TBRR is a weekly airing of national and local politics, sports and lifestyle items from a very politically incorrect viewpoint. As always, beware - certain accounts printed here should not be taken literally.

Opening up Florida – slowly

Count us among the near unanimous collection of folks who applaud Governor Ron DeSantis’ cautious approach to reopening Florida. The ability to get a meal at your favorite restaurant, if you wish, to patronize a favorite store and (thank goodness) to check out a book is a great first step. Frankly, being in the so-called at risk group, we plan to hold off on that first meal for a while and, despite our shagginess, a much needed haircut when salons first open. And we hope others in that “older than dirt” group will exercise similar care. We will still order out from our favorite restaurant once or twice a week, but will wait a few weeks to see how things develop before dining in. It’s so tempting to just break out of the house after the past several weeks, but caution should continue to be the byword. This was evidenced by the leader of the area’s largest group of the faithful, Bishop Gregory Parkes of the Diocese of St. Petersburg delaying, at least for a while, the resumption of Masses in the five county diocese. And again, we pay tribute to our governor and his staff for their management of an incredibly difficult situation.

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Our world famous beaches are now open. Kudos go to Pinellas Commissioners Dave Eggers and Karen Seel who took the lead in this initiative. We need to move slowly, but the vast expanse of beaches is a good place to start.

2. We normally respect Microsoft founder Bill Gates, but his defense of China in the coronavirus pandemic is, well, indefensible. Where does he think this mess started – the Fiji Islands?

3. Fox News morning host introduces Tampa mayor as Jane Castro – well, there are some similarities.

4. News from the Biden Bunker – as reports of improprieties mount up, there is good news. The former VP has received the endorsement of Nancy Pelosi. That should push him over the top.

5. As we labor through coronavirus, another lighter note from the 5:05 Newsletter: "I've washed my hands so many times that I can read the answers to a math test I took in 1966."

Sports, media and other stuff:

6. Ouch! MLB’s proposed 10-team divisions would place the Rays in a division with NL East powerhouses the Mets, Nationals and Phillies, not to mention the Yanks.. The only bright note for the Rays is geographically-challenged MLB thinks Atlanta is in the Midwest.

7. One of the most amazing baseball items of the off-season is that the Washington Nationals have not yet exercised their 2021 option on manager Davy Martinez who did something no Washington manager had done since 1924 – win a World Series.

8. While patiently waiting for the start of Spring Training 2.0, this thought - the best acquisition in the offseason is not Cole, Rendon, Betts or Donaldson, but the Phillies finally getting some stability in their dugout with Joe Girardi.

9.Alas, in more normal times this would be Derby weekend. Side thought – with a fall running this year, will the ladies’ hat fashions change?

10. The New Orleans Saints signing of Jameis Winston is curious. They have a Hall of Famer under center in Drew Brees, a valuable back-up in Taysom Hill and just drafted Mississippi State QB Tommy Stevens.

MLB’s next ten years

Frustrated baseball fans are searching through their closets for their old Strat-O-Matic. But as the calendar flipped to a new decade, a selection of MLB players were asked about their predictions for the next ten years in various categories such as number of World Championships. Besides the “chalk” picks of the Yankees and Braves, the next team mentioned most prominently by these big leaguers was the Chicago White Sox – a team like the Yanks and Braves loaded with a bunch of young stars – maybe just a step or two behind the other two teams right now. And briefly in the pitching categories, besides DeGrom, Cole, Buehler and Bieber was the name Nate Pearson who has not thrown a game in the majors – yet. The Blue Jays prospect from nearby Odessa has the fastest heater in organized ball and amazing control for a power pitcher. Keep your eye on him, this year and in the future.

NEXT UP: Amy’s next gig; Rise & fall of the turn signal; More on Joe

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