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Tom McEwen

McEwen, sports editor of The Tampa Times from 1958-62 before being named sports editor of The Tampa Tribune in 1962, graced the Tribune sports section with his award-winning column, The Morning After, and his Breakfast Bonus notes columns were a signature offering from the 19-time Florida Sports Writer of the Year.

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Help Wanted Signs Posted At One Buc

Posted Jan 3, 2009 by Tom McEwen

Updated Jan 3, 2009 at 05:50 PM

Hard for us to understand, isn’t it?

I am talking about this Tampa Bay Buccaneer season that just recently that went south, that went from 9-3 to 9-7 like a bank robbers heading for Mexico.

Buccaneer fans, especially those weary enough to remember the 0-26 start, have unchallenged memories for memories of losing, so this lousy finish with four straight defeats fits well into our mental file of Bucko losses, particularly those final two (losers to San Diego and Oakland) at that great Raymond James Stadium we built for these players, and those before them.

Lousy deal, wasn’t it? Just lousy. This shabby finish at the site of the next Super Bowl, in maybe the best stadium in the NFL, on the best playing surface in the NFL, next to the best training palace in the NFL, built by team owners who certainly haven’t told Coach Jon Gruden and his players to shape up or they’ll ship them to Green Bay, who surely deserve more than their staff and “athletes” have returned, in wonderful weather and circumstances, before the most decent fans anywhere, fans who now are likely to face a ticket price raise.

Injuries, oh, we know about them. The coaches know about that risk. Yes, the loss of running back Ernest Graham was plenty serious. May well have made the difference. Got to figure on that, and to enjoy and reap the benefits of the arrivals of wideout Antonio Bryant and return star Clifton Smith.

We should not have lost those last three games—13-10 at Atlanta, 41-24 to San Diego and 31-24 to Oakland. San Diego and Oakland, remember, flew across country to lose here, and neither was a quality team. The Bucs had everything to win, were at home and quarterback Jeff Garcia had been playing pretty doggone well, recently. But, we’ve said all this before because it has happened so often before.

Oh, the coach has taken the blame, and should have, but the losses are still losses and these Bucs so beautifully accepted them.

These Buckos are not in the playoffs of a Super Bowl lottery for the SB-41 that is booked in their backyards.

What’s to be done? Well, send in some more dough for season tickets next year, when money request arrives soon. And assume Coach Gruden—no one has said he will not be back—is already checking his fishbucket of a roster for keepers and throw-backs. His assistants are already going and new ones will be coming.

Right now he’s surely looking at the free agent list and college draft. Since he all but dismissed Brian Griese this season, he certainly is in the young quarterback business. He’ll get a couple to go with his project Josh Johnson. They’ll need to get some defensive help. Stars Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks may be back but will need help to work with coming linebacker headliner Barrett and his sidekicks. I mean, even defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has gone to the Tennessee Volunteers to join son Lane, while other of Kiffin’s aides have move to promotions. The solid Buc defense of Kiffin of so many years—though not this last one when it slowed and leaked—must be rebuilt.

Malcolm Glazer, head of the owning family, is not well, and this last season could not have helped him, except in resolve. So far as anyone knows, there is no “for sale” sign out, nor is there a “situation wanted’’ sign on the Joel/Bryan Glazer door at One Buc.

But, believe me, there will be plenty of business for the name plate makers for the Buc locker-room. Losing in December has become unacceptable for the Buccaneers in the future.

Better be, some season ticket damage has already been done and higher prices could cause more in these rotten economic times.

Reader Comments

Por (Jim Kinzer) on January 04, 2009 (Suggest removal)

It’s so nice to read your columns, I did it there for 15 years! I always arose early, read your column and my mouth would always water for your descriptions of those delicious meals and mouth cleansing fruit at “The Pancake House” on Dale Mabry and the one in Town n Country! I found it hard to not go there at least 2 or 3 times a week! Keep up the good work and keep calling a Spade a Spade! I’m sure that “Salty Saul Fleshman” is not around anymore, he is a Tampa Bay Icon as well!