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A reporter's off-script postgame moment ignites a global media freakout and exposes sports press snobbery. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

From: Extensive Media Enterprises

The Jacksonville Jaguars' season ended at home Sunday, with the Buffalo Bills showing that the big-game experience matters to both players and coaches.

But minutes after the game, a different kind of big-game experience unfolded involving a local reporter.

Lynn Jones of the Jacksonville Free Press deviated from the usual postgame script in a news conference with Coach Liam Coen.

Instead of asking Coen about Xs and Os or Jimmys and Joes, she took her moment to offer words of encouragement.

Lynn Jones consoles Jaguars coach Liam Coen postgame, sparking global debate over journalism, fandom, professionalism.

"How you doing today? Lynn Jones, Jacksonville Free Press News," she said. "I just want to tell you, congratulations on your success, young man. You hold your head up, all right? You guys have had a most magnificent season. You did a great job out there today. Just hold your head up, OK? Ladies and gentlemen, Duval, you the one. Keep it going, we got another season, OK? Take care, and much continued success to you and the entire team," she said.

And in doing so, she made news that went global, with Jones getting as much publicity as any of the teams or players that survived Wild Card Weekend.

Reactions went from appreciation to bemusement to this from AP scribe Mark Long.

"Nothing 'awesome' about fans/fake media doing stuff like that. It should be embarrassing for the people who credentialed her and her organization, and it's a waste of time for those of us actually working," he said, in a since-deleted tweet that ensured that just as Jones made news, so would Long.

Our own A.G. Gancarski spent some years writing a local sports column and occasionally participating in postgame pressers, such as the time he asked doomed Jags' coach Gus Bradley if he felt his job was secure at 0-8. He watched a LOT of bad football in that capacity, so much so that he burned out on the sports column and pivoted to politics for good.

One impression he carried from the experience: the sports media in Jacksonville is more cliquish and hierarchical than any political press corps.

And to what end?

That's the open question.

Noam Chomsky once observed that if Americans were as knowledgeable and passionate about politics as they are about sports, there would be moves toward significant social change. Decades after that musing, Americans have, in fact, adopted a heroes-versus-villains approach to political discourse, aided and abetted by incumbent-protecting, gerrymandered maps and rah-rah segments on partisan newscasts ranging from Newsmax and Fox on the right to MSNOW on the corporate left.

To get booked there and to continue the bookings, you often have to play a role. Intellectual heterodoxy is discouraged in favor of a consistent barrage of talking points and partisan narratives.

In that context, it's interesting that Long chose a hill to die on, metaphorically speaking, that involved attacking the team for giving a Black paper that has been in town for 40 years credentials and a veteran journalist for deviating from a hackneyed script to express a big-picture view about what the Jaguars mean to Jacksonville and what this season meant to locals who have watched one of the worst professional sports teams anywhere in the last quarter century.

He was attempting to defend intellectual rigor and the integrity of the sports press. But in doing so, he revealed a myopia about what sports mean to a community itself.

If you do enough interviews, you learn to ask every type of question, from the hard-hitting "why did you grift those funds" to the emotional queries that often lead to quotes more substantive and revealing than the basic confrontations that are the only gear some reporters have.

Lynn Jones is not "fake media." She's a pro who sees the big picture about how her readers feel about a given situation.

Long's comments come as The Associated Press no longer has a reporter in Tallahassee, with the Tributary having scooped its remaining presence. Meanwhile, former AP reporter Brendan Farrington contributes to several outlets, including Florida Politics.

And the situation begs the question – why does The Associated Press prioritize part-time coverage of a sports team over wading into the oft-fetid waters of the Tallahassee swamp?

There is no better time than now to support the Free Press, which smartly has taken the opportunity to memorialize Jones' words on a T-shirt. $30 is a bit pricy, but it's less than the value of independent journalism in a world that tries to crush it.

Inevitable?

Funds keep flowing to a political committee supportive of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, as the Democrat prepares to run for a second term.

The Duval for All political committee, formed in 2024, reported raising $413,250 in the last three months of 2025, bringing the total raised to $1,419,970. Just $152,173 has been spent to date.

Mayor Donna Deegan-backed committee amasses cash, signaling strong incumbency advantage ahead of Jacksonville re-election race.

The committee benefited from the kind of bipartisan support that suggests an uphill battle for any challenger in next year's mayoral race, including from two men appointed to the University of Florida Board of Trustees by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Mori Hosseini's ICI Homes and Dream Finders Homes, the company of Tampa Bay Rays owner Patrick Zalupski, set the pace for all Q4 donors with $50,000 contributions.

