In a moment of notable candor — in the aftermath of his son’s notorious no-contest plea for reckless driving — Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) let it be known that teenager Nick was nicer than the way he portrayed himself on the reality TV show, “Hogan Knows Best.” In fact, Bollea revealed — in contrast [...]
Susan Bennett is a white Tampa lawyer and an early Hillary Clinton backer. She was among the 15,000-plus who attended last week’s Barack Obama rally at the St. Pete Times Forum. “I supported Hillary, but I’m also a realist,” said Bennett, 58. “When I saw him speak (at the Democratic Convention) in 2004, I remember [...]
To a lot of observers, the endorsement of Barack Obama by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio was a surprise. She rarely does such things. “I have been watching the campaign closely and continue to be impressed with Obama,” explained Iorio. “His intellect, his outstanding ability to communicate, his grasp of the issues facing this country and [...]
My recent Venezuela column in the Tampa Tribune prompted a prominent response from a local Venezuelan activist who took exception to some points I made. Fair enough. On this subject, I’m not an expert on anything but my own first-hand impressions based on what I saw — from health clinics to brazen street crime — [...]
Amazingly enough, media speculation remains rife about “dream team” scenarios that could yield a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket. As has been well documented – and orchestrated – Obama’s allure, aside from being intelligent and articulate, is his avatar-of-hope and change-agent appeal at a time of consummate cynicism. If he were to put Clinton on [...]
When Florida State University recently fired its popular (football) radio color analyst Peter Tom Willis, the reason was no secret. Willis, a member of the FSU Sports Hall of Fame, had become too critical of the ‘Noles, who have fallen from their seemingly permanent perch among the country’s elite programs. Willis cited some coaching inadequacies, [...]
Finally, an ironic — but likely not final — note on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. For one who deigns to speak – or shriek – for the older black generation, Wright grew up in a decidedly non-Jim Crow environment. The Philadelphia native was raised in Germantown, the same section as Bill Cosby — only Cosby’s [...]
Now that the Platt Street Bridge segment of the Tampa Riverwalk is open, pedestrians can amble 6/10 of a mile to Cotanchobee Park — and take in those postcard vistas. And maybe stop and sip a few along the way. The starting point is actually USF Park. But before proceeding under the bridge and past [...]
You never know who you might run into at the Italian Club in Ybor City. The characters are likely to be as colorful as Tampa’s Italian heritage would suggest. On a recent Friday night, it was an adopted son of Ybor, Angelo Dundee, who was holding court. Dundee, 86, and still quick with the salty [...]
Speculation will now accelerate about who might make the best Barack Obama running mate. Insiders don’t put much credence into a shotgun marriage, “dream team” ticket of Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here’s how one Obama insider, national Hispanic fundraiser Frank Sanchez of Tampa, is handicapping it. He touts Ed Rendell, the Clinton-supporting governor of Pennsylvania, [...]
