West Palm Beach Holiday Ratings 2024

     West Palm Beach sports talk radio stations received their ratings. The time period went from the first week of December to the first week of January.

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM moved from a 0.4 to a 0.6 in the period. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team entered conference play in the American Athletic Conference. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at a 0.2 in the month. The Florida Panthers were in second place inside the Atlantic Division. The University of Florida Gators football team finished with a  bowl victory over Tulane for an 8-5 record. 

Udonis Haslem Joins ESPN

     Former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem has been added by ESPN as an NBA studio analyst. He made several appearances on ESPN during the 2024 NBA Playoffs. 

     Haslem spent 20 seasons with the Heat from 2003 until 2023 and had his number 40 jersey retired by the club in January 2024. He captured three NBA titles with the team in 2006, 2012 and 2013. Haslem won seven Eastern Conference championships. 

Josh Appel Leaves Marlins

     Josh Appel has left his position as the public address announcer of Miami Marlins home games at loanDepot park. He has held the position since the 2021 season. 

     Appel will continue as a football play-by-play announcer for Sports USA Media. He started in that organization in 2017. 

     Appel worked as the radio voice of Florida International University football on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in the 2016 season. He once was an intern on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.

Aleksander Barkov Named Finland Captain

     Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov has been named the captain of Team Finland for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. The event will begin on February 12.

     Barkov captained the Panthers to a Stanley Cup title in 2024. He became the first of Finnish-born player to ever to lift the Stanley Cup first as an NHL captain. Barkov is playing his 12th season with Florida.

Jared McCann Seattle Quarter Century Team

     One-time Florida Panthers center Jared McCann showed up on the Seattle Kraken Quarter Century Team. He was placed on their First Team for the four-season NHL franchise. 

     McCann was with Florida from 2016-17 to  2018-19. He collected 53 points in 143 games with the Panthers 

Ryne Stanek Returning To Mets

     Relief pitcher Ryne Stanek will be staying with the New York Mets. He has signed a new one-year contract with the team worth $4.5 million. 

     Stanek played with the Miami Marlins for two seasons in 2019 and 2020. He finished with a 6.03 earned run average in 31 contests with the Fish. 

Brandon Montour Kraken Quarter Century Team

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour was named to the Seattle Kraken Quarter Century Team. He appeared on the Second Team. The Kraken have been in the NHL for four seasons. 

     Montour signed as a free agent with Seattle during the offseason. He contributed to the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup in 2024, two Eastern Conference titles in 2023 and 2024 along with the Presidents' Trophy in 2022. 

Miami Holiday Ratings 2024

     Sports talk format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale region received their ratings. The holiday period went from the first week of December to the first week in January.

     AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM dropped from a 1.2 to a 1.0 in the month. The Florida Panthers were still second in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Miami Heat were in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-17 record. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team ended their 2024 season on a three-game losing streak with a 10-3 record. The Canes lost to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM went from a 0.5 to a 0.4 in the period. The Miami Dolphins were in contention for the last AFC playoff spot going into the final week of the regular season and fell short with a defeat to the New York Jets. The Fins ended up with an 8-9 record. The University of Florida Gators football won their bowl game over Tulane and finished with an 8-5 record. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM rose from a 0.2 to a 0.3. The Florida Atlantic University men's basketball team began their American Athletic Conference schedule. 

     The streaming of WQAM remained at a 0.1 for the period. WZTU-FM-HD2 showed up again with a 0.1. WKIS-HD2 failed to appear with a 0.0.

Panthers Shut Out Kings

     The Florida Panthers handled the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The Panthers begin a three-game homestand after coming off a four-game Western Conference road trip. Both teams faced each other in Los Angeles just seven days ago. 

     The Panthers leaped to first place in the Atlantic Division. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky collected his 46th career shutout. 

     Kings defenseman Drew Doughty made his season debut with the club tonight after missing the first 47 contests. He fractured his ankle during the preseason. 

      Panthers defenseman Dmitri Kulikov participated in his 1,000 NHL game. He is in his second stint with Florida. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was behind the bench for his 1,900 regular season game, which is currently second all-time in NHL history. 

     Los Angeles Kings television and radio play-by-play announcer Nick Nickson did announce his final game ever in South Florida. Nickson, an Ithaca College grad, announced last year that he was retiring from his NHL career at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season after 44 years in the Kings broadcast booth. 

     Florida(30-19-3) scooted out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:55 mark. Kulikov sent a diagonal pass from the right point. Matthew Tkachuk made a square pass from the inner right circle. Sam Bennett lifted a wrist shot from the left side of the crease over Darcy Kuemper for his 16th goal of the season. 

     After a scoreless second period, the Panthers expanded it to 2-0 on a 5-on-3 power play at 4:43 of the third period. Aleksander Barkov won the left-circle faceoff and Sam Reinhart drew it back. Tkachuk released a shot from the high slot that went off the back half-wall. Barkov backhanded the puck in from the left of the crease for his 12th tally of the campaign. It was the first time this season that Florida scored with a 5-on-3 man advantage

     Los Angeles(26-16-6) pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with over three minutes to go. Tkachuk fired a forehand shot from the red line into an empty net with 35.5 seconds left for his third point in the contest and 16th goal this year. 

Cavaliers Cover Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-106 on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center. The Cavaliers have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat head to San Antonio and take on the Spurs.

     Cleveland(38-9) bounced out to a 31-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Cavs increased it to 59-41 by halftime. 

     Miami(23-23) chopped at the deficit and were down 94-84 after three quarters. The Cavaliers scored seven straight points to go up 101-86 with 10:12 remaining in the final quarter.

     Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro both scored 22 points each for the Heat. Bam Adebayo compiled 21 points along with nine rebounds. 

     Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 34 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley was able to add 22 points in the victory. 

Jupiter Links GC Tops Boston Common Golf

     Jupiter Links Golf Club defeated Boston Common Golf 4-3 in overtime on Monday night at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens. It was the first victory of the season for Jupiter Links Golf Club. 

     Both teams have a TGL co-founder. Tiger Woods plays for Jupiter Links Golf Club while Rory McIlroy is with Boston Common Golf. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is a limited partner with Jupiter Links Golf Club. 

Dan Boyle On Two Quarter Century Clubs

     One-time Florida Panthers defenseman Dan Boyle showed up on two different Quarter Century Teams. He was listed on the Quarter Century First Team for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he captured a Stanley Cup title in 2003-04. Boyle was also on the San Jose Sharks Quarter Century Second Team.

     Boyle played his first four NHL seasons with the Panthers from 1998-99 until 2001-02. He compiled 39 points in 129 games with Florida. 

Joe Thornton On Two Quarter Century Teams

     Joe Thornton appeared on two separate Quarter Century Teams. He was on the First Team of the San Jose Sharks and the Second Team of the Boston Bruins.

     Thornton finished his NHL career with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. He ended up with 10 points in  34 games with the Cats that season. 

Riley Stillman Returns To NHL

     Former Florida Panthers defenseman Riley Stillman returned to the National Hockey League tonight with the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. He wore the same uniform number 61 as his father Corey Stillman, 2006 Stanley Cup champion, once did with that same organization. Stillman signed with the club back in July. 

     Stillman has not been in the NHL since the 2022-23 campaign with the Buffalo Sabres. He played with the Panthers from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Stillman compiled five points in 43 contests with Florida. 

Marlins Pick Up Connor Gillispie

     The Miami Marlins have claimed pitcher Connor Gillispie off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. Gillispie was claimed by the Braves earlier this offseason. 

     Gillispie made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians. He made three relief appearances and had a 2.25 earned run average.

Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Again

     The Miami Heat have suspended guard Jimmy Butler again on Monday. It is the third suspension of Butler by the club this season. 

     Butler recently returned to the team following a seven-game suspension. As of today, he has played in three of the last 12 Heat games.

     He has been with Miami for the past six seasons. He contributed to the Heat winning two Eastern Conference titles in 2020 and 2023.

More Players On Two Quarter Century Teams

     The National Hockey League have continued to roll out the Quarter Century Teams for their 32 NHL clubs. Several one-time Florida Panthers players are listed in two different organizations. 

     Ed Belfour was on the Toronto Maple Leafs 1st Team and the Dallas Stars 2nd Team and Joe Thornton was on the San Jose Sharks 1st Team and the Boston Bruins 2nd Team.

     Sergei Bobrovsky appeared on the Florida Panthers 2nd Team and the Columbus Blue Jackets 1st Team. Brian Campbell showed up on the Chicago Blackhawks 2nd Team and Buffalo Sabres 2nd Team.

