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So another draft is in the books. I’m not one of those who likes to rate the draft, especially at this early stage, but I have to say this was an odd draft all the way around. A big part of that was an apparent lack of “top-tier” talent. But more, it seems the new format, the shorter times and moving round three to Sunday, really had a definitive impact.

I’m not sure what to make of the Bucs draft just yet. My inital reaction to the Aqib Talib pick was “Well, that was retarded”. I think I’ve made my opinions on this matter known previously. Donnie Abraham (Round Three), Ronde Barber (Round Three) and Brian Kelly (Round Two) were all had below the first round. These guys were system guys and fit the system well. To pick a shut-down man corner seems asinine in the Tampa Two system. But there’s speculation that we’re moving more and more to Cover Three and Man schemes to account for multiple-receiver sets. I suppose there’s SOME merit to this, but I really don’t want to see first-round money go to a player that doesn’t fit. I dunno. It almost seems like sacrelige here. I mean, moving away from a system that has become known as the “Tampa Two” seems akin to the Montana/Young era 49ers moving away from the “West Coast Offense”. We’ll see how this pans out, but I do have lingering doubts.

Still, barring any “personality issues” this kid seems like a ringer. Long arms and a taller stature than most cornerbacks with the kind of speed that will keep up with the speediest wide receivers in the league makes for an intriguing combination of player attributes.

My initial feel on Dexter Jackson (our second round pick) was absolute drool after watching him at the combine. The guy is fast. What I didn’t notice….and maybe the combine broadcast was deceiving…..was the guy is only 5′9″ tall. Of course, height and size isn’t the be all end all in football…..just ask Steve Smith or Warrick Dunn….but there is a concern there. Even greater is the concern over him being listed as a Kick Returner. Granted, he showed great skill as a returner in college, but in no way do I want a second-round pick to be a one-dimensional special teams contributor. As a second-round pick, this guy is going to need to lend a hand on offense, taking some pressure off of Joey Galloway in the passing game. If he can’t contribute that to the team, we’re going to be in a rough spot.

I have little opinion on the remainder of the draft, other than finding a bit of joy in drafting a Linebacker out of Florida State in the sixth round. This guy should become quick friends with DBrooks. The Quarterback out of San Diego is intriguing, though I had my heart set on Matt Flynn out of  LSU in Round 4 or Round 5. We definitely need a developmental quarterback for the future. One thing I would love to see from the Bucs is a drive towards patience and grooming of a Franchise Quarterback, something we have yet to find here. Disappointing performances and short-lived careers have spotted the landscape of Buccaneer Quarterbacks and it’s time for that to change, especially with an alleged offensive guru running the team. Whether he can develop that talent remains to be seen.

A couple of things I found interesting to note from other teams…..the Tackle drafted by the Bears in the First Round looks like a beast. 6′6″? The film on that guy shows a towering menace that could be huge for those guys. Almost wish he had fallen to us. Of course, having Carolina sneak in one pick ahead of us to nab the next one kinda made me cringe a bit. And I have to wonder what Aaron Rogers must be thinking up there in Green Bay after his team drafted TWO Quarterbacks in the same draft. He can’t be feeling terribly comfortable. Seems the NFC North netted some of the more eye-catching results, as Rex Grossman must have breathed a sigh of relief up there in Chicago. Are they really leaning on Grossman and Orton up there? Seems that Dungy offensive mindset is carrying over into Lovie’s Chicago team. Note to Lovie: not thinking that’s a shrewd move, but I guess I’m not the coach.

Other than a Jason Taylor rumor that turned out to be little more than smoke and mirrors, it was a pretty uneventful day. It will be interesting to see what the next wave of Free Agency brings. This draft also lends curiosity as to the fate of Darrell Jackson. Local guy who was released by San Francisco last month. I haven’t seen any news on him since. Would love to get him down here in Pewter. But, again, I’m not the coach.

