Week 2: Vs. Atlanta Falcons

Bucs Defense Dominates Supposedly Highly Touted Falcons, Media Darlings Pout As They Lose 24-9.

The Bucs supplied plenty of pop Sunday as held the Falcons to just three field goals from inside the red zone. All of the elements were there: strong pass rushing, two interceptions, great running game, and the typical come from behind feel of the Bucs being broadcast on FOX. The Bucs never trailed, having scored a touchdown off an interception that put the offense in great field position and provided Tampa with a lead they never relinquished. You wouldn't have known that from the how the broadcasters responded, however. 

Even in the end, while the Bucs defense was finishing the job of dismantling the Falcons, the FOX commentators were trying to think of ways to not give the Tampa any credit for the win, scheming ways that Atlanta could possibly get back in the game. This carried on even through the Bucs sacking QB Matt Ryan on a 4th and long play. "You have to love this young man", speaking of Atlanta's rookie QB, "through this tough game he's never let his head hang down." Bullshit. He was smothered out there. But c'mon folks, hats off to the offensive coordinator! Give me a fucking break. Hats off to Monte Fucking Kiffin for dialing the proper defensive coverage to keep Atlanta out of the endzone for 60 minutes. How about that? 

I had a great time yelling at the TV as the Bucs creamed the Falcons play after play. Here is how I think they did in particular...

Quarterbacks: B

There was a lot of murmuring this week not only in Tampa but throughout the nation about Jon Grudens controversial decision to bench veteran QB Jeff Garcia in favor of fellow journeyman Brian Griese. Though the decision was made on Tuesday of last week, Garcia came out in the media saying that he was not too injured to play and wished he was given the opportunity to "work through" his problems on the field. This decision threw me for a bit of a loop as well, prompting me to write an article that began as an informative piece on the QB change and ended up as a rail against Gruden himself.

Whatever the implications, Griese held the line in his first start, completing 18 of 31 for 160 yards and a touchdown. He wasn't helped by a number of dropped passes from Alex Smith and Antonio Bryant, though. He did overthrow a number of great down field passes, however, including a huge one to Joey Galloway that would have been a sure 6 points. All in all he performed well. 

The true intrigue begins now that Gruden has announced that Griese will start next week in Chicago. Hmmmm.... I wonder what Garcia will say about that to the media...

Runningbacks: A

Earnest Graham rushed for a solid 116 yards and a touchdown, including a 68 yard tear on one carry. Warrick Dunn strung together 49 yards for a crucial touchdown, his long being the 17 yard run that earned him that TD. The stats speak for themselves. The running game dominated the field Sunday, proving that the combo of Graham and Dunn is a serious threat to score on any given carry. 

This combination will be huge for us down the stretch as teams with one featured back like Minnesota and San Diego start to see the carries add up as their star runningbacks begin to succumb to injury later in the season. Graham had 15 carries and Dunn had 12. Perfect. Each stays fresh and ready to work on the next play while they each offer different traits that linebackers have to worry about. Beautiful!

Recievers: C 

It was an up and down game for our receiving corps. A lot of dropped passes and clutch catches. Tight End John Gilmore lead the Bucs in receiving yards with 41 yards for one touchdown. Yeah, it was that kind of day. For the second straight week Joey Galloway was a none factor, catching two passes for 18 yards. He was missed a couple times on deep routes by Griese, but his presence in the medium to short game was very unimpressive. This leads me believe that Galloway may be injured in some way because he can't seem to be able to get open quickly enough to be an option on many passing downs. Galloway left the game in the 4th quarter due to an ankle sprain.

Ike Hilliard put together a nice outing, catching 4 passes for 41 yards. What the stats don't tell you is that all of these catches were clutch, with many of them being on 3rd down. He is quickly rising to the top as our go to guy on the field.

Oh, and drop addled Micheal Clayton caught a pass for 6 yards! And then promptly spent the rest of the game struggling to get open. Hi Ho.

