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How to Enhance your NFL Fandom in Florida

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Buccaneers Show Heart in Narrow Loss to Eagles

The NFL is watched all around the world by millions of enthusiasts. Its a sport and competition that continues to soar in popularity with the mass appeal of the Super Bowl continually attracting new audiences each year. Florida boasts a number of teams with the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars watched across the state and beyond.

If you are keen to boost your personal NFL fandom in Florida or from further afield, there are a number of ways you can do so. This article will offer a range of ideas, tips and guidance on how to enhance 

Predict the Outcome of a Game

One way to instantly boost your engagement and heighten your personal interest in games is to predict outcomes and place wagers on the action. By backing teams or making a pick on the number of touchdowns recorded, you will take extra note of each individual play and become even more immersed in the NFL campaign.

It’s a wise move to compare and assess a range of platforms and check out different NFL odds so that you can find value. By looking at the favorites and underdogs, you will be able to make educated guesses based on information and detail as opposed to taking a blind punt.

Watch a Live Encounter

With the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars all based in Florida, residents across the state have plenty of opportunities to watch live American Football games.

Seeing the top players across the league up close is an exhilarating experience and rivals the top level sport enjoyed in the Premier League and Champions League in soccer, the tennis played at the US Open and the action of the NBA. These NFL stars are the very best at what they do on the field. Heading to a live game also allows you to be a key part of the build-up and in-game atmosphere. As you sit among other fans, you can share your passion and enjoy a true sense of belonging backing the top teams in Florida and the star names.

Watch Classic Action

The NFL has a proud and storied history and it’s this rich heritage that today’s American Football narrative is built on. With more than 100 years of games and competition to watch back, you can spend hours, days and even weeks watching back past encounters and truly classic moments.

Not only is it loads of fun checking out the history of the sports and games in Florida but you’ll also learn a great deal too. There are compilation on YouTube for example which will run through the top ten quarterback passes and the most unique touchdowns. Then there are all the Super Bowl shows which remain among the biggest events in global history.

Enjoy a Stadium Tour

If you ever wanted to go behind the scenes at an NFL arena, there are actually plenty of opportunities and you’ll be given incredible access to see where your heroes get ready and play. By going on a stadium tour, you will be shown around by knowledgeable tour guides who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

From the many hospitality suites to the media center, you will be able to explore many sections of the arena and then comes the incredible part. For most tours, you will also to head into the locker room where the players gear up for games and also walk out of the tunnel and out on to the side of the pitch. 

Heading out at some of the most iconic venues in the NFL is an enthralling experience and it will give you a whole new appreciation and understanding of what goes into these big gamedays you watch at home and from your seat.

Join NFL Communities Online

Another way to enhance your NFL fandom is to join online communities which are home to millions of other American Football enthusiasts. By signing up to a forum, for example, you can chat to followers of the game about a wide range of topics from team rosters and selections to overall performances and the best moves out on the field.

What’s more, social media platforms provide another way to chat and share in your passion of NFL. Sites like Facebook and X in particular offer you the chance to build a feed which focuses solely on American Football and here you can debate with other fans and even share memories of big moments from years gone by.

In 2025, such platforms are also home to former pros who now work in the media and do punditry on gameday. These ex-players provide totally unique insights into specific passages of play and why a star name may be playing a particular style against specific opposition. There is a great deal to be learnt from such expertise offered by former players who have been there and done it out on the field.

Overall, there are plenty of ways to boost your level of engagement when it comes to following the NFL. From predicting scorelines to watching live games and enjoying stadium tours, the level of resource online also means that your love for American football can extend far beyond what happens out on the field.





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Saudi Arabia Darts Masters – Quarter-final line up, predictions for tournament

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Michael van Gerwen (AP)

The 2026 World Series of Darts continues this week with the inaugural staging of the Saudi Arabia Masters. As with all events in the series, the format sees eight of the best players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) take on eight regional representatives in the last-16.

The winner of each international event earns £30,000 from a £100,000 prize fund, while the World Series of Darts Grand Final carries a total prize fund of £450,000, with £100,000 awarded to the champion.

