Daily Loaf

I’m no NFL draft geek, but I do follow along to a point. I at least watch the first round, and check in periodically after that.

Which brings me to last weekends draft,  particularly that of the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The franchise opted to select what it perceived as a franchise quarterback with the 17th pick in the first round: Josh Freeman, a big, strong-armed kid out of Kansas State.

I like the pick. Not so much because I like Josh Freeman as a player — I’ve only seen highlight reels. And over the last couple of days listening to the gnashing of teeth on sports radio, I’ve come to understand that he has some flaws in his game — a poor completion percentage in college, a high number of interceptions — that make him a major risk, and a potential bust.

I like the pick because the new Bucs braintrust has shown that it’s sick of the same-ol’-same-ol’.

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If you’ve always wanted to watch someone beat the shit out of Will Ferrell with a baseball bat, have I got a movie for you …

• Finally, Karl Rove and Harriet Miers will testify on the record.
• Obama Administration fleshes out the details of the mortgage bailout plan.
• Chances the U.S. is headed for a Depression: One in five.
• Doctors now using waivers to prevent patients from posting about their visits online.
• Barbara Bush (the old one) goes under the knife.
• Tax laws get tougher for the wealthy, as the wealthy are now expected to pay taxes.
• Facebook battles Twitter in a fight you need your kids to explain.
• “Bucs Lose Buchanon To Lions.” Was 0-16 Detroit really a better option?
• Manny signs with L.A. for $45 million. I know I feel better now.

In yet another sign of the Tampa Bay Bucs’ drastic facelift, the team released perhaps the most stalwart player in franchise history, LB Derrick Brooks, a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. Joining him on the cuts list were another popular Buc, RB Warrick Dunn, who returned to the team last year after several with the Falcons; WR Joey Galloway; WR Ike Hilliard; and LB Cato June.

All except June were past-their-prime players with substantial salaries. June, who turns 30 later this year, signed in 2007 as a free agent from the Indianapolis Colts, but never made the impact expected.  June was considered the heir apparent to Brooks, so it’s a bit odd that he was released as well. But overall, the cuts are indicative of a Tampa Bay youth movement, or to use a taboo word: rebuilding.

The Brooks release is easily the most controversial. He’s been an absolutely great player for the team, an 11-time Pro Bowler, and a pillar of the community. He even restructured his contract a couple of times to provide the franchise with salary cap space to sign free agents.

Salary cap is not currently a problem with the  Bucs. The team is a reported $42 million under the cap, most in the NFL.

What do all these moves augur? The optimist might think that the Bucs are gearing up for a run at free agents like monster DT Albert Haynsworth. Those with less sunny outlooks might see it as the new administration following ownership’s mandate to run the team on the cheap. The Glazer family owns the Manchester United soccer team, which is widely regarded to have the highest payroll in all of professional sports.

I don’t have a strong read on it either way — but I do know that if with the Bucs parting ways with Brooks and the rest, they had better be counter those moves by loosening the purse strings or else risk alienating their fanbase more than it already is.

—Eric Snider

A press conference has been scheduled for 3 p.m.

From the official site:

Bucs Call 3:00 PM Press Conference

Feb 25, 2009 -

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have called a press conference at team headquarters beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday afternoon.

The team will make both Head Coach Raheem Morris and General Manager Mark Dominik available to speak and answer questions at the press conference.

The press conference will be carried live on Buccaneers.com and a recorded version will be posted shortly after its conclusion.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica, a fan favorite during his years with the team, did a guest spot on the Ron & Ian show on the Sports Animal this morning, and he offered up a couple of tidbits that most fans weren’t aware of.

Before Gramatica came on, the hosts talked about how he could’ve benefited from a sports psychologist. During his last phase with the Bucs, Gramatica missed a lot of kicks, some of them routine ones.

