In this issue of

NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse

This Week’s Events

WEATHER

Local News

🏈Tampa Trouncing: Eagles' Playoff Hopes Dashed in Tactical Mismatch (Philadelphia Viewpoint)

🦸‍♂️ Ahoy, Fans! Lightning's Gasparilla Jerseys Are Here

Crime

💳 Gullible for Love: How a Fan Page Click Led to a $33K Scam

SPORTS

🏈 Tampa Bay's Tactical Triumph: Grading the Bucs' Decisive Victory (Tampa Viewpoint)

Science News

⚡ Electro-Sensory Dolphins: A New Scientific Breakthrough

This Week’s Events in the NewTampa | Wesley Chapel FL Local Area

January 16

January 17 — North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social, Hampton Inn-Tpa/WC, 2740 Cypress Ridge, WC, 9-10am

January 17 — Craft Brewery Comedy, Florida Ave Brewing, WC, 630/730pm

January 18

January 19 — NTBC-Ribbon Cutting Belmar Pharm Solns, 2500 Lakepointe Prkwy, Odessa, FL 33556, 1-3pm tours/tastings / 3-5pm ribbon cutting

January 20 — Steinway Piano Series: Eunmi Ko, USF Sch of Music: Barness Recital Hall, 4pm

January 21

Tampa Trouncing: Eagles' Playoff Hopes Dashed in Tactical Mismatch

The Buc’s Win - From a Philadelphia Viewpoint:

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a disheartening 32-9 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs, marking a significant downfall from a promising 10-1 start to an 11-7 season end. This defeat raises serious questions about head coach Nick Sirianni's strategies and decision-making. The Eagles' decline coincided with Sirianni's controversial mid-season shift in defensive play-calling responsibilities and an apparent inability to adapt offensively to defensive challenges. This tactical confusion was evident in the team's performance against the Buccaneers.

Philadelphia's defense was notably inefficient, highlighted by their inability to contain Buccaneers' quarterback Baker Mayfield, who, despite playing injured and facing numerous dropped passes, managed to throw for 337 yards. The Eagles' offensive strategy also faced criticism, particularly in handling blitz situations, with neither Sirianni's planning, Brian Johnson's play-calling, nor Jalen Hurts' decision-making proving effective. Additionally, the team struggled with fundamental aspects like tackling, a late-season issue that became glaringly apparent in this game.

The loss not only reflects on Sirianni's future with the team but also signals a challenging offseason ahead for the Eagles. One silver lining in the defeat was wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who stepped up admirably in the absence of A.J. Brown, recording eight receptions for 148 yards. However, this individual performance could not overshadow the overall team inefficacy, leading to a premature and turbulent end to Philadelphia's season. (oops, Go Bucs!)

Ahoy, Fans! Lightning's Gasparilla Jerseys Are Here

IThe Tampa Bay Lightning has unveiled its latest special edition Gasparilla jerseys, continuing their tradition of celebrating Tampa's renowned pirate festival.

This year's design features a unique pirate-themed Lightning logo prominently displayed on the front, adding a swashbuckling twist to the team's iconic symbol. Additionally, the left arm of the jersey is adorned with a distinct patch shaped like a ship's wheel, incorporating the Lightning logo at its center.

These limited-edition jerseys are more than just fan apparel; they're a part of the team's annual tribute to the local Gasparilla Pirate Festival. Designed to be worn as warmup jerseys before a selected game, they embody the spirit of the festival and the community's enthusiasm for the event.

Fans eager to snag one of these special jerseys can mark their calendars, as sales begin this Thursday, just ahead of the Gasparilla festival starting on January 27.

Click HERE to see the Real Jersey

Gullible for Love: How a Fan Page Click Led to a $33K Scam

In a distressing turn of events, an Indianapolis woman has fallen victim to an elaborate online romance scam, resulting in the loss of $33,000. The scam began innocuously with a click on a fan page, leading her to believe she was conversing with a star from the soap opera "General Hospital."

The scammer, posing as actor Steve Burton, exploited her admiration and convinced her to send money via gift cards, supposedly for a personal project and a promised trip to Hollywood.

The woman, married for 55 years and preferring anonymity, was persuaded to share gift card numbers, enabling the scammer to drain her funds. The interactions escalated, with her sending thousands, including 29 cards worth $3,600 in July and $12,500 in a mix of cards and money orders in August. Her last transaction was $5,000 in early January.

The real Steve Burton had previously warned against such scams on Instagram. The victim, now considering divorce and describing the relationship as addictive, has taken steps to protect her assets from further exploitation.

This cautionary tale highlights the dangers of online scams, especially those preying on emotional vulnerability.

Tampa Bay's Tactical Triumph: Grading the Bucs' Decisive Victory

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered a dominant performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, cruising to a 32-9 victory in the Wild Card round. The win propels them into the Divisional Round with confidence and style. Tampa Bay's comprehensive game plan left little room for criticism, with each team aspect receiving high grades for their contributions.

Offensive Brilliance: A- Quarterback Baker Mayfield shined, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns, despite some dropped passes. The team's ground game was equally effective, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. The only downside was the several dropped passes in the first half.

Defensive Mastery: A- The defense, led by Todd Bowles' strategy, was instrumental in limiting the Eagles to just nine points. Utilizing six-man fronts effectively, they stifled quarterback Jalen Hurts and stopped the Eagles on crucial plays, including a significant two-point conversion.

Special Teams Excellence: A+ The special teams were flawless, with kicker Chase McLaughlin and punter Jake Camarda performing exceptionally. Camarda's punts consistently trapped the Eagles within their 20-yard line.

Coaching Acumen: A- The coaching team, particularly Bowles, devised an effective plan against the Eagles. Offensively, Dave Canales could have focused more on the running game, but his strategies paid off, exploiting the weaknesses in the Eagles' secondary.

^{Local High School Sports Scores}

^{No Scores Available}

Electro-Sensory Dolphins: A New Scientific Breakthrough

In a groundbreaking study, scientists from The Nuremberg Zoo in Germany, along with experts like Kelly Martin, VP of Zoological Care at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, have identified a potential new sensory ability in dolphins: electroreception. This discovery adds to our understanding of dolphins' intelligence and adaptability. Electroreception enables the sensing of electric currents in water, a skill thought to assist dolphins in evading predators, locating food, navigating, and possibly communicating.

Kelly Martin highlighted how this discovery sheds light on the complex nature of dolphins, likening their adaptability to human ingenuity. The study also brings a fresh perspective to our knowledge of dolphins' existing sensory abilities, including echolocation, which dolphins use to "see" via sound. Martin shared her observations of dolphins with hearing impairments responding to stimuli, suggesting electroreception might explain their remarkable abilities.

This revelation has opened new avenues in dolphin research, with Martin emphasizing the infancy of our understanding and the potential for future discoveries that can enhance mutual learning and conservation efforts.

Interested in submitting News or an Event?

NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse Wants to Hear From You!