Tuesday Afternoon Linebacker

In the next few days college football gets started in earnest. There are a host of big games and a ton of lesser collisions, including the Gators versus Wyoming and the debut of the big-time version of the Urban Meyer spread-option. The pro game will wrap up their exhibition season as well, thankfully. TALB thoroughly enjoyed his first live fantasy football draft. It was exciting and a ton of fun.

Super Town
As was much discussed this past Spring, Tampa was awarded a fourth Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLIII will follow the 2008 season and be played in early February. For a list of future Super Bowl sites, click here.

Even with all the hoopla surrounding the announcement, the mood around town was subdued. I guess that is what happens when a town gets awarded it’s fourth big game. I can remember the excitement surrounding XVIII. All over town you couldn’t escape Super Bowl mania for the entire season leading up to the game. My parents and I walked down to the stadium a few days before the game and picked up a few souvenirs. And there was also a pretty good vibe going around XXV, probably because it was the 25th game and had some significance in NFL history. But things changed with XXXV. I could remember that no one really cared much after the announcement. About the only thing anyone could muster was the hope that the Bucs would be the first home team in the game.

Then I contrast that with what was going on in Jacksonville the last couple of years. They were just plain crazy for the Super Bowl. Billboards, tags on cars, TV commercials; everywhere you went something or someone was pimping XXXIX. Casual conversation would turn to Super Bowl trivia at any time. What is worse is that I started to look down my nose at these people. I was so jaded that I thought, “Oh look, they’re playing a game out here in the sticks…” or something like that. And what’s really sad for the fine people in Jax is that, judging by the reactions in the press, they’ll never get the chance to feel the way we do in Tampa.

Playgrounds
For the hell of it, here are links to overhead imagery of each of the 31 NFL stadiums. This is what happens when I have time on my hands at 4 in the morning.
* Indicates stadium was under construction at time of photo.

NFC South
Raymond James (Bucs)
Bank Of America Stadium (Panthers)
Georgia Dome (Falcons)
Super Dome (Saints)
NFC East
Texas Stadium (Cowboys)
Giants Stadium (Giants)
FedEx Field (Redskins)
Lincoln Financial Field* (Eagles)
NFC West
Monster Park (49ers). Game On!
Sun Devil Stadium (Cardinals)
Qwest Field (Seahawks)
Edward Jones Dome (Rams)
NFC North
Lambeau Field (Packers)
Soldier Field* (Bears)
Metrodome (Vikings)
Ford Field (Lions)

AFC South
Alltel (Jags)
“The” Dome (Colts)
Reliant Stadium* (Texans)
Nashville Coliseum (Titans)
AFC East
Gillette Stadium* (Patriots)
Ralph Wilson Stadium (Bills)
Giants Stadium (Jets)
Dolphins Stadium (Dolphins)
AFC West
Invesco Field (Broncos)
Qualcomm Stadium (Chargers)
Arrowhead Stadium (Chiefs)
McAfee Coliseum (Raiders)
AFC North
Cleveland Browns Stadium (Browns)
M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens)
Heinz Field (Steelers)
Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals)

Rivals
Over at the Bucs’ website you can find a feature called “Answer Man”. The most recent edition of the Answer Man asked readers to submit who they think is the Bucs’ biggest rival. Below you will find what TALB submitted.

The question of rivalries for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a complex matter. First and foremost, we have to consider that prior to 1995 (”five dash two”) the Bucs were not, as they say, respectable. That season our favorite team managed to finish “seven dash nine” and avoid the 10+ loss season for the first time in about eighty-seven years. So, prior to 1995 and lacking respectability, the Bucs could not rightly claim any true rivalries. It is difficult to say you have a rivalry with a team that consistently stomps you year-in and year-out; just ask the Georgia Bulldogs (a little comedy folks…). Also, a rivalry must be a two-way street. Both teams (okay, the fans really) have to harbor genuine resentment (and a little respect) for the other side for this to work. Both sides also have to acknowledge the rivalry.

One could posit that the “Bay of Pigs” match-ups of the late-80’s and early-90’s (as so named by the late Pete Axthelm) was the start of a rivalry between the two teams. During the lean years for both teams this was a somewhat entertaining matchup of one of the league’s storied franchises versus one of the league’s sorriest franchises; even if the games had zero playoff implications most of the time. This is the only example, pre-1995 that should be considered when looking for rivals of the Buccaneers.

