Truth be known, I was rooting for Luke McCown.

There was something about McCown that intrigued me for a long time. When I step out of my “fan zone” and think about why I was rooting for McCown, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I just feel like the Bucs are due to have the “quarterback from nowhere” step in and be a savior. I look at the Patriots with Tom Brady, the Cowboys with Tony Romo, and the Rams with Kurt Warner and I’m thinking that the Law of Averages says that the Bucs in 30-plus years have to have someone buried on their depth chart that can play quarterback at a better-than-average level.

Well they did. His name was Steve Young.

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As we're getting closer and closer to the beginning of training camp, we're getting closer and closer to the plethora of "preview" publications that will inevitably predict the slow death of the Buccaneers in the 2009 season.

To quote the immortal (fictional) coach Lou Brown of the Cleveland Indians, "the local media seems to think we would like to save everyone a lot of time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves." As far as the national media is concerned, I haven't seen the Bucs predicted to finish with better than 5 wins... anywhere.

Why?

Now maybe I am just trying to justify upgrading my season tickets from the 300's to the 200's (by the way, a special thank you and shout-out to all your fair-weather phoney baloneys who jumped ship. I got a seat in the shade now), but I'm struggling to see where exactly all the skepticism is coming from?

Is it the strength of the division? Last I checked, New Orleans hasn't played defense forever. It seems that a better-than-dead running game keeps their offense off the field. Reggie Bush hasn't exactly been gang-busters and Pierre Thomas is pedestrian and serviceable at best. Atlanta? I wouldn't say Matt Ryan dominated the Bucs last year. The only reason he has a win against the Bucs is because Brian Griese is about as mobile as a telephone pole (and shouldn't have been in the game anyway). Carolina? With Monte Kiffin gone, the term "adjustment" will return to the defense and you won't see any 4-play 90 yard drives with no passes anymore. Carolina was actively searching for a quarterback to replace the extremely overrated Jake Delhomme this off-season. Let's face it: every team in this division has it's question marks but is there any clear run-away favorite?

Think about it: how many rookie QBs in the modern era have come out of college like gang-busters and built on a better-than-average rookie season? I can think of one: Dan Marino. Peyton Manning? Started off horrible and improved over time. Rex Grossman? Excuse me while I clean up the puke in my lap from laughing so hard. David Carr? I think he sold me my Kenmore this summer. Remember Rick Mirer? He had a great rookie season - and that's it. It's almost like Day 1 starters are destined to regress. Why the media has tabbed Ryan as the second coming, I don't know (on a side note, look for Joe Flacco to regress as well).

On offense, I'm not quite sure what's NOT to like. The Bucs have five stud offensive linemen all 30 or under, plus some depth with Jeremy Zuttah, Aaron Sears, and Davin Joseph manning the two guard positions. Two nearly identical running backs in Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward (5'9" 225lbs and 5'11" 228lbs, respectively) with a rehabbing Cadillac Williams and Clifton Smith adding depth. At receiver, Antonio Bryant returns with an even larger chip on his shoulder. He has little help as little can be expected from Michael Clayton (I refuse to predict a slump-busting season), but he has Kellen Winslow at tight end who can line up in double-tight formations and motion out to create sick mis-matches with linebackers and strong safeties.

Which leaves the quarterback position open for analysis. Personally, I have been on the Luke McCown bandwagon for two seasons now and I honestly think that the guy has the stuff. Throw out all the Cleveland stats because, let's face it, they aren't a real team anyway. When McCown has had the benefit of playing with the starters, he's done well. Even when he was with the second-stringers (the ill-fated Gruden plan to rest the starters at the end of 2007 sticks out in my mind) the Bucs were competetive. In a December game in 2007, McCown completed his first 15 passes and completed a desperation touchdown pass to Jerramy Stevens with :17 on the clock to defeat the Saints 27-23. McCown didn't play a perfect game, but the mistakes he made were "experience" mistakes that a veteran would not have made. He has the feet. He has the arm. He has the decision-making skills. McCown is going into his sixth season and this could be the time for him to break out.

And if he doesn't, the Bucs have Byron Leftwich who is going to be playing for a contract in an uncapped 2010 season to back him up.

Forget about Josh Freeman for now.

On offense, I don't see a huge issue. The Bucs have just as good a chance as anyone in the NFC.

On defense, the skeptics will point to the loss of Derrick Brooks and Cato June as the detriment to the unit. Honestly, I do not know why the Bucs chose to release June. He was dubbed as the successor to Brooks at the weakside linebacker position. Once Brooks left, I thought the plan would let June assume the position. Instead, the hard-hitting former safety Jermaine Phillips is moving to linebacker leaving Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscatelli (not to be confused with Pinki Tuscadero) as the safeties. Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib start at the corners. Phillips could be a very successful blitzing linebacker (something former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen rarely did).

