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The Latest Tampa Bay Buccaneers NewsNew Orleans parties as Saints win first Super Bowl appearance in Miami (The Canadian Press)NEW ORLEANS - Saints fans hugged, kissed and spilled onto the streets Sunday as a city-wide party erupted after their once woebegone NFL franchise defeated the Indiapolis Colts in the Super Bowl.Source: Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers News | 7 Feb 2010 | 8:22 pm New Orleans fetes Saints victory, Carnival season (AP)Saints fans hugged, kissed, and spilled onto the streets Sunday as a citywide party erupted after their once woebegone NFL franchise defeated the Indiapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. Crowds in the city's historic French Quarter, beefed up by tourists in town for Carnival season and by those wanting to experience the euphoria of a Saints victory, poured onto Bourbon Street to celebrate in a... Source: Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers News | 7 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pm Former NFL star Sapp questioned by police for domestic battery allegations (The Canadian Press)MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Former NFL star Warren Sapp was released from jail Sunday on US$1,500 bond, a day after being arrested for allegedly choking a woman in his hotel room.Source: Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers News | 7 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am Ex-NFL star Sapp released from Fla. jail on bond (AP)Former NFL star Warren Sapp was released from jail Sunday on $1,500 bond, a day after being arrested for allegedly choking a woman in his hotel room. Sapp was released at about 11 a.m. Sunday -- a time the NFL Network analyst would have been helping with Super Bowl coverage. The network has pulled Sapp off the air until it investigates the matter.Source: Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers News | 7 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am Warren Sapp pulled from Super Bowl coverage after domestic battery allegations (The Canadian Press)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Former football star Warren Sapp was arrested Saturday following an alleged domestic violence incident at a Miami Beach hotel, police said.Source: Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers News | 6 Feb 2010 | 5:39 pm Van Pelt wants Freeman to become a more vocal leaderAlex Van Pelt said Josh Freeman has the size, arm strength and poise in the pocket to become an elite NFL quarterback. But he believes the Freeman’s voice doesn’t just need to be heard in the Bucs’ huddle. “I think the first thing you have to discuss is your philosophy,’’ said Van Pelt, the Bucs’ new quarterbacks coach. “We want him to complete 65 percent of his passes. We need him to do that and he has to get the ball to his play-makers. But what I’m talking about is to let him know exactly what we’re looking for, what we need him to do. “You can improve accuracy by incorporating drills that put pressure on him to make decisions quickly. But he needs to be the first guy in the building. It’s the leadership aspect we need from him. He needs to be more vocal with teammates in and out of the huddle.’’ Van Pelt, 39, spent 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills as either a quarterback or assistant coach. But he also soaked up some lessons backing up quarterbacks like Joe Montana in Kansas City and Jim Kelly in Buffalo. “I took away some things, especially from the great ones I played behind like Montana and Kelly,’’ Van Pelt said. “It’s how important it is for the quarterback to lead the team. You’re the face of the franchise. And you have to lead not just with work ethic. But I’m very excited to get to work with Josh.’’ Source: Bucs Beat | 5 Feb 2010 | 2:58 pm Commissioner Goodell addresses Glazers' financial situationWith the ongoing speculation in the British press as well as in Tampa Bay about the Glazer family's financial situation, we felt compelled to ask commissioner Roger Goodell to comment on the matter during his state of the league address this morning in Fort Lauderdale. Specifically, I asked him whether he was aware of the speculation arising out of the Glazers' mounting debt on their loan used to purchase Manchester United, and if he felt it was causing the family any financial duress (and by extension, perhaps affecting the Bucs). Here's Goodell's response: "I talk to the Glazers on a regular basis. I will tell you that they are sound owners. They are terrific for the NFL and we have not seen that there is any stress that would affect the way they operate any of their professional teams, much less the Tampa Bay Buccaneers." So, that's the official version from the league. Based on his response, he seems aware of the financial burdens created by the debt payments on Man U. But the soccer team produces lots of revenue, which must be allaying the league's concerns that it's a drain on the Glazers. But the fact is, the payments are eating into what would be much higher revenue from the soccer club. So, this debate is probably going to continue for some time to come. Source: Bucs Beat | 5 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am Saints coach Sean Payton credits former Bucs coach Jon GrudenSaints