We interupt this moment of silence to collect rent
"So they [the Tampa Bay Bucs] closed down the Vet and opened up Lincoln Financial." —Al Michaels
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Speak 'n' Spell
Surprisingly enough after January's NFC title game, Eagles fans have started calling one of our Tampa Bay sports stations from Philly to talk their smack. Best call of the day?

B-U-C-K-S! BUCKS SUCK!

If you don't get that, I'm not spelling it out for you.

posted at 05:18 PM | link-

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Please stop frightening the children
As mentioned below, tonight the Bucs take on the Rams in pre-season Monday Night Football. When this occurs, I am morally obligated to issue my own special kind of terror alert. That's right, you run the very real risk of coming face-to-face with Brenda Warner on your television screens this evening. Be prepared, since I can't be any longer. I have compiled a list of things to watch for in the "Brenda Warner Drinking Game". The telltale signs are as follows:

feather boa (1 shot)
dressed in neon (1 shot)
any kind of animal print (2 shots)
frosted hair (2 shots)
hair shorter than Kurt's (3 shots)
nails longer than 2" (1 shot)
fingernail with diamond in it (3 shots)
leather mini skirt other than black (2 shots)
frosted lipstick (3 shots)
baby blue eye shadow (2 shots)

The best defense is a good offense. Keep your Cuervo Gold standing by. And feel free to add to this list in the comments if you'd like...
posted at 04:23 PM | link-

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"Break a leg" is just a saying, dude
Looks like this blogger had it right all along. Hopefully Vick's recovery will be as rapid as Griffin's appears to be! Blasted Madden curse...I want the Bucs to win it all again on their own merit. Not "just because...".
posted at 03:30 AM | link-

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Are you ready for some foooooootball?
If you've ever wondered just what kind of ~~stupid, idiotic~~ rabid Bucs fans we are -- yes, we are up for the live telecast from Tokyo, Japan, as the Bucs take on the Jets in pre-season play.

Bars across the Tampa Bay area are open this ~~Christmas~~ Kick-Off morning. But we're at least being sensible and watching from the comfort of our own bed...

Bring. It. ON! Click more for final score.

UPDATE: The Bucs defeated the Jets 30-14. Congrats guys!
posted at 05:05 AM | link-

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Title town
Congrats to the Tampa Bay Storm on winning the AFL Arena Bowl Championship in Tampa today, 43-29. It's the team's fifth -- an AFL record. Not bad...Tampa Bay gets an NFL and AFL championship in the same year... Now
posted at 07:41 PM | link-

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You're so fine you blow my mind!
A Bucs cheerleader is a finalist in the Cosmo Cover Girl Search. I honestly think Kayla Drawdy is the cutest of the bunch, so if you wanna vote, go here.
posted at 04:49 PM | link-

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Who 'dat?

Warren [Sapp] was interviewed at a Orlando Magic game. The reporter asked him, "What do you think of your knew quarterback Chris Simms?" His answer was: "Who? Who is that?" [pay-link from Todd]

Now that sounds more like my Tampa Bay Buccaneers!
posted at 07:23 PM | link-

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[slow mo] Noooooooooooo [/slow mo]
Todd made me login to publicly state that we will never, EVER consider him a Buccaneer -- much less cheer for him. What was Chucky thinking? Ugh. Expect the two of us to be bringing some very interesting signs to training camp this summer...
posted at 08:56 PM | link-

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Rest in peace
Damn. Fuck. And any other expletive this year has left me too tired to type...
posted at 09:51 PM | link-

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Check out, check check...out my melody
You got a problem with all the Bucs talk lately? Well I invite you to hit that back button and keep on surfin' bud. Because if you think this is bad, baby you ain't seen nothing yet when OU brings home another one of these!

Seriously though, I seem to have lost sight of the fact as to when my online journal's content had to be first-approved by YOU. Can you please enlighten me when this little change in ownership took place? Because I was under the impression that if I wanted to spend every single entry for the next six weeks blogging about my left pinky toe, well guess what? You don't have to keep on reading me. Shocking concept, I know. Those who want to...will. Those who don't...will find about 500,000 other blogs out there to keep them entertained. I know that I don't float everyone's boat, and I'm not ashamed to admit you never really have mine either. I happen to despise French. I think using it mixed with English merely for the sake of typing it is snotty and pretentious. But that's quite another "issue" of mine altogether...and you never saw me making blog entries calling you out for it when you'd ping me in the past.

I've always said that the day I stop blogging for me is the day I hang up my mouse -- and I don't intend to change that any time soon. Football is a very real part of my life. Just as politics are a very real part of Michele's. No one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to read all of our content. Skim if you just can't stomach it. Really, it's not that hard.

