NFL

Bucs draft a linebacker help fix defense

April 26, 2019 general

Friday, 4 a.m. In your mind’s eye, he is Ray Lewis. Maybe Patrick Willis. Maybe Luke Kueckly. Let your imagination run wild, and he Dick Butkus. Maybe Jack Lambert. Maybe Ray Nitchke. He is a linebacker, a man in the middle of all the chaos, and so far, he has not missed a tackle. As […]

Read the full article →

Can the Bucs avoid catastrophe this time?

April 25, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Help is available. The problem is finding it. And here the Bucs are again, back at the players’ market, shopping for size, for speed, for skill. Often, they don’t draft any of it. Devin White? Quinnen Williams? Josh Allen? Ed Oliver? None of the above? Content beyond this point is for members […]

Read the full article →

Random thoughts: Wishing Yzerman farewell.

April 21, 2019 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. This is how they felt in College Station back in 1957 when Bear went back home. This is how they felt at Duke in 1990 when Steve Spurrier went home to Florida. Stevie Y has taken his puck and gone home, because he likes it there better than he likes it here. […]

Read the full article →

Could the Bucs be looking at linebackers?

April 17, 2019 general

Tuesday, 2 a.m. Perhaps it says as much about the questions as it does the answers, but don’t expect the Bucs to ignore the linebacker position in this season’s NFL draft. Bucs’ general manager Jason Licht had his annual say-little pre-draft press conference Tuesday, an exercise in muddying the water, and a great deal of […]

Read the full article →

Random thoughts: How did the Bucs push the cap?

March 24, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Let’s go over this again, because I’m slow. How on earth do the Bucs have less cap space than anyone in the NFL except the Patriots? To remind you, according to overthecap.com, they have less cap space than the Rams, who went to the Super Bowl. They have less cap space than […]

Read the full article →

Random thoughts: Is Pittsburg still to be admired?

March 17, 2019 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Once, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the most stable franchise in the NFL. They have great ownership, terrific coaching and a wonderful scouts. They were the team other teams wanted to be. Even if they didn’t win the title, they maintained excellence. Now? Not so much. In recent months, the Steelers have been […]

Read the full article →

Bucs’ roster will look different next season

March 13, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Rule No. 1: A bad football team should rarely fall in love with its players. If they were better, the team wouldn’t be so bad. Keep that in mind as you say goodbye to Kwon. And to Humph. And to Banger. And, thankfully, to DeSean. On the verge of the NFL’s free […]

Read the full article →

Looking back at the Bucs’ loss to the Saints

December 11, 2018 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. 5 Observations 1. It’s cursed. The goalposts have demons. The kicking tee has banshees. Blame it on the ghost of Mirro Roder, but I’ve seen all the lousy kicking I can stand. 2. While we’re at it, why not sprinkle a little holy water around the quarterback room, the offensive guards, the […]

Read the full article →

Saints slam the door on Bucs’ ‘dangerous offense’

December 10, 2018 general

Monday, 4 a.m. Evidently, the Bucs stop here. Now, too. The high-flying offense of the Tampa Bay Bucs, No. 1 in the NFL for most of the season, ground to a halt Sunday afternoon. For most of the season, they have been the high-flying Wallendas, an offense built on highlights and sizzle. They didn’t always […]

Read the full article →

Random Thoughts: A vote for Bonds and Clemens, reluctantly

December 9, 2018 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. I haven’t boiled down the players in the voting for the baseball Hall of Fame, but I would vote for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens reluctantly. Not because they deserve it, but because baseball fans deserve a complete Hall of Fame. It isn’t sainthood. — I’d also lean in favor of the […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →