Sports Day Tampa Bay

Rick Stroud is joined by Tampa Bay Times Lightning Beat Writer Ed Encina to preview the Tampa Bay Lightning's season that begins tonight at Benchmark International Arena. How healthy is Andrei Vasilevskiy, what changes will they make on the power play, most of the team returns so what does that say and how do they get past the Florida Panthers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Rays new ownership and their plans for a new stadium and the direction of the franchise after they held a press conference on Tuesday. Their goal is to be in a new stadium by Opening Day 2029 which is ambitious. So where will the stadium go and who will pay for it. Plus former Bucs' OC Liam Coen is off to a great start in Jacksonville. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on Baker Mayfield's season that see him in the MVP conversation through 5 games as he has a 4-1 record with 10 TD passes and 1 INT. He's done all this with a beat up offensive line and he's been without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving for some games. Plus Tristan Wirfs was really good on Sunday as was Emeka Egbuka. Then finally the Lightning are issued suspensions and fines for Saturday's melee in Sunrise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers 38-35 last second win over the Seahawks to become the first team in NFL history to win 4 games by 3 points or less in their first 5 games. Emeka Egbuka had a huge day as did Baker Mayfield who completed over 85% of his passes. The defense struggled but won the turnover battle including a late pick by Lavonte David to set up the game-winning field goal. Plus Florida knocks off Texas, Miami beats Florida State and the Lightning-Panthers had over 320 penalty minutes on Saturday night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick preview the Buccaneers-Seahawks game as it looks like Bucky Irving may miss the game but several Bucs players did return to practice on Thursday. Plus the Lightning and Panthers brawled multiple times in their preseason game and a big weekend for College Football in the state with Texas at Florida and Miami at Florida State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers growing list of injuries as they couldn't hold a full practice on Wednesday because of it. Plus Running Backs Coach Skip Peete required medical attention at practice, Emeka Egbuka could have played baseball, the Rays sale is completed, so where will the stadium be built, some big College Football games this weekend and we are 1 week away from Lightning hockey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick answer your mailbag questions about Baker Mayfield, the Bucs inside linebackers, injuries, Rays needs for next season, the catching position and USF's College Football Playoff chances. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the mounting Bucs injuries as their depth at defensive back is being challenged, Hasson Reddick has a concussion, Greg Gaines is hurt as is Bucky Irving. The Bucs will be challenged as they head to Seattle this weekend to face the Seahawks. Also the Bucs special teams have been a problem so what changes need to be made going forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers slow start that lead to them losing their first game to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-25. An early blocked punt returned for a touchdown and turnovers ultimately led to the loss. It was good to see Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin, Jr., back it the lineup but injuries continue to mount with Jamel Dean and Benjamin Morrison leave hurt. Plus the Rays season ends in a series sweep to the Blue Jays and a crazy weekend of college football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on Baker Mayfield's status heading into Sunday game against the Eagles as he was limited in practice again. Tristan Wirfs looks like he will return this week for the Bucs while Chris Godwin might. Plus the Rays blow a late lead again to guarantee a losing record this season, Andrei Vasilevskiy should return to practice on Monday and be ready for the regular season and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on if Tristan Wirfs and/or Chris Godwin will return this week for the Buccaneers and the impact that may have as they get set to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Plus Todd Bowles' thoughts on the 'Tush Push', Baker Mayfield shows up on the injury report and Tom Brady will be in town this weekend for the game. Also the Rays beat the Orioles but how bad of a season was this year for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the news that Mike Evans will miss 3-4 weeks with a hamstring strain and how this will impact the Bucs. Plus Ko Kieft goes on IR and is expected to miss the rest of the season and Tampa Bay signs Desmond Watson to the practice squad. We also answer your mailbag questions on Baker Mayfield, tight ends, special teams and the Offensive Line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on Major League Baseball approving the sale of the Rays in a deal that should close later this week as Stu Sternberg will no longer be the principal owner. Plus we're still waiting on updates on the Buccaneers injuries from their Sunday win over the Jets and the Lightning win their first preseason game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers 3rd straight comeback win in the final minute as they beat the Jets and are 3-0 for the first time in 20 years. The Offensive Line had issues but the defense created 2 turnovers including a pick-6 and Emeka Egbuka was spectacular. Injury issues continue to be a problem as Mike Evans left the game with a hamstring injury. Plus the Rays say goodbye to Steinbrenner Field and principal owner Stuart Sternberg and the Florida Gators lose in Miami to drop to 1-3. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick preview this weekend's Buccaneers-Jets game as Tampa Bay's offensive line has more changes with Luke Goedeke going on IR. Plus Emeka Egbuka hasn't practiced this week and is questionable but the Jets are going with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Plus a big game for the Gators this weekend as they travel to Miami with College Gameday and the Rays win to stave off elimination for at least another day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers losing Guard Cody Mauch for the season, dealing another blow to an already banged up Offensive Line. Plus the Bucs let Nick Chubb score but does that violate the Integrity of the Game, the Rays win and avoid elimination but Junior Caminero left with mid-back tightness, the Lightning will be without Nick Paul for the first month of the season while Nikita Kucherov wasn't happy with the power play last season and Andrei Vasilevskiy doesn't like losing in the playoffs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on Calijah Kancey's season ending pectoral injury, a lot of love for Baker Mayfield around football, should the Bucs bring in another kick as Chase McLaughlin missed another field goal and did Todd Bowles' defense allow Nick Chubb to score late in Monday night's game to get the ball back. Plus the Rays lose again despite a 3-run home run from Brandon Lowe that a fan interfered with but it was allowed to stand and the Lightning report for Media Day today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers 20-19 win over the Texans on Monday Night Football that saw Tampa Bay execute a game-winning drive in the final moments for the 2nd straight week. The defense was great, Baker Mayfield was a warrior but Special Teams had issues including another missed field goal by Chase McLaughlin and a blocked punt. The Rays lost to the Blue Jays in 11 innings and they are 8.5 games out with 12 to play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick preview tonight's Buccaneers-Texans Monday Night Football game as Tampa Bay looks to start 2-0 but they'll have to overcome their primetime woes. Plus the Rays lose 4-of-6 in Chicago and are all but eliminated from the playoffs, USF gets blown out in Miami and DJ Lagway struggles for Florida in Baton Rouge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers welcoming Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin back to practice for the first time this year but they probably won't play this week. Luke Goedeke missed practice so there is more shuffling on the Offensive Line, Christian Izien and Benjamin Morrison practiced and Jamel Dean describes why he took a pay cut. Plus USF plays at Miami this weekend for their 3rd straight game against a ranked opponent and the Rays lose the series to the White Sox and the math is getting really hard to make the playoffs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud is joined once again by his old radio partner, Tom Jones, to discuss Baker Mayfield's performance in the Buccaneers first game, the team's winning culture under Todd Bowles, the dynamics of NFL teams, the impact of Aaron Rodgers on the Jets, and share personal travel stories related to sports journalism. The discussion wraps up with predictions for upcoming games and a look at the future of the Buccaneers and the Rays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud is joined by Tom Jones from the Poynter Institute of Media Studies to discuss the over the top outrage at an AP voter who left South Florida off her latest ballot despite wins over 2 Top 25 teams. Plus Ryan Clark once again has to apologize to a co-worker for his comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on why the Buccaneers shuffled their Offensive Line on Sunday moving Graham Barton to Left Tackle, Ben Bredeson to Center and inserting Michael Jordan at Guard which worked. Plus Jamel Dean took a huge pay cut to stay with the Bucs this season and will be a free agent after this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons to start the 2025-26 season. While the game wasn't pretty, the veteran leadership of Baker Mayfield and team found a way to win a game in which they had less than 25 minutes of possession and didn't force a turnover. Emeka Egbuka had 2 touchdowns and Haason Reddick had a sack in their Bucs debuts. Plus USF knocks off Florida and are now ranked 18th in the country and the Rays have lost 3 in a row, scoring only 4 runs in those games. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick preview the Buccaneers season opening game in Atlanta this weekend. How will the offense do without Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs, what to expect from the revamped defense who could be without Vita Vea and the impact of a first game against a divisional foe. Plus the Rays win their 7th straight games as they are just 2 games out of the AL Wild Card and Cowboys' Jalen Carter gets ejected for spitting before playing a snap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Rays resurgence as they won their 6th straight game to move just 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot with 23 games to play. They are being led by Junior Caminero who now has 40 home runs and 102 RBI. Plus the Buccaneers have released their first injury report and Vita Vea is on it after not practicing on Wednesday. Hassan Reddick also missed practice for personal reasons. Also Pat Maroon is staying in Tampa Bay as he is now a Brand Ambassador for the Lightning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers signing Right Tackle Luke Goedeke to a 4-year, $90 million extension, why the Bucs like Ben Chukwuma on the offensive line, the premiere of Raise The Flags at the Tampa Theatre, Junior Caminero hits his 40th homerun and drives in his 100th RBI as the Rays win their 5th straight game, now just 3.5 games out of the Wild Card. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on big wins by Florida State and Miami over the weekend in college football, the Rays have won 4 in a row as they get out to early leads and Rick is joined by Producer Trent Cooper to detail his new documentary series detailing the first 50 years of Buccaneers Football with lots of great stories from the guys who played for the team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the impressive start for USF as they rout Boise State 34-7 to beat a ranked opponent for the first time in 14 years. Plus the Buccaneers set their practice squad, Kyle Trask hasn't been signed yet and the Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Also the Rays are in Washington to face the Nationals after they blew a 9th inning lead on Wednesday in Cleveland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud is joined by Matt Baker from The Athletic to preview the College Football season including outlooks for the Gators, USF, Florida State and Miami, why this is a big week for the ACC, the overall landscape of college football and more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick break down the roster cuts by the Buccaneers to get to their initial 53-man roster. 3 undrafted free agents made the team while Head Coach Todd Bowles detailed by Kyle Trask was among those waived by the team. Plus the Rays are shutout in Cleveland and Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are now engaged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers decision to cut Kyle Trask after 4 seasons as Teddy Bridgewater will be the backup quarterback. The 2021 Draft class for Tampa Bay turned out to be a bust. Desmond Watson is among other cuts for Tampa Bay that must be finalized by 4pm today. The Rays beat the Guardians 9-0 as Junior Caminero hits 2 home runs and Ian Seymour allows 1 hit in 5 innings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers looming cuts to the roster that we know will include Shilo Sanders who was ejected in Saturday's preseason game for throwing a punch. They also discuss the backup quarterback position and what Jason Licht might decide. Then the Rays take 2-of-3 from the Cardinals as Carson Williams makes his debut and hits a homerun in his first game, plus how the starting pitching has let the team down this season and College Football is back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Tom Jones on press box stories from covering teams and they debate the Top 50 players in Buccaneers History as they prepare to play their 50th season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Tom Jones back together to discuss covering Training Camps and stories from the past, A/C issues in the middle of a Florida summer and Baker Mayfield staring in commercials again. Rays get swept by the Yankees after their comeback attempt comes up short in extra innings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers mounting injuries including Jalen McMillan who will miss at least half the season, Christian Izien who will miss some time and more. Plus the Rays' Shane Baz gives up 5 homerun in the first 3 innings to the Yankees in a series the Rays need to keep pace in the Wild Card. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers decision to not play quarterback Baker Mayfield this year in the preseason. What led the Bucs to make this decision and is it the correct one, plus the Rays have a huge series vs. the Yankees that begins tonight at Steinbrenner Field and Baker Mayfield is in commercials again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers 17-14 win over the Steelers as they are now 2-0 in the preseason. The defense got another 3 interceptions and Teddy Bridgewater looked good in his first action with Tampa Bay. The Rays wrap up their 12-game west coast road trip at 6-6 but were hoping for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers joint practice with the Steelers which Tampa Bay dominated so much that Mike Evans, Lavonte David and Baker Mayfield won't play in Saturday's preseason game. Plus Todd Bowles comments on Vita Vea and your mailbag questions about Baker Mayfield, who makes the roster, statues at Raymond James Stadium, Hugh Culverhouse and the Rays call up Bob Seymour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Bucs Antoine Winfield, Jr., not practicing with a lower leg injury, more on Devin White's time in Tampa Bay, the Rays beat the Athletics as Junior Caminero hits his 34th homerun, the Lightning's home is now called Benchmark International Arena, some history of 'The Catch' and a new logo for the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on Bucs GM Jason Licht's comments to The Athletic regarding Devin White and how he wouldn't have drafted him in hindsight. Plus your mailbag questions on Chris Braswell, Shilo Sanders, Bucs draft picks, the pass rush and Todd Bowles' defensive scheme. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers last practice of Training Camp as they prepare to head to Pittsburgh for a joint practice and preseason game this week. Plus the Bucs have stability with their special teams now after rotating through 3 punters last season, Jon Gruden wins his Nevada appeal in case against NFL, Shane McClanahan won't pitch this season after undergoing a procedure for his nerve issue and could the Rays make a run at the playoffs with 42 games remaining. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the Buccaneers 29-7 win over the Titans in the first preseason game that saw Kyle Trask play well, Rachaad White get hurt and some off the radar guys show out. Plus the Rays get swept in Seattle after blowing a late lead on Friday night and Shane McClanahan still having nerve issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Stroud and Steve Versnick on the feisty Buccaneers joint practice with the Titans ahead of their first preseason game tomorrow night where the starters won't play. Plus the Rays' Johnny Deluca goes on the IL again and mailbag questions on Kevin Cash, Teddy Bridgewater and Gene Deckerhoff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.