Gramatica informed the hosts that his kicking woes in Tampa Bay were not mental but physical. He’s had three groin surgeries in recent years. The problem started in the Super Bowl year of 2002, and then worsened the following season. Gramatica said the Bucs misdiagnosed his injury, and that he kept rehabbing but the injury persisted. He kicked the following season in significant pain and was released in 2004.

Gramatica last kicked for the New Orleans Saints in ‘08, but ended the season on Injured Reserve. He told Ron & Ian that he has no plans to return to the NFL, that he didn’t think his groin would hold up. He’s 33. He considers himself a lifelong Tampa resident.

Gramatica also touched on the subject of recently deposed Bucs coach Jon Gruden. Like other players who are coming out of the woodwork now that Gruden’s gone, he had less than flattering things to say. The former kicker allowed that Gruden’s rah-rah approach might’ve worked early on, but that it quickly grew old.

Gramatica also relayed a more personal story: When Gruden cut him, he hugged Gramatica and said he loved him. When Gramatica encountered the coach not long after at a golf tournament, Gruden acted like he didn’t exist.

In other Gruden news, Bucs QB Jeff Garcia came revealed more details about his rocky relationship with his former head coach. Check it out.

Maybe the Bucs and their fans should view it as a merciful ending. This was a team going nowhere, even if the fates had come together and they made the playoffs. They didn’t. The Bucs needed a win at home today against the 4-11 Oakland Raiders … and a win by the Philadelphia Eagles over the Dallas Cowboys, in order to make the postseason. Instead, the scenario was inverted, with the Bucs losing 31-24, thus boosting the morale of the Eagles, who stomped all over the Cowboys. (At least I can take some consolation in the Cowboy’s woes.)

Cadillac Williams blew out his knee

This was the Bucs fourth loss in a row, marking probably the biggest collapse in team history. They went from a plum 9-3 and a shot at homefield advantage in the playoffs, to elimination. On three of the four losses, the vaunted Bucs defense looked woeful — no more so than in the second half today, when Oakland ran repeatedly over right tackle and gashed the punchless and dispirited pewter-and-red defenders.

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When the Bucs finally got around to scoring a touchdown against the Falcons Sunday afternoon – on a beautifully timed pass from Brian Griese to Antonio Bryant – I cheered enthusiastically. Suddenly I felt an arm around my throat, a pretty strong arm that had me in a choke hold.

I started to laugh. I was sitting in the Georgia Dome, corner end zone about 20 rows up. I looked over my shoulder and it was a woman, a black woman, who had kiddingly put me in the choke hold. A very cool and funny gesture, and a pretty nice way to treat a visiting fan. (Especially since she let go after a few seconds.) The play made the score 10-7 late in the first half, in a game that neither team really seemed to want to win, but the Bucs did a better job of managing to lose, 13-10 in overtime.

It was my first Bucs road game, and I’m glad it was in Atlanta, where the hometown folks don’t automatically hate the visitors, and they’re game for a little verbal sparring throughout the contest.

Later on, a guy in front of me and bit to my right, a tall, distinguished black man, said with a grin, “I can’t wait for you to go back to St. Pete.”

This is when the Bucs were doing pretty well in a mistake-marred performance. I responded, “I can’t wait to come back next year, and I’ll tell ya what: I’m going to make sure I have this exact seat.”

He had the last laugh, but I shook his hand heartily at the end.

The Georgia Dome was indicative of what I experienced during a weekend Atlanta, a place where blacks and whites mix freely and goodnaturedly. Now I’m not saying the city is some racial utopia; I’m sure there are sections of greater Atlanta where there’s considerably less tolerance, but I didn’t go to those places and thus had a very pleasant time in a genuinely mixed-race environment.

Plainly put, in Atlanta blacks and white intuitively know how to act around one another – which, generally speaking, is just to be yourself — probably because it’s such a common occurrence.

And it underscored to me that in Tampa Bay, whites and blacks don’t routinely find themselves in the same social space. Sure we share the aisles of grocery stores and such, but one race is usually in the distinct minority, depending on the section of town. We tend not to notice the segregation in Tampa Bay – because it’s such a common occurrence.

