Over your large glass of orange juice from Auburndale frozen concentrate, a stack of three medium-sized but thin buttermilk pancakes, three slices of lean bacon and glass of cold milk, these breakfast additives:

Outback Bowl bigshot Jim McVay, at their meet-greeter in Ybor the other night, said, “Thank heaven, football’s started.” Though he then went home and saw his old Banditball buddy, Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, lose to Vanderbilt.

But, surely so much of the sports world welcomes football — preps, college, pros — back among us for six months, including the fourth Super Bowl to be played in Tampa, and the big deal prep curtain-raisers Friday night, the serious college and NFL games today and Sunday … What is the outlook?

Florida State opens at home with three quarterbacks in the first-team mix. Coach Bobby Bowden, it appears, is accepting more sideline game help from associates. FSU and QB Christian Ponder can handle Western Carolina. This is an important year for FSU, perhaps the last for Bowden.

The Florida Gators entertain old nemesis Miami, which has a fine new quarterback from South Tampa, Robert Marve, to test the Gators at The Swamp where bullish quarterback Tim Tebow continues the defense of his Heisman Trophy. Florida, with Tebow and the new speed around him, should win, but Miami has won the last six meetings.

Expect Jim Leavitt and the South Florida Bulls to do a number on Central Florida at Orlando, and thus the 3-1 big-school start (for the record, but only for the record), won’t matter if Florida or Miami wins.

And, the Bucs, at New Orleans? Coach Jon Gruden says veteran Jeff Garcia will start, despite a bruised passing hand little finger, and he’s counting on him. It won’t be a long count. He’s got a bench full of quarterbacks, between which there seems to be little difference.

This is an important game for the Bucs. It is a division game. The 1-0 start is so important to a team like them, in need of early wins, for confidence and to sell tickets and suites.

The Saints are favorites because the game is in New Orleans, and New Orleans has been so abused lately. That won’t make the Saints play better. The quarterbacking will - just as quarterbacking will make the Buckos play well enough to win.

And Besides Football...

Golf and sports lost a unique man this week when Tommy Bolt, terrible tempered, tempestuous Tommy Bolt died. In Arkansas. I wasn’t sure he’d moved back there from his beloved Black Diamond, up the road from us a bit.

I knew him long and well, as did Lloyd and Annie Farrentino. Lloyd bought the Bardmoor property in Pinellas in 1969 and held big women’s tour tournaments there, along with Bolt and Ben Hogan. He also made Bolt his professional at Tarpon Woods out near Tampa Bay Downs.

Bolt loved his reputation as a hot-tempered golfer, which he was, and his reputation as a thrower of golf clubs record distances. He would not retrieve them, but his wife Mary Lou would.

Once, on the 18th hole, Bolt had 29 yards to the green. He told his caddy to give him a club. The caddy asked if he wanted a 3-wood or a 3-iron. Neither, snarled Bolt. Those are all the clubs you have left in the bag, Mr. Bolt.

And always, when he saw me, if at the Masters, or at Tarpon Woods, Bolt would yell, “Come over here, Tom Mac-Ewen - you little son of [so and so, for he was delightfully profane] and talk to ol’ Tommy and do a story. I need the good publicity.” And I would do that, and always get a good story. Hit them straight, Tommy.

Rays Will Make The Postseason

Been to several Rays games these last days. Sat in the stands with son-in-law Richard Grammig in the good seats. The Rays, generally, are fun. They play well and they play hard. These Rays are going to make the playoffs. They have no downside and surely are playing for their manager, management and fans.

The fan support has improved in direct relation to the team’s play. The fans are loud and into it. The noise level — especially at the New York Yankees games where the Yanks supply so many of the fans - is raucous. The fans deserve a better ballpark. Now, the fans are demanding that they do.

Babaloo.