That’s All Folks The annual let-down of a truly awful Super Bowl game has now officially brought the curtain down on the 2005 NFL season, and despite our early play-off exit, I think the year just past is one we will remember for the right reasons. I don’t want to dwell too much on the Super Bowl itself which was poorly played, badly officiated and low on entertainment both on and off the field, with only The Rolling Stones providing the lone bright spot. Clearly Keith Richards had absolutely no idea of where he was or what the hell he was doing, but then again neither did Jerramy Stevens so he was in good company. Instead of waffling irreverently as usual in my final offering of the season, I thought I’d finish off by recalling the moments from this year that we may recall in 10 years time, and I’ve listed them by category in true sad statto man’s style below: - Most Memorable Victory – Without doubt the thorough caning of the Panthers in their own toilet of a stadium in Week 14. It laid to rest a hoodoo and proved we were for real Most Gut-Wrenching Defeat – The loss to the Bears in Week 12. How can you lose to a team with no offense? By gifting them 10 points and missing chip shot field goals, that’s how. A Few Final Things I Think 1. I think Antonio Bryant will sign for the Bucs as a free agent. I’m throwing a real dart here but we need a wide receiver, he needs a new team, he won’t cost what Owens wants nor cause even an ounce of trouble and he’s better than anything else we can get picking at number 23 in the draft. 2. I think hats off go to Cadillac for winning just about every Rookie of the Year honour that matters. Just one thing please Carnell – don’t have a sophomore season like Michael Clayton. 3. I think it’s bizarre that the best pass thrown on the NFL’s showpiece game came from a wide receiver rather than either of the two quarterbacks on view. Even more bizarre is the fact that the pass itself will mean the receiver in question, Antwaan Randle-El will likely get even more dollars in free agency thanks to a gadget play, rather than his general ability as a wideout. 4. I still think Mike Alstott will call it a career in the next few weeks. 5. I think it’s high time I knocked this column on the head for a while and gave the Bucs UK a break from my observations until draft time. Thanks to anybody who voted for me in the clubs Writer of the Year category, I am truly humbled. Game We Stole When We Had No Right Too – Detroit, Week 4; a horribly lazy performance we somehow stayed unbeaten thanks to the whim of a replay official who saved our bacon. Game We Are Still Wondering How We Lost – The play-off defeat to Washington. Limiting a team to 120-odd total offensive yards, and holding the ball for about three days worth of possession time usually signifies comfortable victory doesn’t it? Maybe not. Offensive MVP Player – Joey Galloway. Sorry Cadillac, but Joey had little or no support from the opposite side, and survived a quarterback change to post a record-breaking season, and at age 34. He was our passing game. Defensive MVP – Ronde Barber. Key picks, big time coverage, and a general livewire Ronde just gets better with age, which is doubly unusual for a defensive back. Highlight Offensive Play – The Mike Alstott two-point conversion run. Did he get in? Probably not but who cares. Gutsy call, effort run, favourable set of officials, RJS goes nuts, ballgame! Highlight Defensive Play – Ronde Barber’s 12-foot high leap to pick off Aaron Brooks in Week 13 in front of virtually no crowd or national tv audience in Baton Rouge. How the hell does a 5 foot 10 inch cornerback make that play? Awesome. Nearest We Got To A Kick-off Return TD – Watching Ladell Betts run one back for the Skins, or at least run it midway, step out of bounds, step back in and then head for the end zone. The streak lives to fight another day. Best Play-call – The Cadillac Williams run on third and goal from the 10 in Carolina to ice the game at 20-3 in Week 14. Totally crossed the Twits up and shoved it down their throats – effing love it! Worst Play-Call – Any of our offensive plays in Week 8 in San Francisco. Simms didn’t try to complete a pass longer than about six feet and our running game was a joke, against a real toilet of an opponent. Best All-Round Performance – Miami, Week 6. Despite Nick Halling’s bizarre recollections, this was a true stuffing of an in-state rival. We survived losing our quarterback to dish out a physical lesson, and added a crucial stop on 4th down to boot. Biggest Stinker – (Tie) Losing to The lowly Jets in Week 5 and 86-year old ex-Buc Vinny, or the Week 8 imposter team who showed up in San Francisco, most of whom were mentally on the plane with Simeon heading back to Tampa when the whistle blew. Rookie To Keep An Eye On – Alex Smith. We all know about Cadillac but check this guy out. He’s a physical freak, has hands like buckets and can run after the catch. With the right coaching Mr Smith has the tools to redefine the tight end position – would you like to try and cover him? So that for me is our 2005 season in a nut-shell; granted I’ve made some omissions but for me, these are the things I think I’ll recall when I’m old and decrepid in the coming years. We are now officially in the dead-zone period pre-free Agency and the draft build up in March, and post the traditionally chronic Super Bowl. Chin-up everybody, you can console yourself with the imminent departure of Kenyatta Walker if nothing else. Get in the Real World Award – Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. Petty arguments over money meant these two were the only past Superbowl MVPs not to appear at a pre-game ceremony – if the conditions were right for the other 30 odd players, why the hell do your ego’s dictate you require more. Grow up, get real and step back into reality. Nod of Acknowledgement to – Bill Cowher. He’s waited long enough but a classy old school coach got his just desserts with a Superbowl last Sunday night, and he more than his players it seemed deserved to hold aloft the trophy at the final gun.