Tampa Taxi Shots

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Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers - and Da' Quan Bowers

I saw many people wearing throwback Buccaneer orange still going into the stadium after the kickoff. Today has been good and I have taken many people to the stadium. I told the fans from Carolina that I had no confidence in the Tampa Bay bucs. Our defense is just to easy for other teams to run on. We are getting torched, and I see no reason to believe this trend will correct itself. 

You can say we are young and our front four is still learning. I have heard Da' Quan Bowers is making some plays and sacks. This is the kind of effort we need out of this guy who was projected to go in the first round, as a top pick. It is hard to find any information or photos on this guy. Most of it is about his carrier at Clemson. His play with the Bucs has been limited at best.

Still, Carolina is moving the ball at will and is ahead 21-9, at this point. Cam Newton is having his way with us. I know that would happen. 

Anyway, home games are good for cab drivers. We would get more action if the team was playing better.

Can Tampa Bay Beat Green Bay? Maybe

Superman?

Is Green Bay vulnerable? Yes. Let me explain.

Vince Lombardi once said that Defense wins championships and offense only sells tickets. In football, truer words were never spoken. That is the Packers weakness. They don't have a Super Bowl defense. That is were they can be controlled .

Green Bay has already giving up 183 points in nine games (Contrast the Bucs who gave up only 193 points during the entire season the year they won the Super Bowl). In addition, Green Bay has surrendered 33 points twice in two of their last three games.

Can the Bucs capitalize on this? Can the Bucs score against a weak Green Bay defense?

The problem is the Buccaneers are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league (averaging 14 points). They mostly just go 3 and out. What can they do to win against the Packers?

Ball control would be the key. If they can work sustained drives and keep Arron Rodgers off the field, the better it looks for them. There is, however, no evidence that the Bucs are capable of such a thing.

The best thing they can do is just hope Green Bay is looking ahead to the Detroit game on Thanksgiving day and they just mail this one in. Good luck Bucs!

Tampa Loses Bid For 2015 Super Bowl To Arizona - That Sucks

Arizona was awarded the 2015 Super Bowl today. This sucks in many ways for cab drivers and local business. There is nothing like a Super Bowl to stimulate a local economy. I have worked two of them, and made big money. I wish it was here every year, but we are not the only location that has good weather.  Tampa has been a player in Super Bowls from the early days of the event. In fact, we have hosted four, including the famous "Black Sunday" game when the Raiders killed the Redskins in 1984.

Al Davis receiving the Lombardi Trophy in Tampa 1984

There is nothing like winning a Super Bowl. Tampa won one once in 2003; that seems like so long ago. The big game has now become an unofficial American holiday. The specticle that surrounds it makes it the biggest sporting event in the world. In 1984 it was not that big. Players used cabs to go to the stadium and the game was on at 1:00 in the afternoon like any other normal game. It is now the most watched event on television and on during prime time. It is so big that advertisers launch campaigns with the now famous "Super Bowl" commercials. 

I expect we will get the game again,in the future. I hope to be long gone from the taxi business by then. I just don't have the energy to keep kicking this dead dog called the cab business in Tampa Florida. The fact that Arizona gets it really reminds me of how poor things are.

I used to go to Arizona twice a year to attend the AZshootout. I have not been able to go since 2007 because there just is not money. I never could have imagined it would have gone on this long. 

We do, however, have the 2012 Republican Convention coming to Tampa. My understanding is that the economic impact is the same as a Super Bowl. So, that will be something that could be of a real help  next August during the slow season for tourism. 

I am just tired of putting my life on hold and waiting for a better day. I need to find a way to make the days better myself without waiting for things to just magically turn around. 

Thanks, but no thanks NFL. 2015 is too far off to even matter at this point. 

