Roy Miller and the rest of the young Bucs defensive line needs both stability and mentoring

Joe has never, ever called out a commenter in a post before, but combined with Joe hammered by an ugly bout of the flu and catching up with tasks at his real job Thursday, thus not being around a computer for much of the day, and the fact being said commenter enjoys stirring the pot and getting Bucs fans generally angry, Joe thought, “What the heck?”

Now Joe loves his commenters and readers and cherishes their loyalty, so Joe doesn’t think this will chase off commenter Thomas because he seems to enjoy the attention. Well, for Joe to call out a commenter in a post, the comment truly has to be thoroughly asinine.

Seems, as normal, the Bucs coaching staff and management has screwed up again, so Thomas claims. To be blunt, the only thing Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik and Bucs coach Raheem Morris could ever do right in Thomas’ eyes would be to resign, posthaste, and hand the team back over Bruce Almighty and Chucky so they can sign the likes of Charlie Garner, Tim Brown and other has-beens, draft studs like the bad Dexter Jackson in the second round and chase Brett Favre like a desperate divorce lawyer (or Brad Childress), all while racking up as many playoff wins as both you and Joe since the glorious Super Bowl victory over the Raiders.

Thomas was outraged yesterday (as usual) when he questioned the nerve of Morris to hire a defensive line coach — Keith Millard — despite the fact the hiring came with not just the blessing, but the urging of former Bucs great Warren Sapp.

Why of course Thomas knows more about defensive line play than Sapp.

Thomas’ was unnerved by the fact Millard has no pressing desire to be a head coach, that he just enjoys schooling up defensive lineman. The gall!

In Thomas’ own words, if a man doesn’t want to be a head coach, he is a useless man.

The reason why Millard was so coveted by the Bucs is that he wants to stay. The last thing the Bucs wanted to do was hire a jobhopper who would leave at the drop of a hat.

One of the main reasons why quarterbacks Alex Smith and Jason Campbell have struggled if not failed as NFL quarterbacks is that each quarterback had a different offensive coordinator/quarterback coach in each of their first four years. Rams hierarchy is concerned that both Sam Bradford’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach bolting St. Louis will stunt his grown, if not ruin the man. There’s way too much cash invested in quarterbacks to screw with their heads like this.

The same goes for other positions as well. As Raheem pointed out yesterday — something Joe pointed out months ago by the way — the Bucs have so much cash invested in the defensive line that if the front four did not improve rapidly, soon, well, let’s just say Dominik would likely have to answer  very tough and pointed questions from Team Glazer about why their millions were not being put to better use.

So of course the Bucs want stability, any coaching staff does, is there actually a coaching staff in America that wants a revolving door at their offices? This is so mindnumbing bizarre Joe was nearly left speechless.

To suggest otherwise is beyond absurd and, frankly, suggests to Joe said commenter Thomas knows little more about football than being able to pick out the difference between a field goal post and a down marker.

Well Thomas, if it’s attention you are starved for, well, let Joe admit you succeeded.

Carry on.

Esteemed Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer Woody Cummings has penned an excellent look at the Bucs decision to hire two defensive line coaches and how they will fit into the system.

Cummings cornered Raheem Morris to get great stuff for this excellent read.

Off the D-line coach topic a bit was a comment from Raheem that really stopped Joe in his tracks.

“The way I see it, we have so much money and so many draft picks invested in our defensive line that it’s a great idea to have two guys coaching those players,” Morris said of his decision this week to hire Keith Millard and Grady Stretz as co-defensive line coaches.

Very odd to Joe that Raheem would bring money into the equation when speaking of hiring coaches. What the heck does money have to do with building a winner? And why is cash even a topic of consideration for a coach?

Joel Glazer himself last year said “Money will never be an issue,” when it comes to building the Bucs into a lasting contender. Was Raheem listening to the big boss?

