Winston

Bucs’ offense is slipping, but winning forgives it

December 13, 2016 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Winning changes everything. It forgives a team’s shortcuts. It consoles an underachieving receiver. It forgives a running back who can’t get going. It pats a quarterback on the back. That’s what winning does: It gives everyone a get-out-of -jail-free card. It fumigates the air. It brightens colors. It increases milage. It makes […]

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Catch a rising star: Winston has been very good

December 7, 2016 general

Wednesday, 6 a.m. Last year, he was a beginner. A colt. A newcomer. Oh, it was still possible to look at Jameis Winston and to like what you saw. Even then, he had the uncommon leadership and the unwavering competitive spirit. Even then, he had an arm that could make most of the throws, except […]

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How bad will Bucs’ season get before it’s over?

November 4, 2016 general

Friday, 4 a.m. The plane is going down. Below, someone has let the zombies out. There are volcanos. Giant dinosaurs roam the earth. There are fires and floods and quicksand and malaria.. Gee, you wonder. Just how bad is this going to get? Is it going to be blame-the-blueprint bad? Is it going to be […]

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Interceptions have always plagued the Bucs

October 6, 2016 general

Thursday,  4 a.m. The ball spins so pretty in the air, as it is filled with promise. It hangs there just long enough for you to hope. And for a minute, you think about the possibilities. For a second, you forget about who called the play, or who threw the ball, or who is trying […]

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How many does Koetter have to win to keep his job?

October 4, 2016 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. From the looks of it, it’s going to take Dirk Koetter some time to get the Tampa Bay Bucs going in the right direction. The question is: Does he have it? Koetter has dared to get off to a 1-3 start on a team that changes coaches like some people change shirts. […]

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Bucs’ offense spends a day running in place

October 3, 2016 general

Monday, 4 a.m. All things considered, it may have been the ugliest play in the ugly history of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Children should not watch it. It should be rated X, because rating it an O would just be silly. It was third-and-one at the Denver 26, a lean-forward kind of play. Nothing too […]

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The vanishing mythology of parity in the NFL

September 21, 2016 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. Back in the early days of optimism – last week, if you can remember that long ago – there were a few reasons you thought the Bucs might break through to be a playoff team this year. They had a quarterback. The defense was better. The coach made more sense. They had […]

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Bucs still trying to move from NFL’s Skid Row

September 19, 2016 general

Monday, 4 a.m. In the NFL, there is a mansion on the hill. It is surrounded by orange groves and tennis courts. A Rolls-Royce is parked in front. The Tampa Bay Bucs do not live here. This is the Patriots mansion. The place where they mail Bill Belichick’s rings to him. There are lesser houses […]

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Ask Gary: Can the Bucs reach the playoffs?

September 10, 2016 College Sports in Florida

(Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports.  Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, make a comment […]

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Winston-to-Evans combo off to a good start

August 28, 2016 general

Sunday, 5:30 a.m. Say what you want about the way Tampa Bay took the Clevland Browns to school Friday night. It started with chemistry class. Suddenly, Jameis Winston and Mike Evans are clicking. The duo was deadly Saturday night against the Cleveland Browns in a 31-13 preseason victory. Winston hit 16 of 25 passes for […]

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