Chargers Ink Alec Ingold

     The Los Angeles Chargers have signed fullback Alec Ingold to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $7.5 million between him and the club. 

     Ingold spent the past four seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2022 until 2025. He chalked up 20 rushing attempts for 42 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 66 contests with the Dolphins. 

Heat Surprise Pistons

     The Detroit Pistons were shocked by the Miami Heat 121-110 at Kaseya Center on Sunday night. The Heat now have a five-game winning streak and began a four-game homestand. 

     Miami(36-29) raced out to a 13-4 lead to begin the game and doubled up their opponent up 34-16 after one quarter. The Heat remained in front 67-48 at halftime

     Detroit(45-18) could not cut into the gap and trailed 103-80 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Pistons make up some ground in the final half of the fourth quarter when the reserves were playing. 

     Tyler Herro led Miami with a team-high 25 points. Bam Adebayo composed 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists falling short of a double-double. Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 19 points along with seven assists. 

     Cade Cunningham ended up with a game-high 26 points and 10 assists for a double-double. Jalen Duren was able to drop in 24 points for the Pistons while Tobias Harris was held to nine points. 

Khalil Mack Stays With Chargers

     One-time South Florida high school football linebacker Khalil Mack is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Chargers. He has agreed to a one-year deal. Mack has been chosen nine times to the Pro Bowl.

     Mack played high school football with the Fort Pierce Westwood Panthers. He participated in college football with the University of Buffalo. 

     He was selected fifth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Mack spent his first four NHL seasons with the Raiders until he was dealt to the Chicago Bears in September 2018. 

     Mack was with the Bears for four seasons through the 2021 campaign. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Chargers in March 2022 and has been with that club for the past four years. 

Tyler Huntley Remains With Ravens

     Former Hallandale Chargers quarterback Tyler Huntley will be staying with the Baltimore Ravens. He has agreed to a two-year contract that is worth $5 million and is expected to be the backup quarterback to Lamar Jackson. 

     Huntley is in his third stint in the Ravens organization. He was on their practice squad during his second reign with the club in 2024. Huntley was then claimed by the Miami Dolphins and played in five games during that year. 

Inter Miami CF Names New Stadium

     Inter Miami CF revealed the branding name for their new venue in Miami. It will be called Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park. It is a similar name to the stadium of Inter Miami CF midfielder and captain Lionel Messi's former team FC Barcelona plays at in Spain. The first home game for Inter Miami CF at their new stadium is expected to be April 4 against Austin FC. 

     The Herons played their first six seasons in franchise history at what is currently known as Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Inter Miami CF won their first MLS Cup title last year. 

Michael Rizzo New Inter Miami CF Radio Voice

     Inter Miami CF have their radio game broadcasts on ESPN 106.3 WESP-AM this season. It is the second straight year that they are the English-language flagship radio station of the team. The Herons won their first MLS Cup championship in franchise history last season. 

     Michael Rizzo is the new primary radio play-by-play announcer for Inter Miami CF and was their backup radio voice in 2025. He took over the post that was held by Ken LaVicka, who has co-hosted an afternoon show with Josh Cohen at Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM since January. Rizzo joined Good Karma Brands and ESPN West Palm 106.3 as an afternoon co-host with Colin Russo in September 2024. 

     Rizzo will not travel with the club to road games and announce their contests at Good Karma Brands West Palm Beach studios. It is the second straight year of that broadcasting policy between the radio rightsholder and the team. Rizzo is expected to call Inter Miami CF games in person at their new home venue Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park in Miami beginning on April 4 versus Austin FC.

Inter Miami CF Moves On D.C. United

     Inter Miami CF rattled D.C. United 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The game was moved from D.C. United's home venue Audi Park due to three times larger attendance availability. 

     The Herons continued their long road trip to begin the MLS regular season. The team visited The White House in Washington D.C. back on Thursday. 

     Inter Miami CF(2-1-0) stormed out to a 1-0 advantage in the 17th minute of play. Rodrigo De Paul blasted a right-footed shot from 13 yards out. 

     The Herons increased their lead to 2-0 during the 27th minute. Lionel Messi chipped an eight-yard shot with his left leg by the goalie. It turned out to be Messi's 899th goal of his professional career. 

     In the second half, D.C. United(1-2-0) closed the deficit to 2-1 in the 75th minute. Tai Baribo tapped in a left-footed rebound shot from three yards into an empty cage.

Dolphins Let Go Jason Sanders

     The Miami Dolphins have released kicker Jason Sanders. He lost his starting position to Riley Patterson prior to the 2025 campaign due to a hip injury.  

     Sanders was with the Dolphins organization since the 2018 season. He compiled 187 field goals made during seven seasons with Miami. 

Cole Reinhardt Claimed By Panthers

      The Florida Panthers have claimed left wing Cole Reinhardt off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights. He has seven points in 44 games with Vegas this season.

      He spent five years in the Ottawa Senators organization. He participated in one contest in 2021-22 and 17 games in 2024-25.

Panthers Reacquire Vinnie Hinostroza

      The Florida Panthers have acquired center Vinnie Hinostroza from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations. It will be his second stint with Florida.

     Hinostroza once played for the Panthers during the 2020-21 campaign. He ended up with no points in nine contests with the club.

Dolphins Release Alec Ingold

    The Miami Dolphins will be releasing fullback Alec Ingold. He was with the Dolphins for four seasons from 2022 to 2025.

     He had just 20 carries for 34 rushing yards and two touchdowns with the Fins. Ingold was in the Raiders organization during his first three years in the NFL from 2019 until 2021.

Raiders To Release Geno Smith

      The Las Vegas Raiders are about to release quarterback Geno Smith. He spent just one season with the Raiders.

      Smith played high school football with the Miramar Patriots. He then moved on to the West Virginia University Mountineers to participate in college football.

Tkachuk Hat Trick & Panthers Break Red Wings

     Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk compiled a hat trick as the Cats outdueled the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak. 

     Florida(31-29-3) got out to a 1-0 lead with 8:54 left in the first period. Carter Verhaeghe centered the puck from the end wall and Tkachuk snapped a shot from the low slot by John Gibson for his sixth goal of the year.

     In the second period, Detroit(35-21-7) evened it up 1-1 at 10:56 with the man advantage. Dylan Larkin won the faceoff in the right circle. Patrick Kane released a shot from the high slot which bounced off the back wall. Alex DeBrincat batted the puck in from the left side of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 33rd goal of the campaign. 

     It became 2-1 for the Panthers on the power play at the 35-second mark of the third period. Brad Marchand blocked a clearing pass in the middle of the ice. Sam Reinhart ripped a forehand shot from the left-circle dot and Tkachuk tipped it in from the left side of the crease for his second goal of the game. 

     Tkachuk completed the hat trick with his third tally of the contest and eighth goal in 2025-26 with 1:52 remaining in the third to make it 3-1. He fired a shot from in front of the Panthers goal crease down the ice into an empty net. 

Heat Outpower Hornets

     The Miami Heat outscored the Charlotte Hornets 128-120 on Friday night at Spectrum Center. The Heat had a rare one-game road trip and expanded their win streak to four games. The Hornets had their six-game winning streak snapped. 

     Miami(35-29) held a 30-27 lead at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte(32-32) answered back in the second quarter and led 61-58 at halftime. 

     The Hornets were still ahead 101-98 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat scored nine consecutive midway through the fourth quarter and pulled away. 

     Tyler Herro fell short of a triple-double with a game-high 33 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for Miami. Bam Adebayo did compile a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. poured in 21 points and Davion Mitchell added 13 points. 

     Kon Knueppel ended up with a team-high 27 points for Charlotte. Brandon Miller composed 22 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double. 

Inter Miami CF At The White House

     The reigning Major League Soccer champions Inter Miami CF visited The White House to see United States President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. on Thursday. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were among the players who attended the ceremony. 

     Inter Miami CF won the MLS Cup over the Vancouver Whitecaps last year. The Herons will be playing D.C. United in a regular season game on Saturday afternoon. 

Jeff Petry Traded By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers traded defenseman Jeff Petry to the Minnesota Wild for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick. The team made the decision before the NHL trade deadline on Friday. 

     Petry signed with the Panthers as a free agent back in July 2025. He finished with eight assists in 58 games while in Florida. 

2026 World Baseball Classic Begins

     The 2026 World Baseball Classic began today. The United States, Japan and Dominican Republic are the top contenders to win the event. Japan defeated the United States in the 2023 title game when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout in the ninth inning to capture the championship in Miami. 

     There will be five nations in Pool D for the 2026 World Baseball Classic that will participate at loanDepot park in Miami. They include Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Israel, Nicaragua and The Netherlands. All nations will play in four games from March 6 until March 11. 

     The playoff rounds will later move to South Florida. The 2026 World Baseball Classic semifinals will happen on March 15 and the championship game will be held loanPark park in Miami on March 17. 

Omer Yurtseven In G League

     Former Miami Heat center Omer Yurtseven has signed a contract with the Houston Rockets G League affiliate the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was with Panathinaikos BC in Greece for the past two seasons. 

     Yurtseven played two seasons with the Heat in 2021-22 to 2022-23. He averaged 5.2 points-per-game and 4.9 rebounds-per-game for Miami in 65 contests. Yurtseven participated in 48 games with the Utah Jazz in 2023-24. 

Panthers Downed By Blue Jackets

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night. The Panthers will complete their four-game road trip tomorrow at the Detroit Red Wings. The Blue Jackets snapped a nine-game winless streak against the Cats. 

