Bucs at 100: young and full of promise Hubert Mizell, The St.Petersburg Times, published 23 December 1996 It's taken 21 seasons, six head coaches, two owners, 515 Tampa Bay players and far, far too much community heartbreak, but the Bucs on Sunday at last got the franchise's 100th win. Big Sombrero people, the NFL's most abused fans, were having big fun. A happy sight far too rare. Tony Dungy was drenched after a 34-19 burning of Chicago, in celebration of a 6-10 season. Lusting for anything positive. Wait'll next year! Tampa Bay has won five in a row at home. Wait'll next century! Bucs win 5 of their last 7 after a brutal 1-8 start. Wait'll the Bucs don't have the league's most-point-shy offense! Looking for you, Alonzo Spellman. Right now, with no personnel changes, the Bucs have a defense formidable enough to be part of a yummy record in 1997. Something in the 10-6 or 11-5 ballpark. Their special teams are at least that strong. That was true even before Karl "The Truth" Williams smacked Chicago with a once-every-decade Bucs punt return for a touchdown. Tampa Bay's obvious challenge is to juggle, reinforce and sweeten an offensive unit that has 1-15 or 2-14 scribbled all over its battered, unrespected hide. Critics must be sold. Even hardheads like Alonzo. After his Bears were pasted 34-19 by the Bucs, 292-pound defensive end Spellman spoke about Tampa Bay's team with all the accuracy and tact of Rush Limbaugh assessing a Kennedy family picnic. "I still don't have any respect for that team," Spellman said of Tampa Bay, which led what amounted to Chicago Hope-less by 31-7 at halftime. "Next year, we'll beat them twice," Alonzo dissed. "That team is awful. They know it; we know it. It was a fluke; can you spell that?" Yeah, Spell-man, it's"r-o-u-t." Chicago has a quarterback (Dave Krieg) who handles a football as though it were a slippery bar of soap. During a 24-point Tampa Bay second quarter, we were watching the "Mockery of the Midway," something that more resembled Bares than Bears. They were left standing naked and confused on a patch of Florida grass. But, enough hissing. See ya, Alonzo! In 10 days, we should be entering "No Excuses Year" for the Bucs. From among four picks in the first three rounds of the NFL draft, plus the ownership-promised signing of an armload of impressive and non-Alvin-Harper-like free agents, Tampa Bay should be expected to deliver five or six quality prospects who can make a quick offensive impact. Trent Dilfer is set as the quarterback. His stock never has been more solid. Tony Mayberry is a lock at center. Jackie Harris and Dave Moore will be the tight ends. Mike Alstott is a marvelous kid at fullback. Paul Gruber and Ian Beckles will be re-plugged if the Bucs can re-sign their own free-agent linemen. Nobody should discount Errict Rhett as a tailback. But the offensive shopping list nonetheless is huge. It's also vital. Two or three beefy, talented linemen are needed. Also a high-impact wide receiver, perhaps to be paired with Horace Copeland, if he rebounds from his knee injury. Tampa Bay must get a running back with breakaway speed. "What we also need for sure," offensive coordinator Mike Shula said, "is depth." Only 180 shopping days left. Tony Dungy may not comprehend the gravity of some of his challenges. Even if his Bucs get to be real good, evolving into consistent winners, becoming playoff regulars, it's going to take Tony a long, long, long time to enrich Tampa Bay history to the break-even point. Let's say Tampa Bay gets hot and produces a 10-6 record in 1997. Pop the champagne. Steer the victory parade back and forth across Tampa Bay bridges. But in order for Tampa Bay (100-223-1) to end up above .500 all time, Dungy's guys would need to go 10-6 for the next 31 seasons, through 2027.