The new defensive leader is middle linebacker Barrett Rudd who has to feel slighted considering the sweat equity he has given to the Bucs without a contract to show for it (equaly upsetting to him is the fact that Winslow got a new contract considering that Winslow and myself are tied for catches in a Bucs uniform).

Maybe the loss of Brooks weighs heavily on the mind of the public since Brooks was one of the last remaining pieces of the dominating Tampa 2 defense that carried the Bucs to the Super Bowl in 2002 and the NFC Championship game in 1999.

I'm a little lost. The team is certainly different, but it's not worse for the wear. They are certainly not that much worse than anyone in the division, let alone the conference.

So, my question is, why does everyone seem so worried?

True, the Bucs have a horrific schedule and they lose a home game to that ridiculous gold-digging London game against the Patriots, but in this age of parity, can anyone really expect all of the teams that did so well last year to repeat their performance in 2009? I think it would be a reasonable assumption that half of the winning teams last year would have non-.500 season in 2009.

I guess what I'm driving at is to keep your head up. Barring a season where injuries destroy the team (check out what happened to the New York Mets this year), the Bucs have every reason to be optomistic this year. They're going to come out with a new offensive scheme (one that might actually use the team's talents to an advantage) and a more aggressive, "violent" defense.

My advice? Get your season tickets. I think this is the beginning of a new era in Buccaneers football. This is a young roster that can very well be together for a long time.

There seems to be a lot of skepticism about the Buccaneers this year.  

There isn't a lot to be confident in when your team loses its head coach, general manager, defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, quarterback, and five other essential players from the previous year.  Sports Illustrated said that the Bucs had the worst off-season in the NFL. In 2009, there will be a new offensive scheme and, for the first time since 1996, a new defensive scheme.

But when defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin announced after Week 12 that he was going to be joining his son Lane Kiffin at the University of Tennessee, many fans were left to wonder what the Bucs defense would do without their leader.

(On a side note,  Lane Kiffin is the only man on the planet who actually made Al Davis look sane.)

Personally, Kiffin's departure came about four years too late.

Let me ask you,  what do Matt Moore, Cody Pickett, Shaun Hill and Quinn Gray all have in common?

...besides the fact that you couldn't pick them out of line-up if any of the mugged you.

They all beat Monte Kiffin .

That's right. They are NFL quarterbacks who got over on the Bucs' defense. And who are they again?

When you start talking about Kiffin , saying anything critical will, at the very least, raise an eyebrow. At the very worst, it gets you a punch in the gut.

That being said, I think Kiffin was overrated as a defensive coordinator. But how can anyone call Monte Kiffin, the architect of the Cover/Tampa 2 defense, overrated?

It's not like the Bucs caught Tom Brady early in his career. These guys are career back-ups. If Kiffin is such a genius, how come he can't get a game plan together to beat them?

I'll give you some examples from the 2007 season:

• Against Jacksonville, Quinn Gray, filling in for an injured David Garrard, completed 7-of-16 passes for 100 yards. That's a 46.3% completion percentage. Gray in his first start, on the road, against a top Bucs defense handed off to Fred Taylor, Labrandon Toefield, and Maurice Jones-Drew for 128 yards of offense. Instead of loading up the box and taking away the run, Kiffin stays back, relying on his overmatched front four and failed to stop the run. The Bucs lost 24-23.
• Against Houston, Sage Rosenfels, filling in for an injured Matt Schaub, completed 75% of his passes. He was a 10 for 17 on third down conversions as well. It was Rosenfels second start of the season and he was darn near perfect despite not having a running game to support him. Unlike the Jaguar game, the Texans WERE one dimensional - Darius Walker and Ron Dayne averaged 2.7 YPC on 23 touches. With no threat of a run, Rosenfels sat back and picked the Bucs apart.
• The Bucs traveled to San Francisco to take on the 49ers but lost to the heir-apparent to Joe Montana, Shaun Hill. Hill tossed three touchdown passes and only completed 11-of-24 passes, but the Bucs D is not able to stop Frank Gore who ran for 89 yards. Hill is a seven year veteran who played in exactly one game in his career and did not attempt a pass - ever.
• In the final game of the season, Matt Moore and the Carolina Panthers beat the Bucs 31-23. Moore, in his third start, spent most of the day unhurried as the Bucs back-ups were unable to touch or hurry him. Moore completed 15-of-24 passes for 174 yards. The Bucs didn't stop the run giving up 180 yards to the Panthers and Moore's rather pedestrian day was enough. Moore was so unheralded as a quarterback that ESPN.com did not have a picture on his player profile and listed his height and weight as "0'0"" and "0 lbs."

