South Florida Local News

Today is Monday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2026. There are 325 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 9,1986, Halley’s Comet made its closest pass by Earth at 39 million miles in its first return to the solar system since 1910. (The comet’s next appearance will be in 2061).

Also on this date:

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

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In 1943, the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

In 1950, in a speech to the Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin charged that the State Department was riddled with Communists.

In 1964, the Beatles made their first live American television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” broadcast from New York on CBS. The quartet played five songs, including “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” to a crowd of screaming teenagers in person and more than 70 million viewers across the country.

In 1971, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in California’s San Fernando Valley claimed 65 lives.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, 69, died 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was followed by Konstantin Chernenko (chehr-NYEN’-koh), who would only be in power for 13 months before his own death in office.

In 2009, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs, telling ESPN he’d used banned substances while with the Texas Rangers for three years.

In 2020, “Parasite,” a film from South Korea, won the Academy Award for Best Picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so.

In 2021, the Senate moved ahead with a second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, rejecting arguments that the chamber could not proceed because Trump was no longer in office. (The Senate would vote to acquit him on Feb. 13.)

Today’s birthdays:

• Artist Gerhard Richter is 94.
• Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee is 86.
• Singer-songwriter Carole King is 84.
• Actor Joe Pesci is 83.
• Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz is 83.
• Author Alice Walker is 82.
• Actor Mia Farrow is 81.
• Actor Judith Light is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Sandy Lyle is 68.
• Writer-producer David Simon (TV: “The Wire”) is 66.
• Country singer Travis Tritt is 63.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero is 51.
• Actor Charlie Day is 50.
• Actor Zhang Ziyi is 47.
• Actor Tom Hiddleston is 45.
• Actor Michael B. Jordan is 39.
• Actor Rose Leslie is 39.
• NFL running back Saquon Barkley is 29.
• Actor Isabella Gomez is 28.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Defense won this championship.

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.

Walker became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis 28 years ago.

Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling, bro,” Witherspoon said. “You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can’t describe this group no better. It’s just a one-of-a-kind feeling. I was just so happy to battle with these guys. We went through a lot, but we believed. All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”

Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.

“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”

Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.

After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.

“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”

The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.

Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.

The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.

“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “But this game wasn’t a reflection of that. We were outcoached and outplayed.”

Down 19-0, Maye and the Patriots’ offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.

Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory.

But Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award in the closest race in two decades, didn’t come close. He had a chance to get it closer, but his ill-advised pass into triple coverage was picked by Love and the Patriots trailed by 15 when they got the ball back with 5:35 left.

Then came Nwosu’s touchdown, a fitting way to cap an overwhelming effort by the NFL’s stingiest defense.

“Definitely hurts. They played better than us tonight,” Maye said.

Maye’s 7-yard TD pass to Rhamondre Stevenson late in the game only made the margin smaller.

The Seahawks took a 3-0 lead on Myers’ 33-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive. Myers connected from 39 and 41 yards to extend the lead to 9-0 at halftime. He was good from 41 on Seattle’s first drive of the third quarter to make it 12-0.

 

General Daily Insight for February 09, 2026

The ripple effect is real right now! This morning, the Scorpio Moon squares the Aquarius Sun, stirring friction between intense connections and personal freedom to make our own plans. While schedules may shift unpredictably, we can combat that by focusing on less complex plans and being patient with scatter-brained peers. Our small triumphs add up to big wins, especially once the adaptable Moon opposes Uranus at 9:15 pm EST. Common ground can be found! We’d be wise to prioritize flexibility and balance.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

To figure out your life path, start slow. Everything worth doing is worth taking the time to do well. The nurturing Moon is in your 8th House of Shared Intimacy, where she opposes unpredictable Uranus in your 2nd House of Resources. A money conversation with someone close doesn’t have to be painful — not when you lay out your ideal terms with attention to fairness for both sides. Precision reduces stress and supports steady progress for everyone. Make openness your guiding star.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Taurus, your steadiness can guide important choices throughout the day ahead. As Luna argues from your connection zone with Uranus in your sign, you may end up caught between change and tradition. This will be particularly tough if the push to change is coming from a loved one or close colleague. Name what feels safe and consider a trial run of something that doesn’t seem too dangerous. That way, you can manage any shifts however works for you. Set flexible limits, not strict ones.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Your recent ideas could use some extra consideration or testing. Even the world’s best project won’t spring into existence fully formed! Daily tasks could challenge a bigger dream, so carefully refine your timing before you act. Your 6th House of To-Do Lists features the intuitive Moon squaring the dynamic Sun in your 9th House of Exploration. A travel plan or study goal could collide with a deadline, so try to break tasks into pieces and reach a checkpoint before taking any long breaks.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Caring encouragement helps your heart feel safe. The Moon in your 5th House of Invention is fussing over volatile Uranus in your 11th House of Networks. Plans with friends might upend a date night or interrupt your creative groove, so share your feelings early — you could benefit from proposing a schedule switch that works better for you. With gentle leadership, you can steer plans toward connection without losing the playful spark you love. Offer multiple options, so joy stays shared.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

