The dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, broke a story on 620 WDAE-AM yesterday about Aqib Talib and other Bucs significantly blowing curfew in London.

The result wasn’t pretty.

After the Bucs’ loss to New England, per Duemig citing an eyewitness, the curfew violators were confronted in the hotel lobby by a waiting Raheem The Dream and numerous F-bombs were fired from Talib’s mouth to Raheem The Dream’s ears.

Joe must note that the Bucs have not denied the report, and Joel Glazer has not issued a scathing response.

It happened.

Surely, Talib will be fined yet again. Whether it be paying fat hourly wages to defense attorneys, numerous team fines, bar tabs for Torrie Cox, and no doubt soon a civil suit payoff to a cab driver, Talib is a walking ATM these days.

What concerns Joe must is the lack of internal leadership within the Bucs locker room. What has multiple players thinking it’s OK to be 0-7 and bust curfew?

Does this happen if Derrick Brooks is on the team?

It was Raheem The Dream who labeled Talib “wild child” after he got in trouble shortly after being drafted by the Bucs in 2008.

It’s time for Raheem The Dream to drop some serious discipline on his bad apple before he spoils the whole young bunch.

Still thinking about what to do tonight?

Why limit your options. Head over to Derby Lane in St. Petersburg for an unbelievable buffet in the Derby Club and enjoy live greyhound racing, poker tournaments and live action play into the wee hours. And you won’t miss any college football while you’re there.

Total fun.

So there’s Josh Freeman in the huddle at practice with his teammates hanging on his every word as he calls a play. And there’s Jeff Faine barking at the rookie, “Speak up!”

This was one glimpse Faine gave into the maturation process of Freeman, during an interview on 1010 AM on Friday.

Faine tossed aside the politically correct ramblings that flow from most players’ mouths while addressing the media and talked about how Freeman has the physical tools but needs to work on his leadership.

Faine talked about how Freeman needs to lose his soft-spoken guy aura. “It’s one of the things I’m trying to help him with.”

Joe isn’t surprised to learn about this being an area of weakness for Freeman. And surely he can step up and take command of the team, especially if he plays pretty well.

But Joe also has to wonder. What if it becomes obvious he’s clearly not ready to take this on, especially given the pressure of a horrendous team and an angry fan base?

Raheem The Dream can’t take him out of the lineup. There’s no turning back.

As talk of helmet-wielding Aqib Talib getting into yet another confrontation swirls (Joe will bring you that later), Joe thought it might be a good time offer the latest on Talib’s legal troubles.

In the case of the State vs. Talib, who allegedly clocked a cab driver in the back of the head while the cabbie sped along I-275 and Talib was intoxicated in the back seat, the court system is moving things along.

Talib’s arraignment on his midemeanor battery charge is on Nov. 9.

Talib has signed a waiver so he doesn’t have to appear in court for that, and he’s waived his right to a speedy trial. Mr. Talib also has filed his written plea of “not guilty.”

Jeff Faine says he was in the center of Thursday's skirmish at Bucs practice

Things got a little nasty as the Bucs practiced in full pads and their throwback helmets Thursday in a final workout before their bye weekend vacation.

No, this is not a post about a player clobbering a teammate with his helmet. That guy was given the day off to meet with his attorney nurse an injury.

But there still was a good practice field fight on Thursday, so said Bucs center Jeff Faine.

Speaking Friday on 1010 AM, Faine said the entire offensive line got into it with rookie defensive end Kyle Moore, who has yet to play in the regular season. Faine wasn’t too specific but made it clear he personally was went after Moore — “twice.”

Faine said such heated practice exchanges can be good for the team but he avoided explaining how or why Moore set off the O-line. In fact, Faine wouldn’t even say the rookie’s full name.

“It’s just Moore. Rookies don’t have first names,” Faine said.

Former Bucs great and current NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp has never been one to hold back his opinions. One such opinion is the promotion of rookie Josh Freeman to the Bucs starting quarterback position.

In Friday’s chat with Sapp on NFL.com, Sapp tore apart the decision.

Jennifer, Tampa
Hi Warren! Do you think the Bucs are doing the right thing by starting Freeman or should they have let Josh Johnson handle the rest of the season?

Warren Sapp, NFL Network
Nope. Nope. Nope. You don’t have an OC. This is your third QB. What’s different about the people on the field? You went from a veteran to a young guy to a rookie. You want experience at that position … they’re going in the wrong direction.

Joe has no further comment.

Joe brings you the power rankings from various national media outlets for the Bucs bye week. It ain’t pretty folks.

Mike Sando of BSPN has the Bucs at No. 30.

With nine games left, is it too soon to hand over the offense to rookie Josh Freeman?

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com is even more harsh with the Bucs dead last.

With all due respect to young QB Josh Johnson, this should have been Josh Freeman’s gig the entire time — tough Tampa schedule or not. With the Bucs headed into a bye week, the rookie first-rounder will get all the first-team reps for the rest of the season in what will be very accurately portrayed as “learning under fire.”

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com isn’t as rough on the Bucs, ranking them at No. 30.

