Hello Tom,

I think I owe you an apology. I may have been a little harsh with my opinion at the moment the last time I commented. I just want to say over all you do have some pretty good articles. I may not always agree with what I feel is a little negative in your comments and articles as well. But the fact is everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Im not one to have enemies, so to stay true to myself I am apologizing.


Best Regard

I have to say, at this point, I am pretty excited with where the Bucs are headed.

if the bucs draft t-rich do you think they will cut blount, cos i if we can fix his fumblitis he will be unstopabble

What do you think it would take to trade for the 6th pick. As long as Browns take Tannehill or Blackmon, then we would have Claiborne and Richardson there. You pick Claiborne with the 5th and leave Richardson for St.Louis. They said they would take best player available, but they might not want to pick another runningback. Then trade them a 2nd this year and a 1st next year. You might have to throw in another 2nd or a 3rd, but St. Louis needs the picks, and with free agency, we filled all of our needs with good players(except S and LB, but you can get help there in later rounds, and we still have good chance for Lofton). If we got both those players, then we would DEFINTELY make the playoffs, except if we catch the injury bug again. Tell me what you think!

what do you think about drafting Mo Claiborne and have him paired up with Talib (if he doesnt get jail time) and instead of spending money on a S, we move Ronde to safety. He has good zone D and he has lost his speed and can help matchup with the NFCS TEs. We can then use the money on a WR, LB, or RB.

Hi Tom...I left a post on one of your Buc's coaching articles and don't know if you have seen it so I figured what the hell and will ask again here. I have been reading about Marc Trestman and find him very intriguing as a possible HC for the Bucs. He has seemed to get the most out of any QB he has coached and he has HC experience, even if it is in the CFL. He won the Grey Cup in 2009-10 and I think he deserves a shot. I was just wondering what your take on him is and what you have heard about him.

I read your article on the Bucs' current coaching search and am confused. Are you saying that Marty S. is a bad coaching candidate simply because he is old? I can understand being luke warm on Wade Phillips since he has always been known as a "players' coach" and not someone who controls a lockerroom or instill discipline. (interestingly, this is something you didn't mention at all which is curious given the reasons for Raheem's firing) I agree that Sherman is a bad idea, especially after failing to recruit in TEXAS of all places and leading the Aggies to mediocrity.

But Marty has a proven track record of doing nothing but winning. He's had a total of 2 losing seasons and seems to get the best out of his players. He was fired for clashing with power-monger AJ Smith over whether Drew B. should have been released. (I wonder who was right about Drew's talents over Rivers')

The knock on Marty is his playoff record. But at this point, what's worse a guy who hasn't been successful in the playoffs or a guy who just plain hasn't been successful?

None of this matters because as you may not have heard, the Bucs will be exhaustive in their search and leave no stone unturned. Most of the coordinators they want to interview are likely still in the playoffs and difficult to interview. They will get around to whoever is on their list, but knocking them for at least looking at a guy with a great record who is available now seems a little naive.

And as for your "too old" comment, relating to the coach isn't what players need to be focused on. Someone who comes in with discipline and makes them accountable is what is needed, not a guy a few years older. Tampa tried that once and now we don't have a head coach....

Tom, have you seen David Amerson CB out of NC State play? A Zone Coverage Corner, extremely talented, plays like a Nnamdi Asmougha(when he's in man). Kids nasty! I would love if the Bucs got him, he would be a definite steal.

Hey Tom now that we are in the middle of preseason do you think you could please make a "What to expect from Bucs rookies in 2011" article?

Impressive list of guys you have interviewed here, Tom! I am impressed and jealous. I hate to assume Ali was your best interview, so I'd love to hear from you who the best were.

On your list of unbreakable records, DiMaggio's streak only reached 56 games, not the 58 you list here.

Also, while 1979 was indeed a spectacular football season for FSU, that season's Orange Bowl was by no means a national championship game. An undefeated Florida State team had a very, very distant argument at best toward a national title going into the Orange Bowl, while the one loss Sooners had no shot at the title. As you know, Alabama ended up the season as '79's undefeated national champion after unbeaten but once tied Southern Cal knocked off undefeated Ohio State by one point in the Rose Bowl. It was an interesting Orange Bowl, though, as Oklahoma was led, I recall, by not only Switzer and the legendary Sims, but future congressman J.C. Watts, as well. And the Seminoles featured future WCW world champion Ron Simmons along the defensive line. There was a great Sports Illustrated cover that season asking Who's #1 in college football that included FSU QB Jimmy Jordan.