OK, what did we really learn from pre-season?

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Paul Stewart

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:51 AM

Apart from the fact that season ticket holders begrudge having to pay for “the privilege” of watching these games and that Chris Myers is a good sideline reporter but not a play-by-play man.

Let’s start with the good points.  No-one really important got seriously hurt.  Davin Joseph picked up an injury in his rookie season during pre-season and missed the first three weeks that year too.  We need him back based on the size of the holes he and Jeff Faine were creating against New England, but Jeremy Zuttah can cover until he returns. 

All of the top three picks showed some nice touches without being overwhelmingly dominant.  Along with Zuttah, top pick Aqib Talib held his own and wil start at nickel corner, and Dexter Jackson had his coming out party in Houston. Just watch that return again and see if you can see any real key blocks on the way.  That was a pure speed return.  Even 6th round pick Geno Hayes looks a keeper for special teams this year.

The worrying points for me are twofold.  Jeff Garcia has more rust on him that the Blues Brothers’ car and remember how that fell apart at the end of the film?  The only time the Buc offense looked really out of synch and started spluttering turnovers were when Garcia was at the helm against Jacksonville.  The Bucs did resolve the back-up issue with Brian “son of Bob” Griese and Luke “brother of Josh” McCown proving they can do the job if need be.

And there are the receivers.  Trade you a Joey Galloway rookie card for a sighting of No.84 himself?  I’d love to hope he will appear by magic on the Superdome turf on Sunday week and gain 100 yards.  I’d also love for Wham! to play a comeback gig too.

If we need a nickname for our receiving corps, how about “Invisible Joey and the Question Marks”?  Take your pick from Clayton, Bryant, Hilliard, Stovall and Jackson - none of them can honestly be counted on for the entire season.  It could get ugly when the Bucs throw downfield this season as there is a little-known new NFL rule that for every 100 short passes to the backs, you have to throw one pass over 30 yards.

We also learned that everyone now loves Chris Simms. His locker is probably already as empty as part of his insides, and his playbook can be posted back from the Cowboys’ locker-room where he’ll probably wind up.  Thanks Chris - you showed more heart than too many other Buc passers of years gone by.  Good luck.

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Have the Lightning signed Meszaros?

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:51 AM

As the days to the start of training camp begin to dwindle down, and with the Lightning supposedly still on the lookout for a defenseman, have new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie opted to try to raid another team’s roster for some help?

A report out of Ottawa this morning suggest that the Lightning have an interest in acquiring restricted free agent 22-year-old defenseman Andrej Meszaros. The Ottawa Sun suggests that the Lightning have been in contact with the Senators suggesting that if they opt not to trade Meszaros to the Tampa Bay, then the Lightning are prepared to submit an offer sheet that could pay Meszaros $5 million per season. Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, should the Senators not match such an offer sheet then Tampa Bay would forfeit a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round draft pick based on the annual salary of the player.

The Hockey News reported on its web site on Thursday that an undisclosed team had alread submitted of offer sheet to the agent for Meszaros, Ritch Winter. Winter declined to comment to the Ottawa Sun while Senators’ general manager Bryan Murray denied the report to The Hockey News.

Murray met with members of the Ottawa media on Thursday, stating that the team had reached an impasse in negotiations with the three-year veteran and former first-round draft pick. Meszaros, who is just coming out of his entry level deal, is reported to be looking for a long-term deal in the $4.5 million per year range while the Senators are believed to have offered deals that would pay Meszaros in the $3.5 million range.

There has no indication from the Lightning this morning whether the report was accurate.

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Henson To Appear On Beef O’Brady’s High School Scoreboard

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Nick Williams

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:37 AM

Want to see what new Sickles basketball player John Henson looks like, sounds like? The 6-foot-10, University of North Carolina commit who moved to Tampa weeks ago will appear on Catch 47 Beef O’Brady’s High School Scoreboard on Monday at 6, 8 and 10 p.m.

I want to hear from the Sickles student body. What type of excitement has his presence caused?

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Football: Judgement Day For Bloomingdale Bulls

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Nick Williams

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:21 AM

VALRICO — Bloomingdale senior linebacker CJ Curran said the program hasn’t won a preseason classic since his freshman year.

The Bulls face Riverview tonight in a pivotal moment in program history, where first-year head coach Jason Stokes hopes to lead the team into a winning era. But because the players have grown accustomed to losing (historically one of the most unsuccessful programs in the county), Stokes is cautious about morale if things don’t go their way tonight.

“We had our best practice all year (on Wednesday),” Stokes said. “The one thing I’m concerned about is the deer in headlights syndrome. I don’t want them to lose what they’ve learned, what they were coached. We got to set the tone now.”