This is the same staff that left Josh Freeman without a dedicated QB coach for nearly the entire 2009 campaign, when Greg Olson was admittedly too busy to be his best self on that job after getting tossed into the offensive coordinator gig in September. And surely Freeman’s rookie year at the position was as important as the 2011 D-line.

Raheem’s comment was just strange to Joe, who thinks way too much about such matters.

Here at the JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters, there a handful of subjects that routinely result in fisticuffs and thrown beer bottles.

Outside of the Carmella Garcia-Rachel Watson debate, the issue of the NBA usually draws blood. One “Joe” thinks the “non-basketball Association” is a heinous butchering of basketball further soiled by blaring sound effects and endless superstar pimping, and the other “Joe” enjoys the league and believes the quality of play has improved immensely since the zone defense returned in 2001.

That all written, this post is about the NBA and the 1976 Bucs.

Last night the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped their 26th consecutive game, which the Associated Press and NBA.TV reports ties the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ mark for the longest losing streak in U.S. professional sports history. So if the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday, then John McKay’s ’76 and ’77 teams are off the hook forever.

Joe would love to see those lovable losers shed some of the stigma.

Will this cause Bucs fans to head out in droves to Honey’s or Mugs Grill & Bar to guzzle beer and great food on Friday to watch the Cavs-Clippers game? There’s probably a bigger chance that the Bucs will become big players in free agency this year.

The only thing nearly as exciting as Joe’s dailyNFL  draft coverage starting Monday here is the approach of baseball season.

Joe’s a huge fan, as evident by the must-read JoeRaysFan.com. All kinds of cool stuff over there, including today’s revelation that Matt Joyce is likely to play more of Joe Maddon’s platoon games.

Not sure how many people caught the video below, a really neat video produced by the NFL, what has some of the iconic figures of TV history in various NFL team gear. Ned Flanders is a Bucs fan and his wife seems fond of Ronde Barber.

Joe Twittered this when the video was first broadcast: There’s a major mistake in the video. See if anyone can figure it out.

Though his main, high-profile gig is analyst for NFL Network (don’t have the NFL Network? Might want to check your pants), Warren Sapp still works behind the scenes for the Bucs as sort of a consultant.

He worked with Gerald McCoy in the offseason to get him prepared for the NFL and now Sapp is sort of an advisor of sorts on picking assistant coaches.

Good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times brings word that Sapp worked behind the scenes to get newly hired defensive line coach Keith Millard hired.

Millard also coached Sapp at Oakland.

“They put me on the phone with Dominik and I told him to hire this man,” Sapp said. “You’ll never have a problem with him. He’s not looking to become a head coach. He’s nothing but a workaholic. You think he doesn’t know the Cover 2 (defense) or the three technique? He is the original. It’s always been him, John Randle and me. I was with the man. I know a hard worker. I worked for (Rod) Marinelli.”

Sapp played under Millard at the end of his career when Millard was an assistant with the Raiders. Sapp credits the coach for much of his late-career success.

“I told Raheem, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you’ve got a defensive line position open and want somebody to work with a young guy like Gerald McCoy, Millard is the guy,” Sapp said. “I’ve done everything I can, but I don’t have the time to really teach the kid. This man I played under, and he gave me 10 sacks with the Raiders as a 32-year-old. This is the man you got to hire.”

This is beyond cool to read.

Yeah, Joe knows Sapp can be an ogre when he wants and Joe has had a run-in with him too, only to have Sapp walk away from Joe laughing at Joe’s response to the confrontation.

But it’s way cool that Sapp still thinks about the Bucs so much he worked out with GMC and advises Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik on who to hire as an assistant coach.

"Oh, Joe. I love when you share quotes."

It’s only February, but the groundswell of national hype of the Bucs is in full swing.

Now the league’s online mouthpiece, NFL.com, is in the act, putting Josh Freeman on its home page with a column from Steve Wyche that includes mention of the Bucs as the best thing since thong underwear.

