SB Nation - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Boston Sports TV Schedule, Oct. 25: World Series Game 2, NFL headline Thursday night

tim.blank2 — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 13:08:58 -0000

Major League Baseball:

World Series Game 2, San Francisco Giants vs. Detroit Tigers - 7:30 p.m. (Fox, 850 AM): The San Francisco Giants dismantled the Detroit Tigers in Game 1, 8-3 thanks to three home runs by Pablo Sandoval. The Tigers hope to even the series out by sending pitcher Doug Fister to the hill against Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner.

National Football League:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings - 8 p.m. (NFL Network, 93.7 FM): The Vikings come into this game a half-game behind the Chicago Bears for the NFC North Division lead. Running back Adrian Peterson has run for 652 yards and three touchdowns this season. Although the Buccaneers have the third best rushing defense in the NFL, they have lost nine games in a row on the road.

College Football:

Clemson Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 7:30 p.m. (ESPN): The Tigers are only a half game behind the Florida St. Seminoles for first place in the ACC Atlantic Division. Their offense ranks in the top 40 in both rushing and in passing so they should match up well with the Demon Deacons.

For more information on sports on TV for Thursday night, check out Boston.com.

Former Stanford WR Chris Owusu Signed By Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mark Sandritter — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 16:01:22 -0000

Former Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday.

Owusu was in training camp with the San Francisco 49ers and was signed to the San Diego Chargers practice squad after being released by the 49ers in the final round of cuts.

The Buccaneers signed Owusu to their active roster after they placed backup wide receiver Sammie Stroughter on the injured reserve with an injured foot. The 6'1 Owusu was not drafted after dealing with concussion issues during his senior season at Stanford. Owusu suffered three concussions over a 13 month stretch, causing him to fall off some teams draft boards.

Owusu was medically cleared and got back on the NFL radar with a good showing at the NFL Scouting Combine where he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash. Owusu caught 102 passes during his Stanford career, racking up 1,534 yard while catching 10 touchdowns.

In Tampa Bay Owusu will join a wide receiver group that includes Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Jordan Shipley and Tiquan Underwood.

Greg Schiano Is A Bully, According To Mike Silver

Pete Holby — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:01:43 -0000

There's lengthy article on Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano by Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports, starting with Schiano's decision to rush the Giants on the final play of their Week 2 game. From there he goes into Schiano's reputation around the league and his days as head coach at Rutgers, and the information Silver presents is far from positive. More on Schiano and reactions from Bucs fans after the jump.

The basic case is this: While at Rutgers Schiano was extremely restrictive with and percieved to be disrespectful towards NFL scouts. There are a lot of unnamed sources willing to pile on Schiano, and comparisons to other resctrictive or hard-nosed coaches are brushed aside because apparently Schiano is some special manner of jerk, just the absolute jerkiest jerk the NCAA had ever seen. Silver quotes an AFC executive:

"[Schiano] tried so hard to be a hard ass and went out of his way to be rude. When you'd pass him in the hallway, you might say, 'Good morning,' and he'd look at you like you're a [expletive] idiot. A guy like him doesn't realize that probably half of us played the game at a really high level - it's completely condescending. He would go out of his way to make you feel as uncomfortable as he could."

All of this might be damning, but Bucs fans aren't likely to be concerned. SB Nation's Buccaneers blog, Bucs Nation, didn't seem too concerned:

What he did at Rutgers, he did for the sake of that program - not for the sake of pissing people off. And what he'll do now in Tampa Bay will be done for the sake of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - not for the sake of Rutgers....Overall, this is just a bunch of meaningless whining. Fascinating whining, nonetheless, but meaningless. His players don't care how he treated scouts at Rutgers, and his team doesn't - or at least, it shouldn't. Schiano is here to build the Bucs, not play buddy-buddy with NFL scouts.

At the end of the day, results are the only thing that matters. If Schiano can put together a successful Bucs franchise, he's likely to see his detractors fade to irrelevance and his attitude become an aura. Bucs fans certainly hope that's how it turns out.

For more on the Buccaneers, stick with SB Nation Tampa Bay or Bucs Nation.

Your Thursday Night Football Pick For Week Three

Christopher Gates — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:17:45 -0000

A healthy dose of real life has prevented me from getting my entire NFL picks column up by now. . .and, when one considers that I had what was probably the worst week of picking games that I've had since I started doing this for our humble little website here, that might be for the best. But, I will soldier on in any event, and bring you the pick for tonight's NFL contest, with the number once again courtesy of our friends at OddsShark.

After the jump, of course.

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers (-2.5)

The Giants had a very interesting game last week against Tampa Bay, with Eli Manning throwing three first-half interceptions before recovering to throw three touchdown passes and racking up 510 passing yards for the afternoon. Manning's second-half turnaround led the Giants to a furious comeback over the Buccaneers, 41-34.