Four winnable games against four less-than-impressive quarterbacks who were all facing what the Bucs marketing department would tell you is a fearsome NFL defense. All four came away with victories. And while it is true that Carolina and San Francisco faced a lot of the Bucs' back-ups, Kiffin can't scheme to beat these guys? Why not?

Winning these four games makes the Bucs 13-3 and vying for a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Maybe the Bucs let Galloway, Hilliard, and Garcia rest and put up a better fight against the Giants. But they lost all three games. These were gimmies - tap ins, if you will.

And it's not just 2007. In Week 5 of the 2005 season, Vinny Testeverde prepared for the Bucs in one week after the Jets coaxed him out of retirement. Testeverde attempted 19 passes and no picks with no training camp, preseason, or warm-up game. Facing the Niners in 2005, a team with the 31st ranked offense, Cody Pickett and Ken Dorsey combined to beat the Bucs 15-10. The Bucs gave up 158 rushing yards and forced no turnovers. The Bucs also couldn't force Kyle Orton into an interception in a 13-10 loss. Orton, who lost his job to Rex Grossman (how bad are you when Rex Grossman is considered an "upgrade?") couldn't be coaxed into an errant throw by the Bucs D. There's three more wins to tack on to a 10-6 season. There's another bye in the playoffs. The Bucs might have had a good shot to get to a second Super Bowl and beat a Steelers team that needed two awful ref calls to beat a very underwhelming Seahawks team.

This is the difference between "good" and "great." Nine, ten wins... it sounds nice. Twelve, fourteen wins means you are something special.

But yet, Monte Kiffin can't come up with a scheme to figure out the Quinn Grays and Kyle Ortons? Why?

Well for one, Kiffin hated blitzing. The Cover 2 defense is predicated on the fact that the front four gets pressure on the quarterback on their own. Assuming an offense doesn't keep a tight end in to block, that's five guys blocking four. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if your four are going to get by their five, your four better be studs. One guy will get double-teamed so the other three are left to beat one-on-one blocking. The Bucs D hasn't had those studs since MacFarland, Sapp, Rice, and Spires played together.

Despite the depletion of a defensive line that could pressure the quarterback on its own, Kiffin basically pretended like he still had that talent.

But blitzing isn't going to help the Bucs if the quarterback doesn't have to throw the ball. When faced with these pedestrian quarterbacks, Kiffin very rarely dropped a safety into the box to help stuff the run.

Bottom line: Kiffin failed to make adjustments when adjustments were needed. He failed consistently.

Was he that concerned with the arm strength and prowess of Kyle Orton? Of Shaun Hill? Matt Moore? Are you kidding?

If Kiffin was the genius he was made out to be, he would think that Kiffin would abandon the Tampa 2 in favor of something that might, oh, I don't know, rattle Matt Moore. How hard would have that have been?

The Bucs have had a top 10 defense for over a decade. Because of that stability, Kiffin gets an awful lot of respect. But look at the forest for the trees. Some of the NFL's bottom-dwellers have gotten over on Kiffin . Seasons that could very well have ended as 14 and 13 win seasons ended up as 9 and 10 win season. Rather than sitting home in the first week of the playoffs, the Bucs sat home for all of the playoffs.

The MGM Grand has the Bucs as a 40-to-1 shot to win the Super Bowl. Maybe I'm drinking the Kool Aid, but I like hearing that new defensive coordinator Jim Bates plans to keep the 4-3 defense, but wants to more man-to-man, press coverage on the outside with more blitzing and defensive tackles who play more heads-up on the guard and center.

I say bring it. Bring the house. Get after people. have the attitude that "we're coming after you." Mike Tyson once said, "Every boxer has a plan until they get punched." Well, Bates sounds like he wants to punch first.

Maybe the future is a little brighter. Enough "good." Bring on the "great."

I can remember over the past few seasons, so many of my friends saying that Bucs needed to fire Jon Gruden. Like a cow mooing, over and over again, “Fire Gruden!” “Fire Gruden!” Well, they finally got their wish and Gruden is gone.

I remember thinking that if Gruden ever was fired, he would be the first coach off the market as another team would snatch him up immediately, so I was never on the “fire Gruden” bandwagon.

 It didn’t happen that way for some reason and Gruden took a job in the booth for Monday Night Football.

I remember after Gruden survived the first wave of firings after the Super Bowl this season, I thought he was safe, but one Friday night, the Bucs pulled the trigger and Gruden was gone. My initial reaction was that letting him go was a mistake because it was apparent that the only coaches that were available were retreads like Marty Schottenheimer or a complete unknown.

But as the night progressed, I started creating a mental list of Gruden Gaffes – things that really just pissed me right off as a fan.  That night I drove from Land O’ Lakes to Channelside (Downtown Tampa) to meet my friends. By the time I was in the parking garage, I was convinced it was the right decision.