     Only two players made the 1st Team with two different clubs. They were Matthew Tkachuk(Florida Panthers/Calgary Flames) and Roberto Luongo(Florida Panthers/Vancouver Canucks). 

Frank Gore Jr. & Te'Cory Couch Stay With Bills

     Running back Frank Gore Jr. and defensive back Te'Cory Couch will be remaining with the Buffalo Bills. They both have signed reserve/futures contracts with the club. Both players particiapated on their practice squad in 2024. 

     Gore, son of former University of Miami Hurricanes running back Frank Gore, played high school football with Miami Killian. Couch was with the Chaminade-Madonna Lions where he captured a FHSAA Class 3A state championship in 2018.

Marlins Add Albert Almora Jr.

     The Miami Marlins have added outfielder Albert Almora Jr. to their team. He has agreed to a minor league contract. 

     Almora has not been in the majors since 2022. He did have MLB stints with the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.

Tristan Gray Leaves Pirates

     Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tristan Gray has left the organization. He has declared himself as a free agent. 

     Gray was once with the Miami Marlins for part of the 2024 campaign. He played in seven games last season and had no hits in seven plate appearances. 

Colin White Heads To Sharks

     Former Florida Panthers center Colin White has joined the San Jose Sharks. He has inked a one-year deal with the club. White signed a one-year contract with their AHL affiliate the San Jose Barracuda back in August 2024.

     White was with the Florida during the 2022-23 season and helped the Cats capture an Eastern Conference title. He finished with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 68 contests.

Heat Outlast Magic

     The Miami Heat got by the Orlando Magic 125-119 in double overtime at Kaseya Center on Monday night. The Heat began their short two-game homestand. The Magic have lost four straight road games. 

     Orlando(24-24) got out to a slight 29-27 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Magic continued to stayed ahead 59-55 by halftime. 

     Miami(23-22) could not close the gap and trailed 88-79 after three quarters. The Heat erased a nine-point deficit to make it 108-108 to go to overtime. 

     Both teams scored eight points and the contest went to double overtime. Miami had a 9-3 during double overtime and picked up the victory. 

     Three Heat players put together double-doubles in the game. Bam Adebayo had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Tyler Herro compiled 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Kel'el Ware chalked up 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

     Franz Wagner led the Magic with a team-high 29 points and eight rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was held to six points. 

Golden Knights Down Panthers

     The Florida Panthers completed their four-game, West Coast road trip with a 4-1 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena. It was a rematch of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final between both teams. The Cats will begin a homestand on Wednesday.

     Vegas(31-15-4) collected the first two goals of the contest for a 2-0 lead. Brandon McNabb scored at the 5:26 mark of the opening period on a one-time slap shot from the left point past Spencer Knight.         

     The Golden Nuggets had a 2-0 advantage at 5:40 of the second period. Tanner Pearson snapped a shot from the right circle for his ninth goal of the campaign. 

     Florida(29-19-3) closed it to a 2-1 lead in the final period at the 1:56 mark. Uvis Balinskis zipped a pass from the left wing. Eetu Luostarinen released a shot from the left point and Anton Lundell redirected a shot from the crease area for his 12th goal of the season. 

     It became 3-1 for the Golden Knights with 8:29 to go in the third when Jack Eichel put in a forehand shot on a breakaway from the right side of the crease. Tomas Hertl extended his point streak to nine games as he added an empty-net goal with 28.5 seconds left in the contest to make it 5-1.

James Cook & Amari Cooper Miss Super Bowl

     Former Dade County high school football running back James Cook and wide receiver Amari Cooper did not reach Super Bowl LIX. The Buffalo Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game. 

     Cook participated with the Miami Central Rockets while in high school. He then attended the University of Georgia and helped the Bulldogs capture two CFP National Championships in 2021 and 2022. 

     Cooper played high school football with the Miami Northwestern Bulls. He contributed to one BCS National Championship with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in 2012.

Marquise Hollywood Brown Going To Super Bowl

     Former Broward County high school football wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is headed to Super Bowl LIX. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game. 

     Brown played high school football with the Chaminade-Madonna Lions. He participated in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs. 

Heat Retire Nets

     The Miami Heat rallied by the Brooklyn Nets 106-97 on Saturday night at Barclays Center. The Heat concluded a short two-game road swing. 

     The Nets held a halftime ceremony to retire the number 15 jersey for Vince Carter. He played for the New Jersey Nets from 2004 to 2009. 

     Miami(22-22) led 24-17 after a low-scoring first quarter. Brooklyn(14-32) cut the deficit slightly in the second quarter and trailed 53-49 at halftime. 

     The Heat went on a 21-7 run at the conclusion of the third quarter and were up 82-68. They continued to hold a double-digit lead during the fourth quarter.  

     Tyler Herro led Miami with a game-high 25 points in the victory. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds. Nikola Jovic scored 17 points while Terry Rozier added 16 points. 

     Brooklyn had two players that shared for a club-high in scoring. D'Angelo Russell and Keon Johnson both had 22 points each.

Panthers Puncture Sharks

     The Florida Panthers canned the San Jose Sharks 7-2 at SAP Center on Saturday night. It was the third contest for the Panthers in their four-game road trip. The Sharks have the worst record in the National Hockey League this season.  

     The Cats extended their winning streak over the Sharks to 12 games. Florida tied a franchise record when they won 12 consecutive games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Panthers have won eight straight games in San Jose. The Cats are now 14-7-2 all-time playing in Northern California. 

     In the first period, Florida(29-18-3) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 5:47 mark. Nate Schmidt chalked up his fourth goal with his new club with a long slap shot. 

     San Jose(14-36-6) responded with two goals in a 32-second span for a 2-1 lead. Cody Ceci redirected a shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth goal with his new team at 6:50. Will Smith followed up and powered in a forehand shot from the low right circle for his eighth goal this year at 7:22. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 5:33 left in the period. Sam Bennett picked up his 15th goal in 2024-25 when he steered in a shot from the crease area. 

     It became 3-2 for the Cats with 2:52 remaining in the first. Matthew Tkachuk fed a pass from the outer right circle and Aaron Ekblad one-timed a slap shot from the right point for his third tally of the year.

     The Panthers increased their lead 4-2 at 3:01 of the second period. Tomas Nosek sent a long lead pass from his own zone. A.J. Greer went on a breakaway and put in a backhand shot past Alexandar Georgiev for his fifth goal of the campaign. Georgiev was pulled for a replacement after surrendering  four goals on 13 shots.

     Florida expanded it to 5-2 at the 5:35 mark on the man advantage. Ekblad angled a pass from the top of the zone. Aleksander Barkov centered the puck from the left side and Matthew Tkachuk tipped it in from the left side of the crease for his 15th goal of the season. 

     Two more goals found the twine by the Cats during the frame. Jesper Boqvist scored his 12th goal and Sam Reinhart added his 29th goal this season. 

Channing Crowder Loses Podcast

     The Pivot Podcast with co-host Channing Crowder will no longer be in production. It may be picked up by another organization. Crowder launched the podcast along with Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark in May 2024. 

     Crowder has co-hosted the afternoon show with Marc Hochman at AM 560 Sports WQAM-AM since August 2015. He has been a studio co-host of Inside The NFL on the CW Network since September 2023.

Jessica Smetana Out At DraftKIings

     Jessica Smetana is no longer with DraftKings. She had co-hosted a podcast with Mike Golic since February 2022.

     She will continue her work at Meadowlark Media as producer of the Dan Le Batard Show witth Stugotz and as a podcast co-host of The Shipping Container. Smetana joined Meadowlark Media back in April 2021. She worked at SB Nation and Sports Illustrated prior to her arrival in Miami. 

Christian Bethancourt Moves To Blue Jays

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Christian Bethancourt is joining the Toronto Blue Jays. He has signed a minor league contract. 

     Bethancourt played just 38 games with the Marlins in 2024 before being released in June. He chalked up a .159 batting average. 

Tim Anderson Signs With Angels

     One-time Miami Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He will be invited to their spring training camp next month. 

     Anderson was with the Chicago White Sox from 2016 until 2023. He spent last season with the Marlins and compiled a .214 batting average in 65 contests with Miami. 

Jon Berti Inks With Cubs

     Former Miami Marlins infielder Jon Berti has signed a one-year contract worth $2 million. He spent last season with the New York Yankees and won an American League title. 

     Berti played five seasons with Miami from 2019 to 2023. He had a .258 batting average in 432 games with the Marlins.

