Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

Tampa Bay: Sports Country, USA
Monday, October 10, 2005
TAMPA—Here in the News Center that is Florida the flurry of passionate sports times, of predictable and unpredictable developments has been compelling, well, worth reporting and discussing, none more pridefully than the delayed start of the defense of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup championship by the Lightning. Few could have predicted a 4-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneer start in the National Field Goal League, which is what the National Football League seems to be becoming in some arenas, and thus the 14-12 loss (four field goals, Bucs) at the New York Jets in that story book tale with old (42) Buc quarterback Vinny Testaverde unretiring for the sentimental Meadowlands win over Sunday to wake up dreamy Buccaneer fans to the reality of a 4-1 standard now and how it takes a whole team to win in this NFL. It certainly took smarter play than Buc QB Brian Griese demonstrated as his penchant for throwing interceptions and the continued as the on-field (and on-sidelines) decisions not of Phi Beta Kappa helped Testaverde and his Jets to a win that surely could have been Tampa’s. Not many out there would have thought the Florida Gators would be of a quality to be ranked No.5 in the land of college football a week ago going to Alabama but few thought Alabama would make the Gators look like they were No. 500. They played that badly at Alabama that Saturday a week ago and Alabama played like a national champion sure, and has a shot at it. Insulted, stunned Florida Gator fans, who take their football so seriously and personally, simply wondered if their team which had beaten Tennessee could be that bad. They this Saturday, saw their Gators beat Mississippi at Florida’s Swamp, but with special teams and defense, not dazzling but disciplined offense promised by the savior new head coach, Urban Meyer. It was a big win over testy Southeastern Conference team, a nice, if nervous present for all those of the Gator Nation who went home to their college for homecoming. Not reassuring to them were the errors, the mistakes, and the sometimes (certainly not always) erratic and nonchalant play of quarterback Chris Leak. My goodness the defense and special teams were good in a game of unusual plays (two safeties, a blocked punt), and smackmouthplay by Gator smackmouthers like Jeremy Mincey and Brandon Siler. This Florida team badly needs a kickoff man and longevity for this awful schedule still includes Louisiana State at Baton Route, Georgia and Florida State, at Gainesville. Not many out their figured the Florida State Seminoles would miss a beat after their opening win over the Miami Hurricanes, and they have not. Bobby Bowden’s trademark team of no weakness and depth should be undefeated when it takes its variety football circus to The Gator Swamp. Few out there can be surprised by the moves this week past at the Devil Rays, the big league baseball club born here some years ago with such high hopes but disappointments that included the non-winning, not-impressive years under owner Vince Namoli. He so wanted to do the right things, but it didn’t happen, even under everyone’s managerial choice, Tampa-born Lou Piniella. Well, Namoli finally caved before the public and media urging and stepped down. He’ll make more money, but won’t continue the pursuit he so craved, leading this Rays team to success in the bigs. He’s sold to younger owners who have pledged (Ye, Gods!) free parking, a new dimension and demeanor, and a winner. Namoli sold to youngish Stewart Sternberg who named 29-year-old Matt Silverman president, 29, and Andrew Friedman, 28, the boss of baseball development. They are all young, all baseball zanies, they say, and are now seeking the	right manager for this adventure. This will be fun for us all and last through the winter and spring and they say, the summer baseball season. The Rays have been the laughingstocks of their sport since so many worked so hard to bring baseball to the Tampa Bay area, as were the Buccaneers in their starting up years. Happens. All, hereabouts were surprised at the way the newish University of South Florida (headquarters, Tampa, students: 42,000) stunned Louisville (No. 7 then) in Raymond James Stadium here two weeks ago, then played Miami to its limits in the Orange Bowl. Their win and celebration was worth a Sports Illustrated spread. Their coach, good guy Jim Leavitt said, “I saw plenty. We got a team. And we got 60-70 sophomores and juniors and we got all 25 scholarships for recruiting this off season. I think we are going to join the big boys.’’ This Leavitt-USF Bulls team is a leader of the Big East Conference and has a chance to win it. Which gets us back a bit to the 4-1 Bucs and their 14-12 loss to the New York Jets Sunday. Did I mention their best running back, No. 1 choice, rookie Cadillac Willliams, on line to become NFL freshman of the year, did not play, He did not dress. Got a bad foot. Many believe the Bucs would have won with him. But, that’s the NFL. And the season is long. The Jets, surely all know, had to resurrect the retired Testaverde, ironically the No. 1 draft pick of the Bucs 19 years ago. He did just fine. Seldom hit. He’s a good citizen and pleasant man, as is the Jets coach who brought him back, Herman Edwards, also a former Buc, but not player, but assistant coach. Hard to not appreciate their win, even over the Bucs, whose sidelines made critical makes, in calling plays. Of course, no one was surprised by the Lighting’s opening night ceremonies that featured the first game of the season after the dramatic, colorful, flawless raising of two huge blue Stanley Cup banners to the roof of the St. Petersburg Times Forum, the arena-colorful home of the Tampa Bay champs of all hockey. If you have not been in a war, not been to New York’s Times Square for New Year’s eve, well, then you can understand the night at the Forum in Tampa. The noise of fireworks could have been heard in Carolina, the formal opponent that exciting night. Because the strike killed the last season of the NHL, the opening and raising of the banners, took place 485 nights since the Lightning formally won the Stanley Cup. On June 7, 2004. The Lightning made up for it with the night. It began with the booms, then the presentation to the sellout crowd of just under 22,000 of the Lightning staff (including owner William Davidson), and all the players still on the Tampa Bay team, including Cup stars. Wrestling star Hulk Hogan’s beautiful and talented daughter sang the national anthem, and the puck was dropped Saturday night, Oct. 5. The Lightning team assembled by Jay Feaster and finely coached by John Tortorella, naturally voted the best of 2004-5, scored in the first two minutes of the game, then proceeded to clobber the Carolina Panthers 5-0, with five different players scoring, to the delight of the celebrating crowd. It was a special time. Since the Lighting won another, lost one, then beat Miami of Florida back at the Forum before another sellout crowd, and in a weird game that was not determined until the final second when Miami seemed to have tied it at 2-2 but officials ruled no-goal. Decision was it went into the net, but passed the goal line just after time ran out. “Great start,’’ eh, laughed the Lightning President Ron Campbell. “We are expecting a great year in every way.’’ A likely conclusion, eh? ##
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