My incompetence with html coding in the previous post aside, please consider donating to the Virginia Tech Family Fund. I have often debated internally the purpose of donating to a relief fund, questioning how much good it really does the families, and quite fairly it probably gives them little comfort in the grand scheme of things. At the same time I would like to think that if I were ever placed in the situation any of the Tech families are now placed in I could depend on the kindness of people I will never meet. So with that in mind, my check is in the mail. And I mention this not to brag but simply hope I can give the ball enough momentum to get it rolling. Anyway, as I mentioned in the title this will be my last Tech post.
UPDATE: Here's a way to donate to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund through the internet.
2007-04-17
2007-04-16
Black Out the Ice Palace
The Bolts come home tonight tied 1-1 with the Devils, and BoltsMag is leading the charge to Black Out the Ice Palace. If you're heading to the game wear dark colors (black or blue) to support the home team. Also, tip of the hat to DRays Bay for the heads up that the Rays drew a 1.7 television rating on FSN on Thursday while the Bolts only drew a 0.5 rating on Sunshine. I bring this up only to complain that I still can't watch any of the games, and truth be told I'm not even sure which channel I would go to watch the games. I have Direct TV so it's not as if I lack enough channels, in fact it would probably make a lot of sense to put a game involving a New York area team on national, or at least, eastern seaboard television. To quote Tony Kornheiser, for all intents and purpose hockey has disappeared.One event which will be on tv is the NFL Draft (in fact it will be on two channels, ESPN and NFL Network). In the runup to the draft, BucStats has a contest with real prizes and everything. First place wins a gift certificate to BucGear.com and second place even gets a free hat. All you have to do is guess which players the Bucs will draft.
Finally, Buccaneers.com has a draft contest of its own and is only offering game tickets to the winner. While game tickets are not nearly as good as free swag (after all we can all watch the games on tv) it ain't all that bad.
2007-04-13
Should the Bucs draft Joe Thomas?
With two weeks to go until the draft I feel obligated to argue in favor of Joe Thomas, the left tackle out of Wisconsin. Gruden seems to have become absolutely smitten with Calvin Johnson to the point that he likely dreams of the Herculean Golden Jacket running through opposing secondaries in those three hours of sleep Gruden gets between 2:15 am and 5:15 am. But would it be smarter to draft Thomas even if CJ is available?
Left tackle is, by most accounts, the second most important position on the offense behind the quarterback (those who have read the Blind Side will have seen this argument before). In brief, there are very few men who possess the rare combination of size and agility required to protect a right handed quarterback's blindside. The intelligent design of the blind side pass rush (starting with Lawrence Taylor) has led to the increased importance of the left side, most especially the tackle, who is often isolated on an island against the defense's best pass rusher. In fact, the left tackle is, on average, the second highest paid player on the offense.
The Bucs look especially thin at left tackle this season, which would be incredibly risky if Jeff Garcia ends up as the starting quarterback. Dan Buenning will likely still be injured when the season starts which means current left tackle Anthony Davis will be moved to left guard to replace Buenning. Which means recent addition Luke Petitgout would be the starter at left tackle. There is absolutely nobody behind Petitgout on the depth chart worth mentioning, and I shudder to think what would happen in the very likely scenario where Petitgout was too injured to play.
Drafting Thomas would not only give the Bucs depth at the position, it would finally let Gruden unleash Alex Smith on opposing secondaries. Smith is the best tightend nobody has ever heard of because he has to stay on the line to help block far more often than he should. The strength of Gruden's Raiders team was their offensive line which allowed four and even five receiver sets. With Thomas added to a rebuilt offensive line Gruden could finally recreate some of the offensive fireworks he produced in Oakland.
Don't get me wrong, I love CJ and think he will be a great player in the NFL. But fans tend to fall in love with positions players while the contributions of lineman are often overlooked (except by John Madden it should be noted). Truth is that championship teams are built on both sides of the line, offense and defense. You can have the best skill players in the world (i.e. Arizona) but if you don't have a line to match them you might as well be playing with replacement players.
Call me crazy but I'm starting to think the drafting Joe Thomas over Calvin Johnson may be the smart choice....
Left tackle is, by most accounts, the second most important position on the offense behind the quarterback (those who have read the Blind Side will have seen this argument before). In brief, there are very few men who possess the rare combination of size and agility required to protect a right handed quarterback's blindside. The intelligent design of the blind side pass rush (starting with Lawrence Taylor) has led to the increased importance of the left side, most especially the tackle, who is often isolated on an island against the defense's best pass rusher. In fact, the left tackle is, on average, the second highest paid player on the offense.
The Bucs look especially thin at left tackle this season, which would be incredibly risky if Jeff Garcia ends up as the starting quarterback. Dan Buenning will likely still be injured when the season starts which means current left tackle Anthony Davis will be moved to left guard to replace Buenning. Which means recent addition Luke Petitgout would be the starter at left tackle. There is absolutely nobody behind Petitgout on the depth chart worth mentioning, and I shudder to think what would happen in the very likely scenario where Petitgout was too injured to play.
Drafting Thomas would not only give the Bucs depth at the position, it would finally let Gruden unleash Alex Smith on opposing secondaries. Smith is the best tightend nobody has ever heard of because he has to stay on the line to help block far more often than he should. The strength of Gruden's Raiders team was their offensive line which allowed four and even five receiver sets. With Thomas added to a rebuilt offensive line Gruden could finally recreate some of the offensive fireworks he produced in Oakland.
Don't get me wrong, I love CJ and think he will be a great player in the NFL. But fans tend to fall in love with positions players while the contributions of lineman are often overlooked (except by John Madden it should be noted). Truth is that championship teams are built on both sides of the line, offense and defense. You can have the best skill players in the world (i.e. Arizona) but if you don't have a line to match them you might as well be playing with replacement players.
