Panthers Fly By Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers swept a two-game set with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena. The Panthers have not yet lost a game in regulation and extended their point streak to six games. 

     The Red Wings are winless in their last six contests with a 0-4-2 record. The Panthers, who defeated Detroit for the eighth straight time, were victorious in regulation for the first time since their season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 17. 

     Detroit(2-6-2) got the only tally in the first period. Dylan Larkin collected his fourth goal of the season at the 4:12 mark past Chris Driedger. 

     Florida(5-0-1) overtook their opponents with two power-play goals during the second. Patric Hornqvist got his fifth goal with his new club at 2:03 and Aaron Ekblad gave the Cats the lead 2-1 with 4:56 left in the period. 

     It became a two-goal lead for the Panthers early in the third period. Carter Verhaeghe chalked up his fifth goal of the campaign at the 8:09. 

     The Red Wings pulled their goalie Thomas Greiss for an extra skater late in the game. Anthony Mantha scored with 1:48 remaining in the third and they trailed 3-2. 

Panthers Defeat Red Wings In Overtime

     The Florida Panthers squeezed by the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in overtime at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers increased their point streak to five games since they opened the 2020-21 season. 

     The Cats won their seventh consecutive game against the Red Wings. The Panthers are 8-0-1 in their last nine contests versus Detroit. 

     Both teams combined for four goals in the first period. Florida(4-0-1) scored a power-play goal just 3:06 into the contest. Aaron Ekblad sent the puck down to Jonathan Huberdeau in the low left circle. He centered it and Aleksander Barkov put in a one-time shot from the low slot. Barkov tied Scott Mellanby for second all-time in Panthers history with his 157th career goal. 

     Detroit(2-5-2) tied it up 1-1 at the 15:02 mark. Taro Hirose backhanded a shot from the right wing that was deflected by Vladislav Namestnikov in the right of the crease and Anthony Mantha scored on a snap shot from the low slot.

     The Red Wings took the lead 2-1 with 3:01 remaining in the period. Dylan Larkin took a slap shot from the right circle which was saved by Sergei Bobrovsky, but Tyler Bertuzzi smacked in the rebound from the top of the crease for his fifth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers added another goal on the man advantage with under one second left in the first to even it up 2-2. Keith Yandle compiled his second goal of the campaign on a wrist shot from the low right circle with assists from Patric Hornqvist and Barkov. 

     In overtime, Florida got the victory at 2:45. Anthony Duclair carried the puck through the right circle, made a cross-ice pass and Aleksi Heponiemi got his first career goal in his first NHL game with a tap-in shot. He became the fourth player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in his NHL debut. Heponiemi is the fifth Panthers rookie to score an overtime tally. 

Heat Survive Kings

     The Miami Heat got by the Sacramento Kings 105-104 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat snapped a five-game losing streak. 

     Sacramento(8-11) had a 35-24 lead at the end of one quarter and had a 59-57 edge at halftime. Miami(7-12) moved ahead 84 -77 after three quarters and were able to hold off the Kings late in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler returned to the Heat lineup after missing the last 10 games with a club-high 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds while Tyler Herro knocked down 15 points. Duncan Robinson was able to contribute 14 points in the winning effort. 

     De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 30 points and six assists. Buddy Hield had 18 points and Marvin Bagley III drained in 17 points. 

West Palm Beach Holiday Ratings 2020

     The ratings were released for sports format radio stations in the West Palm Beach market. The time span went from the first week of December to the first week of January. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.2 in the holiday period. The Florida Atlantic University football season ended with their first loss ever in a bowl game while the FAU basketball season was in full swing. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM rose from a 0.0 to a 0.2 in the period. They have been at a 0.0 mark since March. The station continued to depend on University of Florida basketball and football game broadcasts. 

Ryan Lomberg Put On Waivers

     The Florida Panthers have placed forward Ryan Lomberg on waivers. He left the Calgary Flames and signed as a free agent with Florida back in October. 

     Lomberg played in just the season opener for the Panthers against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 17. He was on the ice for 11:27 and had no points. 

Clippers Move By Heat

     The Los Angeles Clippers breezed by the Miami Heat 109-105 at American Airlines Arena on Thursday night. The Heat, who lost their fifth straight contest, have the third worst record in the Eastern Conference while the Clippers have the third best record in the NBA.

     Miami(6-12) blasted out to a 33-19 advantage after one quarter and stayed in front 50-48 at halftime. Los Angeles(14-5) outscored the Heat 40-19 and pulled ahead 88-69 at the end of three quarters. The Heat placed in the first ten points of the fourth and trailed 88-79 with 9:55 remaining. They came as close as 107-104 with 21.8 seconds left. 

     The Heat got several double-doubles in the defeat. Tyler Herro had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Bam Adebayo put together 16 points and 13 rebounds. Gabe Vincent came off the bench with 18 points.

     Nicolas Batum dropped in 18 points and Lou Williams scored 17 points for the Clippers. Reggie Jackson contributed 16 points along with eight rebounds. Serge Ibaka compiled 10 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. 

Blue Jackets End Panthers Winning Streak

     The Florida Panthers had their franchise record season-opening, three-game winning streak snapped by the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday night at Nationwide Arena. Both teams ended up splitting the two-game set with shootout victories. 

     Mikko Koivu scored his first goal in a Columbus(3-2-3) jersey as the Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead with 2:57 remaining in the opening frame. Eric Robinson carried the puck around the net. He centered it and Koivu who put a wrist shot from the low slot past Chris Driedger. 

     Florida(3-0-1) tied it up 1-1 with 2:46 left in the second period. Alexandre Texier gave the puck away in his defensive zone. Anthony Duclair rushed through the right circle and his shot from close range was saved by Elvis Merzlikins. Carter Verhaeghe gathered the rebound at the top of the crease and scored his fourth goal of the season.  

     In the third period, the Blue Jackets got a power-play goal at 6:19 and reclaimed the lead 2-1. Max Domi the faceoff in the right circle and steered the puck to the blue line. Zach Werenski passed the puck to the top right circle and Domi blasted a one-time slap shot for his first goal with Columbus. 

     The Panthers matched it again 2-2 with 7:04 to go in the third. Anton Stralman snapped a shot from the top right circle which was stopped, however Eetu Luostarinen smacked in the rebound from inside the blue paint for his second tally of the campaign. Markus Nutivaara made his debut with Florida and picked up the secondary assist on the play. 

     Columbus got the only conversion during the shootout. Texier raced toward the cage and one-handed a shovel shot by Driedger on the Blue Jackets fourth attempt. It was the first shootout Driedger played in his NHL career. 

Ed Jovanovski On Florida Panthers Radio

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Ed Jovanovski made an appearance on the Florida Panthers Radio Network as a game analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens on Thursday night. He is filling in for Bill Lindsay because he is working at NHL Network this week. 

     Jovanovski has worked as a Panthers studio analyst on Fox Sports Florida for the past two seasons. He announced one game with the Vancouver Canucks on CISL-AM as a game analyst when they visited Sunrise back on February 6, 2018. 

     He had two stints as a player with the Florida Panthers from 1995 to 1999 and from 2011 to 2014. Jovanovski helped the club win the 1996 Eastern Conference Championship during his rookie season. 