Charlotte Wilder Exits Meadowlark Media

     Charlotte Wilder has left Meadowlark Media. She joined the organization in May 2023, hosted a podcast and was a guest on other company podcasts. 

     Wilder worked at Fox Sports for three years prior to her arrival in South Florida. She was previously employed at USA Today, SB Nation and Sports Illustrated.

Bucks Bash Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks smashed the Miami Heat 125-96 on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. It was the start of the Heat's two-game road trip. They will play in Brooklyn on Saturday.

     Miami(21-22) had a 30-27 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Milwaukee(25-17) overtook them in the second quarter and had a 71-55 halftime lead.  

     The Bucks held off their opponent and led 94-74 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat could not dent the margin in the fourth quarter.

     Kel'el Ware led the Heat with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Herro dropped in 21 points while Duncan Robinson added 12 points. Bam Adebayo also had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. 

     Damian Lillard fell short of a triple-double with 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 25 points along with 12 rebounds for a double-double. 

Roberto Luongo On Two Quarter Century Teams

     The National Hockey League announced that Roberto Luongo has been listed on the First Team of the Quarter Century Team for the Vancouver Canucks. He played with the Canucks from 2006 to 2014 and helped them capture the 2011 Western Conference title. 

     He became one of two players, besides current Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk, to be placed on the Quarter Century First Team with two different NHL franchises. Luongo was selected to the Florida Panthers First Team of their Quarter Century Team back on January 3. He had two stints with the Panthers from 2000 to 2006 and from 2014 to 2019. 

Kings Outduel Panthers

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 at Cypto.com Arena on Wednesday night. It was the second contest of a four-game west coast road swing for the Panthers. The Kings are now 7-0-1 in their last eight games against the Cats. 

     Both teams were held scoreless in the first period. The Panthers were unable to chalk up a shot on goal until 15 minutes into the contest. 

     Florida(28-18-3) got in front 1-0 on the power play at the 7:27 mark in the second period. Mackie Samoskevich took a shot from the blue line that bounced off the end wall. Anton Lundell pushed a square pass from the right side of the crease and Evan Rodrigues backhanded the puck into the cage from the left side of the crease.

     Los Angeles(26-14-5) evened it up 1-1 at 6:41 of the third period. Samuel Helenius collected his first career goal on a forehand shot from the edge of the crease. 

     The Kings took a 2-1 lead with 6:48 remaining in the third. Adrian Kempe poked in a shot from the top of the crease for his 24th goal of the season.

Ichiro Suzuki Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. He received 99.7% of the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Ichiro will be inducted on July 27 in Cooperstown, New York. 

     Ichiro played with the Marlins franchise from 2015 to 2017. He collected his 3,000th base hit with a triple when Miami visited the Colorado Rockies.

     He began his Major League Baseball career with the Seattle Mariners in 2001 at the age of 26. Ichiro won the American League Most Valuable Player Award and Rookie of the Year Award that season. He was the seventh player in MLB history with at least 3,000 base hits and 500 stolen bases. 

Trail Blazers Outscore Heat

     The Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Miami Heat 116-107 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. The Heat continued their homestand. Both clubs faced each other 10 days ago in Portland

     Jimmy Butler returned to the Heat lineup following a seven-game suspension by the team. Tyler Herro missed his first game this season with the club due to right groin tightness.

     Miami(21-21) led 38-34 at the conclusion of the first quarter. Portland(15-28) held their opponent to 17 points and were up 61-55 at halftime. 

     The Trail Blazers broke out to a 99-77 lead by the end of three quarters with a 36-22 spurt. The Heat were too far back to overcome Portland. 

     Kel'el Ware finished with a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds. Duncan Robinson was able to contribute 22 points. Butler ended up with 13 points while Nikola Jovic dropped in 12 points. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

     Anfernee Simons helped the Trail Blazers with 24 points. Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double. 

Panthers Ride By Ducks

     The Florida Panthers knocked off the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 at Honda Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers began a four-game road trip through California and Nevada. The Cats and the Ducks both met each other just three days ago in Sunrise. 

     Anaheim(18-23-6) marched out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 4:57 mark. Ryan Strome passed from the right corner and Troy Terry zipped a square pass from the left-circle dot. Former Panthers player Frank Vatrano blasted a slap shot from the inner right circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 12th goal in 2024-25. It was Vatrano's first tally in eight contests. 

     Florida(28-17-3) tied it up 1-1 at 8:58. Aleksander Barkov got to a loose puck and angled a pass from the top of the zone. Matthew Tkachuk sent a diagonal pass from the high slot. Sam Reinhart skated from the low right circle to the crease area and scored his 28th goal this season on a backhand shot by Lukas Dostal. Barkov collected his 750th NHL point on the play. 

     Both teams combined for three goals in the final three minutes of the opening frame. Evan Rodrigues made it 2-1 for the Panthers on a second-chance wrist shot from the right goal line with 2:03 left. Carter Verhaeghe increased it to a 3-1 lead with 1:11 remaining in the first as he scored on a snap shot from the right-circle dot. 

     The Ducks closed it to 3-2 with 47.3 seconds to go in the period. Radko Gudas pushed an outlet pass from his own zone. Mason McTavish raced up the right side of the ice into the Cats zone and released a wrist shot from the right circle for his seventh tally this year. 

     The Cats expanded their lead to 4-2 just 19 seconds into the third period. Sam Bennett snapped a shot from the slot area for his 14th goal this season. 

     It became 5-2 for Florida at the 4:17 mark of the third. Uvis Balinskis moved around the right point and placed in a wrist shot from the top of the zone for his third tally of the year. 

Kyle Sielaff New Marlins Television Voice

     Kyle Sielaff has been elevated by the Miami Marlins to their television play-by-play announcer position at FanDuel Sports Network Florida. He replaces Paul Severino because his contract was not renewed after seven seasons.

     Sielaff, the University of Miami 2012 grad and Trumansburg, New York native, spent the past two seasons as the Marlins primary radio play-by-play announcer. He joined the team as an intern in 2013 and was promoted to broadcast coordinator in 2014. Sielaff later held the radio producer and studio host roles with the team. 

     He became the seventh Marlins television play-by-play announcer in franchise history. He joins Jay Randolph, Joe Angel, Dave O'Brien, Len Kasper, Rich Waltz and Paul Severino. 

Jeff Torberg Dies

     Former Florida Marlins manager Jeff Torberg has passed away yesterday at the age of 83. He was known for his playing and managerial career in Major League Baseball. 

     Torberg was named the manager of the Marlins franchise prior to the 2002 season. He was fired from the post during the 2003 season and was replaced by Jack McKeon. The Fish would go on to capture their second World Series title later that year. Torberg finished with a 95-105 record with the Marlins. 

Jeremiah Smith Wins National Title

     Former Broward County high school wide receiver Jeremiah Smith won his first national championship. The Ohio State University Buckeyes defeated the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the CFP National Championship on Monday night in Atlanta. 

     Smith played for four seasons with the Chaminade-Madonna Lions. He contributed to the school winning three consecutive FHSAA state football championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Tanner Scott Joining Dodgers

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher Tanner Scott has signed a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is four-year contract worth $72 million. 

     Scott was with the Marlins from 2022 to 2024. He ended up with 50 saves and a 2.70 earned run average with Miami in 185 games pitched. Scott was dealt to the San Diego Padres during the 2024 season. 

Blake Lalli Marlins Third Base Coach

     The Miami Marlins have hired Blake Lalli as their new third-base coach. The Marlins organization completed their coaching staff for the upcoming 2025 campaign. 

     Lalli had a brief playing career in Major League Baseball. He has spent the past seven years coaching in the Arizona Diamondbacks farm system. 

Heat Bury Spurs

     The Miami Heat burned the San Antonio Spurs 128-107 on Sunday at Kaseya Center. It was a rematch between the two teams that played in the 2013 NBA Finals and 2014 NBA Finals. 

     San Antonio(19-22) rushed out to a 30-20 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Miami(21-20) stormed by them in the second quarter and had a 46-41 halftime lead. 

     The Heat outscored the Spurs 46-27 during the third quarter and led 92-66 after three quarters. The Spurs barely made a dent in the final quarter. 

     Kel'el Ware came off the bench and compiled a game-high 25 points along with eight rebounds for Miami. Duncan Robinson dropped in 21 points while Tyler Herro had 18 points. Terry Rozier was able to contribute 20 points in the victory. 

     Victor Wembayama led San Antonio with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Devin Vassell drained in a club-high 23 points. 

Panthers Paddle Ducks

     The Florida Panthers blanked the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday night. The Panthers now have a 6-6-1 record in their last 13 games. 