Call me crazy but I'm starting to think the drafting Joe Thomas over Calvin Johnson may be the smart choice....
2007-04-12
Go Bolts!
As you probably know by know unless you're a commie Nazi terrorist, our Bolts begin their playoff series tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Last year I mocked the canuck team the Bolts played in the first round of the playoffs, but I will refrain from doing that this year, there is just nothing about Jersey to mock. Head on over to BoltsMag for all your Lightning Playoff Fever.
Ryan Nece will be receiving a JB Award tonight in Washington DC, which is part of an annual ceremony celebrating the "good guys" in the NFL. The event was created by James Brown and will be hosted by the Better Half of PTI, aka Michael Wilbon. If you'll excuse my bit of social commentary so much press is made out of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry but what are the chances ESPN will even mention the JB Awards? Anyway, congrats to Nece for the well deserved honor.
Ryan Nece will be receiving a JB Award tonight in Washington DC, which is part of an annual ceremony celebrating the "good guys" in the NFL. The event was created by James Brown and will be hosted by the Better Half of PTI, aka Michael Wilbon. If you'll excuse my bit of social commentary so much press is made out of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry but what are the chances ESPN will even mention the JB Awards? Anyway, congrats to Nece for the well deserved honor.
2007-04-11
Schedulin'
| Sun. | Sept. 9 | at Seattle | 4:15 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 16 | NEW ORLEANS | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 23 | ST. LOUIS | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Sept. 30 | at Carolina | 4:05 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Oct. 7 | at Indianapolis | 4:05 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Oct. 14 | TENNESSEE | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Sun. | Oct. 21 | at Detroit | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Oct. 28 | JACKSONVILLE | 4:05 p.m. | CBS |
| Sun. | Nov. 4 | ARIZONA | 1:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Sun. | Nov. 11 | -- bye week -- | ||
| Sun. | Nov. 18 | at Atlanta | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
| Sun. | Nov. 25 | WASHINGTON | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 2 | at New Orleans | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 9 | at Houston | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 16 | ATLANTA | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
| Sun. | Dec. 23 | at San Francisco* | 8:15 p.m.^ | NBC |
| Sun. | Dec. 30 | CAROLINA | 1:00 p.m.^ | FOX |
^ subject to time change
I would love to complain about how NFL has turned what should be an otherwise meaningless act of releasing the schedules into something of a celebration by teasing us for two weeks with opening day and turkey day games, and then releasing the schedules one by one on the NFL Network akin to what CBS does for Selection Sunday. I would love to point out how we should all ignore this event and treat it for the over-hyped creature that it is, yet here I am about to give you my initial thoughts about the schedule. Soooo, since I don't want to be a hypocrite I won't tell you to ignore the release of the schedule and focus on more important things like say....Sanjaya's hair.
- (Shiver Me Timbers) Good news, there are no cold weather games this year. The closest the Bucs have to cold weather games are San Fran and Houston in December. Personally, I think the Bucs record in cold weather games is a bit exagerrated since they were just dreadful for roughly 20 years and would have lost those games even if they had been playing in Hawaii. But, Gruden's passing offense does not tend to do well in the cold with the New England game two years ago and last year's Pittsburgh game coming to mind.
- (At Least They Will Know How to Get Around TIA) For the 6th time in five years the Bucs will play the Skins, and for the fourth straight time the Skins will come to Tampa. Now it isn't a surprise that Tampa Bay plays Washington, we know exactly who the Bucs play from the moment the prior season ends, but I can't imagine who in DC could have so annoyed the NFL that they keep forcing the Skins to play in Tampa.
- (No Rain in Mons) It sure is nice of Pacman Jones to get banned for a season during the year his Titans play the Bucs.
- (Thanks NFL) This is a much easier schedule compared to last season when the Bucs had to play three games in five days (or something like that). With the exception of the early season @ Carolina, @ Indy stretch there are no difficult back-to-back games for the Bucs. Personally, I prefer front loading the tough games since it seems teams tend to have more post season success if they get hot in the second half of the season as compared to the first half. Throw in the late bye week and the fact that the final game is at home against a division rival, and I would venture the Bucs have one of the easier schedules in the NFL.
2007-04-10
sometimes you write simply to write
It's been a week since I last updated this page (yet some how my site visits have been increasing) so I figured I would stop by with my two cents on the latest Bucs news...
For some inexplicable reason Scott, the proprieter of BucStats, has been handed his pink slip from TBO. In addition to his own site, Scott wrote for a Bucs blog at the Tampa Tribune's website, which was aptly named BucShots. Roughly a week back Scott wrote a post (and a well written post at that) joking about how he was denied entrance to One Buc Place (it's still called One Buc Place right?) despite his media credentials as a blogger for TBO.com. Apparently someone at TBO forgot that "media credentials for a blogger" is an oxymoron along the lines of jumbo shrimp or student athlete, and now BucShots has gone the way of the dodo. Which is a shame. The Tampa Tribune has sacrificed good writing for the phantom threat of decreased access.
In other news, we have a little less than three weeks to go before the draft and rumors are swirling about what the Bucs will do. Gruden is doing his best to spread misinformation about his draft pick, but it is clear by now that Gruden has his heart set on Calvin Johnson. Which is great except rumors are that CJ may not be available with the fourth pick. Supposedly the Lions are not set on any of the top four players (JaMarcus, CJ, Joe Thomas or Adrian Peterson) and wouldn't mind moving back in the draft to go after defense. In response Gruden has been telling the whole world he loves every player at the top of the draft not named Calvin Johnson, and has even gone so far to suggest he would draft Adrian Peterson.
