Tanard Jackson's Suspension Bites the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Once again, Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik have found a burning bag of dog poop on the front doorstep of One Buccaneer Place.

Once again, they probably stomped on it to put out the flames.

Just when Buccaneer Nation was feeling so very good about its team, so good about its new young defense, and so good about that 2-0 start, this team received a cold bucket of water in its face, a hard slap on the jaw, and a bite of reality from a problem child who really has an ongoing problem.

Tanard Jackson has once again tested positive for a "banned substance."

One again, he has failed that important course, "Pee In The Cup 101."

Three times now. This suspension will last a year but when you're 25, that's a lifetime.

Not here to nail "T-Jack" to the wall. Not here to condemn him. That's already been done by the main-stream media.

Here to give perspective with experience. Keep in mind, you're reading the writings of a child of the 60s and 70s. And the speculation is that Jackson is a marijuana user. Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times made that assertion.

If marijuana is Jackson's "banned substance" of choice, it's a shame, a smoking shame.

It's not a new story.

Back in the late 70s, a young Tampa Tribune sports writer befriended a very high draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On a visit to that player's home, that writer saw shoe box lids piled high with marijuana, all over the house. "Wow," was the reaction.

That was a different era, a different day and time. Writers could actually know players, hang out with them, get to know them, and get educated by them.

That player was a young star who never quite realized his potential. No one ever figured it out. The writer knew, but back then, it stayed between friends.

That same young writer saw a first-round pick in the draft, a quarterback, a high first-round pick, inside a car that looked like something out of a Cheech and Chong movie. The guy was a well-known quarterback and a top-10 pick in the NFL draft in the early 70s. This was right after the draft, he was no doubt celebrating. He never realized his potential and suffered through substance abuse in his later years.

What we're saying here is this latest episode is nothing new. It's nothing new in the NFL. Heck, it's an everyday activity for a lot of NBA players and other sports where doobies are allowed.

The sad fact in all of this is that it is now three strikes on Tanard Jackson.

He was about to become a free agent and reap the benefits of a mega-contract that would secure his future and the futures of his children's children. Now it's all up in smoke, if you will.

Once the condemnations are a few weeks old, what this young man really needs is help, and a lot of it. He has a huge problem, and it would be a shame to see what might happen to him later in his adult life if he can't overcome this now.

He needs rehab, therapy, counseling, and a lot of it.

Sure, everyone can scream how he let down his teammates, his coaches, all the fans, the community, everyone.

But most of all, he has let himself down, and his future just went from bright to uncertain.

The Buccaneers will have decisions to make on this one.  If they cut him loose, he'll end up somewhere next year. There's always Oakland.

But if he doesn't get help, this will not end well for Tanard.

More than angry, we should feel sad for this guy. It's really a shame. With today's NFL money, futures can be so very secure. Careers in this league don't last long. Making millions to play a game is the opportunity of a lifetime.

Watching it go up in smoke is the disappointment of a lifetime.