Magnificent Time for Tampa Bay Sports Fans

 

It has been a very difficult year for many during this pandemic. Florida is no exception but, if there has been a silver lining for the sports fans in Tampa Bay thanks to a historic showing by their professional teams. For local fans such as myself, the Lightning, Rays, Rowdies and the Bucs have given the local fans a great period to be a sports fan.

Being a sports fan in Tampa Bay (City of Tampa and its neighbor across the bay, Saint Petersburg) is not the same as say, being a sports fan in Los Angeles or New York. Those cities have seen their share of champions over the years by their teams. Meanwhile, fans in this area can count on one hand the number of titles won by their teams prior to the pandemic. The Buccaneers (2002) and Lightning (2004) each won once in their respective leagues while the Tampa Bay Rowdies have won the championship twice (1975 & 2012). The Rays came close in 2008 but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. An honorable mention for the defunct Arena Football team, Tampa Bay Storm who won five Arena Football titles in their history, before the league went bust. Although Arena Football is not up there with the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL, it was an enjoyable niche sport for us football fans down here.

TAMPA BAY SPORTS FOR THE WIN! 🙌

🏈 @Buccaneers
🏒 @TBLightning
⚾ @RaysBaseball
⚽ @TampaBayRowdies @SportsTampaBay #TampaBayLV @TampaBayLV pic.twitter.com/Idndlp2vrE

— 10 Tampa Bay (@10TampaBay) January 24, 2021

Ever since the area was awarded professional sports franchises in the late 70s, this area has not enjoyed a history of successful winning teams. It always felt that one team was doing well while the others were struggling. That narrative changed this year when the Lightning finally got over the hump and won their second Stanley Cup. The Rays and Rowdies, who share the same owner, both managed to make it to their respective finals. The Rays came up short against the L.A. Dodgers in the World Series but their run to the World Series will never be forgotten by the fans. The Rowdies made it all the way to the USL Final, to be played in Saint Petersburg, but a day before the Final, the USL canceled the Final after some Rowdies players and staff tested positive for COVID-19. The reality of the pandemic, especially in Florida, reared its ugly head and snapped us back to reality, but Rowdies fans can only hope for more positive results from their beloved club.

The Buccaneers recently joined the party after defeating the Green Bay Packers to play in the Super Bowl. It would be quite an achievement to watch the cycle culminate with the Bucs winning the Super Bowl, in their own stadium, and give us two titles from four. Los Angeles already saw the Dodgers and Lakers win championships and it would be nice to rub elbows with the big boys if Tampa Bay can claim to boast two champions of their own. Though it will not replace the pain and losses we have suffered during these tough times, it has been a positive distraction for the sports fans of this area.

Pinch Me, Tom Brady is a Buccaneer.

On March 20, 2020, Tom Brady officially became a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. The man who quarterbacked the New England Patriots to six Superbowl titles was joining my beloved Bucs. Was I living in Bizarro World where a great player decides to leave a great team to join a team mired in garbage? It still hasn’t kicked in that Tom Brady will be a Bucs player but at the same, I’m not getting carried away with expectations for the upcoming season.

Tom Brady is a Bucs player still sounds surreal. Now I know understand how Angels fans felt when Albert Pujols joined the Angels, Chiefs fans after the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, and Wizards fans when Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for them. Those were legends of the game who joined another team that many didn’t foresee would happen. All those players and Brady, share the same uncanny similarity of joining teams, in their final years, that had only won the championship in the teams’ history. Heck of way to ride off into the sunset.

However, it doesn’t seem that Tom Brady joined the Bucs to enjoy the Florida beaches and golf courses. Brady is taking it seriously and not resting on his laurels as evidenced by working out with his teammates at ahigh school recently. He is the best quarterback to ever put on the Bucs helmet, and the addition of his buddy Rob Gronkowski has lifted spirits in this city that has been let down by their beloved Bucs team for far too long.