This morning starts with a quiet gut check. The opposition between needy Luna and independent Uranus empowers your intuition. If you listen to your inner voice, your reputation could immensely benefit! Stay on your toes, because someone might demand urgent changes to work you thought was complete. This may or may not actually be your responsibility — if it is, suggest a plan that honors obligations without drama. On the other hand, if it isn’t, feel free to delegate it to someone else.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Clarity grows when you simplify moving parts. You may need to release control over the finer details in favor of ensuring the bulk of your efforts are in tune with your long-term goals. Your 3rd House of Messages gets involved with your 9th House of Growth during today’s Moon-Uranus spat, potentially causing complications. Confirm key details before you head out, because double-checking avoids pointless detours. A confusing message could disrupt your plans, but interruptions can be minimized if you’ve already verified the facts.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Needs and wants could currently be at odds with one another. The moody Moon and willful Sun are to blame, as they square across your excitable 5th house and your practical 2nd house. A new toy or upcoming outing might strain your budget, so price things carefully and suggest an option that fits what you value. Your diplomatic touch can turn an argument into teamwork by praising an idea’s potential, then guiding it toward a less pricey lane. Pick affordable fun to keep the peace.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You have the power, Scorpio! With Luna in your sign, her sparring session with unconventional Uranus in your 7th House of Connections brings your needs face-to-face with the needs of your loved ones. A close partner might suggest a sudden pivot, and your honest response works best when you state desires clearly without sharp edges. You can take charge without entirely taking over — allies should work together on big plans like this. Use the plain truth to deepen trust fast.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Where do you most crave a break? Wherever it is, you deserve a chance to have it — at least, the Moon and Uranus think you do. That said, your craving for quiet could conflict with a task request, so some trade-offs might be necessary. For example, you could give someone a ride as long as they promise to be done at a certain time. Your spirit rebounds faster when you honor solitude and connection in equal measure. You and your teammates should benefit!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Practicality is practically your middle name, Capricorn. Even with the temperamental Moon and the headstrong Sun tangling your communal 11th house with your materialistic 2nd house, you can build success. Watch out for budget stresses from group endeavours — you might have to be the one who states their budget cap first. Don’t worry, because you can also find a thrifty alternative that supports the shared goal. Whatever you’re up to, you earn respect when you explain the numbers around money and time.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Take a deep breath and look around — things probably aren’t that bad! The Sun is in your sign, empowering your plans (though things could get complicated when the Moon in your driven 10th house squares the Sun). You could feel a little too visible, especially if you’re in the middle of any major identity shifts. A sudden meeting could strain your energy, so pace yourself and state what you can deliver by a specific time. Your past, current, and future efforts are valid.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

The universe is opening doors — are you ready to enter them? Stay open as plans shift shape, because curiosity will be invaluable. The unconscious Moon moves through your 9th House of Distance, opposing undisciplined Uranus in your conversation zone. A surprise email or travel curveball could change plans, so follow a hunch and request details that make the path passable. Your compassion could be exactly what other people (and your own plans) need to succeed. Ask thoughtful questions to turn surprise into ease.

GAINESVILLE — Rusty Whitt is a strength coach, soldier and story teller, a trifecta of talents he’ll use to help head coach Jon Sumrall rebuild the Florida Gators.

As if executing an Olympic lift, Whitt blends complex components into a concentrated, explosive message aimed to inspire discipline and accountability while pushing a talented group of players to strain every fiber of their being.

Whitt and Sumrall face a heavy lift in Gainesville, where the Gators have managed just one winning season in five years.

“Our job is to hone them and get them stronger and understand the professional discipline it is going to take for them to reach their potential,” Whitt told the Orlando Sentinel.

No strength coach in America can match the war stories of Whitt, the only Green Beret to hold his position in Division I football.

“I kind of carry the torch for those guys,” he said.

Few have matched Whitt’s results. He oversaw four conference champions in two seasons each at Troy and Tulane with Sumrall.

Whitt’s gift of gab is next level. The 54-year-old insightfully, entertainingly and at times harrowingly recalled experiences on the football fields of Texas and the battlefields of Iraq. He returned home forever changed and eager to shape the bodies and minds of young men.

During a 45-minute interview with the Orlando Sentinel, the Gators’ master motivator and raconteur engaged in an illuminating and riveting conversation.

Florida's new strength and conditioning coach Rusty Whitt held the same position under head coach Jon Sumrall during two seasons each at Troy and Tulane. (Edgar Thompson/Orlando Sentinel) How do you view your role?

“We’re supposed to be the culture driver. But it has to be set by the head football coach. Coach Sumrall does a really good job of establishing what he wants and aligning that message. His core values are attitude, toughness, discipline and love. You can only control one thing about your day, and that’s how you approach it — the only disability in life is a bad attitude. The attitude that we try to bring on a daily basis is very aggressive, it’s very positive. It’s just demanding.

“The toughness aspect bleeds into that — we’re going to do hard things together. Being gritty is crazy tough. Gritty teams beat tough teams.

“No football coach is going to say, ‘Hey, we’re too disciplined.’ Disciplined football teams will beat sloppy football teams. When you’re fatigued, you make more mistakes. Insert us; we got to be conditioned.

“And then, I’m going to sacrifice for my teammates. I’m going to play hard for my teammates. Protect the team. Don’t do anything stupid outside that’s going to bring you down and bring the team down. And no energy vampires. An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer. So we enforce those pretty simple concepts daily.”

When did you decide to become a Green Beret?

“I had a partially torn ACL in college, lived on it, played on it, coached on it for seven or eight years. I was training one day with Josh McCown [quarterback at Sam Houston State], doing power cleans. I tore my ACL and cracked the femoral head. It was July 15, 2001. I had surgery a month later. Then 9/11 happened.

