SPORTS REPORT

Tampa Bay Rays

Here we are getting ready to start another baseball season and I’m pumped up! The Rays didn’t do a lot during the o -season as they felt comfortable with the roster they have. I know the pitching should be solid led by starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Je rey Springs and newly acquires Zach E in. The bullpen is also set with closers Pete Fairbanks and Jason Adam.

The team will look a bit di erent as they lost: SP Corey Kluber, SP Ryan Yarbrough, RP JP Feyereisen, RP Brooks Raley, 1B Ji-Man Choi, C Mike Zunino, OF David Peralta and the face of the team the past few year OF Kevin Kiermaier during the o -season. The Rays are hoping their younger players can step up and the veterans can stay healthy. The everyday lineup is solid and we can all hope that Yandy Diaz, Manuel Margot, Brandon Lowe, Harold Ramirez, Jose Siri, Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena can have solid and heathy seasons. The Rays open their season at home against the Detroit Tigers 3/30, 4/1 and 4/2. They take a short trip to play 3 games in Washington, return to the Trop and have three games against Oakland, followed by a 4-game visit from the Boston Red Sox. The end of the month features home games with the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros. Get out to the ballpark and root for our Rays!

Tampa Bay Lightning

It was an up-and-down month of March for our Bolts. On some nights they look like Stanley Cup Champions and other nights they look confused and terrible. They are heading into the playo s in good health and I’m hoping they will be ready to make a serious run at another Stanley Cup. The Bolts have six regular season games in April before the playo s start and at press time they are in third place in the Atlantic Division trailing the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

I know we have become accustomed to seeing the team in the playo s but it is a di cult thing to do year-after-year. We are super lucky to have such a great team in our city and our fan support is huge. Tampa Bay is truly a “Hockey Town” and no team in the league wants to play the Bolts. Let’s hope we can once again hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in Amalie Arena in 2023!

Tampa Bay Buccaners

The big news last month was the Bucs signing of QB Baker May eld. I am happy with the signing and I think Baker can become a starting QB for the Bucs for many years. The team proved they didn’t have much faith in QB Kyle Trask as they really didn’t play him last season (even in times where Tom Brady was nor playing - they went to Blaine Gabbert) … the starting job should be Baker’s. May eld can run, he can throw and he’s never had such great weapons as WRs Evans, Godwin and Gage. The Bucs still need a solid running back as I’m not sure that Rachaad White, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and newly signed Chase Edmonds are the answer. The defense is still solid but the draft will be super important. Can the Bucs win their division against the improved Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints? That is a question without an easy answer. All of the teams in the NFC South have made great improvements ... the Panthers have the #1 pick in the draft later this month and the Saints signed QB Derek Carr.

Let’s have hope that the Buc front o ce knows what they are doing. We all know it will be di cult without the GOAT (Tom Brady) on the team but we have to look ahead and hope for the best!

BY PAUL ALLEN - Want to see More sports editorials from Paul Allen? visit Paul Allen Sports on Facebook