Heat Climb Over Bulls

     The two top teams in the Eastern Conference met at FTX Arena on Monday night and the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 112-99. The Heat began a stretch of playing four games in five days. They now lead the Bulls by two games for the best record in the Eastern Conference. 

     Miami(41-21) sprinted out to a 24-11 run to begin the contest and led 30-21 after one quarter. Chicago(39-23) had a 14-2 spurt midway through the second quarter and trailed 55-46 at halftime. The Heat outscored the Bulls 36-21 in the third quarter to go up 91-67.

     Gabe Vincent pumped in 20 points while Tyler Herro dropped in 20 points for Miami. Jimmy Butler added 15 points and Bam Adebayo had 15 points. 

     Zach LaVine led the Bulls with a game-high 22 points. DeMar DeRozan, who was held below 30 points for the first time in 11 games, scored 18 points. 

Dieter Kurtenbach KNBR Evening Host

     Former local sportswriter Dieter Kurtenbach has been an evening host on KNBR-AM in San Francisco since October. He is currently a sports columnist for Bay Area News Group. 

     Kurtenbach, a 2006 University of Missouri grad, started locally as a sports reporter at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel from 2011 to 2014. He worked at SB Nation as a college football reporter in 2014 and 2015. Kurtenbach also was a senior staff writer for KNBR.com from 2014 to 2016. 

     He moved on to Fox Sports as a senior writer and was there from April 2015 until June 2017. Kurtenbach returned to San Francisco and become a Bay Area News Group sports columnist in 2017. 

Franco Panizo Sun-Sentinel High School Reporter

     Franco Panizo has been named the new high school sports reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He will write on high school sports and college recruiting in Broward County and Palm Beach County. He replaces Adam Lichtenstein, who was promoted to University of Miami Hurricanes beat writer in January. 

     Panizo has co-hosted the Miami Total Futbol podcast since 2020. He will occasionally cover Inter Miami CF games for the newspaper. 

Derek Jeter Leaves Miami Marlins

     Miami Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter has left the organization. He also relinquished his ownership stake of around four percent. Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman issued a statement this morning. 

     Jeter joined the Marlins in October 2017 along with Sherman and other investors when they purchased the club from Jeffrey Loria. Jeter continues to have a business interest in The Players Tribune. 

     He played shortstop for the New York Yankees for 20 seasons from 1995 until 2014. Jeter helped the team win five World Series titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009. He contributed to the team winning seven American League championships. Jeter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. 

Hailey Sutton New WTVJ-TV Sportscaster

     NBC6 WTVJ-TV Channel 6 in Miami recently added Hailey Sutton as their new weekday sports reporter and weekend sports anchor. She joins a sports staff that includes lead sports anchor Ruthie Polinsky. 

     Sutton made her first appearance at NBC6 on February 2 and her debut on the Sunday night sports program Sports Final tonight. She worked at WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Alabama from December 2019 until late January 2022. Sutton was at KFBB-TV in Great Falls, Montana prior to that. 

Sepp Straka Wins The Honda Classic

     Sepp Straka captured the 2022 Honda Classic title at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday. He is the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour 

     Straka shot a -4 in the final round of the event and finished with a -10. Shane Lowry lost by one stroke and ended in second place with a -9. Kurt Kitayama landed in third place with a -8. Daniel Berger had the lead entering the final round, however he had a bad day with a +4 and finished in fourth with a -7

Heat Edge Spurs

     The Miami Heat were victorious over the San Antonio Spurs 133-129 at FTX Arena on Saturday night. The Heat remain on top in the Eastern Conference standings. 

     San Antonio(34-37) ripped out to a 40-26 lead after one quarter. Miami(40-21) roared back and took a 61-58 lead by halftime. The Heat scored the first seven points of the second half and had a double-digit lead. The Spurs bounced back and closed it to 99-97 at the end of the third quarter. Miami got on a 20-5 run to begin the fourth quarter and were up 119-102 with 8:19 left in the contest. 

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo as he powered in a game-high 36 points with seven rebounds. Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler both added 27 points each for Miami. Kyle Lowry pulled off a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Keita Bates-Diop and Devin Vassell both had 22 points each for the Spurs. 

Inter Miami CF Ties Season Opener

     Inter Miami CF opened up the 2022 Major League Soccer campaign with a 0-0 tie against Chicago Fire FC at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday night. Both clubs had several scoring opportunities during the contest. 

     It began the third MLS season in franchise history for Inter Miami CF. The club is now 0-2-1 in season openers and 1-1-1 in home openers.  

Derek Ryan Hat Trick And Oilers Drill Panthers

     Derek Ryan compiled his first career NHL hat trick as the Edmonton Oilers handled the Florida Panthers 4-3 at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. The Panthers, who have lost just six contests at home this season, dropped their third straight home game in this five-game homestand.

     The top three NHL leading point scorers were involved in the matchup. Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers was ahead for the Art Ross Trophy with 74 points while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers both had 73 points each entering the game. 

     Edmonton(29-20-3) took a 1-0 with 9:46 left in the first period. Warren Foegele slid the puck from the left circle and Derek Ryan snapped a shot from the inner right circle by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal of the year. 

     Florida(35-13-5) evened the game up 1-1 with 8:10 remaining in the frame. Sam Reinhart centered a pass from the right-circle dot. Frank Vatrano made a between-the-legs backhand drop pass from the top of the crease and Anton Lundell put in a one-time forehand shot from the low slot past Mikko Koskinen for his 12th goal of the campaign. 

     The Cats moved ahead 2-1 on the power play with 3:22 to go in the first. Aaron Ekblad zipped a pass from the left point. Anthony Duclair released a wrist shot from top right circle that hit the right post, but Aleksander Barkov knocked the puck in from the left side of the crease for his 24th goal of the season. 

     In the second period, the Oilers tied it up 2-2 on a delayed penalty at the 7:29 mark. Ryan McLeod sent a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Derek Ryan raced down the right side and fired a snap shot from the top right circle for his second tally of the contest and sixth goal this season. 

     It became 3-2 for Edmonton at 10:04 of the second as they scored their third goal of the game on their 12th shot. Tyson Barrie passed from the right point to McDavid on the left point. He angled a pass to the right circle. Draisaitl delayed and then rifled a slap shot from right-circle dot for his league-tying 36th goal of the season. McDavid and Draisaitl tied Huberdeau for the NHL lead with their 74th points of the campaign. 

     Edmonton expanded it to 4-2 with 43.7 seconds left in the frame. McDavid pushed a pass to Evander Kane on the left wing. He made a diagonal pass and Ryan tapped in the puck from the right of the crease for the hat trick. McDavid passed Huberdeau in the scoring race on the play with his 75th point of the season. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie with 4:28 remaining and it worked. They scored a power-play goal with 4:09 left and trailed 4-3. Huberdeau send a diagonal pass from the top left circle and Barkov one-timed a slap shot from the low right circle for his second goal of the game and 25th of the season. Huberdeau was able to extend his point streak to 10 games and tied McDavid as the National Hockey League co-leader in scoring with his 75th point. 

MLB Eliminates More Spring Training Games

     Major League Baseball announced it has canceled more spring training games. Contests will not be played up to March 7. 

