with a 5.69 ERA in 55 relief appearances. He eroded in 2018 with a 1-1 record with a 9.00 ERA in 22 games.

Heat Contain Cavaliers

     The Miami Heat held off the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-94 on Friday night at the Quicken Loans Arena. The Heat will continue their three-game road swing. The defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers have the worst record in the NBA this season.
     Miami(23-24) moved out in front 27-23 after one quarter. Cleveland(9-41) took the lead 53-48 at halftime. The Heat outscored the Cavs 32-17 during the third quarter and were ahead 80-70.
     Justise Winslow had a team-high 27 points for the Heat while Hassan Whiteside compiled a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. Cedi Osman got a game-high 29 points for Cleveland.

West Palm Beach Holiday Ratings 2018

     The West Palm Beach market had their ratings released for the holiday period. The time span consists of three weeks in December and seemed to have no impact on any of the local three competitors. ESPN 106.3 WUUB-FM ratings are not registered.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM rose from a 0.2 to a 0.3 during the holidays. They had the end of the Miami Hurricanes football season while the Florida Panthers were outside of the playoff picture.
     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM remained at a 0.0 in the period. The University of Florida Gators finished the football season and there was a limited amount of Florida basketball games.

Hubbard Radio Now 640 The Hurricane Owner

     Hubbard Broadcasting officially became the new owner of 640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM this week. They agreed to buy that along with five other West Palm Beach radio stations in September and finalized the deal with Alpha Media in November. 640 The Hurricane has been operated by Alpha Media since February 2016.
     WMEN was flipped to a sports talk format by James Crystal Enterprises in March 2008. Atalaya Capital Management, headed by Mark Jorgenson, purchased the station in April 2015.

Bo Mattingly Ending Radio Show

     Former South Florida sportscaster Bo Mattingly is ending his syndicated sports show throughout Arkansas on February 28. His program has been on the airwaves since 2007. He is expected to launch a weekly podcast with Sport&Story.
     Mattingly worked in the early 2000s at News Radio 1290 WJNO-AM in West Palm Beach. He was the sports director and morning sports anchor at that station.
     He moved to Arkansas and became a sports anchor at KNWA-TV. Mattingly added duties and became the afternoon sports host on KFAY-AM in Fayetteville.

Clippers Sail Away Heat

     The Los Angeles Clippers prevailed over the Miami Heat 111-99 at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday. The Heat played their lone home contest in a stretch of seven games. They have lost four of their last five games.
     Miami(22-24) kicked out to a 31-27 advantage after the first quarter, however Los Angeles(26-22) stayed with them as they were tied 54-54 at halftime. The Clippers pulled ahead 77-72 after three quarters and they went on a 21-8 spurt to begin the final quarter.
     Hassan Whiteside pounded in a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat. Josh Richardson placed in 17 points while Tyler Johnson added 15 points. Tobias Harris had a game-high 31 points for Los Angeles.

Al Leiter Leaves Yankees Broadcasts

     Former Florida Marlins pitcher Al Leiter has decided to stop broadcasting baseball games as a game analyst of New York Yankees games on YES Network. He has been employed there since 2006. He will continue working with MLB Network on a part-time basis. 

     Leiter pitched for the Marlins for two seasons from 1996 to 1997. He was the Marlins starting pitcher in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series that they won in 11 innings 3-2 over the Cleveland Indians. Leiter was one of several former Marlins players that included Preston Wilson, Jeff Conine and Carl Pavano who worked Miami Marlins games as a game analyst on Fox Sports Florida alongside play-by-play announcer Rich Waltz during the 2016 season. 

Miami Holiday Ratings 2018

     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM was the top sports format radio station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. The holiday period consists of three weeks during December and all four stations had no change in their ratings.
     WQAM was at a 0.9 in the period. The Miami Dolphins along with the University of Miami Hurricanes finished off their seasons.
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM remained at a 0.6 during the holidays. The Miami Heat resided in a playoff position during that time.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.2. Jeff DeForest remained the only local show on the station.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM made its first appearance in the market for the holidays. They ended up with a 0.1 in the three-week period as Andy Slater handled the mid-afternoon shift.