     Columbus(32-21-8) bounced out to a 1-0 lead with the man advantage at the 5:08 mark of the first period. Ivan Provorov put in a wrist shot from the top of the zone for his seventh goal this year.

     The Blue Jackets made it 2-0 with 9:10 remaining in the second period. Mathieu Olivier deflected it in from the crease area for his 10th goal of the campaign.

     In the third period, Columbus extended their lead to 3-0 at 1:41. Boone Jenner scored his ninth of the season on a wrist shot from the slot area past Daniil Tarasov. 

     Florida(30-29-3) broke the shutout with 9:10 left in the third and were down 3-1. Aaron Ekblad released a shot from the left point and Niko Mikkola redirected it from the inner left circle by Jet Greaves for his second goal of the year. 

     The Panthers cut it to 3-2 on the power play with 5:16 remaining in the period. Matthew Tkachuk zipped the puck from the right wing and Ekblad angled a pass from the top of the zone. Sam Bennett then snapped a shot from above the left circle for his 23rd goal of the season. 

     A Gustav Forsling goal to tie the contest 3-3 was disallowed with 2:28 to go in the period because of goalie interference. Olivier placed in an empty-net goal for his second tally of the contest with 1:12 remaining and made it 4-2. 

Heat Sweep Nets In Rematch

     The Miami Heat pulled off a two-game sweep over the Brooklyn Nets with a 126-110 win on Thursday night at Kaseya Center. Both teams played at the same venue two days ago with the Heat victorious. 

     Miami(34-29) zoomed out to a 31-26 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Brooklyn(15-47) kept it close at halftime 60-56.

     The Heat extended their lead and were up 95-83 at the conclusion of the third quarter. They were able to hold off the Nets in the final quarter. 

     Tyler Herro scored a club-high 25 points for Miami while Bam Adebayo finished up with 21 points and seven rebounds. Kel'el Ware ended up with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 18 points along with seven rebounds. 

     Michael Porter Jr. chalked up game highs with 27 points and 13 rebounds for Brooklyn. Noah Clowney drained in 17 points and Nic Claxton poured in 16 points. 

Heat Connections Working NCAA Basketball Tournament

     Two former Miami Heat members will be part the television on-air announcing crews for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. They are one-time Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy and forward Jamal Mashburn. 

     Van Gundy will work as a game analyst through the regional finals with play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan and sideline reporter Lauren Shehadi. Mashburn will be in the TNT Sports studios in Atlanta as a studio analyst. 

MacKenzie Weegar Dealt To Utah

     The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Olli Maatta. Weegar was dealt with Jonathan Huberdeau by the Florida Panthers to the Flames for right wing Matthew Tkachuk on July 22, 2022. 

     Weegar played his first six NHL seasons with Florida from 2016-17 until 2021-22. He chalked up 27 goals and 94 assists for 121 points in 306 games with the Panthers. 

Kyle Nicolas Off To Reds

     The Pittsburgh Pirates have sent relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Tyler Callihan. Nicolas played last three seasons with the Pirates. 

     Nicolas was selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft by the Marlins. He never played in the majors with them. 

Steelers Releasing Jonnu Smith

     The Pittsburgh Steelers will be releasing tight end Jonnu Smith. He was acquired by the Steelers along with defensive back Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins for defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick in June 2025. Smith had 38 catches for 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season in Pittsburgh. 

     Smith spent just one season with the Dolphins in 2024 and was named to the Pro Bowl. He finished with 88 pass receptions for 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games with the Fins. 

Panthers Ink Louis Domingue

     The Florida Panthers have signed goalie Louis Domingue to a two-way contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Panthers then placed him on waivers to bring back players from the injured reserve list. 

     Domingue has been in the National Hockey League for 10 seasons. He made one appearance with the New York Rangers both in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

South Florida Falls To 14 Sports Radio Stations

     The number of sports talk format radio stations in the South Florida region has gone from an all-time high of 18 and is now at 14. ESPN Southwest 770 WBCN-AM along with FM translators 98.1 W251AL and 104.3 W282BY in Fort Myers flipped from a sports format on March 1. Audacy decided to combine the WQAM stream on 96.5 WPOW-FM-HD2 with 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM as one station back in January. 

     Miami currently has five sports stations with 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM, 560 WQAM-AM, Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM. 94.9 WZTU-FM-HD2 and 98.3 WRTO-FM-HD2. West Palm Beach consists of four with ESPN West Palm 106.3 WESP-FM, Deportes Radio 760 WEFL-AM, Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM and Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM. 

     Key West has one sports radio station with The Zone 97.7 Sports Radio WAVK-FM. The Southwest Florida area now has just Fox Sports FM on FM translators such as 94.1 W231DC in Fort Myers, 103.3 W277AP in Cape Coral, 105.9 W290DB in Naples and 92.5 WFSX-FM-HD2 in Estero. 

Dolphins Tender Ethan Bonner

     The Miami Dolphins have tendered an offer to defensive back Ethan Bonner. The Fins have the exclusive rights to Bonner who is currently a free agent. 

     Bonner has been with the Dolphins for the past three seasons. He was able to participate in 14 games last season and had one interception. 

Jupiter Links GC Wins Season Finale

     Jupiter Links GC won their TGL regular season finale against The Bay Golf Club 9-6 at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday night. They advanced to the postseason for the first time in the two-year history of TGL. Jupiter Links GC was coached by Tiger Woods, who did not play. 

     Jupiter Links GC clinched fourth place in the regular season and will face #1 Boston Common Golf in the SoFi Cup semifinals on March 17. The other semifinal will have #2 Los Angeles Golf Club challenging the defending champions #3 Atlanta Drive GC on the same day. 

     The Bay Golf Club(2-3-0) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with the first hole and make it 2-0 on the fourth hole. Jupiter Links GC(2-2-1) answered back winning the sixth hole and seventh hole to tie it up 2-2.

     In the middle of the match, The Bay Golf Club moved ahead 3-2 on the eighth hole and increased their lead to 4-2 on the ninth hole. Jupiter Links GC closed the deficit on the 10th hole to make it 4-3. The Bay won consecutive holes on the 11th and 12th holes for a three-point lead 6-3. 

     Jupiter Links GC dropped the hammer on the 13th hole. They collected two points on a nine-foot putt by Max Homa and trailed 6-5. Jupiter threw down the hammer again on the 14th hole and took their first lead of the contest 7-6 as Tom Kim shot a hole-in-one from 138 yards away. It was just the second hole-in-one in TGL history. 

     The Bay Golf Club threw the hammer for the 15th and final hole of the game. Jupiter Links GC won the match and clinched a playoff spot when Kevin Kisner putted in a 13-foot shot. 

Devils Run Down Panthers

     The New Jersey Devils burned the Florida Panthers 5-1 at Prudential Center on Tuesday night. The Cats continued their four-game road swing. Both clubs have two of the three worst records in the Eastern Conference. 

     New Jersey(30-29-2) had a 1-0 lead with 7:50 remaining in the first period. Connor Brown stole the puck from Uvis Balinskis at the red lint and poked it ahead. Arseny Gritsyuk carried the puck in the Panthers zone and snapped a shot from the inner left circle past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th career NHL goal. 

     Florida(30-28-3) evened it up 1-1 with 5:23 to go in the first. Balinskis pushed the puck from the blue line and Evan Rodrigues took a turnaround shot from the right point. Anton Lundell then backhanded a shot from the top of the crease by Jacob Markstrom for his 17th goal this season. 

     In the second period, the Devils regained the lead 2-1 at the 1:35 mark during a 4-on-4 situation. Jesper Bratt centered the puck from the right wing and Jack Hughes fired a shot from the high slot that went off the end wall. Dougie Hamilton put in a wrist shot from the low right circle for his ninth goal in 2025-26. 

     New Jersey expanded their lead to 3-1 at 8:13 of the second. Hamilton angled a pass from the top of the zone. Lenni Hameenaho released a shot from the right point and Cody Glass redirected the puck from the crease area for 14th goal of the year. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater several times late in the third period. The Devils were able to score twice to make it 5-1. Dawson Mercer shot the puck into an empty net for his 14th goal of the season with 3:37 remaining in the third. Simon Nemec added an empty-net goal from the slot area with 39.3 seconds left in the period. 

Heat Dispose Nets

     The Miami Heat dropped the Brooklyn Nets 124-98 at Barclays Center on Tuesday night. The Heat will host the Nets again on Thursday night to complete their three-game homestand. 

     Miami(33-29) was ahead 34-28 by the conclusion of the opening quarter. The Heat were still in front 69-54 at halftime. 

     Brooklyn(15-46) was unable to make up any ground and trailed 91-75 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat had a comfortable lead during the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo led Miami with 23 points along with nine rebounds. Tyler Herro drained in 22 points while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20 points. Kel'el Ware ended up with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. 

     Noah Clowney finished with a team-high 17 points for the Nets. Ziaire Williams came off the bench and poured in 16 points. 

Nico Echavarria Wins Cognizant Classic

     Nico Echavarria was victorious in the 2026 Cognizant Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday. It turned out to be a stunning comeback by Echavarria. 

     Shaun Lowry entered the final day tied for the lead and held a three-stroke lead after the 16th hole. Echavarria was able to tie it in the 17th hole and pulled ahead on the 18th hole. 