Nonetheless, fans and experts need to taper their expectations a bit, especially since the upcoming Super Bowl will be in our own backyard in Tampa. Vegas already listed the Bucs with 13-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, which is tied for 4^th best with the Saints. I realize Tom Brady is a walking living legend but this is a team sport and requires many players to pull their weight. There are still many weaknesses on this team that need to be addressed, such as the defense and its secondary which gave up third worst 270.1 passing yards a game, the offensive line that gave up 45 sacks and their running game that averaged only 3.7 yards a carry. Let’s not get into the unpredictable kicking situation that has plagued this team over the years. Tom and Gronk are not enough and this will truly have to be a team effort to get this team back on the winning track and into the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Obviously, this depends on how the league will decide how the season plays out during this COVID-19 Virus pandemic. The world was rocked by this pandemic and as much as we value having sports back in our lives, we have to respect the lives of the players and coaches too. Time will tell when the NFL will kick off and when fans can return to stadiums but right now, let’s stay safe and be smart. Bucs fans have waited this long for some optimism, so let’s not rush it and risk more grave health issues.

Winston’s Woeful Era Is Over.

The era of Jameis Winston is over in Tampa. Once hailed as the savior of the Buccaneers franchise, he is now off to be a backup with a divisional rival, the New Orleans Saints. Watching quarterbacks depart this team after being drafted as the quarterback of the future is something that we have grown accustomed to in Tampa. So, after five seasons, we say farewell to the inconsistent but enthralling Jameis Winston.

Since 1976, the Bucs have drafted Doug Williams, Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, and Josh Freeman in the first round of the NFL Draft, and Steve Young was the overall first pick during 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players. Winston joined that exclusive group of quarterbacks five years ago and expectations were high after helping guide Florida State to their third national title. Hopes were high that Winston could make the team competitive and successful as it was during Doug William’s era. But alas, Winston joined the likes of Vinny Testaverde, Trent Dilfer, Josh Freeman and Steve Young in not being the long-term solution thanks to his numerous turnovers and his costly poor decision making that resulted in zero playoff appearances and just one winning season.

Winston leaves the Bucs as their all-time passing leader with 121 Touchdowns and 19,737 passing yards that included throwing for over 5,000 yards with 30 Touchdowns and 30 interceptions in his final season. Without a doubt, Jameis Winston is a great talent, but he has also shown that he is not a great player. Perhaps joining the Saints will help him improve as a quarterback with the likes of Sean Payton and Drew Brees mentoring him, but he is no longer our concern in Tampa Bay.

Perhaps Winston’s career would have turned out differently if he had been drafted by another team coached by someone such as Andy Reid or by a successful team that wouldn’t expect Winston to carry the burden all on his own. Former NBA player Jalen Rose discussed in his autobiography the role of luck and fate regarding a professional athlete’s chances in the NBA. In his own words, Rose stated that “Get put in the right situation, with the right coaching and support around you, and it can do unspoken wonders for your career.”

Jalen Rose’s statement is true in any sport. Steve Young was a disaster with the Bucs but became an NFL great after joining the 49’ers under the tutelage of the genius Bill Walsh. Would Tom Brady have been as successful if he was drafted by the Chicago Bears instead of the Patriots or would Michael Jordan be the great one had he not had Phil Jackson as his coach or was drafted by the Clippers instead of the Bulls? Joe Montana was a third-round pick and had Bill Walsh as his coach and the rest is history.

Winston’s departure is rather unfortunate because Bucs fans are tired of disappointments and embracing yet another new project. Fortunately, the arrival of Tom Brady immediately made Bucs fans overjoyed and thinking ahead to a positive future, once the COVID-19 pandemic issues have been resolved of course. As for Winston, time will tell if he improves as a quarterback following his stint with the Saints or will he forever be classified as a great talent that could never become a great player.

