We're becoming like the Bengals Who wants to join me in a sweepstake to predict when we’ll be in the same league as the Cincinnati Bengals for law-avoiding players? David Boston, date rape. (Doing it to yourself??) Jerramy Stevens, take your pick. Lionel Gates, battery. Michael Pittman, battery & domestic violence. Jeff Garcia, marrying a women far, far, far too good looking for you. What makes this worse is that we don’t release these players who are, in the eyes of millions, heroes. (Perhaps not Lionel Gates) What sort of message is that sending? “Hey kids, it’s ok to beat your wife, we’ll still pay you millions of dollars, just make sure you keep scoring TD’s/sacking the QB.” I won’t continue in the same vein, as a previous column elaborated further on my thoughts, I just wanted to pitch my 2c at the Bucs front office, and wondering how Cannon and Ball can take this. Tony Dungy wouldn’t have stood for it… And Bruce Allen? Football fans are not stupid (Washington fans apart) – they know when to believe the good and the bad, and no amount of posturing can convince us otherwise. You may have convinced the Glazers and the media almost 5 years ago, but now? Your cards have been called sonny-jim. So, one down, 15 losses to go. That’s unfair, our Bucs genuinely looked a shadow of their 06 selves in the opening quarter, a team that played as one, could catch the ball, run the ball, and gain big returns on special teams – if it weren’t for penalties. Watching the first quarter made you think that perhaps we had been underrated, perhaps we could once again go worst-to-first, and that Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams had an offensive line that generated holes and blocks, and a QB that defenses are afraid of. Sadly this didn’t hold pat for the final three quarters. In a match-up reminiscent of Charlie Frye’s opening day theatrics (He played for one and a half quarters, then disappeared) Seattle came back with not much effort (admittedly, when watching Seattle you don’t tend to feel excitement or effort from them – also, are they more boring than the Patriots?). Shaun Alexander showed that at least against the ‘minor-leagues’ of the NFL he’s still a 100+ yard runner and Matt Hasselbeck had the safe, slightly dull, but always reliable passing game he’s always had. What cost us the game? Injuries to BK and Caddy, the temporary withdrawal of Jeff Garcia and Luke McCown’s inability to drag his pre-season ass into his first regular season game for the Bucs, a big play given up for a TD by #55, and a general inability to sustain drives. Again. Sure, we may have had poor field position, but who’s fault is that? To answer my own rhetorical question, our defense and our special teams play who gave up penalties negating 30+ yard returns. Moreover, any half-decent team can drive the length of the field if they believe they can – even Bucco Bruce did so last season! The fact of the matter is this: Tampa Bay IS a better team than last year, we ARE younger, and we genuinely do have talent levels that are at LEAST on a par with the Panthers and Falcons. We aren’t a terrible team, and we’re not in disarray. We need to realise this as a squad, play together and for each other. NFL WATCH In breaking news (as I write this) Bill Belichick has been personally fined the maximum $500,000, the Patriots $250,000, their 1st round pick (not San Francisco’s which they obtained in a trade) if they make the playoffs – which is likely – or their 2nd and 3rd if they don’t. Cleveland are a shambles. JaMarcus Russell signs in Oakland – they still should have taken Brady… The Malicious Penguins lost their opener courtesy of Eli Manning, Randy Moss, and my entire running back corps scoring a total of 2. (Rudi Johnson in a 2-pt conversion) What the heck happened in the NFL last week?? Injuries left (Seattle), right (Dallas – It’s in the NFC East!), and Centre (St. Louis), with season ending injuries, players on a week to week basis, and players who are lucky to be alive and in our thoughts. Chris Brown? 175 Yards? Who?! Tony Romo? 345 Yards on 15 completions? How?! (Ok, the New York Football Giants Secondary, and the Defense as a whole, is, to be blunt, shit) I may have a curse upon me – my 1st Bucs jersey was #80, Michael Clayton – he’s disappeared since I bought it. My 2nd? Carnell Williams….