* Those new Bucs’ uniforms: NASCAR, only not as subtle.
* No one knows exactly how to weigh the factors that resulted in Marty St. Louis forcing the hand of Tampa Bay Lightning management in orchestrating that trade to the New York Rangers. We do know this: The captain walked out on his teammates, this franchise and the fan base with 20 games left and the Bolts heading into the playoff crunch. Never thought we’d see these words in the same sentence: No class, Marty.
* The Tampa Bay Rays are a consensus pick for World Series contender this season. The online Bovada site is not atypical. It lists the odds of the Rays winning the World Series at 12-1 or sixth overall. The top five: Los Angeles (13-2), St. Louis (8-1), Detroit (9-1), Boston (9-1) and Washington (9-1).
* It says something about turnover in a volatile business: Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman now reign as MLB’s longest-tenured manager/general manager tandem. It also says something about performance: Since 2008, the Rays are the only team to post at least 90 wins five times.