But it took a while to land on that game. Meanwhile, Simmons and his guests rattled off distant memories left and right, and there was a through line on most of them: memories of a hometown team\u2019s moment of glory on a big stage, the first that they got to witness.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s when I realized why this was more of a struggle for yours truly: This is what happens when you grow up rooting for the Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n
Their last conference championship<\/a> was following the 1992 season (I was 5). Their last playoff win<\/a> was 2000 (shoutout to Jay Fiedler), the longest drought in the league. The Dolphins have not won 12 games in a season since 1990<\/a>.<\/p>\n And in that 35-year span since, they\u2019ve only won fewer than six games three times. And that\u2019s really the biggest feature of this team: They\u2019re never good enough to compete at the highest level, but they\u2019re almost never bad enough to bottom out and land a franchise superstar. And on the rare occasions they are, they usually whiff (Dion Jordan and Tua Tagovailoa being the most glaring examples).<\/p>\n The Dolphins have recently cleaned house, bringing in a new GM, new head coach and more. Will things be different than the last several decades? Dolphins fans probably shouldn\u2019t hold their breath absent some evidence on the field.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Dolphins fans just looking for some good football can only hope that this weekend gives us matchups as memorable as that Falcons-Vikings game \u2014 and do our best to not be salty that all four of these teams playing have won a championship within the last 13 years and have appeared in multiple Super Bowls within the last 14.<\/p>\n Must be nice. Unforgettable even.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s onto our weekly game of winners and losers.<\/p>\n Winners<\/p>\n Honorable mention: Condo purchasers. Florida condo buyers have caught a rare break \u2014 at least on paper.<\/p>\n At a House Financial Services Committee hearing<\/a>, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds secured a commitment from the Donald Trump administration to review a long-standing Fannie Mae policy that effectively requires condo buyers in Florida to put 25% down, far higher than the 10% down payment standard in most of the country.<\/p>\n Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner said HUD would work with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to take another look at the rule.<\/p>\n The requirement dates back to 2008, when Florida sat at the center of the housing collapse and federal regulators imposed geography-specific restrictions on condo lending. Nearly two decades later, those rules still apply only to Florida, even as buyers in other states face more lax requirements.<\/p>\n Real estate and mortgage professionals have argued for years that the policy has outlived whatever justification it once had and now acts as a major drag on affordability, particularly in South Florida\u2019s condo-heavy markets.<\/p>\n Nothing changes immediately. FHFA has not outlined when these changes might occur, and Trump has a history of overpromising.<\/p>\n But for buyers long boxed out by steep upfront costs, the administration\u2019s willingness to reopen the issue is at least a sign that relief could be coming.<\/p>\n Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: Laurel Lee.\u00a0Lee is putting herself at the center of one of the ugliest byproducts of the AI boom \u2014 and doing it with an unusually broad coalition.<\/p>\n The Thonotosassa Republican is co-sponsoring the DEFIANCE Act, bipartisan legislation with Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York that would create real consequences for generating and distributing nonconsensual deepfake pornography.<\/p>\n Lee helped convene a Capitol Hill press conference<\/a> that brought together figures who don\u2019t usually share a stage: Paris Hilton, Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Ocasio-Cortez, all of whom have been targets of deepfake or nonconsensual sexual content.<\/p>\n The technology is already being used to harass, humiliate and extort women \u2014 including members of Congress. States have passed restrictions, but federal regulation is lacking. The DEFIANCE Act would change that by allowing victims to pursue restitution and damages against those who create and distribute the content.<\/p>\n As Lee pushes for federal guardrails, Florida lawmakers are also moving into increased AI regulation of their own. A Senate committee just advanced<\/a> state Sen. Tom Leek\u2019s AI bill of rights, which focuses on consumer transparency and protections for minors, while separate bills aim to regulate data centers fueling AI growth. Gov. Ron DeSantis has increasingly framed AI as a space that needs guardrails, even as Trump has warned states against heavy-handed regulation.<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s effort threads that needle. The DEFIANCE Act isn\u2019t about throttling innovation or regulating algorithms. It\u2019s about clear harm that has already affected many victims Whether Congress ultimately delivers remains to be seen, but Lee has positioned herself as a serious player on an issue that\u2019s only going to get more relevant as this technology grows.<\/p>\n The biggest winner: Tampa Bay sports fans. It was an encouraging week for fans of major league sports staying in Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n On the baseball front, the Rays\u2019 long-running stadium saga finally produced something tangible<\/a> \u2014 even if it\u2019s very early and nonbinding. Hillsborough College\u2019s Board of Trustees voted to approve a memorandum of understanding that allows negotiations to begin on a possible new Rays stadium and massive mixed-use redevelopment at the Dale Mabry campus.<\/p>\n No shovels, no site plan, no financing package \u2014 but for the first time under new ownership, there\u2019s an agreed framework to talk seriously about a Tampa-based future.