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Adhesive removal -- The Tampa Blog (4:02 update)

Art

By Art
in The Stadium

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Art

Art

Posted
Posted

Pete and I are in the box, smelling strangely of stale beer and cigar smoke. We just ate an omlette and will be wandering down to the field shortly to show Pete around. But, I'll start at least a little.

8 a.m., Saturday -- Precious daughter has pink eye in both eyes. And, she's sleeping like the dead. I stand over here crib making soft cooing sounds to wake her, but, she's totally uninterested in waking up. As I'm about to give up, in walk the dog and mommy and she opens her eyes and says, "Dog." The trip begins.

9:15 a.m., Saturday -- I'm now a professional airline passenger. Not only do I lock in exit row seats, but, I can get through security in seconds. All lines leading to gates are backed up for at least an hour making it iffy to get through in time. In Minneapolis this is solved by the "Skyway Security Checkpoint." I check my bag, walk under the airport, hit the tram, go up two levels and find absolutely no one waiting so I breeze through. Then I walk around to my gate. Couldn't be easier. I'm not sure if it's sad or great that I know this now.

6 p.m., Saturday -- Am comfortably in the hotel and on line checking out things. Buddy who was with us last year now runs a bar downtown and wants to give us free booze. Might save that for Sunday. Decide to watch the Michigan game at the bar. Karl Swanson and Sonny Jurgenson are there so I assume the team is as well. Call Larry but find they are just hitting the tarmac. I'm already eager for tonight. Apparently 60 degree temps in Florida qualify as cold. I'm in shorts. This is lovely.

6:15 p.m., Saturday -- Run into two guys who work at a tennis club. Eddie and Kevin from the Shipwatch Yacht and Tennis Club in Largo. The tennis pro had a Greg Norman look about him. Puffy blond hair. His buddy a black guy. We talk football and how they love the Redskins. I start on the beer and chat with them. The team arrives and they begin bouncing around asking who everyone is. They get a photo with Sonny. I take the picture. Sonny may hold this against me :).

7 p.m., Saturday -- Team is in the house. Waiting the guys for drinks then dinner. Sushi is the word for tonight. Spot Larry in the lobby so I pre-purchase a ****tail so it's waiting for him. Few kiss up to the man like me. Immediately spotted is a young brunette with back issues from highly noticed implants. Massages are offered to each other, but not actually delivered.

7:15 p.m., Satuday -- Guy behind me at the bar orders a Guinness and Blue Moon, which the bartender incorrectly calls a "Black and Blue." It's a "Black and White," because it's a Belgium beer. Come on. I explain the concoction to others at the bar, affirming the gentleman's choice. The guy says, "Soon he'll be making Guinness shakes." I like this guy. He knows his stuff. But I quiz him, "Yeah, some eggs," he adds, "peanuts," I say, "Little nutmeg," he looks at me and says, "Who are you?" I say, "Art." And, here you have now seen Art and Pete meet for the first time. It's a love story really.

7:20 p.m., Saturday -- Dale Lindsey is at the bar watching the game. I offer to buy him a drink but he says no. I figured.

7:45 p.m., Saturday -- Michigan game is GREAT. Too bad my boys lose. Eddie or Kevin, the Greg Norman look alike, cozies up to Larry and explains why the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry is the best in all of sports. You see, television exists. And football is made for television. And television and football killed baseball and is No. 1. So the No. 1 rivalry is Dallas-Washington. Logic is sound but not everyone buys it.

8:10 p.m., Saturday -- Go to the concierge to get passes so I can go to the room and pick up cigars. Tell the woman and she goes to look. Standing with me is Jason Campbell, Antwaan Randle El and some other friends of theirs. Randle El has a wife, son and two daughters with one kid on the way. He's hoping for a boy because he'll never get out of the house with four women. Concierge can't find passes for "Stream Skills." I ask her how familiar she is with English and actually had to SPELL "SKINS" for her. Hello. Who's at your hotel? Run into Coach Jack Burns in the elevator. Wish him luck.

9 p.m., Saturday -- Heading out. Samauri Blue in Ybor City is booked until 11 p.m. so no Sushi. We decide to drive until we find eats. About to settle on Selmon's like the first Tampa trip, but, there's a desire to stop by "Bennigans" first. It's decided, food is not necessary this evening. Sustanance is in other things.

9:30 p.m., Saturday -- Pulling into "Bennigans" we see hot dogs, hamburgers and sausages for sale in the parking lot. What sounds worse than that where we are. Who'd eat that? Set up near the front of the stag.....er, bar at Bennigans. The "waitresses" are doing highly good work. Cigars are lit. Within minutes it was two-for-one special. Two songs for one dance. This seems like a good deal to some in the party. I'm holding out for the four-gasm, I hear is coming. One guy takes his dancer to a side couch. We believe because he doesn't want any of the rest of us to enjoy in proximity :). No longer can I tell time. I know the clock's ticking. It's observed by one gentlemen, "What kind of girls come here?" he means as customers, not talent. I suggest, "Hos." He nods and says, "Or dykes." Minutes later, after enjoying a personal show by one of the talent, the same girl is doing a girl-on-girl dance. Spot on. That's a pro.