If I'm Gruden I would quit suggesting I would love to draft a runningback or a quarterback (since nobody really believes that) and instead preach the greatness of either Gaines Adams or Amobi Okoye. It is much more believeable that the Bucs need to draft defense than it is they need to draft another qb or runningback. If you really want CJ to fall to you at four the Bucs need to convince every potential team which could trade up that CJ could fall to the fifth or even sixth spot. At this point in the game I'm not sure how believable that would be, but it could create enough doubt to prevent another team from giving up a king's ransom to move up to two or three.
And if for some reason CJ does not fall to the Bucs I have no problem with the Bucs drafting Joe Thomas instead. In fact, Thomas would be a much more valuable addition to the Bucs considering: a) the larger talent gap between Thomas and Davis compared to CJ and Clayton, and b) the greater value of elite left tackles compared to elite receivers. It would be a mistake to trade up for Johnson, which would, in effect be trading two starters for one starter. If the Bucs were close to making the Super Bowl this would be a good idea but for a team struggling to get over .500 it would be foolish.
For some inexplicable reason Scott, the proprieter of BucStats, has been handed his pink slip from TBO. In addition to his own site, Scott wrote for a Bucs blog at the Tampa Tribune's website, which was aptly named BucShots. Roughly a week back Scott wrote a post (and a well written post at that) joking about how he was denied entrance to One Buc Place (it's still called One Buc Place right?) despite his media credentials as a blogger for TBO.com. Apparently someone at TBO forgot that "media credentials for a blogger" is an oxymoron along the lines of jumbo shrimp or student athlete, and now BucShots has gone the way of the dodo. Which is a shame. The Tampa Tribune has sacrificed good writing for the phantom threat of decreased access.
In other news, we have a little less than three weeks to go before the draft and rumors are swirling about what the Bucs will do. Gruden is doing his best to spread misinformation about his draft pick, but it is clear by now that Gruden has his heart set on Calvin Johnson. Which is great except rumors are that CJ may not be available with the fourth pick. Supposedly the Lions are not set on any of the top four players (JaMarcus, CJ, Joe Thomas or Adrian Peterson) and wouldn't mind moving back in the draft to go after defense. In response Gruden has been telling the whole world he loves every player at the top of the draft not named Calvin Johnson, and has even gone so far to suggest he would draft Adrian Peterson.
If I'm Gruden I would quit suggesting I would love to draft a runningback or a quarterback (since nobody really believes that) and instead preach the greatness of either Gaines Adams or Amobi Okoye. It is much more believeable that the Bucs need to draft defense than it is they need to draft another qb or runningback. If you really want CJ to fall to you at four the Bucs need to convince every potential team which could trade up that CJ could fall to the fifth or even sixth spot. At this point in the game I'm not sure how believable that would be, but it could create enough doubt to prevent another team from giving up a king's ransom to move up to two or three.
And if for some reason CJ does not fall to the Bucs I have no problem with the Bucs drafting Joe Thomas instead. In fact, Thomas would be a much more valuable addition to the Bucs considering: a) the larger talent gap between Thomas and Davis compared to CJ and Clayton, and b) the greater value of elite left tackles compared to elite receivers. It would be a mistake to trade up for Johnson, which would, in effect be trading two starters for one starter. If the Bucs were close to making the Super Bowl this would be a good idea but for a team struggling to get over .500 it would be foolish.
2007-04-01
Mock Draft Goodness
Mock drafts abound this time of the year and the Swamp has its own version of fake drafting. But this one is different, this one is special, I picked for the Bucs. The first round has finished up, and I'm on the clock for the Bucs in the second. But I'll get to that in a bit. First, the first round...
1. Oakland Raiders - Diddystyle - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2. Detroit Lions - briandtw - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
3. Cleveland Browns - Sabo! Sabo! - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ski - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
5. Arizona Cardinals - BoSoxFanatic21 LaRon Landy, S, LSU
6. Washington Redskins - gary.clark - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
7. Minnesota Vikings - IcyCandy2 - Jamal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
8. Atlanta Falcons - GritsGoBlue - Patrick Willis - MLB - Ole Miss
9. Miami Dolphins - EdZipper - Amobi Okoye Louisville
10. Houston Texans - TexansTragedy - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
11. San Francisco 49ers - Mister Delaware - Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
12. Buffalo Bills - Diamond - Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
13. St. Louis Rams - bcg11 - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
14.Carolina Panthers -eerrx - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jerloma - Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
16. Green Bay Packers- BigPapaC - Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars -jhiphop - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
18. Cincinnati Bengals - tennbengal - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
19. Tennessee Titans - Tom1860 - Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
20. New York Giants - bc3412 - Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
21. Denver Broncos - San Carlos Kid - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
22. Dallas Cowboys -redarmy - Jarvis Moss, OLB/DE, Florida
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Brontoburglar - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
24. New England Patriots - Chumley - Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
25. New York Jets - Coz - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
26. Philadelphia Eagles - timgod99 - Lawrence Timmons, LB, FSU
27. New Orleans Saints - Oiler - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
28. New England Patriots - Chumley - Jon Beason, LB, Miami
29. Baltimore Ravens - Kranepool - Justin Blaylock, OT, Texas
30. San Diego Chargers - SL22 and Barbaro - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
31. Chicago Bears - DSafetyGuy - Ryan Kalil, C, USC
32. Indianapolis Colts - Billy22g - Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State
I would be surprised if the Lions DID draft Calvin Johnson but if the Yellow Jacket does not fall to the Bucs Joe Thomas is a pretty damn good alternative. The Bucs need someone to protect Jeff Garcia's blindside next season. I also considered Amobi Okoye and Gaines Adams in this spot.
Anyway, as I mentioned before the Bucs are on the clock for round two, and Arron Sears and Brandon Meriweather are off the board. I am considering Justin Harrell (DT, Tenn), Michael Griffin (S, Texas), and Anthony Spencer (DE, Purdue). Your thoughts? (And yes, this is my first real Bucs post in two weeks, but screw it, it's the offseason.)