“I’m an invalid. I’m facing an 11-month rehab. I’m watching TV. My grandmother called me, and she goes, ‘This is your Pearl Harbor.’ My grandma was 24 years old on Dec. 7, 1941. She was one of 11. All her brothers joined the Army, Navy or Marines. I’m like, ‘Hell, you just drafted me.’ I rehabbed my leg for a year, and at the age of 32 I walked across the street to a strip mall and I joined the Army.”

What was the path from there?

“They said I was too old to go Special Forces, but I could go to Ranger Battalion. I was sent to Fort Benning, two classes behind Pat Tillman; he was out of basic and in Airborne school. I’m older than everybody. I’m older than the drill sergeants. I’m older than the company first sergeant. I’m in Airborne school, going to do five jumps, then go into the Ranger indoctrination program. I’m laying there before a jump. A 6-4, 240-pound guy walks into the hangar, the first Green Beret I ever saw in my life in person. He comes walking in with his clipboard — ‘Holy crap, who’s this superhero?’ He tells me my orders had changed: ‘Report to Fort Bragg 4 January.’

“I jump, land, am getting married in a week, drive to Atlanta for a bachelor party, am married in Nevada, see David Lee Roth at Harris Casino. I fly back to Fort Bragg, Jan. 4, 2004, and that’s when I started the Q Course [qualification course]. So, two years and two months of just complete chaos, and then I got sent to my Special Forces team in Fort Carson, Colorado.”

Florida coach Rusty Whitt's left forearm features a tattoo with the name of his 13-month daughter Lilanna. (Edgar Thompson/Orlando Sentinel) What then?

“I walk into this team room, and I’m exactly the same age as a team sergeant. When he was 18, he’s Gulf War 1. I’m playing college football. We had this weird parallel life, where he was like, ‘Where have you been the last 15 years? Welcome to the show.’

“I walk in on my team, and they were damaged. They’ve been fighting in Iraq for 250 consecutive days in a gunfight. Then I walk into that environment, this fresh fish, off the bus, and they’re like, ‘Who is this guy?’ I knew that was gonna be the most challenging thing in my life: to get acceptance from this team of guys, to accept a new guy like me at my age.

“It took a year to get absorbed into that team, where they actually trusted you and respected you. I trained for a year, and then did a nine-month tour in Iraq. I went back again, and then by that time, my clock had run out, and I elected to get out and get back into coaching.”

How would you describe your experiences in Iraq?

“Saw amazing things, saw horrible things, and it really changed my perspective on life and on the world, and how good we got it here, and how easily we can lose it, and how many people want what we have. And if we don’t have a strong military, it’d be really easy for somebody to come and take all of it.

“I saw utter desperation in Iraq. People that would lie, cheat, steal, rob, amputate for what we have. We fought against that  … what you and I would call evil. At one point, al Qaeda was offering $10,000 for a video killing a soldier. So watch your ass because every time you leave the gate, you’re getting shot at. An Iraqi policeman that you thought you could trust planted a bomb under the street the night before. It creates a paranoid mindset.

“I came back out of the service. I wouldn’t call it post traumatic stress disorder. I would call it post traumatic paranoia. But I met amazing people, did some cool stuff, no regrets. But it did set my career back about 10 years. I’m happy to be here after all that.

“About 11 friends of mine didn’t make it over there in Afghanistan or Iraq. Josh Townsend had this same tattoo [points to left arm]. He was my roommate, he died in Afghanistan and he liked Jameson Whiskey. I got a Jameson Whiskey tattoo and a Celtic knot because he was a big Irish guy.”

How can you apply your experiences with your players?

“Your coaching standards, unrelenting standards. There’s a one-mile obstacle course at Camp McCall, North Carolina, where you go for Special Forces selection. It’s called the Nasty Nick. Nick Rowe was one of the founders of the Green Berets. It has about 15 30-foot rope climbs. There’s about 30 obstacles. Every time you go through it, there’s a cadre standing there with a clipboard. You have your number taped to your leg. You got to complete this obstacle, and if you fail it, ‘Roster 054 you have failed to negotiate this obstacle properly! Do you wish to continue?’” … ” ‘Yes, sergeant!’ … ‘Try it again.’”

“If you fail, you’re out, you’re done, get on the bus, go home, go the 82nd Airborne. It is an absolute cut-and-dry standard. I made it to the Thumper, which was a 15-foot rope climb. You got to grab a bar, pull yourself over, and you got to walk across monkey bars — little one-inch pipes. Then you got to bend, grab a rope, and then hang back down and lower yourself under control. I got to the edge of the Thumper where the monkey bars were. I reached and I tried to swing and I lost my grip. I fell about 12 feet — Boom! I hit the ground.

“Air is knocked out of me. I’m ringing, singing here. ‘Roster 054, you failed negotiate this obstacle properly! Do you wish to continue?’ … ‘Roger, sergeant!’ So I’m like, this is it, one more chance. If I had failed, I wouldn’t be here right now.

“So, absolute standards you have to have to play college football at this level, to play for the Florida Gators. Absolute standards to be a Green Beret. I try to make these guys understand the similarities and standards.”

Would you give an example?

“You have to be able to run across the field and back as a cornerback in less than 14 seconds. The elite ones, the first-round draft picks, can run from the sideline to the other side, touch the right foot, sprint back in around 13.8 seconds. To play starting center for the Houston Texans, like Jake Andrews does, you got to squat 600 pounds — ass to Achilles. If you can’t, you better be a super Javon Kearse-level athlete. I have these standards in my head, and I preach them. My staff knows them, and we hold the standards.