WBCN-AM Flips From Sports Format

     ESPN Southwest 770 WBCN-AM in Fort Myers has flipped from a sports format along with their FM translators 98.1 W281AL and 104.3 W282BY. All these signals were sold be Beasley Broadcast Group to Fort Myers Broadcasting Company back in August. WBCN changed to a sports format in May 2021. 

     It also means several on-air talent had their programs eliminated. That included afternoon host Craig Shemon along with syndicated morning co-hosts David Moulton and Mark Miller. 

     Shemon co-hosted the afternoon show with Pete Sheppard on WBCN-AM from May 2021 until October 2023. Shemon then was alone as the afternoon host from October 2023 to February 2026. 

     Moulton and Miller became syndicated morning co-hosts on WBCN-AM in October 2021 and stayed there until February 2026. They started as afternoon co-hosts in 2006 when the 770 AM signal was known as WWCN-AM. 

Tommy Hutton Retiring

     Miami Marlins television game analyst Tommy Hutton will be retiring from his position at the end of the 2026 season. He will finish off his second reign with the club. 

     Hutton joined the Florida Marlins organization as a television game analyst in 1997 replacing Gary Carter. The team won their first World Series title later that year and their second World Series championship in 2003. 

     He would continue in that role with the Florida Marlins and later the Miami Marlins until the conclusion of the 2015 campaign. Hutton returned as the Marlins television studio analyst from 2018 to 2021. He was elevated to television game analyst prior to the 2022 season. 

Dolphins Let Go Liam Eichenberg

     The Miami Dolphins have released offensive linesman Liam Eichenberg. He did not participate last season with the club. 

     Eichenberg was selected by Miami in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft at 42nd overall. He played in 60 contests from 2021 to 2024 with the Dolphins. 

Starling Marte Signs With Royals

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte has signed a one-year contract worth $1 million with the Kansas City Royals. He spent the past four seasons with the New York Mets. 

     Marte was with the Marlins in 2020 and 2021. He had 11 home runs, 38 runs batted in and a .286 batting average in 92 games with Miami. 

Inter Miami CF Outscores Orlando City SC

     Inter Miami CF outdueled Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night at Inter&Co Stadium. The Herons continued their five-game Major League Soccer regular season opening road trip.

     Orlando City SC(0-2-0) took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute on a tally from Marco Pasalic with a left-footed, half-volley shot from 17 yards away. It became 2-0 for them in the 24th minute when Martin Ojeda scored. 

     Inter Miami CF(1-1-0) pulled off a comeback during the second half with four goals to take the contest. Mateo Silvetti blasted a 32-yard shot with his right foot and cut it to 2-1 in the 49th minute. Lionel Messi fired a 19-yard shot with his left foot and tied it up 2-2 in the 57th minute.

     Telasco Segovia gave the Herons their first lead of the contest 3-2 during the 85th minute on a right-footed shot from 15 yards away. Messi collected his second goal of the game in the 90th minute on a direct kick from 28 yards out to make it 4-2 for Inter Miami CF. 

Islanders Sneak By Panthers

     The New York Islanders slipped by the Florida Panthers 5-4 at UBS Arena on Sunday night. The Panthers opened up a four-game road trip. The Cats began a stretch with eight of their next 10 games away from South Florida. 

     Florida(30-27-3) tied the contest up 4-4 with 1:58 remaining in the third period. Sam Reinhart snapped a shot from the top of the zone for his 28th goal of the campaign. 

     New York(35-21-5) moved ahead 5-4 with 30.9 seconds left in the third. Anders Lee was able to score his 14th goal this season. He carried the puck from the red line and through the right circle. Lee switched to his forehand and placed in a wrist shot from the top of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

Heat Surge By Rockets

     The Miami Heat moved by the Houston Rockets 115-105 at Kaseya Center on Saturday. The Heat started a three-game homestand. 

     Miami(32-29) started off with a 32-28 lead by the end of the first quarter. Houston(37-22) then took the lead during in the second quarter and were ahead 52-51 at halftime. 

     The Heat scored the first six points to begin the third quarter and had a 10-1 spurt to lead 61-53. They had a 85-83 advantage at the end of the frame. Miami held the lead in the fourth quarter for the win. 

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. Pelle Larsson added 20 points and Tyler Herro had 18 points. 

     Kevin Durant scored 32 points for the Rockets. Amen Thompson was able to contribute 20 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double while Reed Sheppard ended up with 14 points. 

Sandy Alcantara Marlins Opening Day Pitcher

     The Miami Marlins recently announced that Sandy Alcantara will be their starting pitcher on opening day to begin the 2026 regular season. The Marlins will host the Colorado Rockies on March 27. 

     Alcantara will be on the mound for the second straight year to start a season with Miami. The Fish opens the 2026 campaign with a six-game homestand. 

Sabres Hold Off Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were edged by the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday night. The Panthers finished up a two-game homestand following the Winter Olympics break. 

     The Sabres extended their road point streak to eight games. The Cats are winless in nine of their past 13 home contests. 

     Buffalo(34-19-6) moved out to a 1-0 lead on the power play with 2:12 left the opening frame. Alex Tuch snapped a shot from the high slot past Daniil Tarasov for his 23rd goal this season 

     Florida(30-26-3) evened it up 1-1 with 6:09 remaining in the second period with a power-play tally. Matthew Tkachuk scored in his second straight contest with his fifth goal of the year on a wrist shot from the left side of the crease. Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett were credited with assists on the sequence. 

     The Sabres reclaimed the lead 2-1 at the 11:38 mark of the third period. Beck Malenstyn blasted a long slap shot from the left point for his fifth goal of the campaign. Peyton Krebs would place an empty-net goal from the neutral zone for his ninth goal this season with 1:17 remaining in the third for a Buffalo 3-1 advantage. Tage Thompson increased his point streak to six games. 

     The Panthers cut it to 3-2 with 35 seconds to go in the third on an own goal by the Sabres when Rasmus Dahlin bounced the puck off goalie Alex Lyon in the blue paint. Bennett was the last Panthers player to touch the puck with a shot from the top left circle and was credited with his 20th goal in 2025-26. It was the fourth occasion of Bennett's NHL career that he reached the 20-goal mark in a season. 

Inter Miami CF Takes Independiate del Valle

     Inter Miami CF toppled Independiate del Valle 2-1 on Thursday night at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel  in Puerto Rico. It was an international friendly between both teams that was rescheduled from February 13. 

     Inter Miami CF leaped out to a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute as Santiago Morales scored. Independiate del Valle tied it up 1-1 in the 17th minute on a tally by Pedro Mercado. The Herons regained the lead 2-1 when Lionel Messi scored in the 70th minute. 

West Palm Beach Ratings January 2026

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

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.3 for the third consecutive month. The radio station added a one-hour afternoon show with Ken LaVicka and Josh Cohen in early January. It joins mid-afternoon host Andy Slater as their only weekday local shows. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team had a 14-10 mark. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at a 0.0 for the second straight period. The University of Florida Gators men's basketball squad were in the middle of SEC play with a 16-6 record. 

Panthers Steamroll Maple Leafs

     The Florida Panthers dismantled the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday night. It was the Panthers first regular season game since three weeks ago on February 5 due to the Winter Olympics break. 

     The Panthers entered the contest in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings and leaped by the Maple Leafs for 12th place following tonight's game. The Cats began consecutive days with home games in Sunrise for a short homestand. 

     10 players on the Florida roster did participate in the Winter Olympics men's hockey tournament. Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk captured a gold medal representing the United States. Florida centers Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand won silver medals for Canada. Panthers center Anton Lundell, left wing Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Niko Mikkola got bronze medals with Finland. 

     A pregame ceremony was held honoring Team USA. People representing the gold medal team included Team USA assistant general manager/Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito along with Team USA equipment manager/Florida Panthers equipment manager Terry Richards. Team USA captain and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews along with Team USA alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk took the ceremonial faceoff. 

     Florida(30-25-3) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:18 mark of the first period. Lundell shot the puck from the right point and Marchand then steered a shot from the top of the crease past Joseph Woll for his 26th goal of the season. 

     The Panthers expanded their lead to 2-0 with the man advantage at 5:13. Lundell centered the puck fro the end wall. Evan Rodrigues backhand a pass across the low slot and Carter Verhaeghe scored his 17th goal of the campaign from the inner right circle. 

     It became 3-0 for the Cats with 3:20 remaining in the first on a shorthanded goal. Rodrigues intercepted a pass at the red line and went on a breakaway. He skated through the slot area and scored on a wrist shot from the crease area for his 11th tally of the year. 

     Toronto(27-22-9) closed it to 3-1 on the power play 47 seconds into the third period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson angled a pass from the top of the zone and Matthews centered it from the right wing.  John Tavares collected his 22nd goal this season on a backhand shot from the low slot by Sergei Bobrovsky. 

     The Maple Leafs pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 3:45 to go. Brad Marchand put in an empty-net goal from his own high slot area with 3:09 left in the third for his second tally of the game and 27th goal in 2025-26. The Leafs pulled their goalie again and Tkachuk would score into an empty net from the right point for his fourth goal this year. Bennett and Reinhart were credited with assists on that play. 

76ers March By Heat

     The Philadelphia 76ers raced by the Miami Heat 124-117 on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Center. The Heat concluded a two-game road swing and will host the Houston Rockets on Saturday. 

     Philadelphia(33-26) had a narrow 36-35 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. The Sixers extended their lead to 73-57 by halftime. 

