A Season to Remember, Then One to Forget
(December 29, 2003)

It is difficult to even write about the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The expectations were so high, the result so disappointing, but it has to be covered. This is also the time of year where the forecasts for next year begin, so lets do some of that. Since the team has recently published "World Champions - The Official Story of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers," it would be more fun to remember last season.

Who would have thought it? After making the playoffs the last four seasons the Buccaneers posted their first losing season since 1996. The 7-9 Bucs had a losing record at home (3-5) for the first time in ten years. There were some great individual efforts, Simeon Rice and Keenan McCardell come to mind, but overall this was a team of underachievers with a Super Bowl hangover.

If you are looking for excuses, injuries to Mike Alstott, Joe Jurevicius and Brian Kelly cost some games. As Jon Gruden put it, "We've had our share of adversity this year." The real reason the Bucs are home for the playoffs are mistakes and penalties. Inconsistent play lead to late game collapses and rallies that fell short. Gruden admitted, "I am very disappointed in myself, very disappointed in the team."

It was sort of a wacky NFL season with just four of last year's twelve playoff teams making the postseason this year. Both Super Bowl teams had losing records and Oakland was 4-12. The Bucs became the seventh Super Bowl champion to have a losing record the following season and the eleventh not to make the playoffs. As Jon Gruden said, "There's a fine line between winning and losing. It makes us appreciate what we did last year."

With Rich McKay gone, it could be an interesting offseason. While the Bucs have many key players under contract, there could be numerous changes and most expect Jon Gruden to bring in plenty of free agents. There is a lot of talk about Warren Sapp, and Gruden would like to keep him, but he probably will be offered more money to play some place else. Michael Pittman has a slew of legal problems, so resigning Thomas Jones should be a priority. Obviously, Keyshawn Johnson will not be back and the days may be numbered for longtime Buccaneers such as Shaun King, Aaron Stecker, Karl Williams and Nate Webster. There is even talk that John Lynch and Mike Alstott will have to rework their contracts to stay in town.

We don't know what the future will bring, and this season we'd like to forget, so do you remember last year at this time? If not, to jog your memory and just in time for this year's Christmas season, the Buccaneers published "World Champions - The Official Story of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers." I was one of the one's who found this $49.95 (plus shipping) gift under my tree.

"World Champions - The Official Story of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers" is a decent enough book. If you purchased the special books and magazines that came out after the game, the book itself really will not add a whole lot to your collection. The best part of this deal are the two DVDs that are found inside the book's front cover.

The DVD titled "The News Channel 8 Broadcast Story of the Buccaneers Super Bowl Run" shows the WFLA news coverage of the event. From before the NFC Championship Game to the victory parade, this disk has it all. One omission are the speeches made by players and coaches upon returning to Raymond James Stadium after the victory in Philadelphia. The editing could have been better, but unless you recorded all the Super Bowl coverage yourself, this is definitely a disk you would want in your collection.

The other disk, "The Behind the Scenes Story of the Buccaneers Super Bowl Run," simply is a must have. This "Full Access" disk gives an inside look not seen before. What were the players saying when they flew over RJS? Jon Gruden taking snaps at a Super Bowl practice. The Bucs practicing in a San Diego ballroom. There are locker room speeches and all kinds of behind the scenes footage. This is the real meat of this package.

After this season, it more fun to look back, or maybe ahead.