Last week, Luke Littler was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Gerwyn Price, while Michael van Gerwen rediscovered his best form to overcome fellow Dutchman and rising star Gian van Veen 8–6 in a high-quality final.

This week, seven of the eight PDC representatives came through their last-16 matches against the invited regional opponents, though Man Lok Leung produced the shock of the round by defeating 2022 UK Open winner Danny Noppert, who is ranked tenth in the world.

First PDC event in Saudi Arabia event promises watchful eyes

As with all World Series events, the Saudi Darts Masters will see the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all played tomorrow in one action-packed day.

There will be added eyes on this event, as it is the first PDC-sanctioned darts event held in Saudi Arabia, a country many feel is piling money into multiple sports in an attempt to distract attention from a poor human rights record, often referred to as “sportswashing”.

Quarter-finals: Match ups and predictions

Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price

‘Mighty Mike’ is top seed this week after his victory in Bahrain, where he defeated Bunting 6-4 in the quarter-finals. Their last ten matches have went 7-3 in favour of MvG. It must be said that Bunting, who was a controversial choice for this years Premier League given his poor showing in the 2025 event, does not look in great form.

If van Gerwen continues where he left off this week, he will have too much for the Englishman.

Prediction: van Gerwen 6-3

Nathan Aspinall v Man Lok Lueng

Lok Lueng is a rather unknown quantity, which made his victory over World No. 10 Danny Noppert all the more surprising. Aspinall won through his first round with an impressive 100.93 three dart average. Lueng and Aspinall have never met before.

It’s hard to see anything other than an Aspinall victory here.

Prediction: Aspinall 6-1

Gian van Veen v Luke Littler

This promises to be the match of the quarter-finals, provided van Veen can put behind him his heavy defeat to ‘the Nuke’ in last month’s World Championship final.

They have only met seven times on the PDC tour, with Littler edging the head-to-head 4-3.

If ‘The Nuke’ plays like in last weeks quarter-finals, van Veen has the game to gain a quick revenge.

Prediction: van Veen 6-5

Gerwyn Price v Luke Humphries

Price and Humphries tend to bring out the best in one another, with their last ten meetings evenly split at 5–5. Price was solid last week in his victory over Littler and, when his doubling clicks, he has the ability to drag any opponent out of their comfort zone.

With Humphries not in his richest vein of form, Price should edge this one.

Prediction: Price 6-4

Semi-final and final predictions

With van Gerwen showing something close to his best form last week and Littler exiting at the quarter-final stage, this shapes up as a tough week to predict a winner.

van Gerwen has the kinder side of the draw and should make the final at the expense of likely semi-final opponent Aspinall.

The lower half of the draw, however, contains three world champions and a runner-up, making it exceptionally difficult to predict with any real conviction who will emerge to reach the final. Littler could yet respond like a poked bear and bulldoze his way to the title, but it feels more likely that a semi-final between van Veen and Price awaits, with Price edging through to the final.

Who will win the title?

If van Gerwen reaches a second successive final and comes up against Price, he should hold the edge. The Dutchman leads their last ten meetings 6–4, a run that includes a dominant 7–2 victory in the Bahrain semi-finals last week.

Winner: Michael van Gerwen to beat Gerwyn Price 8-6





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Pegasus World Cup, live action from Tampa Bay Downs

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We are back at Gulfstream Park for the Pegasus World Cup

Busy week for Let ’em Run, live at Tampa Bay Downs Wednesday and previewing Pegasus World Cup

Let ‘em Run Review of 1/17/26

Last weekend saw a Kentucky Derby Prep race at Fair Grounds turn into a coming out party for trainer Cherie Devaux as her runners took the top 2 spots in The Lecomte. Golden Tempo and Mesquite earned points for the first Saturday in May, and also snapped an interesting trend that was broken in this edition of The Lecomte. Previous winners have only come out of having a maiden win last out, just one time in the past 25 years. So there is another example in horseracing where you need to sometimes look past the trends, and find the best horse.