coach Sean Payton took a long road to taking over an NFL club. Along the way, he got a shot to grow under the tutelage of former Bucs coach Jon Gruden while serving as the Eagles' quarterbacks coach. Gruden was the offensive coordinator at the time. Payton reflected on those days this week as he prepares for the Super Bowl here in South Florida. "It was my first opportunity in the NFL and it gave me a chance really to learn," Payton said. "Ray Rhodes was the head coach, but Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan were the guys who were responsible for me getting hired there. I learned a lot in a short period of time working with Jon and that offense. It was a foundation for me that I still hold onto. "It was a little bit like law school. There were a lot of late nights and a lot of early mornings. I learned about preparation. You come out of college and you get into this league, and you realize that there’s a lot of football that you don’t know. It can be humbling, but yet it was important.” As you might imagine, Payton and Gruden developed a relationship. They remain close to this day. "He’s been a big part of my development," Payton said of Gruden. "When I got hired (in Philadelphia) in ’97, just for me to really be a blank tape is what they were looking for, for me to study and learn. It afforded me a great opportunity. He’s someone who is a close friend to this day. He spent some time with our players in training camp. He’s got a great mind. He’s a unique guy and he’s very talented. It’s just like the relationship I would have with (Bill) Parcells. There’s a handful of people in this profession that you try to always stay in touch with them and pick their brain.” Source: Bucs Beat | 5 Feb 2010 | 4:35 am Van Pelt's 'work ethic' impressed Bucs and OlsonAlex Van Pelt has been a part of the Buffalo Bills organization as a player or coach for about 16 years. You don't have that kind of longevity with one team unless you know how to work, according to Bucs offensive coordinator Greg OIson. The Bucs offically announced Thursday that Van Pelt has been hired to work with first-round pick Josh Freeman and the team's other quarterbacks. "I think his experience as a player is a plus,'' Olson said. "He's coached and played under some impressive head coaches, starting with Paul Hackett at Pittsburgh. He played behind some good quarterbacks as a player, so he was able to see a lot. He's a very intelligent person. "Obviously, the fact he was able to stay with the same organization, speaks volumes. In a backup role, you won’t stay unless the staff is impressed with your work ethic.'' Freeman arrived at One Buc Place on Thursday and met with Ven Pelt, Olson said. He will provide a sounding board for the Bucs' franchise quarterback as Olson devotes most of his time toward coordinating the offense. "The important thing is to always have a set of eyes on the quarterback,'' OIson said. "That can be especially true with a young quarterback.'' Source: Bucs Beat | 4 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am Bucs finalize their coaching staffWith the recent additions of Alex Van Pelt (quarterbacks), Eric Yarber (wide receivers) and Tim Holt (offensive assistant), the Bucs have finalized their coaching staff for the 2010 season.Here is the complete list: Raheem Morris - Head Coach Greg Olson - Offensive Coordinator Richard Bisaccia - Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Joe Baker - Linebackers Coach Tim Berbenich - Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Tim Holt - Offensive Assistant Coach Jay Kaiser - Assistant to the Head Coach Chris Keenan - Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Jimmy Lake - Defensive Backs Coach Steve Logan - Running Backs Coach Pete Mangurian - Offensive Line Coach Chris Mosley - Defensive Assistant Coach Alfredo Roberts - Tight Ends Coach Kurtis Shultz - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dwayne Stukes - Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Alex Van Pelt - Quarterbacks Coach Todd Wash - Defensive Line Coach Eric Yarber - Wide Receivers Coach Source: Bucs Beat | 4 Feb 2010 | 8:29 am Total Access Show, 01/02/2009Total Access Show, 01/02/2009Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official Multimedia Network | 2 Jan 2009 | 12:00 am Ronde Barber Show, 12/30/2008Ronde Barber Show, 12/30/2008Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official Multimedia Network | 30 Dec 2008 | 12:00 am Joey Galloway Show, 12/29/2008Joey Galloway Show, 12/29/2008Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official Multimedia Network | 29 Dec 2008 | 12:00 am Jon Gruden Show, 12/29/2008Jon Gruden Show, 12/29/2008Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official Multimedia Network | 29 Dec 2008 | 12:00 am Total Access Show, 12/26/2008Total Access Show, 12/26/2008Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official Multimedia Network | 26 Dec 2008 | 12:00 am The Week That Will Be: When the Packers trade Favre? (SportingNews.com)Have you heard? Brett Favre wants back in. Maybe. With training camps a little more than two weeks away, a...Source: BucPress.com | 8 Jul 2008 | 5:16 am NFL offseason report card: Grades are in (SportingNews.com)The usual teacher's pets slacked off a bit, but the Eagles got the gold star and the