But about the game… Read the rest of this entry »

Talk about getting exposed. This was worse than one of those dreams where you find yourself in public in your underwear. (What, you never had one of those dreams?) The Bucs must’ve spent a lot of time in the post-game locker room examining the cleat marks all over their bodies, courtesy of the Panthers rushing attack that rang up 299 yards in last night’s game, which the Bucs lost convincingly 38-23.

Here are some random observations on the disaster that was the Bucs’ only appearance this season on Monday Night Football:

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Monte Kiffin headed to Univ. of Tennessee?

If ever there was a game that underscores the importance of turnovers, it was the Bucs’ win over the Saints. The Saints offense outgained the Bucs 332-254. Saints QB Drew Brees looked imposing most of the game, going 25-47 for 296 yards and two touchdowns. But Brees three three interceptions, all of them at crucial points in the second half (including one that set up the winning Bucs field goal, and another that ended the Saints’ comeback chance).

By contrast, Bucs QB Jeff Garcia was a fairly pedestrian 9 for 23 for 119 yards and one touchdown. He did not, however, throw an interception. (Garcia helped his cause immensely by rushing seven times for 42 yards, including a couple of key runs.) The Bucs only turnover was an early fumble by WR Michael Clayton, who was stripped in the first quarter. The Saints couldn’t turn it into points, though, giving the ball back after a 4th down play.

Ronde Barber continued his redemption effort with another good game, including a tipped ball that led to a key interception by Cato June. Barber was called for holding on Jeremy Shockey, which nullified a Bucs interception. The play looked to me, and I’m assuming pretty much everyone who calls themselves a Bucs fan, that Barber merely held his ground and Shockey ran into him.

A top candidate for Bucs game MVP was Saints RB Reggie Bush. He dropped several passes and, on punt returns, did his Dexter Jackson act by running backwards and sideways (and losing a ton of yardage).

Bucs returner Clifton Smith had another really good day running straight ahead, and — yeah! — he didn’t fumble.

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I don’t know about you, but when the Bucs went down 17-0 against the lowly Lions, I really didn’t think they were in any trouble. Sure enough, Tampa Bay went on to score 35 unanswered points to take a 35-17 lead, and ultimately win 38-20. The Lions not only looked thoroughly inept, but completely snakebit. Detroit  doesn’t have any truly bad teams remaining on its schedule, so 0-16 seems a real possibility.

But this post is about the Bucs, so on to a few observations:

Clifton Smith, the once-obscure rookie who’s now a fixtures as a kick and punt returner, has fumbled in every game he’s played in. He was fortunate today because this game’s fumble was recovered by one of his teammates. That said, he also returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown today (to go along with a kickoff return for a TD against Kansas City a few weeks ago.) Coach Jon Gruden has said Smith’s fumbling is simply unacceptable, but, really now, you gotta take the good with the bad.

It started as another shaky outing for cornerback Ronde Barber, who was beaten by Calvin Johnson for the Lions’ first TD. Ah, but then redemption. Barber intercepted two passes — his first two of the season — one of which he returned for a touchdown. He now has 11 interceptions or fumbles returned for touchdown in his career, the most among active players.

At one point, Fox color commentator Tony Boselli said second-year defensive end Gaines Adams is “becoming the force he was expected to be.” I’m not sold. I find it maddening to watch the goose-necked Adams repeatedly take wide, outside rushes and get pushed out of the play by the offensive tackle. That said, he did have a sack, a tipped pass and three tackles against Detroit. He also dropped back in coverage a couple of times. Adams is quick off the ball, and brings some intangible qualities to the game, but I just don’t see him becoming a stud pass rusher.

