You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also wants you to know THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the team goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t.

“Now starting at safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers …” Who Cares!

No really, does it matter what school he went to, or what area of the country he is from? Does it matter his ethnic background or any background for that matter? No, because speaking of backgrounds, you can bet the Bucs have already delved into it.

The guys replacing IR-bound Cody Grimm and abyss-bound Sabby, you can bet Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris had their names on a board or canvas somewhere.

They probably looked into them in last years draft, or maybe the year before. Not only do they know what they scored on their SATs, they know what he ate for breakfast before taking them.  Call them the NFL’s newest gumshoes, Dominik & Morris P.I.

Guess what? It works.

Back in a rookie head coach’s first draft, the Bucs coach scouted a perfect running back the Bucs could really use. Leeland McElroy was a top rusher for the Texas A&M Aggies.

Despite his great play, injuries concerned NFL teams. The rookie coach, Tony Dungy, really wanted McElroy, and thought that he would fall to the Bucs. But with a failed plan with the NY Jets, the Bucs waited too long and he went to the Arizona Cardinals. The Bucs instead SETTLED for the next player on their board, a battering ram named Mike Alstott. Lesson; sometimes the best-laid plans go awry — for your own good.

Tony Dungy and Rich McKay were legendary in their drafting prowess, yet Morris and Dominik are starting to create a whole new higher bar around One Buc Place, that never really has or maybe never will be matched again.

One by one, rookies and castoffs have been making plays for the Bucs this year, and mostly it’s been AFTER coming in for a veteran; Arrelious Benn, Mike Williams, Myron Lewis, E.J. Biggers, Cody Grimm, LeGarrette Blount, Dekoda Watson, Erik Lorig, Al Woods, Alex Magee, Corey Lynch, Ted Larsen, and James Lee.

That is some heavy duty investigative work for the Buccaneer PI team, and it’s paying off in a 7-4 record. More important than the record or the origin of the player, this team looks like it has laid the groundwork for a solid foundation for many years to come. Josh Freeman is 22 years old and has 10-12 more years left in him as our offensive leader! Odds are great that Mike Williams, Ted Larsen and LeGarrette Blount are done, worn out, and gone by the time Freeman decides to hang up his cleats. That’s how long this team has together.

So if you are concerned about Corey Lynch starting at safety or about who might fill in for him, worry not. It may be a Barber, but don’t be surprised if it’s a name you’ve never heard of, because you can rest assured Dominik and Morris already have. 

And they know what they had for breakfast, too!