You’re in good hands with Alsott.  Oh did I say Alsott?  I meant Alstott.  Mike Alstott was a legend as a fullback for the Buccaneers, making a name for himself by blowing up defenders while maintaining the quickness of a running back.  During last night’s ceremony to honor the retired Buc, there was one obstacle that even Alstott couldn’t truck stick.  The misspelling of his name on his jersey.

Apparently as a rookie, Alstott wore his jersey with the misspelling for a few games.  But come on, even though that’s good and fine, retire his jersey with his real name on it.

Credit to ProFootballTalk for finding a screen shot of this.  Epic.

In this episode of the Sportable Spot we take a look at the NFC South.  We analyze some key additions to the division as well as discuss some of the rebuilding processes we see going on within the division.  Though certainly not the strongest division, there is a lot of intrigue in the NFC South.

Hosts: Kevin, Rich, Ryan, Sonny

 

 NFC South [26:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

With Rich breaking down the AFC playoff teams earlier today, I thought it’d be fitting to discuss that other conference, the NFC.

1. Dallas Cowboys. I was a little more settled on this team a few weeks ago than I am right now. Since that win over the Packers on Thursday Night to all but clinch the top seed in the NFC, the ‘Boys have lost two of their last four and have done little to solidify their spot as the NFC’s elite team. Tony Romo has a quarterback rating of just 70 since that win over the Packers. Getting Terry Glenn back should help, but for the Cowboys to land in Glendale, they’re going to need Romo to return to midseason form.

2. Green Bay Packers. For all of Brett Favre’s accomplishments, he had never improved the Packers five games from one season to the next. The NFL’s biggest surprise will come into postseason play at 13-3. Make no mistake, this team is no fluke. The Packers are loaded with weapons on both sides of the ball. We know about Favre and his great wide receivers. But Ryan Grant, a former Notre Dame standout, may be their biggest revelation yet. Grant gives the Packers a legitimate running game, something you need to win in January. Combine Favre’s crew with one of the league’s best defenses and you have a shot against anyone. That includes you, Dallas.

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For the entire month of August, the Sportable Staff will look at one National Football League team a day. We?ll look at their offense, defense and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the NFC East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

Will Chucky Be Forced to Walk the Plank?
Just five seasons ago, Jon Gruden was the most popular coaching figure in the NFL. He was young, inspiring, and most importantly, he was a winner. Since the Bucs won Super Bowl XXXIII in San Diego, it’s been pretty rough sailing. After their surprising 11 win season in 2005, Gruden’s team tumbled back to Earth, winning just four games. This year, the pressure is on. If Tampa Bay doesn’t return to their winning ways, the once unflappable Gruden could be unemployed.

Offense
To put it as nicely as possible, the 2006 Bucs offense was awful. The injury bug hit this team hard from the very beginning, as starting quarterback Chris Simms went down with a ruptured spleen in week three. As Simms spent the rest of year hacking up blood and getting ankle tattoos, rookie Bruce Gradkowski was thrown into the starting lineup. The results weren’t pretty. Opponents stacked the box and were able to shut down Cadillac Williams. With Simms’ future in doubt, Tampa Bay brought in veteran Jeff Garthia Garcia, who resurrected his career in Philadelphia last season. Garcia appears to be a perfect fit in Gruden’s West Coast Offense. If a rebuilt offensive line can protect Garcia, he should be able to make use of Tampa Bay’s young offensive weapons.

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Hosts: Sonny, Ryan, Kevin and Rich. In this episode, the entire Sportable staff discusses the NFC South. With Michael Vick out of the mix in Atlanta, how are the Falcons going to do under coach Bobby Petrino and Joey “Heisman” Harrington. We also assess the rare possibility of the Panthers not underachieving behind quarterback turnover machine Jake Delhomme. Also, will Drew Brees lead the Saints back to the playoffs?

You can find Episode 30 here. (Download mp3)

When Jake Plummer was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this off-season, his decision was simple.? Instead of?being handed the starting job and trying to improve a team that struggled at the quarterback position last year, Plummer decided to retire.? Well, as you could imagine, Tampa Bay wants some compensation.

Since the 33 year old Plummer refuses to return to the team but also has yet to file his retirement paperwork, the Buccaneers are asking for him to return.? That or the other option, paying back his $7 million pro-rated signing bonus.? Tough call.? Come out of “retirement” and play for a Tampa Bay team that is desperately in need of a youth movement or cough up $7 million.? For some reason, I have a feeling Plummer will take the latter.

With Jeff Garcia being dubbed the starter down in Tampa, I doubt Plummer wants to compete for a job again.? His back woods beard would get too damn sweaty on the Tampa beaches and I hardly think the Tampa fans would even notice or care if he flipped them off.? And that stupid moustache he has looks more like someone smeared some dog feces on his upper lip.? Get rid of it, Snake.? Maybe another former AFC West quarterback who recently made the move to South Florida can convince Plunge to come back.? Whether he comes back or not, Jake the Snake has a tough decision in front of him.? A decision even he can’t scramble and throw the deep ball out of.