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.

Thank You Rays for a Wonderful 2018 Season.

The 2018 baseball season is over for the Rays. 162 games flew by fast this season and this season was a pleasant surprise. Prior to the start of the season, the biggest question in Tampa Bay was whether or not the Rays could win more games than the Tampa Bay Lightning did during the 2017-2018 season (54 wins). Well, the Rays surprised many by winning more than 54. They surprised many by actually having a winning season thanks to their 90 wins season.

With all the drama about the team’s future, it was nice to see the Rays be competitive for the majority of the season. The Rays started off slow, injuries being the main culprit, and 50 wins seemed like a realistic milestone. The team had traded the face of the franchise, Evan Longoria, and the team’s ace Chris Archer was on the shopping block and was eventually traded.

However, something magical happened along the way. The Rays started finding ways to win. The idea to start games with relief pitchers worked like a charm while Blake Snell was magical as a starting pitcher and should be a serious candidate to win the Cy Young award. It was also great to see young players get called up from the minor leagues and contribute to the team. One can only hope the likes of Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe and Jake Bauers will become the future All-Stars of this team.

Manager Kevin Cash deserves a lot of credit for this magical season and, in my opinion, should be a front runner for AL Manager of the Year. The crazy idea of starting games with relief pitchers and managing the playing time of the rising stars has paid off. Obviously, it will always be tough to compete in a division that has both the Yankees and the Red Sox but all that Rays fans can ask for is to see a competitive winning team. Thanks for a great season, Rays and here’s hoping next season will be better.