 

Flugtag In Tampa Bay Only United States Event In 2011

I have no idea why 100,000 people showed up for an evnt called Flugtag produced by Red Bull. I guess there is not much to do in Tampa during October when the weather is getting cooler. Flugtag is German for "flying days." That's the problem; nobody flies. All they do is crash off the end of a pier into the water without ever getting airborne. Red Bull says their product "gives you wings." Yea. Seems like a waste of time.

This was the only United States event this year. There were teams from all over the world at this event willing to launch their crafts off a diving board for five seconds. Some of them took months to build their flying machines. The wind was gusting today up to 20MPH; I was hoping some of these planes would catch big air and take off. That did not happen.

It really does not matter to Red Bull. As long as they can draw these crowds, they will continue to sell hugh amounts of energy drinks that people have been brainwased by advertisers to buy. they have convinced an entire generation that they are out of energy, and need the Red Bull product.

I don't know how the people got down to the Convention Center becasue we got very few calls at United Cab today. I did not even put 100 miles on the cab. I was hoping to make money. That really sucked.

They should go save the whales or something or "Occupy Wall Street."

Bucs Waste No Time In Signing Players, And A 5'9" Middle Linebacker

The Bucs are wasting no time in signing players after the NFL lockout is over. They do have a lot of ground to make up becasue they are way under the cap (the new CBA demands the Bucs spend money). I wonder why they have signed a 5'9" linbacker. What's next, the Hunchback from Notre Dame? They say Monte Kiffin(his coach at Tennessee) really likes this kid and that he is fast and a sticker. I hope so. He is the same size as Sam Mills who had a twelve year carrier in the NFL. So lets give the kid a chance. He could give some energy to a young unit that is developing an indentity. 

The Bucs will benefit bigtime with this new cap structure. They will have 90 guys in camp by Friday and I really expect great things this year. As a taxi driver, I make money off of these NFL games. That is why I am glad this is over and we can move forward. Lets just get a sell out once in a while. 

"Mark Dominik is off and running, wasting no time getting some undrafted free agents in the fold for your Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

JoeBucsFan.com has Nick Reveiz in the fold. He's a middle linebacker (surprise) from Tennessee who was coached for a time by (surprise) former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

You look at him and can see why perhaps teams passed on him. He suffered a knee injury last year and the guy is, well, short. He's 5'9'' (Sam Mills) and weighs in at 230 (Sam Mills) and he's not that fast (4.65-4.7 in the 40).

That being said, now consider: He earned his stripes as a walk-on. He became a team captain and that's rare at a program like Tennessee. You think he's a hitter? When you're 5'9'', you'd better be a hitter (Sam Mills).

The Bucs also have Mossis Madu from Oklahoma in the field perNFL draft insider, Jared Tokarz.

Madu is a running back, 5'11'', 201, a 4.5 to 4.6 guy. Versatile enough to perform well as a kickoff return man and slot receiver.

The Bucs can bring 90 men to camp and right now—draft picks included, they're around 79 on the roster."

via bleacherreport.com

There is a lot of talk on Tampa sports radio about Barret Rudd being out of here. They guy is a hitter and can come up big on big plays. Personally, I believe the Bucs will sign him because they must now spend 99% of the cap. I would stay with a proven commodity and not change too much

 

I will Bring Tampa Taxi Shots Back To Its Former Glory

I beleive I have worked out all of the software issues that have plauged this site for months. I've settled on a design I like because of the flash elements involved. Anyway, Tom and I did get to go to the Whitney Bank Club at the Trop for the Boston RedSox vs. Tampa Bay Rays baseball game Sunday night and it went 16 innings. Can you believe that? It was fun by the way. We were not so lucky on Saturday night...

Lose weight now...ask us how!!

There is nothing like getting free tickets to a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game. These are not just tickets, but Boston Redsox vsTampa Bay Rays tickets. In fact, they are too the Whitney Bank Club high price seating. This is where the fat cats and the bigwigs go to watch a game. These $175 tickets include free buffet style food and free booze. There is prime rib, shrimp, lasagna, and everything you could dream of. The wait staff serves your every need, and we Tom and I had tickets.