     Panthers goalie Spencer Knight had 34 saves and got his second shutout of the season. It turned out to be his fifth career NHL shutout. 

     Neither team was able to score in the opening frame, Florida(27-17-3) made it 1-0 on a tally by Jesper Boqvist on a snap shot from the low left circle by John Gibson for his 11th goal of the campaign with 8:38 to go the second period. 

     It became 2-0 for the Cats at the 4:43 mark of the third period. Anton Lundell stole the puck at the center-ice circle and carried it into the Ducks zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway. He released a wrist shot from the high slot for his 11th goal of the season. 

     Anaheim(18-22-6) pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 2:15 remaining in the third. Knight picked up an assist when Gustav Forsling shot the puck from his own left defensive circle into an empty net with 6.3 seconds left for his seventh tally this year. 

Miami Dolphins Heading For Madrid

     The National Football League announced that one of their regular season games will be held overseas for the 2025 campaign. The Miami Dolphins will host one of their contests for next season in Madrid, Spain. 

     It is likely that their opponent for that game will be a non-divisional foe. The Dolphins played in Frankfurt, Germany against the Kansas City Chiefs during in the 2023 season. 

Nuggets Crank Heat

     The Miami Heat were stomped by the Denver Nuggets xxx-xxx on Friday night at Kaseya Center. It was a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals between both teams. 

     The Nuggets expanded their road winning streak to five games. The Heat are now on a three-game home losing streak. 

     Denver(25-16) moved out to a 30-24 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. The Nuggets extended their lead to 67-55 by halftime. 

     Miami(20-20) could not gain any ground and were down 98-86 at the end of three quarters. The Heat fell behind even more during the final quarter. 

Jorge Alfaro Lands With Brewers

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro will be joining the Milwaukee. He will be signing a minor contract with them. He was released prior to the 2024 regular season by the Chicago Cubs.

     Alfaro participated with Miami for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. He chalked up a .252 batting average with 25 home runs and 103 runs batted in during his 253 games with the Marlins. 

Ichiro Suzuki Japanese Baseball Hall Of Fame

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday. He is expected to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown next week. 

     Ichiro played the beginning of his professional baseball career in Japan. He joined the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and was named the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. Ichiro helped them set an American League record with most wins in a season. 

     He dealt to the New York Yankees in 2012. Ichiro would then play three seasons with the Marlins from 2015 to 2017. He finished his MLB career with the Mariners in 2019. 

Bob Uecker Passes Away

     Longtime baseball play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker passed away on Thursday at the age of 81. He was the radio and television voice of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971 to 2014. 

     Uecker had a local South Florida connection. He was the NBC television game analyst when the Marlins franchise won their first World Series title in 1997. Uecker worked the World Series in a three-man broadcast booth that year with play-by-play announcer Bob Costas and game analyst Joe Morgan. He received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003 from the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Red Wings Occupy Panthers

     The Detroit Red Wings exposed the Florida Panthers 5-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. The Cats recently played four of their past five games on the road prior to this contest. 

     The Panthers now have a 5-6-1 record in their past 12 contests. The Red Wings improved to 8-2-0 since Todd McClellan took over as their head coach. Former Panthers player Vladimir Tarasenko made his first appearance in Sunrise since capturing the Stanley Cup last June. 

     Detroit(21-19-4) skated out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 8:48 mark of the first period. Tarasenko angled a pass from the right wing and Erik Gustafsson made a left-outlet pass from the top of the zone. Jonatan Berggren released a wrist shot from the left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his seventh tally of the year. 

     Florida(26-17-3) responded and tied it 1-1 with 8:59 remaining in the first. Dmitry Kulikov passed the puck from the right point. Carter Verhaeghe took a shot from the right circle which was saved by Cam Talbot. Anton Lundell collected his 10th goal of the campaign as he steered it in from the left side of the crease. 

     In the second period, the Red Wings made it 2-1 at 7:52 on the power play. Alex DeBrincat sent a cross-ice pass from the left circle to Patrick Kane in the right circle. He centered it to the crease area and Dylan Larkin guided the puck in with a forehand shot for his 19th goal this season. 

     It became 2-2 as the Panthers answered by 29 seconds later. Mackie Samoskevich connected a pass from the left wing and Evan Rodrigues snapped a shot from the inner right circle for his ninth goal of the campaign.

     The Red Wings reclaimed the lead 3-2 on the power play with 6:16 left in the second. Mo Seider made a square pass from the top of the zone to Mo Seider on the left point. He pushed a diagonal pass to his right and Kane rifled a wrist shot from the right-circle dot for his 11th goal this season. 

     Detroit increased their lead to 4-2 with 4:19 to go in the period. Larkin got to a loose puck at the Cats blue line. Marco Kasper would fire a snap shot from the high slot for his fifth goal in 2024-25. The Panthers replaced Bobrovsky in net with Spencer Knight following the tally. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie with over three minutes remaining for an extra attacker. The Red Wings expanded it to 5-2 when Larkin got an empty-net goal for his 20th goal of the season with 1:22 left. 

Marlins Acquire Will Kempner

     The San Francisco Giants have traded pitcher Will Kempner to the Miami Marlins. He did not play in 2024 due to a broken foot. 

     Kempner was selected in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He did get to participate in one game during 2023 for the Giants Double-A affiliate in Richmond. 

Tiger Woods Begins In TGL Golf

     The new TGL professional golf league started on January 7 in Palm Beach County. The organization launched in the SoFi Center indoor venue on the Palm Beach State campus in Palm Beach Gardens. All matchups of the two-month season consisting of six different teams will be held on Monday and Tuesday nights in the same location. 

     Well-known championship golfers will play in the venture. Tiger Woods leads Jupiter Links GC, Rory McIlroy represents the Boston Common Golf, Justin Rose plays for Los Angeles Golf Club, Rickie Fowler is with New York Golf Club, Justin Thomas competes for Atlanta Drive GC and Shane Lowry is a part of The Bay Area Club. 

     Woods and his four-member team Jupiter Links GC made their debut last night. They were dominated by Los Angeles Golf Club 12-1.  

Skylar Thompson Going To Steelers

     Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson has joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has inked a reserve/futures contract with that team. 

     Thompson spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins from 2022 to 2024. He was chosen by Miami in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Thompson participated in 10 contests and had 81 completions for 721 passing yards and one touchdown. 

Michael Pratt Staying With Buccaneers

     Quarterback Michael Pratt will be remaining with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has signed a reserve/futures contract with the club. 

     Pratt was released by the Green Bay Packers last August after being selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He signed with the Bucs and was on the Tampa Bay practice squad. He did not see any NFL action this season. 

     He played his first three years of high school football with the Boca Raton Bobcats and his senior year with the Deerfield Beach Bucks. Pratt went to Tulane University and helped the Green Wave upset the USC Trojans and their quarterback Caleb Williams in the 2023 Cotton Bowl. 

LeBron James & Lakers Take Heat

     LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers drove by the Miami Heat 117-108 on Wednesday night at Cypto.com Arena. The Heat concluded a six-game road trip against Western Conference opponents with a 3-3 record. 

     The Heat have won seven of the past 10 meetings versus the Lakers since they faced each other in the 2020 NBA Finals. Miami has been victorious in 21 of the last 32 regular season matchups against Los Angeles.

     Tyler Herro joined an elite club in Miami Heat franchise history tonight. He became just the fifth player to score at least 30 points in three consecutive games. 

     In the first quarter, Miami(20-19) had a slight 38-34 lead at the end of the frame. The Heat had a 16-8 at the start of the second quarter and remained ahead with a 66-54 halftime lead. 

     Los Angeles(21-17) began the second half with a 16-5 run and trailed 85-83 after three quarters. The Lakers went on a 16-9 spurt to start the fourth quarter and later had a 14-7 run to pull away. 

     Herro scored 16 first-quarter points for the Heat on his way to a game-high 34 points by the conclusion of the game. Bam Adebayo contributed 10 points and just four rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 11 points in his hometown while Nikola Jovic delivered 12 points. 

     James compiled 22 points and nine assists for the Lakers. Anthony Davis had a double-double of 22 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds. Rui Hachimura was able to drop in a club-high 23 points and Gabe Vincent drained in 14 points. 

Main Street Sports New Brand Name

     Sinclair Broadcast Group, the owner of several regional sports networks, recently had a name change for their subsidiary company Diamond Sports Group. It was rebranded as Main Street Sports. Bally Sports regional sports networks were changed to FanDuel Sports Network back in October. 

