Professional football returns to Tampa Bay
Adam J Locascio
Sunday April 18, 2010
It would seem that professional football has returned to Tampa Bay.
Make all the jokes you want, but the Tampa Bay Storm’s 54-41 victory over the Dallas Vigilantes was exactly what the football-starved fans of Tampa Bay needed after enduring 16-months of lunacy watching the NFL’s Buccaneers.
For once, in almost a year and a half, a football team took the field in Tampa, and the fans in attendance actually had something that they haven’t had in a long time.
Hope.
Hope for a winner.
This wasn’t an exhibition game. This wasn’t a “let’s get our rookie quarterback some reps” game. This was a real football game that actually counted toward getting the Storm to the postseason. The Storm got their first win to even their record at 1-1. It took the Buccaneers eight weeks to get their first win and by then, Bucs fans were already looking forward to the draft.
It was apparent that this town is dying for a sports team to give them some semblance of hope; something to get behind as a community. The Lightning have been mired in infighting and inconsistent play since the strike cost them a season. They’ve also had more owners than a 1986 Chevy Camaro.
The Rays, bless their heart, have built a great team from scratch, but they are stuck in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox who build their teams by flinging money at their targets with more verve than Pacman Jones in a Vegas strip club.
For one night, football fans in Tampa Bay got to see the home team lay the wood to the opposition. They didn’t have to be happy with “playing hard” or “showing character” or “giving their all.” The fans weren’t bamboozled with terms like “youth movement” or “building through the draft” or “we won’t be active in free agency.”
An announced crowd of 14,122 got something to cheer for. They got a reason to come back on May 1 for the ArenaBowl XVII rematch with the Arizona Rattlers. There’s more football to be played.
And what about the Storm? Co-Rookie of the Year Brett Dietz picked up where he left off with a six touchdown performance. Wide receiver Tyrone Timmons was on the other end of four of them. Hank Edwards chipped in with a 100-yard receiving night. Storm newcomer, Cleannord Santtil scored twice on the ground.
It’s amazing what happens when you put some weapons around your second-year quarterback. Are you paying attention, Buccaneers?
The defense forced three turnovers and added several bone-jarring hits, one of which clearly affected Vigilantes receiver Derek Lee. After getting drilled from behind in the back of the end zone exactly as the ball was arriving, Lee was sent over the wall and into the tunnel. Lee was targeted on the next drive as he ran across the middle, but he alligator-armed the pass as Storm defenders closed in on him...
...and kicker Garrett Rivas missed two extra points.
Yes, the Storm are back.
