via www.danheller.com

First of all, I'm a homer. I love Tampa Bay and would love to see the Super Bowl return to Tampa. However, if the game was going to be played in the cold, New York is the spot. The parties will be epic, the city will shine, and the big city seems like a natural spot for the big game. I do find it sort of funny that New York was able to land the bid because owners of other cold weather cities backed them, thinking they may be able to get the big game as well. You know, Super Bowl 54 in Cleveland! Or #55 in Boston! New York is one of a kind, and I highly doubt the NFL will carry its showcase game anywhere else in the Northeast or Midwest (unless there's a dome involved). All that said, I am very opposed to playing the game in the cold. Jerry Jones (who voted NYC) said something like, ‘Why shouldn't the Super Bowl be played outdoors, in a cold weather city?' pointing out that many of the playoff games leading up to it are played in awful conditions. Well Jerry, I'll tell you why not. The Super Bowl is supposed to be played on a neutral site.  The site of the other playoff games is determined by the team that earns home field during the regular season. This allows for Buffalo or Green Bay to construct a team which is suited for playing in poor weather. Think the Yankees and the "short porch" in right field. The Yankees attempt to construct a team that will take advantage of their home stadium.  If the Super Bowl were held in the summer months, many of the traditional sites (including Tampa) would make for an awful choice because the heat and humidity would provide for poor conditions and

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You can see the signs all over town, literally. The Bucs are having trouble selling tickets. Blame it on the economy, the losing record, or the poor stadium located in downtown St Pete. Anyway, we know the Bucs can sell tickets; they sold em' all for a decade. As with any stadium, the most important ticket sales are the most expensive ones. In the case of Ray J, that would be the suites and club seats. In the past, the Bucs required a club seat holder to purchase a license for the right to buy the seat. The license was priced as the same amount it cost to purchase a season ticket. In other words, if your season ticket was $2,500, you pay $2,500 for the license and $2,500 more for the seat. The license came with a 10 year contract and the promise of a refund of the license when the contract is complete. But wait, there's more. The Bucs would raise the price of the tickets at a 10% annual clip, thus making up for the license refund (they were not be able to raise prices every year, so they did not make up the full amount). Pretty good deal for the Glazer boys huh?  But those days are long gone. The Bucs are no longer requiring licenses, have lowered the price of seats, and several suites have become available. And now for the real trouble, the Bucs are offering free food for anyone who decides to buy seats in the club level one zone. In other words, Buc fans, if you want to see Josh Freeman, our shiny new D tackles, and Rondes last year, buy a ticket ‘cause the game's blacked out. 

 

via api.ning.com

My first thought would be not much; Grimm's measurables are ugly to say the least. Grimm was primarily a linebacker at Virgina Tech, but tips the scales at just over 200 lbs.   This fact alone insures that he will have to play safety in the NFL. Now for the really bad news, Grimm ran a 4.64 at the combine. For a little perspective, Dekota Watson ran a 4.56 and weighs 240lbs. A lot of the positive things I hear about Cody are similar to the positive chatter around none other than legendary Buc, Sabby Piscitelli. He is described as smart or hard working, a guy who gets good reads. That kind of talk always rings alarm bells for this writer. Looking at Grimm's physical abilities, I'm very surprised he was drafted and will also be surprised if he is on the Bucs opening day roster.  Athleticism isn't everything, but there is a certain baseline required to play on Sundays and 203lbs and 4.64 doesn't cut it.  All that said, there is one door still cracked for Grimm, special teams. Virginia Tech is well known around college football for consistently producing some of the nation's best specialists.  Grimm has faced long odds before. He walked on to Tech, earned a spot on special teams, and became an all ACC linebacker. That's no easy feat, but I suspect he just won't be able to cover enough ground to play in pewter. But what the hell, it's a 7^th round pick and he can't be worse than Sabby, can he?          

via www2.tbo.com

 

Too much draft lately... let's take a break!

For much of the Buccaneers' 30 plus year history, a ring of honor was not a priority (‘cause we sucked), but with nearly all of the "core" players from the glory days retired, and the addition of our first honoree (Lee Roy Selmon), it's time to ask the question, Who's in and who's out?

The Mortal Locks:

Lee Roy Selmon- A restaurant, an expressway, and a hall of fame selection pretty much guarantee admission, so I won't bore you with the details. Lee Roy became the first Buc in the ring of honor last year during our victory over Green Bay (orange). Selmon is considered one of the greatest defensive linemen ever and certainly deserved to be the first Buc in the ring of honor.

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This time 3 years ago, I was praying for Calvin Johnson and Jimbo Fisher. Sadly, I got Gaines Adams and 3 more years with Bobby Bowden. You can’t always get what you want, but good things come to those who wait. Now I have Fisher but I want Suh too, and I want him a lot more than Mccoy. There’s just one problem, just like ‘07 the Lions look ready to grab him one spot before us (in ‘07 it was 2 spots).   Today, the Lions got some help for Matthew Stafford, not the offensive line help they badly need, but help none the less in the form of a pass catching tight end.  Does that make an Okung selection less likely? It looks like our last hope may be a rumored trade of Albert Haynesworth to Detroit, but 4 days before the draft it looks like Suh is headed to the motor city.
 

 

 

Let's look back at the 5 biggest moves of Mark's first year or so... and grade em'

In no particular order....

1. Trades a 2009 2^nd and a 2010 5^th for Kellen Winslow.  This one worked out, plain and simple. Winslow was the Bucs most productive offensive player in '09 and I think Josh Freeman would no longer be with us (dead I mean) without him. Grade: A

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