  My best taxi driver friend Tom Castros took a high-roller to the airport this morning and they businessman said he had the tickets, but his plans had changed and he wanted to just give Tom the tickets for the $25 fare. Tom took them in a heartbeat and called me on my cellphone. I said "hell ya! Lets go!" The game was set for a 4:15 start and we were both hungry. Free drink and food...I'm all over it! We would soon be surrounded by beautiful women and the rich and powerful in the Tampa Bay area. Wait till they get a hold of us.

 Since we are cab drivers, we know how to get within two blocks from the stadium without ever encountering traffic. I am not exaggerating on this. Most people are on the interstate and it is gridlock. We know a parking lot that charges only $10 to park, and you are in the shadow of Tropicania field. How cool is that? We walked right up to the stadium and got someone to take are picture. We were on our way and breaking all the rules We felt like Thelma and Louise. This was going to be awesome.

We walked up to the gate with our expensive, high baller tickets and proudly gave them to the ticket people. The lady scanned my ticket with a light and said, "I'm sorry sir; something is wrong with your ticket" I could not believe that. She did point out that we needed to go to gate 6 and perhaps everything would be all right. Tom and I headed over there. We could not believe that had happened and felt we would be fine over at gate six. Wrong. Now this was something out of a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode.

 

Sir...There is a problem Security said that the tickets had been 'forwarded' yesterday to another party. In short, these tickets were no good. There was nothing we could do. Its bad enough to get beat out of a fare, but to go through all this and get your hopes up so high is just cruel. David Shields was pitching and I really wanted to see how good he would be against this powerful Boston batting lineup.

 It was very hot and we just wanted to get to some kind of air condition. We had no water because we were going to get that in the club suite. When we went back to the parking lot, the guy asked us why we were leaving so early. We told him that we had been ripped off and he was good enough to give us a refund of the $10 parking fee. At least something went right.

On the ride home Tom's friend called and said that he has a special who gave him tickets to Sunday's night baseball game between the RedSox and the Rays and he could not go. He wanted to know if we wanted to use the tickets. We told him yes. He then said they were not just tickets - they were to the Whitney Bank Club and they were $175 which included free food and booze. Great! I can't wait for tomorrow night.

Robo Hockey Player

Saw this outside of the St. Pete Times Forum this morning. This robo hockey guy represents the power and strength of the Tampa Bay Lightning. GO BOLTS - BEAT BOSTON!  It is in my financial interest for the Stanley Cup to come back to Tampa. Taxi drivers make a lot of money during that event. I am high on the prospect of this returning to Tampa Bay...Go lightning!

Luke Stocker Is A Huge Upgrade For Buccaneers Offense

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved up 12 spots in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft to get TE Luke Stocker of the University of Tennessee. He is a very big and athletic (see video) player and he will make an immediate upgrade to a Buc offense that is on the rise. A very solid pick by Raheen Morris.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved up 12 spots in the fourth round of the NFL draft to grab Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker, making coach Raheem Morris a happy man.

Morris was set on adding Stocker from the start, calling him a potential first-round talent, but patiently waited until general manager Mark Dominic pulled the trigger.

Unlock HQ Video

"The nervous head coach sat there and he wants to get guys, and Mark and his staff were right on the details about where they should go and waited until possibly the last minute to take some of those guys," Morris told the St. Petersburg Times on Saturday.

"When you get a Luke Stocker in the fourth round, when you could easily give him the grade of a second-round pick or arguably a late first, that is a phenomenal day," Morris said.

Stocker was the first offensive player taken by the Bucs, who used their first three picks on a pair of defensive ends and a linebacker.

The 6-foot-5, 253-pound tight end had 39 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns at Tennessee last season and

via www.nfl.com

This guy is big and very athletic. He will be a huge asset for the Buccaneers. Morris is making some very spectacular picks in the three drafts he has had. He has turned the team that Jon Gruden ruined into a championship contender.