     Main Street Sports has two regional sports networks in the state of Florida. The Miami Marlins will have their regional season game broadcasts beginning in March on FanDuel Sports Network while the Miami Heat have their telecasts currently on FanDuel Sports Network Sun. 

Panthers Outlast Devils

     The Florida Panthers outdueled the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in a shootout at Prudential Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers, who entered the game with a 4-5-1 record in their past 10 contests, completed a five-game stretch where they played four road games. The Cats are undefeated in shootouts this season at 4-0. 

     Neither club was able to score during the first two periods of the game. Florida(26-16-3) made it 1-0 at the 40 seconds of the third period. Carter Verhaeghe zipped a diagonal pass from the left point. Jesper Boqvist burned his former team and put in his career-high 10th goal of the year on a wrist shot from the inner right circle past Jacob Markstrom. Nate Schmidt was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     New Jersey(26-15-5) tied it up 1-1 at the 2:26 mark of the third. Nico Hischier fired a wrist shot by Spencer Knight for his 20th goal of the season. Timo Meier and Nathan Bastian picked up the assists on the sequence. 

     There was no scoring in overtime, In the shootout, the Devils moved ahead as Paul Cotter put in their first attempt. The Panthers would take over the shootout and got the victory. Aleksander Barkov converted on Florida's first attempt with a wrist shot through the legs of Markstrom. Anton Lundell would score on their third attempt when he roofed a snap shot. 

Donovan Solano Ends With Mariners

     One-time Miami Marlins infielder Donovan Solano has signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners worth $3.5 million. He played last season with the San Diego Padres. 

     Solano spent time with Miami from 2012 until 2015. He chalked up eight home runs, 97 runs batted in and a .257 batting average in 361 contests with the Marlins. 

Garrett Cooper Heads To Braves

     Former Miami Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper has signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves. It is a minor league contract for one year. 

     Cooper was once with the Marlins from 2018 to 2023. He compiled 52 home runs, 201 runs batted in and a .269 batting average in 427 games while with Miami. 

Clippers Sail By Heat

     The Los Angeles Clippers zoomed by the Miami Heat 109-98 at Intuit Dome on Monday night. It was the first time that the Heat played at the new venue of the Clippers. 

     The Heat will conclude their six-game road swing across town on Wednesday. They will take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

     Miami(20-18) outscored their opponent 35-28 during the opening quarter. Both teams combined for just 28 points during the second half with the Heat ahead 48-43 at halftime.  

     Los Angeles(21-17) went on a 30-12 run at the conclusion of the third quarter and led 79-68. The Clippers began the fourth quarter on a 7-2 spurt. 

     Tyler Herro, who had 12 points in the first quarter for the Heat, finished with a game-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds for a double-double. Kel'el Ware contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds while Terry Rozier scored 11 points. 

     James Harden led the Clippers with a double-double of 26 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Ivica Zubac ended up with 21 points and 20 rebounds for a double-double. Norman Powell helped out with a team-high 29 points in the victory. 

Flyers Upset Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were shocked by the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Monday night at Wells Fargo Arena. The Cats will head to Newark and face the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night. Florida is now 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. It was announced earlier in the day that the Flyers will be moving into a new arena with the Philadelphia 76ers by 2031. 

     The Panthers were unable to hold a lead entering the third period for the first time this season. They had a 16-0-0 record going into tonight. 

     Florida(25-16-3) got a shorthanded goal at the 7:59 mark of the first period. Sam Reinhart carried the puck through the neutral zone and left circle. He delayed and then lifted a wrist shot from the right side of the crease past Samuel Ersson for his the 26th goal of the season. 

     The Panthers increased it to 2-0 at 9:34. Nate Schmidt cleared the puck out of his zone with an outlet pass. Evan Rodrigues sent a cross-ice pass at the red line. Uvis Balinskis skated with the puck into the Flyers zone and snapped a shot from the top right circle for his second goal this year. 

     Philadelphia(19-20-5) cut the deficit to 2-1 at 7:51 of the second period. Scott Laughlin pushed it ahead from the Panthers blue line. Garnet Hathaway zipped a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and it was tapped it by a defender at the top of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal in 2024-25. 

     In the third period, the Flyers tied it 2-2 at the 2:01 mark on the power play. Travis Sanheim ripped a one-time slap shot from the right circle which was saved. Noah Cates picked up his eighth goal of the year on a rebound shot from the low slot. 

     It became 3-2 for the Panthers at 3:35 with the man advantage. Aleksander Barkov angled a pass from the top of the zone. Matthew Tkachuk backhanded a place from the right wing and Reinhart powered in a forehand shot from the inner right circle for his 27th goal. It was Reinhart's fourth tally in the past two games. 

     Philadelphia responded to make it 3-3 at 5:59 on another power-play goal. Matvei Michkov sent a diagonal pass from the top left circle and Morgan Frost scored his 10th goal this season as he poked it in from the blue paint.

     The Flyers got their first and only lead of the contest 4-3 with 5:51 remaining in the third. Tyson Forester forwarded an outlet pass from his own zone. Cates got to the puck at the center circle, raced with it through the slot area and backhanded a shot for his second tally of the game and ninth goal of the campaign. 

Program Directors On Barrett Media List

     Barrett Media came out with their annual list of the top program directors for news radio stations in the United States. Several of the people have connections with South Florida radio. 

     Former 940 WINZ-AM and 610 WIOD-AM program director Ken Charles was named the top news radio program director among large cities in 2024 by Barrett Media. Charles is currently the WSB-AM program director in Atlanta. 

     Grace Blazer finished in eighth place for large size news radio stations. She is currently the program director at Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM and News Radio 610 WIOD-AM. 

     Paul Mason, one-time program director at 640 Sports WMEN-AM and News Talk 850 WFTL-AM, ended up in sixth place for mid-market news program directors. He is now the program director at WGFX-FM and WWTN-FM in Nashville. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM and News Radio 1290 WJNO-AM program director Brian Mudd ended up on the Barrett Media list. He was placed in 21st for mid-market program directors. 

Eric Staal Carolina Number Retired

     Eric Staal had his number 12 jersey was retired by the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Sunday. It was done during a pregame ceremony prior to a contest between the Hurricanes and the Anaheim Ducks. 

     Staal spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Florida Panthers. He helped the club capture their second Eastern Conference title in franchise history. He chalked up 29 points with 14 goals and 15 assists in 72 regular season games. 

Jorge Lopez Off To Nationals

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher Jorge Lopez has signed a deal with the Washington Nationals. It is a one-year contract worth $3 million. He split his time in 2024 with the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs. 

     Lopez was with the Marlins during the 2023 season. He participated in 12 games and had a 2-0 record with a 9.00 earned run average. 

Heat Pour On Trail Blazers

     The Miami Heat ran by the Portland Trail Blazers 119-98 on Saturday night at Moda Center. The Heat played their fourth contest of a six-game road trip versus Western Conference opponents. 

     Miami(20-17) had a 29-23 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Heat extended their lead to 66-48 at the conclusion of the second quarter. 

     Portland(13-25) took control during the third quarter with a 16-2 run to begin the second half and trailed 94-83 after three quarters. The Trail Blazers gave up the first six points in the final quarter and could not overcome it. 

     Tyler Herro finished with a game-high 32 points for the Heat. Nikola Jovic answered with 21 points while Haywood Highsmith drained in 14 points. Bam Adebayo collected a double-double of 13 points along with 11 rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Terry Rozier both had 11 points each. 

     Anfernee Simons powered in a club-high 28 points for the Trail Blazers. Shaedon Sharpe was able to contribute 22 points. 

Matthew Tkachuk Makes Flames Team

     The National Hockey League continued to roll out their Quarter Century Teams for all 32 NHL clubs from 2000 to 2024. Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk became the first player to appear on the First Team list for two different teams. 

     Tkachuk was listed on the First Team of the Calgary Flames as a forward today. He was on the Florida Panthers Quarter Century First Team when it was issued on January 3. 

     Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was the first player to be mentioned on the Quarter Century Teams by two different organizations. He was on the First Team of the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 2 and the Second Team of the Florida Panthers on January 3. 

Miami Hurricanes Entering NFL Draft

     Several players from the University of Miami Hurricanes will be heading for the National Football League. The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in late April. 

     The most likely highest selection from the Canes is expected to be quarterback Cam Ward. He transferred from Washington State and participated with The U in 2024. Ward finished in second place for the Heisman Trophy last year. 

     Two of the Hurricanes wide receivers have local ties. Xavier Restrepo set several receiving records with the school. He played three seasons with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and captured a FHSAA Class 7A state championship with them in 2016. Restrepo was with the Deerfield Beach Bucks during his senior year. 