You do not dictate my mood. You do not dictate my thoughts. You do not even dictate my content, or what I have for dinner tomorrow night. And I double-dog dare you to come into my home, grab my paper journal, and start editing it because you don't like my topic choices and perspective on things. Because in case you might have missed it 'til now, this is my online journal. I write for me. I don't write to entertain the masses. And I certainly don't change my content because you've grown sick of hearing about Tampa Bay. If anything, it makes me even more determined to mention my fine community at every available turn. Ever notice that URL up there in the address bar by chance? Which reminds me...Gasparilla is right around the corner. Funny how that works. I'm'a do things my way. It's my way...or the highway... *plonk*

UPDATE: I kid you not, as I hit the publish button, Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" came on my station. The irony was not lost on me.
posted at 03:42 AM | link-

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I.....love a parade!
Jen and I tag-teamed of sorts for the Bucs Super Bowl celebrations this week -- here are her most-excellent pics of yesterday's Super Bowl Parade in Tampa.
posted at 03:08 PM | link-

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No time for losers...

Todd was able to leave work early on Monday afternoon, so we headed towards Raymond James Stadium about 4 p.m. They didn't open the gates 'til almost 7 p.m., but that didn't matter. It was a Super Bowl sized party outside (over 10,000 strong before 5 p.m.)! Once inside, we ended up with excellent seats on the west side of the stadium. We were between the 30 and 40-yardlines, only about 9 rows up. It was first-come, first-seated. There were so many people that they even had to open the upper decks, and the one across from us completely filled-- at least 65,000 people in attendance.

We were entertained with great Super Bowl moments on the jumbotrons, and also the ten best Super Bowl commercials. They fired the canons for each touchdown scored on the replay. We also got live updates on the team plane's location, which did a fly-by right over the stadium before it landed. The Tampa PD SWAT team had officers repel from a helicopter right onto the field. And the cheerleaders arrived first to entertain the crowd. Once the team landed at TIA, Warren Sapp called the stadium from his cell phone and said they could hear us at the airport from the team buses! Things were very, very loud. And finally...the Super Bowl champs showed up. The players, coaches and owners all took a few seconds at the podium -- and then a few of the players and the Glazers dashed around the field with the Lombardi trophy a few times. Those on the front row got to touch it! Then just like that, it was over. A week I know I'll never forget as long as I live.

I have four pages of photos from Monday afternoon and evening up in my Super Bowl Gallery. Some are a bit blury and I do apologize. It's a bit hard to shoot when 65,000 people are rockin' the joint. I'll try to get captions up tomorrow, but for now just the photos will have to do. I'm freakin' exhausted and sick as a dog, I can't feel my fingers, and I still have to work tonight. Don't get me wrong though... I am NOT complaining.

We're not going to the parade tomorrow (I'm not up to it and Todd has to work), so if anyone goes and takes pics -- pass them on and I'll link them here. One last time...CONGRATS BUCS! We love you!
posted at 02:24 AM | link-

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Dancin' in the streets
It's amazing how different towns handle sporting milestones. I guess everyone expects the Oakland fans to riot -- win or lose. By contrast, other than a trash can fire and auto-pedestrian accident last weekend, for the most part things were very tame here in Tampa Bay when we clinched the NFC title. Even at a last-minute gathering of 25,000+ fans. The "riot police" at that event consisted of four men on horseback. From all local media accounts, Tampa Bay was very orderly in their celebrations tonight as well. Dale Mabry was bumper-to-bumper and Ybor was packed, but arrests were at a minimum. When OU won their national title in 2000-01, you didn't see our fans burning cars in the streets of Norman either.

I guess I've really never understood that mindset. I've never been a fan of a team where rioting was considered the "norm" (even if done by a fringe-group and looked down upon by other fans), or even something that was expected and to be braced for. Thank goodness. Your team loses? Well life goes on, and there's always next season. And if it wins -- well let's just say we all tossed back more than a few tonight in this town. But the real celebration will be done in the right way, at the right place, tomorrow night. CONGRATS BUCS!

UPDATE: Well here you go -- this is how we celebrate in Tampa. TBO.com mentions this:

"Meanwhile, in Ybor City revelers began pouring into the popular nightclub district.....At least one woman was arrested for baring her breasts, but most were described as happy fans."

And somewhat related, Tampa Bay Online also has a Super Bowl Weblog.
posted at 02:50 AM | link-

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I have a little salt handy - where's an open wound?
Official 2002-03 ATPTB Bucs Football Quote of the Season: "Lets be realistic - come talk to me when the Lucks actually play and beat a team with a winning record." - iggles

My team just won Super Bowl XXXVII -- how about you, and every other smack-talker I've endured this past season, come back and talk to me now, hmmmm? Nah, I didn't forget my promise. Real blondes never do. Sometimes girls just know more about football than you.
posted at 12:51 AM | link-

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San...Diego...Super Bowl'ers!
[We freaking did it!!!]

