Big Story:
Today we start with something that is finally giving professional sports fans in South Florida a team to believe in…the Florida Panthers! We'll also touch on the Marlins reported eye-popping offer to Albert Pujols and maybe a few other points as well.
Hitting the agenda like JaMarcus Russell hit the purple drank…here we go!

Panthers: (next game – @ St. Louis, Thursday, 8 p.m., Fox Sports Florida)
Wow, just wow.
The Panthers demolished the Dallas Stars last night and get this….are now tied for first place in the NHL's Southeast division.
The only team keeping pace with the Panthers right now are the Washington Capitals, who like the Panthers, have 21 points this season.
What's interesting about Florida's success this season is that they are pulling a Miami Dolphins.
The team is 7-3 on the road this season, but just 2-2-3 in the friendly confines of the Bank Atlantic Center.
It's wild. It seems to be the only team that can consistently win in South Florida is the Heat?
That Panthers are currently four points out of first place in the Eastern Conference which is currently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Considering the amount of roster turnover the team had this year, plus the stud goalie and wing man they have in the farm system, and this team could be built for the future in a big way.
The team plays in St. Louis on Thursday and then returns home for a massive homestand.
The Panthers play the Penguins, Devils, Rangers, and Lightning from Nov. 19 through Nov. 25.
If you pick one game to go to, check out the Penguins game.
It's always a fun one to see.

Miami Marlins:
Umm…wow again.
If the reports are true, then the Miami Marlins are willing to turn into the New York Yankees South.
According to multiple reports, the team has offered free agent first baseman Albert Pujols a 9 year contract worth $225 million.
Yes, $225 million for one player.
That translates to nearly double what the team invested in the new Marlins Stadium.
Here's where it gets interesting.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Cards didn't even offer Pujols over $200 million last spring to keep him with the team.
Umm…..WOW.
Now, before you go out and buy your Pujols Marlins jersey just yet, the Cards will make an offer I'm sure.
He's beloved in St. Louis, but that's a lot of cash to turn down for anyone.
So here's a possible lineup for the Marlins, assuming they signed Pujols and Jose Reyes.
1. Jose Reyes, SS
2. Emilio Bonifacio
3. Albert Pujols
4. Mike Stanton
5. Hanley Ramirez
In the words of Bobby Bowden, dadgum!

Dolphins update:
Not much on the Fins front right now, except for a ludicrous column saying Fins could be poised to go after Peyton Manning.
Follow me here….even if Manning is healthy, which he probably won't be....It WILL. NOT. HAPPEN.
As for the team….'And lo, the sixth seal was broken, and a great noise did envelop the earth as the apocalypse was nigh."
Don't look now, but this team looks perfectly poised to….*gulp*….have a bonafide winning streak by the end of the day Sunday.
They welcome in a quickly collapsing Buffalo Bills team this weekend and based on the fact that the team has given up just 6 points per game the past two weeks, a win is not out of the question.
After the Buffalo game, things get a little tougher.
The Fins will battle Dallas on the road, Oakland and Philly at home, then Buffao and New England on the road, before finishing with the Jets at home.
Let's assume the Fins can beat Buffalo twice and sneak up on the Raiders.
That's five wins on the season and likely puts the team out of contention for a franchise quarterback.
I still think they will make some deals to land a quarterback in the first round….maybe a Matt Barkley.

NBA:
I posted the question on Twitter to people I knew about what they thought about the NBA lockout and what's going on now.
A guy I went to undergraduate school summed it up best…."Piss on it."
Tough to argue with that one.
Bring on College Basketball!!!!

Keep an eye out Wednesday for more Marlins news on possible contracts, and more developments in the Penn State case, along with college football news as the national championship picture is a complete mess right now…we'll get into that tomorrow in the agenda.