Almost….But Not Quite I thought about giving it up, I even considered using the Sky red button to take a peek at the alternative game but I did stick with the Bucs at 24-3 down and am glad I did. Though you always got the feeling we would still clinch defeat, we at least restored some pride and showed how remarkably different your offense can look if you have a quarterback with an adult strength arm. Tim Rattay’s play served only to highlight the folly of leaving him sat on his arse for the past 10 weeks, whilst Bruce Gradkowski bumbled along giving us little spark nor vertical passing game to speak of. Buccaneer Bruce just cannot make the throws that Timmy Rat (my three-year old daughter's moniker for our new starter) nailed on those two scores, so just why the hell has Rattay been so far down the pecking order, at times even below medical cripple Luke McCown? Answers please Mr Gruden and Mr Allen. Nice too to see Mike Alstott get a chance to stretch his legs in what again appears to be his final season in the NFL. Though it now appears the only time he turns the corner is in his pick-up truck, he can at least still get where he needs to go once the engine’s moving downhill in the right direction. Two games to go now and we are one game out of first – i.e. top draft pick status, but with a game against the also woeful Browns upcoming we could blow the thing to pieces and actually win one here, especially now we actually have a pro quarterback with an NFL arm under centre. We will watch on with interest as the Bucs march into the mistake on the lake to take on Romeo Crennel’s Brownies in a real stinker of a match-up. A few things I think 1. Pleased to see our Editor is coming around to my way of thinking on Nick Halling – his smugness shines through these days and it's sad to see. 2. I think I didn’t know Ike Hilliard could still run that far. It’s amazing how quickly you can shift when all of a sudden you see some open field in front of you. In our passing game, Ike’s gone about 15 months since his previous opportunity. 3. I think if I had to pick a Superbowl winner right now I wouldn’t have a clue. It looks as open a race as ever stick a pin in the AFC list and any one of about four could come through. 4. Is it me or are around 80% of NFL wide receivers complete flakes more concerned with their posse’s, stats and reputation than anything else. Its growing tiresome and very NBA like. 5. I’d like to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers for once again highlighting how $hit the Panthers are, and totally humiliating… HUMILIATING…. them on their homefield last Sunday. Thanks fellas. 6. Well, four months of organised mayhem has come down to this. The FFL Title game this Sunday between My Cosmic Clap and Phil Jones' Pee Jays Pirates franchise – good luck Phil, whatever happens its been a hell of a season and adrenalin rush along the way. 7. I think I’d like to wish Bucs fans the world over my compliments of the festive season from the Bromfield household. Enjoy the time with your families and eat, drink and be very much merry in taking your mind away from our 3-11 football team! How do we see this one going? Rattay can play pressure free as he knows he’s probably auditioning for a job elsewhere and I’d expect Gruden to at least give him license to air the ball out once in a while. Then again we are on the road, it will be bloody cold and we have no running game to fall back on in harsh conditions. Therefore we should just about pull out the L to stand pat in the draft ladder and hope somehow the Lions can tie us. Whatever happens I’m sure it won’t be a game for the purist with only die-hards, fantasy owners and complete fatalists like myself watching or listening in to Gene armed with his ear muffs muttering how cold he is. Still is there any better way to spend your Christmas eve than holed up in a freezing cold study in North Manchetser, screaming at a laptop computer and begging for both your Bucs, and your fantasy players to get in the end zone? That’ll be me this Sunday so have some sympathy for me if it all goes pear shaped. Nod of Acknowledgement to - Ronde Barber In a total dog turd of a season, Ronde has been the shiny ribbon on the outside of the aforementioned turd, maintaining a high level of play and deserving his selection. Sports News Story I No Longer Give a Toss About – Collegiate Bowl games Yes I know money is the main motivation, but why the need for so many of these things? Four or Five games featuring and rewarding marquee teams would be ideal, Eight to Ten should be the maximum, but 32? Jesus, talk about rewarding the mediocre. I simply don’t think I will survive until I know the outcome of the Papajohns.com Bowl game (no the name isn’t made up), or the Emerald Bowl featuring titanically average 7-5 UCLA against positively run of the mill 6-6 Florida State– what a load of tosh. Get in the Real World Award - Terrell Owens the record holding 26 time recipient of this particular award. He sleeps in meetings, he openly admits he switches off and tunes out the coach, he spits in players faces, he drops more balls than an English slip fielder and yet he still retains employment in the NFL …… am I missing something here? Why on earth do we continually have to suffer this malcontent who clearly had a brain removal operation around 5 years ago.