Celtics Take Down Heat

     The Boston Celtics got by the Miami Heat 107-99 on Monday night at TD Garden. The Heat went 1-3 on their four-game road trip.
     Boston(29-18) blasted out to a 33-23 lead after one quarter and the game was tied 50-50 by halftime. The Celtics outscored Miami(22-23) in the third quarter 37-18 and took a commanding 87-68 lead. The Heat partially chopped into the deficit as they had a 31-20 in the final quarter.
     Dion Waiters and Derrick Jones Jr. both had 18 points each for Miami. Kyrie Irving compiled a double-double for Boston with a game-high 26 points, 10 assists and a career-high eight steals. Al Horford had 16 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.

Panthers Bite Sharks

     The Florida Panthers beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 at BB&T Center on Monday night. It was the final game for the Panthers prior to the NHL All-Star Game break. Their next contest will be in Sunrise against the Nashville Predators on February 1. 

     It was the start of a five-game home stand for the Cats. They are in a stretch in which they will play 12 of their next 13 games at home. The Panthers now have a three-game winning streak while the Sharks have lost their first three games of a four-game road trip.
     Florida(20-20-8) got the scoreboard with 2:39 left in the first period. Frank Vatrano dropped off a pass to Aleksander Barkov at the left point. His cross-ice pass went to Aaron Ekblad in the high slot and he scored on a snap shot past Martin Jones. Ekblad compiled his 10th goal of the campaign on that play. The Cats held the Sharks to one shot during the first 10:50 of the contest.
     San Jose(28-16-7) evened it up at 4:21 of the second. Timo Meier recycled the puck around the boards to the right side. Brent Burns fired a wrist shot from the right point that was redirected by Logan Couture in the low slot through the legs of Roberto Luongo. It was the 18th goal of the season for Couture.
     The Panthers responded back quickly at 6:07 to make it 2-1. Vatrano sent a pass from the left point ahead. Evgenii Dadonov connected a pass from the high slot to Mike Matheson and he one-timed a slapshot from the right circle.
     The Sharks tied it again with 6:40 remaining in the second. Joe Pavelski wrapped the puck around the end wall to Joe Thornton to the left of the crease. His centering pass to the blue paint went off Pavelski and it was pushed in by Timo Meier. Meier collected his 19th goal of the year.
     In the third period, Evander Kane was called for a double-minor penalty by high sticking Nick Bjugstad and the Panthers made them pay. Keith Yandle sailed a wrist shot from the left point on a feed from Jonathan Huberdeau by the left-wing wall at 2:27.
     Florida added another power-play goal just nine seconds later. After Justin Braun gave the puck away wben he fell down in his own zone, Vatrano passed from the left wing to the middle and Vincent Trocheck finished the play with a tally from the slot area for his fifth goal of the year.
     The momentum continued for the Panthers with 12:38 left in the period as they took a three-goal lead. Dadonov came in on a 2-on-1 breakaway into the Sharks zone, angled a pass to his left and Vatrano scored on a backhand shot. It was the fourth point of the game for Vatrano.
     The Cats added one more tally on the power play with 37 seconds left. Bjugstad was able to score from the low slot for his 13th goal of the season.    

Panthers Press Down Predators

     The Florida Panthers handled the Nashville Predators 4-2 at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers have won in back-to-back games following a seven-game winless streak. Florida picked up their 800th victory in franchise history.
     The first period belonged to Florida(19-20-8). Aaron Ekblad scored a Panthers franchise record 62nd career goal as a defenseman while on the power play at 4:05. He surpassed Robert Svehla to break the record.
     Frank Vatrano made it 2-0 with 6:44 to go in the period. It was the second straight game that he has put in a tally.
     Vincent Trocheck increased to a three-goal lead for the Panthers at the 2:59 mark of the second period. It was the second game back in the lineup for Trocheck since he was injured in Ottawa on November 19.
     Nashville(28-18-4) closed in with two goals in the third. Nick Bonino scored at 2:45 and Austin Watson had a goal at 3:23.
     Jared McCann gave Florida some breathing space with 9:22 remaining for a 4-2 lead. Colton Sceviour compiled his second assist of the game.