Nuggets Rout Heat

     The Denver Nuggets pounded the Miami Heat 109-82 at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat were coming off a four-game road swing. 

     Denver(11-7) rocketed out to a 26-12 after one quarter and were in front 58-33 at halftime. It was the second lowest-scoring first half for Miami(6-11) this season. The Heat outscored the Nuggets 32-16 during the third quarter and trailed 74-65. Miami came as close as seven points behind at 77-70 early in fourth, however Denver went on a 17-4 run. 

     The Heat were guided by Kndrick Nunn with 17 points. Bam Adebayo gathered 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Precious Achiuwa was able to score 10 points. 

     Nikola Jokic compiled a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points while JaMychal Green put together a double-double with 15 points along with 10 rebounds. 

Miami Holiday Ratings 2020

     The ratings were issued for sports talk format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. The time period went from the first week of December until the first week of January and all three local competitors trended down. 

     560 The Joe WQAM-AM went from a 0.7 to a 0.6 during the time span. It was the final complete period that the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz appeared on their airwaves. The program had been at that station since August 2019. The Miami Dolphins failed to make the playoffs in the final week of the NFL regular season  while the University of Miami Hurricanes football team lost another bowl game. 

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM moved from a 0.4 to a 0.3 in the month. The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat made their return after the shortest off-season in NBA history. 

     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM fell from a 0.2 to a 0.1 during the holiday period. The station relied on University of Florida Gators basketball and football broadcasts. 

Local Regional Sports Networks Renamed

     The two regional sports networks in South Florida have been renamed and the transition will happen by the end of March. Fox Sports Florida will become Bally Sports Florida and Fox Sports Sun will become Bally Sports Sun. Sinclair Communications bought 19 Fox regional sports networks in the United States from The Walt Disney Company in 2019. 

     The three local professional sports teams will remain on their specific channel. The Miami Heat will be on Bally Sports Sun while the Florida Panthers and the Miami Marlins, who are currently without a television deal, will be assigned to Bally Sports Florida. 

     Both local regional sports networks have roots for the past several decades. Sunshine Network began in March 1988, was renamed Sun Sports in January 2005 and changed to Fox Sports Sun in October 2015. SportsChannel Florida started in July 1987, switched to Fox Sports Net Florida in March 2000, FSN Florida in 2004 and then Fox Sports Florida in 2008. 

Panthers Edge Blue Jackets

     The Florida Panthers played their first road game of the 2020-21 season and beat to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena. The Panthers won their first three regular season games for the first time in franchise history.

     Columbus(2-2-3) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 2:11 of the first period. Kevin Stenland got his first goal of the campaign. Mikko Koivu made his debut with his new team and got the primary assist on the play. 

     The Blue Jackers scored on their second shot of the contest at the 9:17 mark. Boone Jenner stole the puck from MacKenzie Weegar in the right corner and centered it. Oliver Bjorkstrand flicked a shot from the right-circle dot that grazed off Alexandre Texier and over the left shoulder of Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth goal. 

     Florida(3-0-0) answered back on a delayed penalty with 6:46 left in the first. Anthony Duclair took a wrist shot from the slot that went wide left. Carter Verhaeghe banked the puck off Joonas Koprisalo from the back wall off and into the cage for his third goal this season. 

     In the second period, the Panthers evened it up 2-2 at 3:53. Aleksander Barkov compiled his first goal of the season. Verhaeghe and Duclair got assists for both of them to have multi-point games. 

     It would become 3-2 for Columbus at the 1:20 mark of the third period. Nick Foligno sent a long lead pass out of his zone. Cam Atkinson skated into the Panthers zone and snapped a shot from the top right circle for a shorthanded goal. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie with just under two minutes to go and they were able to tie the contest 3-3 with under a three seconds left. Aaron Ekblad fired shot from above the right circle which was stopped, however Patric Hornqvist batted in the rebound from the top of the crease. 

     The game went into a shootout. Jonathan Huberdeau made the Panthers second attempt with a snap shot through the legs of Korpisalo. Bjorkstrand kept the Blue Jackets alive on their third attempt when he roofed a forehand shot. Florida would win the contest on their fifth attempt as Hornqvist lifted a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net. Hornqvist scored a shootout situation for the first time in his NHL career after going 0-for-6. 

Nets Come Back On Heat

     The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Miami Heat 98-85 at Barclays Center on Monday night. The Heat finished off a four-game road trip.  

     Miami(6-10) went out to a 21-15 lead at the end of one quarter and were up 45-41 at halftime. Brooklyn(11-8) stayed close and trailed 71-70 after three quarters. The Nets outscored the Heat 28-14 in the fourth to get the victory. 

     The Heat got a double-double from Bam Adebayo with a club-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. Goran Dragic added 21 points and Kendrick Nunn knocked in 11 points. 

     Kevin Durant led the Nets with a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. James Harden contributed 20 points and eight assists while Kyrie Irving scored 16 points. 

Major League Soccer 2021 Season

     Major League Soccer has announced their dates for the 2021 season. It will be the second season for Inter Miami CF. The opening of training camp for the club will happen on February 22. 

     The 26th MLS regular season will begin on April 3. All 27 Major League Soccer teams will play a 34-game regular season and it will conclude on November 7. 

     The Major League Soccer postseason will start on November 19. The MLS Cup championship game will be played on December 11. 

More Florida Panthers Games Rescheduled

     Three more Florida Panthers games has been rescheduled by the National Hockey League. The club will now play 54 games in the next 102 days. 

     The Panthers had two contests at Carolina on January 21 and January 23 postponed because numerous Hurricanes players had a coronavirus situation. The games have been moved to February 17 and March 7. It has caused the Panthers road game at the Tampa Bay Lightning to be shifted from February 16 to February 15. 

Hank Aaron Passes Away

     Former Major League Baseball all-time home run leader Hank Aaron passed away on Friday at the age of 86. He was two weeks short of his 87th birthday. 

     Aaron, a West Palm Beach resident, set the Major League Baseball record with his 715th home run passing Babe Ruth on April 8, 1974. He would hold that mark until August 7, 2007 when Barry Bonds surpassed him with his 756th homer. 

     Aaron played for the Braves organization in the majors from 1954 until 1974. He was with the Milwaukee Brewers in his final two seasons in 1975 and 1976. Aaron was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. 

     He still holds the Major League Baseball records with 2,297 runs batted in, 1,477 extra base hits and 6,856 total bases. Aaron was second in base hits with 3,771 when he retired in 1976. 

     Aaron participated with the Braves for spring training at Municipal Stadium in West Palm Beach from 1963 to 1974. A road in front of the ballpark was renamed Hank Aaron Drive with the field address being 755 Hank Aaron Drive. Municipal Stadium was ripped down in 2002 and a Home Depot now resides at that spot. 

Greg Olsen Retires

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes tight end Greg Olsen retired from the National Football League on Sunday. He will now work as an NFL game analyst on Fox Sports. Olsen played his only season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 as he compiled 24 catches for 239 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. 

     Olsen participated with the University of Miami for three years from 2004 to 2006. He made 87 pass receptions for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns in 33 contests. 

     He was taken by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft at 31st overall. He spent four seasons with the Bears followed by nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He helped the Panthers capture the 2015 NFC Championship. That club eventually lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. 