The key to making it to the postseason is your quarterback and playmakers, and the Bucs are covered in both areas. Josh Freeman is a rising star, who, like Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans’ Drew Brees, has his entire team believing in him. Wide receivers Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn, along with tight end Kellen Winslow, form a tight nucleus. On defense, Cornerback Aqib Talib could be one of the best in the game if he decides he wants to be. If the Bucs can find some pass rushers and have tailback LeGarrette Blount stay focused and improve, they could end up being the best team in the NFL. Yeah, I said it.

Joe loves all this stuff. Mike Williams guaranteed the playoffs. NFL.com is floating the Bucs as a possible favorite in the NFC. Peter King, while not slurping oatmeal or shoveling popcorn, is blabbering about the Bucs playing in prime time on opening night on the second Thursday in September.

Joe hopes Mark Dominik brings the same energy to free agency.

Someone explain to Joe why re-signing your own free agents is righteous and holy, yet signing others’ is somehow satanic and misguided.

There are few people locally Joe pays more attention to, or whose football knowledge he respects more, than former Bucs defensive end Steve White.

Last night after pouring over the news, resume and backgrounds of new Bucs assistant defensive line coaches Keith Millard and Grady Stetz, White took to Twitter to explain why he’s on board with the new hires.

@swg94 After thinking it over I really like the Millard and Stretz hires by the #Bucs. I’m hoping however that they don’t literally try to split up… Run defense and pass rush responsibilities. There isn’t a way I can think of where that will work in practice. However if they are both… Coaching up all aspects with Millard really focusing on the inside guys I think the Bucs will have great success up front.

And there you have it. What better source locally do you need to know that it appears Bucs rock star general manager made yet another solid move.

And to think there are still some people who pine for Bruce Almighty and Chucky?

When former Bucs great and future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp talks football, Joe listens.

Often on the NFL Network — available on televisions across the land owned by real men — Sapp waxes poetic on his former line coach with the Bucs. That’s current Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.

So last night after Joe learned of the hiring of new defensive line coach Keith Millard, Joe was doing some research and, while tooling around Millard’s website, Joe came across a testimony from Sapp on the virtues of Millard, who coached Sapp in Sapp’s final NFL days in Oakland.

“Keith Millard is one of only two coaches (Rod Marinelli- Bears) who has the knowledge and skill, plus the temperament to coach, teach and prepare the defensive lineman of today’s NFL landscape. Those looking for a teacher as well as a fellow hunter to attack offenses, just take a look and I guarantee you will love what you see. It was a pleasure to work with Keith for three years.”

That’s high praise coming from one of the game’s best. Joe has yet to find or come across anyone who played for Marinelli that doesn’t rave about the man. If Millard is in the same class, that’s very good news for the Bucs.

Could it be that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik hit yet another home run? Dude is encroaching Albert Pujols territory if he keeps this up.

Now Joe is neither a celebrity stalker nor a member of anyone’s posse, nor does Joe play TMZ with his phone camera or post his private conversations with local sports figures here. But that doesn’t mean Joe won’t go out of his way to chat with beloved local sports icons out in public.

While enjoying an evening last night in the Paradise Worldwide Transportation luxury suite at the Ice Palace, Joe was sucking down adult beverages when he learned that Rays skipper Joe Maddon and Raheem Morris were in a suite a five doors down.Visible to the crowd, Raheem appeared into the Lightning game, especially Steve Downie dishing out a brutal takedown and the subsequent fight in the third period.

About 15 minutes later, Joe was invited into the suite to chat with Raheem.

Unfortunately, the dialogue between the head coach and Joe was off the record, and Joe’s not going to violate that. However, Joe can report that Raheem did not watch JoeBucsFan TV yesterday. (What was he thinking?) And Joe did tell the head coach that Joe would continue to “be his best self” and hold Raheem to high standards of excellence.