Jets and Vikings moved to the head of the class.Source: BucPress.com | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:24 am The Freak, Ricky & Mario among stars of NFL spring (SportingNews.com)A look at 10 players -- three of whom are 30 or older -- who have impressed their coaches and teammates during minicamps and OTAs.Source: BucPress.com | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:23 am Bucs’ burning question: Can Gruden hold the offense together? (SportingNews.com)As Sporting News' preseason countdown rolls on, Vinnie Iyer tackles the Bucs' burning question: Can Gruden hold the offense together?Source: BucPress.com | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:22 am L.A. prize: NFL owners lining up to move? (SportingNews.com)Examining the ten most likely scenarios in which NFL football could return to Los Angeles.Source: BucPress.com | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:20 am Where I've been...In case anyone still stops by this site I should probably mention that I've now more or less moved over to the Sticks of Fire website. I've been writing for the Sticks for some time now but expect me to write there more often, mostly because the Sticks gives me the opportunity to cover sports other than the NFL. That's not to say I am abandoning this site, come the fall you will still be able to find rants and musings on this site. But if you want to continue reading about the Bucs, in addition to the Rays, Bolts, Gators, Bulls, etc. then head on over to the Sticks.Of course, if you're looking for daily Bucs commentary (snark included) then I recommend visiting BucStats.com. Even if Scott is the bastard child of Phil Hellmuth and Sammy Farha. Source: Best Bucs Blog | 9 Jun 2008 | 3:16 pm I am the absentee slumlord of this siteMy apologies for my absence over the past two months but applying to grad school/work responsibilities have kept me occupied. There is simply not enough time in the day to devote to this crumbling, roach infested excuse for a blog.Let's get to the most important news first, for the first time in a long time I liked the Bucs draft. As I mentioned at the Sticks, this was a more risk filled draft compared to last year. Last year's draft (and to a lesser degree previous drafts) featured more "safe" picks, i.e. guys who will be starters but not all-stars in the league. Which was mirrored in this year's Bucs team which was solid but lacked playmaking ability. I mentioned this multiple times last season but the Bucs offense was ranked the 10th most efficient by Football Outsiders but ranked only 18th when it came to scoring points (in the same company as the offensively inept Bears). The Bucs offensive weakness was exposed towards the end of the season when defense realized that to shut down the Bucs offense all you had to do was double team Galloway. Now at this point the astute observer might argue, "Ski, the Bucs didn't draft any playmaking skill players on the offense this year," and those observations would be dead on accurate. I think the Bucs made a huge mistake passing on Limas Sweed in the second round and Mario Manningham in the third. That being written Dexter Jackson could develop into the guy who makes those 2 or 3 big plays a game the Bucs are looking for. I expect Jackson to be mostly used as a kick returner, a position which he could excel at as he was the fastest player timed at this year's combine. If Jackson can make the same impact on the team that Devin Harris has for the Bears or MJD has for the Jags then he was well worth a late second round pick. Jackson's value to this team is as a kick returner and it's just icing on the cake if he makes one or two deep catches a game this season as the 3rd receiver. Moving on I liked the Aqib Talib over Mike Jenkins pick, even if it led all the Bulls fans to rise up in anger and promise they will never attend another Bucs game. Talib is rated the better prospect by most scouts, and has the ambiguous label of play-maker attached to him, which is best defined using the words of Justice Potter Stewart, "I know it when I see it." A number of scouts considered Talib as top ten prospect talent-wise but he dropped due to concerns about his character. From what I understand the Bucs talked to a number of Talib's coaches and teammates at Kansas and they all had glowing things to say about the cornerback. Looking around the intertubes at other Bucs blogs, the reaction to the Bucs draft is more subdued. Buccaneer Harbour finds the draft average and compares it to last year (on that point we could not disagree more) and BucStats response to the draft is "meh." Which I believe is the same sound a dying giraffe makes. Even though I respect both of these guys opinion's they could not be more wrong if they had advised Miley Cyrus to do that photo shoot. On a somewhat interesting sidenote Mel Kiper Jr.s' draft grade for the Bucs was a "B" which might be noteworthy if the guys at Fire Joe Morgan had not revealed that Kiper's draft grades carry about as much insight as a Brittney Spears Guide to Parenting. (That's two pop culture references in one post, an all time high for me. I'm the PerezHilton of Bucs blogs.) Apparently the only grades Kiper had given over the last 3 years are either a "C" or "B" with the exception of an "A" for Kansas City this year. That's