Now Gruden gets boatloads of credit for winning Super Bowl XXXVII, and don’t tell me he did it with Tony Dungy’s team. The only reason Dungy DIDN’T win was because he was fiercely loyal to Clyde Christianson and refused to fire him in favor of a real offensive coordinator (side note: guess who is offensive coordinator for the Colts this season? Yep! Smilin’ Clyde. I don’t think there has been a figurehead position like his this side of the Queen Elizabeth). So in my house, Gruden got a pass, for a bit anyhow. But one afternoon, in an effort to avoid doing actual work, I started writing down what was Gruden’s undoing.

I filled two pages.

Here’s the Top 5 in detail:

1.       The Wide Receiver Debacle (2008): Joey Galloway is hurt in the first week of the 2008 season with what is called a “sprain” but is later revealed to be a “break” in his ankle. In steps former cast-off Antonio Bryant who was not even in the NFL last season. Bryant grabs the opportunity with both hands and racks of 83 catches for 1,248 yards and 7 touchdowns. Galloway is never a factor again despite numerous public claims that he is 100% healthy. Bryant was essentially the ONLY receiver on the team because no other Bucs receiver had more than 500 yards receiving. We were told that Galloway wasn’t on the field because he played the same position as Bryant.  Now, we’ve all heard for the past seven years is that Gruden is an “offensive guru” blah, blah. It would seem to me that someone who was a true innovator would figure out a way to get his two most productive receivers on the field at the same time. The Dolphins figured out how to get two running backs on the field at the same time (Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams) by using the Wildcat Formation. In over 50 years of football, someone at sometime must have figured out how to get two receivers who played the same position on the field at some point.

2.       The Quarterback Collection (2007):  In our house, we have three bathrooms. Sometimes we run out of toilet paper because we use one bathroom more than another and we cannibalize the supply in the other rooms, and not realizing that we’re completely out until it is too late. When I go to the store, I tend to overbuy. Well, that’s what Gruden did in 2007 after quarterback Chris Simms got off to a dismal start and eventually left his spleen on the field in Carolina (how the offensive line was not charged with attempted murder, I still cannot figure out). Left with journeyman Tim Rattay and rookie Bruce Gradkowski, the Bucs went in the tank. Well, in a fit of “overbuying,” Gruden stocked up on quarterbacks (as I type this, the “toilet paper” analogy is quite fitting) loading the roster with the likes of Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Brian Griese, Gradkowski, Simms, and even traded for Jake Plummer (who refused to report).   Now, I can understand being prepared for injury, but Gruden took it to a level that was almost laughable. Every time a quarterback was released from another team, Gruden and the Bucs were listed in the media as being “interested.” As it turned out, the Bucs went to the playoffs, but none of the six ended up being world-beaters. The only thing accomplished was Gruden’s name was tarnished just a little bit further.

3.       John Lynch (2004): I know it’s tough to part with long-time players, but the way safety John Lynch (NFL Network’s #10 Hardest Hitter in history) was jettisoned will forever be a sore spot for Buc fans. Lynch was 33 when the Bucs released him after claiming he failed a physical after having neck surgery to help alleviate some of “stinger” injuries that he had (no doubt as a result of his teeth-rattling hits). General Manager Bruce Allen tried to sell the story that Lynch was too beat up to justify his $4.1 million salary and released him unceremoniously. Lynch signed with the Broncos prior to the 2004 season. Lynch proved Allen and Gruden wrong by going to the Pro Bowl four times after leaving Tampa Bay (2004-2007). Lynch got his revenge in Week 4 of the 2004 season as the Broncos came to Tampa and beat the Bucs 16-13 sending them to an 0-4 start. Next to Doug Williams and Steve Young, Lynch’s departure might be the worst assessment of a player’s potential and future performance.

4.       The Chinese Playbook (2002-2008): Gruden’s playbook was legendary for being an indecipherable hodge-podge of loosely connected adjectives and codes that only made sense to him. Running back Michael Bennett had a hard time getting on the field after he was acquired from the Chiefs in a trade because it was said that the playbook was too difficult to understand. NFL Films has videos of Gruden screaming at the top of his lungs at quarterback Chris Simms and Brad Johnson because they couldn’t remember the laundry list of terms in a single play. I can understand that you want to make your offense your own, but when it’s universally known that your playbook is just slightly less comprehensible than the Torah, you need to make some changes so you can get your talent on the field and out of the classroom.

5.       Sickening Devotion to the Wrong Players (2002-2008): In a twist of irony, Dungy was done in by his devotion to his less than stellar offensive coordinator. I guess it was only natural that Gruden would develop some kind of attachment to some personnel that was bad for his reputation as well. Just this past year, the Bucs rushed running back Cadillac Williams back on the field despite having Warrick Dunn and Michael Bennett available after Earnest Graham went down with a season-ending ankle sprain. Rather than use Dunn and Bennett, Gruden and Allen released Bennett and activated Williams from the PUP list. Bennett didn’t even clear waivers as he was sucked up by the Chargers. Gruden then leaned on the aging Dunn toward the end of the season essentially wearing him out, while Williams was used sparingly to get him accustomed to the field again. Then Williams blows out the other knee and is lost for the year. The Bucs went from three viable backs to one. Everyone was rooting for Williams to come back healthy and his recovery was nothing short of miraculous, but rushing him back to the field was the wrong move, especially with the Bucs’ depth at the position. Another example: despite a multitude of sub-par seasons, Gruden and Allen never made a legitimate effort to replace (or even get some competition for) Michael Clayton. It’s well-known that Clayton had a stellar rookie season, but that season is the exception, not the norm.  Since his rookie season, Clayton has yet to match his touchdown output from his rookie season (Seven TDs in 2004. Two total since). And what’s worse, Clayton’s lone touchdown going into the 2008 season had to be reviewed in order to stand – it wasn’t even a “clean” catch. Allen and Gruden stubbornly handicapped the offense by never replacing (or attempting to replace) Clayton. It might be that Gruden thought Clayton was a tight end because Gruden was never shy about signing body after body to play tight end, sometimes getting three on the field at the same time (Hey! Don’t they all play the same position?).  And for some inexplicable reason, Clayton was RE-SIGNED AFTER GRUDEN AND ALLEN DEPARTED! Why? He might be secretly married to a Glazer.

Honorable Mention:

Dexter Jackson (2008):  The Bucs were in need of a playmaker at wide receiver (and in other news, water is still wet). The closest the Bucs ever came to bolstering the wide receiving corps was the drafting of Appalachian State wide receiver Dexter Jackson in the second round of the draft. Gruden then drops the news that Jackson WON’T be used as a wide receiver, but will be given the opportunity to return kicks and punts. Well, that was a pick well spent. As it turns out, Jackson had worse hands than Clayton, but even more maddening was his intense fear of contact (you picked the wrong career, Dex). So, Allen and Gruden drafted a wide receiver who doesn’t play wide receiver, and subsequently is more afraid of contact than Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable. It’s the one draft pick that Matt Millen can laugh at.

First of all, let me say that I don't believe 9-11 was an inside job.

But I was talking with some rather suspicious fans this past weekend who were awfully surprised that Joey Galloway didn't find his way into the game on Sunday against the Seahawks. They were saying how there's no way that it could take so long to recover from a strained foot.

Maybe Galloway was in Gruden's dog house for one reason or another. Maybe Galloway was caught leering at the cheerleaders. Maybe Galloway mentioned the Gruden's wife was hitting the Double-Stuff Oreos. Anything other than what the Times and the Trib are force-feeding us.

Now I didn't think too much about it at the time, but wouldn't it be funny if there was more to the Galloway injury than meets the eye?

I don't know what  a "foot strain" is. It actually doesn't sound too painful. I don't think I ever suffered from one. If I did, I ignored it and eventually it went away. I'm sure if it lasted five weeks, I might have gone to the doctor and said, "My foot has been hurting for five weeks, Doc."

How bad can a foot strain be? Seriously. Five weeks worth of injury? Terrell Owens broke his leg and came back in the same amount of time.

So I did what most Americans would do when faced with a medical crisis. I went to WebMD. WebMD says that "most muscle strains (pulled muscles) are caused by overstretching muscles. Strains may be minor or severe, such as a torn muscle or tendon."

So is it a "strain" (a pulled foot muscle) or is it a "tear" (an actual rip in the fiber or tendon)? We don't know. We're going by the injury report which has more lies in it than Roger Clements' Congressional Hearing.

We would assume if it was a tear, it would require surgery. And if surgery occurred, some big mouth would get word to the press. THAT I am sure of, especially in this sick-o camera-phone society.  

I'll come out and just say it and do away with all the implications. What kind of foot strain takes almost two months to heal? That doesn't sound right at all. Broken bones heal faster than Joey's foot.

Something stinks here, and it's not Chris Hovan's socks after a 1:00pm game.

How can something as minor as a foot strain keep an athlete on the shelf for two months?

All I've heard since Galloway's arrival in Tampa Bay is the torture he puts himself through to keep himself in peak condition. I've read several times that he doesn't tell anyone what his routine is because it's what has preserved his speed all these years. Okay fine.

But I would think that someone who keeps themselves in top physical form would have some muscles that would recover a little better than Joey's foot.

Seriously, how bad could it have been? I've watched every SECOND of Buccaneer football this year and I didn't even notice Galloway going out of the game. It's not like they had to get the cart for him. He was able to WALK when the injury was at it's worst.