1. Oakland Raiders - Diddystyle - JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
2. Detroit Lions - briandtw - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
3. Cleveland Browns - Sabo! Sabo! - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ski - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
5. Arizona Cardinals - BoSoxFanatic21 LaRon Landy, S, LSU
6. Washington Redskins - gary.clark - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
7. Minnesota Vikings - IcyCandy2 - Jamal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
8. Atlanta Falcons - GritsGoBlue - Patrick Willis - MLB - Ole Miss
9. Miami Dolphins - EdZipper - Amobi Okoye Louisville
10. Houston Texans - TexansTragedy - Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
11. San Francisco 49ers - Mister Delaware - Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
12. Buffalo Bills - Diamond - Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
13. St. Louis Rams - bcg11 - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
14.Carolina Panthers -eerrx - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jerloma - Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State
16. Green Bay Packers- BigPapaC - Ted Ginn, Jr., WR, Ohio State
17. Jacksonville Jaguars -jhiphop - Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
18. Cincinnati Bengals - tennbengal - Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
19. Tennessee Titans - Tom1860 - Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
20. New York Giants - bc3412 - Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
21. Denver Broncos - San Carlos Kid - Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan
22. Dallas Cowboys -redarmy - Jarvis Moss, OLB/DE, Florida
23. Kansas City Chiefs- Brontoburglar - Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
24. New England Patriots - Chumley - Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
25. New York Jets - Coz - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
26. Philadelphia Eagles - timgod99 - Lawrence Timmons, LB, FSU
27. New Orleans Saints - Oiler - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
28. New England Patriots - Chumley - Jon Beason, LB, Miami
29. Baltimore Ravens - Kranepool - Justin Blaylock, OT, Texas
30. San Diego Chargers - SL22 and Barbaro - Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
31. Chicago Bears - DSafetyGuy - Ryan Kalil, C, USC
32. Indianapolis Colts - Billy22g - Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State
I would be surprised if the Lions DID draft Calvin Johnson but if the Yellow Jacket does not fall to the Bucs Joe Thomas is a pretty damn good alternative. The Bucs need someone to protect Jeff Garcia's blindside next season. I also considered Amobi Okoye and Gaines Adams in this spot.
Anyway, as I mentioned before the Bucs are on the clock for round two, and Arron Sears and Brandon Meriweather are off the board. I am considering Justin Harrell (DT, Tenn), Michael Griffin (S, Texas), and Anthony Spencer (DE, Purdue). Your thoughts? (And yes, this is my first real Bucs post in two weeks, but screw it, it's the offseason.)
2007-03-27
This falls squarely into the realm of no shit Sherlock
The NFL has released it's opening day primetime schedule, as well as the Turkeyday schedule and there are a few things which should not surprise us; 1) the Bucs are NOT playing on Turkeyday, 2) the Cowboys and Lions are playing on Turkeyday, 3) the NFL Network will continue to screw over its potential fanbase by broadcasting games nobody can watch. I get the NFL Network but my parents do not even have the option of subscribing which means we will once again be limited to the two worst NFL games that fourth Thursday in November.
Anyway, you've got to appreciate how the NFL teases us by releasing the limited schedule a week before they release the full schedule. No other sport could get away with this but I can guarantee ESPN will have a rundown of each one of these games by the 6:00 SportsCenter complete with final score predictions and rushing totals.
Anyway, you've got to appreciate how the NFL teases us by releasing the limited schedule a week before they release the full schedule. No other sport could get away with this but I can guarantee ESPN will have a rundown of each one of these games by the 6:00 SportsCenter complete with final score predictions and rushing totals.
2007-03-25
"Get your head out of your ass!"
This SNL spoof commerical from last night is quickly making the rounds on the intertubes but I'll join in on the Peyton love (just call me Kenny Chesney)....
2007-03-21
See? Garcia is totally not gay
He's even getting married. Now, would a gay get married? (Not if Dungy has anything to say about it.)
Obligatory cheesecake shot.
Obligatory cheesecake shot.2007-03-18
Welcome Kato (erghhh....Cato)
The Bucs have signed Kato.
No, not that Kato.
Not that one either.
There we go.
The popular consensus is that this is a good move as it upgrades an average linebacker corp and creates competition for the weakest backer position, strongside, between Cato and Ryan Nece.
Anyone else notice that the Bucs big defensive free agent signings have all been tweeners, i.e. guys who can play two positions? Kevin Carter is between a tackle and end, Chuckwara is between an end and a outside linebacker and Cato could play either outside backer or strong safety. The Tampa Two defense has been good to tweeners who would struggle in a more traditional defense, so it will be fun to see how Kiffin utilizes his newest weapons. The Bucs defensive cupboard has gone from being very barren to well stocked, and should look even better after the draft (Marcus Thomas anyone?).
Oh, and Tampa Tribune, June Arrives Early for Bucs? Nice.
No, not that Kato.
Not that one either.
There we go.
The popular consensus is that this is a good move as it upgrades an average linebacker corp and creates competition for the weakest backer position, strongside, between Cato and Ryan Nece.
Anyone else notice that the Bucs big defensive free agent signings have all been tweeners, i.e. guys who can play two positions? Kevin Carter is between a tackle and end, Chuckwara is between an end and a outside linebacker and Cato could play either outside backer or strong safety. The Tampa Two defense has been good to tweeners who would struggle in a more traditional defense, so it will be fun to see how Kiffin utilizes his newest weapons. The Bucs defensive cupboard has gone from being very barren to well stocked, and should look even better after the draft (Marcus Thomas anyone?).
Oh, and Tampa Tribune, June Arrives Early for Bucs? Nice.
2007-03-15
Hells Yeah
Screw the Simms-Garcia cat fight. Screw the minor league signings by the Bucs. Screw (even) the text message Rays bill board (although it makes me want to go to a lot more Rays games). Today and tomorrow, here at the BBB it is all about the VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY.