Dwyane Wade And Heat Top Bulls

     Dwyane Wade played in his final regular-season game in his hometown of Chicago as the Miami Heat outscored the Bulls 117-103 on Saturday night at United Center. The Heat finish their four-game road trip on Monday at Boston.
     It was very close during the first half. Miami(22-22) had a 31-30 lead after one quarter and were down 57-55 at halftime. The Heat got ahead of Chicago(10-36) at the end of the third 83-76 and then pulled away.
     Josh Richardson had a game-high 26 points for Miami. Wade poured in 14 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds and eight assists. Tyler Johnson also added 14 points for the Heat. Lauri Markkanen of the Bulls fell short of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Pistons Punch Out Heat

     The Detroit Pistons knocked off the Miami Heat 98-93 on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena. It was the second game of a four-game road swing for the Heat.
     Detroit(20-24) sprinted out to a 30-17 lead after the first quarter and held a 53-39 advantage at halftime. Miami(21-22) came back in the contest with a 30-12 run and moved ahead 69-65 after three quarters. The Pistons got a 12-4 spurt midway through the fourth and remained in front.
     Dwyane Wade led the Heat with a team-high 20 points and eight assists. Justise Winslow fell short of a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds while Tyler Johnson added 15 points. Blake Griffin almost had a triple-double for Detroit with game-highs of 32 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Panthers Victorious Over Maple Leafs

     The Florida Panthers returned home following a five-game road trip and got by the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 at BB&T Center on Friday night. The Panthers snapped a seven-game winless streak with the victory. Vincent Trocheck played in his first game for the Panthers since November 19 at Ottawa.
     Toronto(20-16-2) moved ahead 1-0 at 1:49 of the first period. Kasperi Kapanen sent a cross-ice pass from the right point to Morgan Rielly on the left point. He set up Ron Hainsey for a slapshot from the top of the zone to get the tally past Roberto Luongo.
     Florida(18-20-8) tied the contest at the 9:02 mark. Nick Bjugstad angled back a pass from the left circle. Keith Yandle then blasted a slapshot from the left point which was redirected by Mike Hoffman in the low slot by Garret Sparks. It was the 23rd goal of the season for Hoffman.
     The Panthers took a 2-1 lead with 5:01 remaining in the first. Jonathan Huberdeau flushed the puck from out of the slot area to Trocheck at the top left circle. His short pass to the blue line got to Mike Matheson and he smashed in a slapshot for the score. The Cats held the Leafs to just four shots on goal during the first period.
     The Maple Leafs pulled their goalie with under two minutes to go in the third period. Frank Vatrano lifted a shot from his own goal line into the Toronto cage with 1:46 left.

The Greek Adds WINZ Show

     The Greek became the new mid-afternoon show host at Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM on Monday. He is the third person to work in that position in the last seven months.
     He replaced Carl Foster, along with Anita Marks, who worked during that time slot for four weeks in October 2018. Andy Slater held the same spot on that station from January 2014 until July 2018.
     The Greek is currently a morning sidekick on the Jeff DeForest Show and first appeared only during the 9 AM hour back in August 2016. The program is simulcast on WINZ and Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM in West Palm Beach.
     The Greek has done radio shows in West Palm Beach prior to entering sports talk. He has been a midday co-host on Real Radio 94.3 WZZR-FM for several years.

Marlins Sign Hector Noesi

     The Miami Marlins have signed pitcher Hector Noesi to a minor-league deal. He played for the Kia Tigers in South Korea for the past three seasons.
     Noesi last was in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. He made his debut in the majors with the New York Yankees in 2011. Noesi played with the Seattle Mariners from 2012 to 2014 and finished the 2014 season with the Texas Rangers. He has a career 12-31 record with a 5.30 earned run average in five American League seasons.

Bob Kuechenberg Passes Away

     Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bob Kuechenberg passed away on Saturday at the age of 71. He was with the Dolphins from 1970 to 1984.
     Kuechenberg was the only player in franchise history on the roster of all five Super Bowl games that the Miami Dolphins participated in. He was part of the undefeated team that won Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins and the following season was victorious over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. They are the only Super Bowl titles ever captured by the Dolphins franchise.
     He was on the losing end in three Super Bowls with the Fins. They lost Super Bowl VI to the Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins and Super Bowl XIX to the San Francisco 49ers.

Bucks Run Over Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks easily topped the Miami Heat 124-86 on Tuesday night. The Bucks have the second-best record in the National Basketball Association. It was the first game of a four-game road trip for the Heat.
     Milwaukee(31-12) controlled the first half as they were up 30-23 after the first quarter and 69-45 at halftime. Miami(21-21) were still down 93-63 after three quarters.
     There were just two players for the Heat that had double-digit scoring. Both Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow had 19 points each. Giannis Anteokounmpo compiled a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Bucks. Eric Bledsoe also added 17 points for them.

