Lightning Lose??!

According to the Tampa Tribune's editorial page today the illustrious Lightning did us proud but lost. So now the Tribune is the talk of the town, but in a bad way. Here's the appology from the editorial page editor:

Dear Readers,
We took a puck in the gut this morning when we published the wrong editorial about the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup final on Monday night.
We apologize to the team and to the fans for our terrible error. And we apologize to our colleagues at the newspaper, who got it right in every other way.
In advance of the final, we had prepared two editorials, one for either outcome. When we saw that the Lightning had won, we placed the proper editorial on the computerized page, printed it out and eliminated the other version. Still, somehow, the other version appeared in the paper. We are checking our systems to ensure we learn from our mistake.
It is so important to us to get it right. And today we failed you. We extend our heartfelt apologies.

Rosemary Goudreau
Editorial Page Editor


Here's the correct one:

Lightning Gave Community More Than A Championship

The Tampa Bay Lightning's 2-1 victory last night didn't just win National Hockey League's Stanley Cup. The team's championship run also expanded the Lightning's fan base and bolstered its financial standing. But the team did something else. It generated excitement and pride throughout the community.

Two years ago few could have imagined the Lightning making the playoffs, much less winning the cup. Before last season, Sports Illustrated rated Tampa Bay as the worst of the NHL's 30 teams. Defying the experts, the team went on to win its division. Now the Lightning has proved itself the best team in hockey in one of the quickest turnarounds in league history.

The Lightning's victory should quiet critics who claimed the NHL expanded too fast and argued that teams would never survive in the Sunbelt. The two previous Stanley Cup runners-up have been Carolina and Anaheim, further proof that hockey can succeed where the temperature seldom falls below freezing.

The thousands who gathered outside of the Forum to watch Stanley Cup broadcasts for both home and away games reflected the depth of local fans' support. Such devotion is usually reserved for ``traditional'' American hockey towns like Detroit or in Canada, where the sport is considered the national pastime. It also shows how sports can bring people together in a positive way.

The entire Lightning organization - especially coach John Tortorella, general manager Jay Feaster and owner Bill Davidson - deserve credit for this remarkable transformation.

The Lightning's Stanley Cup win won't change people's lives or solve Tampa's problems. But its exhilarating season has brought fellowship and joy to our community - no small accomplishment. Thanks, Lightning. You've made us proud.


So today it really is:
Lies. Printed Daily.