SuperBowl 34 Every year Phil goes to the big one. Every year he phones me from the game, or from a restaurant where he's sitting next to Tony Dungy, or from where he's standing next to the Madden Cruiser. You get the picture. But Phil's trips are more than just going to the game. This is a thankfully short but still nauseating piece on a week at SuperBowl XXXV The trip started promisingly when I found myself sitting with Alan McKinlay of The Daily Mirror on the plane. Alan writes a weekly column for First Down and we spent the flight drinking, talking of the NFL and trading embarrassing stories about Paul! Paul and I had decided to take Mike Newquist out for a meal to thank him for everything he has done for the Bucs in the way of tickets. Of course, Paul didn't join us because the Bucs weren't in the SuperBowl/Kerrie wouldn't let him go (delete the one you think is most appropriate), but we had a great meal at Berns all the same. We gave Mike two cut-glass champagne flutes and a bottle of the finest bubbly as a token of our appreciation, something Mike really did treasure. You see, everyone else who Mike deals with is usually moaning or complaining about their tickets or lack of them. All we ever do is say how great he is and thank him profusely. Who do you think he likes dealing with more? In talking with Nick Pugliese and other local sports writers, the stories about the Bucs being sold just might have a bit more to them than you would first think. The Glazers are not sports fans, but the word is they want an LA franchise because it would be worth more. Moving the Bucs is not an option because of leases, but getting hold of a future expansion team might be. The discussions with the people who own the Outback restaurant chain did happen. Warren Sapp is apparently causing real trouble behind the scenes since the Bucs went out of the play-offs in Philadelphia. He knows the window of opportunity to win is closing, and the lack of offensive production really got to him. Sapp was kicked off a recent NFL golf day because he was causing trouble, and he is stirring it up behind the scenes at One Buc Place. The story goes that if you know Warren then you know he is a pretty smart guy and he's not stupid. Neither is Keyshawn Johnson, but both have egos and personalities the size of Florida. Most of the people connected with the Bucs thought all they had to do to beat the Eagles was simply turn up in Philadelphia and that would be enough. They were already looking ahead to the next opponent and just weren't ready for an Eagle team that played above itself. The NFL Players party was as good as ever and amongst those players I got to meet were Daunte Culpepper (took a nice picture of him for Geoff Reader), Kevin Hardy, Terrell Buckley and Jeff Garcia. Garcia is seriously weird and sat most of the time on his own not talking to anyone else. Potential rookie QBs Drew Brees and Chris Weinke were really nice guys but I guess that will change when they reach the NFL. The NFL media party is one huge event and thanks to Pugo, I was there. I spent most of the time talking with Nick and Freddie Solomon, the former 49ers receiver who now works in the local media. We did also spot Keith Webster of First Down trying to set a new record for eating vanilla slices. I reckon he would have eaten the whole table if he could. FROM THE ED - I put this heinous accusation to Keith earlier this week, and although he didn't out and out deny it, he couldn't recall anything about vanilla slices! I bumped into Tiki Barber while out in Ybor City, along with Hank Stram and Sam Wyche. The Bucs' former coach has had major surgery recently and was looking really old and ill. Stram though happened to be sporting the worst wig I have ever seen in my life. Walking past Lee Roy Selmon's restaurant, the man himself was coming out, took one look at my Bucs UK shirt and came over to say hello. "You guys have been here a lot before" was his first comment. You can always wind Paul up about Lee Roy as he's never actually met him! I wouldn't have said the seat I was in was that high up in the stadium, but did you remember when the Stealth Bomber flew over during the National Anthem? I touched the bottom of it. The best moment had to be when I was sitting outside a restaurant when Jevon Kearse and his wife came and sat down at the next table. I nipped into a local store, bought a replica Florida Gators' helmet, and got the Titans' Pro Bowler to sign it when he had finished his meal. Now that will be worth something in a few years. The trip was rounded off in style when I went to check out from my hotel after six excellent days, and found my bill had been paid in full. I have no idea who did it, whether it was a mistake or not, but who cared! At Tampa airport, while waiting for my flight home, I got talking to three other English lads who were laughing amongst themselves. I found out why when an announcement came over the tannoy asking for "Betty Swollocks to go to the information desk, Mrs Betty Swollocks". Let's just say that you could tell every English person in the airport as they were the ones laughing their socks off while the Americans stood around and wondered what was so funny. Phil Jones February 2000