THE OPTIMIST: Soft Schedule, Draft Dreams And Bucco Bruce
October 23rd, 2014
In these unsettled times of devastating Bucs losses, constant change and growing pains, Joe thought it would be wise to bring back THE OPTIMIST.
THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers 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. … Of course, THE OPTIMIST’s opinions are his alone and are not influenced by Joe.
In this crazy bye week, with the Bucs two games out of first place and simultaneously one game away from the No. 1 overall draft pick, it’s easy to be optimistic!
A report came out this week that the St. Louis Rams are the favorite to relocate to Los Angeles and be the L.A. Rams again. As an old time football fan, I’m all for it.
But don’t stop there! Let’s keep it going. Restore balance to the universe. Move the Arizona Cardinals back to St. Louis to rebirth the St. Louis Cardinals. The Ravens could move out to Arizona and allow the Indianapolis Colts to move back to Baltimore to become the historic Baltimore Colts again. Rename the Texans the Hoosiers and put them in Indianapolis and restore the Houston Oilers by taking them out of Tennessee, and replace that city with a New Tennessee Titans franchise with new stats.
Oh, and let’s have NO ONE move to London to become the first overseas NFL team. Really? The NFL doesn’t try Toronto first? Or Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Mexico City? No, London?
Check out the University of Hawaii’s record fielding a team a too-many time zones away from anywhere else. And if they let London play nine or ten home games, fans should prepare to seriously send some kind of message.
While we’re at it, bring back Bucco Bruce so the Bucs’ uniforms can represent their level of play, and so fans don’t associate blowout losing with these new unis!
And on a final note of optimism, the Bucs play the softest part of their schedule now, no winning teams scheduled until Nov. 30. The Bucs’ competition until then is 12-22 — Minnesota, at Cleveland, Atlanta, at Washington and at Chicago.
Opportunity is here.
October 23rd, 2014 at 11:59 am
Easier schedule is in the next few weeks is also a way of saying the hard part comes later.
Which looks like the case here.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:17 pm
All those “easy” teams are looking at the Bucs the exact same way. Easy.
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:58 pm
yes! …a quick turn around now, and the season can be saved…play some meaningful games in december 🙂 …anyone old enough to be around the pre-Bennett era know that the orange jerseyed guys were good…the Bennett-Perkins-Wyche combination gave those unis a bad image not Coach McKay
October 23rd, 2014 at 12:59 pm
I’m optimistic or really feeling it that the Bucs will beat the purple team this Sunday for their first home win in the Lovie error.
October 23rd, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Thanks for bringing back the OPTIMIST, Joe. I enjoyed his takes from years past.
October 23rd, 2014 at 3:33 pm
Bout damn time Joe.
Bring back the “THE OPTIMIST” & “THE PESSIMIST”
October 23rd, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Joe
The LA Rams came from Cleavland in the late 1940’s so send them back there. The new team must be know as the Hollywood Stars noted for its fashion sense and style.
October 23rd, 2014 at 4:06 pm
if the bucs can’t make a run towards relevancy during the soft underbelly of their schedule (wait, i thought that was our 2 easy home games vs backup QBs?), i hope these current unis become so associated with losing that they bring the old design back. or at least change the look of the numbers. for the love of god, change the look of the numbers
October 23rd, 2014 at 10:44 pm
As a FSU alum, Shame-us Jameis will make me an optimist once again… #jameis2015
October 23rd, 2014 at 11:29 pm
Joe and Optimist
Do you all think the Bucs can make it to 8-8 or 9-7?
October 24th, 2014 at 6:55 am
At this point I would rather read the optimist. We Criticize so so much that it becomes easier and more fun than hope. I look forward to every game as a win. Life is too short to predict failure before the contest begins. I believe the Bucs will win their next 10 games and in reality no one can prove beyond a doubt they won’t. Why not walk om the sunny side of the street? Go Bucs
October 24th, 2014 at 7:51 am
BucsFan68,
No I do not think the Bucs can go 8-8, and most certainly not 9-7. I originally predicted 9-7 on the year but as I wrote in my article yesterday, it was losing Jeff Tedford that really torpedoed this season.
Yes I know the defense has been even worse, but it all goes hand in hand. In each of the two blowouts, a few first downs early on, and a drive for a TD would have turned those games into possible 31-17 losses. Bad still, but we wouldn’t be here in such shock.
I really do think this defense is going to “Get it” at some point this year, and that after the last game of the year, we will all be saying WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR with more optimism.
Lovie was 1-5 with Chicago his first year there.
Dungy was 0-5 and 1-8.
Unlike other defenses, this one looks horrible if so much as one man messes up because its all based on trust, and the players don’t all have it yet. Things will get better guys. It just takes time.
October 24th, 2014 at 10:28 am
I can see the Bucs going 1-4 or 2-3 on that “soft” 5 game stretch. Of course one realizes that the only game of the 5 the Bucs will be favored is the Vikes matchup which they could lose as the Vikes also realize that the Bucs are their “softest opponent” on their schedule too…. I predict the one or 2 wins simply because someone will lay an egg like Pittsburgh and the fact that the Bucs really need the first overall pick in the draft but are too snake-bitten to get it, thus they win a couple games to make sure that someone like Jacksonville, Tennessee, the Raiders or Jets get that coveted first overall pick with a record just a tad worse than Tampa’s…..