Larry King Passes Away

     Former local radio broadcaster Larry King passed away on Saturday at the age of 87. He was first known in Miami before reaching national exposure. 

     King started at WAHR-AM in 1957 as a disc jockey, moved to WKAT-AM in 1958 and shifted to WAME-AM in 1960.. He joined 610 WIOD-AM in 1963 and hosted a talk show. King was a game analyst on Miami Dolphins radio broadcasts during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. 

     His radio show was then nationally syndicated by Mutual Broadcasting System in 1978. King later was added by CNN as an evening host in 1985. Westwood One bought Mutual Broadcasting System and took over to syndicate his show on the radio from 1985 until 2009. King continued with his CNN program until 2010. He was also a  weekly columnist for USA Today from 1982 until 2001. 

     He co-founded Ora Media once he left CNN. His show Larry King Now was broadcast on Ora TV, RT America and Hulu over the next decade. King also hosted a program on Cumulus Media in 2013 and a weekly political show on RT America. 

Nets Outlast Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Brooklyn Nets 128-124 on Saturday night at Barclays Center. It was the second straight game that the Heat did not lead once in the contest. Both clubs will face each other again on Monday at the same location. 

     Brooklyn(10-8) hustled out to a 36-25 lead after one quarter and were up 66-56 at halftime. Miami(6-9) was down 96-82 at the end of three quarters. The Heat pulled to one point behind the Nets several times during the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo dropped in a game-high 41 points and had nine assists in the loss for Miami. Goran Dragic scored 19 points while Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn both contributed 18 points each. 

     The Nets were led by Kevin Durant with 31 points. Kyrie Irving added 28 points and Joe Harris placed in 23 points. James Harden compiled a double-double with 12 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. 

Panthers Waive Jonathan Eng

     The Florida Panthers have waived forward Jonathan Eng. He was selected by the club during the 2016 NHL Draft in the fourth round. 

     Ang spent the last two seasons with the Panthers AHL affiliate in Springfield. He still has not played a game in the National Hockey League. 

Raptors Oust Heat

     The Toronto Raptors knocked off the Miami Heat 101-81 on Friday night. It was the second game of a two-game set played at Amalie Arena in Tampa. The Heat never led once in the contest. 

     Toronto(6-9) zoomed out to a 37-20 lead after the first quarter and held a 56-44 advantage at halftime. Miami(6-8) tried to keep up and were down 73-66 after three quarters. The Raptors outscored the Heat 28-17 in the fourth. 

     Kendrick Nunn was the high scorer for the Heat with 22 points. Goran Dragic dropped in 13 points while Bam Adebayo contributed 14 points and eight rebounds. 

     The Raptors were led by Norman Powell with 23 points. Pascal Siakam had a double-double with 15 points along with 14 rebounds and OG Anunoby was able to score 21 points. 

Miami Marlins Sign Anthony Bass

     The Miami Marlins have signed relief pitcher Anthony Bass. It is a two-year, $5 million deal with a club option for 2023. 

     Bass was with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and compiled a 2-3 record in 26 relief appearances. He has played with the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays during his nine-year Major League Baseball career. 

Miami Heat And Florida Panthers Home Conflicts

     There will be less home conflicts between two local professional sports teams for spectators to attend. The Miami Heat and Florida Panthers will not play at home on the same day as they have in previous seasons. 

     Both teams were scheduled to play on the same day just seven times during the 2019-20 season. It was the least amount of conflicts between both clubs since 2005. 

     The National Basketball Association released the first half of the Miami Heat regular season schedule from December 22 through March 4. The National Hockey League issued the entire Florida Panthers 56-game regular season schedule from January 14 to May 8. 

     There are just three times when both teams play on the date at home. They are February 5, February 9 and February 24. 

Miami Heat Allowing Home Attendance

     The Miami Heat will allow limited amount of spectators for home games at American Airlines Arena. The first contest will be on January 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers. The club will let people attend the next six home games following that up until February 9.  

     The Heat have not allowed any fans to attend any of their seven regular season home games in 2020-21. It will be the first time that fans can attend game in Miami since March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Heat Handle Raptors

     The Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 111-102 at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Wednesday night. The Raptors are playing their season in Tampa because of the coronavirus pandemic guidelines in Canada. 

     Miami(6-7) had a 29-23 lead after one quarter, but Toronto(5-9) moved ahead 58-56 by halftime. The Heat regained the lead 88-83 at the end of three quarters. The Heat got on a run to go up double digits early in the fourth. 

     Kendrick Nunn had 28 points and eight rebounds for Miami. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Goran Dragic scored 17 points while Kelly Olynyk poured in 15 points. 

     The Raptors were lead by Fred Vanvleet with 24 points and nine assists. OF Anunoby and Pascal Siakam both dropped in 18 points each. 

Kevin Rogers Florida Panthers Radio Studio Host

     Kevin Rogers is the studio host on the Florida Panthers Radio Network for the 2020-21 NHL season. He works alongside play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens and game analyst Bill Lindsay on all radio broadcasts.

     Rogers was the weekend studio host on Panthers games since the 2017-18 season while Alex Donno hosted during weekday games. Donno moved on from Entercom Communications to Onside Radio in October 2020 to host a weekday program. 

     Rogers, a 2003 Florida State University grad, had several stints as the Florida Panthers Radio Network studio host. He held the post from September 2010 until April 2014 and was the backup host from November 2015 to April 2017. Rogers will continue as a handicapper for VegasInsider.com and host the Bet and Collect podcast. 

Panthers And Hurricanes Games Postponed

     The Florida Panthers two games at the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, North Carolina have been postponed due to a coronavirus situation with Hurricanes players. They were to face each other on January 21 and January 23. 

     It now stands at three Panthers games this season that have been postponed and that they have to make up. Florida had their opening two home contests postponed against the Dallas Stars on January 14 and January 15 because several Stars players had COVID-19. 

Panthers Defeat Blackhawks Again

     The Florida Panthers completed the back end of a two-game set against the Chicago Blackhawks and were victorious 5-4 in overtime on Tuesday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers play their next six games on the road and will not play in Sunrise again until February 4. 

     Florida(2-0-0) moved out in front 1-0 with 6:35 left in the first period. Anthony Duclair cleared the the puck out of the Panthers zone and Alekander Barkov pushed a short lead pass in the neutral zone. Carter Verhaeghe went into the Blackhawks zone on a breakaway and beat Kevin Lankinen, who made his NHL debut, with a backhand shot. It was the first goal for Verhaeghe with Florida. 

     The Panthers expanded it to 2-0 on the power play with 3:44 left in the opening frame. Keith Yandle took a shot from the top of the zone which was saved, however Patric Hornqvist poked in the rebound from the blue paint. Aaron Ekblad was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     Chicago(0-3-1) responded with a power-play goal with 1:20 to go. Duncan Keith fed a pass and Dominik Kubalik took a one-time slap shot from above the top right circle past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     In the second period, Panthers increased it to 3-1 at the 2:45 mark. Verhaeghe angled a pass from the left-wing boards in the neutral zone to Duclair at the blue line. He skated on goal and Lankinen made the save. Verhaeghe hustled to the crease area and put the puck into the cage for his second goal of the contest.  