Joe continues to be fascinated by the relationship between Raheem and Maddon. Raheem has talked about their friendship publicly and revealed Maddon’s mentor-like role, which led to the “Race to 10” slogan going public before the 2010 season.

Last night was Maddon’s birthday, and he spent it with Raheem.

Not since Joe once delivered a pizza to a poker game featuring Bill Parcells, Lou Piniella, Lawrence Taylor and Gene “Stick” Michael, has Joe heard of such a close relationship between active football and baseball men at the top of their fields.

Joe thinks it’s great. But if Josh Freeman’s throws are limited in preseason, we’ll know who’s behind it.

In case you missed it …A work in progress to be sure, JoeBucsFan TV is out of the gate!

All Joe can promise you is that every episode will be different, and that Joe is hard at work interviewing scantily clad women for your viewing pleasure.

In this take, Joe talks about Internet maggots, Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson with former Bucs QB Jeff Carlson.

As many of you may know by now — Joe was in meetings and away from a computer with other work and Joe-related duties — the Bucs hired a pair of defensive line coaches.

First is Keith Millard, a former first round pick of the Minnesota Vikings who the past seven years has been a defensive line coach for the Broncos and Raiders. When with the Raiders, he was Warren Sapp’s position coach.

Here is a snippet of his bio courtesy of the Bucs:

While with the Raiders, Millard helped Derrick Burgess to two Pro Bowls, including his 2005 season in which he led the NFL in sacks with 16. In 2007, Millard coached two defensive linemen who ranked among the AFC’s top-10 in sacks (Burgess and Chris Clemons). Millard also helped the Raiders rank third in the NFL in total defense and first against the pass in 2006 while coaching Warren Sapp, who led all defensive tackles in sacks with 10.

As a member of the Broncos coaching staff, he helped the team to two top-five finishes in total defense (2002 and 2004) and also coached a pass rush unit that finished fourth in the NFL in sacks by a defensive line in 2004, as they were the only team to have three players with at least 8.5 sacks (Bertrand Berry, Trevor Pryce and Reggie Hayward).

Obviously, since the pass rush for the Bucs last season was, at times, slightly less than woeful, the key hire here is Millard.

Below is a training video that Millard put together. Two things jump out: Millard reacts with glee to a camper using an illegal head slap. That’s cool! The not-so-cool element is seems the guys rushing are popping up too quick which basically surrenders leverage to an offensive lineman.

On Millard’s website, he has the following nugget that piqued Joe’s interest:

Keith’s reputation has always been in successfully developing players who have the athleticism and the potential, but don’t fully understand or put into action the most effective concepts and techniques.

The Bucs have wanted a teacher, an instructor as an assistant coach and per this video, they may have found one on the defensive front.

The second coach the Bucs hired is Grady Stretz from Arizona State. Below is a piece of his bio, again courtesy of the Bucs.

Stretz, who will specialize in the running game, comes to Tampa Bay after spending the previous five seasons as the Defensive Line coach at Arizona State University. This past season, he helped the Sun Devils rank 16th nationally and first in the Pacific-10 in rush defense (119.7 ypg) and eighth nationally and second in the Pacific-10 in tackles for loss, averaging 7.4 a game.

Hopefully he can help Roy Miller develop but the strange thing in this hire is, why would a guy leave a college gig for an NFL gig when there’s very likely going to be a work stoppage and perhaps no season? College coaches are guaranteed work.

Or maybe Dennis Erickson really is in hot water in Tempe?

Acting more like Shepard Smith at an earthquake scene than concerned citizen, Gerald McCoy was Twittering last night about a domestic dispute turned ugly.

Apparently while inside his condo in San Diego, where McCoy is rehabbing his torn bicep with a renowned training guru, McCoy did some Twitter play-by-play of an ugly situation he heard unfolding through the walls with a male and female neighbor.

Joe’s partners at WDAE-AM 620 captured McCoy’s Tweets before they were taken down from his Twitter page. Per 620WDAE.com, one of McCoy’s final Tweets was as follows:

Dang he pulled her by her hair and threw her down. She just said that. He’s doing too much now.

