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Too bad it's not today. I'm stoked for Bucs football. Close to drooling. Expecting them to break Washington's capital heart by outslugging the born-again Gibbskins.
Ah, my football darlings, are we not overjoyed to see September and real games?
So, read the Times sports section, spice your dip, fire the grill, load the fridge and pass the TV remote.
Just 170 more hours.
I've got a whopper of a Bucs concern. NFL teams that dominate, contend for Super Bowls for five or six consecutive seasons, don't exist without a prodigious offensive line. Joe Gibbs won three Lombardi Trophies with his Hogs. Oakland, Dallas and San Francisco at their championship best had massive, efficient, consistent O-lines.
In its 28-year history, Tampa Bay has never, never, never had an above-average offensive line, even amid Super Bowl XXXVII glee. Chances are, that will remain an unrealized quest as your heroes scrap to be among the elite of '04.
Probably the utmost hope is that five beefy boys up front can keep quarterback Brad Johnson from being pulverized, allowing enough clock ticks for quick and efficient throws. An extreme need is a creative, slashing running game.
Biggest concerns are veteran imports Todd Steussie and Matt Stinchcomb, brought in to fortify last year's porous O-line that was the fluttering heartbeat of a maddening 7-9 record.
Steussie had seven solid seasons with the Vikings, twice reaching the Pro Bowl, but in '03 with Carolina there was a dropoff. So a question we must shout: "Does Todd have enough left, nearing his 34th birthday, to be acceptable for the Bucs?"
Stinchcomb, in five seasons at Oakland, failed to support 1999 status as a first-round draft pick. But let's trust Jon Gruden, who as former coach of the Raiders must have seen enough good in the Georgia guy to merit this Tampa Bay opportunity.
When the Bucs' offense goes to work seven days from now, let us not focus eyes exclusively on the QB, runners and receivers. Watch for Nos. 75 (Steussie) and 78 (Stinchcomb), because if they surprise, and even semi-click, it could be the lift Tampa Bay needs to be successful in the bow-to-stern toughness of the NFC South.
BLITZES: I've got a word for the NCAA - disband - when a good but overanxious kid ( Mike Williams) can be barred from playing further at USC and a teen who has long teemed with trouble ( Willie Williams) would be allowed to suit up for Miami if not for injury. ... Expect to be wowed by Oklahoma freshman tailback Adrian Peterson, a 210-pound Texas wonder from a town called Palestine. ... Hey, my hardball historians, find me a summer when one league had four colossal MVP options to equal the NL's Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Adrian Beltre and Scott Rolen. ... I'm amazed but not entertained by The Schwab, ESPN's in-house trivia barracuda. ... Cheers for the Pac-10 for re-labeling its defensive MVP plaque "The Pat Tillman Award."
A FEW MORE: It's a massive honor, Florida being the first state to be home to World Series (Marlins) and Stanley Cup (Lightning) champions since New York in 1940. ... Being a Division I college basketball coach is risky business, with 33 jobs turning over since last spring. ... A matchup that most intrigues is quiet, conservative former Gators, Kansas State and NBA fellow Lon Kruger being cast among Nevada neon at UNLV. ... Maybe it's a dying art, so we may never see the equal of Brett Butler, who bunted for 42 hits with the Dodgers in 1992. ... Tom Cheek, a charming chap who does Blue Jays radio play-by-play and spends offseasons in Pinellas, had broadcast 4,347 consecutive Toronto baseball games before missing one due to his dad's death in California.
THE LAST WORD: This time, I'll hand off to Jack Saccente of Palm Harbor, reacting to my scream that Tampa Bay will never come close to civic passions equal to fans of the Cardinals, Yanks or Red Sox.
"Remember the '62 Mets and how it took until 1969 for them to win," e-mailed Saccente. "I recall what became a large, involved fan base (when they became World Series champions) in '69.
"Yankees? Winners. Redbirds? Winners. Devil Rays fans need to show some patience. This team will become winners and then you will see a large fan base get involved. Win and they will come."
Good thoughts, Jack, and winning could do wonderful things. Then, if Tampa Bay could sustain the interest for two or three generations, maybe then . . .
Hubert Mizell can be contacted at mmizell02@earthlink.net