     The Blackhawks would score on the man advantage again with a same similar play like they did on their first goal. Lucas Wallmark won a faceoff in the left circle, Keith sent the puck from the top left circle and Kubalik fired a one-time slapshot from the top right circle at 8:05. 

     Patrick Kane was awarded a penalty shot with 5:32 left and attempted to tie the game. He slowly skated through the Panthers zone, released a forehand shot and Bobrovsky stopped him.

     That result did not matter because Kane eventually scored with 49.9 seconds remaining in the second. Connor Murphy connected a pass and Kane brought the puck from the red line down the right side. He entered the Panthers zone, went through the right circle and roofed a backhand shot for his second goal of the campaign. 

      Chicago got their first lead in any game this season at the 6:06 mark and led 4-3.  Kubalik forwarded a pass from the Hawks blue line to Philipp Kurashev and he scored on a wrist shot from the high slot.

     Florida answered back with a power-play goal at 7:17 to even it up 4-4. Jonathan Huberdeau moved the puck to Yandle and he smacked a slap shot from the top of the zone. Hornqvist redirected the puck from the crease area for the tying goal and his second tally of the game. 

     The Panthers won the contest with 2:10 left in overtime. MacKenzie Weegar set the play up at the blue line, Barkov sent a cross-ice pass from the left circle and Frank Vatrano pounded in a one-time shot from the right circle.  

Dan Le Batard Launches Meadowlark Media

     Dan Le Batard has started Meadowlark Media as his new media platform. He will operate the organization along with former ESPN executive John Skipper. It will include all podcasts from Dan Le Batard and Friends.

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz did their final program on ESPN Radio on January 4. They have been broadcasting as a podcast since that time. 

     Le Batard begin to co-host an afternoon show with Stugotz on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in August 2004. He started to host Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable in August 2011 on ESPN.  

      His radio show became nationally syndicated by ESPN Radio in September 2013. It was shifted to the midday shift in 2015. 

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz was moved from The Ticket to 560 WQAM-AM in August 2019 and they lost their local one-hour mid-morning portion of the program. They were cut down to two hours and relocated to the late morning slot in August 2000 when Mike Greenberg rejoined the ESPN Radio lineup. 

Heat Hold Off Pistons

     The Miami Heat got by the Detroit Pistons 113-107 at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. The Heat was able to snap a three-game losing streak. Both clubs split the two-game set played in Miami. 

     Detroit(3-10) rocketed out to a 25-9 lead to begin the contest and were up 36-24 after one quarter. The Pistons stayed in front 61-55 at halftime. Miami(5-7) charged on back and led 88-80 at the end of three quarters. The Heat withheld a Pistons spurt in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. 

     Miami was led by Bam Adebayo as he had 28 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Goran Dragic dropped in 22 points and Duncan Robinson added 18 points. Kendrick Nunn came off the bench with 18 points. 

     Jerami Grant had a team-high 27 points for Detroit. Former Heat player Wayne Ellington scored 24 points while Derrick Rose had 21 points. 

Chris Henderson Joins Inter Miami CF Management

     Inter Miami CF announced that Chris Henderson has joined the organization. He will have the title of chief soccer officer and sporting director. 

     Henderson should be familiar to South Florida soccer fans. He played for the Miami Fusion during the 2001 season. Henderson had an 11-year career in Major League Soccer and participated with the Colorado Rapids, Kansas City Wizards, Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls. 

Phil Neville Named Inter Miami CF Head Coach

     Inter Miami CF has named Phil Neville as their new head coach and he replaces Diego Alonso. He was a teammate of Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham with Manchester United and the England men's national team.

     Neville was the England women's national team head coach from 2018 until 2021. He played 263 games with Manchester United from 1994 to 2005 and 242 games with Everton from 2005 to 2013.

Panthers Win Season Opener Against Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers finally opened up the 2020-21 regular season with a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at BB&T Center in Sunrise on Sunday night. The last time the Panthers played a home contest in South Florida was 317 days ago on March 7 when the club retired Roberto Luongo's jersey number. 

     The Panthers will play 56 games inside the Central Division this season. Florida is now 5-1-0 in their last six home openers. 

     Chicago(0-3-0) thought they had taken a 1-0 lead with 7:28 left in the first period. Pius Suter carried the puck into the Panthers zone, stopped in the left circle and backhanded a pass through the slot. Patrick Kane one-time a shot for a goal, however he was called offside following a video replay review. 

     Florida(1-0-0) made it 1-0 just 12 seconds into the second period. Aaron Ekblad flicked a wrist shot from the right point.

     The Panthers increased their lead to 2-0 at the 14:27 mark of the second. Keith Yandle raced to the left-wing boards and made a spinning forehand shot. Jonathan Huberdeau and Eetu Luostarinen were both credited with assists on the play. It was the 100th NHL goal for Yandle and the first NHL point for Luostarinen.    

     The Blackhawks cut the deficit to 2-1 with 7:36 remaining in the period on a power-play goal. Kane sent the puck from the right circle to the high slot. Duncan Keith angled it to Alex DeBrincat in the left circle and he fired a one-time shot by Chris Driedger for his second goal this season. 

     In the third period, Chicago evened it up 2-2 with a 4-on-4 goal at 2:53. Suter won a faceoff in the left circle, Keith passed from the top left circle and Connor Murphy snapped a shot. 

     Florida responded 22 seconds later to regain the lead 3-2. Carter Verghaehe connected a lead pass and Luostarinen scored on a breakaway past Collin Delia for his first career goal. 

     It became 4-2 for the Panthers at the 5:57 mark. Patric Hornqvist put in his first goal wearing a Panthers uniform on assists from Huberdeau and Radko Gudas. Huberdeau set a Panthers franchise record with his 67th multi-point game at home to pass Olli Jokinen. 

     The Cats scored again during a power play with 3:05 remaining in the third for a 5-2 lead. Huberdeau picked up the tally while Barkov and Hornqvist got the assists on the play. 

Theo Dorsey WPTV-TV Sportscaster

     WPTV-TV Channel 5 in West Palm Beach made a recent addition of Theo Dorsey as their new sportscaster. He joined the organization back in November. 

     He replaced Paxton Boyd as the weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter on their staff. Boyd is currently a news reporter at crosstown WPEC-TV Channel 12. 

      It was an unusual path for Dorsey for over a year prior to arriving in South Florida. He spent time as a high school sports official, school teacher and delivery person for Amazon in Houston. 

Pistons Drive By Heat

     The Miami Heat returned home following a three-game road trip and lost to the Detroit Pistons 29-23 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat and the Pistons will clash again on Monday afternoon at the same venue. 

     Detroit(3-9) held a 29-23 lead after one quarter, however Miami(4-7) leaped by and led 56-52 at halftime. The Pistons outscored the Heat 38-19 during the third quarter and pulled ahead 90-75. 

     Bam Adebayo had a game-high 28 points along with a team-high seven rebounds and six assists for Miami. Duncan Robinson dropped in 22 points while KZ Okpala placed in 16 points.

     Jerami Grant led Detroit with 24 points and nine rebounds. Derrick Rose came off the bench with 23 points and Blake Griffin got 15 points. 