Panthers Dropped By Habs

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 at Bell Centre on Tuesday night. The Panthers expanded their winless streak to seven games and finished the five-game road trip with a 0-4-1 record.
     The Panthers set a franchise record with 53 shots on goal in one game. It broke the team record when they had 52 shots on goal against Kelly Hrudey and the Los Angeles Kings back in the 1993-94 season.
     The Cats held the Canadiens to no shots on goal in the first seven minutes of the contest. Florida(17-20-8) took a 1-0 lead with 5:49 left in the first period. Denis Malgin poked the puck ahead to Mike Hoffman in the low slot. He faked a forehand shot in the crease and steered a one-handed backhand shot by Antti Niemi for his 22nd goal of the season.
     In the second period, Montreal(26-17-5) scored early 29 seconds in on a power play. Shea Weber made a pass to Jonathan Drouin at the top of the zone and he returned it. Weber blasted a one-time slapshot from the top left circle past James Reimer.
     The Habs took the lead 2-1 midway through the period at the 10:44 mark. Phillip Danault sent a cross-ice pass from the left corner to Weber on the right point. His slap shot went wide right off bounced off the end wall. Danault shoveled in a backhand shot from the low left circle.
     The Canadiens extended it to a two-goal margin with 3:07 remaining in the second. Max Domi poked in the puck in the blue paint for his 15th goal of the season. Paul Byron and Tomas Tatar were credited with assists on the play.
     Montreal made it 4-1 at 5:38 of the third when Jesperi Kotkaniemi raced in through the left circle and scored on a wrist shot. Brendan Gallagher added an empty-net goal with 1:36 to go.

Eric Reid Florida Sportscaster Of The Year

     Longtime Miami Heat television play-by-play announcer Eric Reid has been named the recipient of the Florida Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sports Media Association. It is the second straight year that Reid has received this honor.
     Reid, an Ithaca College grad, has been a broadcaster with the Miami Heat since their first season in 1988-89. He is currently in his 31st season with the organization.
     Following his work of announcing sporting events for Cornell University and Providence College, he landed in South Florida as the game analyst alongside television/radio play-by-play announcer Sam Smith. Reid was promoted to the television play-by-play announcer position prior to the 1991-92 season.

Jordan McPherson Adds Marlins Beat

     Jordan McPherson has added duties as a Miami Marlins beat reporter for the Miami Herald. He will join longtime Marlins beat writer Clark Spencer in covering the team for the newspaper.
     McPherson, a University of Florida grad, was elevated to the Miami Herald high school lead sports reporter spot during the middle of 2018. He replaced Andre Fernandez in that position. McPherson previously worked for the Orlando Sentinel and SEC Country.com prior to his arrival in South Florida.

Orlando Alzugaray Joins WNMA-AM

     The Big O Orlando Alzugaray announced on Monday that he has joined 1210 The Man WNMA-AM. He will work as an afternoon talk host beginning on March 23. He was also named assistant station manager for that organization. Alzugaray was recently the midday host on Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM from August 2014 until November 2018.
     He will continue as a weekend host on Mad Dog Radio at SiriusXM Radio and as a Miami Dolphins writer for The Athletic Miami. Alzugaray became a part of The Athletic Miami in August 2018.
     Alzugaray had a long first stint at WQAM. He began there in 1995 as a sports reporter and weekend host. He later added duties as a midday host and Miami Dolphins pregame studio host in the late 2000s. Alzugaray was moved to the late morning shift in July 2010 and then placed in the evening slot in August 2010. He would leave the station in September 2010. He then joined 640 Sports WMEN-AM as the afternoon host in October 2010 and stayed there until August 2014.

Canucks Hold Off Panthers

     The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 at Rogers Arena on Sunday night. The Panthers have been winless in their last six games with a 0-4-2 record since the start of the 2019 calendar year.
     Vancouver(21-21-5) got ahead at 12:32 of the second period. Loui Eriksson scored an unassisted goal for his eighth goal of the year.
     Florida(17-19-8) tied the contest up early in the third period at the 5:29 mark . Frank Vatrano got the tally by Jacob Markstrom on assists from Henrik Borgstrom and Aaron Ekblad. It was the 12th goal of the season for Vatrano.
     The Canucks answered back less than two minutes later at 7:20. Ben Hutton picked up fifth goal of the campaign.
     The Panthers decided to pull their goalie Roberto Luongo for an extra attacker to try and tie the game with around three minutes to go. It failed as Vancouver compiled two empty-net goals from Brock Boeser with 2:17 left and Jay Beagle with 38 seconds to go.
     An additional goal was put in by the Canucks with 11 seconds remaining to make it 5-1. Markus Granlund had his seventh goal of the season.