<\/p>\n Team CEO Ken Babby pitched the idea as a roughly 130-acre project combining a new ballpark with housing, retail, entertainment and an integrated college campus \u2014 an ambitious vision that still has a lot of unanswered questions. Trustees and local officials were careful to stress this is just a starting point, and critics raised real concerns about student displacement and housing costs.<\/p>\n Still, the vote marked a step forward for a franchise still in limbo after the last stadium deal fell through.<\/p>\n At the same time, hockey fans got something far more concrete. Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously approved a deal<\/a> extending the Tampa Bay Lightning\u2019s lease at Benchmark International Arena through at least 2043. The county will commit $250 million in renovation funding from tourist development taxes, while Lightning ownership will put in at least $75 million of its own \u2014 with penalties if the team bolts early.<\/p>\n In the end, one team is locked in longer-term, and another has finally taken its first real step toward a possible Tampa home.<\/p>\n Losers<\/p>\n Dishonorable mention: Florida State Guard. A stunning Orlando Sentinel report<\/a> this week detailed internal turmoil in the Florida State Guard and raised serious questions about the group\u2019s leadership, spending and mission readiness.<\/p>\n And before we get into it, a quick refresher is in order. DeSantis revived the long-dormant force in 2022 to purportedly support disaster response and public safety issues.<\/p>\n But really, he wanted his own counterpart to the Florida National Guard during the administration of then-President Joe Biden, and as DeSantis was doing everything he could to look tough as he geared up a bid for President, which flamed out without a single delegate win.<\/p>\n Suffice it to say, this latest report is not instilling much confidence that the Florida State Guard is anywhere near capable of carrying out the Governor\u2019s goals. And allegations of mismanagement now give critics fresh ammunition as the Governor seeks tens of millions more for the agency in the upcoming fiscal year.<\/p>\n What began as scattered complaints has snowballed into a wave of resignations, public accusations and blunt warnings from veteran service members who say the organization is unraveling from the inside. Senior officers, pilots and rank-and-file volunteers have departed in recent weeks, many alleging retaliation for speaking up about management decisions made by Executive Director Mark Thieme, the Guard\u2019s third top leader since it was reactivated.<\/p>\n Among the most damaging claims are allegations from former and current Guard members who say Thieme ran up extensive flight hours and related costs in pursuit of a personal private pilot\u2019s license, while also authorizing millions of dollars in aircraft purchases and parts that were poorly vetted or incompatible with the Guard\u2019s existing surveillance equipment and mission needs.<\/p>\n The most high-profile departure came with the resignation of Command Sergeant Major Michael Pintacura, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who helped oversee the Guard\u2019s Special Missions Unit. In his resignation letter, Pintacura cited a loss of confidence in leadership judgment and warned of a culture where informal pressure replaced disciplined planning and accountability. Other departures followed, including officers who say they were pushed out after refusing questionable orders.<\/p>\n Some of them even met with DeSantis Chief of Staff Jason Weida and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins \u2014 the latter of whom is now running for Governor \u2014 but say complaints fell on deaf ears.<\/p>\n Much like DeSantis\u2019 failed presidential bid that this Guard was established, at least in terms of optics, to support, what was once seen by some as an entity of strength is now collapsing into sheer embarrassment.<\/p>\n Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: James Fishback. For weeks, Fishback has denied any formal ties to DeSantis\u2019 staff despite NBC News reporting<\/a> to the contrary.<\/p>\n Well, that blew up in his face<\/a> this week when the Governor\u2019s Queen of the Trolls, Christina Pushaw, went public with a lengthy X post accusing Fishback of deception.<\/p>\n Pushaw wrote that she had given Fishback informal campaign advice for months but cut off contact, saying Fishback \u201cdeceived me, violated my trust\u201d and began threatening to smear her. \u201cI am afraid of James Fishback,\u201d Pushaw added, warning he would \u201cweaponize his platform\u201d against her.<\/p>\n Fishback countered on X by posting screenshots of private messages in an effort to contradict her claims. In his statement, Fishback admitted Pushaw had acted as an \u201cinformal adviser\u201d to his campaign for two months, which cut against his earlier denials. He blamed the blow-up on Pushaw\u2019s reaction to Lt. Gov. Jay Collins entering the race for Governor, claiming she became \u201cfrustrated\u201d when he refused to quit and endorse Collins.<\/p>\n And let\u2019s not forget a court order<\/a> this week requiring Fishback to turn over stock and other assets to settle a $229,000 judgment. That alone could\u2019ve landed him in this spot before the drama with Pushaw.<\/p>\n This all is great fodder for a Real Housewives franchise, but Fishback is purportedly running to lead this state. He was forced to admit here straight up lying about his associations with Pushaw, which makes you wonder what else he has been lying about despite trying to frame himself as a straight-talking, tell-it-like-it-is outsider.<\/p>\n So much for that.<\/p>\n The biggest loser: Christina Pushaw.<\/p>\n As for Pushaw, this whole soap opera somehow looks even worse.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FCCC-2026LegPriorities-FloridaPoliticsAds-728x90-v2-e1768008123465.jpg\")
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