Palm Beach County High School Football All-Star Game

     The annual Palm Beach County High School Football All-Star Game was held at Sam Budnyk Field on the Cardinal Newman campus in West Palm Beach on Saturday night. The American Team defeated the National Team 23-3. 

     The American Team got in front 3-0 at the 7:34 mark of the first quarter. Glades Central kicker Jose Garcia was able to nail a 37-yard field goal. 

     They extended the lead 10-0 with 1:53 remaining in the first. Clewiston wide receiver Oren Singleton Jr. sprinted into the end zone on a punt return. 

     Palm Beach Gardens kicker Chase Dixon booted a field goal with 4:13 left in the second quarter and the National Team trailed 10-3. 

     In the third quarter, the American Team expanded it to 17-3 with 11.5 seconds to go. Royal Palm Beach quarterback Peyton Mainolfi rushed through the left side of the line and scored from two yards away.      

     Mainolfi would throw a touchdown pass at the 6:57 mark of the fourth quarter to make it 23-3 for the American Team. 

Jesse Agler Lead San Diego Padres Radio Voice

     Former Miami sportscaster Jesse Agler has been elevated to lead radio play-by-play announcer of the San Diego Padres. Ted Leitner announced his retirement after 41 seasons of broadcasting with the club and will become a team ambassador. Agler will continue to fill in as the Padres television voice on Fox Sports San Diego when Don Orsillo has a national broadcast baseball assignment. 

     He has hosted the one-hour evening program Padres Social Hour on KWFN-FM since April 2020. Agler did host the same show on the internet in 2014 and 2015. 

     Agler, a Spanish River High School and University of Miami grad, began broadcasting locally at 560 WQAM-AM as a sports anchor and later was promoted to morning sports anchor. He was named the Florida Panthers studio host prior to the 2005-06 NHL season. Agler added duties as a studio host on the Florida Marlins Radio Network.  

     He lost both positions when the radio rights for both teams were acquired by Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. Agler jumped over to The Ticket and worked there as a weekend sports anchor for several months. He returned to WQAM as a sports anchor and became the studio host of the Miami Hurricanes Radio Network for a couple of years. 

     Agler joined Clear Channel Miami in early 2010 as a morning sports anchor at News Radio 610 WIOD-AM and later handled the sports anchoring position at 940 WINZ-AM. He was named the The Finsiders Show program afternoon host on WINZ. Agler was elevated to pregame and halftime studio host of the Miami Dolphins Radio Network in July 2010. 

     He replaced Dick Stockton as the Miami Dolphins television announcer on preseason games in 2013. The first hour of The Finsiders Show was simulcasted on Fox Sports Florida starting in September 2013. 

     Agler departed South Florida in January 2014 and joined the San Diego Padres. He began as an internet studio host, San Diego Padres Radio Network studio host and backup radio play-by-play announcer. Agler began to work primarily as a San Diego Padres radio play-by-play announcer in 2016 and occasionally fill in as the Padres television play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports San Diego. 

Florida Panthers Schedule Reset

     Several contests on the Florida Panthers 2020-21 schedule has been reset by the National Hockey League. Five Florida Panthers games have been changed. 

     The opening two Panthers games of the 2020-21 season that they were suppose to host against the Dallas Stars on January 14 and January 15 have been moved to February 22 and May 3. Their contest on February 23 was placed one day later on February 24. 

     Two Florida road contests have been shifted. They will face the Detroit Red Wings on February 20 instead on February 21. The Cats had their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning moved from May 4 to March 16. 

76ers Erase Heat

     The Philadelphia 76ers rushed by the Miami Heat 125-108 on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center. Both teams faced each other at the same venue two nights ago. 

     Philadelphia(9-4) had a 38-30 advantage at the end of one quarter. The Sixers expanded the lead to 73-58 by halftime. The 76ers went on an 18-8 run to begin the second half and Miami(4-6) trailed 98-78 after three quarters. 

     Duncan Robinson led the Heat with a team-high 22 points. Gabe Vincent contributed 21points and eight rebounds while Precious Achiuwa had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Herro drained in 17 points for Miami. 

     Ben Simmons compiled a triple-double for Philadelphia with 10 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Shake Milton came off the bench with a game-high 31 points and Tobias Harris added 18 points. 

Panthers Ink Kevin Connauton

     The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Kevin Connauton to a one-year, two-way contract. He joined the club on a professional tryout agreement back on December 28. 

     Connauton participated in four games with the Colorado Avalanche last season. He previously had stints with the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets and Arizona Coyotes in seven NHL seasons. 

Florida Panthers Announce 2020-21 Roster

     The Florida Panthers have announced their opening night roster for the 2020-21 National Hockey League season. The club will open their campaign at home on Sunday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

     They will begin with 13 forwards. It consists of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Brett Connolly, Noel Acciari, Frank Vatrano, Patric Hornqvist, Vinnie Hinostroza, Alex Wennberg, Carter Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, Anthony Duclair, Owen Tippett and Ryan Lomberg. 

     The seven defensemen are Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Anton Stralman, Radko Gudas, MacKenzie Weegar, Riley Stillman and Gustav Forsling. Their two goalies are Sam Montembeault and Chris Driedger. 

     The team will also have a taxi squad. It will have forward Mason Marchment, forward Aleksi Heponiemi, defenseman Brady Keeper and goalie Philippe Desrosiers. 

Miami Dolphins Sign Jordan Scarlett

     The Miami Dolphins have signed running back Jordan Scarlett to a reserve/futures contract. He was on the Detroit Lions practice squad at the end of the 2020 season. 

     Scarlett played the first three years of high school football with University School. He tranferred to St. Thomas Aquinas and won the FHSAA Class 7A  state title in 2014. He then attended and played college football with the University of Florida. Scarlett was picked in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. 

76ers Get By Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 137-134 in overtime at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. Both teams will face other again in the same venue on Thursday. 

     Philadelphia(8-4) moved out to a 15-8 lead to begin the contest and were up 28-25 after one quarter. Miami(4-5) responded and led 63-55 at halftime. 

     The 76ers had a 96-95 advantage at the end of three quarters. Philadelphia went on a 14-3 spurt to start the fourth quarter, however Miami answered back with a 12-2 run and trailed 112-110. Both teams were tied at 120-120 and the game went into overtime. 

     Tyler Herro surpassed his career-high from three days ago with 34 points for the Heat. Duncan Robinson dropped in 26 points while Gabe Vincent added 24 points. Precious Achiuwa compiled a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. 

     Joel Embiid had a giantic double-double for the Sixers with a game-high 45 points and 16 rebounds. Danny Green also put together a double-double with 29 points along with 10 rebounds. Mike Scott and Tyrese Maxey both placed in 16 points. 

Dave Hyde Florida Sportswriter Of The Year

     South Florida Sun-Sentinel sports columnist Dave Hyde was named the recipient of the Florida Sportswriter of the Year Award by the National Sports Media Association. It was the fourth time that Hyde has received that honor. 

     Hyde joined the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel as a sports columnist in 1990. He was a sportswriter at the Miami Herald from 1985 to 1990. 

Eric Reid Florida Sportscaster Of The Year

     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. Reid won the award for the third time in the last four years. 

     Reid, an Ithaca College grad, has been a broadcaster with the Miami Heat since their inaugural season in 1988-89. He is currently in his 33rd season with the club. 

     He had stints broadcasting sporting events for Ithaca College, Cornell University and Providence College prior to his arrival in South Florida. Reid became the Miami Heat television/radio game analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Sam Smith. He was promoted to the television play-by-play announcer position prior to the 1991-92 season. 

Florida Panthers Radio Network Set

     Florida Panthers radio play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens and game analyst Bill Lindsay return for the 2020-21 NHL season and will broadcast 56 regular season games. The club will implement the same policy as they did for the 2020 Stanley Cup postseason. Both announcers will call road contests from BB&T Center in Sunrise and will not travel with the team. 

     The Florida Panthers Radio Network will be led by flagship station 560 The Joe WQAM-AM. Other radio stations to hear game broadcasts will be Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM in West Palm Beach, WZTA-AM/WZTA-AM on the Treasure Coast and Thunder County WCTH-FM in the Florida Keys.  

Alabama Wins CFP National Title Over Ohio State

     The University of Alabama Crimson Tide knocked off the Ohio State University Buckeyes 52-24 in the 2020 CFP National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night. Alabama won their sixth national title in the last 12 seasons and claimed their 18th national title overall in school history. 

     Alabama head coach Nick Saban captured his NCAA-record seventh national championship. He surpassed one-time Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant who won six national titles. 

     Alabama(13-0) was able to score on their first possession at 8:07 of the first quarter. Running back Najee Harris went through the right side of the line from one yard out. 

     Ohio State(7-1)  responded and matched it with their next drive with 4:05 remaining in the first. Running back Master Teague III scooted outside to the left and scored an eight-yard touchdown. 

     The Crimson Tide pulled ahead 14-7 on the first play of the second quarter. Quarterback Mac Jones tossed a five-yard swing pass to wide receiver DaVonta Smith on the left side. 

     The Buckeyes evened it up 14-14 at the 11:43 mark of the second. Teague busted up the middle from four yards out. 

      It was answered by Alabama with 9:00 left in the second. Jones threw a 26-yard pass to the left sideline and Harris avoided two tackles to reach the end zone. 

     Ohio State had to settle with a three points and trailed 17-14. Jake Seibert booted a 23-yard field goal at 5:21.

     The Crimson Tide extended their lead to 28-17 with 3:19 to go. Smith received a five-yard touchdown pass from Jones on the right side. 

     They added another score on their next possession to make it 35-17. Jones found Smith behind the Ohio State secondary on the right hash marks for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:48 remaining in the first half. 

     In the third quarter, Alabama expanded it to a 21-point margin at the 7:47 mark. Will Reichard nailed a 20-yard field goal. 

     The Buckeyes scored at 6:45 and were down 38-24. Quarterback Justin Fields fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson on the left side of the end zone. 

     It became 45-24 for the Crimson Tide with 2:52 remaining in the third. Jones angled a five-yard pass to wide receiver Slade Bolden on the left side. 

     Alabama made it 52-24 at the 13:15 mark of the fourth quarter. Harris rumbled in untouched through the left side of the line from two yards out. 

Allison Williams Works CFP National Championship Game

     Former South Florida sportscaster Allison Williams worked the CFP National Championship game for ESPN. She was the sideline reporter covering the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.

     Williams first joined the ESPN organization as a college football sideline reporter on ESPNU. She became a sideline reporter for ACC Sunday night college basketball games on ESPN in January 2012. Williams has continued to be involved in higher profile college athletic contests with ESPN in recent years. 

     She is most known locally with her work at Fox Sports Florida. Williams was named the sideline reporter for Florida Marlins games and rinkside reporter of Florida Panthers games in 2008. She was elevated to Florida Panthers studio host for home games in the 2011-12 season and shared duties with Craig Minervini. Williams became the primary Florida Panthers studio host for home contests during the 2012-13 campaign. 

     Williams, a 2006 University of Miami grad, was employed as a college football sideline reporter and hosted a college football tailgate show for Comcast Sports Southeast. She was a part of Miccosukee Sports Rap on Fox Sports Net Florida as a sports reporter. Williams later was a sideline reporter on ACC football games on Fox Sports Net. 

Jay Bouwmeester Retires

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester retired on Monday. Bouwmeester was drafted by the Panthers third overall in the 2002 NHL Draft. He played six seasons with the club and compiled 53 goals along with 150 assists in 471 games. 

     Bouwmeester later had stints with the Calgary Flames and the St. Louis Blues. He was part of the Stanley Cup champions with the Blues in 2019. 

Florida Panthers Add Noah Juulsen

     The Florida Panthers have picked up defenseman Noah Juulsen off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens. He was drafted by the Habs 26th overall in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft which was held at BB&T Center in Sunrise. 

     Juulsen did play two seasons with the Canadiens in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He had two goals and six assists in 44 NHL games. Juulsen participated in 13 contests last season with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League and compiled three assists. 

St. Louis Blues Sign Mike Hoffman

     The St. Louis Blues have signed right wing Mike Hoffman to a one-year contract worth $4 million. He was in the Blues training camp on a professional tryout agreement. 

     Hoffman played the last two seasons with the Florida Panthers. He compiled 29 goals and 30 assists in 69 regular season games in 2019-20. Hoffman scored a career-high 36 goals and added 34 assists in 82 contests during 2018-19. 

Panthers Place Players On Waivers

     The Florida Panthers placed two of their players from their training camp on waivers. They are forward Scott Wilson and goalie Philippe Desrosiers. 

     Wilson participated for the last three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. He has compiled 20 goals and 31 assists in 193 NHL games. Desrosiers has not yet made in National Hockey League debut and played last season with the Panthers AHL affiliate in Springfield. 

Heat And Celtics Game Postponed

     The Miami Heat game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday night has been postponed. Seven players from the Celtics had been ruled out from participating due to coronavirus protocols. 

     It was to be the second contest for the Heat on their four-game road trip. Miami will now head to Philadelphia and face the 76ers on January 12 and January 14. 

Heat Roar By Wizards

     The Miami Heat outscored the Washington Wizards 128-124 on Saturday night at Capital One Arena. It was the first of a four-game road trip for the Heat. 

     Miami(4-4) set a franchise record with their most points ever during the first quarter and got out to a 47-44 lead. The Wizards got their only lead of the contest 60-58 with 6:11 left in the second, however the Heat stayed ahead 75-71 at halftime. Washington(2-8) was held off in the third quarter and were down 103-86. 

     Tyler Herro dropped down a career-high 31 points along with nine assists for Miami. They got a double-double from Jimmy Butler had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Bam Adebayo contributed 9 points and 16 rebounds. Goran Dragic poured in 21 points while Kelly Olynyk scored 18 points. 

     Garrison Mathews had a team-high 22 points and Deni Avdija delivered 20 points for the Wizards. Rui Hachimura was able to get 17 points.  

Florida Panthers Release Scott Darling

     The Florida Panthers have released goalie Scott Darling. He signed a professional tryout agreement earlier this month and was invited the the Panthers training camp.

