Dayne Duranti's Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan blog

I found this past week 8 in the NFL to be relatively uninspiring. There were a few highlights like the Tennessee Titans going to 7-0, the Patriots starting to look good again, and the Giants win. Yet all in all it was rather blah if you ask me, it felt kind of scripted like the teams that were suppose to lose lost and the teams that were expected to win, won. Maybe I’m just bitter because my Buccaneers handed the game to the swollen and blue Cowboys. It stunk, I dunno. One highlight I can truly say was watching Mike Singletary take over as coach of the San Francisco 49ers. It did my heart good to see an old school Gridiron great out there coaching the old school way. Say what you will, I loved it.

 

I’ve talked before about my love for defense and the NFL defenses of old. You cannot deny Mike Singletary and the Chicago Bears of the 1980s. Oh man, I’m chuckling right now; it’s been a long time since I thought about Jim McMahon, The Fridge and the rest of the gang. Wow, now that was entertainment. Yet in the middle of it all was Mike Ditka and his hardnosed coaching approach and methods. Singletary led that defense, and as a disciple of Ditka, he is ready to lead the 49ers.

Continue reading "More Coaches Should be Like Mike"

It’s been a weird year, especially for sports. The Boston Celtics finally picked themselves up from the bootstraps to win a championship. Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees amounted to anything more than a bunch of overpaid whiners. They are even tearing down Yankee Stadium.

 

Fast food workers everywhere finally realized that pro-wrestling is fake. The Summer Olympics in Beijing brought more small teenagers out of their houses than any previous Olympics, and the U.S is at war with pretty much everybody.

 

A temporary band aid on the gash of foreign dissent, the U.S showed that we can be tolerant, we can be educated, and we can move forward by electing the first President of Color Barack Obama.

 

These are all very significant world events in this year of our lord 2008, but not one of them matches up to the complete carnival weirdness that is the NFL.

Continue reading "All Good Soldiers"

In the wake of Reggie Bush’s injury I started thinking about Alma Mater, the academic spirit of team and the transition from college superstar to the NFL. Its funny how no matter how great a college player is, you never know how that talent is going to translate to the NFL. Such is the case with LenDale White.

 

 Put yourself back into the 2004-2006 USC Trojan National Championship run. USC was all but unstoppable. Matt Lienart at QB, Steve Smith receiving, a backfield made up of Reggie Bush and LenDale White, Lofa Tatupu leading the defense and a very capable Pete Carroll orchestrating the whole offensive. The team was named team of the decade by ESPN until they ran into a Texas Longhorn team lead by Vince Young, but that is another story. Let’s continue.

Continue reading "It's the White Time"

  

As America (and London) prepare for the NFL’s week eight schedule tomorrow, these are bleak times. I know that this isn’t a political or social venue, but I just wanted to fire off some quick words of appreciation for our beloved sport.

 

Never in my lifetime has there ever been a need for Americans to have something to believe in so badly as now. The economy has tanked down to full recession level with no sign of improvement in sight. Smart money says that we will reach a depression before anything improves. We are at the tail end of an administration in Washington that has given us eight years of the worst leadership and direction in our nation’s history. Lastly, an election looms that is giving us a choice of two men who are just as much part of the system that has failed us as the outgoing administration. We need heroes more than ever right now, we need a cause to rally behind, and this season the NFL has definitely given us some of the most exciting causes ever.

Continue reading "Why Americans need Football"

A It's not easy living in New England if you aren't a Patriots fan. I like the Red Sox, and I like the Celtics, but I just cant bring myself around to like the Patriots. Never have jumped on that bandwagon, and I never will. You see, I grew up a Giants fan in the Eighties. Remember when Bill Parcells was still a relevant coach and the was a Simms who actually could play the quarterback position? Those were the days. I cut my teeth every Sunday as a kid watching defensive greats like Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson. Watching Morris and McKonkey score off of wondrous fluke like runs and catches, and who could forget Bavarro? The Sylvester Stallone of the NFL. I remember Mark Bavarro running 15 yards into the end zone with four defenders draped over his back trying to pull him down. It was the defense that did it though. As gruesome as it was, I was glued to the television when Lawrence Taylor put Thiesman out of football. Or every concussion they gave Montana over the years. I was forever changed into a defensive fan.  I spent the next decade regrettably not paying too much attention to pro sports, but in the late 1990s I started to awaken from my self induced sports coma. I could feel the ground shake, I felt rumbling and crushing hits as I awoke. One smashing blow after another they called to me, Sapp! Brooks! Rice! Barber! Lynch!  I was awakened by a defensive squad that was led by the likes of no other. The king of defense, Monte Kiffin! And apon my return to the annals of sports legions, in a tribute to my Giants of old, I became a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. The Bucs had a great beginning to this decade and after a coaching change even won the franchise's first Super Bowl. It was an exciting time to be a Bucs fan. Unfortunately, we spent he last 5 years in extreme mediocrity. Poor records, first round of the play-offs elimination, and a revolving door of quarter backs and players. But, somewhere deep down I feel that monster awakening again. Roaring as it screams down the tunnel and out into Raymond James stadium. Brooks! Barber! Adams!  Ruud! Here we are going into week eight and have yet to allow a rushing touchdown. We are the number one ranked red zone defense in the league, and our offense is actually scoring points. It feels good. Even if I have to suffer through the cold weather and constant attacks from Patriots fans, I have hope. As a Buccaneer fan, that is all I can ask for.

Continue reading "A Connecticut Buccaneer in King Brady's Court"