CAA Represent.
CAA Represent.
2007-03-12
My thoughts, predictions, and other useless insights into the NCAA Tournament
You have to love March madness, if for no other reason that with the exception of the Super Bowl no other sporting event is as widely talked about as the NCAA Tournament. The tournament is held across America with teams from every conference. Everyone has a bracket, and chances are the middle aged mother of two who thinks George Mason is in Georgia will win your tournament. Unless you are bolshevik or a Seminole you should be a fan of March madness.
[and I meant to add this orginally but check out the creatively named Chris' Sports Blog for plenty of NCAA Tourney goodness]
Anyway, on to my thoughts on the bracket with my picks to be released on Thursday...
[and I meant to add this orginally but check out the creatively named Chris' Sports Blog for plenty of NCAA Tourney goodness]
Anyway, on to my thoughts on the bracket with my picks to be released on Thursday...
- Everyone is picking Florida to win it all, which as I have argued is more than fair. Not since Wooden's era has a team brought back all five starters from a championship team, and only UNC and Kansas can rival Florida's talent. And while I think Florida is a lock for the Final Four, I do not think they will win it all this year. Since Kansas beat Florida in overtime (at a neutral site) back in November I have been leaning towards Kansas to win the championship and I'm still leaning that way right now. My advice for filling out your bracket is to pick a Final Four and work backwards. For example, before the brackets were announced my Final Four was Florida, Kansas, Texas and Oregon. I'm feeling less confident about Texas and obviously Oregon and Florida both can not make the Final Four, so I have no idea who my current Final Four would be.
- I'm a shameless SEC apologist so I will make an argument for Arkansas. The Hogs have a great neutral site record (6-2) beating Southern Illionois, West Virginia and Vandy and losing to Texas Tech. In addition Arkansas lost at Texas, so nobody can say Arkansas did not have a difficult non-conference schedule (like say Syracuse). In addition, the SEC is the second best conference by RPI (behind only the ACC).
- I hate that Stanford is one of the last four teams in. Their non-conference schedule is less than impressive (Texas Tech, Virginia and Air Force, and they got killed by Air Force 45-79), and they lost in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. The best thing Stanford had going for them is they finished 6th in the PAC-10 with a 10-8 record. If the Comittee was simply looking at conference records then Kansas State (10-6), which finished fourth in the Big 12, deserved to get in ahead of Stanford. But then again, I watched very few middle of the pack games involving either the PAC 10 or Big 12 so I don't have a good feel for either team.
- One team which I do have a good feel for is FSU which for the second straight year is one of the last four teams out. FSU is a great case study of what the Selection Committee takes into account when handing out at-large bids.. FSU has the best player in the ACC (Thornton) and played a great non-conference schedule (Florida, Wisconsin, Pitt). But the Noles went a pitiful 7-9 in conference, and no matter how deep the ACC is this year the Selection Committee was not going to let in a team with a losing record in conference. FSU has the ability to beat any team it plays (they did beat Florida) but the Noles are horribly inconsistent. If FSU could have picked up one more win February (when they went 2-5) they probably would have been playing in the tournament.
- Prepare yourself for plenty of Jim Boeheim whining over the next 24 hours. And I might actually feel some pity for Boeheim if his team has left New York more than once before New Years Day this season. Syracuse played three decent teams out of conference (Wichita St, Oklahoma St, and Drexel) and lost to all three teams. Additionally, Syracuse didn't have many impressive Big East wins despite going 10-8 in the conference. The Orange beat Marquette and Villanova early in the season and defeated Georgetown in a classic let down game for the Hoyas (Georgetown had just defeated Pitt).
- The mid-majors got hosed and not because Drexel didn't get in. I don't have any problem with the number of mid-majors which earned at large berths. You could make an argument in favor of Drexel based on their out of conference record (beat Syracuse, Villanova, Creighton) but any team which losses to my alma mater, William and Mary, should not earn an at-large bid. Maybe someday when William and Mary sells it soul and spends the money to field a decent team (and with the current president that may happen) losing to William and Mary will not be a black mark on a team's resume. Instead, it appears the Selection Committee hates mid majors because eight mids are matched up against each other in the first round of the tournament. The Nevada-Creighton and Old Dominion-Butler matchups are especially disheartening. There is no way that mid majors will be as big of a story this year as they were last year (although that was bound to happen before the brackets were announced anyway).
- I think we're going to see a return to chalk this year, with runs by middle of the pack conference teams like Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. This isn't exactly going out on a limb but I think at least three of these teams will defeat either a #1 or #2 seed.
- I really like VCU to make it to the Sweet Sixteen for several reasons; 1) they are coached by former Florida assistant Anthony Grant, 2) they won an underrated CAA (also know as George Mason's conference) and, 3) they are from Virginia. VCU pulls weak Duke and Pitt teams in the first two rounds.
- Just something worth pointing out, there are a lot of freshman point guards on teams which are getting a lot of pub. Ohio State, Texas, UNC and Maryland all start freshman at the point guard position and while all of these rookies are talented, it remains to be seen how they dish the ball when the pressure is on.
2007-03-07
A Story in Pictures
Because everything's easier to understand when all you have to figure out is bright shiny images.....
The Buccaneer quarterback saga begins March 13, 1972 with the birth of Trent Dilfer (for convience's sake we will fast forward 22 years and several dozen other Buc quarterbacks).
Dilfer (the one with his shirt off) had a few good years in Tampa, got chased off by that fat fuck Bubba the Love Sponge, then got to tell Tampa to suck his dick before beginning his Kung Fu-like destiny to roam the league going from one city to the next every year.
Dilfer was replaced by a series of forgetable quarterbacks beginning with Eric Zeier. This is the only existing picture of Zeier.