Offensive Line: A

When your QB only gets sacked twice against a defensive end like John Abraham you're doing your job. When you block to allow for 164 yards rushing you're doing it well. String that together and you get to see how good this O line is beginning to get. Jeremy Zuttah redeemed himself this week, helping hold back Atlanta's large defensive line. These guys can do a lot better than they are doing now. They are really starting pick up the pace. Look to next week for another strong showing.

Defensive Line: B

Despite not getting the maximum pressure they are capable of, the D line managed to pummel the FOX poster boy Matt Ryan 4 times, 2 of which were tacked on by human monster defensive end Gaines Adams. Against the rush they were decent, stopping some runs in the backfield but allowing most to pass to the linebackers and secondary. They gave the Falcons offensive line trouble all day, often coming within inches of Ryan before he released the ball. Greg White turned in a great performance as well. Bravo, boys!

Linebackers: B

Barret RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD has a great showing, clocking 8 solo tackles and 5 assists. He always finds a way to get to the ball and Sunday was no different. The linebackers were generally responsible for holding runningback Micheal Turner to only 42 yards, down from the franchise high 220 yards he racked up against Detroit next week. Along with Cato June and Derrick Brooks, the line backers allowed only 106 yards rushing on the day. Good stuff.

Defensive Backs: A

This crew turned in some great business. Rookie cornerback Aqib Talib intercepted his first pass in the NFL as well as deflected one as well. Ronde Barber put up 3 solo tackles and kept Falcons receivers covered up for most of the game. While tackling well, Matt Ryan picked on starting left corner Phillip Buchanon, allowing Falcons receiver Roddy White to break from coverage and catch several clutch passes. 

One big standout was the play of second year safety Sabby Piscitelli. Check these stats: 2 solo tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception. Solid play. I like Sabby a lot. He reminds he a lot of a young John Lynch. But his bone head play in the 3rd quarte could have cost us a lot.

Sabby forced a fumble by dislodging the ball from runningback Jerious Norwood. The ball fell on the ground, only to be recovered Sabby as well. Your boy then, with his knees still off the ground (a.k.a. still in play), attempted (and accomplished) an illegal forward pass. This illegal pass rolls on the ground, now live. The Falcons recover. And gain about 12 yards in the process. Most player are called for this in college bacaue the rules are different. 

In college, a player is considered down and out of play when their knees touch the ground. Some players try to make the most of a fumble by "bumping" the ball forward toward another one of their players that are still up and running in the hope that they will pick the ball up and advance it farther. It's still illegal in college, but, like most interactions between players and refs, it's all a matter of selling it.

I don't know what went through Sabby's mind when he tried that gimmick, but I can guarantee that it won't happen again. He's probably sitting in the film room right now watching that play over and over again, having to face the music.

All in all, though, the defensive backs provided great coverage of the passing game as well as plenty of support for the running game. Next week we'll get to pick off Kyle Orton. Can't wait.

Special Teams: A

Special teams did their job this week. Josh Bidwell did hid usual job of earning Pro Bowl rights by punting his ass off. Matt Bryant kicked off well and hit a 33 yard field goal right through the middle, once again disproving over dramatic "journalist" and book burning hypocite Martin Fennelly. Coverage was as good as can be expected. Kickoff and punt returner rookie Dexter Jackson had a couple of good returns but other wise just fell on his face a lot.

Coaching: A

For once I don't really have much to say about Gruden or his playcalling. Halftime adjustments were pretty good and the Bucs kept a handle on the Falcons in check throughout the game. Monte Kiffin kept up the pace as always, sending in the right players and guiding the Bucs to their first victory by securing turnovers and keeping the Bucs offense on the field. 

Conclusion

The Bucs looked great defensively this week. We kept Atlanta to three field goals on three redzone shots. That looks a lot like the Bucs defense of a few years back. Offensively, we managed the game well and kept the ball in our hands or in the endzone. If we keep this up, we may be yelling at the TV, telling the commentators on the Superbowl broadcast to shut the hell up. The Bucs are here to win, bitches! 