One has to wonder if Raheem Morris will make it longer than one year. There are doubts about it now.

Clifton Brown of SportingNews.com predicts bad things for the Bucs at No. 31.

Look at their schedule, and look at their team. A winless season is quite possible.

Knox Bardeen of Fanhouse.com also has the Bucs deadlast at No. 32.

The Bucs enter their bye week with a huge decision looming over their heads. The season is lost and Josh Johnson is floundering. Is it time to hand the quarterback job to the future of the franchise, Josh Freeman? Whoever is throwing the ball in Tampa, don’t expect too many wins from here on out.

Is Raheem the Dream beginning to crack under the pressure of being 0-7 in his first season as Bucs head coach?

The Bucs are taking a four-day weekend thanks to the bye — Joe will write about that in a moment — but Joe noticed some very curious comments from Raheem the Dream.

Joe is trying to figure out who he is calling out.

In a rare admission (?) of guilt or fingerpointing by an NFL head coach, Raheem the Dream claimed he could sense, or is just now realizing, that months ago the Bucs were being shaped into a potential winless season, detailed by Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Morris said that this slide into NFL oblivion has been long in coming for the Buccaneers, dating back to the offseason, when their identity as a winless team began to take shape.

”We actually talked about it this morning. Losing doesn’t start, going 0-7 doesn’t start yesterday. It didn’t start at the beginning of the season when we played Dallas,” Morris said. “It started in weight training, it started in OTA days, it started in training camp.

”Everything we’ve done to this point is who we are. These guys are holding up, but we’ve got to do more than hold up. We’re not in here to hold up. Holding up gets you to 0-7. We’re here to fight through, we’re here to power through, we’re here to be our best selves. We’re not about holding up.”

What exactly Morris trying to say?

Is he starting to crack, dropping veiled hints that he’s not getting enough support from high above at One Buc Palace?

Is Raheem the Dream taking a swipe at general manager Mark Dominik?

Is Raheem the Dream admitting that he hired a bunch of louses as assistants?

Or could Raheem the Dream be dropping hints that maybe he’s having second thoughts about even accepting the gig as Bucs head coach?

Raheem the Dream is calling someone out — maybe himself — but Joe can’t quite put a finger on who.

As for the four-day weekend, unless — which is quite possible — there is something written in the NFL’s contract with the NFLPA, all but a handful of these guys should be busting their rear ends off at One Buc Palace if they had any pride.

Sammie Stroughter, have fun back home on the west coast.

Donald Penn, take off for some time in the Bahamas.

Aqib Talib, party hearty anywhere you want, just hire a limo and stay away from cabbies?

Cadillac Williams, do anything you want so long as you rest those knees.

The rest of this winless team — especially your wet-behind-the-ears rookie starting quarterback who is about to make his first start against Dom Capers’ defense  — should be spending 14-hour days at One Buc Palace practicing, lifting and pouring over tape.

Why a winless team is getting a four-day weekend is beyond Joe.

Before he was hit with a gag order by Clear Channel management, WTSP-TV Channel 10 was able to snag an interview with suspended WDAE-AM 620 morning host Dan Sileo over his inaccurate report that the Glazers were near bankruptcy thanks to investing with financial scoundrel Bernie Madoff and were about to sell the Bucs to cover their losses.

Joe is sad to learn that former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of only three men to lead the Bucs to an NFC championship game as the starting signal-caller, was recently let go by BSPN.

But not for that reason.

Usually when BSPN lets go of an on-air personality, it’s for some sexual dalliance, whether it be (allegedly) sexting or getting to know a co-worker in the Biblical sense.

That is not the case with King.

Joe is sad to learn this. Joe enjoyed listening, the few times he watched King on BSPN (because, other than college football or basketball games, Joe avoids the four-letter like the plague). King was insightful, intelligent, and a likable personality.

Joe got to briefly know King when he was the highly successful offensive coordinator at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg just after his NFL playing days. Joe had also interviewed King a time or two when he was the Bucs quarterback.

Here’s to hoping King lands on his feet for a superior operation like, say, the NFL Network.

And if you happen to be cheating yourself by not having the NFL Network, Joe kindly asks, “What’s the matter with you?”

Be a man. Get the NFL Network!

Vacation Man of BSPN discusses why the Bucs pulled the trigger on starting Josh Freeman against Green Bay. Joe already found a hole in Vacation Man’s premise. Let’s see if any of Joe’s readers catch it as well.

Joe is often asked about his favorite beer. That would be Caybrew, the dynamite lager from the Cayman Islands.

When Joe has ice cold Caybrew in his hand and a game on the tube, all Joe needs is Jenn Sterger holding him and heaven on earth will be achieved.

So where to find this Caybrew? A list of intelligent bars, restaurants and retailers can be found here.

But today there is a special Caybrew tasting with the glorious Caybrew girls at World of Wine at 3431 South Westshore Blvd. in Tampa beginning at 6 p.m. Come early or come late. It’s going to be a great time.

That’s right. Caybrew girls. They’re as fine as the beer.