Tampa Bay

Marlins Park Could Host College Bowl Game

Marlins Park is already home to one troubled sports organization, so why not another? The American Athletic Association, more popular known as the sad, tattered remains of the football schools in the former Big East, is considering putting together its own college bowl game and is eyeing Marlins P ... More >>

Bill Nelson Now Back to Talking About Space Stuff: Wants NASA to Catch Asteroids

Florida Senator Bill Nelson finally got around to supporting gay marriage last night by penning a brief, sort-of-uncomfortable editorial for The Tampa Bay Times. Don't expect him to talk much more about it, though, because today he's gone back to talking about one of his favorite subjects: space shi ... More >>

Jim Greer, Former RPOF Chair, Gets 18 Months in Prison

Jim Greer used to be the top Republican in Florida. Now he'll find himself at the bottom of the prison food chain.The former Republican Party of Florida chair was sentenced to 18 months in prison today.See also:- Jim Greer: Racism and Dead Bodies Ahead

Bill Nelson Named One of the Top Ten "Bad Ass" Politicians

Our own Senator Spacesnakes is apparently one of the biggest bad asses in all of Washington D.C. He's been named by U.S. News and World Reports as one of the top ten "toughest" politicians in America. 

Miami's Very Own Christmas Carol... Including Snow You Can Snort

Merry Christmas (Eve) Miami. By now, you are probably sick of crappy carols that bear no resemblance to your lush tropical life. Gold rings make sense. But colly birds? Not so much. And what the f*ck is this es-no that is supposed to be falling everywhere? The only powder we are familiar with is the ... More >>

Florida Gun Sales Roaring at a Record Pace After Sandy Hook Massacre

After the incomprehensible tragedy in Connecticut last Friday, most Floridians reacted like the rest of the nation: by crying, hugging their kids, and having an honest conversation about mental illness and gun control. Tens of thousands of Sunshine State residents, however, also took the massacre as ... More >>

Florida GOP Reps Apparently Got Drunk and Rowdy at a Disney Hotel

What happens when you put a bunch of Florida Republican reps up in Disney's swanky Grand Floridian resort in Orlando? Apparently some drunken, rowdy nonsense. No one knows exactly what went down on a night in November, but Speaker of the House Will Weatherford says he's looking into it.

Forget Gators: Florida Kids Can Now Swim With Tiger Cubs

Up in Tampa Bay the latest craze is to throw all sorts of baby wild animals in the pool and let kids swim with them. Sure, authorities may have put an end to venture that rented out baby alligators to swim at kids' pool parties, but now a private zoo in the area is offering kids the experience of sw ... More >>

Muse Saves Daniel Craig From SNL, Announces North American Tour With South Florida Show

This past weekend, English alt-rockers Muse had to step up and carry Saturday Night Live after guest host Daniel Craig made it abundantly clear during his monologue that comedy was foreign to him. Watching James Bond deliver punch lines was about as entertaining as a Schindler's List viewing party ... More >>

Fact Check: Tampa Bay Times Calls Miami-Dade the "Strangest County in the Weirdest State in America"

The Tampa Bay Times decided to travel down south to gauge our political scene here ahead of the election, and proclaimed Miami-Dade County "the strangest county in the weirdest state in America."Well, since The Tampa Bay Times is also behind the popular political fact checking website PolitiFact, we ... More >>

Manatee Molester on the Loose in Tampa Bay

An unidentified woman was seen hitching a ride on the back of a manatee in the waters off Fort De Soto Park in the Tampa Bay area, which runs afoul of the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.Now authorities are looking for the manatee molester.

RNC Madness: Scenes From a Week Among the GOP Faithful in Tampa

Clint Eastwood's Insane RNC Speech: A First-Hand Perspective of Chairgate

"Clint Eastwood and an empty chair. This should be good," I thought from a media riser inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, site of the 2012 Republican National Convention. The delegates from Vermont and Kansas seated just below me were enthusiastic, anxious to hear what the former mayor of Carmel-by-t ... More >>

The RNC Just Forgot To Send Buses To Pick Up Florida's Delegation

Florida's Republican delegation hasn't exactly been getting the warmest welcome at the party's national convention in Tampa. First, Tropical Storm Isaac forced Rick Scott to cancel his big prime-time speech. Then, insiders floated the idea of taking away Sen. Marco Rubio's big moment introducing Mit ... More >>

Tampa Strippers Frustrated Over Lack of Horny Conservatives at RNC So Far

Perhaps no industry geared up for the Republican National Convention like Tampa's strip club scene. Clubs redecorated, added extra privacy, revamped their food menus, and even brought in famous talent. Yet, on Sunday night at least, the clubs seemed pretty barren ahead of the start of the convention ... More >>

Florida Man Selling His Entire Life on eBay

This is not your beautiful house. This is not your video game store business. These are not your beautiful cars. But they could be.Shane Butcher, a 29-year-old Tampa Bay man, is selling what basically amounts to his entire life and all of his possessions on eBay for the low, low price of just $3.5 m ... More >>

