Yup. He used to work at The Flower Shoppe in Katy (maybe still does), and my mom was good friends with the owner. He's a great guy.
When my wife met him, Frank's wife was with him. His WIFE. I was quite suprised to hear that. Not that I stereotyped him or anything.
Yeah, we were always skeptical. He's got a kid too, though. Wow, only 22 posts and a Super Bowl thread as turned into a discussion about a psuedo-gay interior decorator.
Doh! I apologize to the thread starter for combining football and flamboyant interior decorators. Maybe someone should start a Trading Spaces thread. Carry on......
Bucs win. Gruden has got to know how to stop his former team and he has the most talented defense in the league with which to do it.
My scientific analysis has concluded that since the Raiders only have one idiot (Romanowski) and the Bucs have two idiots (Sapp, Keyshawn) that the Raiders will take this on 27-17 and the classy Timmy Brown finally gets a ring.
Bucs D has trouble against the run but the problem is, the Raiders don't run the ball. After the Eagles secondary, the Raiders will look the 49ers. Charles Woodson is overrated and injured. Rod Woodson and Dorsett don't have the impact like Dawkins. But watch out for the Raiders defensive front line and Gannon, Rice, Brown, experience...the bigger the game, the bigger a Bucs choke?? Raiders 24 Bucs 20
The Bucs are built on speed. Our OL have at least a 50 pound advantage per a man. Their LBs are also undersized. There is no doubt in my mind if we power run up the middle, or strong side off tackle, it will work all day long. We beat them 45-0 last time with the same gameplan, and their defense is pretty much still the same. There are quite a few players who were in Gruden's doghouse that never got a chance. I look for them to be key contributers in this game like Porter. Raiders as Super Bowl XXXVII Champions!!!
TJ, we 100% agree. 4 points is too much, I expect it to shrink 1/2-1.5 points lower before kick off. I think this is bubbling as the best superbowl in a long time. I am very happy about it--if the Texas teams were not in the big bowl these are teams I can be happy about them winning. I feel it will be a great one--and I am leaning for the Bucs. Here is why. #1 The Bucs defense is that good. a) First the #s. Tampa allowed 252 yards (#1 by whapping 40 yards PG) and 12.3 PPG--compare with the Jets 341/21 & Tennessee 310/20. The Bucs defense is nothing like what Oakland has been mopping up--Oakland is not going to just line up an execute play after play for steady downfield yardage. flashbacks b) Remember the Rams vs Bucs about 3 years ago in the NFC championship game. That Rams offense had even more speedy weapons and was more balanced (Garner is good, but he is no Faulk) than this Oakland offense--and the Bucs pretty much shut them down then too (still lost the game though as the offense produced zero tds). c) Remember Oakland 2 years ago in the playoffs. Oakland's pass first, run second offense was shut down by the Ravens. Some have said this was only do to the Goose's cheap shot--but what I saw up to this point was Oakland not doing what it thought it could do offensively even with Gannon in. This Bucs defense is the best defense since that Ravens defense--not quite as good against the run as the Ravens but maybe even better in zone coverage because of the Bucs speed everywhere. #2 Chuckie factor. Who better to know the offensive and defensive weaknesses to the Raiders than the workaholic, obsessive, Gruden. #3 competition. TB just chewed up a heck of a tough team (Phily) and totally dismantled the NFC's closest version of Gannon's efficient high octane passing offense--the 49ers. By any measure (see #1, a) the Jets/Tenn are a notch lower in quality. Also, w/o the TOs, the Jets/Titans games are close. #4 Oakland's defense. They are not terrible, but pretty much middle of the road. Middle of the road defenses usually don't win superbowls even if they are good enough to get their team there. And given #2--Chuckie knows this, and will create favorable match-ups. Possible things working for Oakland. With Porter and Rice this Oakland offense can spread the field a lot better than the one the Ravens dismantled. Oakland does have the vets (Gannon, Brown especially) and are motivated for a capstone to their career (but then again so are Sapp, Brooks, Johnson and Gruden). Oakland's O-line has been playing great. IN SUM, I think TB wins. Oakland is just not going to move the ball up and down the field regularly and there is going to be so much pressure on Gannon for making every proper read and execute every play or he will turn the ball over. That is an aweful lot of physical and mental pressure, as good as Gannon is that is too tough a task to be anything of a solid bet. McNabb and Garcia are very good QBs, and they couldn't do it even with time to throw--the coverage people with the Bucs just react too quick and with too much speed to make consistent downfield plays in the air. Even Kurt Warner 3 years ago, having a similar year as Gannon this year, couldn't throw on the Bucs when the Bucs knew they were going to pass. To beat the Bucs defense you need to keep them off balance with the run, the way the Eagles and Saints did in the regular season--and Oakland's offense is not set up to do that. Counter Gannon's situation with that of Brad Johnson. Brand Johnson just has to keep from making TOs and make some more basic reads to get the ball down field--because he is dealing with a very different animal on the other side of the ball (average defense). If Johnson can put up 1 TD and 1 FG per half--less than the Titans were able to do--that will be enough as long as they don't turn the ball over. I think Johnson is good enough and steady enough to do this, especially with the focus of Gruden and his staff this week for putting him into low-risk moderate-high payoff plays that take advantage of any offensive player/defensive player advantages they can scheme. And those guys will come up with such schemes. Bucs 24-Raiders 17
Yeah, if any of you are ever a dinner guest at LonghornFan's house, I'd suggest going without parmesan on your pasta for once.
Huh? In 2000 the Raiders had the #1 running offense in the league, and our 2nd WR was Andre friggin Rison for pete's sake. Charlie Garner may not be able to run like Faulk, But he is just as good, if not a better receiver. Callahan is not Gruden, their offensive gameplans are miles apart, Gruden is way too conservative. As for the Defense, When Gruden last coached, Our Defense was starting 10 different people. And the Buc's defense isn't about forcing turnovers? The Raiders do not make many mistakes on offense. The Patriots Defense didn't exactlty seem like the 85 Bears last year. The Raiders have veterans like Rod Woodson, Romo, and Adams, plus rising stars like Eric Barton and Tory James. Dorsett has played a lot better this season. The Raiders are too hungry and too close now to be denied. In my mind, we are destined to be Champs. Raiders 20 Bucs 14