     A lockout was implemented by Major League Baseball back in early December. MLB stated on February 18 that spring training would be delayed and that games would be canceled through March 4. 

Heat Take Knicks

     The Miami Heat got a 115-100 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. It will be a quick turnaround for the Heat as they host the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow. 

     New York(25-35) had a slight 32-30 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami(39-21) took charge in the second quarter and were up 65-55 at halftime. The Heat held off the Knicks and led 90-85 after three quarters. Miami outscored New York 25-15 in the final frame. 

     Tyler Herro dropped in a club-high 25 points while Jimmy Butler added 23 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo registered a double-double of16 points and 16 rebounds. Kyle Lowry fell short of the double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds. RJ Barrett led the Knicks with a game-high 46 points along with nine rebounds. 

West Palm Beach Ratings January 2022

     The ratings were released for sports talk format radio stations in the West Palm Beach region. The time period went from the first week of January to the first week of February. 

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM had the first complete period with their new weekday lineup. It included Ken LaVicka along with guest co-hosts in middays, Josh Cohen and The Hometeam in afternoons and Evan Cohen announcing five-minute sports segments.

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM dropped from a five-year high of 0.8 to a 0.6. The Florida Panthers remained near the top of the National Hockey League standings. Florida Atlantic University basketball came off the holiday break and played more conference games. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM stayed at a 0.0 in January just like during the holiday period. They have registered a 0.0 for the 20th time in the last 24 periods. CBS Sports Radio continued to be heard seven days a week and the University of Florida Gators basketball game broadcasts were piped in. 

Blue Jackets Shock Panthers

     The Columbus Blue Jackets surprised the Florida Panthers 6-3 on Thursday night at FLA Live Arena. The Panthers have been defeated in two straight contests at home following a nine-game home winning streak.

     The Cats had lost just three of their first 26 home games to begin the 2021-22 regular season. Florida Panthers goalie Jonas Johansson made his team debut in net. 

     The Blue Jackets are now 7-1-0 in February and have won nine of their last 11 games. Patrik Laine has compiled 13 goals in the last 11 contests. 

     Florida(35-12-5) broke out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:33 mark. MacKenzie Weegar collected his sixth goal of the campaign on assists from Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe. 

     Columbus(27-23-1) tied it 1-1 with 4:55 remaining in the first. Jakub Voracek carried the puck through the neutral zone and fed a cross-ice pass from the left wing. Laine scored on a wrist shot from the low slot past Jonas Johansson for his third goal in the last two games and 19th overall this season. He extended his point streak up to 11 games. 

     In the second period, the Blue Jackets moved ahead 2-1 at 9:32. Vladislav Gavrikov fired a slap shot from the left point and Boone Jenner redirected it in from the low left circle for his 22nd goal of the season. 

     The Panthers were outscored 3-1 in the first 9:57 of the third period and trailed 5-2. Jonathan Huberdeau cut it to 3-2 at the 6:52 mark of the third as he scored his 18th goal this season. Columbus followed with two goals in a 10-second span. 

WQAM Internet Stream Garners Audience

     Audacy recently implemented internet streaming AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM under the radio ratings. The corporation had done it for several years as Entercom at other sports talk format stations in the United States which included WFAN-FM in New York, WSCR-AM in Chicago, WEEI-FM in Boston and KGMZ-FM in San Francisco. 

     The WQAM internet stream had a 0.1 in December and a 0.2 in the holiday period. It rose to a 0.5 in the month of January. It was a higher number than their two Miami competitors of Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM. Both those two radio stations in January had a 0.4 combined. 560 WQAM had a 1.1 radio rating during the month of January without the streaming. 

     A possible reason is the amount of local programming. WQAM has local weekday programming from 6AM to 6PM since late October. Their programs include the Joe Rose Show with Zach Krantz in the morning shift, Jonathan Zaslow in middays and the afternoon show with Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder. The only local show on The Ticket not simulcasted is their morning program with Brendan Tobin and Leroy Hoard. WINZ has not had local programming since they released Jeff DeForrest along with The Greek last September. 

Miami Ratings January 2022

     The ratings were issued for sports talk radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region. The time span went from the first week of January to the first week of February. 

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM remained at a 1.1 for the third straight time. The Florida Panthers stayed near the top of the National Hockey League standings. The Miami Dolphins fell short of reaching the NFL postseason. The University of Miami Hurricanes basketball team has performed above average during their season. 

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM dropped down from a 0.4 to a 0.3 in the period. It was the lowest ratings for them since July 2020 when they had a 0.2. Piping in CBS Sports Radio Network and BetQL Network during weekdays has not helped. The Miami Heat were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM lost more than half of their audience since the holiday season and ended up at a 0.1. It was their lowest ratings for that radio station since January 2021. They have no local shows on their schedule and continued with the University of Florida Gators basketball season.

Panthers Return Home And Lose To Predators

     The Nashville Predators outlasted the Florida Panthers 6-4 at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday night. It was the first time that the Panthers played a home game since January 29, which was prior to the National Hockey League All-Star Game break. 

      Florida had their nine-game home winning streak snapped and are now 23-4-0 in Sunrise. The Cats had not lost a home game since December 16 against the Los Angeles Kings. 

     The Panthers had not lost a contest leading by two goals this season. The last time it happened was when the Panthers lost to the Predators in February 2021. 

     Florida(35-11-5) scored on the power play to take a 1-0 lead at the 6:45 mark of the first period. Anthony Duclair sent a cross-ice pass from the right wing. Jonathan Huberdeau angled a pass from the left wing down to Sam Reinhart on the end wall. He brought the puck above the goal line and snapped a shot from the left of the crease for his 18th goal this season. Reinhart was able to extend his point streak to seven games. 

     Nashville(29-18-4) bounced back to tie it 1-1 with 7:54 left in the first. Alexandre Carrier raced for the puck at the top left circle and centered it. Filip Forsberg took an initial backhand shot from the low slot was stopped by Sergei Bobrovsky. Matt Duchene pushed the rebound from the top of the crease and Forsberg swept it in from the blue paint for his 26th goal of the season. 

     The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 at 1:54 of the second period. Reinhart won the faceoff in the right circle. Radko Gudas carried the puck from the right point to the top of the zone and fired a wrist shot past David Rittich. It was the first tally for Gudas this year and his first goal in the last 57 games going back to last season. Gudas has compiled only three goals with Florida in the past two seasons.

     The Cats increased it to 3-1 at the 9:42 mark. Aaron Ekblad caught the puck at his own blue line, skated with it through the neutral zone and scored on a snap shot from the inner right circle for his 14th goal of the campaign. Ekblad tied a Panthers franchise record for defensemen with a goal in his fourth consecutive game. Jay Boumeester did the same thing back in the 2008-09 season. 

     The Predators evened it up 3-3 with two goals in a 37-second span later in the period. Roman Josi blasted a one-time slap shot from above the right circle on a feed by Duchene in the high slot with 9:16 remaining. Josi found the net for the 14th time this season. Forsberg was credited with a secondary assist on the play. Yakov Trenin added his 12th goal this year with 8:39 left. 