some weak sauce from Kiper there. On a related note, if you are at all interested in sports blogging as a whole it's worth your time to catch the piece on Costos Now on HBO featuring one of the guys from FJM (who also writes for the Office as well, take that blogger-living-in-his-mothers-basement stereotypes!) and Will Leitch from Deadspin. The piece began with a recored look at sports blogs which was balanced but was then followed by a live panel discussion featuring Leith, Buzz Bissinger and Braylon Edwards(?). FJM captures the essence of the panel pretty well but for those who haven't seen it Leitch was unfairly attacked as a representative of blogs. What everyone on the panel with the obvious exception of Leitch failed to grasp was that, as FJM best put it, The argument I had tried to make in the pre-taped segment was: you can't say anything about "blogs," any more than you can say anything about any medium. There are good blogs and bad blogs. There are blogs that cover the personal lives of athletes, ones that cover only the games, ones that offer opinions, and even a few that quixotically and foolishly attempt to metacriticize the media as a whole.For better or worse I don't imagine this is a conflict which will get any better anytime soon as sports columnists for newspapers continue to misunderstand and feel threatened by a new medium. Anyway, with the draft having passed expect me to post more often over at the Sticks with the free time I hope to find more of over the summer. Or then again maybe I'll leave all you to rot in this rat infested blog while I'm busy with other nefarious matters like tying that maiden to the train tracks. Source: Best Bucs Blog | 1 May 2008 | 9:16 am This All Feels So FamiliarSince I was one of the few (if not the only person) who was opposed to the Bucs cutting ties with Brian Griese in the first place, I guess it's only fitting that I defend the trade to bring Griese back as well. And for the record I feel some what vindicated in my original argument. So, here's my latest argument in support of Griese....1. Depth - Gruden's strategy at this point is clearly to bring in as many arms into training camp and see who emerges as the second stringer. Jeff Garcia is clearly the starter but no one behind Garcia on the depth chart is lighting the world on fire. Luke McCown could eventually be decent but he may have hit his ceiling. I'm still trying to figure out why Bruce Gradkowski is on the roster (I have a theory involving pictures of Gruden and a donkey). And Chris Simms is still looking for his spleen. 2. Cost - I'm assuming the Bucs traded at most a sixth or seventh round draft pick for Griese, which is nothing for a decent quarterback with playing experience. Personally, I think sixth and seventh rounder draft picks are worthless (although there are always exceptions such as Tom Brady and Marques Colston). 3. Familiarity - Perhaps this explains why so many Bucs fans have contempt for Griese. If nothing else, as TK pointed out, he knows the system. And Gruden knows what he's getting with Griese, a quarterback who just a few years ago looked like the Bucs future quarterback. On the other hand, there's a perfectly legitimate reason to despise Griese, namely that he is a poor man's Trent Dilfer. For a guy known as a game manager Griese has a high interception percentage (4.6%), the second highest among starters with five or more starts. (By the way, I love the new Pro Football Reference site which along with the Football Outsiders site makes it incredibly easy to compare player's stats.) Another quick note in defense of the Bucs, they have had a lackluster free agency so far, especially for a team $44 under the salary cap. But with the exception of Randy Moss (whom the Bucs never had a shot at anyway) there weren't any outstanding free agents this year. And with the limited number of free agents available teams ended up over paying for free agents at the in-demand positions, namely receiver and corner. As it is the Bucs grossly over paid for a center. Source: Best Bucs Blog | 3 Mar 2008 | 5:27 pm Catching Up- First off, my apologies for my infrequent posting. Life and the real world has kept this already sporadic blogger from writing as frequently as I would like. I've mentioned this a few times but you can also find me writing at the Sticks with two recent posts on college basketball in Florida and Rays blogs going into spring training.- The Bucs have made their first big splash of the offseason, signing Jeff Faine to the biggest contract ever for a center. The Bucs certainly had a need at center and were $44 M under the cap, but they still overspent on Faine. As the Tribune article points out Scouts.com didn't even have Faine rated as the top free agent center much less the best center in the league. What kind of precedent does this set when the other young lineman (Davin Jospeh, Jeremy Trueblood and Aaron Sears) become free agents? The Bucs can not afford to overpay everyone on the o-line. That being written Faine certainly upgrades the center position. I have to admit even though Faine played the last few seasons with the Saints I knew nothing about him. Buccaneer Harbour says Faine is a much better pass blocker and slightly better run blocker than former Bucs center John Wade, and unless I see different I'm