Former Jacksonville Republican Mayor John Peyton's Gate Petroleum also chipped in $5,000.

Only $5,500 donated during Q4 came from outside Florida.

With a year to go before the qualifying deadline, Deegan has yet to open a campaign account, according to records maintained by the Duval County Supervisor of Elections.

But neither has any other candidates of note.

While four people have filed, none have ever held elected office, and the leading fundraiser has brought in less than $25,000 so far.

There is some chatter that House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan may run in the end, per "informed sources." For what it's worth, his political committee has more than $1.1 million on hand after closing Q4 with more than $356,000 raised. Elections supervisor Jerry Holland also appears to be close to a run.

Pollsters tested messaging that appeared to be on Deegan's behalf late last year, but the political committee's records don't make explicit how that effort was funded.

The poll tested Deegan head-to-head against various potential Republican candidates, including Duggan, Holland, and Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond.

That survey came after the Tyson Group's survey earlier this year showed that Jacksonville voters would prefer a generic Republican to a generic Democrat in a ballot test stripped of meaningful markers such as name recognition and the power of incumbency.

In Jacksonville, all candidates for a given office face off in a March Jungle Primary. If no one gets majority support, the top two finishers square off on the May General Election ballot.

Deegan won majority support in May 2023 against Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Davis, despite Republicans winning the turnout battle and Davis dominating fundraising.

Gaffney gone

The future of Jacksonville's House District 13 is much clearer now, with what could have been a high-profile clash between two veteran Democratic politicos averted.

Reggie Gaffney, Sr., a former City Council member, tells Florida Politics that he has decided to run instead for a local position in 2027's elections.

Reggie Gaffney Sr. exits HD 13 race, clearing Democratic Primary path for Audrey Gibson alone.

Gaffney said Tuesday that while polls were good, he kept hearing from potential constituents that he was needed in the city and could accomplish much more in a local office than in a Democratic minority in Tallahassee.

His namesake son, Reggie Gaffney, Jr., currently serves as a district City Council member, and his father could join him or run for another office.

Gaffney Sr. is taking a couple of weeks to assess his next move.

With another candidate, Shemiah Rutledge, also leaving the race, the field is cleared for former Senate Democratic leader Audrey Gibson, now alone in the likely decisive Primary race for the safely Democratic seat.

Gibson seeded her account with $50, which is the only fundraising activity she's had so far.

Incumbent Rep. Angie Nixon is not running for re-election and is still considering her next political move, which could be a local race of her own or a bid for the U.S. Senate.

Sam the man

Sam Garrison, the Speaker-designate of the Florida House, closed last year with the strongest fundraising of his political career.

Between June 1 and Sept. 30, records with Florida's Division of Elections show Garrison, a Republican who represents House District 11 in Clay County, raised more than $15,000 to his campaign account, and more than $1.237 million to his political committee, "Honest Leadership."

Speaker-designate Sam Garrison stockpiles millions, signaling dominance ahead of long shot Primary challenge in Clay County.

Publix was the leading donor, with $125,000 contributed to the committee.

But other big donors emerged as well.

Bellini Family Office and PMI Global Services donated $100,000 during Q4, while Committee of Automotive Services and RAI Services contributed $50,000.

The political committee account has more than $3 million on hand, while Garrison has more than $50,000 in his campaign account.

Despite having been chosen to be the next Speaker of the House, Garrison faces an improbable challenge in the August Primary, with two opponents having filed to run against him.

Thus far, neither is getting much traction.

Antonette Harmon, a professional commercial office cleaner from Orange Park, had $66 cash on hand as of the end of Q3. Her latest numbers are not available at this writing.

Cory Allan Jett of Middleburg hasn't reported any activity in his account yet.

Should he be re-elected, Garrison envisions his two years as Speaker in 2027 and 2028 as opportunities to bring resources to Northeast Florida in general and Clay County in particular.

In 2024, he got nearly 70% of the vote against a Democrat in the General Election. Two years before that, he got almost 74%.

Field clears

Rep. Kim Daniels of Northern Duval County's House District 14 will not face repeat opponent Therese Wakefield-Gamble after all, as Wakefield-Gamble withdrew from the race.

Daniels, a heterodox Democrat who returned to the House after redistricting in 2022, raised $7,140 in her first quarter of activity this cycle, with all but $2,000 self-funded.

Therese Wakefield-Gamble exits HD 14 race, leaving Rep. Kim Daniels unopposed, self-funding early campaign efforts.

Historically, Daniels has been willing to stake her campaigns as needed, and it appears 2026 is no exception, but it's no sure thing that she will need to do so now.

Wakefield-Gamble was struggling to raise money.

