Joe realizes there are throngs of conspiracy aficionados out there convinced that Team Glazer and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik would rather be waterboarded than aggressively shop for free agents.

So with those tin-foil hat types in mind, Joe is calling attention to an in-depth look at NFC South free agency that published yesterday on Buccaneers.com. The 1000+ word piece is extremely well done, and focuses on who might stay or go from the Saints, Panthers and Falcons. Here’s a snippet:

DeCoud is another starter on the Atlanta defense who needs a new contract, and also another member of the Falcons’ 2008 draft class. That group also included Douglass and Biermann with later picks, and the ability of all four of those draftees to carve out important roles is partially why the team’s pending free agent class has so many prominent names. DeCoud is coming off a career-best four-interception season but both he and Sanders, a part-time starter the last three years, are free agents. The Falcons may have to choose between them, or they could dip into what appears to be a fairly deep pool of free agent safeties this year. 

Like the Saints (see below), the Falcons have two wide receivers both hitting free agency at the same time, though both are reserves behind entrenched starters Roddy White and Julio Jones. Both Douglas and Weems hold value for the Falcons, but in different ways. Douglas has improved his catch and yardage totals each of the last two years after missing 2009 due to injury, and last season he was a productive third receiver with 39 receptions for 498 yards. Weems hasn’t figured much into the passing game in his four seasons in Atlanta but is one of the league’s more dangerous punt and kickoff return men, and has been to the Pro Bowl. It might be difficult for the Falcons to get both of them back, particularly if they go hard after the likes of Grimes, Lofton, Gonzalez and Abraham.

Again, Joe found the piece to be excellent reading. (As for Weems, if the Bucs aren’t going to use Micheal Spurlock, and Preston Parker has fumbling issues, then Weems would be an exciting pickup.)

As for the Buccaneers’ official website exciting fans about free agency and offering a great education on the NFL’s version of March Madness, Joe wonders how some Bucs fans will interpret that.

Joe’s not so sure Arrelious Benn isn’t a stretch-the-field deep threat, but merely a victim of a maddening, subpar offensive coordinator.

That written, loads of Bucs observers believe the team needs a burner in the receiving corps to open up the field. Even Donald Penn playing general manager wants the Bucs to score a speedster on the flanks.

One wide reciever coming to the free agent market is 25-year-old Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, and Tampa Tribune beat writer Roy Cummings says Manningham “fits the description” of the deep, vertical threat the Bucs need to finish off their receiving corps.

 “If Manningham can be that, then the Bucs have to have some interest in him,” Cummings said Monday on Primetime on WHBO-AM 1040. “If he’s on the market, they’ll have a lot of interest, I think. Yes, he’s the kind of guy that they would like to have. But you know there’s probably a dozen of those guys out there.”

One thing certain about Manningham is that he’ll be overpriced leaving the Giants following his Super Bowl heroics. There’s a lot to be said for performing under the game’s greatest pressure, but Manningham is hardly a Pro Bowl receiver.

If Joe had to choose, Joe would rather see the Bucs invest their free agent dollars on the defensive side of the ball and use the draft to focus on the offense.

Without immediate, established help and leadership arriving for their defensive front-7, Joe might go into convulsions. The thought of another season of getting gashed up the gut in the running game would be too much to bear.

The search through college football to add to new Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s staff continues. Schiano apparently put out bait for Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but Quinn will stay put with the Gators, per longtime Gainesville Sun Gators beat writer/columnist Pat Dooley on Twitter.

@pat_dooley: According to my sources, UF DC Dan Quinn interviewed for Tampa Bay Bucs DC but turned it down.

Joe is hoping two things here:

1) Part of the delay (?) of grabbing assistants is the Bucs and Schiano are, in a term Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik used, exercising “due diligence.”

2) The Bucs plan to interview coaches on Bill Belicheat and Tom Coughlin’s staffs.

Quinn would have been an interesting hire as he has roughly 10 years of NFL experience, mostly as a defensive line coach.