So, who are the candidates for post-1995 rivals? As the Answer Man points out, the Packers, Falcons, Rams, and Panthers are all good candidates for a rivalry with the Bucs. I will now break-down each possible rivalry and see what we can come up with. Then I’ll examine a couple of other possibilities to consider.

Green Bay Packers
As noted above, the Packers-Bucs rivalry can likely be traced back a couple of decades to the old NFC Norris collisions. With the rise of both the Packers and Bucs in the 1990’s a new level of competitiveness emerged in these games. And who can forget the classic Favre-Sapp exchanges? I think that from 1997-2003, this was a true rivalry. But now it has lost some of the intensity. We haven’t played each other in a couple of seasons. Sapp is gone. After this year’s collision, we aren’t likely to see Favre again. And we just don’t play often enough to sustain the animosity. 5/10

St. Louis Rams
If you had asked me in 2002 who were the Bucs’ biggest rivals I would have said the Rams. Starting in January 2000 and ending in the 2002 regular season the two teams met four times, each game more thrilling than the last. The two standouts in that span being the “reversal” games; the ‘99 NFCCG and the regular season match-up in 2000. The Rams win the defensive struggle and the Bucs win the shoot-out, who’d have thunk it? The heat did die down in this series though, with no game in 2003 and the Bucs falling in the standings in 2004. Though if both teams can reach the playoffs this year and produce another thrilling game, and then a possible division-finish match-up for next year this could get hot again. 6/10

Atlanta Falcons
Rich McKay. That’s enough to get the message boards a-blazin’ right there. Even with Atlanta’s recent success, the Bucs still pretty much “own” the Falcons. Will this trend continue? I don’t think so, but the history of this match-up is in the Bucs’ favor to be sure. Brooks-Vick is still scintillating to watch. Then there’s the old saying “familiarity breeds contempt”, and being in the same division will only add fire to this flame. Though it seems that the Falcons and Panthers see each other as their biggest rivals, there is something between the Bucs and Falcons as well. 8/10

Carolina Panthers
I wonder if Kenyatta Walker is even allowed in North Carolina without a police escort. Some of the fiercest trash-talk I’ve seen since the NFC South was created has been between Panthers fans and Bucs fans. Plus, the players like to stir this pot too. As I said above, the Panthers likely view the Falcons as their biggest rival, but there is room for the Bucs. 8/10

Other Possibles:
Vikings - After Tony Dungy came to town, I thought this would develop into something. But it didn’t. 1/10
Colts - After “That” game in 2003 Bucs fans sure got heated up, but the Colts don’t care. 1/10
Saints - Even in 2002, when they beat us twice, we won the Super Bowl. Not much fear there I’d say. 3/10
Bears - Their fans used to fill the Sombrero back in the day. But since the Bears plummeted and the Bucs rose, there’s not been much animosity between the two. 1/10

So what’s is my conclusion as to who are the Buccaneers’ rivals? It has to be the Falcons and Panthers, in that order, no question. Who says you can’t have more than one rival? And there’s still room for the Rams if the Bucs can get back to the playoffs and maybe get some regular season match-ups based on division standings.

The Space Cowboy
Maurice Clarett is to be released by the Broncos. This is, of course, the expected result of this poor kid’s travails over the past three years. If only the people around him had advised against leaving college after just one good year.

Thunder(ers) In The Distance
We Buc Junkies had our draft this past Friday, and what a flurry of action and testosterone it was. The first pick of the draft was, of course, Peyton Manning. TALB selected 5th in the first round, taking Willis McGahee. Each subsequent round of drafting reversed the order. We each have fourteen roster spots, of which twelve were filled during the draft. The final two will be added via free agency starting Wednesday night. TALB intends to pick up another Defense and either a fourth receiver or extra tight end.

Your 2005 Tampa Bay Thunderers
QB Ben Rothlesberger
QB Brian Griese
RB Willis McGahee
RB Curtis Martin
RB Jerome Bettis
RB Lee Suggs
WR Tory Holt
WR Brandon Stokley
WR Justin McCariens
TE Jason Witten
K Nate Keading
DEF Buffalo Bills

Running Items
WTF?
Chris Weinkie is still on an NFL roster.

Super Bowl XL
Patriots vs. NFC Fodder
But seriously, can the Patriots really do it again? I doubt it. Find out more…

Next Week: NFL Preview, NCAA week 1 wrap-up, and the start of the looooong TALB columns….