     Miami(31-29) tried to climb back and they trailed 99-91 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat were unable to take the lead in the final quarter.

     Bam Adebayo had a double-double with a game-high 29 points and 14 rebounds for Miami. Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 19 points and Andrew Wiggins drained in 18 points. 

     Tyrese Maxey helped the 76ers with a team-high 28 points. Joel Embiid contributed a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds while  Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21 points.  

Team USA Visits White House

     The Team USA men's hockey team visited The White House in Washington D.C. to meet United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The group of players included Florida Panthers right wing and Team USA alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk. 

     The United States defeated Team Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Sunday. It was the first gold medal for the United States in men's hockey since 1980 in Lake Placid. 

     Team USA players were in the gallery for the State Of The Union Address held at the United States Capitol on Tuesday night. The team was mentioned during the speech. 

Andy Roddick Joins ESPN

     Boca Raton native and former professional tennis player Andy Roddick has joined ESPN. He will work as a tennis studio analyst.

     Roddick played high school tennis with Boca Prep International School. He captured the 2003 U.S. Open, 2007 Davis Cup and 32 ATP singles titles in a 13-year pro career. 

Miami Ratings January 2026

     The ratings were released for sports talk format radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. The time span was from the second week in January to the first week in February. 

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM decreased from 1.3 to 1.1 in the period. The Miami Hurricanes lost to the University of Indiana Hoosiers 27-21 in the CFP National Championship game on their own home field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Canes did defeat the Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 in the CFP Semifinal contest at the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona. The Florida Panthers were approaching the Winter Olympics break and had 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat were in contention for a postseason spot and were 27-25 in the Eastern Conference standings.  

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.4 again. The University of Florida Gators men's basketball team had a record of 16-6 this season. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.2 for the third straight month. They added a new afternoon show co-hosted by Ken LaVicka and Josh Cohen in early January. Andy Slater is their other weekday local show during mid-afternoons, which has been around at WMEN since October 2018. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team had a 14-10 record. 

     The WINZ stream on WZTU-FM-HD2 shifted from a 0.3 to a 0.1 in the period. The WQAM stream from Audacy was no longer calculated in January and that number has been added to their overall radio station ratings. They did have a 0.0 mark in December. 

Bucks Run By Heat

     The Milwaukee Bucks passed by the Miami Heat 128-117 on Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum. The Heat began a short two-game road slate. The Heat's three-game winning streak was snapped. 

     Milwaukee(25-31) held a slight 30-29 lead at the end of the opening quarter. The Bucks held a 63-58 advantage at halftime. 

     Miami(31-28) moved out in front 93-89 by the end of the third quarter. It was a close game during the early part of the fourth quarter. The Bucks scored 10 consecutive points on their way to a 16-2 run in the final four minutes of the contest. 

     Norman Powell dropped in a club-high 26 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo fell short of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Andrew Wiggins was able to contribute 16 points. Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware both came off the bench with 14 points each. 

     Kevin Porter Jr. led the Bucks with a game-high 32 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds. Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins added 21 points each. Kyle Kuzma ended up with 19 points in the victory. 

Rod Allen Announces Caribbean Series

     Rod Allen was the television game analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Craig Minervini on the 2026 Caribbean Series earlier this month. The contests were televised on MLB Network. 

     Allen has been a television studio analyst and television game analyst of Miami Marlins games since 2022. He added duties as a Marlins radio game analyst in 2025. Allen previously had a long reign as the Detroit Tigers television game analyst from 2003 until 2018.

NHL Hockey Olympians In Miami

     Players from Team USA and Team Canada in the men's hockey gold medal game will arrive at Miami International Airport early on Monday. The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded on Sunday in Italy. 

     The United States-bound planes were diverted to Miami from Newark and New York City. The reason was the bad hazardous weather in the Northeast portion of the United States. Individual players will fly out of Miami to cities where their NHL teams are based before the resumption of the National Hockey League regular season on Wednesday.  

Inter Miami CF Lose Season Opener

     The reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF began their 2026 Major League Soccer campaign and lost their season opener to LAFC 3-0 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night. The Herons began their seventh season in Major League Soccer. Inter Miami CF played their first MLS contest in franchise history in Los Angeles against the same club back in March 2020. 

     The game turned out to be the highest-attended Major League Soccer game on opening weekend in its 31-year history. The attendance for the contest at Los Angeles Memorial Stadium was 75,673. It was the second-largest crowd ever for a MLS contest. 

     LAFC(1-0-0) scooted out to a 1-0 advantage in the 38th minute. The Herons turned the ball over near midfield which led to a 13-yard shot by David Martinez with his left foot.

     Inter Miami CF(0-1-0) was behind 2-0 during the 73rd minute on a tally by Denis Bouanga. He headed the ball over the head of Herons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair at the 35-yard line and then placed in a right-footed shot into an empty net from 10 yards away. 

     It became 3-0 for LAFC in stoppage time at the end of the second half. Bouanga crossed the ball from the left side and Nathan Ordaz found the back of the net tapping in a five-yard shot with his right foot. 

Winter Olympics NBC Ice Hockey Announcers

     The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy concluded on Sunday. It was the 25th edition of the Olympic Winter Games.

     NBC had the United States television rights to the 2026 Winter Olympics. They had numerous on-air personnel for the ice hockey tournaments. Many of them announce National Hockey League games on TNT.

      Kenny Albert was the primary play-by-play announcer for the telecasts. He announced the gold medal games in men's hockey and women's hockey. Albert announced 24 hockey games in an 18-day period. 

      Eddie Olczyk was the game analyst and Brian Boucher worked as the rinkside reporter. Kathryn Tappen was the locker room reporter.

      NBC did have secondary on-air personnel. Brendan Burke and A.J. Mleczko were the secondary announcers for other ice hockey contests. 

United States Tops Canada For Gold Medal

     Team USA defeated Team Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Sunday. Both teams had previously met in the gold medal contest in 2002 and 2010 with the Canadians victorious in both. It was the last sporting event to be held at this year's Winter Olympics.

     Team USA captured their first gold medal since 1980. It was the third time overall during the Winter Olympics that the Americans won the gold medal in men's ice hockey. Today is the 46th anniversary of the Miracle Of Ice by the United States against the Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York. 

     Both nations faced each other in the Winter Olympics for the eighth time. Team Canada is now 6-2 on those eight meetings against Team USA. 

     Canada remains at three gold medals in men's hockey when National Hockey League players are involved. It was the first time since 2014 that NHL players participated in the men's hockey tournament. The Canadians medaled for a record 17th time in men's ice hockey. 

     Team Canada captain and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby did not dress and participate in the game. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid was elevated to the captain position for them. 

     Team USA alternate captain and Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk won his first goal medal. Panthers center Sam Reinhart, center Sam Bennett and center Brad Marchand finished with the silver medal for Team Canada. Former Florida Panthers center and current New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck also captured a gold medal for Team USA. 

     Team USA rolled out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:00 mark of the first period with their first shot of the contest. Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes cycled the puck from the American end wall. Team USA captain and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews centered it in his own zone. Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy carried the puck through the neutral zone and split two defenders in the middle of the Canadians zone. He steered in a backhand shot from the top of the crease past St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington for his second tally in the tournament. 

     Team Canada tied it up 1-1 with 1:44 left in the second period. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews angled a pass from the left point. Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar released a forehand shot from the right-circle dot by Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his second goal in this men's hockey tournament. 

     There was no scoring by either nation during the third period. Team USA won the game and the gold medal at 1:41 of overtime. Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski sent a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes fired a wrist shot from the inner left circle. It was the fourth goal by Hughes in the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

Finland Wins Bronze Medal

     Team Finland broke by Team Slovakia 6-1 for the men's hockey bronze medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Saturday. Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell, left wing Eetu Luostarinen and defenseman Niko Mikkola will receiver a bronze medal on the podium Sunday. 

     Finland medaled in their second straight Winter Olympics men's hockey tournament and in seven of the last nine occasions. It was their fourth consecutive Winter Olympics medal with National Hockey League players participating. They captured the gold medal back in 2022 in Beijing, China. Slovakia won their first men's hockey medal ever picking up the bronze medal four years ago.

     In the first period, Team Finland flew out to a 1-0 lead at 7:27 of the first period. Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected his fourth goal of the tournament as he swept in a shot from the blue paint.

     It became 2-0 for Team Finland at the 8:05 mark of the second period. One-time Florida Panthers left wing Erik Haula released a wrist shot from the right wing.  

     Team Slovakia capitalized on a bad bounce off the end wall. Former NHL player Tomas Tatar scored on a backhand shot from the crease area with 29.2 seconds remaining in the second and cut it to 2-1. 

     Team Finland extended their lead to 3-1 at 8:27 of the third period. Dallas Stars left wing Roope Hintz redirected a shot at the top of the crease. 

     They would make it 4-1 just 42 seconds later. Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko snapped a shot from the right-circle dot. Los Angeles Kings right wing Joel Armia added an empty-net goal from the neutral zone with 4:28 left for a 5-1 lead. Haula score a tally into an empty net from the inner left circle for his second goal of the contest with 1:18 to go for a four-goal margin. 

Heat Evaporate Grizzlies

     The Miami Heat streaked by the Memphis Grizzlies 136-120 on Saturday night at Kaseya Center. It was the Heat's first home game in South Florida since February 9. They now have a three-game winning streak and are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. 