     In the third period, Florida moved ahead 4-3 at the 8:11 mark. Sam Bennett poked in the puck from the left of the crease and picked up his 22nd goal of the season. Huberdeau because the NHL points leader as he got his 72nd point of the regular season passing Connor McDavid. 

     Nashville pulled off a shorthanded goal with 9:19 to go in the third to tie it 4-4. Tanner Jeannot went on a breakaway through the middle of the ice and placed in a backhand shot for his 16th goal. 

     The Predators took a 5-4 lead on the power play with 5:31 left in the period. Mikael Gradlund put in a shot from close range following a save by Bobrovsky on a Forsberg shot. It became a two-goal margin for the Preds 6-4 when Jeannot got his second goal of the contest as he scored an empty-net goal from the red line with 1:32 remaining.  

Palm Beach Post Adds Colby Guy

     The Palm Beach Post has added Colby Guy as a sportswriter. He will write a Florida Panthers weekly feature column for the newspaper. 

     Guy, a Florida Atlantic University student, currently works as a writer at Florida Hockey Now alongside George Richards. Guy joined that organization prior to the 2021-22 National Hockey League regular season. 

Aaron Ekblad Second Star Of The Week

      Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was named the National Hockey League Second Star of the Week. The time period went from February 13 until February 20. 

     Ekblad compiled three goals and three assists during a three-game span. He is currently tied in third among defensemen with 13 goals this season. 

Goran Dragic Inks With Brooklyn Nets

     Former Miami Heat player Goran Dragic has signed a deal to join the Brooklyn Nets. He played just five games with the Toronto Raptors this season and was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on February 10. He never suited up for the Spurs and was bought out last week. 

     Dragic played in eight seasons with the Miami Heat. He helped the club win the 2020 Eastern Conference championship and reach the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Dragic participated in 391 regular season contests with the Heat and averaged 16.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. 

2022 NBA All-Star Game

     Team LeBron got by Team Durant 163-160 in the 71st annual National Basketball Association All-Star Game on Sunday night. The game was played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. 

     The Miami Heat had one representative in the contest. Jimmy Butler had two points and two steals in nine minutes of play with Team LeBron. Former Miami Heat player LeBron James returned to his former home arena and had 24 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for his squad. 

Patrick Surtain Leaves American Heritage For Dolphins

     Patrick Surtain has left his position as the head coach of the American Heritage Patriots football team and has joined the Miami Dolphins as a defensive assistant. He was at the helm of American Heritage for the last six seasons and helped the high school win three FHSAA Class 5A state championships in 2016, 2017 and 2020.  

     The Dolphins also hired seven more new people to their coaching staff. They included Chandler Henley as assistant quarterbacks coach, Kolby Smith as offensive assistant, Steve Gregory as safeties coach, Mathieu Araujo as assistant defensive backs coach, Derrick LeBlanc as assistant defensive line coach, Steve Ferentz as assistant linebackers coach and Ryan Slowik as senior defensive assistant. 

Panthers Drive By Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers got a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday. The Panthers completed a five-game road trip that stretched out back to January 31. The Panthers will made up a home game on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. 

Cameron Maybin New York Yankees Announcer

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin has joined YES Network. He will be a game analyst for about 40 games at that regional sports channel in 2022. He will replace the recently retired Ken Singleton in the Yankees television broadcast booth. 

     Maybin had two stints with the Marlins organization. He was acquired in an eight-player trade from the Detroit Tigers for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Maybin was on the Florida Marlins roster from 2008 to 2010. He returned to Miami for the 2018 campaign. 

Brian Flores Joins Pittsburgh Steelers

     Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has been hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will join their coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. Flores filed a lawsuit against the National Football League for unfair hiring practices earlier this month. 

     Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for three seasons from 2019 until 2021. He finished off his tenure with a 24-25 record.

Florida Panthers In 2022 Winter Olympics

     Several former people that were once associated with the Florida Panthers organization were involved in men's ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. 

     Slovakia medaled for the first time in men's hockey history as they defeated Sweden 4-0 in the bronze-medal game. The head coach for Slovakia was former Florida Panthers assistant coach Craig Ramsay. He had two stints while with Florida. Ramsay was an assistant coach under head coach Roger Nielsen during the franchise's first two seasons in 1993-94 and 1994-95. He returned as an assistant coach in the early 2010s. 

     The head coach for Sweden was former left wing Johan Garpenlov. He played in 265 contests with the Panthers from 1994-95 to 1998-99 and compiled 47 goals with 74 assists. Garpenlov helped Florida capture the Eastern Conference title in 1996. Lucas Wallmark participated with Sweden and played 11 games with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20 and 2020-21. 

     Finland finally won the gold medal in men's ice hockey after coming close in 2006. They topped the Russian Olympic Committee 2-1 in the final sporting event of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

     One of the goalies for Finland was Harri Sateri. He spent just one season in the National Hockey League with the Panthers in 2017-18. Sateri ended up with a 4-4-0 record, a .911 save percentage and a 2.92 goals-against-average. 

      Former Florida Panthers left wing Nikita Gusev was part of the ROC silver-medal squad. He played 11 games as with the Panthers during the 2020-21 season and compiled two goals along with three assists. 

Mason Marchment Hat Trick Push Panthers By Wild

     Mason Marchment picked up a hat trick as the Florida Panthers knocked off the Minnesota Wild 6-2 on Friday night at Xcel Energy Center. It was Marchment's first career NHL hat trick. The Panthers second contest since the NHL All-Star Game break. Sam Reinhart was able to participate in his 500th NHL game. 

     Minnesota(30-13-3) moved out to a 1-0 lead on the power play at the 7:07 mark of the first period. Kirill Kaprizov found the net for the 23rd time this season as he placed the puck by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     Florida(34-10-5) would overtake them later on in the frame. Mason Marchment scored with 9:58 remaining and again with 7:31 left in the first. It resulted in his ninth and 10th goals of the 2021-22 campaign. 

     In the second period, the Panthers increased their lead to 3-1 at 8:38. Jonathan Huberdeau recovered the puck behind the Minnesota cage. He angled out a pass and Anthony Duclair picked up his 20th goal of the season on a snap shot from the low right circle by Cam Talbot. 

     The Cats made it 4-1 with the man advantage at the 1:41 mark of the third period. Aaron Ekblad compiled his 12th goal this season on assists from Duclair and Huberdeau. 

     The Wild got their second power-play goal of the game with 10:18 to go in the third. Mats Zuccarello collected his 16th goal of the year as he one-timed a forehand shot from the top of the crease. Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were credited with assists on the play.

     Minnesota pulled their goalie for an extra skater with over seven minutes remaining in the third period. It failed as Carter Verhaeghe raced for the puck and put in a wrist shot from the left point into the empty net for his 16th goal with 6:42 left. Marchment got the hat trick on another empty-net goal with 5:27 to go. 

Spring Training Delayed

     Spring training baseball will not start on time in 2022. The Major League Baseball lockout has been in effect since early December. Pitchers and catchers were expected to arrive earlier this week.   

     A statement from Major League Baseball was issued that spring training contests will not begin until at least March 5. Local Palm Beach County facilities such as Roger Dean Stadium and the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be affected from the delay. 