Per Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, McCoy took down the Tweets and did not call authorities.

Joe chalks up McCoy’s apparent inaction to a young man not understanding the severity of the situation. Surely, instead of Tweeting, McCoy should have dialed 911. He could have remained anonymous.

Joe hopes the woman wasn’t hurt seriously.

Just to help whet Joe’s readers’ appetite for an avalanche of draft coverage just days away that will be unequaled locally, much of which will be coming from Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski of WDAE-AM 620, Joe decided to drop a draft post here.

There have been a lot of NFL folks who believe the Bucs will draft Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Count Pete Schrager of FoxSports.com among that group. He thinks it’s a slam dunk the Bucs use their 20th overall pick on Clayborn.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6), Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa: I’ve been accused of wearing pewter pajamas for all my pro-Buccaneers talk this year, and I can’t deny it — I loved what this team did in 2010. The Bucs struck gold all over the place in the 2010 draft and became the first team in NFL history to start 10 rookies and finish a season above .500. They were the league’s youngest team after Week 8 and fell just one game shy of making the playoffs. Gerald McCoy, Roy Miller and Brian Price are three young interior defensive linemen who should be longtime studs in Tampa, and the defensive backfield was solid from start to finish in 2010. But the Bucs’ leader in sacks last season (Stylez G. White) had only 4.5 on the year. Adrian Clayborn had a solid season, facing double teams on most passing downs, after an incredible junior year. He’s considered one of the top seniors in this draft. He’s a reliable prospect who’ll play right away. I’m already giddy about the Tampa D in 2010. Add Clayborn into the mix? The Baby Bucs defense could be one nasty squad.

Joe is good with this pick as Clayborn has extremely good, quick hands which is solid for a defensive end.

Joe is giddy about the prospects of the defense too. Brian Price coming back after an injury, GMC with a year under his belt, Cody Grimm with a year under his belt,and with some solid additions to the defensive end positio, the Bucs defense could very well be on the verge of something special.

Later in the same column Schrager believes the Bucs will draft wide receiver Titus Young from Boise State. Joe doesn’t see that happening. The Bucs seem set at wide receiver, though by all accounts Young is expected to be the next DeSean Jackson.

Every sane Bucs fan surely sees Warren Sapp as a surefire Hall of Fame inductee. The guy defined his position, was the dominant force on one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL, racked up the stats, and every year NFL teams look for “the next Warren Sapp” in the draft.

But the Tampa Bay area’s lone Hall of Fame voter, eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, says many of his fellow voters don’t like Sapp because he wasn’t kind to the media as a player and will let their disdain for him corrupt their votes.

Kaufman shared all this with “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, last week during an interview on Radio Row in Dallas.

Kaufman was fired up and said he was saddened that other Hall of Fame panelists would bring their anger at Sapp into the mix, a practice that violates Hall of Fame induction voting rules.

Kaufman: People have absolutely a wrong misconception about No. 99. He was a great teammate. Sapp was a tremendous teammate. People want to lump him and Keyshawn Johnson together. That is crazy. Him and Keyshawn didn’t like each other, but don’t dare put those two guys [together].   Because Steve, if Keyshawn caught eight balls and the Bucs lost 21-17, Keyshawn was ok in that postgame locker room. If Sapp made 11 tackles and two sacks and the Bucs lost 21-17, you better not go near Sapp. They were totally different. I’ve got so much more respect for a Sapp.

Duemig: But the guys in that Hall of Fame room don’t like him do they?

Kaufman: You’re right and they’re waiting in weeds. They’re waiting in the weeds for him.

Duemig: You think they’ll take that out on him?