     Miami(31-27) outscored their opponent 39-33 in the opening quarter. Memphis(21-34) stayed with the pace in the second quarter and they were down 73-68 at halftime. 

     The Heat extended their lead and held a 112-94 advantage at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Grizzlies tried to cut the deficit during the final quarter.

     Andrew Wiggins led the Heat with a game-high 28 points while Norman Powell finished with 25 points. Tyler Herro was able to pump in 14 points in the victory. Kel'el Ware ended up with a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. 

     G.G Jackson fell short of a double-double with a game-high 28 points along with nine rebounds for Memphis. Jaylen Wells ended up with 25 points. 

United States Routs Slovakia

     Team USA crushed Team Slovakia 6-2 in the 2026 Winter Olympics men's hockey semifinals on Friday in Milan. The Americans will play for the gold medal on Sunday against Team Canada.

     The United States was up 2-0 after the first period. They increased their lead to 5-0 by the end of the second period. 

      Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk picked up the secondary assist on a tally by Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel at the 12:33 mark of the second for a 4-0 advantage. Former Florida Panthers center Vincent Trocheck got the primary assist on a goal by Ottawa Senators center Brady Tkachuk to give Team USA a 6 -1 lead with 9:08 remaining in the third.

Canada Slips By Finland

     Team Canada squeezed by Team Finland 3-2 on Friday in the men's hockey semifinals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The Canadians will challenge Team xxxxx in the goal medal game on Sunday. Finland will play for the bronze medal tomorrow. 

     Team Finland scored a shorthanded goal at the 3:26 mark of the second period to make it 2-0. Los Angeles Kings right wing Joel Armia cleared the puck out of the his zone. Former Florida Panthers left wing Erik Haula skated in on a breakaway and lifted a backhand shot from the top of the crease for the tally. 

     Team Canada picked up a power-play goal with 5:40 remaining of the second and cut it 2-1. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid angled a pass from the right wing. Colorado Avalanche released a shot from the top of the zone and it was deflected in by Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart from the crease area. 

     The Canadians took their first lead of the game 3-2 with 35.2 seconds left in the third on the power play. McDavid connected a cross-ice pass from the right-circle dot and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon blasted a slap shot from the low left circle. 

Heat Spoil Hawks

     The Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-97 at State Farm Arena on Friday night. It was the Heat's first contest since the NBA All-Star Game break. 

     Miami(30-27) rocketed out to a 29-16 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Atlanta(27-31) chopped at the lead during the second quarter and trailed 57-51 at halftime.

     The Heat expanded their lead to 87-75 after three quarters. They outscored the Hawks 41-22 in the final frame.

      Tyler Herro came off the bench with a game-high 24 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo dropped in 17 points while Norman Powell added 15 points.

WSWN Sold

    WSWN-AM 900 in Belle Glade has officially changed ownership. It was sold by Sugar Broadcasting to Shekinah Radio International for $725,000.

     WSWN had gone by the longtime brand name Sugar 900. It was the radio home of Glades Central Raiders and the Pahokee Blue Devils high school football games for many decades until the end of 2014 with Mike Dee as the play-by-play announcer. Pro Football Hall of Fame player Rickey Jackson was a radio game analyst on Pahokee game broadcasts from 2006 until 2014. 

Finland Overcomes Switzerland

     Team Finland came back on Team Switzerland 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday in the men's hockey quarterfinals of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. They moved to the semifinals and will battle Team Canada on Friday. 

     Team Finland closed it to 2-1 with 6:06 remaining in the third period. Florida Panthers left wing Eetu Luostarinen connected a cross-ice pass from the left wing. Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho then snapped a shot from the top right circle. They tied it up 2-2 using an extra skater with 1:12 to go in the third on a tally by Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen. 

     The contest would go into overtime. Team Finland picked up the 3-2 victory at the 3:23 mark. Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell sent a lead pass from the neutral zone. Lehkonen went in alone on a breakaway and placed in a forehand shot from the slot area.

Myron Gardner Re-Signs With Heat

     Myron Gardner has signed a three-year deal with the Miami Heat. He inked a two-way contract with the organization back in July. 

     Gardner made his NBA debut with the Heat earlier this season. He has averaged 4.2 point-per-game and 3.0 rebounds-per-game in 26 contests during the 2025-26 campaign. 

United States Skates By Sweden

     Team USA got by Team Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the men's hockey quarterfinals in Milan, Italy on Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The United States advanced to the semifinal round and will challenge Team Slovakia on Friday. 

     There was no scoring in the opening frame. In the second period, the Americans made it 1-0 with 8:57 remaining on a deflection in the crease area by Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin past former Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom. 

     Team Sweden pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 1:43 to go in the third period. They would score with 1:31 left in the third when New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad fired a one-time slap shot from the left-circle dot to tie it up 1-1. 

     In overtime, Team USA won 2-1 at the 3:27 mark. Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes released a wrist shot from the high slot. 

Canada Escapes Czechia

     Team Canada survived Team Czechia 4-3 in overtime during the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on Wednesday. The Canadians moved on to the semifinals and will face Team Finland on Friday. 

     Team Czechia tied it up 1-1 at 8:34 of the first period. Former Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas intercepted a pass at the red line and carried it into the Canadians zone. He made a cross-ice pass from the top right circle which led to a goal by Lukas Sedlak in the crease area. 

     Team Canada got the win at the 1:22 mark in overtime. Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner skated through the middle of the ice by three Czechia defenders and backhanded a shot from the inner left circle. 

Ashley Nicole Moss Done At BET

     BET has announced that they have canceled 106 & Sports co-hosted by Cam Newton and Ashley Nicole Moss. The program was introduced by that network back in October 2025. 

     Moss will continue working at CBS HQ in Fort Lauderdale as a studio host along with being a podcast co-host of We Need To Talk Now. She was an on-air sidekick for the mid-afternoon show hosted by The Greek on Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM until September 2021.

Tim Graham On Buffalo Radio

     Former Miami Dolphins reporter Tim Graham started on a radio program at WGR-AM in Buffalo on February 9. He is the co-host of the early afternoon show WGR Insiders. Graham continues to work as an NFL writer for ESPN.com. 

     Graham once worked at the Palm Beach Post as the Miami Dolphins beat writer. He previously was with the Buffalo News as the Buffalo Sabres beat writer prior to his arrival in South Florida. 

Germany Over France

     Team Germany defeated Team France 5-1 in Milan, Italy on Tuesday. It was a play-in game between both nations in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Team Germany advanced and will face Team Slovakia in the quarterfinals of the men's hockey bracket on Wednesday. 

     Former Florida Panthers center Nico Sturm contributed to the victory. He placed in an empty-net goal with 56 seconds remaining in the third period for a four-goal gap 5-1. 

Marlins Deal Josh Simpson

     The Miami Marlins have traded relief pitcher Josh Simpson to the Seattle Mariners. The Fish will receive cash in return. 

     Simpson made his Major League Baseball debut with Miami last season. He finished with a 4-2 record and a 7.34 earned run average in 31 games with the Marlins in 2025. 

Dolphins Releasing More Players

     The Miami Dolphins will be dropping more players from their roster. It is a way for the team to eliminate salary for spending money in the future. The club had been over the salary cap during this past NFL calendar year. 

     The Dolphins will be letting go wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and center James Daniels. Westbrook-Ikhine was with the Fins for one season and compiled 11 pass receptions for 89 receiving yards in 15 games. Daniels was added to the team last year and participated in one contest in 2025. 

Dolphins Release Tyreek Hill

     The Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Tyreek Hill. He spent the past four seasons with the organization. 

     Hill was acquired by the Dolphins from the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2022. He had 340 catches for 4,733 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns in 54 games with Miami. Hill captured Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium in February 2021. 

Program Directors On News/Talk National List

     Several people with a South Florida connection appear on the 2025 Barrett Media news/talk local program directors list in the United States. They include Ken Charles, Grace Blazer and Paul Mason. 

     Charles finished second overall among local program directors in major markets. He was the program director at 940 WINZ-AM and 610 WIOD-AM in Miami from early 2007 to December 2012. Charles is currently the program director at WSB-AM and WSB-FM in Atlanta since August 2022. 

     Blazer ended up in 12th place for large markets. She has been the program director at 940 WINZ-AM and 610 WIOD-AM in Miami since February 2013. 

     Mason was fifth on the list for program directors in medium markets. He was the program director at 640 WMEN-AM and 850 WFTL-AM in West Palm Beach from March 2017 until April 2020. Mason holds the programming post at WGFX-FM and WTN-FM in Nashville since May 2020. 

Dolphins Cut Bradley Chubb

     The Miami Dolphins have released linebacker Bradley Chubb. He had one year remaining on his current contract with the team. 

     Chubb was with the Dolphins from 2022 to 2025. He participated in 41 games with the Fins and had 22 sacks along with three fumble recoveries. 

Canada Mauls France

     Team Canada destroyed Team France 10-1 at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on Sunday. They ended up first in Group A and clinched the top seed for the remainder of men's hockey play.  

     Canada led 3-1 after one period and 6-1 after two periods. Florida Panthers centers Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett both collected assists on a goal by New York Islanders center Bo Horvat to make it 8-2 at 5:14 of the third period. 

2026 NBA All-Star Game

     The 2026 NBA All-Star Game was held at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Sunday night. USA Stars were the eventual champions of the event as they dominated USA Stripes 47-21 in a one-quarter championship tilt. Former Miami Heat forward LeBron James had five points and four rebounds in six minutes during the final game.