“The other one is, everybody’s pursuing mental toughness. How do you get mentally tough? People write books about it. People go to clinics about it. The secret to mental toughness is self-confidence. I’m going to get a young man who’s 18 or 20. We’re going to do hard things sequentially enough where they can get better at them. They’re going to improve their self-confidence — that’s how you get mentally tough. You develop that level of self-confidence on a team with this level of talent and watch out. Watch out.”

What’s your grandmother’s name?

“Joyce Alva Miller. She passed away 2009. She got to see me come back from Iraq. She passed away about six months later. She had a a little American flag on her front porch. She put it up there when I joined the Army. When I got out, I went to her house, and she pulled it out and she gave up to me, ‘I’m glad you made it.’”

Your maternal or paternal grandmother?

“My mom’s mother. A fabulous woman when she was helped help raise me. My grandfather, her husband, joined the Army before World War II, mid ’30s. He was actually stationed in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and got out before the [Pearl Harbor] bombing and our involvement.

“My grandfather wanted to be a cavalryman, and they were eliminating the cavalry from the U.S. Army. When he was out of processing, he had like six months left. They said, ‘You’re going to go to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and being a prison guard until you get out of the Army.’ They gave him a 14-inch metal billy club, and they would tie in a square knot on his wrist. They said, ‘Anybody that breaks out on your watch, you serve their time.’ He kept that billy club the rest of his life. My brother has it.  Somebody who passed through when he was there was Al Capone.”

When Florida strength coach Rusty Whitt's service ended with the Green Berets, he got a tattoo on his left arm of the American seal found on the back of the dollar bill. (Edgar Thompson/Orlando Sentinel) What’s the meaning of your other tattoos?

“This is getting out of the Army. The American seal on a dollar bill [upper right arm]. This is my my tribute side [left]. My buddy taught me how to play guitar. He passed away in a car accident. Corey Stovall, I got a guitar with with wings on it [left side of abdomen].

“A book written about General Patton called, ‘A Genius for War.’ He said a pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood’ [tattooed fully along the triceps of each arm. It’s kind of cheesy, but when I was a little kid, I watched the movie ‘Patton’ with George C Scott. My dad loved it, so I got into it.”

What was your father’s influence?

“My dad was in the 101st Airborne in the late ’50s, early ’60s. During the Cuban Missile Crisis my dad was camped out wearing his parachute under a wing of a C-130. They were getting ready to fly into Cuba and do a low-level jump. They had gotten called on the bird about to take off. But they had to sleep under the wings of a C-130 for two weeks. My dad had these black-and-white pictures of him in the Army all over the house. My grandfather had pictures him wearing wearing his old uniform. I’d always had this thing in the back of my mind, if football didn’t work out. That was another kind of a call that I had to join up. It took something radical, like 9-11 to push me over the edge.”

What were you like as a player at Abilene Christian?

“This is really dating myself. But August of 1989 I walked on. There was no walk-on limit in Division II – there were 75 of us. I was like the fifth-string free safety. Back then, Day One practice was helmet, jersey, shorts – we were in two-a-days. Day Two was helmet, shoulder pads, shorts. Third day was full pads. On my third day, they scrimmaged. They call it the Toilet Bowl. I went out and they put me at free safety. I was a corner and a quarterback in high school and played a little bit outside linebacker. Had no idea what free safety was. He goes, ‘Don’t let anybody throw the ball over your head.’ It’s like, ‘OK.’

“So my first scrimmage, I hit a guy on a post route back when targeting was encouraged. I targeted the dude in his sternum and knocked him out. I had a really good day just hitting guys. Ronnie Lott was my favorite player. I’m trying to be Ronnie Lott. I got a scholarship that day, and then I redshirted. My first strength coach came in 1992. I gained 15 pounds, and I got moved to SAM linebacker. But I’d had about five concussions at that point. I’m wearing this bizarre concussion cap that [Buffalo Bills safety] Mark Kelso [wore]. I had to wear a it my last year. Wanted to play beyond college — I was pretty fast. Went to a neurologist, he said, ‘You’ve had a brain bleed. We highly recommend you stop playing football.’ So I got into coaching, and here we are.”

Do you share your experiences with your players?

“I try to in small bites. Their attention spans are really short. I tell them little war stories here and there, five-minute long ones. They always have to have a message of being aware, self-reliance, being tough. I learned a lot about myself and learned about selflessness and how far our body could be pushed. I do tell my players those intimate stories because you got to be very real with these young men, to be authentic. I treat them like men. I don’t call them kids or boys or fellas. They’re young men. They appreciate being told factual, graphic stuff, because it helps them. They listen. They know reality from bs.”

Are you coaching higher-level athletes here, across the board?

“You can tell they’ve done a really good job of bringing in top-tier level, NFL-level length. Our job is to to hone them and get them stronger and and understand the professional discipline is going to take for them to reach their potential. But we have some very large guys that are so big they need bigger squat racks. We need to make wider squat racks and longer bars. We’re getting new equipment, and it’s going to be here in a few months.”

Is (edge rusher) Jayden Woods special?