Florida Republican Rep Whose Underwear Pics Leaked Online Explains He Was Just Proud of His Weight Loss

Let's be honest. The first instinct most people have when a Republican politician's seminude photos emerge online is that a sex scandal is about to unfold. Probably a gay sex scandal. So when pics of state Rep. Peter Nehr leaked online in, of all places, the political blog of the Tampa Bay Times, we ... More >>

Sarah Palin's Porn Doppelganger Will Be in Tampa for Republican National Convention

All of Tampa is preparing for the Republican National Convention in late August, but no industry seems as excited for the conservative conference as the Tampa Bay area's strip clubs. Several titty bars are undergoing renovations and trying to outdo themselves to lure GOP fat cats' fat wallets, but o ... More >>

Florida Dad Puts Pot in 6-Year-Old's Backpack

A kindergarten classroom in St. Petersburg had an interesting yet unplanned show and tell recently after a six-year-old student pulled three ounces of marijuana and a scale from their backpack and proclaimed to the classes' teacher, "Look what I got."How'd it get there? Apparently the student's fath ... More >>

Tampa Strip Clubs Prepare for Horny Conservatives During Republican National Convention

In late August, hundreds of thousands of Republican heavyweights will descend on Tampa to officially crown Mitt Romney their presidential nominee and celebrate their policies, which include abstinence-only education, limiting women's reproductive health choices, and an aversion to birth control and ... More >>

Connie Mack Gets His Daddy to Yell at Mean Liberal Media Bullies

This weekend the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald got their two top political reporters together to pen a piece about Republicans who weren't all that enthused about Rep. Connie Mack IV's Senate candidacy so far. Of course, Mack IV's biggest advantage in the race so far seems to be that he share ... More >>

Def Leppard Announce Summer Tour with Poison, 1.8 Million People Are Thrilled

WTF, 1.8 Million people "like" Def Leppard on Facebook? And holy shit, another 800,000 dig Poison? No wonder these two glam metal giants are hitting the road together again; it'll be the biggest tour ever! That's right, MILFS, "Great Britain's premiere arena rock band" and Rock of Love heartth ... More >>

Miami Dolphins Might Change Logo, Look in 2013

The Miami Dolphins recently switched from Reebok to Nike uniforms, and the minimal changes unveiled earlier this week for the 2012 kits were mostly all in the details. Though, come 2013 the Dolphins uniform change may be a bit more drastic. The team is reportedly considering updating its logo. It's ... More >>

New Types of Synthetic "Cocaine" and "Marijuana" Challenge Florida Lawmakers

​In the past few years, Florida lawmakers have passed laws banning synthetic compounds meant to mimic the effects of drugs like marijuana and cocaine, but chemists are staying one step ahead. In response to a law passed last year that outlawed a type of synthetic cocaine-like substance that was ma ... More >>

Glee Fact Checked by Florida's Pulitzer Winning Political Fact Checking Site

​Like churners-out of web content everywhere, the writers of Politifact, the Pulitzer Prize winning "keepin' em honest"-style political project of the Tampa Bay Times, sometimes get a little restless. Apparently this now means that the site is in the business of checking claims made on G ... More >>

Pythons May Have Eaten All the Rabbits in the Everglades

​Peter Cottontail's Florida cousin is no longer hopping down any bunny trails in the Everglades. That's because he was eaten by a python.A new study says that rabbits may have been completely eliminated from areas of the Everglades where invasive snake populations are the most heavy. Bobcats, racc ... More >>

Red Hot Chili Peppers Postpone 2012 US Tour, Reschedule South Florida Gig

​Being the frontman of one of the biggest bands on the planet can be a real pain in the sesamoid bone and flexor tendon. Just ask Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis. The porn 'stachioed rocker recently underwent surgery to treat a bum foot, the result of "multiple" injuries. And regrettably, ... More >>

Florida Marlins Not First Baseball Players To Be Spooked By Ghosts At St. Petersburg's Vinoy Hotel

"That voice just now-- what was it?"​We like the idea that, in his final hours as the Florida Marlins manager, Edwin Rodriguez spent his time comforting relief pitchers who were terrified of ghosts. It'd be fitting for one of the youngest teams in baseball.