     Miami Heat guard Norman Powell played for the World Team. He ended up with no points in seven minutes with the squad in the first game against USA Stars, which they lost 37-35 in overtime. Powell finished with five points and two assists in seven minutes of play versus USA Stripes in a 48-45 loss that eliminated them. 

United States Topples Germany

     Team USA knocked off Team Germany 5-1 on Sunday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The Americans finished first in Group C with a 3-0-0 record and will get a bye to play in the quarterfinal round. 

     The United States are the second seed for the upcoming men's hockey bracket. Team Canada is the first seed due to the goal differential in the group round.

     Team USA converted on the power play at 3:25 mark of the second period for a 2-0 advantage. Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk chalked up a secondary assist on a tally from Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews. 

     The Americans increased their lead to 3-0 with 2:25 remaining in the second when Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber scored. Matthew Tkachuk got the primary assist on the play while his brother Ottawa Senators center Brady Tkachuk. 

Suns Signing Haywood Highsmith

     The Phoenix Suns are about to sign forward Haywood Highsmith to a multi-year contract. He was traded by the Miami Heat to the Brooklyn Nets in August 2025, however he never played a contest with them. 

     Highsmith played the past four seasons with the Heat from 2021-22 until 2024-25. He averaged 5.5 points-per-game in 213 games with Miami. 

2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

     Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson was the winner of the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday night. He defeated Carter Bryant of the San Antonio Spurs in the championship round.

     Johnson was one of four participants in the event. He ended up second during the first round and advanced to the final round.

2026 NBA Three-Point Contest

   Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers captured the 2026 NBA Three-Point Contest on Saturday at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. He became a three-time winner of the event tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.

      Miami Heat guard Norman Powell participated in the event. He finished in fifth place during the first round with 23 points and did not qualify for the final round.

Heat Players In Rising Stars

     The NBA Rising Stars tournament was held on Friday night at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles for NBA All-Game Weekend. Miami Heat forward Kel'el Ware and guard Jahmir Young both participated and lost in the semifinal round. 

     Ware had seven points and three rebounds in 10 minutes as Team T-Mac fell to Team Vince 41-36. Young finished with three points in six minutes play as Team Austin was defeated by Team Melo 40-34. 

Josh Davies Inks With Milwaukee Admirals

     Former Florida Panthers prospect Josh Davies has signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. He will be with that club for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. 

     Davies has never played a contest in the National Hockey League. He had 12 points in 31 games this season with the Panthers ECHL affiliate in Savannah. 

United States Drops Denmark

     Team USA scrambled by Team Denmark 6-3 in Group C of men's hockey in Milan at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday. Team USA finished undefeated and first in Group C with a 2-0-0 record. They will face Team Germany on Sunday. 

     Team Denmark surprisingly found themselves ahead 2-1 at the end of the first period. They took a 2-1 lead on a shot by Nicholas B. Jensen all the way from the red line at 11:16. 

     It became 3-2 for Team USA following two offensive faceoff wins during the second period. Matthew Tkachuk poked the puck ahead for a Jack Eichel goal in the right circle with 9:37 left in the frame. Former Florida Panthers center Vincent Trocheck had the primary assist on a pass in the neutral zone and Noah Hanifin got a tally from the inner left circle to give them a 4-2 advantage with 2:37 remaining in the second. 

Finland Dominates Italy

     Team Finland pounded Team Italy 11-0 in men's hockey play at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Saturday. Team Finland finished second in Group A with a 2-1-0 record. Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell did not play for Team Finland today due to an illness. 

     Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola picked up the primary assist on a goal by Seattle Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko at 10:18 of the opening frame to make it 3-0. Mikkola took a slap shot from the left point and it was redirected in by Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta in the slot area at the 4:04 mark of the second period for a 4-0 lead. 

     Florida Panthers left wing Eetu Luostarinen became a part the rout during the second. He got the primary assist with a cross-ice pass from the left wing on Kaako's tally from the right circle at 7:39 and the secondary assist on a goal by Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund from the left side of the crease with 2:24 left in the period to lead 6-0. 

Latvia Covers Germany

     Team Latvia got by Team Germany 4-3 on Saturday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Both nations now have 1-0-1 records in Group C. 

     Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis and former Panthers forward Rudolfs Balcers collected their first assists on the same play. Dans Locmelis scored at 8:02 of the second period to make it 2-2.

TUDN Radio Returns To Miami

     TUDN Radio has come back to the Miami area. The Spanish-language sports radio network has been picked up by TelevisaUnivision for WRTO-FM-HD2 on the 98.3 FM frequency. They will have access to play-by-play broadcasts of UEFA Champions League, Liga MX and the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic. 

     The TUDN Radio brand was placed on 1140 WQBA-AM beginning in April 2019. The radio station  was flipped from a Spanish-language sports format in August 2024. 

Bush Hamdan Dolphins Quarterbacks Coach

     The Miami Dolphins have named Bush Hamdan as their new quarterbacks coach. He will be in charge of Fins quarterback including current starter Tua Tagovailoa. 

     Hamdan has mainly been involved coaching in college football since 2009. The exception was a one-year stint as the Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach in 2017.

Jesus Sanchez Traded To Blue Jays

     The Houston Astros have traded outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Joey Loperfido. The Miami Marlins dealt Sanchez to the Astros last season on July 31. 

     Sanchez played his first six seasons in the majors with the Miami. He had 69 home runs, 226 runs batted in and a .243 batting average in 532 games with the Marlins. 

Finland Flushes Sweden

     Team Finland rolled by Team Sweden 5-1 in men's ice hockey on Friday in Milan, Italy. It was the second game for both teams in Group B during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Both nations are now 1-1-0 in group play. 

     In the first period, Team Finland got out to a 2-0 lead. Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell scored the game-winning goal with 4:34 remaining in the first to give them a two-goal advantage. 

Lindsay Czarniak Working Winter Olympics

     Former Miami television sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak is working the 2026 Winter Olympics for NBC. She has been a daytime studio host on their airwaves along with USA Network. Her husband is NBC Today morning co-host Craig Melvin. 

    Czarniak was a sports anchor and sports reporter at NBC 6 WTVJ-TV in Miami during the mid-2000s. She then became a studio co-host of the George Michael Sports Machine and a sportscaster at WRC-TV in Washington D.C. Czarniak moved on to ESPN and was a sports anchor from 2011 until 2017. 

Manny Munoz On Midday Show List

     Miami talk show host Manny Munoz appears in 20th place on the 2025 Barrett Media top 20 news/talk midday shows in the United States. He has hosted a late morning program on 610 WIOD-AM since January 2023. 

     Munoz previously was involved in sports broadcasting locally. He was the program director at 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM from September 1999 to December 2000. Munoz was a morning sports anchor on the Jimmy Cefalo morning program on WIOD. He also announced daytime sports updates on Fox Sports Radio 940 WINZ-AM. 

Jahmir Young In Rising Stars Event

     Miami Heat guard Jahmir Young has been added to the Rising Stars contest during NBA All-Star Game weekend. The event will be held at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Friday night. 

     Young is in his first season with the Miami Heat and second season in the NBA. He has averaged 2.1 point-per-game in eight games in 2025-26. 

United States Downs Latvia

     Team USA beat Team Latvia 5-1 in the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday night in Milan, Italy. It was the first contest for both squads in Group C. 

     The Tkachuk brothers and the Hughes brothers became the first set of brothers to participate in a Winter Olympics game for the United States since 1964. National Hockey League players have not been involved in Winter Olympics men's hockey play since 2014. 

     Team USA took a 1-0 lead at the 5:29 mark of the first period. Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk slid a pass across the right point and his brother Ottawa Senators center Brady Tkachuk snapped a shot from the high slot past Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins. 

     Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson scored a power-play goal with 11.1 seconds remaining in the second period to make it 4-1. Tkachuk was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

Canada Blanks Czechia

     Team Canada shut out Team Czechia 5-0 in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Thursday. It was the first game for both clubs in Group A.

     Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand picked up an assist for Team Canada. He had the primary assist on a goal by New York Islanders center Bo Horvat during the second period to make it 3-0. 

Norman Powell Moves To World Team

      Miami Heat guard Norman Powell has been shifted from the USA Stripes team to the World squad for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. It will occur on Sunday at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. 

      He will replace Milwaukee Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo on the World roster. San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox has been added to the USA Stripes club to take the place of Powell. 

Jacob Stallings Retires

     Former Miami Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings has ended his Major League Baseball playing career. He mentioned that he will become a part of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball operations department. 

     Stallings finished up a 10-year MLB career. He spent the first six seasons with the Pirates. Stallings played from 2023 to 2024 with the Marlins and amassed a .210 batting average in 202 contests. 

Marlins Get John King

     The Miami Marlins have inked relief pitcher John King to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $1.5 million.

     King has been in the majors since 2020 campaign. He has split his time between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Sid Rosenberg Top News/Talk Local Morning Show

     Former South Florida sports talk host Sid Rosenberg has been named the #1 news/talk morning show host in the United States by Barrett Media for their 2025 top 20 morning shows in that format. Rosenberg is the morning host on 77 WABC-AM in New York City.

     He recently celebrated his 10th anniversary working at that radio station in January. Rosenberg joined WABC as a midday co-host with Bernard McGuirk in January 2016 and stayed in that position until March 2018. Their program was shifted to the morning show replacing Don Imus in April 2018. Rosenberg has hosted the morning drive show alone since McGuirk passed away in October 2022. 