(photo courtesy of AP photo/ Reinhold Matay)

Due to not being "the same guy that he was", Garcia is benched. Brian Griese, you're up. After that, Gruden, can I have a shot?

Well, it seems that Garcia, suffering from a possible ankle injury, is being benched for the week in favor of one time starter Brian Griese. I feel a few ways about this, but more importantly, I wonder how this change will impact the team.

If you listen at all to the local AM radio stations like 620 or 1250, the only message tearing through their microphones is speculation on whether the relationship between Garcia and Gruden is damaged, destroyed, or totally demolished. To me, someone who is turning more and more against Gruden as the time goes on, I think that we have to do what it takes to win, especially since the NFC South is looking to not be the cupcake it was last season. Besides, the connection between Gruden and any player always eventually come to a bitter end. Maybe Garcia's time has come.

The way I see it, if it takes a week off to get Garcia back in shape, than it's worth it. The only concern I have is that if Griese wins handily this Sunday, I think Gruden will have a hard time sitting him on the bench and giving Garcia the start again, even if he is healthy. Gruden has been here 7 years and we have never really had a franchise starting QB yet. In fact, I don't think we have ever had one. Which leads me to my point.

The fact that Brian Griese left here and went to Chicago for two years and couldn't beat out Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton for the starting job is a little concerning. In Chicago, he's a benchwarmer. In Tampa, he's a starter. Hmmm...

We are a national joke at QB. We fell all over ourselves in a half baked attempt to get Brett Favre only to not only lose out on signing him, but also made our starting QB remark that he was a "dead man walking". Nice. We release Chris Simms and retain Luke McCown to complete a lineup of first place losers. With the exception of rookie Josh Johnson, everyone of our QBs have started and then been sat in favor of someone else. Beautiful.

Don't get me wrong, I like Garcia as much as the next guy. He lead Philadelphia to the playoffs, only to lose. And then he lead us to the playoffs, only to lose. This is coming from the same team that benches our Superbowl QB Brad Johnson the next year after he wasn't playing up to Gruden's snuff. I don't know. A lot of other teams have great franchise QBs:  Tom Brady, Ben Rothelisberger, Jay Cutler, Donovan Mcnabb, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Phillip Rivers, Matt Hassellbeck, Jamarcus Russell.... okay, that last one was a joke.

Anywho, we can't seem to get one to save our life. If this teams hopes to do anything of significance down the road, we have to change a lot of things. Most notably, our head coach. Gruden is poisonous to every player he gets a hold of. No free agents want to come here. No rookies want to start here. Gruden not only screws our chances of building a dynasty, he stops us from building a better team. If we fired him today I'm sure he wouldn't be able to get a head coaching job anywhere else. That says a lot.

 

Week 1: @ New Orleans Saints

Despite Strong Showing, Bucs Get Edged By Saints 24-20.

It was another one of those games. The first week of the NFL season is always a time of adjustment and trial and error, being only one week removed from exhibition football played by back ups and young hopefuls. Most teams appear sluggish and that was no exception as the Bucs showed sparks of brilliance among a back drop of, well...sluggishness.

Quarterbacks: C-

Jeff Garcia looked pretty rusty. 21 of 41 for 221 passing yards with 1 TD and 1 Interception, respectively. There were several situations where ball was thrown too low, too high, or just into the ground. Don't get me wrong, I think it takes a mature QB to know when a play has been busted to the point of no return and to throw it out. On the other hand, though, when there is an opportunity to make a play, you gotta make the throw, not throw it to the other team, as he did on the last play of the game. I think the game turns out differently if Garcia throws those bad passes on the mark. Maybe next week....

Runningbacks: B

Earnest Graham rushed for 91 yards on 10 carries. Warrick Dunn had 54 yards on 9 carries. Each averaging well over the 5 yards per carry mark. These guys were the saving grace of the offense, basically. The way the game changed in the second half limited their use in the end, though. Both Graham and Dunn ran especially well against an intense Saints defense.