 

The Legend Of Sam Fuld

Sam Fuld is Superman on the baseball field! This guy is young, ambitious, hungry, and he is making an impact that is being noticed by the national media. That is very good for the Rays. The Tampa Bay Rays are now a developing team after they jettisoned so much talent during the off-season. They had to do this for business reasons. That leaves them with an obvious problem.

What do you do now if your are the Rays management and you want to win and get people to buy tickets? You build your team around young talent. That formula has been successful for this team in the past, and it seems to be working now. They don't have the money to just go shopping, so their attention to minor league detail has always worked for them in bringing up impact players.

Fuld came to Tampa from Chicago in the Garza trade. He was a minor league player that had very limited play in the major. He has been made an outfield starter and is batting .313 and making bucket catches in the style of Willie Mays. His legend is growing as he becomes an ESPN highlight machine and a viral sensation of Twitter and YouTube. Did I mention he is one of the league leaders in stolen bases. He is fast and seems to have it all going his way.

Players like him will bring fans to the stadium. This team needed a spark and it looks like they found one. I expect many goods thiings to come from Super Sam. 

The Mystery of the Tampa Bay Rays: So Many Wins, So Little Money - It's Not The Team. It's The Citizens!

How did a group of investment bankers with little baseball experience buy the Tampa Bay Rays and turn the whipping boy of the American League East into one of the best and most exciting teams in the baseball? David Leonhardt asks the question of Jonah Keri, the author of a new book on how the Rays used economic principles to top the Yankees and Red Sox.

I'm more interested in another question: Why is the top team in the American League also one of the least valuable teams in baseball if its owners are supposedly economic experts? The Rays' attendance averaged a little under 22,000 in 2010, or 52% capacity. That puts them in the bottom ten in the league, below basement dwellers like Kansas City, Washington and the Florida Marlins.

Despite playing in supposedly baseball-friendly Florida; despite winning the most competitive division in baseball twice in three years; despite more than a dozen home games against the compulsively hateable Yankees and Red Sox each year; and despite playing in the World Series in 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays have some of the worst financial numbers in the game. They rank in the bottom five in yearly revenue and current value, based on current stadium deal. Even star Evan Longoria called his fans support "embarrassing" after a meager 12,000 showed up in a potential playoff clinching game last year. "We're all confused as to why it's only 15,000 to 20,000 in the building," he said.

Why so many naked seats? The sports argument might be that the Rays succeed without flair-- with quality middle relief, timely hitting, and consistent fielding. In 2010, the team scored and allowed fewer runs at home than any stadium in the country. But I'd guess, it's not the team. It's the field.

via www.theatlantic.com

Some try to blame it on the Tropicana Field stadium. I don't buy that. It has everything to do with demographics, such as most people that live in The Tampa Bay area are from the North East and they are fans of MLB East Division teams (Yankees, Red Sox). That is why these smart investment bankers that bought the Tampa Bay Rays hired Man Ram and Johnny Damon....If you can beat 'em..still join 'em!

Super Bowl Half Time: Packing A Punch

The Packers have scored again, and the chicken shit Steelers scored the only way they know how by sandlot style. The Steelers are losing and thier fans somehow think they are ahead. The Pack will make thier move and this will be over soon.

The only problem I can see is that big Ben is a home run hitter who has a track record of scoring late. Beleive me, an eleven point lead is not a safe lead against Ben. The Pack needs to hold on.

First Quarter: Super Bowl Is Going Green

The packers have scored twice in the First Quarter and seem to have it going their way. The Steelers are not capable of scoring more then 24 points in any game. Two more touchdowns and the Green Bay Packers will win their forth Super Bowl in franchise history.