Stokes will make his debut as head coach against his former team, where he worked as a defensive assistant for five years.

“I love those kids over there,” he said. “It’s going to be real fun.”

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Lets Hear Your Bucs Predictions

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Anwar S. Richardson

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 10:11 AM

You have read about OTAs, minicamps, witnessed training camp and seen four preseason games. You have enough information to make a prediction, so time to cough it up.

What do you think Tampa Bay’s record is going to be this season? Can Tampa Bay win the NFC South title? Could the Bucs be a Super Bowl contender?

All I’m going to say is if you don’t put your predicition on record, don’t pop up after the season banging your chest and telling everyone “I told you so.”

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

 

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USF-UT Martin exceeds 43K; KU game nearing 47K

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:11 PM

With a little more than a day before the University of South Florida’s season opener against Tennessee Martin, the Bulls have already distributed 43,000 tickets.

That guarantees USF will exceed the announced crowd of 43,122 for the 2005 home opener against Florida A&M, the second largest home opening crowd in program history. USF could challenge the all-time home opening mark of 49,212, set in the program’s inaugural game in 1997.

Also, school officials said the Bulls already have sold 46,500 tickets for the Sept. 12 Kansas game, which will be televised on ESPN2. The game is expected to be a sell out.

Favored sons: Pat Forde, one of my favorite writers at ESPN.com, had a tremendous note concerning teams that have the longest active streaks being favored by the Las Vegas oddsmakers against Division I-A teams.

A lot of it has to do with how good a team is, but a lot of it also has to do with how good a team is perceived to be by the betting public.

USF was favored in its final nine games of last season, which ranks as the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. Although the Bulls were favored in those nine games, their record was only 5-4.

By comparison, here are the nation’s teams with the four longest active streaks as favorites entering this season: LSU 21 games, 19-2 record; Oklahoma 20 games, 16-4 record; Clemson 11 games, 7-4 record; and BYU 10 games, 9-1 record.

Genshaft will held name next commish: USF President Judy Genshaft is among a six-person Big East committee that will chose the league’s next commissioner after Mike Tranghese announced this would be his final year.

Besides Genshaft, the committee, co-chaired by Georgetown President John J. DeGioia and Pittsburgh President Mark Nordenberg, also includes presidents or chancellors from Marquette, Notre Dame and Rutgers.

Don’t tell Grothe this: On Monday, Chick-fil-A will give three free chicken strips to anyone wearing their favorite football team’s attire. Chick-fil-A officials throughout Tampa and Lakeland have been notified to be on the lookout for a repeat customer wearing a green No. 8 jersey.

Other USF notes: For those readers in the Fort Myers area, USF’s football games will be broadcast on WPTK-AM 1200 and WNPL-AM 1460. … The Bulls’ volleyball season begins Friday with the four-team USF Invitational at the Corral. … The men’s soccer team opens the season Saturday against Bowling Green at the University of Tampa’s Pepin-Rood Stadium. … The women’s soccer team (0-0-1) visits UAB Friday. ... Time’s running out: if you want to enter the Tribune/TBO.com picks contest for this week, here’s the link. I’ll post my predictions for the UT Martin game later Friday or Saturday.

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Bucs/Texans Recap

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Darin Shaw

Updated Aug 28, 2008 at 11:42 PM

Yawn.  And if I was struggling to stay interested, I’ll bet my friend across the ocean, catching this game in the wee hours, was out cold.  Why does the NFL do this to us?  A four game pre-season schedule where the players we know see a couple of series here and there - and with tickets (and beer and brats) at full regular-season prices - goodness!  I think McCain and Obama should make this a campaign promise.  “No longer will you be subjected to four long weeks of this!”

My review?  Yeh… McCown okay, blah, blah.  Simms bound for Baltimore, blah, blah.  Michael Bennett equals Mr. August, blah, blah.

Where was Michael Clayton tonight?  For a guy said to be fighting for his roster life, I say hmmm.  How about Ryan Nece?  Barely scratched his way onto the stat sheet.  Can’t bode well for his chances. 

Will someone please… PLEASE!!!! agree with me that this Matt Bryant thing is scary?  I will give you the 54 yarder.  But wide right again on one that I could have kicked?  A wonderful 3 out of 5 on the night?  I’m telling you, go to Costco or Sams to buy your Rolaids.  You’re going to need the BIG jar.

Dexter Jackson cemented his spot tonight, I think.  I’m not really thinking he needed to cement it - a second round pick, you figure he has a spot on merit.  But, in addition to the TD return, his ability to make a play any time the ball is in his hands will make him a toy Gruden wants around. 