As for fullbacks, B.J. Askew had 3 receptions for 20 yards, including one for a gain of 11 yards. 

Recievers: C-

Ugh. Everyone knows that the passing game requires intricate timing between the recieving corps and the quarterback. What do you get when your leading reciever and your starting QB both miss training camp and the entire preseason due to injury? A poor showing. 

Joey Galloway had 6 receptions for a paltry 56 yards with his longest being a whoping 13 yards deep. That's only 2 yards deeper than B.J. Askew was able to do at fullback. At fullback. His timing was all over the place, giving up on two plays that looked designed for him, one a deep pass and the other being a hook route that should be easily caught. The Bucs could not stretch the field when needed, so the Saints stayed home, often putting 8 men in the box to stuff the running game. 

Ike Hilliard and Alex Smith made some clutch catches but neither was able to break free enough to contribute down the field. Antonio Bryant managed to drop more passes than Micheal Clayton, which says a lot. The recievers can't be totally put to blame for all of this however, considering a lot of missed opportunities were due to Garcia being very inaccurate. Ugh.

Offensive Line: B

The line struggled from time to time but were nonetheless improved over last year. They managed to open huge holes for the runningbacks and protect the QB. The only downside I saw was that Jeremy Zuttah was getting beat pretty often while filling in for the injured Davin Joseph. There were several times that the line fell apart, but that's just first week stuff. I look to this line for great stuff in the weeks ahead.

Defensive Line: C-

Very unlike themselves, the defensive line was pretty much a no factor this week. Greg White accounted for the only sack in the game while Gaines Adams and his ill fitted helmet were basically stopped cold by the Saints O line. Chris Hovan seemed to have his hands more than full trying to break through as well. 

It's not all doom and gloom, though. The line has the peices to be fierce and they will be once the season gets going. Look for a more dominant performance next week at home.

Linebackers: C+

This group of guys were hot and cold all through the game. Hot: How about Mr. Barrett RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD leading the team with 9 solo tackles and one assist as well as a tackle for loss? Cold: How about allowing allowing 110 yards rushing and giving up 112 yards in short passes thrown to Reggie Bush alone?

It seemed like the LBs were a bit sluggish. Whenever Reggie Bush would get moving it seemed like our backers were stuck in quicksand. Derrick Brooks left the game with a hamstring strain and is questionable for this week's game against Atlanta, putting his franchise record 209 consecutive start streak in doubt as well. Before he left the game he managed to put up 3 solo tackles. He also missed about 2 that I saw, so I don't know what to make of that.

I like our linebackers, though. Look to them to make a splash at home in the heat next week.

Defensive Backs: B-

The other half of the reason that this game was so close was due to these guys. Unfortunately they also cost us a lot as well. Phillip Buchanon returned an interception for a touchdown to tie the game at 7 early Sunday. Aqib Talib cost us 7 points, however, when he failed to to cover his reciever, opting instead to try a leaping interception that resulted in a TD for the Saints.

One play that got me really flustered was Jermaine Phillips half hearted tackle attempt on Reggie Bush's 26 yard touchdown run. Bush managed to pickup great tackles from his O line, shake off Ruud and Buchanon. Standing between Bush and 6 point is Phillips, an NFL starting strong safety. As Bush runs past, Phillips whifs and runs out of bounds on a weak juke move by Bush. When you watch the play it's apparent that Phillips was totally unprepared for Bush and was likewise unable to present even the slightest opposition to Bush. Pathetic.

A notable play was Ronde Barber's sick hit on Reggie Bush that caused what is still in my mind a fumble. The refs didn't see it that way, but you can bet the next time Reggie sees the ball coming in from the right and Ronde flying in fom the left, he'll be thinking about more than Pepsi commercials and paychecks.