I have seen this Pittsburgh team be favored over the years by the officials in the NFL. Seattle could have beaten them in 2006 if not for some really bad calls. Going back to the immaculate reception (which would have been overturned today with review) and the robbery in Houston in 1979, this Steeler team is running out of luck.

May they rest on the 'rust-belt' of history. Go away towls...just go away. Your team could not beat their way out of a wet paper bag.

The new faces of the NFL South

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday, the next generation of NFC South rivalry really could take root. Both teams are 5-2 and tied for first place in the division.

There's been some bantering back and forth over Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris' comment two weeks ago that the Bucs were the best team in the NFC South. And the matchup between Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib and Atlanta receiver Roddy White promises to be highly entertaining because both players like to talk -- a lot.

But the real story in this game and what could make this rivalry special for the next decade or so is Ryan and Freeman.

“I've been real impressed [with Freeman],'' Ryan said.

He should be. Looking at Freeman should be like looking into a mirror for Ryan. In a lot of ways, they are the same guy. One year apart, each was drafted to be the franchise quarterback for a franchise in disarray.

via espn.go.com

Josh Freeman is very mobile on his feet. He can extend drives and keep the Bucs in games. The upside of this guy is unbelievable. Only 22 years old and he is the field general calling out coverages and re-routing receivers off of audible blitz packages. With the addition of a new found running attack in Legarrette Blount, the Bucs can explode on anyone. Blount is the kind of back that any time he touches the ball - he may be gone. Raheen Morris should be re-signed for a new contract.  His deal is up at the end of the year.  I believe he has shown an ability as a 'turn around' artist.  Coach of the year is not out of reach.  If the Bucs win Sunday, Playoffs are not a fantasy at all. 

Rays and Red Sox are Now Part Of The Same Federation

The Tampa Bay Rays are the champions of the American League East Division.  They have much to thank the Boston Red sox for.  

The Rays mood changed in the dugout when they heard that the Yankees had been defeated by the Red Sox.  This type of event has future implications. 

In Star Trek The Next Generation the philosophical premise was that the Klingons had joined the Federation because we were now at peace with them. In the episode Yesterdays Enterprise it is shown that what preceded this peace, was when the Enterprise defended a Klingon (Red Sox) outpost from a Romlulin (Yankee) warship.  Dying in defence of your enemy is the highest form of honor.  

The Red Sox showed this honor during the weekend with their fierce determination to play spoilers against "suck-nation" and help their now blood brothers, the Rays win the division. 

The lines have been drawn.  We are enemies no more. From this historical moment onward the Rays and Red Sox battle and fight against the dreaded Yankees and not each other. 

Line for free Rays tickets starts early at Trop

ST. PETERSBURG - The last regular-season home game for the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Rays is tonight, and the organization's plan to give away 20,000 free tickets drew fans to Tropicana Field this morning.

A few faithful waited outside the gates just before noon today. The freebies weren't to be handed out until 4:45 p.m.

via www2.tbo.com

The economy in Florida is still very bad. Many people are self-employed or work in service jobs; these jobs have not sustained very well. I know for a fact that when the economy was good, and the Buccaneers and Lightening were making playoff runs, their stadiums were sold out. Give us a break down in Florida - we are suffering.

Tampa Bay is a big league town. We have won more championships in recent years then the Islanders, Mets, Jets, Rangers, Knicks and Giants combined. Their loser fans show up, so will ours.

Another Week, Another TV Blackout for NFL - TheStreet

the Tampa Tribune pointed Bucs fans to mascot-appropriate pirated live streams from ATDHE.net, Justin TV, BlipTV and Ustream. They don't have the expressed written consent of the NFL, whose representatives say they'll "vigorously protect our product" though cease-and-desist letters and takedown notices, but loyal, frugal fans are using the option anyway. Plus, with the NFL's free broadcasts shown in HD and a game from another market replacing the blacked-out hometown matchup, borderline fans are still offered a crisp view of NFL action for the double-digit cost of an HD antenna.

via www.thestreet.com

The NFL may try to force these alternative networks to cease and desist from shown the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Tampa market, but they have brought this on themselves. The internet, direct TV, digital this and that, people can find other ways to see an NFL game other than paying $25 to park and $10 for a paper cup of beer. Free markets folks. The NFL is literally pricing themselves out of fans.