What did you see out there tonight?

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Lightning Holiday College Classic no more?

Posted Aug 29, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM

The Lightning Holiday Classic college hockey tournament appears to be no more. Although not greatly attended, it did get Tampa Bay’s name out there in the college hockey market place, which is somewhat important since the area is hosting the 2012 Frozen Four NCAA tournament.

Apparently, the tournament is being moved to an Chicago suburb in early January.

UPDATE: Wanted to pass along some information in regards to this post. The tournament is indeed not happening. Seems that it became a bit too cost prohibitive and the schools participating this year - reportedly of which Notre Dame was responsible for acquiring - just weren’t attractive enough to try and draw interest in the four-school tournament. Lower than hoped attendence numbers certainly didn’t help, so new ownership opted not to continue hosting the event.

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Welcome Back Tyler Gimbert

Posted Aug 28, 2008 by Katherine Smith

Updated Aug 29, 2008 at 06:59 AM

The Kickoff Classics are almost here. After two weeks of practice in pads, players from around the county are looking forward to hitting somebody other than a teammate.

It’s hard to argue there is anybody more excited about playing Friday night than Alonso linebacker/defensive lineman Tyler Gimbert. Gimbert doesn’t just love football, he loves football.

“I love hitting,” Gimbert said. “I love the Friday night lights and cracking skulls and seeing who is the better team. I love the game. I love the people. I love the coaches. I love the cheerleaders. I love everything about it.”

Nearly one year ago, Gimbert was told he would never play football again. Read in today’s Tampa Tribune how the Alonso junior defied the odds and with the help of modern medicine, made his way back onto the football field.

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Thank You And Good Bye Barefoot Stew

Posted Aug 28, 2008 by Tom McEwen

Updated Aug 28, 2008 at 08:25 PM

During his robust and rousing years, his years of worldwide travel, his I-dare-you times, Stew McDonald was an envied man. Tall, athletic and about as good a barefoot water-skier as you’d ever want to watch.

He looked a bit like Lee Marvin, did the carefree dangerous things Lee Marvin did in the movies, had a fine formal education and did, some say, most of everything he wanted to do while living a long adventurous life.

And, Stew McDonald almost never, ever wore shoes.

He used to come to my Tribune office regularly.  He appreciated the media and some of those in it, and he knew a story when he was doing it, whether barefoot water skiing, or cutting ads for the big-time television ads which he wrote and directed.

The zestful, imaginative Stew McDonald died this week after a long eventful life surrounded by family. You and I will remember Stew for his verve, his big smile, his barefooted acrobatics - wondering how in the heck he could put those feet of his down on the hot Downtown Tampa concrete this time of year.

Anyway, Stew said he did not like shoes, ever, and cast them aside after the Air Force.

Of course, growing up in Wauchula I wondered how Merle and Bob Revels could go to my Hardee County High without shoes, along with others, but they did and never once winced, far as I could tell. Hey, they lived in Ona, not a show place. I lived in Wauchula, a shoes place.

Stew was as a yankee who went to Cornell, then our University of Miami where he was the president of the student body. He joined the Air Force, learned to fly, drive boats and cars fast, chose our sunshine over the snow, and dived into water skiing hereabouts in the Fifties. He worked hard with Dick Pope (inventor of barefoot skiing) and started his ski school here in Tampa that he directed. From then on this adventurous man water-skied the world over and posted countless TV ads for many of the big corporations.

Tampa, generally, had been his base all this time and Floridians have been his friends.

Stew McDonald was easy to know, easy to like. And, yes, yes he is in the Water Skiing Hall of Fame.

Now, don’t forget, these world-class barefoot skiers do about everything their counter part on skis do - twists, turns, acrobatics, and jumps - and they have the competions that the on-ski athletes do. Much of all that is now, and has been, was perfected at the wonderful McCormick Water Ski School just north of I-4, between Tampa and Plant City, Florida.

“I’ve been barefoot since I was a boy,’’ Stew told our Bob Scanlon once. “I never liked shoes. I had to wear them in the service.  I took them off and I have never worn them since, oh, except to weddings of special importance.”

He perfected the routine of leaving a jumping ramp at 42 miles an hour.  America and Australia pioneered the sport, but, no one was more important to it than the late Stew.

He made it clear that it was Dick Pope and the Cypress Gardens Family that made it all go.  He reminded me that is was a man named A.G. Hancock, a Central Florida banker, who made the first barefoot ski, and the Popes who made it a world-wide popular sport.

But the man being lain to rest, our own Stew McDonald, surely was the all time champion of barefoot waterskiing.

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