     Jacolby George played high school football with the Plantation Colonels. The school participated in the FHSAA Playoffs from 2017 and 2019 and reached the South Florida Tri-County Class 7A gold bracket championship game against the Atlantic Eagles in 2020. 

     Two other Miami players could be chosen in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are wide receiver Sam Brown and tight end Elijah Arroyo. 

Wes Welker Gone From Dolphins

     Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker was let go by the club. Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman was also released by the organization. 

     Wesler played with the Dolphins for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. He was the Miami wide receivers coach prior to the 2022 campaign. 

     Crossman had been with the Fins since 2019. He added the role of assistant head coach with them following the 2021 season. The Dolphins have finished in the bottom four among the 32 NFL teams for the past three years. 

Marlins Players Get Arbitration

     Arbitration was decided for several Miami Marlins players on Thursday. The term for all the players is for one season in 2025.  

     Outfielder Jesus Sanchez received $4.5 million while catcher Nick Fortes got $1.86 million. Pitcher Braxton Garrett ended up with $1.53 million, Anthony Bender was paid $1.42 million and Edward Cabrera received $1.95 million. 

Panthers Lose To Bruins

     The Florida Panthers were defeated by the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. It was the Panthers only home game in a five-game stretch. 

     The Bruins snapped a six-game winless streak. Both clubs have faced each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the last two years where the Cats prevailed. 

     Boston(21-19-5) got up 1-0 on the power play at the 6:02 mark of the first period. Morgan Geekie backhanded a shot from the left side of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th goal of the campaign. 

     Florida((25-15-3) tied it up 1-1 with 4:29 remaining in the first. Anton Lundell backhanded a pass from the left wing. Uvis Balinskis blasted a slap shot from the left point which was saved by Jeremy Swayman. Evan Rodrigues put in the rebound with a forehand shot from the left of the crease for his eighth tally of the year. Itt was the first goal for Rodrigues in the past 16 games. 

     The B's pulled ahead 2-1 with 3:49 left in the second period. David Patrnak redirected a shot from close range for his 18th goal of the season. 

     In the third period, the Cats evened it up 2-2 just 43 seconds into the frame. Sam Reinhart collected his 24th goal in 2024-25 as he tapped the puck into the cage from the blue paint. 

     The Bruins answered just over one minute at 2:06. Oliver Wahlstrom helped his new club with his third this year on a wrist shot from the left goal line. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie with two minutes to go in the period. They succeeded with 1.8 seconds left in the third when Reinhart chipped a high shot from the crease area for his second tally of the game and 25th goal this season. 

     Boston would gain revenge on a 4-on-3 power play with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime. Pastrnak would snap a shot from the top right circle that went off Reinhart's stick for his second goal of the contest and 19th goal of the campaign. 

     

Carson Beck Transfers To MIami

     Quarterback Carson Beck has transferred to the University of Miami Hurricanes. He is slated to become the starting quarterback for the Canes with Cam Ward heading to the NFL. 

     Beck spent the past four seasons with the University of Georgia Bulldogs and led them to the SEC Championship this season. He was the backup quarterback behind Stetson Bennett when the Bulldogs captured two CFP National Championships in 2021 and 2022. 

Max Shepman Added To Podcast

     The Best Florida Sports Podcast has added Max Shepman as their newest on-air talent to their platform. He joins WPEC-TV Channel 12 sports director/sportscaster John Everson and Sam Sullivan for their weekly podcast. 

     Shepman has spent more than a decade as a West Palm Beach television cameraman. He first worked in the sports department at WPTV-TV Channel 5 and then joined WPEC-TV Channel 12. 

Vince Wilfork In Orange Bowl Hall Of Fame

     One-time local high school football player defensive lineman Vince Wilfork was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame on Thursday night during a halftime ceremony at Hard Rock Stadium in the CFP National Semifinal between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Former University of Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer and University of Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Leinhart were also inducted. 

     Wilfork played high school football in Palm Beach County with the Santaluces Chiefs. He went on to participate with the University of Miami Hurricanes and led them to the 2001 national championship. Wilfork was with the New England Patriots when they won Super Bowl 39 and Super Bowl 49.

Notre Dame Edges Penn State In 2025 Orange Bowl

     The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish came back on the Penn State University Nittany Lions 27-24 in the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday night. It was a CFP National Semifinal between both schools. 

     The Fighting Irish advanced to the CFP National Championship. They will play for the national title in Atlanta on January 20. 

     It was the latest time ever that the Orange Bowl was played during the bowl season. The Orange Bowl usually had been played in its history either on January 1 or January 2 from 1935 to 1996. It has occurred between December 29 and January 5 from 1997 until 2024. It was the second time that the Orange Bowl happened in January since late 2014. 

     After a scoreless opening quarter, Penn State(13-3) got on the scoreboard first to make it 3-0 at the 14:52 mark of the second quarter. Ryan Barker ended up kicking a 20-yard field goal. 

     It became 10-0 for the Nittany Lions with 2:18 left in the second. Quarterback Drew Allar handed the ball off to running back Nicholas Singleton and he went around the right end from five yards away. 

     Notre Dame(14-1) broke the shutout with no time remaining in the first half to make it 10-3. Mitch Jeter booted a 41-yard field goal. 

     In the third quarter, the Fighting Irish evened it up 10-10 at 10:46. Quarterback Ryan Leonard raced in on a three-yard touchdown run. 

     Notre Dame took their first lead of the game 17-10 at the 14:07 mark of the fourth quarter. Running back Jeremiyah Love blasted through the left side of the line and scored from two yards out. 

     Penn State answered back on their next possession and tied it up 17-17 at 10:20. Singleton was able o sprint into the end zone on a seven-yard touchdown run.  

     They regained the lead on their next drive for a 24-17 lead with 7:55 left in the fourth. Singleton collected his third touchdown of the contest on a seven-yard run as he dashed through the left side of the line. 

     The Fighting Irish responded with a touchdown to tie it 24-24 with 4:38 to go in the quarter. Leonard fired a 54-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaden Greathouse on the right sideline. 

     Allar then threw an interception with 33 seconds left that was caught by defensive back Christian Gray at the Nittany Lions 42-yard line. Notre Dame got a game-winning, 41-yard field goal from Jeter with seven seconds remaining in the final quarter and they led 27-24. 

Heat Outbattle Jazz

     The Miami Heat beat the Utah Jazz 97-92 on Thursday night at Delta Center. The Heat are playing their third contest in a six-game road trip. 

     The Heat and the Jazz faced each other just five days ago in Miami. The Florida Panthers, another South Florida professional sports franchise, played their first NHL game ever in the state of Utah yesterday in that same venue. 

     Utah(9-2) scooted out to a 27-20 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. Miami(19-17) moved by outscoring their opponent 26-14 in the second quarter and led 46-41 at halftime. 

     The Jazz went on a 19-7 run during the third quarter and were up 70-68 heading into the final quarter. The Heat had a 20-12 spurt in the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter to gain the victory. 

     Tyler Herro finished with a team-high and game-high 23 points while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Bam Adebayo put together 15 points along with seven rebounds. Nikola Jovic came off the bench and dropped in 11 points.  

     Lauri Markkanen led Utah with a game-high 23 points. Collin Sexton helped out with a game-high 23 points for his team. 

Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM Local Show

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM did have a local program on their airwaves during the Miami Dolphins regular season. It was broadcasted on Friday afternoons and hosted by Travis Wingfield along with Seth Levit. 

     It is unknow if that program will continue during the Miami Dolphins offseason. Wingfield and Levit both were postgame studio co-hosts on the Miami Dolphins Radio Network this season. 

Big 105.9 WBGG-FM Flips Format

     Big 105.9 WBGG-FM changed their format at the beginning of 2025. They flipped their classic rock format to a classic hits format of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. 

     They have been the Miami Dolphins flagship radio station since the 2023 season. It looks like that the new format had nothing to do with the Miami Dolphins season being completed. The Fins played their final contest of the 2024 campaign back on Sunday. 

Panthers Facing Rangers In 2026 Winter Classic

     The National Hockey League officially announced that the South Florida region will have an outdoor game. The Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers in the 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot Park on January 2, 2026.  

     The Marlins have played their home games since the 2012 season at loanDepot park. It is also where the Orange Bowl once stood from 1937 until 2008. 

     It will be the first time that the Panthers will be an NHL contest held in a stadium venue on a special occasion, not including road games at the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg from 1993 to 1996. They were the last team beside the Utah Hockey League that have not participated in an outdoor game. Florida is the defending Stanley Cup champions and have captured the last two Eastern Conference title. New York has skated in two Winter Classics and three Stadium Series. 

