The thoughtful Saturday Tribune story by Anwar Richardson pointing out that 11 of the Tampa Bay Bucs’ dependables are over 30 years old, and perhaps are properly seasoned for the championship run this fall, reminds that this is but the latest such adventure featuring experience over youth. It’s an Allen family ploy that worked in the past, why not now?

We speak of the winning schemes of the late great Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins coach and innovator, George Allen, whose Over The Hill Gangs are legendary. His sons include George, a U.S. senator from Virginia, and Bruce, general manager of the Bucs who assembled this roster which includes the notable 11 over 30.

In 1971 at Washington, Coach George Allen, declaring “the future is now,” with which Buc Coach Jon Gruden and his talent man, Bruce, obviously agree, traded away his first five draft picks for veterans, including quarterback Billy Kilmer and promising defensive talent for the “future now” gambit. It worked with those Over The Hill Gang guys. Can it now? Richardson’s Tribune analysis suggests it might. He featured defensive veteran Kevin Carter but his Gang, ranging in age from Michael Bennett and Chris Hovan, at 30, to wideout Joey Galloway at 36 and quarterback Jeff Garcia at 38.

In this reliance on experience over new blood, Bruce Allen will take a spot in history alongside his dad, who, by the way, began the use of special teams, then created a coaching spot for that technique. The first special team hires were Dick Vermeil and Marv Levy.

Allen took the Skins to the Super Bowl. In time, only Vince Lombardi won more games coaching than George Allen, and even later Allen coached in the United States Football League, bringing his Arizona team to Tampa to play Steve Spurrier’s Bandits.

Richardson’s list of the Bucs’ Senior Squad, in addition to Carter, Bennett and Hovan, includes key players Ike Hilliard, Josh Bidwell, Matt Bryant and long-timers Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn and the wise and resolute Ronde Barber. There are other studniks on this team, but these 11 are the win-now seniors George Allen, had in mind when he studied the waiver wires and the trade reports.

George was, as you know, a workaholic. Had a bed in his office, ulcers, sustained so often on ice cream and peanut butter sandwiches? He ended work at 72, and died of ventricular fibrillation after beating Nevada in Los Angeles for Long Beach State on a cold night, allowing himself to be soaked, by dumping after the win and traveling home still soaked.

George Allen would love this band of Buccaneers, the 11 over-30s anchored by Garcia. He’d like Garcia’s leadership, his balding head, his grit - especially his grit. In truth, all 11 of these aging (aging, at 30?) Buckos would fit with the Over the Hill Gang of his. Now, is there anyone among the 11 who will boast, if those guys could do it, we can do it?

You know that is what Bruce Allen is feeling.