John McKay used to call them Mighty Bucs, whether they were or whether they were not, which was most of his coaching time here.

Take, for instance, his franchise start-off losing streak of 26 straight, or when they fell back into being less than ‘mighty’ in the eyes of many of us after that near-Super Bowl season of 1979, and decent seasons in 1981 and 1983.

What a gift McKay (above) had of post-game comment. What a wit he was. I miss him and our lunches and dinners at old Malio’s. What an academic he was. The “mighty” he threw around was typical.

Well, if John McKay were the head coach still here the Bucs might well indeed be mighty, yet clearly they are pretty much starless where it counts, a team of no-names, or at least of not-much-names; a team of wannabees, maybes, could-bes. A team that has done well but without fanfare. A balanced team but one that, so far as anyone knows, is without all-world players, unless they are linebacker Derrick Brooks, or cornerback Ronde Barber or, well, maybe wideout Joey Galloway or someone yet to emerge. Now, there is a good chance of that.

Haven’t seen a schedule yet, but a runaway start will get this town aroused, at an especially good time with the Super Bowl to be played right here in Raymond James Stadium. You can bet the makers of it will draw a schedule which will be tougher than a year ago when the Bucs won the NFC South but lost a shootout with the eventual champion New York Giants.

All early reports suggest the returning Buccaneers are anxious to get here and get at it. Assemblies will start soon after the draft, with those rookies and the rest of this team of so little boasting but strong and fast men rostered. Gruden likes what he sees, but he will see more after the draft. The Bucs have all of their early draft picks. Too early to speculate, a spokeman said. It appears they will be a team of a solid blend of youth, midlife in the pros, and experience.

Jon Gruden loves to work with quarterbacks, and now has six names on his lineup card; a luxury, though there are those who would say they’d swap all six, plus a high draft pick, for the young man at Indianapolis who former Buc coach Tony Dungy has returning, or for one of a few more in the league.

In the Bucs’ sights are Jake Plummer, Brian Griese, Chris Simms, Luke McCown, Bruce Gradkowski and Jeff Garcia, the starter last year who played his heart out, a tough guy who wants his job back badly. Of course, there are asterisks. Plummer says he won’t report to Tampa. There is a bunch of money here for him. No, then the Bucs are not $40 million under the salary cap. Under it, but not by that much. Remember the college draft approaches and that will take a hit on all.

Simms is still in the NFL recovery room from a squeezed spleen. And Plummer, well, don’t know what his problems are with this wonderful place in which we live, other than the young man sees no future here in football, or after that. And here I am saying this may a pretty good team, with the right QB, the right draft, good coaching. The crowds will be fine, sold out, and I can get you a job making extra money at Outback Steakhouse, Chris Sullivan said, if Jon Gruden says you’re coachable.

Only Plummer seems disinterested in coming to Tampa.

All of the others now rostered have spent time as a Buc and like the team and the place. Don’t let Brian Griese’s seemingly wise-acre posturing bother. Fine fellow. But, he is his daddy’s son. His dad was a pretended grump. He’d pretend not to see you. To walk on by.

At a Super Bowl in New Orleans, wife Linda and I were buying a paper at a stand at the top of the lead lobby escalators. I noticed Griese coming off the escalator. I called his name. He looked at me, showed no sign of recognition, and walked on. I was on the NFL Hall of Fame selection committee, meeting the next morning. He was a candidate.

I said in his direction, “Griese, I got a vote tomorrow.”

He stopped immediately, and smiling, rushed to me and grabbed my hand, kissed Linda, and said, “Oh, Tom, I didn’t recognize you.”

Don’t get many up on a Griese.

He got in the Hall that Saturday morning.