"Hey Dick, Ra' learned from the best. Where do you think he got that brilliant idea of keeping four quarterbacks from?"

Chucky may be gone but his shadow lingers. How else with a straight face can anyone  explain why the Bucs kept four quarterbacks?

Unless it has something to do with a seven-figure sum. You know, something along the lines of $2.5 million?

Not even all the good college football on the tube can temper THE PESSIMIST’s disgust. Just what is the reason the Bucs are keeping Luke McCown if he cannot start?

This McCown is a bad quarterback. It’s that simple.

He stunk in Cleveland and the only reason people around here smile when his name is mentioned is because Sean Payton was a moron and called a gadget play late in a game with the Saints leading at home deep in their own territory. The play blew up in their faces, allowing the Bucs and McCown  to steal a win.

All these people that screamed for Chucky’s scalp and crucified him for keeping four quarterbacks, where are you now? Are you going to shut down the phone lines for the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig? Are you going to fill up the message boards with your venom?

There’s no reason on earth to keep the loser of the battle between Byron Leftwich and McCown. Leftwich “won” but he’s just keeping the seat warm for rookie Josh Freeman. Explain in great detail what McCown brings to the table outside of being a nice guy?

Chris Rix is a nice guy, too, how come he’s not on the roster?

Why, McCown was such a stud and a trusted fellow, Chucky instead decided to start a rusty, hurt Son of Bob in a critical game at Atlanta last year. That’s all anyone really needs to know.

What exactly did McCown do in the preseason to justify keeping him? Remember, McCown was given the starting job when he (unjustly) received a $2.5 million signing bonus this winter. The starting quarterback job was McCown’s “to lose” and he did just that.

Are the Bucs such a juggernaut that they can afford to waste a roster spot on a fourth quarterback?

THE PESSIMIST can understand keeping Josh Johnson. He’s young, cheap, and could be used as a “slash” type of  player. But McCown? Please.

THE PESSIMIST just shakes his head and wonders what has happened to his Bucs?

And THE PESSIMIST wonders if the Bucs hierarchy will get trashed from the fans the same way the fans ripped Chucky for keeping four quarterbacks?

Or is keeping McCown a way for Mark Dominik to save face with Bryan and Joel?