As many of Joe’s regular readers know, Joe is addicted to SiriusXM NFL Radio. Perhaps the most in-depth X’s and O’s show on that channel is “Movin’ the Chains,” co-hosted by former NFL executive and NFL coach Pat Kirwan and former Bears defensive tackle and current FOX NFL analyst Tim Ryan.

For NFL fans more interested in strategy as opposed to ticket sales or how much money an owner spends, this is your show. It is no less than fascinating… riveting in fact.

Last offseason, it was Ryan who beat the drum about how the Bucs were making a grave mistake in letting Barrett Ruud walk. Ryan went on to say that if Ruud were to leave the Bucs, “the Bucs defense would collapse.”

How’d that analysis work out, huh?

Last week at Super Bowl Media Day, Joe had a chance to speak with Ryan, who was gracious enough to give Joe his time while at work during a commercial break. Ryan is not a member of the national chorus that has thus far given the Bucs a thumbs-up for hiring Greg Schiano. Color Ryan skeptical.

JoeBucsFan: Did the Bucs paint themselves in a corner waiting so long to hire a coach?

Tim Ryan: I don’t think so. I think they did their due diligence and talked to guys who have done it before and who have had success in this league. And they decided to go with the young guy, which is very interesting to me, especially when you look at [Schiano’s] track record in pro football. And he may be a great guy, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt. But there are going to be tremendous obstacles to say the least in my opinion trying to be competitive and win games in that division when you start looking at the Saints, you start looking at Carolina, look at Atlanta, the coaches on those teams not to mention who is going to coordinate his offense. He will probably have his mind on defense since he is a defensive guy. I know they are still trying to get John McNulty out of Arizona. They seem hellbent on at least pursing that as long as they can pursue it. I think there are a lot of questions marks left in Tampa after the hiring of Greg Schiano.

Joe: A lot of Bucs fans are concerned about his lack of NFL experience. Sure, he has been with good coaches. Yeah, he worked with Butch Davis. Yeah, he worked with Joe Paterno. Yeah, he worked with Dave Wannstedt, who is a good defensive coach. But he only has two seasons in the NFL and there is talk he’s going to bring a bunch of college guys in.

Ryan: Well, good luck with that and again, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and we will wait and see what happens. I have talked to a lot of guys who have been in this league a long time, and I have seen what this league is all about. This is a league that is won — everyone has athletes — you win with strategy, you win with a “what-if” list that is a mile deep. Pro football is a whole different animal. I have heard from a lot of guys that have been in the business for a long time and I say, “Your thoughts on the Schiano hire?” and they give me one name: Bobby Petrino. And when I hear that, that is what some of the people from the outside looking in kind of are thinking. I know he has promised to reattach to the fanbase. The only way to reattach to the fanbase and fill seats is to win games. So we will see what happens.

Joe: When you reference Petrino, what are you inferring?

Ryan: Just a college guy with limited NFL experience, when you are talking about college guys running both sides of the ball. We will wait see what happens with Butch Davis who can certainly coach defense. I have known him for years, he recruited me in high school. He’s an extension of Dave Wannstedt also from the Cowboys. [The Schiano hire] created for me more questions than buzz and excitement.

Like every other fan, Joe hears that the NFL is a copycat league.

And now that the Giants have won two of the last five Super Bowls, twice beating the offense-first Patriots, perhaps the Giants model will become the NFL’s hot new flavor.

Of course, the Bucs are not the Giants, but on the surface the Bucs do appear to be trying to build the Giants way.

Tom Coughlin is a discipline-first head coach who likes to pound the football and take shots downfield. Greg Schiano is that guy.

The Giants succeeded with a very young receiving corps, a first-round pick (Hakeem Nicks), a third-rounder (Mario Manningham) and an undrafted guy (Victor Cruz). Sounds familiar.

The Giants have stockpiled talent on the defensive line and built their 4-3 defense around what those guys can do. That sounds like what the Bucs are attempting, and Mark Dominik recently called Schiano a “4-3 fundamentalist.”

Despite the NFL’s statistically worst running game, the Giants use a punishing beast in the backfield to set up the passing game. The Bucs have their own beast.