I can not express enough my glee over the Rays’ sweep of the Boston Red Sox this weekend. I really can’t. See, things used to be different for me. Until recently, my only true hated enemy in baseball was the Yankees. In fact, I took great joy in seeing the Red Sox come back from three down to win the ALCS in 2004. It was one of the greater and more memorable sports moments ever in my mind. But this weekend sealed the deal with Red Sox fan. Seriously.

My friend and I decided to head down to the Trop to take in Saturday’s game. Granted, in hindsight, we might have checked on ticket availability prior to making the drive across the bay. But, in all reality, though these games tend to bring in more fans than usual, there’s rarely a sellout. In fact, I went to a Red Sox game two years ago and had no trouble finding a seat. In fact, there were empty seats all around us at that game. But, no…..on this day, there was not a seat left to be sold. “Ticket resellers” on the street were few and far between. And Red Sox jerseys and hats seemed to be the fashion trend of the evening.

Mind you, I get it. I understand that these people can fly down here fairly inexpensively, get moderately priced accomodations and take in an entire series (something they might have a hard time doing at Fenway). But it’s absolutely ridiculous that, as a Rays fan (yes, we exist), I wasn’t able to get a ticket. I was even willing to play “Premier Game” pricing for the event.

But there’s more to it than that. These people waltz in here like they own the place. I used to think I hated Philly fan. Philly fan has been a non-factor basically since the Lightning beat the Flyers for the NHL Eastern Conference Final the cup year. And, honestly, even the fans at the Eagles game two years ago were few relative to capacity.

No, Red Sox fan absolutely infuriated me Saturday. I can only hope they enjoyed paying the money to watch the Rays absolutely shut down their threatening lineup. Seriously. Manny who? Big who? That’s right Red Sox fan. Your arrogance is catching up. And how about that bullpen of yours? That’s an awesome disaster to watch…..for us…..and for anyone else who gets to face it. The worst part was after giving up on tickets, we decided to take in the game at Fergs (Sports Bar up the street from the Trop). We get there before first pitch and there are still Sox fans milling about. At game time, the place emptied out and we were left to ourselves with a couple of scattered Rays fans in the room with us. A while later, two young couples walk in…..three Rays fans and a Red Sox fan (of course, my only feeling is to disown the Rays fans for even being seen with this clown). Here’s where the arrogance of Red Sox fan really starts to boil my blood. The guy looks around at everyone in the room wearing Rays gear and says in a voice to be heard throughout the room: “Wow. I don’t get any Boston love in here, do I?” Hey, genius…..did you expect to? What part of St. Petersburg sounds like Boston?

It really puts a freakin’ downer in my day, these people. They move down here and take my jobs, ruin my traffic and continue expressing their undying love for Boston and New England. My question is, if the place is so great and you love your teams so much, why did you leave? Go back. Seriously. I mean, I’m willing to give you a grace period if it helps you adjust, but if you want to be a Floridian, get with the program. And don’t worry….you’re not the only ones. This goes out to my folks from New York, New Jersey and anywhere else that’s so great their residents feel the need to move down here.

But I’ll digress a bit. Or maybe this is more in spreading the blame. For those of you out there who consider yourselves Rays fans…..native Floridians and those who have gotten with the program….what’s your excuse? The only reason it’s so easy for these people to get tickets is because you’re not creating much demand. I myself haven’t been the greatest supporter in this respect, but this season I’m trying to give up some love. This would have been my third game in four weeks. Not a die-hard by any stretch of the imagination, but, in my own defense, getting off of work at six o’clock and trying to make a seven o’clock start time during the week is a bit much. I’m doing my part. Based on the crowds I’ve seen, I’m doing more than most.

And please don’t tell me you can’t afford it. The last game I went to cost me a whopping $15. For that $15, I got a seat in Left Field, a hot dog, a soda and cracker jacks. That’s two beers at Raymond James or the Forum. For two beers, I got the works. There’s just not an excuse. These guys are competing and deserve to have some support from the fan base.

We went through this with the Bucs. We went through this with the Lightning. And we’re going through it with the Rays. I get that. When they put a winning product on the field, there will be converts and others who are more willing to support the team. Great. But I don’t want converts who are jumping the next great bandwagon. I still run into “Bucs fans” who wouldn’t know Jimmie Giles from John McKay. Fans who don’t know the story behind Ricky Bell. Fans who only know of Culverhouse through rare mentions that still happen. Fans that don’t remember Doug Williams being rewarded for his efforts by essentially being escorted out of town by that same Culverhouse. But I won’t let this become a hate-fest for Culverhouse….I’ve done that enough over the years.

All I want to know, is this your town? Or are you just here for an extended visit? The sunshine is great, but are you willing to be a part of the culture?

I am a native. I remember a Tampa that was a tight-knit community of local folks. Even those who relocated here, back in that time, became locals fairly quickly. They embraced our culture and became a true part of our community. These days, I go to work and face criticism for wearing a piece of gear that represents my local team. Completely ridiculous.

So for all of you Red Sox fans out there. Thanks for our piece of first place in the AL East. Perhaps it doesn’t last, but watching your bats go cold in our house in front of all of you was a thing of beauty.

I wanted to make opening day for the Tampa Bay Rays this year. It didn’t happen. So I had to settle for attending yesterday’s Saturday afternoon showdown with the Baltimore Orioles.

First thought: I was pretty well amazed at the turn-out upon arrival. Steve and I had to stand in line for a good half-hour to get tickets and I was wondering if the remaining available tickets would be worth the wait. To my pleasure, we found damn good seats looking down the first base line in the “Loge Box” section for $24.00 each. The fellow in the ticket booth tells us we would have an obstructed view of any high pop-ups, but other than that they were great seats. I didn’t recall this “Loge Box” terminology, but upon taking our seats I realized this was the same section my mother and I sat in several years back.

Honestly, for the view of the game we were provided with, I have no complaints. Every home run shot was in full view and we were close enough to the plate that I could easily read the back of each player’s jersey.

I was also able to take in some of the concessions and the facility in general, and I have to say, it’s really shaped up into a fairly nice facility for what it is. While I’m not completely opposed to a new facility, I’m not certain an open-air venue is a good idea in the summer heat of Florida. The game was very comfortable in the indoor environment, though I’m still trying to figure out why the turf down there is so streaky. I get that it’s the newer, better, more different turf (I forget what they call it….when we were at the Superbowl in San Diego back in 2002 there was a test section that they allowed people to walk on and try out…..pretty neat stuff), but it looks awful. Honestly, I hate the fact that there’s a 30 year lease in St. Petersburg. While I think St. Petersburg has much more to offer in culture, the money and the market is on this side of the bay. A new retractable roof facility in Tampa- perhaps close proximity to Raymond James Stadium (much like the sports complex in Philadelphia and other cities)- would be more ideal and would likely draw more of a fan base.

Given that I pay exponentially more to sit in nosebleed seats in the heat of the sun at Raymond James stadium, I have to say my $24.00 game day experience was well worth the price and I intend to attend a greater number of games this season than I have in years past. I even ventured into the apparel shop and picked up a t-shirt. I wanted a jersey but the $110 price tag is a bit much for what I can justify at the moment. Eventually, I’ll find funds that I can justify- perhaps my $600 kick-back from the US Government would come in handy for this.