Thanks so much to everyone for all the well wishes! It makes up ten-fold for all the smack we've had to take over the years in our blogs, the press, and the world in general for being Bucs fans. What a year! Our Sooners finish in the top 5 after an amazing Rose Bowl performance, and now our Bucs are World Champions. Both of our teams, college and pro, have two of the best coaches in the game. I just can't believe it's over...7 months of golf...ugh.

This isn't the first time "my team" has won the Super Bowl. I was a Cowboys fan all of my life, until Barry Switzer's firing in the late 90s. I was raised in silver and blue and had a Cowboy Cheerleader's uniform before I could barely walk. But I can definitely say this is the sweetest. We live in, and are a part of, this community. We've been here through the early lean (orange) years as Sapp and Brooks were starting out, and the mean years where we got close but no cigar. So this is more sweet than anything I could have possibly dreamed of... Second only to our being at the Orange Bowl when the Sooners won the National Championship in 2000.

Again, thanks to everyone for the congrats and well wishes! What a day! The official celebration begins at Raymond James Stadium tomorrow evening. For those in Tampa Bay, the stadium parking opens at 6:00 p.m. with the team expected to arrive about 9 p.m. Hope to see ya'll there!
posted at 11:00 PM | link-

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Defense. Wins. Championships!
Who's our favorite player? Mr. Derrick Brooks! More to come soon. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some bubbly to pop open... WE'RE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS, BABY!
posted at 10:14 PM | link-

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Go and part the sea, yeah, in Malibu

Wonder how much more it would take 'til I can't feel my legs? I'm seriously about to hyperventilate here.

P.S. So far Todd has cracked our vertical blinds and is now bleeding from the hand.
posted at 07:42 PM | link-

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Another tension breaker - had to be done

[Click to view the song lyrics]

Right-click the image (or this link) to save...

Yeah, it's been overplayed during the playoffs. But it's a damn good song! GO BUCS!
posted at 05:06 PM | link-

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Are you ready for some football?
It's Super Bowl Sunday -- and my love of the Bucs even made it on this week's Call For Help! Let's get it on... Good luck, Chey! And special thanks go out to callforhelpcentral.com for the video clip! (Just for the record, Tampa Bay won that CFH video game 27-10.)
posted at 01:36 AM | link-

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I'm Super...thanks for asking
FOXsports.com has an interesting list of Super Bowl facts. Some include:

Nine of the ten most-watched television programs of all time are Super Bowls.

People eat more food on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year other than Thanksgiving.

Super Bowl weekend is the slowest weekend of the year for weddings.

Last year, a 61-year-old lawyer from Chicago turned down an 18-day, all-expenses paid around-the-world trip for two, estimated at $18,000, in favor of two tickets to Super Bowl XXXVI.

Sales of antacid increase 20 percent the day after Super Bowl Sunday.

The top activities men will be doing during this year's Super Bowl are...

Eating/snacking, 82 percent
Watching the ads, 60 percent
Yelling at the TV screen, 52 percent
Hanging out with the guys, 46 percent
Drinking beer, 44 percent
Swearing or cursing, 39 percent
Betting on the game, 26 percent

Just men though? They obviously haven't been to a game shown in our house! Oh yeah, they have facts about avocados, too. Can't forget those... "Forty million pounds of avocados will be eaten during this year's Super Bowl festivities at home and in restaurants, mostly in the form of guacamole. That's enough dip to cover Qualcomm Stadium's football field, end zone to end zone, over five feet deep."

UPDATE: Sounds like some people took "we're going to the Super Bowl" here to mean we're (as in me and Todd) going to the Super Bowl -- and not we're (as in Tampa Bay). Oops. Unless I have some rich uncle about to buy the farm that I don't know about...our feet will be here pacing the ground of Tampa Bay on Super Bowl Sunday. I rather like my right kidney. It seems to come in handy every now and again...
posted at 12:50 AM | link-

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(NFC) Paper Champions
This is all I have time for right now...but the second batch of photos from last night is online starting here. I had to shoot a lot of them over my head and pray I got something -- so forgive the poor lighting and focus. And Todd was able to score several papers and an official NFC champions t-shirt today! The news said the line at Buccaneer Heaven was 700-strong this morning for the shirts, so we're feeling very lucky to have it.
posted at 07:16 PM | link-

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And we were there...

There are times in your life where you've just got to smile and say, "Fuck the flu. Some things are more important." Tonight was one of those nights. When we saw on a 10 p.m. news update that 8,000 strong were already at Raymond James Stadium, it didn't take long to load up the car and head on out. We joined over 25,000 of our closest neighbors for a Super Bowl sized party just off Dale Mabry! Before they landed, the team plane did a low fly-by right over the stadium. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen! And I was behind a police barricade literally 5-feet away from my own personal hero Mr. John Lynch as he went by.

