Bye Bye Booger, Hello Future There’s quite a bit to talk about this week, what with the euphoria of a win (at last) to celebrate, and then the Bucs being the principally active team at the trade deadline making a couple of moves worthy of attention. Dealing initially with last Sunday’s game, we had to wait an awful long time for a win - five long weeks, then the tension really ensued as we took our first lead inside the final minute and when you add on the hellacious delay from the replay booth its no wonder Michael Clayton and the Buccaneer nation as a whole dropped to our knees in celebration as the call went our way. But no there was still more to suffer, as the Jailbirds from Cincy then began to threaten to take it away from us, just like my beloved Twits did in our last home outing. A few things I think 1. I think the most pleasing thing about last weeks win was Michael Clayton’s return as a force in our offense. He caught 6 passes, he scored his first TD in a decade, and more encouragingly I hear he had griped about his role in the offense. Too bloody right Michael, none of us are happy at how you’ve disappeared this past 14 months. We want more 6 plus catch days and more scores, though spare us the replay official drama again if you will, it isn’t good for my blood pressure. 2. Hey presto, we establish a running game, get Cadillac loose and our offense as a whole looks better. With Joseph and Trueblood now in situ we need to commit to the run, wear teams down in the Florida heat and make the 4th quarter ours the rest of the season starting this Sunday. 3. Big wake-up call to Ellis Wyms now that Boogers out of town. Here’s your opportunity, its up to you now. Its nice to know Chucky reads this rubbish. A couple of weeks ago I suggested we fling the ball at Alex Smith a hell of a lot more often and that’s what Bucco Bruce has done. Inside the Red Zone a 6-5 tight end with hands like buckets is a match-up nightmare – one on one there is no linebacker or safety in the league that can cover him. If they do double him then that leaves a space elsewhere for a wideout on the outside or a back dropping in the underneath routes to get the yards we need. A Tight End can open up a whole passing game, as demonstrated by Antonio Gates and it’s a situation we can capitalise on for years to come. 4. I think I’d like to thank the Bears defense for their two scores on Monday night that won my Cosmic Clap their FFL Game last week – sorry Simon, it was jammy. I never thought Id end up rooting for any team from Chicago but that was indeed the case and they cam through. 5. Kudos’ to Dennis Crawford for recalling the “Hey Hey Tampa Bay” ditty, which I vaguely remember being played at the old Sombrero back in the mid 80’s when I started my initial pilgrimages to the mecca. Wasn’t there another song “Hey Hey Hey were the Buccaneers, Ho Ho Ho were the Buccaneers” as well which finished with the line “Make the Bills/Eagles etc walk the plank, throw em in Tampa Bay!” Is it just my dippy imagination or wasn’t there such a song as well? Clearly I have way too much time on my hands to recall such trivia. 6. Memo to any team lining up against those assholes from Carolina, just double team Steve Smith and you will win. They are a one man offense so it isn’t rocket bloody science. 7. I think if the Mets won Game 7 last night I will have a ridiculous smile on my face all weekend. If they lost then I’d advise all my friends and relatives to allow me time for reflection and around 48 hours to get over it. Thankfully John Kasay was nowhere near the field this time, Shayne Graham kicked the ball like Billy Graham, and we finally had the W. What does make me laugh is the extreme optimism or stupidity of certain quarters in carping on about us rebounding to win 10 or 11 games and making the play-offs. Look at our roster, look at our schedule and the five games we have played so far people, it isn’t going to happen and much as I appreciate a positive outlook we need a dose of realism here. If the powers that be within the corridors of the glossy new Bucs HQ really thought we could make a run this year would we really have traded Booger McFarland away? Clearly not. The Bucs are far more likely to go 4-12 rather than the reverse, but in the long run that may not be a bad thing. The trade of Booger made sound business for all involved, his contract and age are up there in the high numbers, and in his eight years of service he’s either been injured or not quite been the force we expected him to be. The Colts made the trade because their window to win it all is now and they need a run stuffer, but clearly they have overpaid for him. Booger's nearly 30, has a high salary cap number and the best eight years of his career are in the rear view mirror. That means we basically got those best years, and got a decent pick for him before he walked in a year’s time or was possibly even cut. Smart deal by Mr Allen and we now have three picks in the first two rounds come draft day 2007, to begin retooling our defense with one of these picks likely to be a very high one due to our play this season. In a nutshell the phrase “Gift horse and mouth” comes to mind. We also saw our ex-Raiders club expanded again with Phillip Buchanon dropping in as a street free agent, thanks to his underwhelming play in a Texans uniform. Jesus if you look bad playing there you must really stink. Though we are in a no-lose situation in taking a chance on a guy at low cap value, I’d be sceptical as to his impact. Bizarrely he was a player the Raydurs selected with one of the picks we gave them for Chucky, and drafted by Bruce Allen no less so there is a strange kind of symmetry to the whole thing. On we go this week with the Iggles coming to town and that means two inescapable things. We will see a hell of a lot of passes and I can’t start Reggie Brown for my fantasy team! I’ve seen a bit of them this week and they are rejuvenated without the unnecessary distraction that a total t**t like TO brings, and I admire Andy Reid for his principles and the way he’s moved on from the whole messy affair. With a running game dependent on Westbrook’s hammy/knee/back (delete as appropriate) the Iggles naturally have focused on the pass and this is where the game will be won and lost. If we can limit the big pass plays and get to McNabb we have a chance, as I like Buccaneer Bruce’s chances to put 20 plus points on the board for us. Oh what the hell, I’ve got my optimistic head on, Bucs 24-20 as the Gradkowski bandwagon gathers pace. Nod of Acknowledgement to - Bruce Gradkowski. Granted he played an average game at best in many stretches last Sunday, but he never got discouraged, seemingly has an unshakeable confidence and pulled out a win that seemed beyond us. Lets hope it’s the first of many. Sports News Story I No Longer Give a Toss About – Dennis Green. Loved his fire and tirade after his teams choke on Monday night but to fire his offensive co-ordinator because the Cards are “not scoring enough points” is BS. The Cards are scoring enough points, they just can’t hang on to the damn ball, or make a field goals when they need one. Oh, and the offensive line is the shits too. Perhaps a word or two with his players might have been a better policy for Mr Green to adopt, though I don’t think it’s a long time before he is also given his one way ticket out of town too. Get in the Real World Award - Brett Favre’s retirement/departure from the Packers. God how much more must we be subjected to? Clue for the American media – the Packers are an insignificant team and it’s a non-issue until week 17 at the earliest – leave it alone