What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (March 24-30)

WATCH FOR two Florida college basketball teams to continue their seasons this week with an eye on a National Championship.

The Florida Gators (34-2 and winners of 27 straight games) continue their run through March Madness, when they meet the UCLA Bruins (28-8) on Thursday night in Memphis, Tennessee with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight to meet the winner of the Dayton/Stanford game.

The Florida State Seminoles (21-13) have won two games in the National Invitational Tournament and meet the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (29-7) in Tallahassee Wednesday night. The winner advances to the Final Four to be played in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

WATCH FOR the final week of the Florida Grapefruit League as the 15 teams holding their Spring Training in Florida break camps and head to their home markets for the 162-game season. With only 20 games remaining from Wednesday through Saturday, over 1.3 million fans have attended 192 games so far this season.

Five teams have topped 100,000 total attendance already this season with the Atlanta Braves (ESPN Wide World of Sports-Walt Disney World), Boston Red Sox (Jet Blue Park-Fort Myers), Detroit Tigers (Joker Marchant Stadium-Lakeland), New York Yankees (Steinbrenner Field-Tampa) and Philadelphia Phillies (Bright House Field-Clearwater) hitting six figures.

The largest crowd of the 2014 season was recorded at Bright House Field when the Phillies hosted the Boston Red Sox before 11,210 fans on March 21. The New York Yankees game against the Red Sox on March 18 drew 11,032 fans.

The 2014 Florida Grapefruit League season has seen more games cancelled due to rain this year than the last three years combined. A total of 12 games have been lost to rain this season, compared to eight over the last three years combined.

WATCH FOR the 10th Anniversary of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg when the Indy cars fire up their engines on March 28 in downtown St. Petersburg.

The INDYCAR-sanctioned event is a 1.8 mile, 14-turn temporary street course that is one of the most respected motorsports races in North America, due to its combination of spectacular road courses, short ovals and exciting super-speedways.

Here’s a few storylines for Indy Car fans to follow as the cars racing through the streets of downtown St. Petersburg.

WATCH FOR more Sunshine State Games events to open up for online registration. Currently, the following three championship events, Lacrosse events and Sarasota County and Polk County Olympic-style Sports Festivals are available for amateur athletes to register online.

Sunshine State Games Basketball Championships, Alachua County, May 9-11
Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships, Ellenton Ice Complex, May 16-18
Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Series, Broward County, May 16-18
Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Series, Sarasota County, June 7-8
Sunshine State Games Sarasota County Festival, June 6-8
Sunshine State Games Polk County Festival, June 21-22
Sunshine State Games Water Polo Championships, Coral Springs, June 27-29

This year is the 35th Anniversary of the Sunshine State Games and is now in its fourth decade of providing amateur sports opportunities for Floridians. The 2014 Sunshine State Games is expected to attract over 10,000 athletes to its nearly 30 sport offered.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (February 17-23)

WATCH FOR Major League Baseball players to take the field for the first time in the 2014 season as full squads will be in action over the next few days.  If they’re not already.  Below is a listing of all 15 Florida Grapefruit League teams and their pre-season workout policies.  There is also contact information to confirm daily workouts.  Only one more week until teams hit the field against one another in preparation for another season.

Atlanta Braves – Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex
Daily workouts are held from approximately 9 AM to 2PM from February 19-25. Park admission is charged $16.50 for adults and $11.50 for children.  Once season opens practices are closed and gates open three hours before first pitch on gameday.  Call (407) 939-4263 for more information.

Baltimore Orioles – Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota
Daily practices are open to the public from 9AM to 1PM with no parking charge. Practices are closed after February 27.  Gates open two hours before first pitch on gameday. Call (941) 893-6300 for more information.

Boston Red Sox – Jet Blue Park, Fort Myers
Daily practices are open to the public from 9AM to 1PM, with no parking charge, on practice fields adjacent to Jet Blue Park. Once regular season starts minor league games will be held on back fields with no admission charge. Call (239) 334-4700 for more information.