Special Teams: B

Special teams were pretty solid, allowing only 16.8 yards per return on Sunday. Punter Josh Bidwell a.k.a. The Notorius B.I.D. punted for an average of 44 yards per punt, including one that was downed by special teams at the 1 yard line. Bidwell is always solid, every game, every punt. It was great to see him get off to a great start.

Matt Bryant, ripped by professional assclown shithead Martin Fennelly for being inconsistent through the preseason, hit two field goals for the Bucs. Just a further sign that Fennelly knows dick about what he speaks of.

Coaching: D

I think it goes without saying that Monte Kiffin always does the best job he can do. Besides a few miscues on coverage, the Bucs stayed competitive throughout the game defensively. As usual, though, Gruden's mistakes ultimately cost us the game. 

Like I mentioned before, when the timing between the Garcia and Galloway is rusted and blurry, why would you repeatedly call for plays that depend on that relationship to be executed? When you are out of touch, that's when.

Gruden has showed his inability to grasp the reality of situations before, when doubting Chris Simms poor performance being due to his spleen injury, when promising Keenan McCardel a contract extension only to go back on that word, and calling plays that go against what appears to make sense in the game situation, putting his players in awkward situations and inevitibly costing the team a victory. All of this is becasue to Gruden, it's either his way or the highway, even if the highway mean losing the game.

Another reason the Bucs couldn't get the win yesterday was because Gruden's offensive play calling makes the two minute drill almost impossible, ruining our efforts at clock managment totally, killing our chances of quickly scoring to win the game, and putting a rusty Jeff Garcia in a position to throw the game ending interception. Most football playnames are specific to a certain play, it's just coded so that the defense doesn't know what the specific words mean. In Gruden's system the play calls are very long, containing coded messages for each specific player concerning what they are to do. When you start to have to basically explain an entire play in code to each player, the chances of making good use of time is very unlikely. 

It's the difference between asking "Dude, could you get me a Coke?" versus saying "Dude, get me a Coke from the fridge while I sit here and work on writing this blog. The handle is on the left side of the fridge and the Coke should be on the top shelf. And don't drop the Coke because if you do, it may explode all over me. That would suck." Garcia got Gruden to lighten up a little on the audibles and the various trickery in favor of a more straight approach last year, so you can drop the "that would suck." line from the play.

Conclusion:

All in all, though, I hope that Gruden gets the message this week. We have to do what we have to do to win football games. If that means changing the method a little to maximize on what we can do then that's what it takes.

Half of the teams in this league are 0-1, just like us. If we are going to take advantage of this season we have to start doing so next against a Falcons team that everyone counted out this year but managed to stomp the Lions 34-21. We have our work cut out for us. 

Martin Fennelly Is An Assclown

I logged on to TBO.com tonight to check up on some sports news and came across another one of Martin Fennelly's retarded fucking articles about the Bucs. For those of you who don't know who this guy is, he is one of the staff writers for The Tampa Tribune sports section. He earns his keep mainly during the football season, when he reports almost exclusively on the apparently permanent dark side of the Buccaneers franchise. His column usually appears along the side of the front page, where he can make the most use of his overly dramatic writing style by writing ominous one line statements and then leaving like 4 or 5 lines before the next bit of actual writing.

Anyways, this guy's default setting is decidedly Negative Ned. He always talks all this trash about the Bucs and makes them out to be the worst team ever. Until the season starts, that is. Then he changes his tune according to how they perform. 

A few wins = "You gotta love it............................(a million fucking lines of gap)...................................The Bucs playing football.............................(a zillion more fucking spaces)...................................The Bucs way.............................

A few losses = "How much more?..................................................................(Fennelly sucking like usual)...........................Gruden has lost the drive................................................(Fennelly filing his nails while wearing a french maid costume).......................................................The Bucs have lost the drive.....................

Basic point: Fuck that guy.

I mean, what an assclown, right?

I bet he doesn't get paid by the word

If he did, you could bet he wouldn't waste so much space writing his retarded poems in the Trib.