So what is it? Why are we holding Galloway out?

Well, for a moment, let's get completely illogical. Let's throw the burden of proof to the wind and just peel back the layers of this grotesque onion we call the Buccaneers.

How's this for a theory? Jon Gruden knows how fragile Galloway is so he purposely holds him out for the first half of the season. Four home games, three semi-winnable away games. Three games against the NFC South (which the Bucs went 5-1 against last season). Green Bay without Brett Favre and an injury-riddled Seattle team. Do the Bucs really need to subject Galloway to a catastrophic injury for a weak part of the schedule?

Remember, Gruden benched all his starters at the end of last season once the Bucs clinched a playoff spot. As it turned out, it bit him in the rear-end when the Bucs looked rusty in the Wild Card Round against the Giants... and they were without Galloway and Ike Hilliard as well.

So what if you rest your stars early in the season? Hey, Jeff Garcia got a three-and-a-half game vacation. Garcia was also one of the guys who was "rested" at the end of last year (and he has the paycheck to prove it).

So let's say you "shorten" the season... shave a couple of games off the beginning of the year. Let your stars play 11 to 13 games plus 3 playoff games. That's 16 total. Hey, that's like missing the playoffs, right? That's one full NFL regular season.

Could it be that Galloway is being held out because the Bucs know that they are going to need all their weapons in the playoffs? Look at the Patriots. Did they really NEED Tom Brady to beat the Chiefs? Not really. And their season is suffering as a result. But I don't fault the Pats. There's no way they could have seen that coming.

But does Gruden (who has been labeled as "stubborn" for YEARS by Tampa Bay fans) still believe that playing LESS games may keep his players fresher? He seemed to de-reail their momentum at the end of the season last year. Is this year just an adjustment to the timing of the rest he gives his vets?  Does it matter which 16 games your stars play as long as it's not 19 or 20 games that are required to win a Super Bowl?

So Gruden shaves a few games off the beginning of the season for Garcia and Galloway. He trumps up some stupid story about a foot strain that nobody saw during the Atlanta game (as if the Bucs needed him with Monte Kiffen turning the dogs loose on the Falcons..... um.... is it too soon for a "dog/Falcon" reference?). Galloway plays 16 games en route to a Super Bowl in Tampa and he's healthy the whole time. Thank goodness the Bucs were able to hold the fort for the first 7 games of the year without their #1 wide receiver.

Then again, maybe Galloway sprained his foot.

I think that I was the only person who spent a good 50 minutes of Sunday's Bucs/Panthers game pissed off.

Yep. You read that right.

While everyone else was cheering the woodshed beat-down the Boyz N Da Pewter laid on Carolina, I was sitting in my seat in section 303, elbows on knees, palms on chin, and pissed.

All I saw was negatives.

With 1:03 left in the first half, Jeff Garcia completes a pass to Earnest Graham who runs up the right sideline for a 24-yard gain, but tries to cut back toward the center fo the field and doesn't get out of bounds. Thirty-two seconds run off the clock because the Bucs have only one time out left. I am screaming and carrying on with a run-on sentence about how Graham is an idiot because he went to UF.

I have an entire section of rabid Buc fans braving 104 degree pizza oven heat and screaming their head off, and I'm as agitated as a bee hive in a microwave.

Why?

My wife and my friend Jon were looking at me like I just kicked a puppy. Jon asked why I cannot enjoy the game. The Bucs were WINNING. Against the PANTHERS, of all teams... and here I am pissed off.

It's 17-3 and I'm upset that it's not 24 or 27-3.

Why?

Can I not enjoy this game anymore? And if not, why? And can I make it BACK to the point where I can be a fan and watch the game for enjoyment?

I'm asking... someone help me - help the "malcontent."

Have I watched this team for too long?

I've seen this team blow too many leads, get hosed by too many calls, have one too many catastrophic injuries. In short, I've spend almost every weekend since 1980 waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Sunday... it didn't happen.

But I didn't realize it until about 5:10 on Sunday.

Am I ruined for football? 

Jon called me a "malcontent."

Wikipedia says the following about the "malcontent:"

The Malcontent is a character type often used in early modern drama. The character is discontent with the social structure and other characters in the play. He or she is often an outsider, who observes and offers commentary on the action and may even show awareness that they are in a play. Shakespeare's Richard III and Iago in Othello are typical malcontents.

The role is usually both political and dramatic; with the malcontent voicing dissatisfaction with the usually 'Machiavellian' political atmosphere and often using asides to build up a kind of self-consciousness and awareness of the text itself which other characters in the play will lack to the same extent.

 

Jeez... does that sum it up or what?