Detroit Tigers – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland
Daily practices are open to the public in the mornings and into the afternoon with no parking charge on the practice field adjacent to Marchant Stadium until February 25. Call (863) 686-8075 for more information.

Houston Astros – Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9AM to 1PM, until February 28.  Once season starts there is no access to practice field on gameday. Practice fields are open to the public on non-gamedays. Call (321) 697-3200 for more information.

Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals  – Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9AM to 1PM, until games begin.  Gates open at 11:30 a.m. on gameday.

Minnesota Twins – Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9AM to 12 Noon until games begin. Minor league practice is open to the public on gameday with a parking change.  On non-gamedays, there will be no parking charge to attend minor league workouts. 

New York Mets – Tradition Field, Port St. Lucie
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9AM to 12 Noon until February 26. Call (772) 871-2115 for more information.

New York Yankees – Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, beginning at 10AM.  There will be no access to the practice fields after February 25.  Gates open 2 hours prior to first pitch on gamedays. Call (813) 879-2244 for more information.

Philadelphia Phillies – Bright House Field, Clearwater
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 8AM to 12 Noon at the Carpenter Complex (651 North Coachman Road).  Gates open at Bright House Field at 10:30 a.m. on gamedays. Call (727) 467-4457 for more information.

Pittsburgh Pirates – Pirate City, Bradenton
Daily practices at Pirate City (1701 27th St E) are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9AM to 12 Noon. Gates open at McKechnie Field 2 hours before first pitch on gamedays.  Call (941) 747-3031 for more information.

Tampa Bay Rays – Charlotte County Sports Complex, Port Charlotte
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge from 9:30 a.m. to 1PM. There will be a parking charge on gamedays.

Toronto Blue Jays – Dunedin
Daily practices at the Bobby Mattick Training Facility (1700 Solon Avenue, Dunedin, 34698) are open to the public, with no parking charge, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.  Gates open at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium at 10:30 a.m. on gamedays.  Call (727) 734-8007 for more information.

Washington Nationals – Space Coast Stadium, Viera
Daily practices are open to the public, with no parking charge from 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon until the season starts.  Call (321) 633-4487 for more information.

Follow the 2014 Florida Grapefruit League season at www.floridagrapefruitleague.com and on Twitter @FlaSpringTrain.  The Florida ports Foundation is also offering a new Mobile App for Apple and Android Smartphones.  LInks to download the app can be found at www.floridagrapefruitleague.com.  It features schedules, stadium information and fans will receive notifications during the season about daily gameday promotions and weather updates if necessary during the 33 days of Florida Spring Training.

WATCH FOR Budweiser Speedweeks to continue at the “World Center of Racing,” the Daytona International Speedway.  A full schedule of racing takes place this week leading up to the 56th running of the Daytona 500.  Some of the biggest storylines of the weekend center around “The Great American Race.”

• Tony Stewart’s return to racing: The Sprint Unlimited marks Stewart’s long-awaited return to racing after suffering injuries in a sprint car accident in August 2013. Stewart, who is second on the all-time wins list at Daytona, is searching for his first DAYTONA 500 win in his 15th start in “The Great American Race.”
• Defending DAYTONA 500 champion: Coming off a sweep of both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona in 2013, Jimmie Johnson is returning to the “World Center of Racing” attempting to become the first driver to capture back-to-back DAYTONA 500s since Sterling Marlin in 1994-95. A DAYTONA 500 win would put Johnson, who is the defending six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, alongside Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison and Dale Jarrett as three-time DAYTONA 500 winners.
• Return of No. 3: Austin Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress, will drive the legendary No. 3 car for the 2014 season. The historic No. 3 hasn’t been used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition since 2001.

Find more storylines at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com as well as ticket information for the races of the week.

WATCH FOR Florida’s NBA teams to get back on the floor after the All Star Break last weekend.  The Miami Heat currently lead the Southeast Division with a 37-18 record and are second among Eastern Conference teams, behind the Indiana Pacers.  The Heat have road games to start the second half, at Dallas and Oklahoma City, before returning home to the American Airlines Arena for a four-game homestand.  Beginning February 23, the Heat play the Chicago Bulls, followed by the New York Knicks (February 27), Orlando Magic (March 1) and the Charlotte Bobcats (March 3).

