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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.

7:34 PM - Ego
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Life

It’s funny. I’m sitting here on a Monday afternoon…..St. Patrick’s Day…..all is quiet after delivering my roomie to the Urgent Care facility and all I can think about is this unfortunate election that is on the horizon.

It saddens me. There was a brief time when I thought a choice between Al Gore and George Dubya Bush was the worst thing that could possibly happen. There was. Briefly. Until now.

Mind you, I’m fully anticipating a complete and total thrashing by those of you who are mesmerized and entranced by these savage and mindless clowns who are competing in this circus called Election 2008. I know you’re out there. I know you’re going to read this and the temptation to reply to this and completely ridicule my stance on the subject is going to be far too great to overcome. I accept that. And others of you who are as sick to your stomach as I am will come on here rejoicing in sorrowful song with me. I accept that too. But it changes nothing.

What I wonder is how many people are going to vote for a candidate, not out of love for said candidate, but out of spite for the opponent. And this is the sad reality……that we can produce NOTHING to challenge the empty black soul that will ultimately win this thing in the name of power and greed. Is there not one amongst us who is charismatic enough……honorable enough……and intelligent enough to deliver us from the darkness of expanded government and imposed morality into a light of prosperity? Not one amongst us who has the will and the good, not of the majority, but, rather, of our reality as human beings to stand strong against the growing tide of Kantian philosophy, hedonism and excess?

In conjunction with this forthcoming election, there are events and actions I have seen in my work that have brought a principle to mind. And I just need to get it out there…….bear with me……you might like this one……

Many people will say that ego is the downfall of man. And, to an extent, I would almost agree. But then it dawned on me. It’s not the fact that the ego exists……the ego is natural……a product of our existence as rational and intellectual beings. The problems arise when one’s ego becomes larger than the process they’re involved with. Be it politics, careers, relationships……this applies to everything. Look at divorce rates. I say this. And, again, I’ll probably be burned at the stake for saying such a thing…….but our egos have gotten so inflated that they overshadow everything we were trying to achieve.

I remain optimistic that, as with every fluctuation in the flow of the universe, there will be a reverse trend. There was light (relative) at the end of the Dark Ages. And there will be light again at the end of this time. But why are we so resistant to what should be obvious?

I have had intelligent human beings denounce science….science as a full and complete entity…….because science is not aligned with the tenets of Christianity. It pains me. Not that they don’t agree with me. Rare are two human beings whose belief systems are perfectly in sync. Rather, because they are intelligent enough to create, build and grow businesses and fortunes, yet they don’t allow themselves the capacity to open to very real and tangible possibilities.

And this is why we’re stuck in a cess pool of election mediocrity. Not ego in itself. But ego that is larger than the process.

Can we change it?