Bruce Allen can tap dance with the best

“Shape up your bag. Don’t worry about mine. My thing together. And a doing fine.”

If you missed Bucs general manager Bruce Allen’s media session yesterday, The James Brown lyrics above, from the former No. 1 song “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing,” sum up Allen’s press conference quite well. 

Joe is still giving a standing ovation to Allen for the spectacular tap dancing exhibition yesterday at One Buc Place. Bravo.

One stunning comment Allen made – and you won’t find anywhere else – was that prior to the 2008 season he was counting on Cadillac Williams to perform in the second half of 2008. Yes, that Cadillac Williams, the guy who had the horrific knee injury in September 2007.

When questioned about not pursuing running back Michael Turner in 2008 free agency, Allen said Turner was off his radar because the Bucs were excited about the return of Earnest Graham in a starting role, the signing of Warrick Dunn and “Cadillac for the second half of the season.”

This admisssion stunned Joe. (And it’s no surprise Allen didn’t include ex-Bucs running back Michael Bennett, who was cut in November and should see significant action for the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.)

So are we to believe that Allen and Jon Gruden were banking on Cadillac’s return from a horrific knee injury AND that he would be effective late in December, when the Bucs have struggled mightily under Chucky? How foolish was that?

Joe recommends PewterReport.com and TBO.com for lengthy excerpts of Allen’s news conference. Perhaps Allen will appear next on Dancing With the Stars.