Heat Elude Grizzlies

     The Miami Heat barely got by the Memphis Grizzlies 112-108 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat have been victorious in 10 of their last 15 games. The Grizzlies have the second worst record in the Western Conference.
     Memphis(19-23) started out with a 34-30 lead after one quarter, but Miami(21-20) hammered back and took the lead 63-61 at halftime. The Heat got a 91-83 lead at the end of the third quarter and hung on to win.
     Miami was led by Justise Winslow with a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds. Josh Richardson fell short of a double-double with 14 points and nine assists. Tyler Johnson was able to pour in 13 points. JyMychal Green compiled a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis while Mike Conley dropped in 22 points.

Broward Stomps Dade

     Broward County blanked Dade County 35-0 in the Miami Dolphins Dade vs. Broward High School All-Star Football game on Friday night at Traz Powell Stadium. It was the eighth annual tilt between both counties consisting of senior players.
     Broward got on the scoreboard during the first quarter at the 8:43 mark on a 10-yard run up the middle by American Heritage running back Lavelton Williams. They made it 14-0 with 32 seconds left in the first when Western quarterback Jesse Rivera threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cardinal Gibbons wide receiver Nikolas Ogenovic on the left hash marks.
     In the second quarter, Fort Lauderdale defensive back D.J. Crawford made an interception and returned it for a score at the 5:54 mark.
     It would be a 28-0 lead for Broward with 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas running back Nigel White went around the left end from three yards out. Rivera connected a three-yard pass to Stranahan wide receiver Jonathan Solomon in the end zone with 3:35 left in the contest for a 35-point margin.
     Rivera was named the offensive Most Valuable Player of the contest. Crawford was picked as the defensive Most Valuable Player of the game.

Dolphins Sign Jake Rudock

     The Miami Dolphins have signed quarterback Jake Rudock to a deal. It is considered a reserve/futures contract. He was released by the Detroit Lions last week.
     Rudock played high school football with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. He started at quarterback and helped the team win the 2010 FHSAA Class 5A state championship against Plant.
     He spent his first three years with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and his final year with the University of Michigan Wolverines. Rudock was the Most Valuable Player for Michigan against the Florida Gators at the 2016 Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
     Rudock was drafted by the Lions in the 2016 NFL Draft during the sixth round. He was a backup quarterback for three games with Detroit in 2017. Rudock had three completions for 24 yards and no touchdowns.

Flames Overcome Panthers

     The Florida Panthers could not hold a two-goal lead and lost to the Calgary Flames 4-3 on Friday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. The winless streak for the Panthers extended to five games. The Flames continue to lead the Western Conference with 62 points.
     The Panthers got ahead 1-0 at 6:18 of the first period. Mike Hoffman got an unassisted tally by David Rittich for his 21st goal of the campaign.
     In the second period, Florida(17-18-8) made it 2-0 just 20 seconds into the frame. Jonathan Huberdeau scored a power-play goal from the left circle off a long cross-ice pass through the neutral zone by Keith Yandle.
     Calgary(29-13-4) cut the deficit at the 10:14 mark. Mikael Backlund sent the puck toward the net and former Panther Michael Frolik tapped it in for his 11th goal.
     The Flames tied the contest 2-2 with 4:50 left in the second. Mark Giordano snapped a shot past Roberto Luongo from the top left circle after a feed from Frolik in the top right circle.
     It would be a third unanswered goal for Calgary at 8:29 of the third period. A soft backhand pass by Huberdeau at the top of the Panthers zone was picked up by Frolik and he connected a pass from the right point to Matthew Tkachuk alone in the slot. He put a slap shot into the Cats cage for his 21st goal of the season.
     The Panthers pulled the goalie while they were shorthanded with 1:40 to go. It would not work as Sean Monahan scored a power-play goal into an empty net from the high slot with 1:27 remaining.
     Florida again added an extra attacker and this time they scored. Evgenii Dadonov stuffed in a shot from the right side of the crease with 20.4 seconds left.

