Vinny's revenge is indeed sweet, classy, too Hubert Mizell, The St.Petersburg Times, published 11 September 1995 Vinny's Sweet Revenge, an impassioned personal Sunday melodrama at the old Cleveland playhouse, was approaching curtain call for Vincent Frank Testaverde. Unlike for some of Testaverde's performances, his audience was applauding and roaring, including people who'd come dressed as Dawgs to bark, drool and roll over in a mouthy end zone that for 10 seasons has been known as The Pound. Vinny's show: heroic, satisfying. As a final act, the Browns quarterback was taking happy knees, allowing concluding seconds to expire on a 22-6 smack down of the Tampa Bay Bucs, with whom Vinny played six (1987-92) tantalizing but agonizing and defeat-shredded seasons. His job done, with 17-for-27 excellence reaping two touchdowns and zero interceptions, Testaverde refused to let go of the football. Vinny was gripping it like a wino who'd just found a full bottle of Lafite Rothschild. If he'd held it any tighter, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue's signature would've popped off. It was a game ball headed for Vinny's trophy case. It was his. Sunday was his. The Bucs were his. "I'm keeping the football... for kicks," a grinning Testaverde said in the Browns' locker room. "It's an extra special win for me." Somebody joked about Vinny whipping the guys in those sickening orange suits. "It was," he replied, "one ugly uniform beating another." There was peace in his voice. "I wasn't any more nervous than for any game, but I did want this one real bad," the 31-year-old Testaverde said. "It's not every Sunday that you get to play your old team and your old coach who's still one of your favorite guys in the world." Sam Wyche, still coaching Tampa Bay with young Trent Dilfer now in the quarterback role Testaverde was expelled from 2 1/2 years ago, met Vinny in a sweaty midfield crowd after the Bucs (1-1) had been humbled as their kid from Fresno State was sacked seven times. Testaverde and Wyche embraced. It was genuine. Not even all-pro thespians could've faked the looks they exchanged. Vinny later searched for Bucs left tackle Paul Gruber, his most dependable protector for a half-dozen seasons and Testaverde's best pal among the 1995 Bucs. "It's amazing, but only eight or nine players remain from when I was last with Tampa Bay in 1992," said No. 12 of the Browns. "If anybody has any doubts, I'm rooting hard for those guys, not against them except for this Sunday." Testaverde still lives in Tampa during the off-season. He plays golf and breaks bread with Bucs people, beginning with Wyche but warmly including Dilfer, Gruber and general manager Rich McKay. Vinny had empathy for Dilfer. He's been there, done that. "Trent's going to be fine," the Browns ace pitcher said. "He's young, and every quarterback has to learn how to deal with the NFL. But the situation is far different for Dilfer than it was for me with the Bucs. His opportunity is bound for success. There's so much more talent around Trent than we ever had in my Bucs years. "They've got a good offensive line, a bunch of fine receivers and a great runner in Errict Rhett. They're going to be a good football team this season. I'm expecting the Bucs to be strong contenders for the playoffs. I'm not just saying that; I believe it." He seemed sincere, not political. Long after his Sunday work was done, Vinny finally had showered and dressed in his casual civvies, including black Calvin Klein briefs, denim shirt, jeans, broad leather belt and beige suede boots. Flashing those Hollywood teeth, the ex-Buc discussed his feelings for the Tampa area and assessed the nouveau Bucs under Glazer family ownership. "With free agency, there's a lot of talent now available every year and the new Tampa Bay owners are obviously willing to compete to make the Bucs better," Testaverde said, standing in the bowels of a decaying dinosaur called Cleveland Stadium. "I just wish Mr. C (late Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse) had been more active, more willing. You can feel the attitude of confidence in today's Bucs operation." Vinny didn't flinch when a reporter asked if he was sorry the six-year gig didn't work out with the Bucs. "I certainly do wish it'd worked better for me with the Bucs," he said. "I loved the city of Tampa. I wish things had been different when I was getting my shot there. But it's Trent Dilfer's team now and I am very, very happy playing in Cleveland. We've got a chance at some good things this season. Hey, we're both going to be okay, Trent and me." Testaverde had solid back-to-back games, against the Bucs and seven days earlier as Cleveland lost its opener to New England. "It's my ninth pro year and I've never felt this confident going into a season," he said. His quarterback rating is a sizzling 111.5, including an even more impressive 118.8 against the Bucs. Tampa Bay heads home 1-1 from season-beginning road exams at Philadelphia and Cleveland. For the Buccos, that is more than acceptable. Let's not even start jabbering about another 10-plus defeat season. Sunday's mess-ups against the Browns are fixable, even the shaky and uncertain swatches that appeared occasionally to overwhelm and wipe out Dilfer. There's no apparent reason for this Sunday not to be loud, promising and invigorating against the Chicago Bears at Tampa Stadium. But I'll admit, I felt good for Vinny. He's endured aplenty. Testaverde is a good, hard-working, deserving guy. He could've been a loud pop-off after knifing the Bucs who'd given up on him, but the fellow from the University of Miami was as post-game classy as he'd been productive on the field. Vinny's revenge was sweet. His day and his football are keepers.