Despite the Bucs' successes on Sunday, I was upset that score was not more lopsided; so many points were left on the field. Rather than reveling in smackdown, I'm focusing on all the WRONG that was done.

What's wrong with me?

This team - these Tampa Bay Buccaneers est. 1976 - have ruined me. Spoiled worse than chunky milk in an unplugged refridgerator, I sat in the 303, I watched a 27-3 shellacking and it wasn't good enough.

Because the other shoe never dropped.

I saw Horace Copeland and Trent Dilfer develop a rapport, only to see poor Horace tear up his knee. I saw the Bucs come within five minutes of dismantling the Colts on Monday Night Football only to be done in by the lack of coverage ability of Tim Wansley. I saw Bert Emanuel make a gorgeous rolling catch that's ruled a drop. I saw it all.

Sunday it didn't happen. Because of that, I was shocked and chagrinned.

Jon's a lawyer. Can I sue?

There's no point of contention or arguement with these words, but am I alone? I've been a Buc-fan since 1980 and I know that there are people who followed this franchise since Day One. I can't imagine how THEY might feel.

If you are a Buc Fan, you've seen unspeakable horrors on the field. Is it possible that those horrors can ruin you for future events? Can you end up like the chick who got hosed by that guy in high school and makes every date since then pay for the sins of the past?

I hope Jeff Garcia doesn't hate me.

Am I alone? Is anyone else ruined by this team (I guess I should say "franchise")? I'm not stating facts. I'm asking questions.

I think that I am incapable of enjoying this franchise's success due to the franchise's history of failure. I'm a cynic.

A malcontent.

I'd just like to mention that Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune basically regurgitated my entire article from 3 days ago using many of the same points and analysis I did in todays GAMEDAY sports section. Good job, Roy. I guess all you need to be a sports writer is the ability to browse the Internet.

The Trib gets a buck an issue on weekends to print what all of you loyal Buc'Em readers got to read for free. I think it's important to recognize JScott for his ability to spot genius when he sees it (namely in myself).

I am going on record RIGHT NOW - I BELIEVE THE BUCS WILL RETIRE MIKE ALSTOTT'S JERSEY/NUMBER (OR "RING OF HONOR" HIM ETC.) ON SUNDAY.

I don't know if it is in the Bible or something, but someone once coined the phrase, "The Lord helps those who help themselves."

If that is the case, don't expect any divine intervention on behalf of the Almighty when it comes to the Bucs.

Last weekend's game against the Broncos was a real eye-opener. Everyone who was calling for Brian Griese to get benched despite his record got their wish when Coach Jon Gruden's hand was forced and Jeff Garcia entered the game after Griese was knocked out of the game by cornerback Champ Bailey.

On a side note, how shameful. A corner levels the hit that takes you out of the line-up? That's about as shameful as being tackled by the kicker on a kickoff.

But after seeing Garcia and Griese helm the "Death by 1,000 Papercuts" offense, is it possible to come to any conclusion other than it's not going to matter who the quarterback is?

I take no pleasure in being correct about Griese being a more than capable starter, but the Broncos basically stared at the Emperor and announced he's naked. Essentially, it's not going to matter if Jeff Garcia or Jerry Garcia is behind the center, the secret's out on how to stop the Bucs.

The Broncos basically ran a 4-3 and kept their linebackers and corners in an "umbrella" formation which essentially kept all the short passes, flares, and swing passes in front of them . They could run this defense because there's no one to stretch the defense. Basically, every play was in front of the Broncos' D and they can close on the ball carrier.

With no deep threat, the Broncos didn't have to worry about anyone getting behind them.

And this is where the Bucs faulted in the off-season. They made no effort to pick-up a wide receiver prior to the start of the season. Antonio Bryant has been serviceable, but he's a big guy and not someone who scares people with his speed. The Bucs were basically playing with fire by having one speedy receiver in Joey Galloway. The plan would have been fine, barring injury.

Well, Galloway lasted three quarters despite being put on a shelf like a China bowl for the pre-season. So much for erring on the side of caution.

Oh sure. The Bucs will tell you they addressed their wide receiver shortage in the draft, but Dexter Jackson and I are tied for plays lined up at wide out for the Bucs. He's been a kick and punt returner for the entire season, but he's not even very good at that.

At the very least, let Jackson line up as a wide out as a DECOY. Let him run down the field to drag a corner or safety out of the box, if for no other reason than to open up the underneath passing that Gruden seems so committed to.

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, Gruden went on the record saying that no one made trades anymore. Well, he better buck the trend pretty darn quick. Sure, they may rent a player for a year, but it's apparent that Maurice Stovall and Michael Clayton are not the answer despite the fawning over their apparent abilities.