inclined to believe that. One final thought on the Faine signing, what does this mean for Dan Buenning? He had an excellent rookie season playing at left guard but injuries and Aaron Sears have forced him to switch positions. It was originally believed that Buenning would be moved to center but it now looks like he will become the team's backup/utility interior lineman. Buenning makes a little over $500,000 for the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2010. - With the center position covered the Bucs are now looking to pickup a receiver in free agency. According to the Times Bucs Beat the Bucs have stayed away from the bigger names at receiver, which makes sense with the big money being thrown at Jerry Porter ($30 M) and Bernard Berrian. Randy Moss is off the table as he will likely command the most money ever paid to a receiver. That leaves the Bucs with DJ Hackett and Devery Henderson, or possibly Donte Stallworth. Hackett and Henderson have both been unimpressive and neither is the answer for the Bucs at reciever. Hackett appears to be a more hyped version of Michael Clayton and Henderson was sporadic as best last season with the Saints. Stallworth would be a valuable addition to the team, but he doesn't fit the Gruden model of a tall, physical receiver and there are no indications the Bucs are interested in him. The Times Bucs Beat seems to believe the Bucs will target a receiver in the first round, and I'm inclined to believe that as well. - This falls under the obligatory mention of the draft but I feel very strongly that the Bucs will draft one of four players in the first round: Limas Sweed, Mario Manningham, Malcolm Kelly or DeSean Jackson. All four are considered the top four receivers in the draft although everyone has them ranked differently. At least two of the players will be available when the Bucs draft at #20. UPDATE [3:44] - The last two days show the value of blogs as the Bucs blogs of the two major newspapers in Tampa Bay have broken most of the news about free agent signing and visits. I've already mentioned the Times Bucs Beat, but the Tribune's Bucs Report has been active the last two days as well. Also, the Pewter Report has a good roundup of activity by essentially turning their message board into a moderators-write only blog. BucStats also has a free agency tracker with a more detailed roundup. Tightend Ben Troupe is visiting One Buc Place today and I hope the Bucs are able to sign him to a contract. Maybe I'm being swayed by my love of the Gators but I always thought Troupe had the ability to be a productive tightend in the NFL. He is in the mold of Alex Smith, i.e. is more of a pass catching tightend. His production has slipped the last few seasons but I like to think that is more a result of playing with Vince Young than a measure of his abilities. Source: Best Bucs Blog | 1 Mar 2008 | 10:25 am The Meat Market Is Open- The NFL's Annual Meat Market and best example of the dangers of group think kicks off this weekend. Few events are more overrated than the NFL Combine, where NFL scouts throw all logic out the window and fall in love with the guy with the best 40 time. It's the time when analysts preface their statements with "of course college games are the most important factor" but then do the exact opposite and rank players based on their combine results. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network ranking's going into the combine partially reflect this backwards logic (although critics could argue I'm putting the cart before the horse here).Mike Mayock is the latest hotness in NFL Draft "experts" and in his rankings not only does he have Sedric Ellis ranked ahead of Glenn Dorsey but he has Rashard Mendenhall ranked over Darren McFadden. Never mind that at the end of the season both Dorsey and McFadden were widely considered possible number one overall picks. If I'm a scout or NFL GM I'm taking into account both Dorsey's and McFadden's better and more consistent track records, not only are both players considered two of the best collegiate players right now, they were considered two of the best players at the beginning of the season. The problem with NFL scouting is the same problem with the media's coverage of the Presidential race, everyone falls in love with the latest hotness, aka contestant/player. For example, the media fell in love with Fred Thompson when he first entered the race but we all know how that ended. The same can be said of Barack Obama who the media has treated with kid gloves. The NFL Draft analysts are guilty of the same failing, falling in love with the latest hotness which in this case would be Ellis and Mendenhall. I could very easily turn this into a diatribe on the obvious media bias despite supposed journalistic integrity but I will avoid the Rush Limbaugh go to move. Also, as long as I'm throwing stones at the NFL Combine it's worth mentioning that a cottage industry has sprung up in the last few years centered on training players for the Combine. As this Sun-Sentinel article explains, there are a variety of camps that train prospects how to excel at the Combine. (By the way, that's just one of dozens of articles which popped up when I googled "nfl combine cottage industry.") The argument can be made that very little advantage is maintained if everyone has the