Another Tampa Bay Sports Legend Departs.

 

After 12 seasons, Mike Evans has left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The future NFL Hall of Famer leaves the Bucs as one of the best players not just for the Buccaneers, but the Tampa Bay area. Unfortunately, this continues the trend that this area has seen its legends play elsewhere.

I was disappointed but not surprised when it was announced that Mike Evans was leaving the Bucs. Evans was a legend who ranked fourth in the Top 50 Players in Buccaneers History and will be in the NFL Hall of Fame for his magnificent career. It is disappointing that Evans would not play his entire career as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer like Lee Roy Selmon, Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber. However, for the Tampa Bay sports fans, it’s expected to see legends play elsewhere.

Just recently, we saw Tampa Bay Lightning legend Steven Stamkos leave the Bolts after 16 seasons and is currently playing for the Nashville Predators. Tampa Bay Rays legend Evan Longoria was traded after 10 seasons although he returned to the Rays to officially retire. Meanwhile, the first great Bucs quarterback Doug Williams, was let go by the Bucs after five seasons where he led them to the playoffs in three seasons. His departure was because the owners were known for being cheap. Another Bucs legends John Lynch was not brought back by the Bucs after an extraordinary 11 seasons and his teammate Warren Sapp was also not brought back after 9 amazing seasons. Both ended up in the NFL Hall of Fame and are also members of the Bucs Ring of Honor along with Doug Williams.

There is no doubt that Mike Evans will also be a member of the Bucs Ring of Honor in the future. His departure was not the result of the Bucs losing faith in his ability to perform at an elite level or that his salary was unwarranted. Mike Evans decided to leave because he believed he could win another Super Bowl. That comment stung many fans with some angry at Evans for leaving and others upset at the Bucs for losing Evans because of the direction the team is heading after failing to get into the playoffs.  

Alongside winning and losing, Tampa Bay fans are also accustomed to seeing legendary players suit up for other teams. Time heals wounds and Tampa Bay fans will ultimately only remember Mike Evans positively just like they remember other legends who left the Bucs, Lightning, and Rays. Legends who helped make our dreams come true will always get a hero’s welcome.

The Final Push for the Lightning.

 With just 15 regular season games remaining, the Tampa Bay Lightning are embarking on another quest to capture the Stanley Cup. At the moment, the Lightning find themselves in a tight race for the Atlantic Division. They currently trail the Buffalo Sabers by four points, despite having played two fewer games which is a crucial advantage as they head into the home stretch. Meanwhile, the Bolts also sit six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Six points do not make it out of reach, but every upcoming game is vital if they want to make up the six point deficit in order to grab home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference.

The recent Winter Olympics break could prove beneficial, especially for those players who didn’t participate. For those who stayed behind, it was a chance to rest their bodies and clear their minds. On the flip side, for those who played in the Olympics, one can hope there won’t be a hangover factor after playing high-intensity hockey on an international stage and then returning back action with little or no rest.

As the playoff picture starts to take shape, the players’ health is vital. Whenever a player gets checked hard or leaves the ice hurt, it draws a collective breath from the fans. Now is not the time to lose someone to a long term injury. The difference between a deep playoff run and another early exit often relies to who’s still standing.

The hope is for the Lightning to finish the season strong and get some sort of home ice advantage. Hopefully the Lightning finally break their three-year streak of disappointing first-round exits, and capture their fourth Stanley Cup. The Bolts have been there before. It’s time for them to do it again.