Jessica Smetana Gets DraftKings Podcast

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz podcast producer Jessica Smetana will co-host a DraftKings weekly podcast with former ESPN Radio morning co-host Mike Golic. It is a separate venture by Smetana outside of her current work with Meadowlark Media. DraftKings does have a partnership agreement with Meadowlark Media. 

     Smetana joined Meadowlark Media in April 2021. She previously worked at SB Nation as a producer and at Sports Illustrated as a writer, producer and content host prior to her arrival in Miami. 

Heat Outlast Hornets

     The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets 111-107 in double overtime at Spectrum Center on Thursday night. It was the final game for the Heat and Hornets prior to the NBA All-Star Game break. 

     Miami(38-21) got out to a 37-30 lead at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte(29-31) dominated the second quarter with a 24-10 run to go up 54-47 at halftime. Both teams scored the same amount of points during the third quarter and the Hornets led 71-64. The Heat came back from 11 points down with 5:08 left in the fourth as they went on a 16-5 run to tie it up 87-87 at the end the fourth quarter. 

     Charlotte had the opportunity to win the contest in overtime, however Montrezl Harrell missed the second of two free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining. The Heat went on a 7-2 spurt at the start of double overtime to get the win. 

     Kyle Lowry fell short of a double-double with a team-high 25 points and nine rebounds for the Heat. Duncan Robinson drained in 21 points. Three Miami players were able to contribute double-doubles. Bam Adebayo compiled 15 points and 13 rebounds, Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker both had 15 points and 10 rebounds each. 

     The Hornets were led by LaMelo Ball who had 14 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for a triple-double. Miles Bridges ended up with a double-double with a game-high 29 points along with 11 rebounds. P.J. Washington had 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double in the loss. 

Mike Ryan Leaving Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz

     Longtime Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz staff member Mike Ryan is stepping away from his role as the executive producer of the podcast. It was recently named the top sports podcast in 2021 by Barrett Sports Media earlier this week. 

     He was the lead producer of the program when it was on terrestrial radio. Ryan has been part of the Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz for 15 years when it aired on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. 

     Ryan will be staying at Meadowlark Media. It has not been announced what his new position in the organization will be. 

Sam Madison To Join Dolphins Coaching Staff

     Former Miami Dolphins defensive back Sam Madison will soon rejoin the club. He is expected to be named the Dolphins cornerbacks coach and passing game specialist. 

     Madison spent the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff. The club captured Super Bowl LIV and two AFC championships during his time there. 

     He played 138 games with the Dolphins from 1997 to 2005 and compiled 31 interceptions. Madison spent his final three NFL seasons with the New York Giants and helped them win Super Bowl XLII. 

Jon Sciambi Signs Extension With Chicago Cubs

     Former Miami sport talk host and Florida Marlins radio play-by-play announcer Jon "Boog" Sciambi has signed a multiyear contract extension with Marquee Sports Network as the television voice of the Chicago Cubs. Sciambi will continue as the ESPN Radio play-by-play announcer of Sunday Night Baseball this year. He has held that post since 2010. 

     Sciambi, a Boston College grad, joined the Florida Marlins Radio Network as a studio host in 1997. He added duties as a radio play-by-play announcer from 1999 until 2004. Sciambi was the television voice of the Atlanta Braves from 2007 to 2009. He was signed prior to coronavirus pandemic to call several games on the Boston Red Sox Radio Network during the 2020 campaign, 

     He was first noticed in Miami as a sports talk host at 560 WQAM-AM. He was the Florida Panthers Radio Network studio host during their best season ever in 1995-96. Sciambi did co-host a midday show with original Florida Panthers radio voice Chris Moore. He later joined Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM as a midday host in 2004 and 2005. 

Panthers Slip By Hurricanes

     The Florida Panthers overcame the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime at PNC Center on Wednesday night. Florida regained first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. It was the first time that the Panthers played a game in over two weeks. 

     Carolina(32-11-4) took a 1-0 lead with 45.7 seconds remaining in the first period. Jacob Slavin backhanded the puck from the low slot wide right of the cage.  passed from the right circle to Sebastian Aho passed from the end wall and Teuvo Teravainen snapped a shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his 12th goal this season. 

     Florida(33-10-5) evened it up 1-1 with 6:51 to go in the second period. Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau poked the puck ahead in the neutral zone. Aleksander Barkov skated with the puck into the Canes zone, made a behind-the-back pass to himself in the high slot and backhanded a shot from the inner right circle past Frederik Andersen his 22nd goal of the season. 

     In the third period, the Hurricanes reclaimed the lead 2-1 at the 3:13 mark. Nino Niederreiter guided the puck from the right corner. Jordan Staal carried it around the Panthers cage and sent it to the left point. Tony DeAngelo blasted a slap shot that went off the right foot of Gustav Forsling and into the net. It turned out to be his ninth tally of the campaign. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and it worked. They tied it 2-2 with 48.3 seconds left in the third. Ekblad placed a square pass from the left point and MacKenzie Weegar fired a snap shot. It bounced off a defender in the low slot and Sam Reinhart scored his 17th goal this season as he lifted a wrist shot from the left circle. 

     Florida would get the victory just 16 seconds into overtime. Huberdeau sent a long lead pass from his own left circle down the ice. Ekblad received it behind the defense and went on a breakaway. He put in a backhand shot for his 11th goal of the year. Barkov was credited with a secondary assist on the play. Huberdeau compiled his NHL-leading 49th assist on the game-winning goal. 

Dolphins Hire Darrell Bevell

     The Miami Dolphins have hired Darrell Bevell as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He was recently on the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff. 

     Bevell has been an interim head coach over the last two seasons with two different teams. He was the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and ended the 2020 campaign as their interim head coach with a 1-4 record. Bevell began the 2021 season as the Jaguars offensive coordinator, replaced Urban Meyer as interim head coach and finished with a 1-3 record. 

Mavericks Outdistance Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Dallas Mavericks 107-99 on Tuesday night at FTX Arena. The Heat stayed in first place in the Eastern Conference. They visit Charlotte on Thursday prior to the NBA All-Star Game break.

      Miami(37-21) had a 28-23 advantage after one quarter and were up 59-51 at halftime. Dallas(34-24) roared back early in the second half and had an 81-78 lead at the end of three quarters. The Heat never came closer as the Mavericks went on a 10-2 spurt to begin the fourth quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler compiled a double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo also put together a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Lowry added 13 points while Omer Yurtsevern scored 11 points. 

     The Mavs were led by Luka Doncic with 21 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jalen Brunson dropped in 19 points while Maxi Kleber put in 19 points. 

Jason Jackson Announcing NBA HBCU Classic

     Miami Heat radio play-by-play announcer Jason Jackson will call the inaugural NBA HBCU Classic between Howard University and Morgan State University in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. The broadcast will be aired at SiriusXM Radio on NBA Radio channel. 

     The contest will not interfere with Jackson's announcing duties with the Miami Heat. The National Basketball All-Star Game is on Sunday night. 

Dan Le Batard Has Top Sports Podcast

     Barrett Sports Media has released their top 25 sports podcasts in the United States for 2021. Meadowlark Media ended up with two entries. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stutgotz finished in first place while Stupodity was listed in 22nd place. 

     Le Batard left ESPN and terrestrial radio in early January 2021. He and John Skipper launched Meadowlark Media in late January 2021. 

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz had previously appeared in another category of nationally syndicated sports radio shows list since the inception of BSM in 2016. They finished fourth in 2016, third in 2017, third in 2018, third in 2019 and fourth in 2020. 

     Le Batard started his radio program in the afternoon shift at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in August 2004. He was added by ESPN for syndication in September 2013 and was later shifted to middays. His show was moved from The Ticket to 560 WQAM-AM in August 2019. The show went off the radio airwaves locally and nationally in January 2021. 

Dolphins Name Frank Smith Offensive Coordinator

     The Miami Dolphins announced that Frank Smith has joined the Miami Dolphins as their new offensive coordinator. He takes the position over from Eric Studesville and George Gosby. 

     Smith spent last season as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He entered the NFL coaching ranks with the New Orleans Saints in 2010 and stayed there until 2014. Smith then was with the Chicago Bears from 2015 to 2017 as a tight ends coach. He joined the Raiders organization as a tight ends coach from 2018 to 2020. 

Emil Heineman Traded

     Former Florida Panthers prospect Emil Heineman has been traded along with Tyler Pitlick by the Calgary Flames to the Montreal Canadiens for Tyler Toffoli. Heineman has not yet played a game in the National Hockey League. 

     He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round at 43rd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Heineman was dealt to the Flames for Sam Bennett on April 12, 2021. Bennett has compiled 27 goals and 18 assists in 47 regular season games over the last two seasons with the Panthers. 

South Florida Players Win Super Bowl

     Several former South Florida high school football players captured a Super Bowl title on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. 

     The Rams had a number of local players on their roster. They included American Heritage running back Sony Michel, Miami Northwestern quarterback/wide receiver Tutu Atwell, Deerfield Beach running back Brandon Powell and Coral Gables running back Buddy Howell. 

Miami Dolphins Form Coaching Staff

      The Miami Dolphins have been forming their coaching staff for the upcoming 2022 regular season. They named Mike McDaniel as their new head coach last week.

     Josh Boyer has been retained as defensive coordinator. Eric Studesville has been shifted from co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Danny Crossman remains as the Dolphins special teams coach. Former Miami Dolphins Wes Welker was added to the Dolphins coaching staff as a wide receivers coach. 

     Outside linebackers coach Rob Leonard is no longer with the Fins and has joined the New York Giants for the same position. George Gosby was the Miami co-offensive coordinator in 2021 and now is with the Baltimore Ravens as their tight ends coach. 

Heat Hold Off Nets

     The Miami Heat got by the Brooklyn Nets 115-111 at FTX Arena on Saturday night. The Heat, who entered the contest following a six-game road trip, extended their winning streak to five games.

     Both clubs were tied 26-26 at the end of the first quarter. Miami(37-20) pulled ahead 64-58 by halftime. The Heat got up by 21 points at 89-68 with 2:09 left in the third quarter. Brooklyn(29-27) ended up trailing 91- 76 heading into the fourth quarter. 

     All five Heat starters had double-digit scoring. Bam Adebayo chalked up a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Duncan Robinson drained in 17 points while Tyler Herro compiled 15 points along with seven rebounds. Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry each had 13 points. 

     Kyrie Irving led the Nets with a game-high 29 points and Cam Harris scored 22 points. Recent acquisitions Seth Curry, Ben Simmons and Andre Drummond from the Philadelphia 76ers did not dress. 

Wes Welker Rejoins Miami Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins continue to make changes to their coaching staff. Mike McDonald was announced as their new head coach on Sunday. 

     Former Miami Dolphins player Wes Welker was named as wide receivers coach. He played 46 games over three seasons with the Fins. Welker compiled 96 pass receptions for 1,121 yards and one touchdown.

     He moved on to the New England Patriots for six seasons and captured two AFC Championship titles in 2007 and 2011. Welker later hooked up with the Denver Broncos and won a conference championship in 2013. 

Vernon Carey Jr. Traded

     Former Broward County high school basketball player Vernon Carey Jr. was traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Washington Wizards in a three-player deal. He was limited to 23 games during his first two seasons in the NBA and averaged two points per game along with 1.3 rebounds per game. 

     Carey played high school basketball with University School and later attended Duke University. He was considered the best basketball player in South Florida while in high school. 

Ryan Maguire Returns To Milwaukee

     Former 560 WQAM-AM program director Ryan Maguire has returned to Milwaukee. He has been named the director of content for Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, WTMJ-AM and WKTI-FM. 

     Maguire leaves two jobs to take his new position. He was the Chicago White Sox Radio Network executive producer at WMVP-AM since December 2020 and Barrett Sports Media columnist since 2021. 

     He was a program director at several different radio stations prior to his arrival in Miami. It included stints at WQSN-AM in Kalamazoo, WLBY-AM in Ann Arbor, WTKA-AM in Ann Arbor, WSSP-AM in Milwaukee, KCSP-AM in Kansas City and KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh.

     Maguire worked as the program director at WQAM from May 2015 until February 2018. He was the director of news programming at KIRO-AM in Seattle from March 2018 to August 2019. 

     He moved on to SpokenLayer as a producer in April 2020. Maguire joined Barrett News Media in September 2020 as a columnist. 

Paul Mason Makes Program Director List

     Former Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM Paul Mason showed up on the Barrett Sports Media program director list for mid-size markets. He ended up 16th in 2021 after being 13th in 2020. He is currently the program director of 104.5 The Zone WGFX-FM in Nashville. 

     Mason was the program director at WMEN-AM and WFTL-AM from March 2017 until April 2020. He has been at WGFX-FM since May 2020. 

Len Weiner On National Program Director List

     Len Weiner made it to the top 25 program director list issued by Barrett Sports Media. He finished 2021 in 20th place. Weiner is the program director of AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM.

     Weiner previously appeared in the three prior years on the BSM list. He was 25th in 2018, 21st in 2019 and 21st in 2020. Weiner became the program director at The Ticket in March 2014 and WQAM in February 2018. 

Heat Shake Off Pelicans

     The Miami Heat beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 at Smoothie King Center on Friday night. The Heat finished off a six-game road trip and will have a home contest on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets. 

     Miami(36-20) had a 27-24 edge after one quarter and were ahead 56-55 at halftime. New Orleans(22-33) was outscored 27-18 in the third quarter and trailed 83-73.

     Kyle Lowry led Miami with a triple-double of 14 points, 11 assists, 11rebounds and four steals. Two Heat players shared the honor of game-high scorer. Bam Adebayo got a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Jimmy Butler contributed 29 points and eight rebounds.

     C.J. McCollum, who played in his first game with his new team since being acquired, scored 15 points. Devonte' Graham and Jonas Valanciunas had a team-high 16 points each for the Pelicans. 

Jorge Sedano And Scott Kaplan Listed

     Two former Miami sportscasters showed up on the Barrett Sports Media top 25 afternoon sports show list. Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan finished in 19th place during 2021. Both have co-hosted an afternoon program at KSPN-AM in Los Angeles since February 2021 and celebrated their one-year anniversary earlier this week. 