I really like the way this team is taking shape. While I know there are some that have us competing for the playoffs this season and others who think I should be demanding nothing less as a fan, I would simply like to see the young guys get more development in preparation for the next couple of years. There’s amazing speed in the Outfield with Crawford and Upton and our young pitching staff is really looking like it could be a competitive group for years to come. I liked seeing Longoria in the line-up (if the kid shapes up to be everything they say he is, I will be able to look back and say I was there for his first major-league outing) and look forward to seeing what today’s starter, Niemann, is capable of. The kid looked really sharp today. My only concern is with Joe Maddon. Trever Miller got two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth when he was replaced by Dan Wheeler. Not sure why you make this switch at this point in the game or why you wouldn’t have had your closer in the game to begin with (RE: Troy Percival), but this was a bad move. With one out remaining, Ramon Hernandez drives in the winning shot with a home run off of Dan Wheeler. We’ll see how Maddon’s ability to make appropriate pitching changes develops as time goes on, but this one was pure disappointment from a fan’s perspective. And I’m still upset that the team couldn’t make Lou Piniella happy enough to stick it out down here. I can only imagine what his management would be bringing to the organization now.

For those who haven’t been or would like to go sometime this season, let me know. I’m all about it.

So I joined some friends for some good old hockey fun last night and, I have to admit, it was one of the more memorable games I’ve been to. For a cool 60 dollars, we got seats for the game and free beer from pre-game through most of the first period. And for once, we got a victory. Nice play in net by Ramo in conjunction with tight play from the whole team. Although it’s a good thing the game wasn’t overly physical. We might have gotten a hangnail.

Now, if only they’d answer my wishes and fire freakin’ Tortorella…..seriously, I’ve never seen a team play softer in the NHL. I mean, it’s pretty sad when the coach scratches the enforcer because…..(GASP)….he’s enforcing. Seriously, Torts, wake up. This is hockey. It’s sad that you need to take a lesson from the Rays playbook and perhaps, I dunno, run over the catcher for a score in Spring Training. Do you have the nerve and the desire to win to really let your players fire it up and play like they mean it? Even during the cup run, our guys had problems passing and digging out of the defensive zone. Now it’s even worse. Not sure why this guy insists on bringing in Wingers to play Defense. Don’t get me wrong, I love Dan Boyle, but we DESPERATELY NEED a defensive presence on this team. If it means Feaster’s gotta go, all the better. Send them both packing and let’s not see another talented team go to waste in this town. Was it not bad enough that we had to endure years of Dungy’s offensive ineptitude? Now we have to endure Tortorella’s inability to motivate (more, I think he de-motivates), lack of commitment to defense and knack for scapegoating everyone around him. Yeah…..remember this was all Ramsey’s fault last year. And look how much better we are without HIM……

I think the writing is on the wall and it should be obvious by now. We are one of the worst teams in the league. Stunning, really.

But, despite my ill-will towards the current regime, this game was exciting. So exciting that I think I almost got myself thrown out. This actually makes me chucke a little. I wonder when Hockey became the opera? You go to the game. You are passionate about the game. You yell and make noise to give your team the edge at home. And an usher wants to tell you to tone it down? Sadly, I was keeping my language relatively clean even. I just kinda looked at the guy and said, “Yeah…..OK”. I pay to go to the game. I love my team. I support my team. Game, set and match….usher.

So about mid-way through the game they announce 50% off all Lightning jerseys. Are you kidding me? 50% off? I was so there. I get down to the Lightning Shop and there were Mediums and Smalls left. I start feeling dejected and left out when I happen to notice the LAST remaining oversize jersey sitting on the rack ( a XXL). I snag it, grab a new beanie, check out and smile big cheeky smiles of joy on my way out of the store. I love this stuff. Then, at the end of the game, they played the break the glass game. En route to the ice, the Lightning girls were signing photos. I had to get my flirt on, of course. Those ladies are just FUN to look at. At one point I made a comment to one of them that prompted her to mention her boyfriend (sue me, I’m a schmuck). My response was that I get it and that they all have boyfriends. She shoots me this devious grin and says “not all of us”. I shoot back: “Mind pointing out the ones who don’t?”. No response. TEASE!!! Anyway, we all made our way onto the ice to take a shot at the glass. This is where I must digress…..I totally whiffed. I mean, the puck flew a solid three feet. In my own defense, I was trying to be flashy and toss it off the head of the stick. Still, it looked awful, but it was fun.