     Darling was with the Chicago Blackhawks for three seasons. He helped them win a Stanley Cup title in 2015. Darling followed that with playing two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

     The Panthers also decided to assign five players from their training camp to the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League. They include defenseman Max Gildon, defenseman John Ludvig, defenseman Jake Massie, forward Henry Bowlby and forward Serron Noel. 

Gustav Forsling Claimed By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers have claimed defenseman Gustav Forsling off waivers. He played last season with the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers. 

     Frosling participated with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2016-17 until 2018-19. He had eight goals and 19 assists in 122 games over three seasons. 

Panthers Broadcasters Remain Home For Season

     The Florida Panthers television and radio on-air talent will not travel and remain in South Florida for the entire 2020-21 National Hockey League regular season. The organization will use the same broadcasting concept as they did during the Stanley Cup postseason last season. 

     The entire television crew returns to Fox Sports Florida. Play-by-play announcer Steve Goldstein and game analyst Randy Moller are paired again for the second straight season. They will announce road games from the Fox Sports Florida studios in Fort Lauderdale. Craig Minervini and Jessica Blaylock will share studio host duties while Katie Gaus is the rinkside reporter. Former Panthers defenseman Ed Jovanovski and Jeff  Chychrun are the studio analysts. 

     Doug Plagens is back as their radio play-by-play announcer and Bill Lindsay as their game analyst. They will announce all games from the broadcast booth at BB&T Center in Sunrise. 

Panthers Television Schedule Released

     The Florida Panthers have announced their television schedule for the 2020-21 NHL season. Fox Sports Florida will broadcast 55 regular season games for the upcoming campaign. 

     The one other game will be exclusively broadcast on NBCSN. The Panthers will be on the road February 21 and challenge the Detroit Red Wings. 

Florida Panthers Season Opener Postponed

     The Florida Panthers 2020-21 season opener and second game at home against the Dallas Stars on January 14 and January 15 has been postponed. Six Dallas Stars players and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. 

     The Panthers will now begin their campaign at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 17. Both clubs will meet again in the same venue on January 19. 

Florida Panthers Play Team Scrimmage

     The Florida Panthers played an intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday night at BB&T Center. The club will play their season opener at home against the Dallas Stars next Thursday.

     The Red Team defeated the White Team 8-1. Owen Tippett, Carter Verhaeghe and Mason Marchment each had two goals for the Red Team. Noel Acciari had the only goal for the White Team.

      There was shootout session following the game. Anthony Declair and Jonathan Huberdeau converted on the first two attempts for the Red Team against Chris Driedger. Frank Vatrano and Alex Wennberg had goals for the opposition. The White Team took the shootout when Aleksi Heponiemi scored on their fifth attempt past Sam Montembeault. 

Astros Land Ryne Stanek

     The Houston Astros have inked relief pitcher Ryne Stanek to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $1.1 million. 

     Stanek was acquired by the Miami Marlins from the Tampa Bay Rays in late July 2019. He made 31 relief appearances with the Marlins in the last two seasons and had a 6.03 earned-run-average. 

J.T. Riddle Goes To Twins

     Former Marlins utility player J.T. Riddle has signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins. He played 23 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. 

     Riddle was with the Marlins from 2017 to 2019. He had 18 home runs, 79 runs batted in and a .229 batting average in 223 contests over three seasons with Miami. 

Celtics Hold Off Heat

     The Boston Celtics edged the Miami Heat 107-105 on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. It ends a stretch in which the Heat played five of their last six contests at home. 

     Boston(6-3) broke out to a 34-26 advantage after one quarter and stayed ahead 53-45 by halftime. Miami(3-4) mounted a comeback and were tied with the Celtics 80-80 at the end of three quarters. The Celtics pulled away 105-95 with 1:17 remaining in the fourth. 

     Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 26 points and eight rebounds. Duncan Robinson had 16 points and six rebounds while Goran Dragic added 14 points. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.  

     Boston got a double-double from Jaylen Brown with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Jayson Tatum tallied a game-high 27 points and Daniel Theis drained in 13 points for the C's.

Florida Panthers To Use Syracuse AHL Club

     The Tampa Bay Lightning will allow the Florida Panthers to use their American Hockey League affiliate the Syracuse Crunch for the upcoming 2020-21. The Panthers will be able to use Syracuse as an AHL hub to send their players to the minor leagues. 

     The Panthers AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers aanounced on Tuesday that they will not participate for the upcoming season and are expected to return in 2021-22. Charlotte became the American Hockey League affiliate of the Florida Panthers in September 2020. 

Onside Radio Shifts Lineup

     Onside Radio will slightly change their weekday lineup as of Tuesday. Three of their original programs will have new timeslots. 

     The Onside Zone with Orlando Alzugaray will be pushed back one hour. The three-hour program will now begin at noon. It was on for two hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until December when Alzugaray added one extra hour. 

     Man Of The Match with Alex Donno will be placed in afternoon drive beginning at 3 p.m. He initially had a four-hour show when Onside Radio launched from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It was cut down to a three-hour program in December. Donno will now be on from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the one-hour program Inside Futbol with Inter Miami CF sideline reporter Kaylyn Kyle has been dropped. 

     The 5 Reasons Sports Hour will expand from one hour to two hours on Tuesday. Ethan Skolnick, who has hosted the program since October, will go from 10 a.m. to noon. 

Changes In Local Sports Radio Lineups

     Local ESPN Radio affiliates 560 The Joe WQAM-AM in Miami and ESPN West Palm WUUB-FM in West Palm Beach will have a change in their weekday lineups as of Tuesday. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz finished their nationally syndicated run at ESPN Radio on Monday after over seven years. 

     Mike Greenberg will be shifted from middays to the two-hour late morning shift. Alan Hahn and Bart Scott from ESPN New York WEPN-FM will be plugged into the ESPN Radio lineup in the midday slot. 

Heat Stampede Thunder

     The Miami Heat outperformed the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-90 at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. It was the first game for the Heat during the 2021 calendar year. 

     Both clubs were tied at 26-26 after one quarter, however Miami(3-3) pulled ahead and led 63-49 at halftime. Oklahoma City(2-4) trailed even more 91-66 at the end of three quarters. The Heat started off the fourth with a 10-4 spurt on their way to a 30-point lead. 

     Miami was led by Bam Adebayo with 20 points and eight rebounds. Kelly Olynyk contributed 19 points and eight rebounds while Jimmy Butler dropped in 18 points with six assists. 

     Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 18 points for the Thunder. Darius Bazley had 16 points and eight rebounds. 

Charlotte Checkers Cancel Season

     The Charlotte Checkers will not participate in the 2020-21 American Hockey League season. They were named the new AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers back in September. 

     The Checkers are expected to play again next season. It is not known where players who do not make the Florida Panthers 2020-21 opening night roster will be assigned to. 

Jon Sciambi New Chicago Cubs Television Voice

     Former local radio sportscaster Jon "Boog" Sciambi has been named the new Chicago Cubs television play-by-play announcer for Marquee Sports Network. He replaces former Florida Marlins television voice Len Kasper, who moved into the Chicago White Sox radio booth last month.

     Sciambi was first noticed locally as an evening host at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He was the studio host of the Florida Panthers Radio Network for the 1995-96 season. He took time off during their playoff run to announce baseball games on the radio in the Northwest League. 