And the Giants have a strong-armed quarterback that can make all the throws. The Bucs have one of those, as well.

Also, unlike their New York/New Jersey counterparts, the Giants tread very lightly in free agency. Quick, name the Giants’ big name free agents.

Now Joe knows full well that the Bucs should not be confused with the Giants; no way. But there definitely are similarities in the approach, and nobody can argue the Giants way isn’t working.

Predictably, NFL fans howled in protest about how so-and-so was not elected to the Hall of Fame Saturday, and how the outfit is a travesty, yet the same angry crowd often refused to explain who they would have eliminated (a maximum of five can be elected per year, not counting senior nominees), nor did they take to time to read how Eddie DeBartolo and Bill Parcells canceled each other out as did Andre Reed and Cris Carter.

Well, it’s going to get even  tougher for those denied to get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as several Bucs will be eligible in the coming years, notes humorist Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune.

That’s right _ the men behind those great Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams and a Super Bowl win begin coming up for the Hall in 2013. The great Lee Roy Selmon, Hall of Fame class of 1995, is sure to get company _ but how much?

Next year, Warren Sapp and John Lynch will most likely be Hall finalists. In 2014, it will be Derrick Brooks and Tony Dungy. Assuming Jon Gruden doesn’t go back to coaching, he’ll be up for the Hall in 2014, too. And Ronde Barber should also be eligible five years after he retires in 2019 or 2029, whenever it is.

Just a guess from Joe, but Derrick Brooks gets in right away. Sapp might have to wait a while as may Lynch. Sadly, it’s difficult for cornerbacks to get in the Hall. Shoot, it took Roger Werhli forever to get elected. Joe doubts Simeon Rice will ever get elected.

And if Ronde Barber isn’t a Hall of Famer, Joe doesn’t know what a Hall of Famer looks like.

As all football fans wait for today’s Super Bowl, Joe brings you, courtesy of the NFL and its Internet partner Hulu.com, a Super Bowl nine years ago that Bucs fans had keen interest in: the NFL’s No. 1 defense vs. the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Defense wins championships.

Chucky-blaming, stone-hands, one-year-wonder, legendary blocking icon Michael Clayton is a happy man.

Joe would be too if he fleeced the Bucs for $10 million guaranteed back in 2009.

Clayton’s also on the New York Giants roster — injured reserve (not hurt while making a catch)– and he’s all giddy about what an impact he’s had as a mentor to his Giants teammates. In what really was a classic interview this week, Clayton sat down with Steve Duemig, of WDAE-AM 620, to talk about how great he is and how blessed he is. Pop a cold one and take a listen below.

Sadly, Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has his detractors. One just needs to read the comments on this site for evidence.

Joe always enjoyed his interaction with GMC and likes how open GMC is with fans. He’s a good dude.

That’s why Joe was aghast that this week GMC tried to become intimate with that disgusting old hag Madonna.

The NFL trotted that old bag out last week as the league sunk to a new level having her, ahem, perform at halftime of today’s Super Bowl, a halftime show Joe can assure you he will not watch one minute of.

Apparently, per the Associated Press, GMC wanted Madonna to express her affection with him, in a manner of words.

McCoy, working as a reporter for OCNN – Chad Ochocinco’s network – showed a lack of fear that would impress Bucs fans during the music legend’s Super Bowl news conference Thursday in Indianapolis.

He asked Madonna for a smooch, and was quickly shot down.

The back-and-forth began when a bold McCoy, sitting among hundreds of media members, told Madonna, “I’m only 23, but I love you.”

DUDE! There is sssooo much better talent out there to pick up — just walk through International Plaza on a Wednesday night — than this old untalented battle ax.

Joe never, ever understood this Modannoa phenomenon. So she wore a bra over her blouse. Big deal! With talent like that, one can get a gig working weeknights at The Oz in Clearwater.

Joe is no less than outraged that Van Halen, about to embark on a nationwide tour, isn’t playing halftime.The nerve of NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to turn his back on David Lee Roth and the Van Halen troupe in favor of this over-aged businesswoman.