10:15 p.m., Saturday -- Leave to drop someone back off at the hotel. Won't say why. Return to the lot. Suddenly that grill stuff looks good. I grab a sausage and go in. Romeo is working the bathroom. Turns my water on. Sprays my hands with soap. Gives me a towel to rince. Gives me a mint. What a horrible job he has I think :). Back at the front, we notice some of the talent utilizes skin colored tape for special areas. Others, the girls we most like, use clear colored tape. Pete offers the title of this blog saying, "I'd like to remove the adhesive from that tape." I suggest, "With my tongue," as the appropriate implement. And "Adhesive Removal" is defined.

Sometime later, Sunday -- The hotel bar is closing, so the guys pick up about 10 beers to sip on while things wind down. The blog is intentionally vague. What happens in Tampa, stays in Tampa. I will say one guy, in ONE department, wasn't there. That's for that guy's boss who cares if I write the department :). I'm a tease. Though the best line all night was this. For the "special" dances, of 4 dances for one price, you received a T-Shirt on one and a hat on another. When we left one guy didn't have either and he complained, "I forgot the hat and shirt I won." Yeah. He won it :). The blonde girl who is the No. 1 Skins fan we mention in blogs from time to time is there still at the bar. She can hold her own.

7:30 a.m., Sunday -- Wake up call. Feeling a bit grimy. Eyes watery and puffy. Maybe I have pink eye. I roll out of bed at 8:15. Pete rudely calls me while I'm ironing. The bastige is up since like 6.

9:10 a.m. -- I roll downstairs at about 9:10 where we head out. In the elevator with Randy Thomas and another guy who works for the Skins I don't know. I tell Randy to win. He says, "That's my intention today," smiling a little. I say, "You're the man." And he laughs with the other guy, "Sheeeeit." Funny. Players and coaches moving to the busses as we walk out with them.

9:30 a.m. -- In the press box. Omlette's made to order. I love Tampa Bay. Pete flirts with this Brooklyn male chef as they exchange New York-isms. Box is pretty dead at this time.

9:45 a.m. -- Head down to field. Snyder is on the bench with Bernie Shaw I think, as well as Vinny. We wander around. Showing Pete the way it works so he's good on the sidelines. Hang out while they test the cannons. Then we leave when they do the flags.

10:15 a.m. -- Back in the press box. Sonny Jurgenson has stolen Pete's chair. An old equipment guy from his days is with him. Sonny talks over to Howard Bryant of the Post about how he thinks it'll go. Howard comes over and they are chatting a little about things. Everyone is in agreement, the ball needs to get in the air. Howard says he wishes the team had more confidence in Campbell. You know, that's not a bad observation. Everyone's scared to death.

10:23 a.m. -- Jason LaCanfora rolls in. He's reasonably quiet today. Only mild complaints about expensive ****tails and blowing $50. His night was at least $500 cheaper than the night of others I've heard of.

10:40 a.m. -- Start talking with Sonny about Jason. Can he play. Sonny says no one knows. In practice he can play. But until the game, it's never certain. Will the light turn on or turn off. That's the key. We'll know today according to Sonny. He assesses Jason's play and throwing motion. Says he gets stuck with his legs sometimes, leaving him aiming the ball and throwing with his arm. Says he's got to improve that. Also, we now know the first play of the game. Sonny talked to Al Saunders. I won't write what it is until after :).

11:30 a.m. -- Still looking for data as to best Redskin debut -- first start by a player AS a Redskin as a QB. No Brad Johnson's or anything else. Going to grab another bite :).

11:53 a.m. -- Inactives named. Us, Collins ,Rumph, Doughty, Whitley, Boschetti, Patten, Moss, Montgomery. Them, McCown, Zemaitis, Quarles, Penn, Terry, Warren, Wyms, Rice.

Pre-game warmups -- You can see what Sonny was talking about as to Jason's delivery during warmups. He is frozen in his legs using just his arm to throw. Wonder how much this is noticed. Marcus Washington is hollering at Dale Lindsey to throw the ball on a linebacker drill. Lindsey is throwing soft balls to everyone, then Washington moves in and he drills it at him. Pretty funny.

Campbell's first play -- Sonny told me he informed Saunders to call the deep ball for Campbell on his first play. Said a young QB needed to get that energy out of his system and heave it. Saunders gave him a pound and said, "Just for you Sonny." And it was. Nice play. Unfortunately I got tossed from the sideline as Pete has my camera. So, in the box the rest of the game. More eats.