Miami's Lingerie Football Team Has Folded

​Their existence was as brief as their uniforms. The Lingerie Football League's Miami Caliente (which was technically the best professional football team in town over the past two years -- it actually made the playoffs) appears to have quietly folded. The Juice reports their website is gone, ... More >>

Tampa Boy Kicked Out of Class for Wearing High Heels

​Any woman who has wobbled in stilettos knows it takes a real man to walk a day in high heels, but apparently a Florida high school won't stand for any light gender-bending in its halls. A male student at Riverview High School was sent to the principal's office not because of his own behavior, but ... More >>

Florida Couple Buys Real Human Skeleton at Garage Sale

​After all of this, when we're put in the ground and we slowly decompose eventually all that will be left is our bones. So how much are those worth? Apparently the going rate on the Florida garage sale market is 8 bucks. That's how much a Florida couple paid for what turned out to be a real skelet ... More >>

Charlie Crist Hints at Vetoing Controversial Abortion Bill

via The Glow Box​When news broke that Charlie Crist would run for Senate as an independent, it was speculated that he'd spend the rest of his term as governor issuing a few controversial vetoes that would separate him from the Republican party. He already did so with the education bill, and is now ... More >>

The Damon Fowler Group

Lingerie Bowl Set for Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Miami Caliente Still in Playoff Hunt

Well, there's one Miami football team that's still in the playoff hunt: the Lingerie Football League's Miami Caliente. With a 2-1 record and an upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Breeze, the Caliente could find themselves in Lingerie Bowl VII. Unlike last year's debacle in Tampa Bay, South Florida ... More >>

Riptide's Ten Most Popular Posts of 2009

Riptide put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 posts this year, so before we get started on writing 3,000 more it's time to sit back and look at some our successes: Our top ten posts by pageviews.Yeah, it's a collection of slightly seedy stuff, with abortion doughnuts, rape tunnels, and XXXra ... More >>

Marco Rubio May Not Have Hugged Obama, but He Would Have Taken His Stimulus Money

The most effective and frequent bit in Marco Rubio's senate campaign ads: that picture of Republican rival Charlie Crist embracing Barack Obama at a rally for the president's stimulus plan. Of course, every Republican Governor ended up accepting money from the stimulus plan, including your mor ... More >>

Tragic: Crash Kills Hispanic Activist Outside Freedom Center After Awards Ceremony

Last Thursday, a gray Toyota Tundra was driving west on NE 6th Street next to the Freedom Tower when it slammed full-speed into a southbound, red Honda CRV on Biscayne Boulevard.via Wikimedia CommonsThe truck spun out and skidded onto the sidewalk in front of the Freedom Center. Two women stood in i ... More >>

Obama Announces High Speed Rail Plan, Including a Line in Florida

via The White HouseCertain wingnuts think President Obama was born in Africa? Have they ever thought he might actually be European? First he tries and brings small bits of "socialism" that have been hall mark of many healthy, European democracies for decade, then he tries to shove soccer down our th ... More >>

Fins Pre-Season Announced

The Dolphins Pre-Season scheduled was announced today, and they won't be playing teams from that far away. They'll match up against the two other Florida franchises, Carolina and New Orleans. The exact dates aren't set in stone, but this gives you a general idea. Aug. 14-18 ... vs. Jacksonville at ... More >>

Legislators Looking to Beef Up Protections Against Dating Violence

For most of us, our psycho-ex's biggest offenses are sending locks of their hair in the mail, leaving 20 minutes long voice mails with self-penned poetry, or posting Photoshop manipulations of what our kids might look like on our Facebook walls long after we've broken up. Unfortunately though many h ... More >>

News Roundup

The University of Miami is not immune to the recession. President Shalala outlines a contingency plan for the next to years aimed at lowering spending. The school has had a hiring freeze in place since December, but Shalala promises no large layoffs. [Hurricane]The School Board approved a plan to cu ... More >>

Tampa Mayor Might Jump into Senate Race

With 22 months left before the election, there are still plenty of surprises left in this Senate race. The latest of which is that Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio told the Tampa Bay Tribune she's considering running in the Democratic primary:"It was not something I was considering when there was a possibilit ... More >>

Nudists Save Lingerie Bowl

Well, those prudes in Tampa got their way, and the Lingerie Bowl won't be tainting their apparently pure city. Instead a nudist resort in Pasco County stepped in and saved the day. The joint is appropriately called the Caliente Clothing Optional Resort, which should fair well for the Miami Caliente ... More >>

New Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency Miami, which underwent a $20 million dollar renovation last year, has unveiled its' new Pure Verde restaurant. Executive chef Michael Morris will be in charge of the snazzily-designed venue, which just months ago was a dull, aging sports bar. Morris, who previously helmed Hyatt pro ... More >>

On the List - XXXChange, VNDLSM, Little Louie Vega and Yo! Majesty

Should we be worrying, ya'll? Economy is going to shit. Let's hope Obama fixes things soon after he gives Bush the boot from the White House next week. Until then, there shall be more drinking and partying to forget we are on the verge of going broke.Here is what you'll want to check out this weeken ... More >>

The Confederate Flag Has Us Thinking About Secession

Sometimes I forget that technically Florida is a southern state, with Confederate heritage and all. It seems like the closer you get to the southern beaches the less and less red the necks are. This is probably because all of Hick-America would much rather spend their money on diamond-encrusted truc ... More >>

The Meters Are Coming

Sassed and Fury-ous

Half the Distance to the Bustline

Arena football and the Miami Hooters -- more than just a game

Local Is As Local Does

Miami could take a rock lesson or two