Following a dream season that saw them hoist the Lombardi Trophy, the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers have had a nightmarish offseason.
The owner is reported to be the leading bidder for the Los Angeles Dodgers,
meaning he'd have to sell the Bucs to make it happen, the rift between the
coach and the general manager is reaching canyon-like proportions, Super
bowl hero Dwight Smith was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly
flashing a gun at another driver because of a traffic incident, and the team
infuriated their starting quarterback by trying to short him out of a $1.5
million bonus.
Oh, and possibly the worst of all, the Oakland Raiders filed a lawsuit
against the Bucs alleging that the skull over crossed swords logo infringed
on their trademark rights. The case was thrown out, but can be filed again
in federal court. But the suit is cause for concern, because who knows what
will happen if they have to go back to the winkin' Bucco Bruce on the side
of their helmets?