“He’s elite. He’s a strong young man. We have a lot of talented players, but so does everybody else. I’m looking these guys going, ‘We got next-level guys.’ But then Georgia does and Bama does and LSU does, and we got to beat them. It’s kind of a race to improvement.

“Everybody’s in the same boat with transfers, your lack of depth here and there. It’s just wide open right now. I know the strength coach at Georgia, Scott Sinclair. We’re chasing that level of continuity because he’s been there for a while. [Head coach] Kirby Smart’s been there for a while. So we got to get continuity and stability and install confidence in these guys really quick.”

Where do you gain the edge?

“The edge is in your daily standard, and knowing it’s not going to happen overnight, and trying to instill persistence in these guys that. Just keep stacking days — and be a competitor. You just got to compete. We’re going to improve on all those aspects, but it is going to take a segment of time that some people won’t be used to. But it’s just going to take time.”

Florida strength coach Rusty Whitt has two tattoos on his right are to honor Josh Townsend, Whitt's roommate and fellow Green Beret who died Afghanistan. 'He liked Jameson Whiskey ... and a Celtic knot because he was a big Irish guy." Sumrall said he nearly fired you at Troy?

“When Chip Lindsey resigned at the conclusion to 2021 season, I was getting ready to start packing my house up because I know the writing’s on the wall. This is before I even knew who they were going to hire. Austin Stidham, our starting Academic All-American center goes, ‘Hey, you don’t worry. I got you. I’m going to go battle for you.’

“Stidham and several of his teammates — this is before the portal went crazy and we had a bunch of juniors who knew they were going to come back. Stidham goes to the AD and says, ‘If Whitt gets fired, we’re going to jump in the portal. We’re all going to transfer.’ Now, whether he would have done that, I don’t know. But I owe my career to Stidham. The AD there goes, ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He told Sumrall, ‘Hey, I really want you to consider keeping the guy that we have. The players really like what they’re doing.’”

How’d you convince him to keep you?

“He calls me from the road, and he says, ‘Tell me about yourself; tell me what this team needs; what’s missing from this team?’ I tell him, we’re pretty close, but we got to work on standards and aligning our message, blah, blah, blah. He goes, ‘Let’s meet tomorrow in my office. I’ll give you about 20 minutes.’ So I took my little hire packet, my philosophy packet — ‘the best ability is availability and so forth’ — and I go in there and we talk for two hours. He’s like, ‘I think we can make this work.’

“Best season in school history — 12-2, ranked No 19. Our defense led the nation in fewest points allowed in the fourth quarter. We beat UTSA in a Cure Bowl. In ’23, win the conference, beat App State. Have a bunch of NFL players out of  Troy. He takes the job at Tulane and brought me along, and we kept the same philosophy mentality. But I owe it to Austin Stidham.”

Sumrall said he would not be here if not for you?

“Wow. I’m going to hold him to that.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

WASHINGTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday’s 132-101 victory over the Washington Wizards:

– For Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the moment at hand is one positioned between indifference and desperation.

– Sunday, he found his team facing a Washington team prioritizing lottery seeding to the degree that no one is quite sure when recent trade additions Trae Young and Anthony Davis will make their Wizards debut.

– That included the Wizards coming off a Saturday loss in Brooklyn, when just about anybody and everybody of note was held out in a loss to the Nets.

– Then, miraculously, most of those injured and ailing players suddenly were healthy for Sunday’s Wizards home game.

– Shortly after the Wizards’ Saturday loss, the Jazz were pulling leading men Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. as a lead in Orlando then turned into a loss to the Magic, a team the Heat are battling for East seeding.

– Utah needs to lose enough to guarantee one of the first eight lottery picks, or else that lottery pick is lost to Oklahoma City.

– To say all the tanking around the league isn’t leading to an uneven playing field would be a massive understatement.

– “I think the one thing that we all have to keep in mind is that there isn’t just one way to do things,” Spoelstra said remarkably diplomatically before Sunday’s game, “and it’s not on me or us to judge how other organizations are running their operations.”

– Spoelstra added, “You are free to do however you feel is the best that you think for your organization, and people will criticize it one way or another. People criticize us. We’re going to compete every single night, every night.”

– The Heat next play the Jazz on Monday night at Kaseya Center.

– So does Utah play that one for keeps, unlike Saturday night against the Magic?

– The standings, Spoelstra said, remain in his team’s control.

– “They’re free to do whatever they want,” Spoelstra said, “and I’m not hoping for other teams to beat teams so that we can get to where we want to get to. It’s up to us.”

– For the Heat, the goal remains to avoid the play-in round for a fourth consecutive season.

– “If we want to get a guaranteed playoff spot, then it’s on us,” he said. “It’s not on these teams that are playing guys or not playing guys, and we’re just hoping that they can hang on for a win. We don’t want anybody’s help. We want to handle it ourselves.”

– With Pelle Larsson sidelined, the Heat opened with Myron Gardner as the emergency starter, in an opening lineup rounded out by Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell.

– It was the Heat’s 18th lineup in their 54th game.

– The Wizards, opened with Justin Champagnie, Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George.

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– There was no Young or Davis for the Wizards, who now will attempt to balance more of an immediate future while also prioritizing the upcoming draft lottery.

– With Gardner called for two fouls in the opening 1:27, Jaime Jaquez Jr. made an early entrance as Heat sixth man.

– Early minutes then followed for Kel’el Ware.

– Simone Fontecchio and Kasparas Jakucionis followed together, for nine deep.

– Jakucionis this time played ahead of Dru Smith.