Fumble recovery, wow -- An actual turnover. Neat. Just before it, Vincent went off with a bad leg. He was replaced by Fox. Not Adam. That guy's invisible :).

3-3 our ball on the move -- Campbell flings a nice pass outside. Got there so quick it gave time to run after catch. Then he follows it with a bad slant. He's learning, but, it's impossible not to see promise in him.

An INT? NEAT -- Man, this game is much more fun when we actually make stops by taking the ball away from the opponent. Rogers should have caught his for a TD. Springs does catch his. Two turnovers and we're tied. Campbell in the two minute offense. Let's see what he has. Oh, NOTHING cause we kneel down. Sad. Sad. Sad.

Halftime update -- The defense is still horrible. It's just not what you're used to seeing. It's like we're never in the right spot. Offense is inconsistent as ever. Funny we'll feel good about the first half where our QB threw 51 yards and ran for 17. Two incomplete deep passes really masks the stench I guess :). At halftime Sam and Sonny come out of the booth. "Pretty exciting game, isn't it Art," Sonny calls over. Sam is laughing. "That's the worst game I've ever seen." They may be right. Again, all of you are happy now and this was the worst offensive performance we've had to date. But, when in doubt, air it out and that's happening. Take chances down the field. That's happening. That's a start.

Opening drive of the second half -- THAT was the pass that means, to me, Campbell can play. The deep out to Lloyd was jumped underneath. It was obviously jumped. Campbell threw the ball. As he wound up I thought it was an interception for a TD. But, as soon as it left his hand, you saw he pulled the string. He lofted it over the under guy and got it to Lloyd. It was incomplete, but it was BEAUTIFUL. I was right in line with that play and I tell you, THAT is what Ramsey could never do. Ramsey was blunt force trauma. His passes got there THROUGH whoever was there. Campbell just made the play that makes his career better than Ramsey's could have been. And the ball is flying THROUGH the air. This is all you can ask. He has touch. He's taking chances. He's got poise. He just threw a deep out. A DEEP OUT. And it was complete. I didn't think we had that in our offense. I joke to Don Warren and another team scout next to me, "What was that, a deep out? I didn't think we had that in our offense." They laugh. They tell me, "He can throw that. We have deep ins now too." The ball is flying. All any of us have wanted was for the ball to travel some distance in the air.

Ouch, Carlos -- Man, it's hard to say Rogers looks like he can play at all. You can't take any chances with him back there because if you leave him alone, it's over. 17-10 Tampa. At least Campbell gets a chance to show he can play under pressure. He had a tight series last time out. Let's see.

Post-game -- Pete calls before we score our last TD asking if I want to do the locker room. I don't but for Pete, I'll do it. He then calls back and says he doesn't. He's smart. It SUCKS to be down there when we lose and with the season slipping away, away, away, away, it's just going to be depressing. This team is bad in most ways. We can't run, or pass. We can't protect. We can't stop the run. We can't cover. We can't blitz. We can't do miuch of what we HAVE been able to do the last two years. This team seems to have lost its identity in everything and can't find a new one. Campbell is a solid talent. He's got a chance to be something for us. He did nothing to embarrass himself. He also didn't stand out. You hoped for more. You feared worse. You got about what we've been. I do not know how to fix it. Entering the season we thought we had 21 of 22 starters under contract for next year. Now, you almost have to think about replacing half the defense and some offensive line. You really don't know what we are or what we will be. Do we stand pat for the sake of consistency. Do we shake it up, feeding the criticism we can't stand pat. Right now this year is about finding out what we are capable of being again. But, this is as BAD a team as we've had here in years. It's atrocious. It's depressing. And it's ok to be upset about it. We'll know when it turns around. It's not there yet.

MORE TO COME.

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Blade

Blade

Posted
Posted
Art Wrote:

Ouch, Carlos -- Man, it's hard to say Rogers looks like he can play at all. You can't take any chances with him back there because if you leave him alone, it's over. 17-10 Tampa. At least Campbell gets a chance to show he can play under pressure. He had a tight series last time out. Let's see.

While I would agree that Los is having a Sophmore Slump, I am not sure that one was on Carlos... there was a bit of a pick in there that cost Carlos a step, and when youre covering Galloway, giving up a step means giving up a TD.

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JimmiJo

JimmiJo

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Posted
While I would agree that Los is having a Sophmore Slump, I am not sure that one was on Carlos... there was a bit of a pick in there that cost Carlos a step, and when youre covering Galloway, giving up a step means giving up a TD.

Agreed. Galloway is a very good receiver and it is unrealistic to expect Rogers to man-up on him. We sold out for the blitz on that play and they picked it up.

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