If you want to read the article that set me off on this prick, check out tbo.com under the Bucs section. It's under the title Q&A with Fennelly title. He is the example of what would happen if one of those stupid, rowdy, somewhat creepy Bucs fans that roam the message boards got his very own article in the Tribune. It would be full of half baked criticism, vaguely pointed accusations, hamfisted attempts at guilt tripping the coaching staff into subsribing to said half baked criticisms, and.............................. a shit ton of fucking spaces so that they wouldn't have to fill thier article with...well... rationl thoughts.

I have put up with his shit forever. Open the Trib, grab the Metro and the Sports sections. Sit on the can. And then I get to read this jerks infantile cries of doom. Fucking jerk.

I mean, this guy throws everyone under the bus. In that retarded Q&A thingie he manages to totally abandon Matt Bryants kicking skill based solely on the preseason. Nevermind the 62 yard field goal he made, or the last few years of solid kicking he provided. According to Mr. Pube Floss,  "This team is putting way too much on this guy. It’s been a while since he booted the Bucs past the Eagles with that memorable Tom Dempsey impersonation—a long while. It’s taking a chance, especially given the fact that this is looking, to me at least, like a field-goal offense." 

Okay, junior. Let's check back on that statement in a few weeks when we are doing great. Field goal offense? Fuck that. HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRESEASON GAMES??? You were obviously watching enough to see Matt Bryant struggle. What about the killer running game? Ugh.

I've said my piece and I hope he reads this. I'm gonna tag it with his name and every other related phrase I can, in the vain hope that he just might read this. He won't change. But at least I'll have said my piece. 

I mean, after all, can't I just hope?

Hope that maybe that prick will read this.

That maybe, just maybe, he'll weep?

One can hope.

Hope.

Walking the Plank... Grrr

So, I've been considering blogging about the upcoming Bucs season and I have decided to do just that. I will be rating all of the main positions including Quarterback, Running Backs, Receivers, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Linebackers, Defensive Backs, and (of course) Coaching much the same way I review the films I choose to write about.

The preseason so far has been a productive one. I guess the way to start this thing out is to rate the team as I see them standing at this moment, preparing to enter the regular season. Here goes...

Quarterbacks: B

Well, things got off to a bad start this preseason with returning starter/veteran Jeff Garcia going down early with a high calf strain. In his stead, however, we saw great performances from all, yes, all of our 4 other QBs. At this point it is an open battle between returning back up Luke McCown and freshly back from Chicago, journeyman Brian Greise. Bringing up the rear and most likely the practice squad will be Rookie QB Josh Johnson. And, of course, we can't forget now disgruntled and spleen-less Chris Sims.

Garcia returned to play in the third preseason game and showed some rust, throwing 2 interceptions. Still, I am overly happy with the QB corp. It's a foregone conclusion that Sims will be either cut or traded soon, which is the best thing for him. I hope he kicks ass where ever he goes.

Running Backs: B+

At running back we are incredibly deep. I truly feel like the running game this year is going to be sick, partially because we have the ultimate running back by committee going on. Earnest Graham, one time Mr. August is a great choice at first down back after his breakout season last year. He's not the fastest but is without a doubt the toughest runner we have. The return of one time Buc Warrick Dunn is an awesome thing. His elusiveness in the backfield as well as excellent hands make him a threat whenever on the field in medium yardage situations. And on the high speed side of things, we have a great back up RB in journeyman Micheal Bennett.

As for the full back spot, the departure of all time Buccaneer Badass Mike Alstott seems to cement the fact that Gruden doesn't like to use the big guys. Guys like B.J. Askew and Byron Storer make you wish he did.