     Sedano had local radio broadcasting stints at 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM, Fox Sports Radio 940 WINZ-AM, News Radio 610 WIOD-AM, Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. Kaplan broke into the broadcasting business with 560 WQAM as a sports anchor in the late 1990s. 

Goran Dragic Traded To Spurs

     Former Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic has been traded by the Toronto Raptors to the San Antonio Spurs for Thaddeus Young. He was acquired by the Raptors from the Heat in a sign-and-trade deal for Kyle Lowry during the summer. Dragic participated in just five contests this season. 

     Dragic played 391 games for the Miami Heat over seven seasons. He helped the club win the Eastern Conference title in 2020 and reach the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 16.2 points per game and 5.2 assists per game while with the Heat. 

Hochman & Crowder On Afternoon Sports Show List

     Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder appeared on the Barrett Sports Media afternoon sports show list for 2021. Their show, which is simulcasted on AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM ended up in 22nd place. They finished 19th in 2017 and 25h in 2020. 

     Hochman and Crowder had the length of the program adjusted last year They lost one hour of time on The Ticket in October 2021. 

Brandon Marshall With Sports Betting Show

     Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be part of a weekly nationally syndicated television show called Beat The Odds Show from Gray Television as of February 11. He will be a panelist along with sports handicapper Jack Ross, a.k.a The Fat Jack.

     Marshall was a wide receiver with the Dolphins in 2010 and 2011. He compiled 167 catches for 2,228 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 30 games with the Fins. 

     He was in the National Football League for 13 seasons. Marschall played for the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks.

Miami Heat Deal KZ Okpala to Thunder

     The Miami Heat have traded former KZ Okpala to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 second-round draft pick. In addition, the Heat amended a trade with the Thunder from last year where Miami will now send to Oklahoma City a 2025 first-round selection. 

     Okpala has been with the Miami Heat for his entire NBA career of three seasons and participated in 63 games.. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 21 contests during the 2021-22 campaign. 

Jonathan Zaslow On Midday Sports Show List

     Barrett Sports Media released their list of the top 25 local midday sports radio shows in the United States. Jonathan Zaslow from AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM ended up in 24th place in 2021. 

      It was the second time that Zaslow appeared on a BSM list. His former morning show with Amber Wilson and Brett Romberg on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM finished 21st in 2018. 

     Zaslow saw changes in his program last year. Wilson left her co-hosting position on the show back in June 2021. The Zaslow Show was shifted over from The Ticket to WQAM in late October 2021. 

Joe Rose Makes Local Morning Sports Show List

     Longtime Miami radio on-air talent Joe Rose was listed on the Barrett Sports Media top 25 local sports radio morning shows. Rose works with Zach Krantz and "Hollywood" Danny Rabinowitz on the program at 560 WQAM-AM. 

    The Joe Rose Show with Zach Krantz ended up in 22nd place in 2021.  Their placement in the prior five years were 18th in 2016, 16th in 2017, 24th in 2018, 22nd in 2019 and 23rd in 2020. 

Former Local Talent On National Sports Show List

     Some former South Florida on-air talent made the Barrett Sports Media national sports radio show list in 2021. Dan Le Batard and Stugotz did not make the list after six consecutive years They had appeared among the top four national radio programs in the last five years. 

     Several former local sports talk hosts did show on the list. Joy Taylor appeared alongside The Herd With Colin Cowherd as the top national show for the second straight year. Taylor, who did at one time work at 560 WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM, continues as a Saturday afternoon host at Fox Sports Radio. 

     Ex WQAM evening host Damon Amendolara ended up in eighth place with his CBS Sports Radio Network morning show. Amendolara went up the list again after finishing 12th in 2019 and 10th in 2020. 

     Evan Cohen along with The Morning Men morning program on Mad Dog Radio at SiriusXM Radio landed at 16th place. The program was placed in 19th in 2019 and 13th in 2020. Cohen completed a long stint as the afternoon host at ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM in December 2021. He began to announce five-minute sports commentaries at the start of 2021 for the radio station. 

Gerald Williams Passes Away

    Former Marlins outfielder Gerald Williams has passed away at the age of 55. He participated in the majors from 1992 until 2005. 

     Williams played just 22 games for the Florida Marlins in 2003. The Marlins eventually won their second World Series in franchise history. Williams had three runs batted in and a .129 batting average that season. 

Heat Trick WIzards

     The Miami Heat pulled off a 121-100 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night at Capital One Arena. The Heat will complete their six-game road swing at the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. The Wizards lost their sixth straight home game. 

     Miami(35-20) rocketed out to a 39-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Washington(24-29) went on an 18-4 run and trailed 50-44 with 3:58 left in the second quarter. The Heat still stayed ahead 60-53 by halftime. 

     The Heat scored the first eight points of the second half and led 68-53 with 9:51 remaining in the third. They had a 15-1 spurt in the final three minutes and held a 91-70 lead at the end of three quarters. Miami started the fourth quarter on a 22-8 run and had a 35-point margin at 113-78 with 7:57 to go in the final frame. 

     Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Jimmy Butler dropped in 19 points while Gabe Vincent added 16 points and eight assists. Caleb Martin poured in 15 points and Duncan Robinson knocked down 12 points. 

Panthers To Sign Mack Guzda

     The Florida Panthers have agreed to sign goalie Mack Guzda to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was an undrafted free agent and could have signed with any team in the National Hockey League. 

     Guzda has split his time in 2021-22 with two clubs in the Ontario Hockey League. He has compiled a 11-4-1 record with a 2.17 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage in 16 games with the Barrie Colts. He ended up with a 5-4-0-1 record, a .915 save percentage and a 3.20 goals-against-average in 10 contests for the Owen Sound Attack. 

Stephen Ross Gets UEFA Champions League TV Rights

     Relevent Sports Group has acquired the United States English-language and Spanish-language television rights to the UEFA Champions League. They will control the television packages from 2024 to 2027. The organization is owned and co-founded by Miami Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross. 

     The UEFA Champions League television rights in this country has been bouncing around in the past 15 years. ESPN had U.S. rights throughout the 1990s until the late 2000s. Fox Sports then took over in 2009 and then Turner Sports had it from 2018 to 2021. CBS Sports is finishing up their second season as the English-language network in 2022 and are in the middle of a four-season pact. 

Mason Marchment Third Star Of The Week

     Florida Panthers left wing Mason Marchment has been named the National Hockey League Third Star of the Week. The time period went from January 31 to February 6.

     Marchement tied a Florida Panthers franchise record with six points in one contest. He compiled two goals and four assists against the Blue Jackets in Columbus on January 31. It was the most points scored by any NHL player in a game so far in the 2021-22 regular season. 

     One other Florida Panther player had received a top-three NHL Star of the Week this season. Jonathan Huberdeau was given the First Star in the first week of December and received the Third Star during the first week of January. 

Mike McDaniel New Miami Dolphins Head Coach

     The Miami Dolphins have named Mike McDaniel as their new head coach. He replaces Brian Flores, who had a 24-25 record in three seasons with the Dolphins. 

     McDaniel was on the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff for the past five years. He was their run game coordinator from 2017 until 2020 and their offensive coordinator in 2021. MeDaniel was with the 49ers when they won the 2019 NFC Championship and reached Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

     He was also part of another NFC Championship team with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2016 as an offensive assistant. The Falcons blew a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots in Super Boal LI. 