Tomas Telis Joins Minnesota Twins

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Tomas Telis has signed a minor-league contract with the Minnesota Twins. He spent the past four seasons with the Marlins as a backup catcher to J.T. Realmuto.
     Telis had one home run, 14 runs batted in and a .225 batting average in 98 games with the Fish. His best season was in 2017 when he had 9 RBI and a .240 batting average in 48 games.

Oilers Outshoot Panthers

     The Florida Panthers continued their long road trip and fell to the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout at Rogers Place on Thursday night. The Panthers extended their winless streak to four games.
     Florida(17-17-8) got out to a 1-0 lead at 9:06 of the first period. Frank Vatrano collected his 12th goal of the campaign with an assist from Bogdan Kiselevich.
     Edmonton(21-20-3) tied the contest 1-1 just 26 seconds later. Darnell Nurse got the tally while Alex Chiasson and Connor McDavid were credited with assists on the play.
     The Panthers made it 2-1 at the 4:28 mark of the second. There was a loose puck following a rebound in the high slot and Denis Malgin then snapped in a wrist shot past Cam Talbot.
     The Oilers evened it up 2-2 with 22 seconds left in the period. Leon Draisaitl won the faceoff in the right circle and pulled it back to Nurse on the right point. His slapshot was saved by James Reimer, but McDavid flipped in the rebound from the left side of the crease.
     The Cats moved ahead for the third time with 5:58 left in the third period. Henrik Borgstrom was behind the Oilers cage and he blindly backhanded the puck to the crease area. It deflected off the sticks of Caleb Jones and Adam Larsson into the net.
     Edmonton pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the final minute. Draisaitl connected a cross-ice pass from the right corner to in front and McDavid tapped the puck in from the top of the blue paint with eight seconds remaining. It was the second goal of the game for McDavid and 26th goal of the season.
     In the shootout, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins squeezed in a forehand on the Oilers first attempt. Jonathan Huberdeau came up for Florida and he failed on a shootout attempt for the first time this season. McDavid lifted in a wrist shot on the second attempt for Edmonton. Aleksander Barkov missed as his snap shot hit the left post to end the game.

Heat Surprise Celtics

     The Miami Heat downed the Boston Celtics 115-99 at American Airlines Arena on Thursday night. The Heat have won nine of their last 14 games.
     Miami(20-20) had a slight 28-24 lead after one quarter and extended the gap to 61-43 by halftime. Boston(25-16) chopped slightly into the margin and they trailed 83-72 after three quarters. The Heat put the game away on a 12-4 run to begin the final quarter.
     Dwyane Wade dropped in 19 points while Josh Richardson added 18 points for Miami. Justise Winslow compiled 13 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 22 points.

Anna Logan Joining WPEC-TV

     Anna Logan will soon be joining CBS12 WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach. She will work as a weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter at Channel 12.
     Logan, a Cal State University-Northridge grad, leaves her position as the sports director and sportscaster at KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She has been at that station since August 2016. Logan was also a sideline reporter and studio host for CSUN Sports Network over the last three years.
     She joins John Everson on the CBS12 sports staff. Former sports director and sports anchor Matt Lincoln moved to his new position of morning news co-anchor back in August.

Nuggets Get By Heat

     The Miami Heat edged the Denver Nuggets 103-99 on Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat have lost three of their last five games. The Nuggets have the best record in the Western Conference.
     Denver(27-12) got out in front 24-18 after one quarter, however Miami(19-20) pulled ahead 52-49 by halftime. Both teams were tied at 76-76 at the end of the third quarter. The Nuggets scored the last four points of the final quarter to take the game.
     Dion Waiters showed up with 15 points for the Heat. Hassan Whiteside put together a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic with a triple-double of 29 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds.

