Ok I won't lie, when I was asked to do this short post about the most important drill at the combine, I just about wigged out. Seriously, I started this blog just as a hobby just to pass the time, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be ever be asked to write something for ESPN.com (and behind a paywall no less). So I want to take the opportunity to thank all the people who have supported this blog over the last 6 months or so. I will try my best to continue to put out posts that are both interesting and informative and maybe even a little fun.
Congratulations, Steve. I hope we'll see more of your writings appear with some of the bigger media outlets. You'd make a good addition, and add a bit of analysis that's usually missing from those outlets.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sander!
ReplyDeleteSteve, congratulations. Your analysis is leaps and bounds ahead of most of the big-name pundits out there, and I wish you further success.
ReplyDeleteThe recent blog post on Ruud is just the latest in a long line of examples of you offering sane, intelligent commentary on the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, others write panicky knee-jerk articles that seemed to be based more on what some loudmouth said on sports radio rather than actually studying the tape.
For my money you are already the highest quality source of Bucs analysis, which is an achievement to be proud of considering this blog did, as you say, start as a hobby.
Keep up the great work. I'll sure as hell keep reading it.
@Warthog
ReplyDeleteThanks for your compliments, they truly humble me. I'll try to keep doing the best I can and hopefully as time goes on I will get even better at this writing thing!
Steve, I've bashed Ruud this past season, and I'm willing to admit it. I also go to all of the games, but it hurts watching him getting dragged down the field by Jonathan Stewart types. I was always a Ruud fan until he skipped all of the OTA's last season and when he reported to camp, he looked weak and like a slob, IMO. This was no doubt a product of the Bucs' crappy management of Ruud's contract, but still as the LEADER of the Defense he neede to be there. So Dominick should get some blame but Ruud was still under contract and should have been with the team. Team is number one from a fan's point of view. I would like to see Ruud get bigger and stronger up top. But with the Bucs not going after ANY FA's now at all, the Draft is crucial, so I sure hope they don't screw it up or Ruud becomes the least of the worries. Ruud would be better at the line if he had a better Safety behind him, like Berry, and we did lose Tanard for 4 games and Flip to IR early on. It was what it was. I really just want to see them get to 8-8 this year.
ReplyDelete@BigMacAttack
ReplyDeleteHere's the deal, I am not saying people shouldn't criticize Barrett Ruud, hell I called him out several times over the course of the season on this very blog. But what I am saying is for pundits there should be balance. I don't expect fans to have balance because most of the times they are looking big picture rather than details. If we play well but lose most fans just see a loss and I realize that. But people who should know better are trying to make Ruud out to be a bum and he's not. He isn't a world beater but he is pretty damn good even with all his flaws. And by the way Johnathan Stewart drags some of the best of them with him down the field at times.
I can't say that we will see 8-8 this year especially with the moves or lack thereof so far but I guess we will all just have to wait and see if Dominick and Morris can pull a rabbit or two out of their hat.
Dude, you should absolutely be writing for ESPN. I try to read everything I can get for free with regard to the Bucs. You have the best chops, by far.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Steve!