All eyes on the Jags (go figure!)

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one win away from going to the Super Bowl. And the city of Tampa is a hockey town — you might’ve already known that, but did you know it’s such a hockey town, they think they can play a game outdoors over there?

Oh, and the shakeup within the Miami Dolphins’ staff has reached the point where they’re shopping for a new ankle-taper.

Strange times …

A super hurdle

Yes, just one team stands between the Jaguars and the Super Bowl.

For the record, there’s just one body of water between Jacksonville Beach and the Western Sahara.

The Jags are coming off a playoff win over the Steelers, now face the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game and, assuming you recall the 2007 season, all of that sounds rather familiar.

But in the decade since this previously happened, the Patriots have won nine division titles, four conference championships and two Super Bowls. The Jags ... ahem ... haven’t.

At that big welcome-home gathering last Sunday at EverBank Field, following the Jags’ win in Pittsburgh, cornerback Jalen Ramsey grabbed a microphone and guaranteed … not one, but two more wins this season.

Longtime Boston Globe columnist Dan Schaughnessy, employing a style and manner slightly different than a modern shutdown corner, scoffs at the thought.

“I know — and you know — that no team quarterbacked by Blake Bleeping Bortles is going to come into Foxborough and beat Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in an AFC Championship game,” Schaughnessy wrote. “The Patriots know it. The Jaguars, God bless ’em, they know it, too. Everybody knows it.”

Everyone outside of New England is obviously hoping Schaughnessy’s wrong. Oh, and everyone outside the NBC marketing offices. After this year’s second straight ratings dip, the last thing NBC needs to sell is a Super Bowl without a marquee team.

Hockey Town South

While the Rays seem locked into terminal rebuilding mode and the Bucs disappointed everyone this season, the Tampa Bay area remains home to some of the world’s best hockey.

The Lightning are way out front in the Atlantic Division and should be among the Stanley Cup favorites once the endless season gives way to the endless playoffs.

Beyond all that, Tampa will be host to this year’s NHL All Star Game later this month, and now the team and city leaders are lobbying the league to let Tampa be host to one of those NHL outdoor stadium games that have become so popular in recent years.

Hey, the NHL played at Dodger Stadium four years ago, so Raymond James Stadium would surely work, given the modern miracles in ice making.

From the Tampa Bay Times: Lightning CEO Steve Griggs said the team worked with meteorologists to figure out the average temperatures in January and February, taking into effect El Nino and La Nina climate currents.

“We’ve done our homework,” Griggs said.

I know what you’re thinking

No, though it’s tempting, don’t expect Daytona International Speedway to lobby for an NHL stadium game. With more sporting avenues available after the Daytona Rising rebuild, it seems like a possible — and profitable — fit for the NHL and Daytona.

But while it would be at the right time of year climatically, it’s the wrong time of year in terms of the Speedway’s original purposes.

Argos!

You may recall the great playoff run by the West Florida Argonauts, who made the Division II football postseason and won four straight before falling in the championship game.

Amazing, given it was just the team’s second year of existence.

Not surprisingly, the Argos’ coach, Pete Shinnick, was named the DII national coach of the year. That gives Florida that distinction in both DII and Division I, where UCF’s Scott Frost got the plaque.

But Shinnick might not even be the best coach on West Florida’s campus.

Jeff Burkhamer is in his third season as the Argos’ basketball coach. He took over a program that had lost 20-plus games the previous two years, and after struggling to a 7-19 first year, went 20-9 last season and is 16-1 so far this season.

The Miami purge

Coming off its lost year, the Dolphins have recently jettisoned assistants Danny Barrett (running backs), Lou Anarumo (defensive backs), and Terrell Williams (defensive line), and “reassigned” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen.

It appears no one is safe. The team also announced this week the dismissal of head trainer Ryan Grove after four seasons with the team.

Not sure what the “now hiring” ad looks like for an NFL trainer, but I’m guessing somewhere in the requirements will be, “must keep Ryan Tannehill upright.”

Bad basketball

Florida's two NBA franchises are a combined 37-49 this year.

The Miami Heat are 25-18. Don't look. Trust me, the Magic are still that bad.

If the DeVos family's Amway business uses the same corporate playbook as the family's basketball organization, it's amazing they weren't overrun by Mary Kay decades ago.

Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com.