Penguins Roll Through Panthers

     The Pittsburgh Penguins eased by the Florida Panthers 5-1 at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night. Florida reached the midway point of the regular season with 41 points.
     It was the beginning of a five-game road trip for the Panthers. The Penguins won for the ninth time in their last 10 games.
     Pittsburgh(24-13-6) got the initial goal at 1:29 of the first period. Tanner Pearson went into the right circle and put in a snap shot past Roberto Luongo.
     The Pens made it 2-0 at the 3:03 mark. Jake Guentzel stroked a pass to his right from the left circle and Bryan Rust went to his backhand in the crease area for the score. Sidney Crosby got his 33rd assist of the season on the play.
     In the second period, Pittsburgh collected two shorthanded goals for a four-goal margin. Rust had one at 3:04 and Riley Sheahan got his tally unassisted at 8:58. The Panthers pulled Luongo for James Reimer after he allowed the fourth goal of the contest.
     Florida(17-17-7) had a power-play goal taken away with 10:53 left in the second. The goal was overruled because Frank Vatrano was offside when the Cats entered the Pittsburgh zone.
     The Panthers broke the shutout with 44 seconds to go in the second. Aaron Ekblad set a Florida franchise record for most career goals by defenseman with his 62nd NHL goal passing Robert Svehla. Evgenii Dadonov was credited with an assist on the feed.
     The Penguins extended their lead to 5-1 with 6:19 remaining in the third period. Crosby got his 20th goal of the season on assists from Evgeni Malkin and Marcus Pettersson. It was the 12th time that Crosby has scored at least 20 points in a season.

Local Players Win National Championship

     The Clemson University Tigers upended the University of Alabama Crimson Tide 44-16 on Monday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It was the second CFP national championship for Clemson in the last three years and third title overall.
     There were two former South Florida high school football players on the championship squad. They included cornerback Trayvon Mullen of Coconut Creek and defensive lineman Richard Yeargin of University School. The 2017 national champions Alabama had four former South Florida high school players on their team.

Hawks Bash Heat

     The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Miami Heat 106-82 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena. The Heat have fallen in three of their last 11 games.
     Atlanta(12-27) had a 23-16 lead after one quarter, however Miami(19-19) closed it to 38-37 at halftime. The Hawks outscored the Heat 41-21 in the third quarter and moved ahead 79-58.
     Justise Winslow had 13 points for Miami while Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson added 11 points each. Trae Young led the Hawks with 19 points.

Panthers Stung By Blue Jackets

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in overtime at BB&T Center on Saturday night. It was the only home game for the Panthers during an eight-game stretch. Chris Wideman played in his first Panthers game since he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on December 30.
     Columbus(24-14-3) broke out to a 1-0 lead at the 1:37 mark of the first period. Alexander Wennberg made a long lead pass from the neutral zone to Anthony Duclair at the Panthers blue line. He skated in to the low slot and put in a snap shot by James Reimer.
     Florida(17-16-7) tied the contest 1-1 with 6:41 remaining in the first. Keith Yandle the puck on the left wing and centered it to the low slot. Aleksander Barkov touched the puck with a backhand to his right and Jonathan Huberdeau scored on a wrist shot from the right of the crease. It was Yandle's 500th point in his NHL career.
     The Panthers capitalized on a turnover at center ice and moved ahead 2-1 with 1:51 left. Ryan Murray made a cross-ice pass on the red line that was intercepted by Mike Hoffman. He skated into the Columbus zone to the top left circle and blasted a slap shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 20th goal of the season. It was the fifth straight season that Hoffman has scored at least 20 goals in a season.
     The Blue Jackets evened it up 2-2 with 2:56 to go in the second period. After Josh Anderson was stopped on a breakaway attempt, Boone Jenner snapped a shot from the low slot which was stopped and Anderson put in the rebound from the right edge of the blue paint.
     In the third period, Columbus scored on a 4-on-4 goal at 6:58. Mike Matheson had the puck stolen at the left point by Brandon Dubinsky. He skated down the ice with a 2-on-1 breakaway and scored on a wrist shot from the right circle.
     The Cats tied ii 3-3 with 2:13 left in the third. Aaron Ekblad carried the puck through the neutral zone and angled a pass to Jared McCann on the left wing. He returned the puck to Ekblad in the low left circle and he scored on a soft backhand shot. Ekblad tied Robert Svehla for the franchise record with most career goals by a defenseman with 61.
     It was a quick overtime period as Columbus ended the contest 18 seconds in. Artemi Panarin sent to puck off to Pierre Luc-Dubois on the left side. He was on one knee in the low left circle when he centered a pass and Seth Jones snapped home a shot to win the game.

Derek MacKenzie Gone For Season

     Florida Panthers center Derek MacKenzie will not play a game with the teamfor the rest of this season. The former captain of the team suffered a shoulder injury in the opening game at Tampa Bay against the Lightning.
     MacKenzie has been the Panthers captain in the previous two years prior to this season. The captaincy was given to Aleksander Barkov prior to the 2018-19 season.