The Panthers remembered that they were pretty good at running the football, and a pretty decent offensive team overall, as they rushed for 219 yards in a 35-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints at home.

Both of these teams are 1-1. . .you know, like most of the rest of the National Football League. . .and this is a very intriguing match-up. Both of these teams have high-flying offenses. Eli Manning leads the defending Super Bowl Champions, while the Panthers are paced by Cam Newton, Steve Smith, and the two-headed rushing monster of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Manning will be without a couple of key weapons in this one, however, as receiver Hakeem Nicks and running back Ahmad Bradshaw will miss this game with injuries.

That might just be the advantage that the Panthers need to win at home. With the injuries to Nicks and Bradshaw, coupled with the fact that this is the Giants. . .meaning they don't really kick into high gear until early November or so. . .look for Carolina to win a closely contested battle at Bank of America Stadium.

Straight-Up: Panthers, ATS: Panthers

Tom Coughlin Is Cussin' Mad

Bill Hanstock — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 20:59:10 -0000

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came very close to upsetting the defending champion New York Giants on Sunday. Things came right down to the wire, but the Giants were able to eke out a win. There were some questionable calls and some smashmouth antics from the Bucs late in the game. New York head coach Tom Coughlin took exception.

When the coaches met on the field during the final kneeldown, Coughlin gestured emphatically toward Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, then decided he had stronger words for his opponent. He was likely referring to a late hit on Eli Manning that went uncalled by the officials.

THAT'S VEGAS POOL is probably what Coughlin was saying. Not sure what else it could have been. Nope. Family sport here, people. Move along.

For all news and information regarding the New York Giants, please visit Big Blue View or stop by SB Nation New York. For updates and perspective on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head on over to Bucs Nation or check out SB Nation Tampa Bay.

Sports On TV, 09/16: Giants Host Buccaneers, Jets Travel To Pittsburgh

Craig Powers — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 15:26:55 -0000

Highlights of sports on your New York TV schedule this Sunday, 9/16. All times Eastern.

NFL

New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1 p.m. (FOX): The Giants look to bounce back from their season-opening loss to the Cowboys as they host the Bucs.

New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - 4:25 p.m. (CBS): The Jets will attempt to duplicate their Week 1 offensive success against a stout Steelers defense.

MLB

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays - 1:05 p.m. (YES/TBS): The Yankees will go for the series win in the rubber match with the Rays.

New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers - 2:10 p.m. (SNY): The Mets wrap up their series against the Brewers with Chris Young on the mound.

More games from around the sports world after the jump.

NFL

Detroit vs. San Francisco - 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Denver vs. Atlanta (Monday Night Football, 9/17) - 8:30 (ESPN)

MLB

Washington vs. Atlanta - 5 p.m. (ESPN)

For complete TV listings, go here.

Stick with SB Nation New York for updates on your TV Schedule.

Bucs Blackouts Affecting Fans, And Business

tim.blank2 — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:01:08 -0000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans within 75 miles of Raymond James Stadium could not watch the team's opening week win over the Carolina Panthers. It was the third straight season that the home opener was blacked out. It effected more than just fans watching at home, at the Champps Americana sports bar in Tampa, none of the facility's 22 televisions could carry the Bucs game.

Only two Bucs games were broadcast on television around the Tampa Bay area last season and none were shown two seasons ago. The Bucs were unable to get the blackout lifted despite making a lot of price cuts entering the season. Things that were available were free parking, half-priced concessions (excluding alcohol) and even tickets discounted to as low as $30.

Some Bucs fans wonder if these blackouts could cause the interest in the team to fade. The owner of Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill in St. Petersberg may have said it best:

"Out of sight and out of mind. I couldn't even tell you five players, because they're not on TV," Ferg's owner Mark Ferguson said. "When they're not on TV, they're weakening their brand. It's not their fault. It's the NFL rules."

Tampa Bay's next home game is on Sept. 30 against the Washington Redskins.

Ronde Barber Earns NFC Defensive Player Of The Week

tim.blank2 — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:48:21 -0000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Ronde Barber was the oldest starting defensive player in week one of the NFL season. How did he do against last year's rookie of the year, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton? Barber recorded a sack and an interception. While he was not perfect in his debut game at safety, he was good enough to be named NFC Defensive player of the week.

Bucs Nation says that the only mistake Barber made during the game was on coverage on what would be the Panthers' only touchdown.

Most notably, it seems that he jumped down when he should have stayed deep on the only touchdown the Bucs gave up. Still, a sack and a pick are hard to argue with.

Barber is not the only Buccaneers player up for an individual award. Running back Doug Martin, who ran for 95 yards on 24 carries, is up for NFL Rookie of the Week. Fans can vote for Martin right here.