     The Tampa Bay Lightning will also be involved in a Stadium Series during the 2025-26 campaign. They will host Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2026. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their home contests at that venue. The Lightning once was involved in a Stadium Series game at the Nashville Predators in 2022. 

Panthers Win In Utah

     The Florida Panthers played their first NHL game ever in the state of Utah against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.  The Cats ended up being victorious 4-1. The Arizona Coyotes franchise moved to Utah during the offseason. 

     After a scoreless opening period, Florida(25-15-2) took a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 1:05 mark of the second period. Sam Reinhart scored his 23rd goal of the season on a snap shot. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov chalked up the assists on the sequence. Reinhart passed Scott Mellanby with his 67th power-play goal for second place in franchise history. 

     The Panthers increased it to 2-0 at 1:48 of the third period. Carter Verhaeghe connected a cross-ice pass from the low left circle. Jesper Boqvist snapped a shot from the high slot past Karel Veljmelka for his eighth tally this year. Anton Lundell was credited for a secondary assist on the play. 

     Utah(17-16-7) cut it to 2-1 with 6:19 remaining in the third on the power play. Mikhail Sergachev angled a pass from the top of the zone and Clayton Keller pushed the puck from above the right circle. Logan Cooley placed in a snap shot from the right goal line by Sergei Bobrovsky for his 11th goal of the 2024-25 campaign. 

     Utah Hockey Club pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 2:15 to go. Boqvist collected his second goal of the contest and ninth goal of the year when he backhanded a shot into an empty net with 2:01 left to make it 3-1. 

     Eetu Luostarinen would add another empty-net goal with 21.9 seconds remaining for a three-goal margin. Tkachuk picked up his second assist of the game. 

Leo Baldwin In Columbia

     Former West Palm Beach radio executive Leo Baldwin remains in Columbia, South Carolina. He was promoted to morning co-host at WTCB-FM this week. Baldwin has been the operations manager at Cumulus Media Columbia and the afternoon host at WTCB since June 2023. 

     He had not held an on-air position for over two decades before his arrival there. He did have stints as a morning host at KXME-FM and later at KDDB-FM earlier in his career. 

     Baldwin came to West Palm Beach in November 2014 and held the same role with an organization that was sold twice. He was the operations manager of Digity Media, Alpha Media and Hubbard Broadcasting. Baldwin added duties as the program director of WMEN-AM, WFTL-AM and WEAT-FM. He left Florida for St. Louis in November 2019. 

Heat Bounce By Warriors

     The Miami Heat leaped by the Golden State Warriors 114-98 at Chase Center on Tuesday night. The Heat were coming off a double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings yesterday. 

     The Heat knocked off Golden State for the second straight time in Northern California after losing the previous eight times in the San Francisco area. Miami defeated the Warriors for the 15th time in their last 24 Bay Area meetings. 

     Golden State(18-18) busted out with a 14-8 spurt to open up the game. Miami(18-17) rallied back with a 21-9 run to lead 29-23 after one quarter. The Heat kept up the pace and held a 61-48 lead at halftime. 

     The Warriors cut into the deficit and were down 84-78 at the conclusion of the third quarter. Miami went on a 25-8 spurt during the middle of the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo compiled 19 points along with nine rebounds for the Heat. Nikola Jovic drained in a season-high 20 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 points. Tyler Herro was able to put in 14 points in the victory. 

     Stephen Curry led the Warriors with a game-high 31 points. Draymond Green finished with seven points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Trayce Jackson-Davis dropped in 19 points while Buddy Hield came off the bench with 11 points. 

Sid Rosenberg On Morning News Show Radio List

     Former South Florida sports talk radio host Sid Rosenberg was on the list for the Barrett Media top 25 local morning news radio shows in the United States. Rosenberg and his program on 770 WABC-AM in New York City ended up in second place nationally. He has worked at WABC since January 2016. 

     Rosenberg once hosted sports talk shows in South Florida from the fall of 2005 until December 2015. He had stints at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM, Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM and 640 Sports WMEN-AM. 

Tobias Bjornfot Elevated To Panthers Roster

     Charlotte Checkers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot has been promoted in the Florida Panthers organization to the NHL club. The Panthers will be playing their next two games on the road in Colorado and Utah over the next three days. 

     Bjornfot got a chance to participated in one contest with Florida last season. He had previous NHL stints with the Los Angeles Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Mike McDaniel & Chris Grier Retained

     A statement was made by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. He mentioned that head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier will be retained for the 2025 season. 

     McDaniel will be entering his fourth year with the club in 2025. He led the Dolphins to a 8-9 record in 2024 and they were in postseason contention for the final playoff spot in the final week of the regular season. The Fins reached the AFC Playoffs as a wild-card in 2022 and 2023. 

     Grier will be heading into his 10th season as the general manager in 2025. Miami has not been victorious in a postseason game for the last 24 years. 

Kings Crown Heat

     The Miami Heat were outlasted by the Sacramento Kings 123-118 in double overtime at Golden 1 Center on Monday night. The Heat began a long six-game road trip against Western Conference opponents. 

     Miami(17-17) came out and led 28-23 at the end of the first quarter. Sacramento(18-19) took the lead late in the second quarter and were up 50-47 at halftime. 

     The Heat outscored the Kings 31-18 during the third quarter and had a 78-68 lead. The Kings were outscored 17-10 at the beginning of the fourth. They came back to tie it up 102-102 by the conclusion of the quarter. 

     Both teams scored 10 points in overtime for it to go into double overtime. The Kings outdueled the Heat 11-6 during double overtime for a 123-118 victory. 

     Jaime Jaquez Jr. ended up with a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Miami. Tyler Herro finished with a team-high 26 points. Bam Adebayo put together a double-double with 18 points along with 12 rebounds while Terry Rozier contributed 18 points. 

     Domantas Sabonis led Sacramento with a triple-double of 21 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists. DeMar DeRozan dropped in a game-high 30 points and Malik Monk placed in 23 points. 

Panthers Fall To Avalanche

     The Florida Panthers reached the midway point of the 2024-25 regular season and lost to the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday night at Ball Arena. The Panthers began a short two-game road swing. The Avalanche, who are now on an eight-game point streak, have a 12-3-1 record since December 1. Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot made his season debut for the Cats. 

     Florida(24-15-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with 4:03 left in the first period. Anton Lundell made a diagonal pass from the high slot and Carter Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the right circle past Mackenzie Blackwood for his 10th goal of the season. The Avs outshot the Cats 11-4 in the opening frame. 

     In the second period, Colorado(25-15-1) evened it up 1-1 with 1:14 remaining. Casey Mittelstadt sent a square pass from the right point. Devon Toews placed in his fourth tally this year on a wrist shot from the top of the zone by Sergei Bobrovsky.  

     It became 2-1 for the Avalanche at the 8:54 mark of the third period. Ross Colton angled a pass from the right wing. Toews fired a wrist shot from the blue line and collected his second goal of the game and his fifth goal of the campaign. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:10 to go. Mikko Rantanen shot the puck into an empty net from the Avs own right circle with 1:57 left for his 24th goal in 2024-25 to make it 3-1. 

Browns Fire Ken Dorsey

     The Cleveland Browns have released offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. He has been with that organization since 2024. Dorsey previously worked as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills from 2019 until 2023. 

     Dorsey is best remembered locally as the starting quarterback for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He led the Canes to their last national championship in 2001. 

Jets Eliminate Dolphins

     The Miami Dolphins concluded their 2024 regular season with a 32-20 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Dolphins entered the contest one game behind the Denver Broncos for the final AFC wild-card spot and eventually fell short. The Fins reached the AFC Playoffs during the previous two seasons in 2022 and 2023. 

Lionel Messi Awarded Presidential Medal Of Freedom

     Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi received the Presidental Medal of Freedom from United States President Joe Biden on Saturday. It is the highest honor for a citizen to be received in the United States. Messi did not attend the ceremony held at The White House in Washington D.C. due to a scheduling conflict. 

     Messi is considered one of the greatest players in the world to ever to play the game of soccer. He played for his national team in Argentina and captured the World Cup in 2022. 

     He has won the Ballon D'or a record eight times for the being the best player of the year. Messi signed with Inter Miami CF in July 2023 and began to play in Major League Soccer. The Herons captured the Leagues Cup in 2023 and received the MLS Supporters' Shield for the best record during the 2024 regular season. 