– With Ware and Adebayo then paired together as Nikola Jovic sat.

– Eventually, there was time for anyone and everyone on the first night of the back-to-back set.

– The Heat are now 7-3 all-time on Super Bowl Sunday, with the Wizards 5-4 when playing the same day as the Super Bowl.

– The Wizards became the final Eastern Conference team the Heat met for the first time this season.

– That comes with the Heat already having completed their 2025-26 season series against 11 teams, including Eastern Conference rivals Chicago and New York.

– The game opened the Heat’s 13th of a league-high 17 back-to-backs this season, moving on to Monday night’s home game against the Jazz with a 9-3 record on the second nights of such sets.

WASHINGTON — Yes, another early 22-point lead, just like Friday night in Boston.

But actually nothing like that blown 22-point lead against the Celtics, considering this was against a team again prioritizing its annual race to the bottom of the standings, and therefore top of the lottery.

So little worry for the Miami Heat in this one amid the Washington Wizards’ Super Bowl Sunday indifference, as Erik Spoelstra’s team rolled to a 132-101 victory at Capital One Arena.

On a chilly afternoon, in a sparsely attended arena, the Heat got off to a somewhat shaky defensive start, recognized what they were (actually weren’t) up against, and pushed their lead into the 30s in the third period, affording needed rest ahead of Monday night’s home game against the Utah Jazz.

“We’ve shown that ability to bounce back after disappointing games,” Spoelstra said. “The approach today was very professional, pretty much throughout the rotation across the board.”

So Bam Adebayo needed for just 28 minutes, but still closing with 22 points and eight rebounds, Norman Powell lost for the afternoon in the third period due to back pain, but still with 21 points.

Andrew Wiggins also got to sit late for the Heat, after completing an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, with Kel’el Ware allowed to play deeper into the afternoon, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

The Heat also got a career-high 22 points from rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis. who closed 6 of 6 on 3-pointers.

“I thought we did a great job with sustaining the level of effort and focus that we needed,” Powell said.

Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat led 37-33 after the first period and 75-52 at halftime.

Then, as if there was any doubt where this was headed, the Heat made sure there would not be another third-period collapse, which largely has been the bane of this uneven season.

This time the lead was 95-65 midway through the third quarter, as a quiet arena grew even quieter, save for a few hearty Heat fans.

Finally, with 8 minutes to play, the starters were pulled, with the likes of Jahmir Young entering the action.

2. Rotation alternations: With Pelle Larsson out with the elbow contusion sustained in Friday night’s loss in Boston and Tyler Herro away from the team with his ongoing rib issue, the Heat moved to a lineup that had Myron Gardner making his third start of the season.

The adjustments didn’t end there, with Jakucionis, who did not see action on Friday night in Boston, playing ahead of Dru Smith, and with Spoelstra pairing Adebayo and Ware as he cycled through his rotations, rather than utilizing Nikola Jovic.

“It’s what we’ve been talking about,” Spoelstra said, “that everybody really needs to wrap their mind about being an energy player.”

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3. Kasparas can: Jakucionis seized upon his opportunity, opening 3 of 3 on 3-pointers as part of the Heat’s 7-of-11 open from beyond the arc.

Those three first-period 3-pointers were more than Jakucionis had in an appearance since he had three in the Jan. 15 home loss to the Celtics.

“I just try to stay ready,” he said. “Whenever I have the opportunity, I try to embrace it and try to stay ready whenever I can.

“I made a couple of shots. I was feeling good and I just kept taking good shots instead of trying to force it. So whenever the ball came to me, I was ready.”

Jakucionis was up to 11 points by the opening stages of the second period, his first double-digit outing in his last seven appearances.

“He really competes,” Spoelstra said. “He was getting in little things, dust-ups throughout the course of the game. But it’s really just because of how hard he plays. There’s a purity to that.”

4. Double big: When Adebayo returned from his first break to play alongside Ware, it was their first minutes together since Jan. 6.

“I liked it today,” Spoelstra said. “We want to see where we can maximize our rotation as much as possible.”

Entering Sunday, Ware had played 10 or fewer minutes in three of his previous six appearances. The Heat was a +22 with the two on the court together in the first half, even if that included Adebayo facialing Ware on a dunk in the second period.

“It just felt like I had a little more help out there,” Ware said, “a little more help closer to my size, I would say.”

The duo finished a combined +41 for the afternoon.

“I mean we always got belief in our lineups, double-big, small lineups, whatever it is,” Adebayo said. “It’s good to have that kind of, I guess you’d say, time in the game together.”

About being dunked on by a teammate, Ware said, “I was going to grab the rebound …  But yeah, the unfortunate happened.”

From Adebayo’s perspective, all in good fun, “Yeah, we always joke that I never dunked on him. It just so happened that I dunked on him in the game.

“I had a free runway too.”

5. Two more chances: At 28-26, The Heat have two games remaining before their eight-day All-Star break, on Monday night at Kaseya Center against the Jazz and Wednesday night on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans, a pair of teams at the bottom of the Western Conference that stand a combined 30-77.

“Very important,” Spoelstra said of going into the break on high notes “We’ll focus on tomorrow night. But yes, it is very important for us to handle the next one professionally tomorrow night.”

WASHINGTON — It turns out All-Star Weekend will be flush with Miami Heat representation.

Sunday, guard Norman Powell secured yet another Heat slot for All-Star Weekend, when he was named as one of the eight participants in next Saturday’s 3-point contest in Los Angeles.

