The Bucs have the entire nation of Lithuania on their side, just ask Joe Jere-"Vicious" (great football name).
The Bucs victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia can be attributed to 3 "second-tier" players: Joe Jerevicous for his short-route-over-the-middle-for-a-huge-gain-to-the-Philly-5-yard-line pass play that set up Alstott toting the rock into the endzone behind Warren Sapp's blocking on the end. The Iggles had surprised the Bucs with a huge kick-off return that set up the Iggles first touchdown with less than a handful of plays. When the Bucs got the ball back, they scored just as quickly thanks to the skinny Lithuanian kid who had just become a father to a baby born prematurely a few days before the big game. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!
Then there was too-small-for-the-NFL Aaron Stecker who ripped off a couple of big runs up the middle and caught the Eagles napping. When Gruden convinced the Iggles that Stecker was a threat, he forced them to put a linebacker on him every time he was in, which no doubt helped the passing game.
And then there was that defensive lineman Spires, who kept the pressure on Donovan McNabb and batted the ball down on a couple of crucial downs. He's a relatively unknown guy who was really playing outside of his limitations.
And, of course, Rhonde Barber and Brad Johnson had huge games, particularly Barber's interception for a touchdown to seal the game.
I braved the crowds at K-Mart to get my souvenir t-shirts today at lunch: 1 red, 1 grey, for less than $11. That's a good price, even for a normal t-shirt.
So who's going to win the Super Bowl? Probably the Raiders, but by getting to the big game, the Bucs have already won in the hearts of their fans.
And it looks like The Curse of Doug Williams might possibly have been lifted.