Juicy, giant mini Shorty Burgers from Pete & Shorty’s are the perfect way to go this weekend. Joe can barely contain himself thinking about these savory blessings of beef goodness.

And you can take home a giant box of 24 Shorty Burgers for only $20 now through Super Bowl Sunday!

Shorty Burgers are heaven in a cardboard box and a must for any party. Joe actually likes to just drive around with a box in the passenger seat. Call Pete & Shorty’s every day for this special through Feb. 5. Please watch the video.

Pete and Shorty’s Shorty Burgers 2-GO! from 3 Square Studios on Vimeo.

Stop the Super Bowl hype! The Bucs have a wide receivers coach. Joe is giddy with excitement.

Actually, Joe isn’t that excited, but it’s at least a morsel of coaching news to gulp down as Greg Schiano continues to work alone at One Buc Palace.

Per BSPN, former 49ers wide receiver and Rutgers receivers coach P.J. Fleck will be the new mentor for Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and friends.

Just 31 years old, is Fleck a good hire? Geez, Joe has no clue — and neither do you.

Here’s what Raheem Morris said about the last receivers coach, Eric Yarber, who joined the team before the 2010 season. It’s a classic Raheem quote, including a take on Chucky’s old receivers coach, Richard Mann, so Joe wanted to share.

“He’s got a nice bounce about him on the practice field. He’s got a nice bounce about him in the meeting rooms. His meeting rooms are very entertaining,” Raheem said of Yarber. “He brings back, for me being a head coach, when you walk in that room it kind of gets you back into that feel when you’re a [defensive backs] coach. You get to that room and the guys are there and they’re joking around and they’re working. You’re able to talk to the guys and they’re able to communicate back with you. You’re able to communicate with those guys. You’re able to learn from some of the older guys in that room. He’s able to comment. He’s talking about his experience from his playing days. It’s real nice. It’s a breath fresh air, you know, from what we had. Richard Mann was kind of the opposite. He was a set old back, laid back teacher, a fundamentalist core. You know, and he had a lot of great attributes, as well. But it’s a nice vibe when you go into that room and you see the guys really vibing, and really having that kind of energy chasing them down.”

All that “vibing” and “entertaining” was just great in 2010, and then 2011 was, well, a different story.

Joe suspects Fleck wasn’t hired by Schiano to vibe and entertain, though maybe he will. Joe can only hope the new guy is a great teacher who can command respect instantly.

There were all sorts of reasons for Team Glazer to jettison Raheem Morris from the Bucs. The biggest reason was that as the season grew long, the Bucs looked more like a Division-II team than an NFL team.

Just thinking of the Bucs coughing up 42 points in 22 minutes makes Joe want to run for a bottle of Pepto Bismol. It may have been the worst display of defense Joe has ever seen in the NFL and any defensive starter short of Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers — who, despite being rookies, played like NFL’ers — should be lighting candles to give thanks for still being employed.

It was interesting when Joe learned, via “The Godfather,” Gil Brandt, that Gerald McCoy, upon learning of Greg Schiano’s hiring, stated, “I hope he is organized.”

ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas suggests GMC is just scraping the tip of the iceberg, as Yasinskas wrote in his weekly NFC South blog chat.

andy (hickory, nc)

pat, no offense, but how is schiano the new bucs coach the opposite of raheem? he has no nfl head coaching or coordinator experience, hes a defensive minded coach, hes young, he sounds just like raheem.

Pat Yasinskas

Andy, that doesn’t offend me in any way! But Schiano is a good bit older and much more mature than Raheem. He also has a proven record as a builder and a winner. Raheem truly was a nice guy. But I don’t think fans realized just how out of control things were on many levels. Schiano is known for running a tight ship. So they’re very different guys.

Joe has to wonder just how much more drama Schiano will tolerate from overrated Aqib Talib? Joe also wonders if Schiano will let Kellen Winslow coast through practices?

Now Joe understands Winslow’s knees can no longer handle the grueling day-to-day punishment of an NFL season. But not practicing each day may explain why Winslow, in the last game of the season, was running a wrong route that blew up a pass intended for Kregg Lumpkin.