Akeem Dent Going To Florida State

     Palm Beach Central Broncos defensive back Akeem Dent announced that he will be attending and playing for the Florida State University Seminoles. He participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl held in San Antonio on Saturday.
     Dent played his first two years of high school football with the Pahokee Blue Devils. He helped them capture the 2016 FHSAA Class 1A state championship, however the school was later stripped of the title by the FHSAA. Dent transferred to Palm Beach Central and led the Broncos to two straight District 9-8A titles in 2017 and 2018.

Khris Bogle Heads To Alabama

     Cardinal Gibbons defensive lineman Khris Bogle signed a letter of intent to attend and play for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. He made his decision on national television during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Saturday.
     Bogle helped the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs win their first FHSAA football state championship in 2018. The Chiefs defeated North Marion 48-10 in the Class 5A state title game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Heat Vanish Wizards

     The Miami Heat knocked off the Washington Wizards 115-109 at American Airlines Arena on Friday night. The Heat have been victorious in eight of their last 10 games.
     Miami(19-18) got out to a 31-24 lead after one quarter and led 61-58 at halftime. Washington(15-24) was down 95-86 after three quarters and never regained the lead.
     Hassan Whiteside had a monster game for the Heat with 21 points and 17 rebounds. Josh Richardson added 18 points and James Johnson put in 17 points. Bradley Beal lead the Wizards with 33 points.

Sabres Hold Off Panthers

     The Buffalo Sabres escaped with a 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center on Thursday night. The Panthers still have won six of their last nine games. They will play their only home game in a three-week stretch on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
     The first period belonged to Buffalo(22-13-6). Jeff Skinner collected his 27th goal of the season with a wrist shot from the high slot by Roberto Luongo at the 4:42 mark. Tage Thompson made it 2-0 for the Sabres at 7:15.
     Florida(17-16-6) put in the only tally during the second period. Frank Vatrano got his 11th goal of the campaign on a assist from Colton Sceviour with 6:18 remaining.
     The Sabres regained a two-goal margin just 1:20 into the third. Sam Reinhart was able to compile a goal.
     The Panthers stayed in the contest with a power-play goal with 7:45 to go. Mike Hoffman scored his 19th goal of the season after Alekander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau had touch the puck.
     Buffalo got some space with 3:46 left. Skinner added his second goal of the game and 28th goal of the season.
     The Cats could only muster one goal down the stretch. Barkov put in the puck past Linus Ullmark  with 1:29 left. Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad were both given assists on the play.

Alfredo Amezaga Retires

     Former Florida Marlins player Alfredo Amezaga announced his retirement. He will join the Atlanta Braves in an unnamed coaching capacity. He has played the last five seasons in the Mexican League.
     Amezaga had two stints with the Marlins franchise. He joined the Fish in 2006 and played seven different positions on defense. He hit eight home runs, 88 runs batted in and a .255 batting average in 437 games played with Miami. He participated in the final season of the Florida Marlins in 2011 before they moved to the city of Miami.

Heat Scorch Cavaliers

     The Miami Heat played their first game of the 2019 calendar and dismantled the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-92 at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat have now won seven of their last nine games. The defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers maintained the worst record in the NBA.
     Cleveland(8-30) had a slight 23-22 advantage after one quarter, however it would the last time the Cavs would lead the contest. Miami(18-18) got on a 17-5 spurt during the second quarter and were in front 58-43 by halftime. The Heat were able to expand their gap to 93-73 after three quarters and coasted to the end of the game.
     Miami was led by Josh Richardson with 24 points and Tyler Johnson added 16. Hassan Whiteside was short of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. Tristan Thompson compiled a team-high 14 points for Cleveland.

Keith Yandle Selected To All-Star Game

     Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle was named to the Atlantic Division team for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game. The contest will take place at SAP Arena in San Jose, California on January 26.
     It is the third selection for Yandle to participate in the annual NHL All-Star Game. He is tied for seventh among defensemen in the National Hockey League with 32 points this season.
     Panthers center Aleksander Barkov was mentioned as one of eight finalists to join the Atlantic Division squad. Fan balloting will be used in determining the additional player on the club.

Marlins Get Rosell Herrera

     The Miami Marlins claimed outfielder Rosell Herrera from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. He can also be placed as a second baseman and third baseman.
     Herrera split his time last season with the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals. He had 302 plate appearances in 2018 with a .234 batting average, one home run and 20 runs batted in.