Mike Williams Is A Rising Star

 I just saw Mike Williams run in a 35 yard TD pass from another young draft pick Josh Freeman. You are seeing the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Much can happen in the second half but one thing is clear - the draft picks of the head coach Raheem Morris are starting to produce. Face it, Jon Gruden was not much of a personal guy and most of his draft picks were bust. Simply a fact and that is why he does not coach in the league anymore. 

For Tampa area taxi drivers next week should be very profitable thanks to the NFL.  The PIttsburgh Steelers will be in town and the game is sold out. That means many fans will be in from up north. Steeler Nation travels well. Get ready to burn the midnight oil. I have a feeling that is the Bucs continue to play well, they will start selling out Raymond James Stadium again. 

They were saying on the FOX halftime report that Josh Freeman is the quarterback of the future for the Bucs. When he was drafted in the first round (Gruden never drafted a QB that high) the local media said Morris's future was dependent on the success of that pick. I wonder what the papers will say in the Morning. 

Bucs Draft Picks?

Other then the receiver out of Syracuse - have the Bucs signed all their 2010 draft picks? I know Gerald McCoy is waiting to see what the Rams pay the number one pick overall (he is yet to sign). The Tampa Bay Bucs have the potential to be much improved this year, but they need this crop of good young players. Lets get it done. Training camp starts next week.

I have lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1977. I became a Buccanner fan when I arrived. I could get a cheap ticket and actually get into the stadium and watch an NFL football game. I thought that was beyond cool. I finally figured out hat it was bad ownership that kept the team in the cellar all those years. My fear is that the Glazer family is in such financial trouble, they may not give these new guys what they want. That would be tragic. 

Get ready for blacked out games folks. 

Rob Green Does Not Suck...Sort Of

"...If Britain should survive for another thousand years...this will NOT be known as her finest hour"  "Never have so many Americans owed their World Cup life to so few (one!) - Churchill rolling over in his grave.

I only know American sports. And in our culture shit happens. You have 'go to' guys that you depend on. If they don't perform on any given night, so be it. When you are the manager of a football team and days before a World Cup match you don't know who your starting goalie will be, then there must be flaws in all your goalies.  The fact is that Rob Green was one of the best out of the Premiere league. So why the hesitation by the manager?  Green must be VERY good or he would not have been in the line up. I would not expect another incident. 

American football or soccer has come a long way. Way to go guys. Mr. Green - that was just the breaks of that game. Sorry, but we will take it. 

In our sports we have batters that strike out...kickers that miss easy goals...quarterbacks that miss wide open receivers...basketball players that miss easy shots...things happen. England may still win this tournament, but the world is on notice that the USA can dominate anything we want to. Sorry if that bothers you.

Chris Hovan Has A New Job

 Chris Hovan is a big man and he has a new job. He has played 10 years in the NFL (5 for Minnesota and 5 for Tampa Bay) and is tough as nails.  He was let go by Tampa when the Bucs went to a youth movement at defensive tackle by selecting Gerald McCoy from OU and Brian Price from UCLA as their first two picks in the 2010 NFL draft. Hovan was expendable, and he knew it.  

One door closed and another one opened in St. Louis. The Rams are becoming stacked on the defensive line and the buccaneers will face them early in the season. Hovan had a lot of heart when he played for us...you can only wish him well in his new situation. 

The Buccaneers have a track record of these kind of things coming back to haunt them.  Discarded players, for some reason, seem to play well for other teams. Tampa Bay has at least three quarterbacks that have gone on and won Super Bowls for other teams.  Their system seems to develop players well.  Unfortunately, their management cannot always recognize that.

