The 9&7 2005 Buccaneers started from calmer waters Ok all you Bucpower regulars, hands up those of you who read our leader Paul Stewart's recent article on being realistic in 2005 and thought that’s not realistic that’s bloody pessimistic. The walking font of Buccaneer Fact & fiction is probably right but there are a few of us more optimistic, alcohol reliant, fans left that will push that six digit as high as we dare without sounding daft, how about my nine for instance. One thing that has struck me this pre season is that the team is starting on a pretty even Keel. A vital element of any successful team/season must be moral, team bonding & trust between players and coaches alike. Can we assume that the 2005 Bucs are all pulling in the same direction at the same time? Let’s hope so. Even after all the talk and hype the bottom line is winning games and the post season must be the very least for any team to settle for. This off-season we have been spared the 2003 Meshawn Johnson tantrums & the rants of no 99, I have always belived that having. The Randy Mosses, Terrell Owens, Warren Sapp’s & Keyshawn Johnson’s of this world on your team is a huge risk, the positives created by all that talent is often outweighed by the negatives created by all that attitude and the turmoil that comes with it. I must however say in his defence that Sapp only fell into this category in his later Tampa years as he reached his sell by date. Last year, 2004 even with Sapp & Johnson long gone by all accounts the start to the campaign was not a happy one, Jon Gruden & Bruce Allen made a major faux pas on the Public relations front, by letting “Mr Tampa” John Lynch go and bringing in “Mr scum of the earth” Darrell Russell. The fans didn’t like him and the players didn’t take to well to practising with all their valuables stuffed into their jock straps either. Then of course came the biggest blow to on the field activity when Keenan McCardell developed a desire to rock the boat with a major holdout that lasted until our season was as good as over. With Clayton on his rookie year, Jurevicius on I R & Tim Brown on his Zimmer frame no matter how hard Gruden played it down, it hurt the team big time. So 2005 is here and appears to be trouble free up to now. Simeon Rice has been quiet which must be a good sign, he is a wonderful talent but at times comes close to falling into the risk bracket. The QB position looks settled on the depth chart, the rumoured Rhonde Barber / Brian Kelly holdouts have not materialised and the future of the Buccaneer running game Cadillac Williams is also safely under contract, lets hope that neither he or Michael Clayton are effected by fame, fortune or their agents enough to turn them into tomorrow’s morons. Perhaps this all adds up to a Buccaneer controversy free season and win column adding up to a few digits higher than Paul’s realistic six, how about my nine for instance? Controversy free, what am I talking about, that just wouldn’t be our Tampa Bay Buccaneers would it?