Though she filed in 2024, shortly after losing the Primary, she raised just $1,555 and spent more than $1,700. She and family members chipped in more than a thousand dollars.

Slow start

Rep. Kim Kendall of St. Johns County technically has an opponent in August's House District 18 Primary.

But based on the latest fundraising reports, the incumbent Republican has little to worry about.

Diana Patrice Jordan-Baldwin raised just $200 according to her initial report, which encompasses 22 days between her entry on Dec. 9 and the end of the year.

Therese Wakefield-Gamble exits HD 14 race, leaving Rep. Kim Kendall unopposed, self-funding early campaign efforts.

The sole donor was her business, NKMAND SOLUTIONS.

Kendall has raised more than $71,000 to her campaign account thus far, including more than $35,000 in Q4. Donors include Gary Chartrand, Duke Energy, the Jacksonville lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Florida Group.

She also has more than $50,000 in her Friends of Kim Kendall political committee.

Brandon boom

Jacksonville City Council candidate Adam Brandon continues to lead the fundraising race in District 6 and has now raised six figures in total between his campaign account and political committee, with $92,000 in cash on hand.

Council Member Will Lahnen, Council Member Randy White, School Board Member April Carney, Karen Bowling, J.B. Coxwell Contracting Inc., The Archmann Group LLC, and political committees affiliated with Council President Kevin Carrico and Council Vice President Nick Howland have all ponied up.

Adam Brandon builds commanding fundraising lead in Jacksonville City Council District 6 race early contest.

"Brandon's strong fundraising advantage stands in contrast to his opponent, Sarah Cohill. To date, Cohill raised significantly less and reported a substantially higher burn rate. Between her campaign and political committee (Standing the Watch), Cohill has spent more than $46,000 on political consultants and currently reports just over $31,000 cash on hand in total, which includes a $15,000 loan," a Brandon campaign release notes.

Windfall

A former Lt. Governor of Florida has unloaded property locally, but not before making a massive profit.

"Former Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera's company sold JAX Airport Logistics Center in North Jacksonville, the first week of January, as it pursues development of a business project in Westside. Through JAX Industrial Three Ltd., Lopez-Cantera sold the 30.18-acre logistics center at 14825 International Airport Blvd. to CIP Real Estate in Irvine, California, on Jan. 6, 2026, for $53.86 million," reports the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera sells Jacksonville logistics center, netting massive profit after development project.

His company bought the parcel in 2022 for $2.55 million and added two warehouses to the site.

Steaks are high

With that kind of money, CLC and his associates can no doubt afford whatever they want.

Including Publix steaks, which the Daily Adda says workers at a location in Nassau County can't even afford to buy.

"A recent photo from a Publix location in Yulee, Florida, ignited a firestorm on Reddit after a frustrated shopper shared an image of what they called 'criminal' meat pricing. The picture showed a 1.23-pound cut of organic prime tenderloin with a jaw-dropping price tag: $49.99 per pound, totaling $61.49 for that single piece of beef," the Adda says.

Publix steak prices spark outrage.

As is typical on Reddit, debate ran the gamut.

"Just don't buy these products. DON'T PAY ABSURD PRICES FOR PROTEINS," one Redditor wrote. "Consumers have the power. If we don't pay these prices, they will (be) lower. Eat chicken or whatever is cheaper locally until prices come down."

MOSH missive

The CEO of Jacksonville's Museum of Science and History (MOSH) has resigned amid efforts to relocate the facility's planned move from the Southbank downtown to the Northbank along the St. Johns River.

Alistair Dove stepped down from his position as MOSH CEO officially on Jan. 8. And as Action News is reporting, it's an awkward departure.

Alistair Dove resigns as MOSH CEO as stalled fundraising clouds Jacksonville museum relocation plans.

Dove is bowing out because fundraising efforts have stalled, making the move a primary MOSH objective for years. MOSH officials acknowledge that their fundraising efforts are far from complete and that there's a shortfall in the funds needed to finish the transition.

There's been little explanation for the exact reason Dove is parting ways. But the Chair of the MOSH Board of Trustees, Jill Davis, said in an email that she was grateful for Dove's leadership.

E-bike safety

A new bill in the Florida House seeks to increase safety measures for electric bicycles, scooters and motorcycles, also known as e-bikes and e-scooters.

From 2023 to 2024, Wolfson Children's Hospital saw a more than 200% increase in patients with injuries related to e-bike or e-scooter accidents. Local pediatric doctors continue to see a rise in traumatic e-bike and e-scooter injuries, including a teen who was airlifted to the hospital after a serious e-bike crash in St. Johns County in 2025.

Florida bill targets e-bike safety as pediatric injuries surge, prompting registration, speed limits, crash tracking.