     Rosenberg had a 10-year reign at several radio stations throughout South Florida. He began as a fill-in host at Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in the Fall of 2005. He would then be elevated to midday co-host alongside O.J. McDuffie. Rosenberg was promoted to morning host in 2017 and remained there until May 2009. 

     He landed at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in August 2009 as a midday host. Rosenberg later became their afternoon host from June 2010 to April 2012. He was the morning host at 640 Sports WMEN-AM from August 2012 until his contract was not renewed in December 2015. 

Heat Hold Off Pelicans

     The Miami Heat handled the New Orleans Pelicans 123-111 at Smoothie King Arena on Wednesday night. It was the final contest for Heat prior to the NBA All-Star Game break. 

     Miami(29-27) had a 31-25 advantage by the end of the opening quarter. New Orleans(15-41) cut the deficit down during the second quarter and trailed 58-55 at halftime. 

     The Heat went on a spurt late in the third quarter and led 96-85 at the end of the frame. The Pelicans scored 10 straight points and were down 112-105 with 4:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. Simone Fontecchio scored a three-point shot with 54.4 seconds left for a seven-point margin to put the game away. 

     Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points along with 13 rebounds while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 21 points for Miami. Kel'el Ware compiled a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Myron Gardner fell short of a double-double of eight points and 10 rebounds. 

     Zion Williamson led New Orleans with team-high 25 points. Trey Murphy III was able to contribute 19 points in the loss. 

Adam Gase Joining Chargers

     Former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase is joining the Los Angeles Chargers as an offensive assistant coach. He had not been involved coaching in the National Football League since he was the head coach of the New York Jets in 2019 and 2020. 

     Gase held the head coaching post with the Miami Dolphins for three seasons from 2016 to 2018. He ended up with a 23-35 record with the Fins. Gase guided the Dolphins to the postseason in 2016 with a 10-6 mark. 

George Soriano Acquired By Cardinals

     Former Miami Marlins relief pitcher George Soriano has been traded by the Washington Nationals to the St. Louis Cardinals for Andre Granillo. Soriano has been claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals during the offseason.

    Soriano has played his entire three-year MLB career with Miami. He had a 5.95 earned run average in 72 games with the Marlins from 2023 to 2025.  

Matthew Tkachuk Team USA Alternate Captain

     Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk has been named the alternate captain of Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. They will play in the men's hockey tournament later this week. NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014. 

     Tkachuk played for the United States in the 4 Nations Tournament last year. He helped the Panthers win two straight Stanley Cup titles and three Eastern Conference championships since his arrival in South Florida. 

Chris Paddack Back With Marlins

     Starting pitcher Chris Paddack has returned to the Miami Marlins. He has signed a one-year contract that is worth $4 million. 

     He was selected in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Marlins. Paddack was traded by Miami to the San Diego Padres for Fernando Rodney in June 2016.

     Paddack pitched for the Padres from 2019 until 2021. He then spent four seasons with the Minnesota Twins from 2022 to 2025. Paddack split last season between the Twins and the Detroit Tigers. 

Marlins Throwback Alternate Jerseys

     The Miami Marlins introduced their new throwback alternate jerseys for the 2026 season during Marlins Fanfest at loanDepot park on Saturday. The first time the team will wear them is on March 29 in Miami. It is their third game of the regular season. 

     The throwback jerseys are teal with the word Marlins in black across the chest. The original Florida Marlins logo will appear on the sleeve. 

WQAM Makes National List

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM appeared in the Barrett Media top 25 sports talk radio stations in the United States. It ended up in 25th place during 2025. 

     WQAM has shown up several times over the past nine years. They were 19th in 2017, 25th in 2022 and 21st in 2024. 

Heat Played By Jazz

     The Miami Heat fell to the Utah Jazz 115-111 at Kaseya Center on Monday night. It was the Heat's final home game before the NBA All-Star Game break. 

     Miami(28-27) jumped out to a 24-9 advantage to begin the contest and led 32-26 after one quarter. Utah(16-38) mounted a comeback in the second quarter and had a 61-52 lead at halftime. 

     The Jazz held a slight 85-82 lead at the conclusion of the third quarter. Utah pulled ahead of the Heat 113-111 on a three-point shot by Brice Sensabaugh with 46.8 seconds remaining in the final quarter. 

     Kasparas Jackucionas came off the bench and scored 20 points for Miami. Bam Adebayo finished up with 23 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Andrew Wiggins dropped in 26 points while Davion Mitchell compiled 12 points.

     Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Jazz with a club-high 22 points. Lauri Markkanen was able to contribute 17 points. Jusuf Nurkic composed a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds. 

Norman Powell In Three-Point Contest

     Miami Heat forward Norman Powell was named as one of the eight participants for the NBA three-point contest. It will be held on Saturday in Los Angeles at Intuit Dome. 

     Powell is in his first season with the Heat and will make his first appearance in the event. He has a 39.3% from the three-point area this season. Miami Heat player Tyler Herro won the NBA three-point contest last year. 

Heat Wallop Wizards

     The Miami Heat routed the Washington Wizards 132-101 at Capital One Arena on Sunday. The Heat completed a two-game road swing. 

     Washington(14-38) had a 20-11 spurt to start the game, however Miami(28-26) bounced back and were up 37-33 after one quarter. The Heat stretched their lead more to 74-52 by halftime. 

     Miami extended their margin and led 107-75 at the conclusion of the third quarter. Both teams brought out reserve players off the bench for the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo guided the Heat with a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Miami had two double-doubles from Andrew Wiggins with 11 points and 10 rebounds along with Kel'el Ware with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Norman Powell was able to contribute 21 points in the victory. 

     Three players from the Wizards had a 13 points each. They were Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington. 

Keshad Johnson In Slam Dunk Contest

     The National Basketball Association has announced that Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson will be one of four participants for the NBA Slam Dunk contest. It will be held next Saturday at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. 

     All four players will make their debut in the event. The reigning three-time slam dunk champion Mac McClung was not invited to defend his title. 

     Johnson has played 37 games with the Heat over the past seasons. He has averaged 2.9 points-per-game during his Miami tenure. 

Juho Lammikko Heads To Switzerland

     One-time Florida Panthers forward Juho Lammikko has signed a three-year contract with Zurich in the Switzerland National League. The deal will run through the 2027-28 season. 

     Lammikko was recently with the New Jersey Devils for 24 games in 2025-26. He spent 2018-19 and 2020-21 with the Panthers and had 11 points in 84 contests. 

Paul Mason Top Mid-Market Sports Radio Program Director

     Former West Palm Beach radio executive Paul Mason has been named the top mid-market program director of a sports station in the United States during 2025. Barrett Media selected him first among their top 20 in that category. 

     Mason is the program director of 104.5 The Zone WGFX-FM in Nashville since May 2020. He previously was the program director at 640 WMEN-AM and 850 WFTL-AM from March 2017 until April 2020. 

     He was selected by Barrett Media and their prior brand Barrett Sports Media in recent years. Mason finished 13th in 2020, 16th in 2021, fourth in 2022, sixth in 2023 and fourth in 2024.  

Len Weiner Lands On Program Directors List

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM and 560 WQAM-AM programming chief Len Weiner appears on the top 25 local sports radio program directors list decided by Barrett Media. Weiner ended up in 21st place in 2025.

     He has been the WQAM program director since February 2018. Audacy added an FM frequency simulcast of their Miami sports station back on August 7. 

     Weiner has been a regularly listed in recent years. He was 25th in 2018, 21st in 2019, 21st in 2020, 20th in 2021, 22nd in 2022, 21st in 2023 and 20th in 2024. 

Craig Minvervini Working Caribbean Series

     South Florida sportscaster Craig Minervini is announcing the Caribbean Series as the television play-by-play announcer for the second straight year. The games have been seen on MLB Network. 

     Minervini worked as a fill-in radio play-by-play announcer of the Miami Marlins last season. He has a long stint as the Marlins television studio host since 2002. 

Marlins Trade Victor Mesa Jr.

      The Miami Marlins have traded outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins will receive back infielder Angel Brachi. 

      Mesa made his Major League Baseball debut with Miami in 2025. He had one home run, six runs batted in and a .188 batting average in 16 games with the Marlins.

Celtics Escape Heat

     The Boston Celtics survived the Miami Heat 98-96 at TD Garden on Friday night. The Heat began a short two-game road swing. The Celtics leaped to second place in the Eastern Conference. 

     Miami(27-26) steamrolled out to a 15-2 to begin the contest. They had a 29-15 advantage at the conclusion of the first quarter. The Heat continued the pressure in the second quarter and lead 59-38 at halftime. 

     Boston(34-18) outscored the Heat 36-15 during the third quarter and both teams were tied 74-74 after three quarters. Neither club led by more than five points in the final frame and the Celtics held on in the final minute of the fourth quarter.    

     Andrew Wiggins led the Heat with a team-high 26 points. Norman Powell contributed 24 points and Bam Adebayo added 16 points along with seven rebounds. 

     Jaylen Brown knocked down a game-high 29 points for the C's. Derrick White ended up with 21 points while Payton Pritchard had 24 points coming off the bench. 

Panthers Put Josh Davies On Unconditional Waivers

     The Florida Panthers have placed forward Josh Davies to unconditional waivers. It will result in the Panthers terminating the contract of Davies. Florida did the same thing recently with forward Ryan McAllister. 

