I notice no one said that they would wager on the Buc’s record over the Eagles. Why not? Answer: Buc management chose not to compete this year. They don’t plan on competing seriously until they are dragged kicking and screaming to the salary cap floor in 2013.

When they ask Tiger Woods if he would be satisfied just making the cut, he snaps at them, he always expects to win it all.

In order to make the playoffs, we must knock off the Saints or the Falcons, we could have decimated them in free agency signing some of their best players. We chose to grab a punter. Why do you think the Red Sox paid so much for Carl Crawford, because it decimated the pesky Rays.

How do you win without great players? If Freeman breaks a finger on a defensive lineman’s helmet or an offensive lineman rolls up on his knee, we go from 10 dash 6 to 2 dash 14.

The Eagles had less than half the money the Bucs had available. The Eagles have a stud QB in Michael Vick. The Eagles spent the money to get some players to help Vick win. The Eagles don’t need to sell tickets, the Bucs do. The Eagles build through the draft, but they’re not cheap or stupid or greedy. Its always about how much money the Glazers can squeeze out of this team.

I wonder how many Buc fans would wager that the Buc’s final record is better than the Eagles. Why do you gratefully accept mediocrity. Did you marry an ugly woman because it would be frugal and easier in the long run. GO EAGLES!

Also, they only had 2 close wins and 1 close loss that season (vs. 5 close W & 2 close L last year). For this purpose, I’m defining “close” as 4 points or less.

Three games is a big spread on games that could’ve easily gone either way. In 2002, their RS record was indicative of the quality of the team; last year their RS record was a bit better than the quality of the team.

You certainly can as a fan. I’ve done it.

I’ll be pleased with 10-6, but I’ll accept 9-7. 8-8 or worse would disappoint.

If you look at the numbers, we only outscored opponents by 23 points. That’s more fitting to an 8-8 or 9-7 team. In other words, there was some luck involved with getting to 10 wins (a number of close wins and only a couple close losses). Couple that with a likely harder schedule (but not that much harder — folks are blowing that way out of proportion; last year’s schedule wasn’t much below average) and I say 9-7 or 10-6 this year represents improvement.

The team is young and still has lots places it can improve. I think the defense will start to come together this year, but there will be some rough patches.

All that said, I desperately want them in the playoffs this year. Hell, I’m so pumped I decided to switch to DirecTV so I can watch all the games this year (I live in Texas nowadays).

@Fish — Just to continue (joe got a phone call), Look at what Dunn, Lynch, Sapp and others accomplished when they left the Bucs. They had great years. It just comes down to grabbing the right players and building a team of 53. How they’re labeled before they get here really doesn’t matter in the end.