The Fabulous Sports Babe Works Very Hard

Nancy the "Fabulous Sports Babe" works for 1040 ESPN Sports Radio in Tampa Bay.  She once had a nationally syndicated talk radio show back in the '90's.  She has returned to the Tampa area and does the 12 noon to 3 spot.  I liked it better when she was on at nine in the morning because I could have breakfast with her live show..,."Breakfast with the babe."  Now its..."Lunch with the babe."  You can see how hard she is working. 

Bucs Got The New Warren Sapp...They Could Have Got The New Riggins

I guess they believed they needed two DT's.  I can't argue with that.  But look at what they left in the board with a primary runner (Williams) coming off of double knee surgery.  Forget the fact that Toby Gerhart is white.  His athletic ability is something we have not seen in years.  The Vikings just got better. The Bucs may regret not taking him.

Wade Davis - There is No Crying In Baseball

 Wade Davis beat Zack Greinke in a scintillating pitchers' duel, and Evan Longoria homered to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over the Kansas City Royals 1-0 on Sunday

"Davis (3-1) allowed three hits, three walks and struck out five in seven innings during his latest matchup with an American League ace. The right-hander has faced the opposing team's opening day starter — including New York Yankees lefty CC Sabathia and Boston's Josh Beckett — in all five of his starts this year.

Greinke (0-3) gave up four hits in his 10th career complete game and first this season. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner, who has yielded just three runs over 22 innings in his last three starts, struck out six and hit a batter with a pitch."

via www.ajc.com

This is why I removed the post I had about how much I hated the New York Yankees. The success of the Tampa Bay Rays will be dependent on how well they pitch and hit. It is all up to them, and if they lose to the better team, so be it. There is no crying in baseball!

Broncos' Surprise Tim Tebow Draft Pick Generates Hype, Jersey Sales

The guy that does the Tampa Bay afternoon sports radio show on 1040 called "The Swarm"  said Tim Tebow would be a late round pick and may even go un-drafted.  You could tell this guy is biased because he went to the University Of Miami (I don't believe he played football).  He is just a guy with a microphone who does not want to listen to Jon Gruden and others who believe in Tim Tebo.  Do you know his Jersey is a hot selling item at NFL Shop.com and they don't even know what his number will be! 

It's been less than 24 hours since the Broncos selected Tim Tebow, and we're not even positive what his number will be yet, but you can already buy his jersey for $80 at NFLShop.com—and we're willing to bet a lot of Denver fans are going to do it. The hype surrounding the surprise first-round pick is Mile High. Woody Paige of the Denver Post is already crowning him the “Quarterback of the Future,” comparing him to no less than John Elway.

Pretty much every commentator agrees that Josh McDaniels took a big risk by taking Tebow, but apparently he wasn't the only one willing to do so. The Broncos traded up to get Tebow because they knew Buffalo wanted him, too, Yahoo! Sports reports. So go ahead and buy a jersey—or, if you're rich, here's a collectible for you: the actual postcard announcing the pick. The lucky kid who wound up with it says he'll sell for “a million dollars. Seriously. $1 million.”

via www.newser.com

Tim Tebow basically has the same image that Tiger Woods wanted us to believe about him. Something tells me that much of Tebow's popularity is that he IS the real thing. I think he will do well in pro football. Who will be the first to win a championship, Josh Freeman or Tim Tebow?

Eric Lorig Part Of The New Dominating Tampa Two Defense

Welcome to Tampa Eric Lorig.  This California surfer dude is now part of the most ass-kicking, dominating defense in the NFL. Well, it soon will be. The Buccaneers need to return to the glory that belongs to us!  Tampa Bay is known for great golf courses, beautiful beaches, and DEFENSE!