It was nice to see RB Carnell Williams return from a catastrophic knee injury last year and get some action. He has a ways to go before he contributes in any positive sense. On his first series, he collided with QB Jeff Garcia in the backfield, causing him to fumble, which Detroit scooped up and returned for a touchdown. He ended up getting 16 carries (for a paltry 27 yards) in mostly mop-up duty. On one run, he showed a decent burst of quickness and a shifty change of direction, but it’s clear that Cadillac needs a lot of tuning up before he’s truly back.

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I recently caught the last few minutes of Jon Gruden’s press conference on the radio and was disappointed to find out that it appears running back Earnest Graham is out for the season with a serious ankle injury.

Photo: NFL.com

Bummer. Graham had emerged from obscurity to be the featured RB in the Bucs attack. He’s a good guy, a consummate teammate, and now it looks as if he’s done. At least he signed a new contract (four years, $11-million) this year.

Graham, who had been nursing an injured knee, hurt his ankle on his first carry early in the game. As bad as it is for Graham, it’s equally problematic for the Bucs. They now have Warrick Dunn (who played extremely well yesterday, but, at 33, can’t be expected to carry the feature-back load), rookie Clifton Smith and Cadillac Williams, who came off the Physically Unable to Perform List last week, but was not on the active roster against the Vikings yesterday.

I would’ve liked to see the Bucs baby Caddy along, but, knowing Gruden, that seems unlikely. Expect his reconstructed knee to get tested pretty quick.

Despite being a triage unit, the Bucs stand at 7-3. My friend Charlie said last night, “How can they have such a good record and be so bad.” To which I responded, “They’re not really bad. They just don’t look good.”

Hey, the scoreboard looked good yesterday. 19-13 Bucs.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden has what some pundits are calling a crucial decision to make this week: Whether to take RB Cadillac Williams from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and put him on the active roster.

I don’t see this as a tough decision at all:

Don’t do it.

Williams blew out his knee against Carolina in the first half of last season. He’s worked hard and made terrific progress. Even started practicing. He’s probably itching to get a roster spot, get in shape and play this season.

Don’t do it.

Resist the temptation and put Williams on injured reserve, shelve him for the entire season, thus ensuring that Gruden can’t turn to the half-healed guy if the running back situation goes bad. It’s not so good right now, actually, with Warrick Dunn hurt (but hopefully back for Sunday) and Michael Bennett yet to produce.

But turning to next year: With Earnest Graham entrenched, and Dunn likely to play at least one more season (health permitting), a finely tuned Cadillac could be a real asset to the Bucs. Look at the New York Giants, the best team in the NFL — they have a three-RB attack.

The key to get the best out of Williams is not overwork him, so I can see the temptation to give him some situational work during the remainder of this season.

Don’t do it.

Let the man heal all the way.

Check out the NFL power rankings by Bill Simmons of ESPN.com, where he ranks every team in the league from the worst (Detroit) to the best (Tennessee), with copious and irreverent commentary for each.

Where do you figure he placed the Bucs?

Eighth. Ahead of New England, Indy, Atlanta, Washington, Dallas, Green Bay and Minnesota (Sunday’s opponent).

I think Simmons is being generous. In fact, so does he:

He closes his blurb with:

“This is about five spots too high for the Buccaneers, but I couldn’t figure out a way to rig it differently.”

Welcome to the post-Rays, almost-all-Bucs version of the sports roundup.

The Bucs 30-27 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs — the first time they had played in K.C. since 1986 — was the most nerve-racking, entertaining Bucs game I’ve seen in a good long while. A gyroscope-inside-a-cement-mixer-on-a-rollercoaster type game. Much weirdness:

The 21-point comeback (from 24-3) was, according to local radio announcers, the biggest in Bucs history.

Steady Earnest Graham fumbled twice, at very inopportune times. Funny enough, it was after his second fumble, with 3:28 left in the game, when the Bucs were about to score a TD to pull within two points, that I said to my deflated group of fellow watchers: Plenty of time left. The Bucs’ll score, get the two-point conversion and win it in overtime. That, of course, is what happened. How’s that for pigskin prognosticating?