Mike White Upped To Bills NFL Roster

     Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Mike White has been promoted by the Buffalo Bills from their practice squad to their NFL roster. He also signed a one-year contract extension through 2025. 

     White was with the Dolphins during the 2023 season. He finished with five completions for 74 passing yards and one touchdown in six games. 

Jazz Wallop Heat

     The Utah Jazz ripped by the Miami Heat 136-100 on Saturday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat concluded their homestand before their west coast six-game road trip next week. The Jazz snapped a five-game losing streak. 

     Both teams were tied 22-22 by the conclusion of the first quarter. Utah(8-25) went on a 16-7 spurt to begin the second quarter and outscored the Heat 40-19 in the frame to lead 65-42 at halftime. 

     Miami(17-16) was unable to come closer during the third quarter and trailed by 32 points 98-66 at the end of three quarters. The Heat pulled their starters from the court early in the final quarter. 

     Nikola Jovic pumped in 17 points for the Heat. Tyler Herro contributed 15 points while Duncan Robinson ended up with 16 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. came off the bench with 13 points. 

     John Collins led the Jazz with 24 points and nine assists. Lauri Markkanen added 15 points and Walker Kessler had 14 points along with 16 rebounds for a double-double. Collin Sexton was able to drain in 17 points. 

Florida Panthers Quarter Century Team

     The National Hockey League announced the NHL Quarter Century Team of the Florida Panthers on Friday night. The Panthers players selected participated sometime during the first 25 years of the 21st century from 2000 to 2025. 

     The First Team consisted of center Aleksander Barkov, right wing Matthew Tkachuk, left wing Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman Aaron Ekblad, defenseman Gustav Forsling and goalie Roberto Luongo. The Second Team had right wing Pavel Bure, center Olli Jokinen, forward Sam Reinhart, defenseman Robert Svehla, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

Panthers Freeze Penguins

     The Florida Panthers got by the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday night. The Panthers played home contests on consecutive days. The Penguins now have a four-game road losing streak. Florida is 12-5-1 in their past 18 games. 

     The Panthers, who are 7-2-0 in their last nine home games versus the Pens, are now tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Cats will have the rest of the weekend off and visit the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. 
     In the second period, Florida(24-14-2) rocketed out to a 1-0 advantage just 36 seconds into the frame. Gustav Forsling scored his sixth goal of the campaign on a snap shot from above the right circle past Tristan Jarry. 

     Pittsburgh (17-17-6) evened it up 1-1 on the power play with 8:51 remaining in the first. Sidney Crosby fired a slap shot from the high slot for his 11th goal in 2024-25. Crosby has compiled 15 points in the past 10 games. Bryan Rust recorded for 400th NHL point on the play. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 at 8:48 of the third period. Carter Verhaeghe shot the puck from the high slot and it was deflected in by Matthew Tkachuk from the right of the crease for his 14th goal this season. 

     The Pens scored on a power play which includes an extra attacker with 39.9 seconds left in the third period to tie it up 2-2. Rickard Rakell snapped a shot from the low slot past Spencer Knight for his 18th goal of the season. 

     Florida was able to get the victory in a shootout. Sam Reinhart put in a snap shot on the team's second attempt and Anton Lundell placed in a wrist shot during their third attempt. 

Former Marlins On Hall Of Fame Ballot

     Several former members of the Florida/Miami Marlins franchise are on the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. The Baseball Writers Association of America will elect the new members to Cooperstown later in January. 

     The one-time Marlins player that will certainly make the Baseball Hall of Fame is Ichiro Suzuki. He played in Miami for three seasons from 2015 to 2017 and finished with a .256 batting average in 432 contests. Ichiro picked up his 3,000th hit while on the Marlins with a triple in Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies on August 7, 2016.  

     Other players on the ballot are Fernando Rodney, Mark Buehrle and Hanley Ramirez. Rodney was acquired by the Fish in 2016 and had eight saves in 39 relief appearances that year. Buehrle, who was part of the surge by the Marlins when they moved to their new stadium in Miami, pitched one season in 2012 and had a 13-13 record with a 3.74 earned run average. 

     Ramirez was with the Marlins franchise from 2006 until 2012. He had a .300 batting average, .499 slugging percentage, .374 on-base percentage, .873 OPS, 482 runs batted in and 148 home runs in 943 games. Ramirez finished second to Albert Pujols for the 2009 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He ended up representing the team at three MLB All-Star Games in 2008, 2009 and 2010. 

Hurricanes Get By Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes edged Florida Panthers 3-1 on Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena. It is the first contest for the Panthers and the Hurricanes in the 2025 calendar year. 

     Both teams faced each other in the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago. Hurricanes left wing Juha Jaaska made his NHL debut. 

     Carolina(23-13-2) came out with a blitz on their opening shift and were up 1-0 just 36 seconds into the first period. Jaccob Slavin cycled the puck around the end wall from the left wing. Brent Burns snapped a shot from the right side by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fourth goal of the year. Seth Jarvis was credited with a secondary assist on the sequence. The Canes had a 14-1 shot advantage on shots in the first 12 minutes of play. 

     In the second period, Florida(23-14-2) fought back to tie it up 1-1 at the 2:17 mark. Evan Rodrigues stole the puck from Dmitry Orlov behind the cage and centered it. Jesper Boqvist backhanded a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Anton Lundell lifted a backhand shot from the top of the crease past Pyotr Kochetkov for his ninth goal of the campaign. 

     The Hurricanes reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 7:30 left in the third period. Slavin slammed a slap shot from the high slot for his second tally this year. 

     The Canes put the nail in the coffin with 27.7 seconds remaining for a 3-1 lead. Andrei Svechnikov shot the puck from the left wing and it deflected off the stick of Martin Necas in the blue paint into an empty net for his 15th goal of the season. 

Pacers Race By Heat

     The Indiana Pacers bounced by the Miami Heat 128-115 at Kaseya Center on Thursday night. The Heat are playing home games on consecutive nights. 

     After giving up the first basket of the contest, Indiana(17-18) scored 12 consecutive points. They led 38-25 at the conclusion of the first quarter. The Pacers entered halftime with a 66-50 advantage. 

     Miami(17-15) could not make a dent in the lead and were down 107-83 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat went on a 19-9 spurt to begin the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo led Miami with a club-high 20 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Herro was able to contribute 17 points. 

     Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers had game-highs of 33 points and 15 assists for a double-double Myles Turner scored 21 points in the victory. 

Florida Panthers Getting Outdoor NHL Game

     National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned during a studio segment at the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago that the Florida Panthers will be part of an outdoor game during the 2025-26 season. It is unknown when it will be played. 

     The venue that the Panthers will host the contest will be loanDepot Park in Miami. It is the baseball home of the Miami Marlins. It helps that a game can be played with warm conditions in the South Florida region due to a retractable roof on the facility. 

     The Panthers was the only NHL team to still not participate in an outdoor game. The other is the newly branded Utah Hockey Club. The National Hockey League has held game at different Major League Baseball, National Football League and Division 1 football stadiums since 2008. 

Jonathan Ford NFL Debut

     Former Broward County high school football player Jonathan Ford made his National Football League debut on December 16 for the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings. He has been on the Green Bay Packers practice squad for the last couple of years. 

     Ford was a defensive lineman with the Dillard Panthers while in high school. He later played college football with the University of Miami Hurricanes. 

Heat Breeze By Pelicans

     The Miami Heat knocked off the New Orleans Pelicans 119-108 at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. It was the first game of the 2025 calendar year for the Heat. 

     Miami(17-14) broke out to a 36-24 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. The Heat were able to remain in front 56-51 at halftime. 

     New Orleans(5-29) fell more into the hole and trailed 90-76 at the end of three quarters. The Pelicans outscored their opponent in the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo had a double-double for the Heat with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Herro ended up with a team-high 32 points. Duncan Robinson was able to drop in 17 points. 

     Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with a game-high 34 points in the defeat. CJ McCollum finished with 22 points. 

Nick Gordon Moves To Orioles

     One-time Miami Marlins utility player Nick Gordon has signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He will have the opportunity to make their major league roster during spring training. 

     Gordon was with the Marlins organization in the minors and declared free agency. He compiled eight home runs and 32 runs batted in and a .227 batting average in 95 contests with Miami last season. 

Freddy Tarnok Joins Marlins

     The Miami Marlins signed pitcher Freddy Tarnok to a minor league contract. He will be invited to spring training camp. 

     Tarnok did not participate in the majors last season. He had stints with the Atlanta Braves in 2022 and the Oakland A's in 2023. Tarnok has played in just six games in Major League Baseball.