Kaufman: Some of them will, and shame on them. Shame on them. …Here’s my opening[presentation] line for 2013, if Sapp makes the final list, which I think he should: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, there’s nobody in this room from a personal standpoint that has more of a reason not to vote for Warren Sapp than the guy that’s standing right in front of you. He didn’t talk to me for three years because I didn’t put him on my All-Tribune team one year. I put Gary Walker from the Jaguars and I didn’t know he hated Gary Walker. And he didn’t talk to me for like three years.

After two years I go, ‘Sapp, what’s the statute of limitations?’ He goes, ‘Forever, Kaufman.’ 

How petty do you have to be [a Hall of Fame voter] to put out a personal vendetta and lay in the weeds? If you want to argue that Sapp wasn’t a Hall of Fame player, ok, let’s make that argument. But don’t say, ‘I’m not voting for him.’ …You hear those whispers.

Yes, Sapp often was an ass to the media. It’s no secret. Frankly, Joe thought it was quite funny.

Though back in 2002, Joe covered a Bucs game for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. And, specifically, Joe was asked to hit Sapp up with one detailed question and get an answer. Sapp gave Joe one of his “next question” responses, but Joe had no “next question.” So Joe kept asking Sapp.

Sapp stared down Joe and said, “You really need this quote, huh.” Joe said, “Yes.” Sapp laughed and then said, “Ok.” And Sapp proceeded to give Joe an answer that seemed completely bogus, essentially messing with Joe’s head. Of course, that response never made the newspaper. 

But all that kind of stuff should be meaningless to voters. Like Kaufman, Joe hopes the Hall of Fame panelists do the right thing and put Sapp on the first ballot.

If you’re drawing up sides for an all-time NFL team, not just a Hall of Fame, Sapp makes your front four. It’ll cheapen the entire process if he’s not a first-ballot inductee.

Joe has stated for weeks if not months that he has tried to keep an open mind about Barrett Ruud, through the wailing of those with loud forums.

After chatting with Pat Kirwan last week, Joe’s mind is no longer open when it comes to Ruud. The current make up of the Bucs means it is vital he returns.

But what options does Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik have when it comes to signing Ruud, or finding another safety middle linebacker?

In this TBO Bucs vlog, video star Anwar Richardson and Woody Cummings, both colleagues at the Tampa Tribune, explore what options Dominik has at his disposal when it comes to dealing with Ruud.

Monitor the video and let Joe know what you think of the duo’s thoughts.

There are very few NFL talking heads Joe respects more than Pat Kirwan. A former coach and personnel executive with the Jets and a scout with the Bucs, Kirwan works for a variety of outlets, including a weekly column on NFL.com, video breakdowns on CBSSports.com and an afternoon drivetime show he co-hosts with Tim Ryan, “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on Sirius NFL Radio, which in Joe’s ears is by far the best NFL broadcast in the free world.

Joe caught up with Kirwan on radio row last week at the Super Bowl Media Center in Dallas, and Joe asked Kirwan specifically why he believes that should the Bucs let free agent middle linebacker Barrett Ruud walk, it would be a grave mistake for the young Bucs defense.

JoeBucsFan: Joe tries to keep an open mind about Barrett Ruud. Joe hears his supporters;  hears his detractors. Joe heard you say, heard it live about two weeks ago, a Bucs fan called your show and said one of the first things the Bucs should do is get rid of him. You said you would grade [Ruud’s play] out to an A-minus. What is it that a lot of fans don’t see that he does so well?

Pat Kirwan: Well, first he lines up everyone up on the defense. There are a lot of guys who play well but can’t line up. So he is the quarterback of the defense. No. 2 he is terrific in his zone drops. He’s smart and he understands the defense. He’s never going to be flashy. I can look at that defense and find four or five guys who would collapse mentally if he is not out there with them. He’s the quarterback.

Joe: A lot of people say that calling defensive plays is interchangeable [the Bucs went from Hardy Nickerson to Jamie Duncan to Shelton Quarles calling defensive plays in a short span of seasons with no discernible dropoff], that they can coach others to call plays.