Rookie Clifton Smith, just put on the active roster last week to return kicks, provided the big momentum shift with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, closing the gap to 24-10. It was the second kickoff return for a touchdown in Bucs franchise history. Smith later fumbled in a key spot (as he did last week). Even though he’s a terrific upgrade at returner (over deactivated Dexter Jackson), he doesn’t want to be the kind of player who, when carrying the ball, has fans yelling, “Hold on to it. Just hold on to it!”

In the first half, Fox play-by-play guy Ron Pitts, speaking of receiver Michael Clayton, said, “Clayton’s starting to get some balls.” What he meant was: Clayton’s starting to make some catches. Pitts’ comment must’ve been a good omen. Clayton’s 35-yard catch-and-run in overtime was the key play in the final drive.

Jeremy Trueblood’s false start penalty before Matt Bryant’s 38-yard field goal try in OT turned out to be a good thing. Bryant missed the kick (whether it was because the whistle blew, we’ll never know); the Bucs backed up five yards, but because the attempt was on third down, they went back on offense, Gracia threw a nine-yard pass to fullback Jameel Cook, which set up Bryant’s 34-yard try, which he knocked straight through.

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It was a bad, bad, bad weekend for Tampa Bay sports teams, with (two) losses by the Rays, Bucs and, for good measure, the USF Bulls.

The Rays were the big news, of course, playing in their first World Series. On Saturday night, their hitters looked befuddled by 45-year-old Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, who lobbed the ball at the plate, um, very accurately. The St. Pete club had a chance to win, but blew it in the bottom of the 9th inning with a series of blunders.

Last night, they simply got stomped, 10-2.

There were a plethora of indicators that last night was simply not the Rays night:

Two errors by usually surehanded second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

Three walks by starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, tying a career high, including walking in a run with the bases loaded. He was pulled earlier than usual.

Ryan Howard finally hitting a ball to the opposite field: a three-run homer over the left-field fence. He later homered to right center, giving him five runs batted in for the game.

Catcher Dionner Navarro had to dig a ball out of the dirt in the 6th inning … while Edwin Jackson was intentionally walking Ryan Howard.

And probably worst of all: Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton hit a homerun off Edwin Jackson, the first time a pitcher homered in the World Series since 1974. Meanwhile, the best Rays hitters made Journeyman Joe Blanton look like Bob Gibson.

Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria’s power outage continued. Longoria looked like he had a case of vertigo at the plate, like he couldn’t wait to strike out and get back to the dugout. Pena managed a walk.

After the Rays went meekly in the first inning, Andy Sonnanstine, known for his control, took the mound and proceeded to be wild. He fell behind in counts, and walked in a run. He did manage to get out of the inning lightly scathed, though, giving up only that one run.

In the bottom of the first, Ryan Howard tapped the ball back to Sonnanstine, who trapped Jimmy Rollins between third and home. Sonnanstine flipped to Evan Longoria, and Rollins, scampering back to third, was called safe. A replay clearly showed that Longoria had practically shoved his glove up the crack of Rollins’ ass. Blown call, and a big one. Sonnanstine walked the next batter, forcing home a run. Analyst Tim McCarver pointed out, though, that Sonnanstine should have thrown to second and got the slow-running Howard out on a double play.

Late in the game, the Phillies homerun derby got going in earnest.

Another note about Saturday night’s game: It turned out all for naught, but B.J. Upton’s one-man comeback was more solid evidence that his detractors have their heads up their asses. He got an infield hit, stole second, then stole third, then came home on a throwing error, which tied the game.

The Rays now face elimination tonight as Scott Kazmir goes against Phillies ace Cole Hamels. Uh oh.

BUCS/COWBOYS

No one would claim that going into Dallas and beating the Cowboys is an easy thing, but the stars had aligned so that yesterday’s Bucs game certainly seemed winnable. The Cowboys had been reeling, and were forced to use 40-year-old ex-Buc Brad Johnson at quarterback in place of Tony Romo.

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