Receivers: C

The receivers have a lot more potential than they have shown so far. Joey Galloway, Mr. "Gotcha', Bitch!" himself also sustained an injury early in camp and has just now began actually wearing pads on the practice field. This led to a situation, much like the race at QB, for some younger guys to show their stuff. So far, the standout has been hard to judge. Antonio Bryant showed some skill on the field this preseason. Troubled receiver Micheal Clayton continued his ball dropping issues on the field, dropping a clutch pass only to catch a touchdown pass to cap off the next drive. Ike Hilliard also looks well this season. I think they will improve as the season begins.

At tight end, Alex Smith continues to look excellent in action. Not to lay it on too thick, but I think Smith is one of my favorite players on the Bucs. As a tight end he performs all of his duties excellently, providing great blocking in the passing and running game, crisp routes on the field, and a good set of hands. John Gilmore and Ben Troupe have also looked well.

Offensive Line: A

I gotta say this cautiously, lest I screw this up with words too heavy. I think that this line could be the best we've ever had. I know that this line has been hyped up lately, but sometimes things are actually worth the hype. This starting squad of Left Tackle Donald Penn, Left Guard Arron Sears, Center Jeff Faine, Right Guard Davin Joseph, and Right Tackle Jeremy Trueblood have had a great camp and preseason after having most of last year to get used to each other. The word from camp is that these guys are like brothers in the locker room and on the field and that's what makes good O-lines great!

Defensive Line: C+

The only thing that stops me from rated this line higher is the question mark at depth. The starting line up rules with Kevin Carter at Left End, Chris Hovan at Left Defensive Tackle, Jovan Haye at Right Defensive Tackle, and Gaines Adams at Right End. The way of the world at defensive line, however, means that rotation throughout the game is essential. Beneath this great starting lineup lays question marks like Dre Moore, Jimmy Wilkerson, and Greg Peterson. I think the season will find these guys stepping up, though.

Linebackers: A

As usual, our linebacking crew is runs a pretty tight ship. Our starting lineup consists of Cato June at Strong Side, Barrett RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD at Middle, and (maybe for the last time) Derrick Brooks at Weak Side. These three guys KICK ASS. Straight up. Behind them, guys like Quincy Black and Ryan Nece are waiting to unleash the pain. I love our linebackers.

Defensive Backs: B+

The secondary is what has always made this team home to one of the most feared defenses in the league. The care with which Monte Kiffin crafts this position is an amazing thing to see. One key loss, though, was the departure of Left Corner Brian Kelly. The starting lineup is Phillip Buchanon at Left Corner, Ronde Barber at Right Corner, Tanard Jackson at Full Safety, and Jermaine Phillips at Strong Safety. Pushing Buchanon for his starting job is rookie first round pick Aqib Talib. I think Talib will be starting before the halfway mark of the season.

Coaching: B

The coaching situation with the Bucs is funny. Imagine two kids in the same class. One kid, wise and methodical, does all of his homework and classwork on time, pays attention in class and comes out with good grades. The other kid, who happens to be smart as hell, spends all of the time he should be using to do his homework trying to find a way to impress the teacher by doing a lot of meaningless extra credit and winds up getting nothing done. One day, a substitute teacher comes on and attempts to evaluate the situation. He gives both kids the same test and averages their scores. He comes up with a perfect 80 percent. Things look pretty even by numbers but the truth is anything but. That's where I'm at.

Jon Gruden is an ass. He is so smart that he feels like everyone around him is not up to his level. He expects his players to perfectly understand and execute his confusing audibles and formation changes. When a player makes a mistake he can actually be seen screaming at the player before he gets anywhere near the sideline. That's how he fucked up with Martin Grammatica, Chris Sims, Mike Alstott, John Lynch, Keenan McCardell, and countless other players. He treats his players like shit. Pure and simple.

The shame is that he has the mind to be great. But it seems that it's that same mind that makes his pride so damaging. I guess it's a lose - lose situation. I keep sticking up for him it my mind but year after year things get all fucked up. I guess we'll see what'll happen soon enough.