     He returned to the station and co-hosted a midday show with the Florida Panthers original radio play-by-play voice Chris Moore. Sciambi became the studio host of the Florida Marlins Radio Network in 1997. He added duties as their radio play-by-play announcer in 1999 and held that spot until 2004. 

     Sciambi, a Boston College grad, had a stint as a midday host at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in 2004 and 2005. He began to work part-time for ESPN television as a college basketball and baseball play-by-play announcer. Sciambi joined ESPN as a full-time employee as a television and radio play-by-play announcer in 2009. He has announced Sunday night baseball on ESPN Radio since 2010 and Wednesday night baseball on ESPN since 2014. 

     He has also worked for other Major League Baseball clubs. Sciambi was the television voice of the Atlanta Braves from 2007 to 2009. He was signed prior to the coronavirus pandemic to announce several games on the Boston Red Sox Radio Network for the 2020 regular season. 

Christina De Nicola Marlins MLB.com Beat Writer

     Christina De Nicola has been named the new Miami Marlins beat writer for MLB.com. She replaces Joe Frisaro who held that position from March 2002 until late December 2020. She has written baseball stories for several years with the MLB.com organization. De Nicola did intern with the Miami Heat for one year. 

Dan Le Batard Final Show On ESPN Radio And ESPN

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz did their final program ever at ESPN Radio on Monday. Le Batard also hosted his final show of Highly Questionable on ESPN2. It is not known when and where he will work next. 

     Le Batard announced back on December 3 that he was leaving the ESPN organization. His production crew, known as The Shipping Container, that consists of Michael Ryan, Roy Bellamy, Billy Gil, Chris Cote and Anthony Calatayud are also exiting. Their associate Allyson Turner is staying at ESPN. 

     The radio program with Le Batard and Stugotz launched as an afternoon talk show at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM when the radio station flipped to a sports talk format in August 2004. They were added to the ESPN Radio nationally syndicated lineup in September 2013. 

     The radio show was shifted to the midday slot in September 2015. Le Batard and Stugotz was moved from The Ticket to 560 WQAM-AM in August 2019 and they lost their local one-hour mid-morning spot. The program was cut to two hour and placed in late mornings in August 2000 when Mike Greenberg was plugged into the midday shift. 

     The television show Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable began on ESPN2 in August 2011. It was co-hosted by him, his father Papi, Bomani Jones, Stugotz and other guest co-hosts over the last nine years. Highly Questionable was eventually shifted to the ESPN channel. 

     Le Batard, a University of Miami grad, had a long reign as a sports columnist with the Miami Herald. He began to host weekend programs on ESPN Radio prior to hosting a local radio program with Stugotz at 790 The Ticket. 

Dolphins Lose To Bills And Miss Postseason

     The Miami Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills 56-26 on Sunday in Bills Stadium in their regular season finale. The Dolphins were eliminated from advancing into the American Football Conference Playoffs because the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts all won their contests. 

Marlins Give Minor League Deals

     The Miami Marlins have signed several players to minor league deals. They will be invited to their spring training camp in Jupiter. 

     The biggest name was catcher Sandy Leon. He played last season with the Cleveland Indians and compiled two home runs along with four runs batted in during 25 games. Leon is best known for being with the Boston Red Sox from 2015 until 2019 and winning a World Series in 2018. 

      The Marlins also inked six other players to minor league contracts with spring training invitations. They were Eddy Alvarez, Brian Navarreto, Anthony Bender, Zach Thompson, Luis Madero and Alexander Guillen. 

Panthers Sign Scott Darling To Professional Tryout

     The Florida Panthers have signed goalie Scott Darling to a professional tryout agreement. He is one of five goalies to be on the Panthers training camp roster. 

     Darling previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks for three seasons and won a Stanley Cup title in 2015. He followed that with two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. Darling has a career record of 65-52-18 in 126 NHL games with a 2.72 goals-against-average. 

     He was traded to the Florida Panthers on June 30, 2019. Darling played last season with Innsbruck in Austria. 

Florida Panthers Training Camp Roster

     The Florida Panthers have released their training camp roster for the 2020-21 season. The club will not play any preseason contests prior to their season opener on January 13. 

     The team will have 21 forwards. It includes Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Brett Connolly, Grigori Denisenko, Vinnie Hinostroza, Noel Acciari, Frank Vatrano, Patric Hornqvist, Anthony Declair, Juho Lammikko, Alex Wennberg, Carter Verhaeghe, Scott Wilson, Owen Tippett, Cole Schwindt, Mason Marchment, Serron Noel, Aleksi Heponiemi, Ryan Lomberg, Henry Bowlby and Eetu Luostarinen. 

     The club has personnel of 13 defensemen. They are Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad, Anton Stralman, Radko Gudas, Chase Priskie, Brady Keeper, Kevin Connauton, MacKenzie Weegar, Riley Stillman, John Ludvig, Jake Massie, Max Gildon and Markus Nutivaara. Owen Tippett, Cole Schwindt

     There will be five goalies in camp. They include Sergei Bobrovsky, Chris Driedger, Scott Darling, Sam Montembeault and Philippe Desrosiers. 

Texas A&M Wins Orange Bowl Over North Carolina

     The Texas A&M Aggies picked up a 41-27 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night. Texas A&M(9-1) was ranked fifth entering the contest while North Carolina(8-4) was ranked at 13th. 

     Aggies running back Devon Achane had 12 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He got the go-ahead score with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter on a 76-yard touchdown run down the left sideline to make it 34-27.

Miami Marlins Sign Ross Detwiler

     The Miami Marlins have signed pitcher Ross Detwiler to a one-year contract. He played last season with the Chicago White Sox and had 3.20 earned-run-average in 16 relief appearances. 

     Detwiler has pitched in the majors for 12 seasons. He is best remembered for being a part of the Washington Nationals from 2007 to 2014. Detwiler also had stints with the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox. 

Arizona Coyotes Ink Derick Brassard

     The Arizona Coyotes have signed forward Derick Brassard to a one-year deal worth $1 million. He played the 2019-20 season with the New York Islanders where he compiled 32 points in 66 games. 

     Brassard had a short stint with the Florida Panthers of 24 days during the 2018-19 campaign after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had one goal along with three assists in ten contests for Florida and was then traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

Minnesota Wild Hires Randy Sexton

     The Minnesota Wild have hired Randy Sexton as the senior advisor to the general manager. He recently was the assistant general manager of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017 until June 2020. 

     Sexton once was a hockey executive with the Florida Panthers. He held the position of assistant general manager of the club from January 2007 to October 2009. Sexton was promoted to general manager and stayed in that spot until May 2010. 

Mavericks Outduel Heat

     The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 93-83 at American Airlines Center on Saturday night. It was the only road contest for the Heat in a six-game stretch. Miami has beat the Mavs in 16 of the last 19 meetings. 

     Dallas(2-3) held a 20-16 lead after one quarter and extended it to 46-31 by halftime. Miami(2-3) could not catch up and trailed 73-53 at the end of three quarters. 

     Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Avery Bradley came up with 15 while Tyler Herro had 11 points. 

     Luka Doncic put together a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Mavericks. Tim Hardaway Jr. dropped in 18 points and former Miami player Josh Richardson scored 11 points.