Who knew the Bucs already have taken punches to the gut as they try to resurrect the franchise from the ugly depths it fell to during Raheem Morris’ final 10 weeks?

Joe was unaware the Bucs had screwed themselves in the past month. But veteran NFL scribe and Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer eye-RAH! Kaufman is adamant Tampa Bay has made serious mistakes.

“You have allowed Steve Spagnuolo to go to a division rival. Mr. Mike Nolan to go to a division rival, who’s just a notch below Spagnuolo in my opinion as a D-coordinator. Those are killer blows for an organization,” Kaufman told Steve Duemig on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. “The Saints don’t need a good defense; they need an average defense and look out. And with Spagnuolo, working with a young Buc defensive line, I thought that would have been a great match.”

Kaufman went on to pound his claim that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik shares the same agent as Spagnuolo and something could have/should have been worked out. It was unclear whether Kaufman was referring to Spagnuolo becoming Bucs head coach or only defensive coordinator. Spagnuolo was hired by the Saints about a week before Greg Schiano took the Bucs’ reigns.

For Joe, Spagnuolo would have been a great coordinator hire by the Bucs, but Joe’s not seeing how that could have happened before a head coach was locked up.

Kaufman joins 40 or so other choice scribes today in voting for the Hall of Fame class of 2012. In that process, he’s the lone voice from the Tampa Bay area.  

Unfortunately, Kaufman said Warren Sapp’s poor relationship with media during his playing days — he didn’t talk to Kaufman for three years — will still be a factor when Sapp is eligible for induction next year.

Thougth he doesn’t hold any grudges, Kaufman said he’s talked to Hall voters recently who still carry an anti-Sapp torch and Sapp will have heavy competition in his class from “heavy names,” including Michael Strahan, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen. John Lynch also is eligible next year.

This season truly will test whether what Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has often said is true: that the Bucs are “all about No. 5.”

The passing game was putrid last year. Was Mike Williams overrated? Have defensive coordinators found a way to stop him?

Those are logical questions, but regardless, the best way to make sure Williams gets open is to get heat off of him. One way to do that is to tap into a very deep wide receiver pool of free agents.

Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski, “The Commish,” seems to be of the mind that the Bucs may be eyeing San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson, so he commented  on his blog, CommishOnline.com.

Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network stated that the top suitor for Vincent Jackson might be the 49ers. The 49ers did reach the NFC Championship Game, but their vertical pass game was very suspect. However, the 49ers weren’t the only team LaCanfora mentioned in regards to Vincent Jackson.

“I also wonder about rebuilding quarterbacks,” LaCanfora said. “Sam Bradford in St. Louis or [Josh] Freeman in Tampa, they need to build around those guys and give them some weapons. Those are the kind of teams I see going big for Vincent Jackson.”

Vincent Jackson’s market might not be that big because of cap limitations for a lot of teams, so a team like the Buccaneers or Rams might have the upper hand in acquiring him.

Of course, as Justin points out, Jackson may not even be available if the Chargers franchise him.

So is it too early to suggest Williams is overrated? Joe believes it is. Joe would like to see what Williams — and Arrelious Benn — can do with an offensive coordinator who can actually devise plays to get receivers open consistently.

Legendary sports radio host Chris Russo is never at a loss for words. So when Joe had the rare opportunity to talk to the “Mad Dog” Tuesday while Joe prowled Radio Row at the Super Bowl Media Center at the J.W. Marriott in Indianapolis, of course Joe asked Russo his thoughts on the Bucs signing Greg Schiano to be the ninth coach in Bucs franchise history. Russo, who anchors the channel that bears his name, “Mad Dog Radio,” can be heard on “Mad Dog Unleashed” exclusively on SiriusXM Radio weekdays from 2-7 p.m.

JoeBucsFan: Chris, your thoughts on the Bucs hiring Greg Schiano as their new coach.

Chris Russo: A good move by Tampa. Schiano is a good defensive coach. Belichick gave him an endorsement. Schiano was trying to leave Rutgers and I think that’s a good move by Schiano and a really good hire by the Bucs, I like that one.