Everyone loved Shaun King until people realized his arm was weaker than FDR's legs. He now has a promising career in the Arena League.
Then came Brad Johnson, who despite not being able to throw the ball further than 15 yards down field, won a Super Bowl. The BJ is 68 and currently looking for a team interested in his services.
For roughly two years the quarterback position was manned by either Rob Johnson or King whenever the Bucs had a late game as the same time as the Ponderosa early bird special (the BJ has to eat).
Rob Johnson's current whereabouts are unknown. Despite what his website might lead you to believe King is still in the arena league.
For a brief time we were teased with the suckitude of Chris Simms before....
...we had to live through a year of Brian Griese....
...only to go back to the Liberace-loving, spinach-dip making quarterback. These years are largely forgetable.
In stepped Bruce Gradkowski (let's be honest you have no idea what Grads looks like) and Tim Rattay when the Panthers defense decided they like Simms better without a spleen.
And now we have Simms and Jeff Garcia on the same team (and maybe Plummer if he wants to make it a holy trinity?). I'm sure this will work out well....
The Buccaneer quarterback saga begins March 13, 1972 with the birth of Trent Dilfer (for convience's sake we will fast forward 22 years and several dozen other Buc quarterbacks).
Dilfer (the one with his shirt off) had a few good years in Tampa, got chased off by that fat fuck Bubba the Love Sponge, then got to tell Tampa to suck his dick before beginning his Kung Fu-like destiny to roam the league going from one city to the next every year.
Dilfer was replaced by a series of forgetable quarterbacks beginning with Eric Zeier. This is the only existing picture of Zeier.
Everyone loved Shaun King until people realized his arm was weaker than FDR's legs. He now has a promising career in the Arena League.
Then came Brad Johnson, who despite not being able to throw the ball further than 15 yards down field, won a Super Bowl. The BJ is 68 and currently looking for a team interested in his services.
For roughly two years the quarterback position was manned by either Rob Johnson or King whenever the Bucs had a late game as the same time as the Ponderosa early bird special (the BJ has to eat).Rob Johnson's current whereabouts are unknown. Despite what his website might lead you to believe King is still in the arena league.
For a brief time we were teased with the suckitude of Chris Simms before....
...we had to live through a year of Brian Griese.......only to go back to the Liberace-loving, spinach-dip making quarterback. These years are largely forgetable.
In stepped Bruce Gradkowski (let's be honest you have no idea what Grads looks like) and Tim Rattay when the Panthers defense decided they like Simms better without a spleen.
And now we have Simms and Jeff Garcia on the same team (and maybe Plummer if he wants to make it a holy trinity?). I'm sure this will work out well....
Could the Bucs be the big winners this offseason?
With the initial flury of free agency slowing down it appears the Bucs could emerge as the big winners of the offseason. With a shallow free agent pool and an unprecedented 27% increase in the salary cap, the best value this offseason lies in quantity not quality. And no team has signed more players than the Bucs.
Take a look at the right hand side bar, the Bucs have signed at least seven free agents, including five who were not on the team last year (I'm not including Plummer in that number). The Bucs have upgraded three crucial positions on the team which were weaknesses last year, quarterback, offensive tackle and defensive end. More importantly, the Bucs have not broken the bank signing any of these players.
The surplus of cash has resulted in over valued contracts for some of the premier free agents. Joey Porter has received $20 million in guaranteed cash in a 5 year, $32 million contract from the Dolphins. Adalius Thomas has $15 million guanteed in his 6 year contract with the Pats. Patrick Kerney's 6 year contract with the Seahawks includes $19.5 million in guaranteed money. In comparison, the Bucs signed Kevin Carter to a contract with less than $5 million guaranteed. As Buccaneer Harbour points out, that is some shrew maneuvering by Bruce Allen.
After the disasterous '04 offseason which led to the signings of Todd Steusie, Charlie Garner and Darrell Russell (all busts), the Bucs seem to have retooled their approach to free agency. The Bucs have had mixed success pursuing value free agents like Chris Hovan, Jamie Winborn and Ike Hilliard. Some players turn into starters like Hovan, others (like Winborn) don't stick with the team. Either way the Bucs are not spending a good deal of cash signing these players.
On the flip side, the Bucs have only lost two players so far (although if Mahan signs somewhere else it would be a big loss). It is unlikely the Bucs will lose any starters this offseason (although, again, there is a possibility middlebacker Shelton Quarles may be lost for the season due to injury). When taken on the whole, so far the Bucs have come out ahead this offseason. We still have another month or so to go until the draft so it is too early to say for sure the Bucs came out winners this offseason but based on the early reports I would say they have to be front runners for the honor.
Take a look at the right hand side bar, the Bucs have signed at least seven free agents, including five who were not on the team last year (I'm not including Plummer in that number). The Bucs have upgraded three crucial positions on the team which were weaknesses last year, quarterback, offensive tackle and defensive end. More importantly, the Bucs have not broken the bank signing any of these players.
The surplus of cash has resulted in over valued contracts for some of the premier free agents. Joey Porter has received $20 million in guaranteed cash in a 5 year, $32 million contract from the Dolphins. Adalius Thomas has $15 million guanteed in his 6 year contract with the Pats. Patrick Kerney's 6 year contract with the Seahawks includes $19.5 million in guaranteed money. In comparison, the Bucs signed Kevin Carter to a contract with less than $5 million guaranteed. As Buccaneer Harbour points out, that is some shrew maneuvering by Bruce Allen.
After the disasterous '04 offseason which led to the signings of Todd Steusie, Charlie Garner and Darrell Russell (all busts), the Bucs seem to have retooled their approach to free agency. The Bucs have had mixed success pursuing value free agents like Chris Hovan, Jamie Winborn and Ike Hilliard. Some players turn into starters like Hovan, others (like Winborn) don't stick with the team. Either way the Bucs are not spending a good deal of cash signing these players.
