Tampa finally Bucs the Packer-backers
So, you are one of the few who actually grew up in Southwest Florida, where you have spent too much of your life secretly rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Yours is a thankless chore, because not only has your team been mostly awful most of the time, especially this year, but you have come to be surrounded by a bunch of transplanted Midwestern farmers, who have brought their football allegiances and 120-pound 7-year-olds with them to gobble up your tee times, beaches and sport bars.
You grudgingly put up with 'em because they are double-fistedly responsible for keeping the restaurant and supermarket industries going great guns down there.
But you long for those days of John McKay when your lovable team could just lose quietly, and among friends, while you worked on your tan every other Sunday afternoon.
As you walked into the stadium yesterday through the thick smell of brat, Old-Wilwaukee breathing cheeseheads were oinking about getting back on the winning track after their boy, Brett, stole their clogged hearts a week ago in the land of their ancestors.
For awhile it looked they were going to get their pudgy little hands around another victory over your sad-sack team, until a funny thing happened, they didn't.
Donned in the colors of one of your two greatest teams, your 0-7 Bucs, got their groove going thanks to a kid starting his first NFL game at quarterback.
Josh Freeman sliced and diced the Swiss cheese Packer secondary, and hung three TDs passes up on 'em to key a 21-point fourth-quarter rally and a 38-28 win.
Best of all, he quieted the blubbering cheeseheads.
And you didn't need to say one word, because, hell, with all this peace and quiet suddenly about there was still time to grab a nap on the beach.
Now onto a sampling of what the nation's sportswriters and columnists are saying about their football teams across every NFL city, because in the Grill Room we love the newspaper business, even if it hates itself.
(12) Atlanta 31
(30) Washington 17
- Coach Smith leads his Falcons through a dark, empty Hall...
- ...while 'Skins remain trapped in a dark, empty tunnel.
(13) Chicago 21
- Lovie's QB choice was unBearable for him to watch...
- ...not that his uninspired team was any easier on the eyes.
(7) Baltimore 7
- New Bengals keep old cats caged...
- ...and knock big-mouth Ravens speechless.
(11) Houston 17
- Caldwell (he would be the Colts coach, btw) quietly coaches perfection.
- Texans inch closer to Colts' measurement of greatness.
(25) Kansas City 21
- Jaguars image problem continues in ugly win.
- Big plays leave Brown feeling down.
(19) Miami 17
- Patriots back on top, but were they ever really gone?
- New England has Porter's number: zero.
(16) Green Bay 28
- Bucs' past sees the future, and orange they glad they did.
- Packers' loss wasn't bad, it was worse.
(21) Carolina 20
- High-flying Saints perfectly happy to discuss 19-0.
- Panthers can run and run some more, but in the end can't hide.
(32) Detroit 20
- Seahawks simply weren't going to throw this game away.
- This sorry road show was made in Detroit.
(17) N.Y. Giants 20
- Rivers' end is all wet for Eli's Giants.
- Giants are out of gas -- and answers.
(18) San Francisco 27
- Titans' defense has finally reached its pressure point.
- Tennessee does all the talking for free-falling 49ers.
(6) Philadelphia 16
- Cowboys return to scene of last year's crime and make things right.
- Eagles found good sense a challenge in loss.
(*) denotes NFL 100-proof ranking
