In case you missed it, here were the top sports stories on Fox Sports Florida from Thursday, August 8:
* "Sloppy" was an appropriate description for much of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' execution in a 44-16 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday at Raymond James Stadium. The night meant the NFL debut of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon, and Bucs coach Greg Schiano received early looks at players competing for the No. 2 running back spot behind Doug Martin, among other key position battles. Read More
* Yes, these were still the Baltimore Ravens, and John Harbaugh remains their even, proven leader. Yes, this is football in early August, and a 44-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was only a tease of how this first fall without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed could go. Read More
* Josh Freeman and the rest of Tampa Bay's starters played sparingly in a 44-16 loss to Baltimore. The Bucs played without cornerback Darrelle Revis, the biggest of several key off-season acquisitions since going 7-9 and missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Read More
* Florida State lost one player for the season and another for an extended period of time, coach Jimbo Fisher said after Thurdsay's practice. Senior WR Willie Haulstead did not qualify academically and is no longer on the team. Freshman TE Jeremy Kerr also was lost for an undetermined amount of time with what Fisher called a "pretty decent cartilage tear" in his knee. Read More
* Florida apparently has cleared quarterback Jeff Driskel and reinstated suspended linebacker Antonio Morrison. The school posted a photo on its Twitter page of Driskel throwing passes at practice Thursday, saying "Good to see No. 6 back out on the field in action tonight!" Read More
* The Marlins lost to the Pirates in Pittsburgh 5-4 in 10 innings on Thursday. The loss was Miami’s fifth straight. Christian Yelich had three hits, including his first major league homer. Fellow rookie Jose Fernandez allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Read More
* Football has always been No. 1 in the South, in Florida and in South Florida. The Dolphins have by far the deepest roots and richest tradition of any pro team in Miami. But since LeBron James brought his talents to South Beach, the Heat have overshadowed the Dolphins, reaching the NBA Finals three years in a row and winning the past two championships. Read More
*While Florida QB Jeff Driskel's recovers from an emergency appendectomy, backup Tyler Murphy quietly has taken on the responsibilities that come with leading the Gators’ first-team offense during the first week of fall camp. Read More
* Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said Thursday that Blaine Gabbert, the starter for most of his two seasons in the NFL, will get the nod ahead of Chad Henne whent he Jaguars pen their preseason Friday night against the Miami Dolphins. But he made it clear that Henne, the former Dolphin who took over for an injured Gabbert toward the end of last season, will get to work with the first-string offensive line for part of his time under the lights. Read More
* Florida State's offensive line was once a patchwork group of freshmen and sophomores. They were green but working hard and learning to clear holes while trying to keep pass rushers off quarterback EJ Manuel. Now it's a group with four returning starters that is equally adept at pass blocking and clearing holes for the running game. Read More
* The Orlando Magic will open the 2013 preseason at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Wednesday, Oct. 9 against New Orleans. Orlando then hosts its first preseason game at Amway Center on Friday, Oct. 11 vs. Cleveland. Tip-off is 7 p.m. Read More
* October will begin Taurean Green’’s seventh season as a professional basketball player, his sixth playing overseas. Earning Guard of the Year, First Team All Imports, and First-Team All-League accolades in the Italian League last season, the former Florida Gators star entered the summer with only one focus – handling business. Read More
* A lot has changed in Trey Burton's time at UF. Still, there has been one constant: Burton's willingness to do whatever it takes to avoid standing on the sideline. "Hopefully a little bit of everything," Burton said Tuesday when asked what position he expects to play as a senior. Read More