Adrian Gonzalez Retires

     Former Florida Marlins prospect first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has retired. He was drafted first overall by the Marlins during the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. Gonzalez never played here in the majors because he was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 11, 2003 in a four-player deal for relief pitcher Ugeath Urbina. 

     Gonzalez played in the majors for 15 years and his final season was in 2018. He had stints with the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star and won four Gold Gloves. 

Heat Rush By Hornets

     The Miami Heat handled the Charlotte Hornets 104-86 at Spectrum Center on Saturday night. The Heat are in the middle of a six-game road trip. 

     Miami(34-20) led 31-20 at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte(28-26) came back with a 28-15 advantage during the second quarter and were up 53-46 at halftime. The Heat went on a 35-8 run in the third quarter and had a dominant 81- 61 lead heading into the final quarter. 

     Jimmy Butler chalked up a game-high 27 points with six rebounds for Miami. Bam Adebayo put together a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Herro was able to contribute 19 points. Terry Rozier dropped in a team-high 16 points for the Hornets. 

2022 NHL All-Star Game

    The Metropolitan Division defeated the Central Division in the championship round of the 2022 NHL All-Star Game on Saturday. The event was held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was the third time in the last five National Hockey League All-Star Games that the Metropolitan Division prevailed. 

     The Florida Panthers had representation at the NHL All-Star Weekend. Current NHL points leader and assist leader Jonathan Huberdeau was the only Panthers player while interim head coach Andrew Brunette was the head coach of the Atlantic Division. 

     The second semifinal of the event had the Central Division get by the Atlantic Division 8-5. Huberdeau scored on a forehand shot from the low slot by Cam Talbot and tied the game 1-1 with 6:32 left in the first period. The Atlantic Division closed it to 3-2 with 40.4 seconds left in the first when Huberdeau assisted on an Auston Matthews goal. 

Jonathan Huberdeau Last In Fountain Face-Off

     Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau finished last in eighth place for the Discover NHL Fountain Face-Off skill competition. It was the first time that this was a part of NHL All-Star Weekend. 

     Huberdeau ended up with a time of 39.915 seconds. Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets won the final round at 25.634 seconds against Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators. 

South Florida To Host 2023 NHL All-Star Game

     The Florida Panthers and the South Florida region will host the Honda 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game next season on February 4, 2023 at FLA Live Arena. The skills competition will be held one night earlier on February 3, 2023.  

     The NHL All-Star Game was held in Sunrise back in 2003. It turned out to be the first shootout to ever take place in National Hockey League history. The South Florida area was to host the 2021 NHL All-Star Game, however it was eliminated because of the shortened regular season due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Dan Straily Signs With Diamondbacks

     Former Miami Marlins starting pitcher Dan Straily has signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Players can only agree to minor league deals due to the Major League Baseball lockout. Straily will be invited to the Diamondbacks spring training camp if it occurs. 

     Straily was with the Marlins in 2017 and 2018. He compiled a 15-15 record with a 4.20 earned run average in 56 starts. 

Jimmy Butler NBA All-Star

     Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler has been named an Eastern Conference reserve player for the upcoming 2022 NBA All-Star Game on February 20. It was the sixth time that Butler was selected to participate in the NBA All-Star Game. 

     Butler received the same honor two seasons ago with the Heat. He did get selected while with the Chicago Bulls three times and the Minnesota Timberwolves once. 

Heat Step On Spurs

     The  Miami Heat dropped the San Antonio Spurs 112-95 at AT&T Center on Thursday night. The Heat snapped a three-game losing streak, which tied their season high in 2021-22. 

     Miami(33-20) had a 21-19 edge after one quarter and were ahead 57-47 at halftime. The Heat increased their lead to 88-55 at the end of three quarters. San Antonio(19-34) unable to get any traction during the second half.

     The Heat were led by Tyler Herro with a game-high 24 points. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Buttler and Duncan Robison both scored 17 points each. Kyle Lowry played his first game since January 15 and had two points along with four assists in 25 minutes of play. Derrick White put in a team-high 22 points for the Spurs. 

Beasley Media Group Exits South Florida Region

     Beasley Media Group is about to exit the South Florida radio market. The organization has sold their final radio station in the region 1470 WWNN-AM in Boca Raton and two FM translators to Marco Broadcasting for $1.25 million. 

     WWNN-AM has been using the brand South Florida's Money Talk Radio Network since it added programming from former sister-station 740 WSBR-AM in December 2019. It is possible that WWNN will change their format with new ownership.

     Several on-air personnel have been on the radio station with sports programming. Jeff DeForrest was an evening sports host there in 2006. Jim Grieshaber hosted an evening show in the late 2000s. Longtime 640 WMEN-AM producer Erik Lengyel was a game analyst on Friday night high school football games in 2010 and 2011. Former 560 WQAM-AM program director Duff Lindsey was the operations manager at WWNN from 2011 until June 2019.  

     Beasley Media Group came into the South Florida market in 1996 when it was known as Beasley Broadcasting. They purchased Sports Radio 560 WQAM, Power 96 WPOW-FM and Kiss Country 99.9 WKIS-FM from Sunshine Wireless Company. Beasley later acquired three radio stations in the Boca Raton area which included WSBR-AM, WWNN-AM and WHSR-AM in 2000. Beasley Media Group sold their three Miami radio stations to CBS Radio in October 2014. 

National Signing Day Dade County 2022

    Wednesday was national signing day in Dade County. Just like the previous three years. the majority of high-profiled signings occurred back on early national signing day in December. 

    Miami Northwestern defensive back Damion Williams stays in the county at St. Thomas University. Former linebacker Terrence Lewis transferred from Maryland to Central Florida. 

     Columbus had several players sign their letters of intent. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza will travel to Cal while defensive back Ken Moore heads to Western Carolina. Kicker Luis Palenzuela goes to Holy Cross and defensive lineman John Starman leaves for Brown. 

     The FHSAA Class 5A state champion Miami Central had linebacker Keyondre Young choose Tuskegee, wide receiver Mike Jackson remain local at FIU, wide receiver Zaylan Reese join Valdosta State and Qualyn McQueen go to St. Thomas University. 

     Monsignor Pace defensive lineman Shemar Stewart goes off to Texas A&M. Miami Palmetto wide receiver Bobby Golden lands at Akron. Miami Killian defensive lineman Steven Shannon and offensive lineman Naeer Jackson are both staying local at FIU. 

     Miami Carol City defensive back Norris Crawford goes to Edward Waters while Miami Norland defensive back Aaron Taylor shifts to Florida Memorial. Miami Carol City defensive back Wayne Favors travels to Delaware State and Monsignor Pace kicker/punter Zachary Alvarez will kick for Alabama A&M. 

National Signing Day Broward County 2022

     Broward County football players signed their letters of intent on national signing day. Several students made their decisions in the region. 

