Tampa, Florida					Thursday, September 09, 2010

Buccaneer Fans Got To Like This
Friday, July 23, 2004
TAMPA—O.K., away we go—into the 2004-2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneer season, one of wonder, hope and no guarantees. Buc fans, who have had the worst of it and the best of it, have generally been simply speculative about this season just ahead. And why not? The Bucs won it all, including the Super Bowl, a season ago, then fell flat on a lousy 7-9 season last year. Coach Jon Gruden, the workaholic Buc head coach, was not that surprised at his first year success with the Super Bowl but who was shocked at the poor followup, that 7-9, no playoff year. The Bucs of a year ago saw their best-NFL defense shredded repeatedly, and an offense of not nearly enough success. It was slow, ponderous, unresourceful, unsuccessful. Gruden went back to his 24-hour a day work habit, if it ever changed. Gruden said this week, this team was going to work its way out of the hole it got itself into last year, and Buc supporters are pleased that he feels that way, that he has changed this team top to bottom, gotten bigger and faster. The Bucs of 2003-04 were pushed around. And, this week, this Friday, Gruden held himself a landmark press conference. He introduced, and was clearly happy to do that, his number one draft pick, number fifteen overall, has him signed and ready go to Disney World next week, to begin practice. This number one pick is a big, fast, successful wide receiver. And, this wideout, Michael Clayton, has the credentials for teammates, coaches and fans to fawn over. He’s big (6-3, 200), fast, a star off a championship team (Louisiana State), neat and clean. He also joins a receiving corps that includes proven Joey Galloway, but may not include Keenan McCardell, to receiver of the Bucs a year ago. McCardell wants more money. But, he is in that unpopular-with-fans situation. He has two years to go on a contract in place. He has said he will not report on time, will not train, may well put himself out of the Buc reach. It is surprising here. He has been a good, accommodating Buc, until this move. But, the Bucs have taken a popular position—signed potentially to receivers and said they will go to camp on time, practice on time, with or without McCardell. Gruden said McCardell clearly has made his position clear—no pay, no play. People, fans, like that. And, while noting the difficulty, usually, of a rookie being a star at wideout his first year, part of the reason is the rookies seldom have had much of a chance to play much, as a rookie. A few weeks ago, at a mini-camp, Coach Gruden said, “come out to camp today. I want you to watch two new guys, Galloway and Clayton.’’ I did. They impressed. One nagging problem is the health of Joe Jurevicius. This big and tall wideout,	has had a history here of injuries. He is coming off a leg injury this work season—if he can make it. All hedge on direct questions there. Jurevicius is good, too. If he works out of his health problems, it could stir the pot against McCardell. It is clear this wideout who came here two years ago from Jacksonville, is in a position he could not have anticipated, that he cannot like. He likes to be liked. He likes to be number one. He seems to like Tampa, though is a rare Buc in that he has never moved here. He remains a resident of Houston. He may sign. He should. It will give this club what they have lacked, depth and speed at receiver. It will give this club of an uncertain quarterbacking situation some certainty—guys other than tight end who can catch and run. At the moment, Brad Johnson remains the number one quarterback, with Chris Simms, yes, of that Simms family, and Brian Griese, yes, of that Griese family, in the competition for backup, or, well, to start, in time. Johnson is a big, steady performer who makes few mistakes, is popular with players, and reliable. Simms and Griese may have more dash and promise. Simms is probably number two, going to Disney. But, Griese has done it—to a degree—with Denver. One thing is that the Buc workouts and games will have celebrity dads in the stands. Gruden has made a point of sizing up his linemen. They are bigger. When the Bucs were pushed around by the bigger Carolina Panthers and out of the playoffs. Gruden resolved to beef up. He has. And, he has speeded up. General Manager Bruce Allen, yes of that Allen family, says the Bucs are still looking. Given a shot at a couple more players, he’ll not hesitate to act. He and Gruden aren’t just co-administrators, they are pals. They work together well, and have the luxury of having owners—The Malcolm Glazer Family—that is a hands-off coaching family. They will get them the players they want, sell out Raymond James Stadium, and expect the Gruden/Allen combo to take it from there. They just might. Then, yesterday, in Tampa, Gruden presented his signed number one pick, for which he said the Bucs may have paid more for this Louisiana star than the United States for the property included in the Louisiana Purchase. His prize was there beside him, well-dressed, wearing his national college championship ring, and saying he didn’t come to follow the money, mountains of it, but to perform in the National Football League. It wasn’t for the money, he kept saying. Mebbe. But, it is because of the lack of it that the man he may well replace, Keenan McCardell, is in Tampa because of the lack of it—offer to him. Believe me, the Tampa fans are liking what they are hearing and seeing. Wouldn’t you? ##
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