Sunday’s announcement came one week after Powell last Sunday was named an All-Star for the first time in his 11-season career.

The selection to the 3-point contest came while the Heat were playing the Washington Wizards on Sunday at Capital One Arena. Powell wound up leaving that game in the third quarter for the balance of the way due to the lower-back tightness that had him on the injury report earlier in the day. He closed with 21 points, including a potential preview of All-Star Saturday by shooting 5 of 10 on 3-pointers.

So for the Heat, it will be second-year center Kel’el Ware in the Rising Stars competition on Friday night, forward Keshad Johnson in the dunk contest on All-Star Saturday, Powell in the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday, two-way player Jahmir Young in the G League All-Star Game and 3-point contest on Sunday, and then Powell in the All-Star Game.

The weekend activities bring Powell back to Intuit Dome, where he played last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, before his July trade to the Heat.

“It’s really exciting,” Powell said of the 3-point invitation. “When they asked, I instantly said yes. Just for being back at Intuit Dome, back in L.A., where my family can see me for the All-Star weekend. So I’m excited about that.”

As for leaving with the back discomfort, Powell downplayed the issue.

“I think it’s just a moment,” he said of leaving early Sunday. “I think a lot to do with being stuck on the plane for a lot of hours. And then soft beds at the hotel. We tried to make an adjustment. But they didn’t have what we needed to have, a little firmer mattress there. I always get a little back flare-up when I’m sleeping on soft mattresses.”

Powell also participated in last year’s 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, a competition won by Heat guard Tyler Herro, who is unable to defend his title due to an ongoing rib issue. Powell failed to advance out of the event’s first round last year.

Powell becomes the 10th player to represent the Heat in the 3-point contest, seeking to become the Heat’s sixth champion.

Besides Herro last year, previous Heat winners of the competition were Glen Rice (1995), Jason Kapono (2007), Daequan Cook (2009) and James Jones (2011).

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In all, Heat players previously have made 14 appearances in the 3-point contest, when counting the two appearances apiece by Jon Sundvold, Glen Rice, Daequan Cook, James Jones and Tyler Herro, and single appearances by Kapono, Mario Chalmers, Duncan Robinson and current Heat assistant coach Wayne Ellington.

Also selected to the field for the 3-point contest are Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns),  Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks) and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), even though Lillard is sidelined for the season with an Achilles tear, not playing this season.

In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds.  The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score determines the winner.

The 3-point contest will be the first competition on All-Star Saturday this coming Saturday in Los Angeles, followed by the Shooting Stars contest and then the dunk contest. The Heat do not have a competitor in the Shooting Stars event that features one former NBA player on each of the competing units.

The Heat begin their All-Star break after Wednesday night’s game against the Pelicans in New Orleans. They then return to action after an eight-day break with a Feb. 20 game in Atlanta against the Hawks.

WASHINGTON — There was a time when Pelle Larsson being unavailable to the Miami Heat would fall somewhere along the lines of minor inconvenience.

This no longer is that time.

Sunday, when the Heat had to go without Larsson against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena due to the elbow contusion sustained in the first half of Friday night’s loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, it meant having to go without a player who had started the previous 13 games and 32 overall this season.

From late selection out of Arizona in the second round in 2024, Larsson has emerged this season into what Erik Spoelstra often refers to as a “connector,” the type of player who makes teammates and lineups better.

“He’s that example we talk about, ‘Make us watch you and make us have to play you and make us have to move things to make sure that you’re getting out there and playing and not going a different direction,’ ” Spoelstra said before Sunday’s game. “So he’s been really a plus in whatever lineup he’s been in.

“I think that shows his versatility. And he’s pretty much cemented himself in the rotation regardless of where that is.”

The Heat said an MRI on Larsson showed no more than the elbow contusion.

Dunk perspective

Not only does this season’s dunk contest at All-Star weekend feature the field with the lowest-ever cumulative scoring average, but more perspective arrived in the Heat’s injury report for Sunday.

A day after being named to the contest, Heat second-year forward Keshad Johnson was sent to the G League Sioux Falls Skyforce for additional seasoning.

Johnson is averaging 3.1 points per game for the Heat this season, just below the composite 4.53 scoring average of the field that also includes Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers) and Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic).

“The two things I really like about it is, one, I’m really excited about KJ having the opportunity to go experience the All-Star Weekend. I just think it’s awesome for young guys,” Spoelstra said, with Johnson’s competition on Saturday. “And when you’re a young player, I just think it’s great to have an opportunity to mingle with the greats of the game and just see all of it and experience all of it.

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“The second thing would be, yes, athleticism is big time. We see it after practices, some of these dunks he does. He can take off from right inside the free-throw line. He can do a lot of trick dunks. And he’s also really starting to figure out how to weaponize that athleticism, and show it more in the game of basketball where it’s not just a dunk contest.”

When it comes to dunking, guard Jahmir Young, who is on a  two-way contract and has played with Johnson with the Heat and Skyforce, said the potential for a contest breakout is undeniable.

“He’s one of the most athletic guys in the league, whether that’s seeing it in warm-ups, or even the time that he gets in the game,” Young said. “His nickname is Showtime for a reason.”

Goldin, too

In addition to Johnson, the Heat also sent bulky 7-foot rookie center Vlad Goldin back to the G League for additional seasoning.