Without Galloway, we can get used to 3 completions and punting on 4th and 6. Eleven defenders are swarming the line of scrimmage. The QB can't wait for a Bryant or a Clayton to stagger downfield or else they will suffer the same fate as Griese.

The Bucs need to pull the trigger and get a trade done. I don't even need to name names. ANYONE. It is apparent that the current crop of receivers isn't getting it done (and WON'T get it done). GM Bruce Allen should have seen the problems with this team when Ike Hilliard and Galloway (who should be nicknamed "Tiffany" because he's made of crystal) were knocked out of the playoff game versus the Giants last year. He should have thrown out some offers to Javon Walker or Mushin Muhammad in the summer.

It's time for the Bucs to help themselves... then maybe we can start talking to God again.

After living in Tampa Bay for 28 years, I have finally come to the conclusion that my goal in life is to become the back-up quarterback for the Bucs. Seriously, is there NOT a better job in Tampa Bay? Screw that, is there not a better job in the world?

You become the toast of Tampa Bay. Women want you. Men want you. Everyone wants you. Why? Because you are the answer.

I was here through the lean years. I remember the hope that was generated when the Bucs drafted Vinny Testeverde and the hope that came when he was on the bench. I remember when the Bucs drafted Trent Dilfer who was considered a steal when he fell to the Bucs and the incessant clamoring for him to get reps ahead of Craig Erickson. Sadly, I remember pushing my high school girlfriend off of me while we were babysitting two sleeping children so I could watch Dilfer take snaps in the preseason.

Sweet Mary, was I that pathetic? Yes.

But those guys had something in common. In the spirit of an election year, how do I say this diplomatically?

Oh yeah... those Buc teams sucked donkey balls. Eat your heart out, Obama. THAT'S how you address your constituents.

So here we, Bucs fans, sitting fat and sloppy at 3-1, tied for the division lead. And there's a quarterback controversy.

I should have ended that sentence with a question mark, not a period.

Why in the name of Hugh Culverhouse are Bucs fans calling for a quarterback change?

Brian Griese has engineered three consecutive wins despite six interceptions in two games. He almost breaks the NFL records for pass attempts versus the Bears. And he almost gave away the Packers game with a couple of off-target throws, but he's winning.

Testeverde never won. Dilfer won on occasion, but not consistently. Erickson, King, Spurrier, Thompson... they never won. And Bucs fans called for their heads.

Now Griese is winning... and he supposed to get the hook?

Maybe it's because of the interception numbers (and the AMOUNT alone, even though a few of them were tips and horrid attempts at catches). I will submit that anyone calling for Griese to be benched is a simpleton who only looks at the box score.

These are the same people who didn't think there was a problem with the Bucs' defense because they are ranked in the Top 10 despite the fact that they couldn't force a pick from Quinn Gray.

There's a lot more to this game than numbers. There are QBs with less INTs, more yards, and more TDs than Griese, but this is a QB who has been turned one-dimentional in almost every game and he was able to reverse-engineer victories. He also has performed WITHOUT a legitimate wide receiver who can stretch the field. That means, he's throwing timing routes and check-downs into heavy traffic because he has NO ONE to stretch the field and get a safety away from "the box." Is it any wonder why his INTs are up? There's foreign jerseys all over his throwing lanes.

There's a lot more to this game than just being ranked high. If you like high rankings and what it will get you, fall in love with the BCS and get lost. Griese is WINNING. There are quarterbacks with worse number who have won Super Bowls. Dilfer threw 12 TDs and 11 INTs in 2000 for the Ravens.

Is it possible that this team is not built around the quarterback?

Here's a little something for all you "ranking hounds." This Bucs team, is 9th in rushing and passing in the NFL through 4 games.

THEY LEAD THE NFL IN PICKS WITH 7. THEY ARE 3-1.

And for every fan calling for Griese's head, there are 5 more calling for Gruden's job. This is the same coach who had the run taken from him and won a game with the pass. He had the pass taken from him and he won the game on the ground. How do you stop a team who can be successful running AND/OR passing? It's pick your poison right now.

They're obviously doing something right.

So park your requests for Garcia to come back. Throughout the pre-season Griese looked sharp. He knows this offense inside and out. Do you realize that if Bruce Allen decided to keep Griese over Simms, this would be his 4th year in the offense? This kind of stability has NEVER been part of the Bucs' history (and technically it still isn't, but at least Griese didn't have to "re-learn" everything). Griese's job is to ration out a steady diet of 3-4 yard runs and 5-7 yard passes. This "Death by 1000 Paper Cuts" offense will just (tick) off defenses when they get 5 yards on 3rd and 4 and 9 yards on 3rd and 8.

Griese is doing just fine. Gruden won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson and came a "tuck rule" from getting to another with Rich Gannon.

If you want Griese benched, you might be seeing Bucs football, but you aren't watching.