Amazingly, after standing out in 30°ish temps for several hours, I feel better than I have in weeks and I can't wipe this damn smile off my face. I shot over 40 pics -- some good, some not so good. I waded through to find the best ones (14 total), and put them up at a temporary home here. I'll get to the rest tomorrow and reorganize when I can feel my fingers again... Have I mentioned lately that WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL*?!? Happy Monday, everyone! (* we're as in Tampa Bay, not Robyn and Todd, people!)
posted at 04:11 AM | link-

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Can I get an unh-huh?
I could talk smack and curse like a sailor all night long like all you Eagles fans would have done. I could hop on your blogs and boards and rub it in. But I'd rather just tell you to KISS MY ASS at my own house because we're going to the Super Bowl. Sorry I don't have any more time to devote to your worthless team than that, but if you'll excuse me, we have San Diego to concentrate on -- and a bottle of champagne to pop open!

UPDATE: Jen snapped her own special photo -- make sure to check it out!
posted at 06:25 PM | link-

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Have you seen the size of my Johnsons?
I'm drinking heavily now.
posted at 04:28 PM | link-

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I...love...football on TV
If you have any questions about the big games, make sure to ask the Magic 8 Ball. Good luck today, Erica Lynn -- may the best team on "any given Sunday" win!
posted at 01:38 PM | link-

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Who you tryin' to get crazy with ese? Don't you know I'm loco?
I've noticed a lot of smack goin' around accusing Tampa Bay fans of being bandwagoners. Well, I thought I'd scan my football card collection for proof. These cards are mine (not my husband's) and all but one of them were purchased pre-1997 season. You will notice that I have not one, but two different 1993 John Lynch rookie cards in all their orange and white glory -- and a rookie baseball card of his as well. I also have 1995 Brooks and Sapp cards from the Creamsicle days. And my pewter power John Lynch card is the season opener 1999 Topps -- several months before the NFC Championship loss to St. Louis.

I'm not denying there are bandwagoner fans out there. And guess what -- the Eagles have them, too. But don't question the longevity of my loyalty to my team. I've been here in good times, and bad. Just as I was with the Sooners in the 90s. And I will continue to support them no matter the outcome on Sunday. I think recent events have shown us there's a little more to life than just football though. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jurevicius family.
posted at 07:08 PM | link-

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Fire the canons!

You damn Yanks can say all you want about the Bucs and our so-called "cold weather curse", but this weekend it wouldn't matter if Sunday's kick-off took place in Ray-J or The Vet. It's cold. Damn cold. In the state of Florida. Yep, we're hitting the freezing mark this weekend, and the windchill coming in off the Gulf is almost unbearable. I don't want to hear anyone whining about their current temp of -12° either. You know and I know that 32° in Florida isn't s'posed to happen. So laugh now, but you won't be laughing when it comes time to pay $12 for a gallon of OJ in a couple of months.

I don't know what's going to go down Sunday. Especially with Philly blanketed in snow right now... If you think that you do though, you haven't been watching the NFL all that long. Any. Given. Sunday. And god knows I've taken enough shit over it already -- so seriously, there's no need for more here. Take it over there. You aren't going to tell me anything I, and every other Bucs fan on the planet, haven't heard 100 times already this week. I swear, you're not that original. No really. If you honestly think I'm going to suddenly turn tail and dislike my team just because in your infinite wisdom you've been able to compile a few stats and analyze them, well then you don't know the meaning of a true fan. It may be that way in your town, but it's not in mine. I've been here since the Creamsicle days in the Big Sombrero. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Bandwagoner my ass. Hell, I didn't even like the Eagles when I lived in Philly. Why would that change now?

It's like I said over at Jen's earlier today -- Chucky doesn't have us believing in one season. He has us believing in our team. And if that means we've gotta believe in seven more months instead, well I can think of a much worse fate. Like, oh say, the next 225 days of golf and NASCAR. Bring. It. On.
posted at 01:35 AM | link-

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Phil-a-delphia freedom

posted at 04:31 PM | link-

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"Just gimme the damn ball"
How 'bout I give you that bitchslap you so richly deserve instead...? I'm awake now. Thanks Keyshawn. And thank YOU, D!
posted at 01:12 PM | link-

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Countin' Flowers on the wall - that don't bother me at all

Lee Flowers - Official Tampa Tantrum Paper Champion

posted at 08:30 PM | link-

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Done-gy
Well regardless of what happens to the Bucs in the post-season now, I sure am glad we have a new head coach. To quote the ESPN Sunday night crew, "Holy cow! Are you kidding me?"
posted at 07:38 PM | link-

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