Monte Kiffin, on the other hand, is still the man. When the time comes for him to leave us I think we'll all see the true impact of just how great of a coach and a man he is. This guy developed some of the best defensive players in the modern era. You only have to hear the names: Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Simeon Rice, Warren Sapp. And don't forget about the players he continues to help make great like Barrett Ruud, Tanard Jackson, and Gaines Adams.

Kiffin is what stops this category from being a C- with the A effort he puts in every year. And he shows no signs of stopping. I think he has some great stuff in store for us this season.

Conclusion: B

We are certainly an above average team going into this season. The Bucs play again this Thursday against the Texans, but it being the last game of the preseason, expect a lot of second and third string players getting evaluated for the final cuts before the regular season. Unfortunately I will be in class that night so I won't be able to watch. I plan on firing up the DVR, though.

Anywho, I feel good about the season coming up. Part of me can't believe that the season is actually back. I'm sure when the pads start flying and the helmets start popping I'll comprehend it. Well, til next time...

Mr. Guy Reviews Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight"

Pulp Free Rating:

Story: A+

Execution: A+

Soundtrack: A+

Special Effects: A+

Overall Impact: A+++

There is precious little I can convey about this film at the moment. There are several reasons for this:

1. I do not want to spoil the film for others who have not yet seen it.

2. I would only serve to echo the sentiment of millions of others who agree that this movie may be the best superhero flick ever. Ever.

3. I am still in the process of putting my mind back in the place where I can critically analyze a film of this magnitude.

I can, however say this: If you are a fan of film, any film, you MUST SEE THIS ONE. Don't wait for DVD. Don't forget about it. Don't be lazy. This is the kind of movie you are gonna tell your kids about seeing in the theatre, a story they will gawk and drool over when they tell their own children of your good fortune.

Maybe there will be a day when I will blog further, but for now, just make sure you see this film at least once (if not more) on the big screen. Absolutely amazing.

R.I.P. - Heath Ledger

April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008

Insectile Introspection...

I went to get some breakfast the other morning. On the way to and from this trip I was listening to some remixed tracks from a project in which I recorded my parent's neighbor's solo acoustic songs. Anywho, I was walking in the front door when something really awesome happened.

I was fumbling with my keys and basically staring into space when I realized that I was staring at a spider with a gnat stuck in it's web. The gnat was struggling, but the spider was significantly larger and seemed to be winning the battle by a large margin. It began to jump wildly about the gnat in a circle, trying to encase it in webbing.

Suddenly, the gnat heaved with tremendous force, causing the web to shake wildly. The spider doubled it's effort to subdue the gnat by trying to spin the gnat with it's legs to more quickly web the insect. The gnat kept kicking, making the web shake even more.

And then, with great effort, the gnat swung loose of the web's grasp. After looping about in what appeared to be disbelief, the gnat look wing and quickly left the scene of his struggle for life. The spider just sat on his web like always, and soon the web's shaking stopped. With the web still and the gnat out of sight, this scenario in which an insectile David defeated Goliath passed into history with only one witness.

I mean, how often does one actually see a complete 180 degree reversal of fortune, especially on a mortal scale? This kind of thing leads my mind down all kinds of avenues of thought, some coherent, some not.

In reality, there is a finite number of times that prey has gotten away from spiders versus times they have not because there has been a finite number of occasions in which this scenario has happened throughout history. I wonder what the ratio is? Whatever it is, it has to be pretty constant. Too great the occurrence of a gnat escape, and the spider population goes down due to starvation, causing an increased and unchecked gnat population. Not enough get away, however, and you have no more gnats period...

Also, are there some insects that have strengths and weaknesses that are different than that of other insects in their species? Are there some gnats that have a greater will to live / physical strength than other gnats? Are there certain spiders that are excellent trappers and outshine most other spiders in the species? As mammals, we see insects as nothing more than cold blooded automatons. What is the true level of insect awareness?

Well, it just goes to show you that we don't know everything there is to know and never will. It also proves that while life is fleeting, it can be made sweeter through struggle.

It also illustrates that we have a spider problem.