On the flip side, the Bucs have only lost two players so far (although if Mahan signs somewhere else it would be a big loss). It is unlikely the Bucs will lose any starters this offseason (although, again, there is a possibility middlebacker Shelton Quarles may be lost for the season due to injury). When taken on the whole, so far the Bucs have come out ahead this offseason. We still have another month or so to go until the draft so it is too early to say for sure the Bucs came out winners this offseason but based on the early reports I would say they have to be front runners for the honor.
2007-03-05
The Buccaneer Ministry of Truth
Hat tip to the Times Bucs blog (and Stephen Holder) for revealing this tid bit from the press conference with Bruce Allen regarding the Plummer trade...
I've had some time to digest the qb moves and I still like it, if for no other reason than it involves Gruden and company thinking outside the box. In the best case scenario, the Bucs pick up Carr or a draft pick in exchange for Plummer or Simms, respectively. In the worst case scenario the Bucs carry three starting-caliber qbs on their roster heading into the season which, compared to last season, ain't all that bad. The Bucs have a good deal of flexibility because of the increased cap as it is. But we'll see how this plays out. Moving on....
Scanning the headlines......ahhhh, the Bucs have signed defensive end Kevin Carter (go Gators) to a four year deal for $25. Spires ain't happy about the move, not that I blame him. Holder indicates Carter could play the tackle position previously manned by Booger and before him Sapp. I haven't seen much of Carter since he moved to the Dolphins but I don't remember him being big enough to man the under tackle position (although he is talented at getting to the quarterback).
I know I'm forgettting something......that's right, check out my latest installment of the sunshine state roundball update over at the sticks, which is apparently not a fan of not gay jokes.
I'm no Nobel Laureate but I'm pretty sure if a pick has conditions it is, by definition, a conditional pick.Reporter: "Is this a conditional draft pick?" (The Broncos press release says it is)
Allen: "No. There's other conditions with the pick we sent. . . They're undisclosed."
Reporter: "So, it IS a conditional pick?"
Allen: "No."
I've had some time to digest the qb moves and I still like it, if for no other reason than it involves Gruden and company thinking outside the box. In the best case scenario, the Bucs pick up Carr or a draft pick in exchange for Plummer or Simms, respectively. In the worst case scenario the Bucs carry three starting-caliber qbs on their roster heading into the season which, compared to last season, ain't all that bad. The Bucs have a good deal of flexibility because of the increased cap as it is. But we'll see how this plays out. Moving on....
Scanning the headlines......ahhhh, the Bucs have signed defensive end Kevin Carter (go Gators) to a four year deal for $25. Spires ain't happy about the move, not that I blame him. Holder indicates Carter could play the tackle position previously manned by Booger and before him Sapp. I haven't seen much of Carter since he moved to the Dolphins but I don't remember him being big enough to man the under tackle position (although he is talented at getting to the quarterback).
I know I'm forgettting something......that's right, check out my latest installment of the sunshine state roundball update over at the sticks, which is apparently not a fan of not gay jokes.
2007-03-03
What the hell is going on here?
I've pretty much quit doing the whole BREAKING NEWS thing, but ESPN News is reporting that the Bucs have signed Jeff Garcia and traded for Jake Plummer.
I've have no idea what is going on here.
My first impression is that Gruden and company are going with the theory that if you throw enough shit against the wall some of it has to stick. That being written both Garcia and Plummer are better fits for Gruden's west coast offense than Chris Simms. Plus, with Plummer on board the Bucs quarterbacks, on average, are slightly less effimenate. And if Plummer regrew his beard it might make the Bucs quarterbacks the most manly squad (again on average) in the NFL.
With this many former starting quarterbacks on the roster you can expect two results: 1) a very heated training camp battle, and 2) a lot of media hype surrounding the Bucs going into the season. I think Garcia is the odds on favorite to win the job for the upcoming season, with Plummer set to enter the roll of quarterback for the future. Which leaves Simms as the odd man out (and a very good chance that Simms sees the writing on the wall and asks to be traded). But ESPN has been wrong before so we'll see how this plays out.
UPDATE (1:54 pm): ESPN is now reporting that if Plummer does retire then the Bucs would not have to give up a draft pick. Rumors are flying in certainly one of the most interesting Buccaneer offseasons in recent history. Some of the more interesting ones.....
I've have no idea what is going on here.
My first impression is that Gruden and company are going with the theory that if you throw enough shit against the wall some of it has to stick. That being written both Garcia and Plummer are better fits for Gruden's west coast offense than Chris Simms. Plus, with Plummer on board the Bucs quarterbacks, on average, are slightly less effimenate. And if Plummer regrew his beard it might make the Bucs quarterbacks the most manly squad (again on average) in the NFL.
With this many former starting quarterbacks on the roster you can expect two results: 1) a very heated training camp battle, and 2) a lot of media hype surrounding the Bucs going into the season. I think Garcia is the odds on favorite to win the job for the upcoming season, with Plummer set to enter the roll of quarterback for the future. Which leaves Simms as the odd man out (and a very good chance that Simms sees the writing on the wall and asks to be traded). But ESPN has been wrong before so we'll see how this plays out.
UPDATE (1:54 pm): ESPN is now reporting that if Plummer does retire then the Bucs would not have to give up a draft pick. Rumors are flying in certainly one of the most interesting Buccaneer offseasons in recent history. Some of the more interesting ones.....
- Bucs may try and trade the rights to Plummer to the Texans for either Carr or a draft pick.
- Bucs may try and trade away Simms, maybe to the Raiders.
2007-03-02
A lover spurned...
Dear Jake,
Fuck you. What did we ever do to you that pissed you off? Was it the Largo sex change firing thing, 'cause if it was we're totally not down with that. That ain't Tampa baby.