Reflections on NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

The NFL Completed its 100^th anniversary with another memorable season full of excitement that did not disappoint. I have been fortunate to be a fan of the NFL for the last 30 years since following the league back in 1990 as a kid. As they did in 1995 when the league celebrated its 75^th anniversary, the NFL released their greatest 100 roster in NFL history, with the main difference being head coaches were part of the 100. I was glad to see a couple of my favorite players from the Buccaneers make the selection, but the list also seemed incomplete and too loyal to the old guard.

Since I was living in the Tampa Bay area, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became my team. Sadly, they were a poorly run and awfully coached team back then, and unfortunately, that is still the case based on these past few seasons. Thus, I developed a soft spot for the San Francisco 49ers when the likes of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig, and Ronnie Lott played for them since the Buccaneers’ season would be over after 6-7 games. Watching that 49’ers team play the West Coast offense with their tough defense helped me fall in love with the game.

During those 30 years, I have followed the league in different continents and can’t imagine my Sundays without it. For 100 years, the NFL has entertained its fans and the future looks bright for this league. The NFL celebrated its 100^th anniversary with the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team through a series presented on the NFL network. The players and head coaches were voted on by a panel consisting of media members, former players and league personnel. The series was enjoyable and I agreed with most of the selections, disagreed with a couple, and didn’t care for some of the players from the old guard.

Have no fear, I won’t be going over all 100 men selected. I first want to celebrate the fact that my Bucs, the punchline of the league for most of the last 40 years in NFL history, had two full-time Bucs on this list and one short-term Bucs player. I was elated when Lee Roy Selmon, the first ever Bucs legend, and Derrick Brooks, my all-time favorite Bucs player, made it on the list. The other player was former Vikings legend, Randall McDaniel who played for the Bucs for one season before he retired.

Selmon and Brooks were greats of the game during their eras and will now be part of NFL history as part of this team and future anniversary teams. They are now immortal and it would have been great if Brooks’ teammates of Warren Sapp, John Lynch and Ronde Barber could have been a part of this group. Nonetheless, a good argument can be made for all three making it on the NFL’s 125th Anniversary All-Time Team, if the NFL does one in 2045, when the team expands from 100 to 125.

I thought Warren Sapp was an obvious choice to make it to the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team based on the fact that he was a member of both the NFL's All-Decade team of the 90s and 2000s. Yet, John Randle, who was a phenomenal player, got the nod over Sapp. Perhaps Sapp lost some votes because of his personality during and after his playing concluded. Nevertheless, he should be on the next All-Time Team.

Another surprise omission had to be not seeing Terry Bradshaw as one of the quarterbacks on the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Without a doubt, many wanted to see which quarterbacks were going to make the list. On the 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, only four were selected while ten quarterbacks were going to be selected for this team. Bradshaw was the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls in the Super Bowl era, yet he was not deemed good enough to make it on the list. However, Roger Staubach made it on the list, even though he lost in two Super Bowls against Bradshaw. This was an odd choice seeing as they played in the league at the same time and Bradshaw’s stats were slightly better than Staubach’s. Hopefully Bradshaw won’t be overlooked in the next team.

Overall, I agreed with most of the selections made for the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. NFL kept the players they chose for the 75thAnniversary All-Time Team and just added 25 more players and head coaches. My only complaint about the team was the inclusion of players from the early years of the league such as Sammy Baugh, Elroy Hirsch, Dan Fortmann, Cal Hubbard, and Bill Hewitt. I understand the league wants to show respect to those who were pioneers in their positions in the old days of the NFL, but were they better than those who played their position in the last twenty years? Perhaps the NFL should have had an honorable mention to those who impacted the game such as Bo Jackson and those beforementioned players.

100 years of the NFL are now in the books. The 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was certainly interesting and we will have twenty-five more years of entertaining football before we debate who will be on the 125th Anniversary All-Time Team. Until then, we should enjoy the NFL one play at a time.