Joe: Some Bucs fans are apprehensive because Schiano has only scant experience coaching in the NFL.

Russo: I can understand that. I can see that as he only has NFL experience as a defensive back coach. But if Belichick gives you his approval, he knows what he is doing. Belichick made a great point: all Rutgers players that are drafted to play in the NFL are ready to play in the league. He’s a good defensive coach, I think he will do a good job in Tampa. I’m pretty convinced of it.

The endless debate among Bucs fans this offseason will not be about the value of Barrett Ruud (thank goodness!) but will surround how the Bucs should prioritize free agency and the NFL Draft. Nothing is clear-cut.

Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Roy Cummings chimed in early with long look at free agency and offered several takes today. Here’s one:

The situation at cornerback is arguably the most dire. Tampa Bay sees recent draftees E.J. Biggers and Myron Lewis as backups and the potential losses of Ronde Barber to retirement or another team and Aqib Talib to a possible suspension or jail sentence could force the team’s hand.

No one should be surprised then if one of the Bucs’ top targets is Falcons corner Brent Grimes. At 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, Grimes is much like Barber but, at age 29 when the season starts, still in his prime. Also, signing him would weaken a division rival.

Cummings went on to explore other positions, but not defensive line.

Call Joe crazy, but Joe would applaud an upscale signing at defensive tackle and would rank that pretty high on the list of priorities. Put aside all the love and hopes for the young Bucs D-line for a moment, and it’s clear that the two beasts up the gut, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, have serious injury concerns. And Bucs fans have seen what’s behind them, which ain’t so so pretty.

Greg Schiano spoke about the critical importance of competition on his roster, and even a novice fan knows depth is important. Given those two factors, Joe sees the Bucs as aching for a veteran that can challenge Price and McCoy. Joe would even overpay for a guy like that. Joe sees a barely average player like Jeff Faine scheduled to make $6 million or so next season, and Joe would much rather invest that cash into the heart of the Bucs’ defense.

The quality of your cornerbacks seems a lot less important if you’re getting gutted and gashed at the line of scrimmage repeatedly.

That’s no knock on Cummings’ take. Barber’s situation is a mystery and injury-prone Talib has his felony trial set for after the start of free agency, and he’s entering the final year of his contract. Joe just doesn’t want to gamble on the current crop of Bucs D-linemen.

The way the Bucs played last season, replete with a grotesque 10-game losing streak to close the season resulting in Team Glazer jettisoning coach Raheem Morris and his staff, no one in their right mind expected to see the Bucs playing in primetime this season.

But NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell had something up his sleeve. In negotiating new television pacts, Goodell had written into the contract with NFL Network, which will broadcast a 15-game Thursday night schedule, that every NFL team will play at least one game on Thursday night in 2012, writes Judy Batista of the New York Times.

“Adding these games to the NFL Network schedule will give more players, teams, and cities the prime-time stage,” Goodell said at his annual state of the league news conference Friday. “Our fans can now get an early start on the NFL weekend in the season’s first 15 weeks.”

Well, Joe’s a football freak and when BSPN had it’s Thursday night college football games, most of them very good, Joe was glued to the tube, adult beverage in hand.

Not it’s even better.

Joe remembers the Great GOB, the late Chris Thomas used to scoff that if anyone watched more than 12 hours of football in a weekend, they needed to check themselves in to a facility.

Just 12 hours? That’s just getting warmed up for Joe. Combining Thursday football, a high school football game on Friday night, the smorgasbord of college football on Saturdays, NFL on Sunday and Monday, there have been weekends when Joe has consumed 30 hours of football in a weekend.

And untold numbers of beers along the way.

The 2012 regular season schedule will be released in April right around the NFL draft. It’s hard to believe that April is just two months away. Wow, time is flying in 2012!

CBS Sports game analyst and Sirius NFL Radio personality Rich Gannon, lamenting the 10th anniversary of the Bucs burying him and his Raiders in the Super Bowl, is still troubled by what he saw from the 2011 Bucs only halfway through their season.

