Sports Shorts - Opinions to go Online

After 24 years announcing Lightning games, Rick Peckam has retired. Appropriately, his last game was that 5-4 OT win against Columbus that clinched the first-round playoff series. What will be missed: his preparation, his enthusiasm, his professionalism. And being an all-around nice guy who was really good at what he did. I still remember his answer to what I thought was a probing media query. After having perceptively noted that hockey is all about quick, sometimes frenetic, back-and-forth action with personnel and puck direction constantly changing, I asked him how he kept track of it all. “I don’t” was his candid, initial—possibly obvious–response. He then went on to explain that he had to convey the bigger picture and not try in vain to mention everything going on. Of course.
Last week’s Rays-Yankees series included a match-up of Rays pitcher Chaz Roe and Yankees infielder Tyler Wade. That’s right: Roe v Wade.
For what it’s worth, the Bucs are 4-point underdogs to the Saints in the Sept. 13 NFL opener in New Orleans.