"The rise in e-bike and e-scooter use among children is directly reflected in our injury data," said Dr. John Draus, the medical director of pediatric trauma at Wolfson Children's Hospital. "More families are purchasing them, more kids are riding them, and as a result, we are seeing more and more preventable injuries in our trauma center."

Rep. Kim Kendall is working to help keep kids safe amid this growing trend. Following a visit to Wolfson Children's Hospital in July 2025, she filed HB 243, which would prohibit modifying e-bikes to boost speed and require any e-bike capable of exceeding 28 mph to be registered, operated by a licensed driver, and kept off sidewalks and bike lanes. The legislation would also require the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to maintain a statewide crash database specifically tracking incidents involving electric bikes, scooters, and motorcycles.

More than 20,000 people in the U.S. are injured while riding electric bicycles each year, and the American College of Surgeons notes that these cases are likely underreported.

Shands span

The Shands Bridge crossing the St. Johns River on State Road 16 from Clay County to St. Johns County is fine, fixed and complete with revisions and that work was done much quicker than anticipated.

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials are happy to report that a major maintenance project on the span was wrapped up well ahead of schedule. FDOT had to replace two bridge segments in the middle section, and contractors were expected to finish their work in about two weeks.

But it went much better and quicker than anticipated. FDOT officials said the work began Jan. 9 and was completed by 5 a.m. Jan. 12. The work was scheduled to be conducted on weekends only and was scheduled to be shut down again Jan. 16 through Jan. 19, but it was not needed.

"While initially expected to take two weekends to complete, the team was able to finish over a single 56-hour stretch, eliminating the need for the anticipated second weekend closure," an FDOT press release said Monday.

The Shands Bridge crossing the St. Johns River between Clay and St. Johns counties wrapped up maintenance work much quicker than expected. Image via FDOT.

That's one less weekend of major detours. Without the Shands Bridge, the route from St. Johns County to Clay County was significantly longer, routing through Duval County to access areas and exits off Interstate 295 to cross the river.


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Jaguars look to the future

After a remarkable turnaround season and a playoff loss, the Jacksonville Jaguars now look to the future. The last time the team earned a playoff spot in consecutive seasons, 1998 and 1999, Tony Boselli was playing left tackle. Now, he's the executive vice president for football operations.

What will it take for the Jaguars to do what they could not after playoff appearances in 2005, 2007, 2017, and 2022, and make this season the start of an era of consistent success?

For starters, the roster must be managed. General Manager James Gladstone has free agency and the draft to address the team's needs. Before the free agency period begins with the legal tampering window on March 9, Gladstone must decide which of the Jaguars' free agents he wants to retain and if any of them are likely to be tagged as a franchise or transition player.

Jaguars GM James Gladstone faces cap crunch decisions as Jacksonville plans offseason retooling ahead of the playoff season.

Gladstone got a jump on free agency by signing wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and offensive lineman Cole Van Lannen to contract extensions before the season ended.

Here are the Jaguars' key free agents to be:

— Linebacker Devin Lloyd enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, earning second-team All-Pro honors after intercepting five passes and recording a sack and a half.

— Running back Travis Etienne topped the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in the last four seasons. Etienne turns 27 on Jan. 26, and he has carried the ball nearly 900 times in his career. It's always a risk to sign a running back to a second contract, but Etienne has been a key part of the Jaguars' offense.

— Safety Andrew Wingard has become a valuable player in the secondary after cutting his teeth as a special teams ace early in his career. He started 16 games in 2025. He's a hard hitter who recorded his second-most tackles in his career.

— Cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome both contributed to the secondary, but cornerback is a position likely to be under scrutiny in the offseason. And with rookie Travis Hunter expected back for the 2026 season, there should be plenty of competition in the room.

According to Spotrac.com, the Jaguars are projected to have around $5.1 million in cap space, so they won't be able to re-sign everyone. They may be able to renegotiate some of the bigger deals with players like Trevor Lawrence and Josh Hines-Allen to free up cap space for the upcoming season. Both players have cap numbers of over $23 million for 2026.

The Jaguars can also clear cap space by cutting some veteran players. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead played better this season than last but did not live up to his contract. The Jaguars can save over $2 million by cutting him before June 1 but can also save over $14.4 million by cutting him after June 1. Likewise, cutting guard Ezra Cleveland would save $2.5 million before June 1, but the savings ballooned to $7.75 million after June 1.

At some point, the Jaguars must decide on defensive lineman Travon Walker's future. He has one more year left on his rookie contract, and if he has a productive season in 2026, he would be one of the hottest targets in free agency around the league.

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