Joe has learned Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia will start Sunday at Atlanta not because Chucky needs him; not because his teammates need him; not because this game may be critical for a Bucs playoff appearance.

Garcia will start because the kids need him.

Faced with the unthinkable — no football — due to a lack of funds for youngsters playing Pop Warner football in Garcia’s hometown of Gilroy, Calif., a local watering hole has decided to take care of matters, so reports Josh Koehn of the Gilroy (Calif.) Dispatch.

Realizing how tough times have gotten to raise money during the current economic crisis, Stubby’s Sports Bar & Grill owner John Steiber recently decided to pitch in by asking customers if they were interested in making a donation for each touchdown Garcia pitches in the month of December.

As of kickoff for the Monday Night Football game between Tampa Bay and Carolina, Steiber has garnered a pledge total of $237.60 per touchdown pass.

Koehn also writes that interested parties wanting to donate can contact Steiber at (408) 848-3455. So now Bucs fans have twice as many reasons to pull for a Garcia touchdown.