“Vlad, he hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities with us, but I’m really encouraged by him,” Spoelstra said. “It forces us to look at him in a unique way. He’s a throwback big. He’s got a great motor for somebody his size.

“So if there’s some areas where he may lack in some athleticism, he makes up for it in his consistent motor, that energy. And then he’s got a really unique touch inside the paint. He can do these little flip shots, finishes. Even though he’s not elevating off the ground, he can do it with either hand.  So I like his development.”

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The urgent investigation into the apparent kidnapping of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie continued Sunday, a week after the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie was reported missing in Arizona.

Savannah Guthrie solemnly told the potential kidnappers in a social media video released Saturday that the family was prepared to pay for her safe return. Flanked by her siblings, Guthrie said “we received your message” and that: “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

An FBI spokesman said Savannah Guthrie was referring to a message that was sent to the Tucson-based television station KOLD on Friday. The station declined to share details about the message’s contents as the FBI conducted its review.

Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson last weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and established Thursday evening and Monday evening as deadlines. Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

The sheriff and his staff did not respond to requests for updates Sunday morning.

A FBI spokesman said Sunday that the investigation was continuing.

The disappearance of the well-known TV host’s mother has fixated Americans over the past week. Candles remained lit early Sunday near Nancy Guthrie’s home, next to a sign expressing support for the family.

The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week. The president told reporters on Friday that there are clues in the case “that I think are very strong.”

Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

The video released Saturday was the third this week that pleaded with potential kidnappers.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, DAVID B. CARUSO and LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI collected ample proof that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused underage girls but found scant evidence the well-connected financier led a sex trafficking ring serving powerful men, an Associated Press review of internal Justice Department records shows.

Videos and photos seized from Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn’t depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.

An examination of Epstein’s financial records, including payments he made to entities linked to influential figures in academia, finance and global diplomacy, found no connection to criminal activity, said another internal memo in 2019.

Summarizing the investigation in an email last July, agents said “four or five” Epstein accusers claimed other men or women had sexually abused them. But, the agents said, there “was not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals.”

The AP and other media organizations are still reviewing millions of pages of documents, many of them previously confidential, that the Justice Department released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and it is possible those records contain evidence overlooked by investigators.

Here are takeaways from what the documents show about the FBI investigation and why U.S. authorities ultimately decided to close it without additional charges.

Origins of the investigation

The Epstein investigation began in 2005, when the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported that she had been molested at the millionaire’s home in Palm Beach, Florida. Then-Miami U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta struck a deal letting Epstein plead guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from an underage girl. Sentenced to 18 months in jail, Epstein was free by mid-2009.

In 2018, a series of Miami Herald stories about the plea deal prompted federal prosecutors to take a fresh look at the accusations.

Epstein was arrested in July of 2019. One month later, he killed himself in his jail cell.

A year later, prosecutors charged Epstein’s longtime confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, saying she’d recruited several of his victims and sometimes joined the sexual abuse. Convicted in 2021, Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term.

Lack of evidence for coconspirators

Prosecution memos, case summaries and other documents made public in the department’s latest release of Epstein-related records show that FBI agents and federal prosecutors diligently pursued potential coconspirators. Even seemingly outlandish and incomprehensible claims, called in to tip lines, were examined.

Some allegations couldn’t be verified, investigators wrote.

In 2011 and again in 2019, investigators interviewed Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who in lawsuits and news interviews had accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sexual encounters with numerous men, including Britain’s former Prince Andrew.

Investigators said they confirmed that Giuffre had been sexually abused by Epstein. But other parts of her story were problematic.

Giuffre acknowledged writing a partly fictionalized memoir of her time with Epstein containing descriptions of things that didn’t take place. She had also offered shifting accounts in interviews with investigators, they wrote.

Two other Epstein victims who Giuffre had claimed were also “lent out” to powerful men told investigators they had no such experience, prosecutors wrote in a 2019 internal memo.

Photos and video don’t implicate others

Investigators seized a multitude of videos and photos from Epstein’s electronic devices and homes in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They found CDs, hard copy photographs and at least one videotape containing nude images of females.

No videos or photos showed Epstein victims being sexually abused, none showed any males with any of the nude females, and none contained evidence implicating anyone other than Epstein and Maxwell, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wrote in an email for FBI officials last year.

Had they existed, the government “would have pursued any leads they generated,” Comey wrote. “We did not, however, locate any such videos.”

Investigators who scoured Epstein’s bank records found payments to more than 25 women who appeared to be models — but no evidence that he was engaged in prostituting women to other men, prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors weighed the possibility of charging some of Epstein’s close associates, including an assistant and business clients, but ultimately decided against it because of lack of evidence.

No client list found

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in February 2025 that Epstein’s never-before-seen “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now.” But FBI agents wrote superiors saying the client list didn’t exist.

On Dec. 30, 2024, about three weeks before President Joe Biden left office, then-FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate reached out through subordinates to ask “whether our investigation to date indicates the ‘client list,’ often referred to in the media, does or does not exist,” according to an email summarizing his query.

A day later, an FBI official replied that the case agent had confirmed no client list existed.

On Feb. 19, 2025, two days before Bondi’s Fox News appearance, an FBI supervisory special agent wrote: “While media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case references a ‘client list,’ investigators did not locate such a list during the course of the investigation.”

___

Aaron Kessler in Washington contributed to this report.

___ The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from CBS, NBC, MS NOW and CNBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.