So, another season is closing and I managed to make my usual 5-6 games a year. I’m hoping to be in position to make a few more next season. We’ll see. Of course, I’d love to see a new coach standing behind the bench. And a new fire lit under the team. I love my guys and I hate seeing their talent go to waste. I’d also hate to see Andre Roy leave. Amazing….the number of signs the fans brought to the game expressing their support for Andre was awesome. Again, wake up Torts…..you pissed off your team long ago……you’re starting to piss off your fan base…..

So the draft is almost upon us and it appears the my Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t want to make a free agency impact with that whopping 40 million dollars in salary cap space.

I love the addition of Jeff Faine at Center. This guy should round out an offensive line that is getting increasingly better. I have concerns with Pettitgout and, though Donald Penn filled in admirably, I still think we can improve here. But the nucleus is there. What THIS off-season should have been about was adding one impact Wide Receiver. The options were there: Bernard Berrian and Bryant Johnson. They failed. And, though I agree with a philosophy of not overpaying for players, enough is enough. We had a need. We had the cap space. And we got……drum roll, please………Antonio Bryant? Eh? Intriguing addition, for sure, but is a guy who sat out all of 2007 because of attitude problems really going to be the guy to take over for our aging tandem of Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard? Seriously. I hope it works out. I really do. But I have my doubts.

I also thought an effort at Defensive End was in order. My drool pick here was franchised (Jared Allen), so we cut a little bit of slack, but I still think at least some effort to take a look at the End from Cincinnati would have been nice. Here again, I don’t work in the big office, so what do I know? But from a fan perspective, this looks a lot like the same old tired crap from Gruden and Allen. I’d like to see something new and different for once.

So, we turn to the draft. Having our first pick coming down the line at number 20 overall limits what we can do in the first round, but I think the strength of this particular draft lies in later rounds. Two later-round Wide Receivers who have captured my attention are Dexter Jackson and Andre Caldwell. Yeah, I know….Caldwell is a Gator Receiver and if we know Graham at all we know he does NOT condone drafting Gator Receivers (shout-out to Ike: you are the exception to the rule, bro. It’s all good!!!). But in watching some of the commentary and listening to dialog on this guy, Caldwell has the potential and the upside to be a REAL NFL threat. He’s also a Tampa guy. There’s something about Dexter Jackson that’s quite intriguing as well. He has good speed and I’m not sure why he’s not rated higher than he is. Then again, the “draft experts” are rarely accurate in their assessments, so we take all of this with a grain of salt. I will say this: it was nice being able to actually watch the Scouting Combine this year….yeah, as much as I complain about it, having the NFL Network is pretty nice.

The experts have us going with Desean Jackson or various shut-down corners with our first-rounder. I don’t necessarily agree with this. I REALLY don’t agree with this. Particularly the bit about drafting a corner in the first round. Do these guys not realize that Cornerbacks in the Tampa 2 system can be had for less money in later rounds? Why do they think we didn’t make a GREATER effort to snag Asante Samuel? TOO…..MUCH……MONEY. Not one of our great Corners was drafted in the first round….Abraham and Barber were drafted in round 3 and Brian Kelly was drafted in round 2. What makes them think Kiffen is going to change this formula? Look for a corner to come in Round 2 or 3 and a Receiver or Defensive End to come in Round 1, depending on availability and what’s left.

The other late round pick I like still (I mentioned this in my earlier free agency blog) is Matt Flynn out of LSU. I think it’s time for the Buccaneers to commit to a long-term option at Quarterback and this kid can be had well down the draft line. He has the tools to work in this system and would have the advantage of learning under Jeff Garcia for a year or two. But, again, I don’t work in the nice big office, so what do I know?

More to come. I will likely be posting Sunday night on draft weekend.