     The three-time defending FHSAA Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas had their slew of players sign. Quarterback Zion Turner moves on to Connecticut while running back Anthony Hankerson heads to Colorado. Offensive lineman Dawson Alters stops at Virginia, defensive lineman Michael Renoit goes to Brown and linebacker Darrieon Craig travels to Massachusetts. Offensive lineman Blake Steen travels to Virginina and offensive lineman Tellek Lockette goes to Louisiana-Monroe. Defensive back Keion Smith selected Edward Waters. 

     The FHSAA Class 4A state champion Cardinal Gibbons had several players decide. Defensive tackle Ahmad Moten will stay local at Miami while defensive end Mason Thomas moves out to Oklahoma. Defensive back Isaiah Farris picked Boston College. Offensive lineman Jackson Crozier stays in the state at Florida. 

     American Heritage wide receiver Isaiah Nesmith selected Rutgers and American Heritage offensive lineman Jadon Brown goes to Charlotte. Plantation wide receiver/defensive back Jaquan Haynes went with Bethune-Cookman. Deerfield Beach defensive back Hezekiah Masses goes to FIU. Plantation defensive back Eric Lyons Jr. was added by Gustavus. 

     FHSAA Class 3A state champion Chaminade-Madonna had linebacker Brett Hoffman leave for New Haven and defensive lineman Charles McCoy along with defensive back Charles Williams added by Edward Waters. 

     A couple of Western players decided. Wide receiver Jullian Lewis selected Georgia Tech, wide receiver Brennen Taranto goes to Presbyterian, linebacker Percy Courtney Jr. drives to FIU, defensive end Jarvins Joseph listed Clarke and offensive lineman David Espino enters Clarke), 

     Other players signed include Monarch defensive end Shanard Lo-Ray(Valdolsta State), Monarch offensive lineman Riley Ingram(Keiser), Calvary Christian Academy quarterback(Concord), Stranahan defensive back Vorez Bowers(Texas College), Calvary Christian Academy wide receiver/defensive back Eric Trowbridge(Lake Erie), Fort Lauderdale linebacker Benjamin Profit(St. Thomas), Dillard wide receiver Darryl Garrett(Edward Waters) and Miramar wide receiver Darius Thomas(Western Kentucky). 

National Signing Day Palm Beach County 2022

     It was national signing day for Palm Beach County athletes. The county has been more known for the past three years to have students wait to sign until February instead of making a decision on early national signing day in December. 

     Glades Central had nine players, the largest number in Palm Beach County, who will play college football later this year. Offensive lineman/defensive lineman Keon Kindred and offensive lineman Ja'Kavion Nonar both picked Maryland. They signed their letters of intent back in December. Defensive back Weasley Jeanty and outside linebacker Alcivial Henrisme go off to Valdosta State while running back Everic Morgan shifts to Grand View University. Defensive back Juan Soriano goes south to St. Thomas University. 

     Palm Beach Gardens had four players make their decisions. Tight end Naivyan Cargill selected Illinois while linebacker Brandon Powell stays local at Keiser University. Both running back/defensive back Vincent Dubose and offensive lineman/defensive lineman Peter Lubin head to Fort Hays State. 

     Atlantic defensive back Marquis Lymon decided on Western Carolina. Boca Raton had running back Trey Rainey head to Lafayette and wide receiver/tight end Josh Harrison move on to St. Thomas University. 

     Four players from Benjamin choose their destinations. Offensive lineman Danny Gonzalez goes across to South Florida and offensive lineman Dalton Lyons picked Geogia State. Defensive lineman C.J. Bowens lands at Army while linebacker Mason Thomason ends up at Stetson. 

     Dwyer had two students sign their letters of intent. Xavier Scott went with Illinois and defensive back Fabian Smith goes to Lake Erie. Scott is best known as a point guard in basketball. 

     Boynton Beach ends up with two players who will go to the same college. Offensive linemen Lasale Jordan and Joseph Pagan will attend Keiser University. 

     Somerset Academy Canyons quarterback Benson Barnes moves on to St. Thomas University. Seminole Ridge kicker Hayden Gray decided on RPI. Former Seminole Ridge defensive back Andre Fuller transferred from Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Toledo. 

Raptors Fight Off Heat

     The Miami Heat were unable to pay back the Toronto Raptors and lost 110-106 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Heat fell to the Raptors at the end of their four-game homestand in Miami back on Saturday. 

     It was unusual for Miami to play a National Basketball Association game in front on no fans in attendance. The most recent time for the club was during the 2020 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando. 

     Miami(32-20) held a 32-22 advantage at the end of one quarter and still led 62-50 by halftime. Toronto(26-23) chopped at the lead and trailed 83-80 at the end of the third quarter. The Raptors went on a 10-2 spurt to begin the fourth quarter and held off a couple of Heat charges.

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo as he registered a team-high 32 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Jimmy Butler also had a double-double with 16 points, 12assists and eight rebounds. Tyler Herro dropped in 18 points and P. J. Tucker scored 12 points. 

     All Toronto players who started the game were able to score in double digits. Gary Trent Jr. piled on a game-high 33 points while Fred VanVleet added 22 points. 

Panthers Outdueled By Rangers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the New York Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It was the Panthers final regular season contest prior to the National Hockey League All-Star Game break. The Cats next game will be in two weeks on February 16 at the Carolina Hurricanes. 

     New York(30-13-4) broke out to a 1-0 lead just 35 seconds into the first period. Mika Zibanejad got the unassisted tally past Spencer Knight for his 18th goal this season. 

     Following a disallowed goal by Owen Tippett due to Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe being offside, Florida(32-10-5) evened it up 1-1 with 9:16 left in the first. Anthony Duclair chalked up his 18th goal of the season by Igor Shesterkin on assists from Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. Huberdeau, who was named the NHL First Star for January, compiled his league-leading 64th point of the 2021-22 season. 

     The Panthers moved ahead for the first time 2-1 with the man advantage at the 2:18 mark of the second period. Sam Reinhart posted his 16th goal of the campaign. Barkov and Ekblad were both credited with assists on the play. 

     The Blueshirts tied it 2-2 at 3:27 of the frame. Chris Kreider took a shot and Alexis Lafreniere redirected it into the cage for his 10th goal. 

     The Rangers reclaimed the lead 3-2 with 2:35 remaining in the second. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome passed the puck in the Panthers zone during the and then Chris Kreider blasted his 32nd goal of the season. 

     In the third period, New York extended their lead to 4-2 with 5:21 left on the power play. Kreider blasted another shot for his 17th power-play goal and 33rd goal of the campaign. Zibandejad and Panarin ended up with the assists. Panarin added an empty-net, power-play goal with 41 seconds to go.  

Brian Flores Sues National Football League

     Former Miami Dolphins head coach has sued the National Football League. His lawsuit is because of the unfair hiring practices of the NFL. One-time Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator and recent Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was named the next New York Giants head coach several days ago instead of him. 

     Flores was the Miami Dolphins head coach for the past three seasons. He finished up with a 24-25 record with the team. 

Jonathan Huberdeau NHL January First Star

     Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau has been named by the National Hockey League as the First Star in the month of January. Huberdeau compiled six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 15 games during the month of January. He helped the Panthers lead the NHL with 69 points.  

     He is the top contender for the Art Ross Trophy. Huberdeau currently leads the National Hockey League with 63 points. He has chalked up 17 goals and 46 assists in 46 contests during the 2021-22 regular season.