NFL Beer Bible: Pairing NFL Teams With Beer

tim.blank2 — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 19:09:26 -0000

Evan S. Benn of Esquire.com did a web exclusive article with Homebrew Chef's Sean Z. Paxton to pair up NFL teams with beers from local breweries. The idea of the article is to introduce a little information on the drink and in some cases, what would be good to eat with the drink.

To see what fans of local teams should think about bringing to their tailgates, check after the jump.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, Benn recommends Engine 15 Brewing Company's Rye of the Tiger. Benn says that kegs of the pale ale have made it into local bars and restaurants in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville's Engine 15 Brewing Co. has started to distribute kegs of its Rye of the Tiger rye pale ale to some bars and restaurants in town. Fill up a growler or two before the Jags take the field.

For the Miami Dolphins, Benn recommends Schnebly Miami Brewing Company's Shark Attack. The Homestead-based brewery has this tropical-flavored beer ready.

While no craft breweries have opened yet in Miami city proper, Schnebly Miami Brewing Co. is producing some tropical-flavored beers in nearby Homestead. Shark Attack is a wheat ale spiked with mango. Look for it on draft at Lokal Burgers & Beer.

Finally, for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Benn highlights the Cigar City Brewing Company's Guava Grove.

Pink guava puree adds a tropical element to this French-style saison from Tampa's eclectic Cigar City Brewing Co. It's what I imagine Josh Freeman and Vincent Jackson will be toasting with after their first game-winning TD connection.

For more pairings of beers and NFL teams, check out the full Esquire.com article.

The Birthsong Project: 9/2 - 9/8

Kevin Kraczkowski — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 12:00:13 -0000

In this weeks edition of the Birthsong Project, we celebrate nine birthdays of players on Florida's professional sport franchises. There's a Dolphin, a Jag, two Bucs, a Ray, a Marlin, a Panther, and two Bolts. What was the number one song the week your favorite player was born? Follow the link to find out. Sami Salo - defenseman - Tampa Bay Lightning - 9/2/74

(You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka & Odia Coates

The need inside you

I see it showin'

Salo doesn't have a need inside him to prove anything. A veteran of 761 NHL contests, he recently signed a two-year, $7,500,000 contract to remain a Bolt through 2013-14.

Marco Sturm - left winger - Florida Panthers - 9/8/78

Grease- Frankie Valli

This is a life of illusion
Wrapped up in trouble laced with confusion
What are we doing here?

What is Sturm doing here? His contract expired, and the season is probably going to be postponed (or cancelled). The veteran of six NHL teams scored three goals for Florida over 42 games last season.

Wade Davis - pitcher - Tampa Bay Rays - 9/7/85

Teddy Purcell - right winger - Tampa Bay Lightning - 9/8/85

St. Elmo's Fire - John Parr

Play the game
You know you can't quit until it's won
Soldier on
Only you can do what must be done

A starting pitcher for his first three seasons with the Rays, Davis was moved to the bullpen for the 2012 season. His numbers as a reliever are greatly improved, with a 2.43 ERA and a WHIP of 1.150 far outshining his career averages. He's shown that he knows how to play the game. Purcell also enjoyed a career year with highs in goals (24) and points (65).

Kai Forbath - kicker - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 9/2/87

Marlon Moore - wide receiver - Miami Dolphins - 9/3/87

Gorkys Hernandez - center fielder - Miami Marlins - 9/7/87

La Bamba - Los Lobos

Para bailar La Bamba
Para bailar La Bamba
Se necessita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia
Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba
Ay, arriba arriba
Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Forbath hasn't played a down of NFL football yet, and I don't know if he can dance, but the winner of the 2009 Lou Groza Award (annually given to the top collegiate kicker) surely knows how to kick. Moore has been mostly a special teams contributor for his first two NFL seasons, but hopes to make an impact on Miami's unproven receiving corps. Hernandez is new to the South Florida area, recently arrived via trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's the only of the three players listed under this song who can understand it without google translate.

Arrelious Benn - wide receiver - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 9/8/88

Monkey - George Michael

If I keep on askin' baby, maybe
I'll get what I'm askin' for

Benn has been a solid number two receiver for both of his seasons with the Bucs. I'm sure the only thing he asks for is the ball as he looks to increase his yardage from his first two campaigns (395 in 2011, 441 in 2012).

Julian Stanford - linebacker - Jacksonville Jaguars - 9/2/90

If Wishes Came True - Sweet Sensation

if wishes came true,

then I would be that someone

Always special in your heart

Stanford, a rookie, would like to find a place in Jaguars fans' hearts. He'll have every opportunity as the Jags open next week against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday at 1PM.