TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
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.
Send Tom your questionsMost Recent Entries
- Whitney: Tampa will always love you
- Mackerel starting to show near beaches
- Linsanity leads to Lin-credibly inflated prices
- Bucs blocked again in search for staff assistant
- Super Bowl: The Greatest Show in the World
- Hillsborough’s Sherit lands offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss
- Mays is first Topps Prime 9 redemption card for 2012
- Rays accepting applications for the Community Fund Grant Program
- Gaither’s Stanger ranked tops in his class by Golfweek Magazine
- Former Shorecrest football coach Hayford among 34 applying for Brandon job
- Jesuit QB Tommy Eveld accepts USF walk-on offer, joins brother
- USF at Boise State in 2012?
- Panini Playoff football is no longer a secret
- 2 baseball players make commitments
- State cross country meet leaving Little Everglades
More
- Bucs Report -Tribune staff
- Rays Report - Roger Mooney
- Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
- Bulls Report
- Gators Report - Tribune staff
- Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
- Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
- The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
- Storm Report - Nick Williams
- Prep Report - Football
- Prep Report - Hillsborough
- Prep Report - Pasco
- NFL Draft Report
- Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
- Prep Report - Region
- Grapefruit Report - Spring Training
- Boxing Report - Eddie Daniels
- FC Tampa Bay soccer - Tribune Staff
- Youth Sports Report
- Scenes From College Football
- Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
- Bucified Bert Blog
- BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
- Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
- Highlands Sports
Monthly Archives
The Changes at One Buc Place
Posted Mar 14, 2009 by Tom McEwen
Updated Mar 14, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Had the Lightning won the Stanley Cup Saturday, former Lightning star Brad Richards would have driven it to our dock on Davis Islands for pictures in the 80-degree weather, different people getting the unexpected honor of posing with it. It was a big, genuinely excited crowd who had stumbled onto this great affair in 2004. It was fun, and Brad Richards never forgot it.
Bad deal now is that the Lightning are pretty lousy.
Far from there now, the playoffs, but not for the red-hot Rays. The Rays are making a run, but it’s early. And while it’s early, the Buccaneers are down the line, and have a shot, but those of good heart may in these recent days may feel just a tad better about this team with a new, smiling head coach who hopes to deliver soon to the Buc World.
Don’t know how this struck you (the Bucs bringing training camp back to Tampa) but it impressed me. Coach Raheem Morris feels like the original coaches who welcomed their fans at drills to spur interest, invite comment, hype the interest in the game. What are they going to give away by moving locally, the snapcount? Anyway, being new, perhaps Morris may feel like he could use a play or two. I never was keen on banning fans from practice.
Another point here - Buc ticket sales are off. Only a big positive start can help. It has been a long while since the Bucs have worried about crowd sizes, but believe me, they and other teams are this year. This is a starting almost-over Buccaneer team. New players here will be vital. Notice the general overall lack of interest after the Bucs released known players like Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Warrick Dunn and Ike Hilliard. I thought it would cause a firestorm. No, it didn’t.
The rest of the league must have agreed. Morris and friends seem to like youth. Who doesn’t? Only, I can’t evaluate the proven aging champs well enough from the newer, faster comers. I suppose that is why Morris does and why I report it and tell you why he says he did what he did. Clearly, the Buccaneers see this season perhaps as a time to experiment.
Notice this is a change in players, but also perhaps in offense and defense.
Betting here is that the new offense will vary from the West Coast style used by Coach Jon Gruden, which featured more short passing. Perhaps Morris will go to the deeper ball more often, which recent recruits suggest even stronger. He also has vastly improved his running game, featuring Earnest Graham, No. 1, who was overworked last year. You can also expect changes in defense, good as it was, getting away from the Monte Kiffin era. The Bucs apparently also will be much better on special teams, including the game plans.
The Buccanners are going to be better. The only problem here is that they get better quickly.
Post a comment
Members:(Requires free registration.)
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2010 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Por (Jim Kinzer) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
I enjoyed your Trib articles for 15 years and you got me hung up in having breakfast at the Pancake House on So. Dale Mabry! Old age must be taking it’s toll on you, your articles sound like Roy is writing them for you! It appears that you need to retire and get some young blood at the Trib! Alzheimer’s will do this to you! The Sauce will do it to you also!
Suggest removalPor (Rob Scanlan) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
As always, Tom’s insight of the Bucs is right on target. The thought of a power running game with a down-field passing threat is refreshing. What’s not refreshing is some heyseed from WV poking at a legend. Keep up the good work Tom.
Suggest removalPor (Duane Davis) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
Tom, thanks for helping bring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the area. With that said, would you please take your tired old writing style and worrisome syntax back out to pasture. My daughter has better insight to the Bucs than you. You did a lot for putting Tampa on the map as far as sports is concerned, but it didn’t make you then, or now, a good writer.
Suggest removalPor (G. Michael Reynolds) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
What the hell is wrong with the people who read the blogs and articles on this site? Sniping at TOM MCEWEN? Is this because it’s not soccer season and you don’t have your kid’s soccer coach to curse at? Unbelievable the vitriol that’s coming out of the idiots around here. The blasting of Roy Cummings is getting old as well. Stop showing your a—es people and behave like adults instead of children that didn’t get your way.
Suggest removalPor (tatmanfish) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
this is toms view of the state of the franchise,not an investigative report.talking smack about an olds man opinion is pretty classy!ill give you Roy.he often chooses the other side of the facts and chases rumors while putting his own two cents in(which is usually off base or flat out wrong)without resortin to any facts or stats to back up anythin he says.tom here is simply making a statement and does not deserve to be rediculed by some redneck, backwoods jerk*** that cant tell the difference of a writup of opionion between an informative news story. or some moron that is confuse what worrisome syntax is. anytime tom reffered to something that could be taken as “worrisome” he presented the other side as well. its called being un-biased.
Suggest removalPor (JVand) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
Alzheimer’s? This was an editorial, an opinion. Come on guys, we need something to get us through the draft, then through training camp. Why get personal?
Suggest removalPor (Dave Ring) on March 15, 2009 (Suggest removal)
G Reynolds. I could not agree more. Well said. I read these blogs often and am amazed at the childish personal rants aimed at the writers. And the spelling and butchered cliche’s??? Come on!
Suggest removalPor (Duanee Davis) on March 16, 2009 (Suggest removal)
Sorry folks, but if Tom can offer up critisim towards others as he has done in the past, he can be adult enough to take some back.
Suggest removalPor (Bill Stubbs) on March 16, 2009 (Suggest removal)
Tom: When I lived in Tampa-Lakeland area back 30 years ago I read your articles in the Trib most everyday and heard you speak several times. I thought you were among the best then and I still have that same feeling today. Keep on, Tom!
Suggest removal