The Orlando Magic, play six of their next seven games after the break, on the road but return to Amway Arena for a  home game against the New York Knicks on February 21. 

The March 1 game between the Heat and Magic will be the 99th regular season meeting between the two Florida teams.  The Heat hold a 54-44 regular season series edge over the Magic dating back to the 1989-90 season.  The Heat also hold a post-season edge over the Magic, 3-2, winning an Eastern Conference first round playoff series in 1997.

On the college hardwood, the Florida Gators are currently ranked second, behind the Syracuse Orangemen, in both the AP and USA Today College Basketball Polls.  With a 23-2 overall record and a 12-0 Southeastern Conference record, the Gators have won a school-record 17 consecutive games, dating back to a December 2 loss to Connecticut.  The Gators, with six regular season contests remaining,  are the only ranked Florida team among Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball teams.

We hope you have enjoyed the Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports.” It is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.
 

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (October 21-27)

WATCH FOR an all-Florida Spring Training World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals, who started their season in Jupiter, and Boston Red Sox, who began in Fort Myers in March.

The Red Sox threw out their first pitch on February 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays in Jet Blue Park. Now 206 games later Boston is one of two teams left standing (34 spring training, 162 regular season, 10 post season).

The Cardinals trotted out on the diamond for the first time on February 23 as well in Jupiter against the Miami Marlins.  The Cardinals played 31 spring training games, 162 regular season games and have played 11 post season games.  They play Game 205 of the season Wednesday.

Did you know the Cardinals and Red Sox have combined to play 162 years of spring training baseball in Florida in 12 different cities?

• St. Louis Cardinals – 87 years in Florida (continuous since 1946), 6 cities (St. Augustine, Bradenton, Avon Park, Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg, Jupiter)
• Boston Red Sox – 75 years in Florida (continuous since 1966), 6 cities (Tampa, Bradenton, Pensacola, Sarasota, Winter Haven, Ft. Myers)

Each team boasts a Florida native on their roster.  Tallahassee’s David Ross is a catcher for the Red Sox who played for Florida High School and carried the torch for the 1993 Sunshine State Games in Tallahassee.  Cardinals centerfield Jon Jay, played for Miami Columbus High School and the University of Miami.

With that bit of local knowledge, here’s a 2013 World Series Preview to become even more knowledgeable.

WATCH FOR the St. Petersburg Museum of History to host the opening of Little Cooperstown, a world-class exhibit and rare collection of memorabilia taking visitors on a journey through the great eras of baseball history, Tuesday, October 22.

The opening includes stories and artifacts of baseball’s greatest legends, including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and Joe DiMaggio, among others.

A “Baseball in Pop Culture” display showcases autographed baseballs and letters signed by hundreds of notable celebrities, actors, and world leaders, including Elvis Presley, Michael Jordan, Neil Armstrong, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama.

A section of the exhibit explores Tampa Bay’s 100-year history as a spring training destination for more than a dozen teams, including the Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays, Cubs, Cardinals, and Rays.

This exclusive exhibit connects America’s national pastime with historical events from the region and around the world. On loan from a private collection, with more than 4,600 autographed baseballs in the exhibit, it will create a new destination for sports fans, residents, tourists, and international travelers.

WATCH FOR the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club to be a national hotbed of Shuffleboard, October 21-25, when it hosts 140 players from around the globe to compete in the 32nd Annual International Shuffleboard Association World Singles Championship.

Men and women from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Russia and the United States will be celebrating 100 years of Shuffleboard in the Tampa Bay Area over five days of competition.

The St Petersburg Shuffle Board Club lays the claim of being the World’s Largest Shuffleboard Complex with 65 courts.

Also located onsite is the Shuffleboard Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame contains the world’s most complete collection of shuffleboard irons and a display of historic pucks. It also enshrines shuffleboard luminaries who have graced the courts since they opened in 1923 on Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg.

Shuffleboard will be played in the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8 at North Fort Myers Community Park.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.