Late P5 Breakdown Highlight

Our best breakdown occurred in the first race we looked at in the Late P5, when we had our bulls eye on the favorite, Medoro, in The Marie G. Krantz Memorial. The pace scenario played out as expected and set up for her, and she finished the job with a strong closing kick.

John Kostin’s Lecomte Insight

John was spot on in his deep dive in the Lecomte, where he was not impressed by the winners coming out of the Gun Runner Stakes. He had his eye squarely on both of trainer Cherie DeVaux’s runners, and gave his reasons why (check out clips attached).

Special Wednesday Podcast Preview

This week we will have a special edition of our Podcast, where our traveling handicapper, John Kostin will be live at Tampa Bay Downs on Wednesday 1/21/25 at 12:30 with special guest handicapper, Wadie Kalah. He is an avid handicapper, Tampa Bay native, and will be our “boots on the ground” with live updates, with John from Tampa Bay Downs. We will be breaking down the Late P5 sequence on the card, and any spot plays on the card that catch our attention. You can catch the Podcast live on Wednesday at 12:30 on Sports Talk Media Network, as well as multiple streaming apps and social channels.

Looking Ahead to Pegasus World Cup Day

Derby prep races take a break this weekend, as there is a huge card at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, The Pegasus World Cup Day. Included on the card are the Pegasus World Cup Turf for Fillies and Mares, and The Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. These races, and all the races on the card, have big fields, and quality horses, with value to be had. So stay tuned, bet smart, cheer hard, fast horses equals serious fun and as always…Let ‘em Run.





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Polynesian Football HOF names Puka Nacua Player of Year

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LOS ANGELES RAMS WIDE RECEIVER PUKA NACUA
NAMED POLYNESIAN PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PRESENTED BY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

The Rams WR picks up the award ahead of the Polynesian Bowl

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced today that Los Angeles Rams WR, Puka Nacua has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award, presented by Hawaiian Airlines.

Nacua, of Samoan descent, was a fifth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft. This past season, in 16 regular-season games, Puka hauled in 129 receptions for 1,715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking first in the league in catches and second in receiving yards. His performance earned him a First-Team All-Pro selection and the PFF Offensive Player of the Year Award. Puka is a 2019 Polynesian Bowl All-Star and was also named the 2018 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year.

“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors, we congratulate Puka on a remarkable season,” said Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Chairman Jesse Sapolu. “He is a true source of pride for the Polynesian community.”

Other award winners

Mike Iupati was selected as the inaugural recipient of the award in 2015; Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota received the award in 2016; Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster received the award in 2017 & 2018; Baltimore Ravens OT Ronnie Stanleyreceived the award in 2019; Indianapolis Colts DL DeForest Buckner received the award in 2021; San Francisco 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga in 2022; Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa won the award in 2022 and 2023; and Detroit Lions OL Penei Sewell won the award in 2024.

The formal presentation of the Award was held at the 2026 Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner (January 17, 2026), along with being recognized during the 2026 Polynesian Bowl (January 16, 2025). 

The Polynesian College Football Players of the Year were voted on by the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, comprised of Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson (Chairman, former NFL player and Inaugural Inductee), Coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL player and Inaugural Inductee Olin Kreutz, Inaugural Inductee and past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, former NFL player and Class of 2015 Inductee Ray Schoenke, sportscaster Neil Everett, NFL Network Chief National Reporter Steve Wyche, and former NFL Player and Class of 2023 Inductee Manti Te`o.

About the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame: 

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia’s greatest players, coaches, and contributors. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Ma`a Tanuvasa. There are currently 50 inductees. For more information, visit PolynesianFootballHOF.org

About the Polynesian Bowl: 

The Polynesian Bowl is a premier all-star game played annually in Honolulu, Hawai`i that features 100 of the nation’s top ranked high school seniors of Polynesian and non-Polynesian ancestry alike – many of whom have gone on to play in the NFL. Past MVPs include AJ Epenesa, Puka Nacua, Travis Hunter, and Nico Iamaleava. The game is broadcast live and in primetime on NFL Network. For more information, visit PolynesianBowl.com





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