Kirwan: Well, they’ve never coached anybody. We had a guy in New York named Kyle Clifton back in the late 80s and early 90s. Not a flashy player but we were always trying to replace him. When we finally replaced him, we called him back and brought him back. We realized that there were players that were leaning on him in the huddle and when people changed formations and motioned people, it was Kyle. When I talk to Barrett and watch how Barrett plays — and I’ve talked to him about it many times — that is what he brings to the table that is never measured in tackles, sacks and interceptions.

Joe: Do you also think it’s a perception problem, that he is basically more of a safety than a middle linebacker? Everybody has a perception of a middle linebacker: Lambert, Ray Nitschke, Ray Lewis, guys like that?

Kirwan: Tampa Bay has had a great defense and they have never had a guy like that. They have always played with an undersized, smart guy. Monte Kiffin trained me in that defense.

Joe: What is your background with [Kiffin]?

Kirwan: We were together with the Jets. I was working with the linebackers and Monte trained me and I know exactly what the Mike has to do in that defense. [Ruud] doesn’t have to be Ray Nitschke. He has got to be a guy that can drop into deep coverage when you ask him to, he has to change the stunt up front. Let’s say we are going to ram the front. Then the tight end changes to the other side and now we have to change it to a spike. You better have a quarterback sense to make the play. It’s like audibles. And that is what [Ruud] is able to do.

Joe knows that Bucs fans in general bark at their bartender in frustration that the Bucs are never on national television.

Peter King suggests that may change quite quickly.

The veteran NFL scribe in his must-read Morning Morning Quarterback, offers up a list of three games King has “a hunch” will open the season on Thursday Night Football.

I think the best candidates to open the season on Sept. 8 (and I use that phrase advisedly, because I, like you, fear the season won’t start on time because of the labor saber-rattling) would be these: 1. New Orleans at Green Bay; 2. Tampa Bay at Green Bay; 3. Chicago at Green Bay. Just a hunch.

Well, this is more than a hunch coming from King. At worst, an educated hunch.

Aside from the Satanic Time-Warner, which denies innocent Americans the right to watch the NFL Network, who else employs King? NBC Universal.

Who broadcasts the opening game on Thursday night of each NFL season? NBC.

You don’t think King was having a cocktail this weekend by chance with NBC sports executive Dick Ebersol who maybe let it slip what game(s) he is lobbying NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to televise?

Do the math.

Nothing says ‘let’s get naked’ like a limousine and champagne on Valentine’s Day. You can roll the dice on other gifts, or you can knock it out of the park.

It’s up to you.

Joe’s good friends at Paradise Worldwide Transportation are waiting for your call, or you can schedule a chauffeur online. Go for it!

All kinds of panels of esteemed sportswriters vote for the major postseason NFL awards.

In the Tampa Bay area, eye-RAH! Kaufman is the main man. The veteran Tampa Tribune scribe is the local representative with a Hall of Fame vote, and he’s got a ballot for All-Pro, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, etc.

Speaking Friday to Steve Duemig, the dean of local sports radio on WDAE-AM 620, Kaufman revealed that Donald Penn got his All-Pro vote. That means Kaufman voted Penn as the best left tackle in all of football. Miami’s Jake Long and Cleveland’s Joe Thomas won the two All-Pro honors awarded to tackles.

Kaufman also said runner-up for Rookie of the Year Mike Williams got his vote over eventual winner Sam Bradford.  (Hmm. Joe’s almost ready to forgive Kaufman for passing on Raheem Morris for Coach of the Year).

Kaufman seemed almost offended that voters could have chosen Bradford. But Joe’s more offended that LeGarrette Blount didn’t get one vote for Rookie of the Year.

It’s amazing to Joe how much of a passing league the NFL has become. A rookie like Blount gets 1,000 yards on more than five yards a carry — on a 10-6 team — and doesn’t get a sniff from the voters. Crazy. Don’t these guys realize the man can fly?