Erik Lorig Of Stanford Drafted By Buccaneers At Defensive End

Erik Lorig of Stanford was selected late in the 2010 NFL draft as a defensive end to try to return to the glory days when the Buccaneers were the best defense in football. I don't know much about this kid, but he must be smart if he went to Stanford. Combine this good looking kid with the two DT's They drafted, and Tampa is coming a long way from last years pathetic defense.

Race factors into evaluation of Gerhart - NFL Draft

If you’ve seen Toby Gerhart carry the football, you’re well aware that the former Stanford halfback and Heisman Trophy runner-up is about as subtle as Iron Man. It’s no surprise, then, that as the NFL draft approaches, the player one AFC front-office executive described as “a bowling ball with butter knives” is hell-bent on obliterating the perception that he lacks the athleticism to succeed in the pros.

Gerhart during Stanford's pro day last month.
(Dino Vournas/Associated Press)

“I’m just a running back who tries to do what he can to win games and score touchdowns, but people have their opinions, and it’s kind of frustrating,” Gerhart said earlier this month between bites of pizza. “People say, ‘He’s slow,’ or ‘He’s not going to be able to break tackles at the next level.’ In college I went up against players like [USC’s] Brian Cushing(notes) and Clay Matthews(notes) – guys who ended up making the Pro Bowl [as NFL rookies] – and I ran through their tackles. It’s too bad people look at you all weird because of a stereotype.”

When NFL scouts look at Gerhart, they see a 6-foot, 231-pound power back who ran for 1,871 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, getting edged out by Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the closest Heisman vote in history. When they look at Gerhart’s numbers from the NFL scouting combine, they see that he ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash and registered a 38-inch vertical leap, both impressive numbers for a player his size.

via sports.yahoo.com

I wonder if any of these scouts have ever heard of john Riggins. I believe he had explosion, strength, speed and power - just like this kid. He seems like the kind of back that could blow his way into the backfield just like Mike Alstot used to with the Bucs. Too bab John Gruden hated white football players.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Must Draft Ndamukong Suh...PLEASE!!!

In a world without Josh Freeman, the Bucs would appear more desperate. In a world without Freeman, their fans would sound more frantic.

Yeah, you can say this much for Freeman, the Bucs' still-developing quarterback:

When it comes to this year's draft, it is Freeman who has allowed the calm.

As important as this year's draft appears to be — and you cannot say that too often or too loudly — there seems to be a rather pleasant buzz attached to the anticipation. Perhaps that is because there isn't much controversy about the No. 3 pick. The Bucs are certain to have an opportunity to take a popular, widely approved choice.

via www.tampabay.com

I will be watching the NFL draft Thursday night and if they do not pick that big defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska, I will turn off the tv. This guy is special and destined to be one of the great ones. Watch this impressive video of his explosive KILLER ability.  I just hope the Glazier family will spend the money for this kid.

Tampa Bay Bucs Seeking Trade

There are rumors swirling that the St. Louis Rams are interested in trading down from the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in order to acquire additional draft picks and veteran players.

The rumor has it that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could strike a blockbuster trade with the Rams that would enable them to take Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh with the first pick according to Chris Steuber of Scout.com.

The Rams would then get the third overall pick in the draft and quarterback Josh Johnson from Tampa.

It’s no secret that St. Louis is quarterback shopping. With the third overall pick the Rams could sign Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford or even Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame.

Rock The NIght: E-mail posting ability

Typepad has a new feature that makes posting moble from the field possible. Now you won't be able to shut be up!  This update was just posted in my cab using my 'smart phone' from Metro PCS.  Now how cool is that?  They keep adding features, and I try to take advantage of them. 

The 'Swarm" guy  on 1040 ESPN radio Tampa thinks Tim Tebo is a punk...we know Swarm guy has a problem with the Gators but remember-With Tim You Win....some people just have issues with his morals I guess.

The video below by Europe shows mirth and energy just what I feel about this new tech and what the future holds for my blogs!