Gannon called the Texans-Bucs game on CBS, when the 4-4 Bucs returned home to get absolutely clobbered by Houston. The loss got Raheem Morris talking about “loafs” and fans wondering why they bought tickets when they could be home jamming pencils in their eyeballs.

Gannon sat down for a strong interview with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday and was quick to say the Bucs of that weekend were ugly on many levels.

“I did the [Houston] game live and then as I watched the tape, I just felt the effort wasn’t good, the finish wasn’t good. It just looked like a team that really wasn’t ready to play,” Gannon said. “I remember going to Friday practice, and I remember leaving telling our crew ‘Boy, this is not good.’ Practice wasn’t good. It wasn’t crisp. It wasn’t up-tempo. The ball was on the ground a lot. It just didn’t seem like guys were dialed in and focused. And that really bothered me.”

Gannon went on to explain why he likes the Greg Schiano hire and that he thinks the Bucs are “not that far away.” You can listen to the entire interview below.

Juicy, giant mini Shorty Burgers from Pete & Shorty’s are the perfect way to go this weekend. Joe can barely contain himself thinking about these savory blessings of beef goodness.

And you can take home a giant box of 24 Shorty Burgers for only $20 now through Super Bowl Sunday!

Shorty Burgers are heaven in a cardboard box and a must for any party. Joe actually likes to just drive around with a box in the passenger seat. Call Pete & Shorty’s every day for this special through Feb. 5. Please watch the video.

Pete and Shorty’s Shorty Burgers 2-GO! from 3 Square Studios on Vimeo.

Proven to be washed up as a starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb could be a valuable backup QB.

Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings, of The Tampa Tribune, invested plenty of ink into this theory with a call for the Bucs to take a long hard at one of Tampa Bay’s arch rivals 10+ years ago.

Freeman struggled in part last year because he had no one with regular game-day experience to turn to when his game went off the rails. McNabb would certainly give him that.

You can click on through above and read Cummings’ entire take.

Joe’s all in favor of the Bucs bringing in a veteran to back up, motivate, and educate Freeman. However, Joe’s not sure how the Bucs go about figuring out if McNabb really wants to be in that role versus starting. Joe remembers how Jeff Garcia left the Bucs and went to Oakland as an alleged backup and then shook up the entire team with a power play to start.

How ironic would it be if Ronde Barber left the Bucs and McNabb joined the team?

Throughout the past two seasons, when Team Glazer got tired of buying so many unused tickets in order to broadcast home games locally, many Bucs fans laughed at the NFL blackout, running to their laptops to watch games from international feeds knowing full well they were breaking laws watching broadcasts that violated copyright laws, not to mention getting so many viruses from the feeds that it made picking up hooker in Honduras a safer act.

Well, watching those illegal feeds just got tougher for local Bucs fans. No less an authority than the Wall Street Journal reports the long arm of the federal law has seized a number of host sites that streamed the games, and detained owners of these same sites as well, so writes Chad Bray.

On Thursday, prosecutors announced that they had seized 16 Web sites that provided access to illegal live streams of copyrighted sporting events and brought criminal charges against a Michigan man who allegedly operated nine of those websites.

“Sports fans may be tempted by illegal streaming websites, but in the end, it is they who pay the price,” said Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. “These websites and their operators deprive sports leagues and networks of legitimate revenue, forcing spectators and viewers to bear the cost of this piracy down the line.”

The websites allegedly linked to other sites that broadcasst pirated sporting and pay-per-view events, including National Football League, National Basketball League and National Hockey League games and wrestling matches.

NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell and the feds are not playing around. The NFL wants rear ends in the seats or no TV for you! This was hammered home last night on Costas Tonight, a town hall meeting broadcast live from Indianapolis on NBC Sports Network last night where Bob Kraft, Jerry Jones and Goodell himself emphasized for the NFL to succeed as a league, it cannot broadcast games in stadiums with fans disguised as empty seats.

Try to find (and watch) pirated games next season, and know that you are being watched by a higher authority.