same training but much like the SAT prep courses which train people how to take the test but fail to actually measure their intelligence, the end result of the NFL Combine is that prospects are tested on their ability to run through hoops and around cones instead of measuring their ability to play football. - As BucStats has pointed out the Falcons finally had some luck and won a coin flip giving them the third overall pick. The buzz is that the Dirty Birds would pick Matt Ryan, the underwhelming quarterback out of Boston College. I'm assuming the thinking behind this is that Atlanta needs the "franchise quarterback" and Ryan is considered the top quarterback in the draft. I'm really hoping Atlanta falls for this fallacy and drafts Ryan, a player who has consistently failed to impress me when I watched him play (and since I'm in ACC country I've watched a few of his games). Without going into the detailed argument against taking a quarterback in the first round there is more value in players like McFadden and Dorsey. There are typically only a half dozen or so guys that are not only great athletes but also great college players. (Last year those players would have been Calvin Johnson, JaMarcus Russell, Joe Thomas, Gaines Adams, LaRon Landry, and Adrian Peterson. With the exception of Russell all these guys will eventually be multiple Pro Bowlers barring injury and/or pulling a Pacman Jones.) Since the new Atlanta GM is a former Patriots guy (although I may be wrong about that) I'm inclined to think the Falcons will NOT draft Ryan. The Pats draft strategy has been to ignore the hype and draft value players who fit the franchise. This is also where it would be convenient to spout some crap about drafting Tom Brady in the 6th round. As a Bucs fan my biggest concern is that the Falcons make the "smart" move and draft an offensive lineman (Jake Long) or a defensive lineman (Ellis, Dorsey, or Chris Long) as lineman typically make the most immediate impact on a team. - A quick note on the Bucs and the NFL Draft as we begin the marathon to the NFL Draft in April. Gruden and Company have typically kept the players they like close to their vest and refuse to release any information to the media. As far as I know the Bucs refuse to even take phone calls from reporters during this period although I'm basing that on heresay and may be wrong. The exception to that is when Gruden clearly goes ga-ga for a player as he did for Calvin Johnson last year. One great press conference from last year comes to mind where Gruden went out of his way to praise all the top players not named Calvin Johnson but never mentioned the Tech receiver except for some very light praise. I did the same thing in middle school when I really liked one girl I would ignore her and talk to all her friends. Needless to say that strategy only made my crush all the more obvious and failed to work. Anyway, my childhood embarrassment aside looking at Gruden's previous drafts one of the obvious trends is that Gruden loves him some receivers as well as offensive lineman. And since the Bucs are fairly full at the offensive lineman position it makes sense to predict Gruden will draft a receiver, considering the lack of depth at the position. Although Gruden's previous success or lack thereof in drafting receivers is a concern, Marquise Walker and Michael Clayton have been busts and Maurice Stovall is heading in that direction. Source: Best Bucs Blog | 23 Feb 2008 | 9:12 am Ameriquest Mortage Co. Settles ClaimsAmeriquest, along with affiliates Town and Country Credit Corp. and AMC Mortgage Services, had been accused of predatory lending charges. The settlement was reached last year but dollar figures for each state were released only this past week.Source: Big Business News, Opinions & Resources - Bigbusinessblogger.com | 17 Jul 2007 | 10:50 am iPhone overshadowing all other Apple initiativesSome industry analysts are complaining that Apple's recent iPhone release is overshadowing all other initiatives that the tech giant is currently working on. The participants from last month's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference were quite vocal about this issue. Read on to get the full scoop.Source: Big Business News, Opinions & Resources - Bigbusinessblogger.com | 10 Jul 2007 | 8:07 am Carlyle Group in Discussions With Virgin Media Inc.According to the New York Times, the private equity firm is reportedly discussing a potential bid for the British cable TV company. Talks still considered preliminary.Source: Big Business News, Opinions & Resources - Bigbusinessblogger.com | 3 Jul 2007 | 10:10 pm US energy stockpiles rise; World oil prices dropThe AFP reports that world oil prices took a drop on Wednesday. The cause? Market insiders expect the United States to announce that their energy stockpiles have once again risen. That, in turn, lessens any lingering supply concerns thereby causing the slight drop in world oil prices.Source: Big Business News, Opinions & Resources - Bigbusinessblogger.com | 27 Jun 2007 | 8:35 am Airbus flies high at record-breaking Paris Air ShowAirbus cast aside worries about the future of two of its new aircraft and broke records at the 47th Paris Air Show with a haul of 728.Source: Big Business News, Opinions & Resources - Bigbusinessblogger.com | 24 Jun 2007 | 4:29 pm |