     Davies spent his time last season between the Panthers ECHL affiliate in Savannah and the Panthers AHL affiliate Charlotte. He had 12 points in 31 games with Savannah this season. 

Juho Lammikko Gone From Devils

     The New Jersey Devils have put right wing Juho Lammikko on unconditional waivers. The club will terminate his contract. He participated in 24 games with the Devils this season and chalked up two points. 

     Lammikko was previously on the Florida Panthers in 2018-19 and 2020-21. He finished with 11 points in 84 contests. 

Lionel Messi Selected Best Soccer Player Ever

     The Soccer 100 book publication, which is associated with The Athletic, has named Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi the greatest player ever in soccer history. The book was written by Oliver Kay and James Horncastle. 

     Messi has been with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer since July 2023. He led the Herons to the MLS Cup championship in 2025 along with the Leagues Cup title in 2024. 

     He won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and helped them reach the World Cup title game in 2014. Messi played most of his professional soccer career with FC Barcelona.

      The Athletic came out with the Basketball 100 book in 2024. Former Miami Heat forward LeBron James was selected second all-time among the top 100 players in basketball history. The book was authored by David Aldridge and John Hollinger. 

Hochman, Crowder & Solana On Afternoon Sports Show List

     Barrett Media issued their list for the top 25 local afternoon sports radio shows in the United States. The afternoon program of Marc Hochman, Channing Crowder and Alejandro Solana on 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM finished 19th in 2025. 

     Hochman and Crowder has appeared in previous years. They were 19th in 2017, 25th in 2020, 22nd in 2021, 25th in 2022, 17th in 2023 and 18th in 2024. 

Lightning Smash Panthers

     The Tampa Bay Lightning stormed by the Florida Panthers 6-1 on Thursday night at Benchmark International Arena. It was the final game for both clubs before the 2026 Winter Olympics break. 

     Panthers defenseman Mikulas Hovorka made his NHL debut with the team tonight. The Lightning have won five straight games and have a 19-1-1 record in their last 21 games. 

     Tampa Bay(37-14-4) raced out to a 1-0 advantage at the 2:08 mark of the first period. Victor Hedman blasted a slap shot from the left point and it was redirected in by Brandon Hagel from the inner left circle for his 27th goal of the season. 

     It became 2-0 for the Bolts with 5:52 remaining in the first. Zemgus Girgensons backhanded a shot from the low slot past Daniil Tarasov for his seventh goal in 2025-26. 

     In the second period, the Lightning added a power-play tally to make it 3-0 at 1:14. Jake Guentzel put in a rebound wrist shot from the right side of the crease for his 26th goal this season. 

     They increased their lead to 4-0 with 2:10 left in the second. Erik Cernak got to his own rebound shot and scored his first tally of the year on a wraparound shot. 

     Florida(29-25-3) surrendered another goal at 6:09 of the third period and trailed 5-0. Pontus Holmberg poked in a shot from the blue paint on the power play for his ninth goal of the campaign. 

     The Panthers broke the shutout at the 9:50 mark of the third to make it 5-1. Mackie Samoskevich snapped a shot from the right-circle dot for his sixth goal of the season. 

Team Canada Adds Sam Bennett

     Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett has been added to the Team Canada roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The men's ice hockey tournament will begin next week. 

      Bennett played for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Tourament last year. He has been with the Panthers since the 2020-21 season.

Nick Bjugstad Traded To Devils

     The St. Louis Blues have dealt center Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils. He joined the Blues prior to the 2025-26 campaign and had seven points in 35 contest this season. 

     Bjugstad was once with the Florida Panthers for seven seasons from 2012-13 to 2018-19. He finished with 87 goals and 104 assists for 191 points in 394 games with the Panthers. 

Kyle Keller Off To Red Sox

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Kyle Keller has agreed to a one-year minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He will be invited to their spring training camp. 

     Keller was with the Marlins in 2019 and had a 3.38 earned run average in 10 games. He was with the Los Angeles Angels in 2020 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. 

     He spent the past four seasons in Japan. Keller pitched for the Hanshin Tigers from 2022 to 2023 and the Yomiuri Giants from 2024 to 2025. 

Randy McMichael Appears On Midday Show List

     One-time Miami Dolphins tight end Randy McMichael showed up in the Barrett Media 2025 top 20 midday sports radio shows. His show was in 16th place during 2025. It did finish in 17th place in 2024. 

     McMichael joined 92.9 The Game WZGC-FM in Atlanta back in 2015 hosting a Saturday morning college football program. He was promoted to midday co-host in May 2019. 

Panthers Bag Bruins

     The Florida Panthers knocked off the Boston Bruins 5-4 in a shootout on Wednesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Prior to the game, Florida honored 10 of their players who will participate in the upcoming  2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

       It was the Panthers final home game in Sunrise before the Winter Olympics break. The Panthers are now eight points behind the Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Cats were able to snap a four-game losing streak. 

     In the first period, Florida(29-24-3) took a 1-0 lead at the 4:22 mark. Eetu Luostarinen intercepted a pass in the high slot and placed in a wrist shot from the inner right circle for his seventh goal this season.

     Boston(32-20-5) tied it up 1-1 at 7:18 of the opening frame. Michael Eyssimont collected his seventh tally this year when he buried a forehand shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

      The Bruins moved ahead 2-1 with 7:17 left in the first. Eyssimont stuffed in a shot from the right side of the crease for his second goal of the contest and eighth goal in 2025-26.

     The Cats evened it up 2-2 just 30 seconds into the second period on the man advantage. Uvis Balinskis chalked up his fifth goal of the year as he snapped a shot from the top left circle. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 3-2 on the power play at 2:47. Mathew Tkachuk collected his third goal this season when he backhanded a shot from the left goal line by Joonas Korpisalo. 

       It became 4-2 for Florida with 1:27 remaining in the second. They got a shorthanded goal by Anton Lundell in the low slot on a cross-ice assist from Sam Reinhart.

       The B's closed it to 4-3 at 7:52 of the third period. Charlie McAvoy took a shot from the right point and it went off the face shield of Mark Kastelic in the crease area.

         Boston tied it 4-4 with 9:30 to go on the power play. Casey Middlestadt released a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his 12th goal of the season. 

     The contest would reach the shootout phase. The Panthers won it on their fourth attempt when Brad Marchand lifted a backhand shot. 

Panthers Releasing Ryan McAllister

     The Florida Panthers are placing forward Ryan McAllister on unconditional waivers. It means that his contract will be terminated by the team.

     McAllister signed a three-year contract with Florida in April 2023. It was to last until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. He mainly played with the Panthers AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers for the past three seasons and was never called to participate in an NHL game. 

Norman Powell Makes NBA All-Star Game

     Miami Heat guard Norman Powell has been named to the USA Stripes squad for the upcoming 2026 NBA All-Star Game. It will be Powell's first appearance in the event. 

     Powell was acquired by the Heat during the offseason from the Los Angeles Clippers. He has averaged 23 points per game in 43 contests this season. 

LeBron James In NBA All-Star Game

     Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been selected for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve player. It was his NBA-record 22nd selection to the NBA All-Star Game. James had been voted as a starter for 21 consecutive seasons until this year.

     James was with the Miami Heat for four seasons from 2010-11 until 2013-14. He helped the team capture two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 along with four Eastern Conference titles. 

Marlins Pick Up Garrett Acton

     The Miami Marlins have claimed pitcher Garrett Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. He was selected off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on November 6.  

      He has played with two different teams in the majors. Acton pitched in six contests with the Oakland A's in 2023 and participated in one game with the Rays in 2025. 

Jorge Sedano & Scott Kaplan Make Local Morning Show List

     Former Miami radio sportscasters Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan showed up on the 2025 top 25 local sports radio morning sports shows by Barrett Media. They both co-host the morning program on KSPN-AM in Los Angeles. Their show moved from afternoons to mornings at that radio station on September 2. 

     Both have co-hosted a show together since February 2021. They ended up 19th in 2021, 20th in 2022, 12th in 2023, 14th in 2024 on the local afternoon sports show list. 

Joe Rose On Local Morning Show List

     Joe Rose of 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM appeared on the 2025 Barrett Media top 25 local sports radio morning shows in 24th place. He co-hosts the only local morning sports talk show on the airwaves in South Florida with Danny Rabinowitz.  

     Rose showed up for the 10th consecutive year. He was 18th in 2016, 16th in 2017, 24th in 2018, 22nd in 2019, 23rd in 2020, 22nd in 2021, 21st in 2022, 20th in 2023 and 20th in 2024. 

Hawks Fly Over Heat

     The Atlanta Hawks downed the Miami Heat 127-115 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. The Heat completed a three-game homestand. 

     The Heat honored the 20th anniversary of the 2006 NBA championship team during a halftime ceremony. It was the first time Miami captured an NBA title in franchise history.  

     Atlanta(25-27) raced out to a 33-23 lead by the end of the opening quarter. The Hawks made it a 21-point margin by the midway point of the second quarter and led 67-50 at halftime. 

     Miami(27-25) went on a 19-7 run to begin the second half, however they were down 98-81 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat started the fourth quarter with a 10-4 spurt until the momentum shifted to the Hawks.

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo with a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. Simone Fontecchio dropped in 18 points and Pelle Larsson had 18 points. 

     Jalen Johnson compiled a triple-double for Atlanta with 29 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. C.J. McCollum finished with 26 points while Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 19 points.