We could have made you so happy. You could be throwing to Joey Galloway and Calvin Johnson, and handing off to Cadillac and Mike Alstott. We would even over look your suckitude when you tried to throw a 30 yard pass into double coverage using your left hand. Anything's better than the pussy we're with now, he can't even get his balls past the line of scrimmage (if you know what I mean).
We had so much to offer you; plentiful beaches, quality steak joints, no state income tax....we would have even turned a blind eye when you went to our ample strip clubs. 'Cause we're down with that.
But hey, it's cool. We don't need you or your beard. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. In fact, we've been talking to this other guy who is totally not gay. So enjoy retirement fucktard.
-Tampa Bay
Fuck you. What did we ever do to you that pissed you off? Was it the Largo sex change firing thing, 'cause if it was we're totally not down with that. That ain't Tampa baby.
We could have made you so happy. You could be throwing to Joey Galloway and Calvin Johnson, and handing off to Cadillac and Mike Alstott. We would even over look your suckitude when you tried to throw a 30 yard pass into double coverage using your left hand. Anything's better than the pussy we're with now, he can't even get his balls past the line of scrimmage (if you know what I mean).
We had so much to offer you; plentiful beaches, quality steak joints, no state income tax....we would have even turned a blind eye when you went to our ample strip clubs. 'Cause we're down with that.
But hey, it's cool. We don't need you or your beard. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. In fact, we've been talking to this other guy who is totally not gay. So enjoy retirement fucktard.
-Tampa Bay
2007-03-01
Don't let the door hit you on the way out
Kenyatta cut by Bucs.
You ever have that guy in college who makes a great first impression but then you get to know him and you realize all he ever does is make bad jokes, argues with people and brings nothing to the table? Everyone has a friend like that, and I won't say his name (Snake), but when he leaves you are slightly relieved. You still wish him well, just as long as he's not in the same zip code. Well, that's what Kenyatta was to the Bucs, he tried hard but he never lived up to the expectations.
Anyway with Kenyatta gone, Trueblood is left to man the right tackle position which should work great as long as the Bucs run the ball every play. Trueblood is big and works as hard as anyone on the line but he struggles in pass protection. In his defense, pass blocking typically takes more time for young tackles to learn and requires working in synch with another equally young lineman in Davin Joseph, so Trueblood may get better. But if I'm the Bucs I would try and sign Jeff Gracia or Brad Johnson for more quarterback depth if you know what I'm saying.
(Like a Virus) The number of Bucs blogs continues to expand with the addition of Buc Em to the Sports Blogs Network. While many Bucs blogs can lay claim to spot on analysis and commentary only Buc Em features pics of the Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile.
(White Wants Green) You want an indication for how much money teams are going to throw at free agents? It looks like Dewayne White will not resign with the Bucs because they are not going to give him Simeon Rice money. Assuming White leaves it would leave the Bucs pitifully thin on the defensive line.
(Drum Roll Please) And my selection for the Bucs first round pick is.........Calvin Johnson.
CJ blew away most everyone at the combine, and the biggest question in my mind isn't "do the Bucs want him?" but "will he be available at #4?" Supposedly CJ has been ranked as the number one talent in the draft, which combined with a weak free agent pool at receiver, could lead to CJ being picked before the Bucs' clock starts. Even if JaMarcus and Joe Thomas go to the Raiders and Lions respectively, I think there's a good chance the Browns trade down, possibly with Minnesota at seven. The Browns could still draft Adrian Peterson at seven and would pick up an extra second round pick in the process. And Minnesota could use a safety net for whomever they throw out there at receiver. We still have two months to go before the draft so plenty can happen between now and then.
Calvin continues to prove that his only weaknesses are kyptonite and Reggie Ball.
You ever have that guy in college who makes a great first impression but then you get to know him and you realize all he ever does is make bad jokes, argues with people and brings nothing to the table? Everyone has a friend like that, and I won't say his name (Snake), but when he leaves you are slightly relieved. You still wish him well, just as long as he's not in the same zip code. Well, that's what Kenyatta was to the Bucs, he tried hard but he never lived up to the expectations.
Anyway with Kenyatta gone, Trueblood is left to man the right tackle position which should work great as long as the Bucs run the ball every play. Trueblood is big and works as hard as anyone on the line but he struggles in pass protection. In his defense, pass blocking typically takes more time for young tackles to learn and requires working in synch with another equally young lineman in Davin Joseph, so Trueblood may get better. But if I'm the Bucs I would try and sign Jeff Gracia or Brad Johnson for more quarterback depth if you know what I'm saying.
(Like a Virus) The number of Bucs blogs continues to expand with the addition of Buc Em to the Sports Blogs Network. While many Bucs blogs can lay claim to spot on analysis and commentary only Buc Em features pics of the Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile.
(White Wants Green) You want an indication for how much money teams are going to throw at free agents? It looks like Dewayne White will not resign with the Bucs because they are not going to give him Simeon Rice money. Assuming White leaves it would leave the Bucs pitifully thin on the defensive line.
(Drum Roll Please) And my selection for the Bucs first round pick is.........Calvin Johnson.
CJ blew away most everyone at the combine, and the biggest question in my mind isn't "do the Bucs want him?" but "will he be available at #4?" Supposedly CJ has been ranked as the number one talent in the draft, which combined with a weak free agent pool at receiver, could lead to CJ being picked before the Bucs' clock starts. Even if JaMarcus and Joe Thomas go to the Raiders and Lions respectively, I think there's a good chance the Browns trade down, possibly with Minnesota at seven. The Browns could still draft Adrian Peterson at seven and would pick up an extra second round pick in the process. And Minnesota could use a safety net for whomever they throw out there at receiver. We still have two months to go before the draft so plenty can happen between now and then.
Calvin continues to prove that his only weaknesses are kyptonite and Reggie Ball.
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