Sports Day Tampa Bay

On Veterans Day, Rick opens the show by thanking everyone who has served and those who paid the ultimate price. He then turns to the NFL trade deadline, which he calls Groundhog Day in Tampa Bay: the Bucs did nothing. Rick says that's who Jason Licht has been since he arrived in 2014, a GM who values his mid- and late-round picks and rarely buys at the deadline. The Bucs' passing game has been inept and Rick says they could have used a big-bodied veteran receiver. He points to Kansas City getting Josh Downs (Rick and Steve disagree on the exact pick compensation) and Keenan Allen going to the 49ers for a sixth-round pick, and wonders why Licht wouldn't pay that for a veteran instead of leaning on Ted Hurst, who played one snap against the Bears. They go through other deadline moves, including Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota (Steve praises the GM who sold high), the Falcons and Saints selling players to Jacksonville, and the Colts' fire sale.The hosts then dig into why the Bucs are stuck. Rick says Baker Mayfield's pick-six came on a stare-down of Cade Otton while Emeka Egbuka was open, and that a run game this good should be setting up the pass. They point to the defense as the bright spot: the best in the NFL at takeaways, number one against the run, with Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum having Pro Bowl years, and every Bucs loss decided by one score. They go over the strange numbers from the Bears game, including Steve's stat that Chicago is the only team in NFL history with five-plus turnovers, nine-plus penalties, and no 10-yard rushes that still blew a 14-point lead and won. They also work through the math that seven wins might win the division and nine surely would, with the schedule easing up after Detroit.After an Old Northeast Jewelers sponsor read (two locations, in St. Petersburg and Hyde Park Village in Tampa), Rick answers a mailbag question about why ownership is "settling for .500" with a long argument: the Brady-era cap hangover, keeping the Super Bowl core (Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke), losing coordinators to head-coaching jobs, and what he calls the miscalculation at wide receiver. He covers Mike Evans' age and injuries, Egbuka's year without a 100-yard game, Chris Godwin's $22 million, and Mayfield looking like "just a guy" when the people around him aren't great, with a $55 million contract. He says the Glazers go all in when they think they have a shot, but they knew this team wasn't that talented, and that he still thinks Tampa Bay is the NFC South favorite. Rick also questions Zac Robinson's passing concepts, with Steve joking he'd almost want Josh Grizzard back. They finish with the Lightning at Buffalo, Brayden Point on injured reserve with Sam O'Reilly called up, and a back-to-back in Columbus.SegmentsVeterans Day tributeThe NFL trade deadline: the Bucs do nothingJason Licht's draft-pick philosophy and the passing gameDeadline deals: Josh Downs, Keenan Allen, Kirk Cousins, and the Falcons and Saints sellingThe Colts' fire sale and Jacksonville going all inNo cavalry: Ted Hurst, the pick-six, and the run gameMinnesota's quarterback carousel and Murphy's interceptionThe Bucs defense, takeaways, and the Bears game's odd statsPenalties, the snap-count complaint, and the NFC South mathSponsor: Old Northeast JewelersMailbag: Why settle for .500? The Brady hangover, roster building, and the receiver miscalculationGlazers, Baker Mayfield's contract, and Zac RobinsonLightning at Buffalo and Brayden Point on Injured Reserve Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick and Steve look at the Bucs' fallout from Sunday's loss in Chicago, starting with Todd Bowles' Monday press conference. Bowles didn't sugarcoat the offense: he said the bye week is for the staff and Baker Mayfield to decide whether the calls, scheme, and mechanics are right, and he said there are no changes planned for Zac Robinson's play calling. Rick wonders whether the ship has already sailed on tailoring the offense to Baker, while Steve compares it to the bye-week reset with Tom Brady and Bruce Arians six years ago (Rick adds that Arians wanted Brady to throw deeper, and the Bucs won eight straight, including the Super Bowl). They go through Baker's 32.4 QBR (30th of 31 qualifying quarterbacks, per Rick), his turnovers, and what it means to pay a quarterback $55 million, with Steve arguing the turnovers have always been part of the Baker story.Much of the show is about the receivers. Rick cites a report that it's been a full year since Emeka Egbuka's last 100-yard game, and says he's on pace for roughly 500 yards. Bowles blamed injuries and said the Bucs need to design more plays for him, but also said that talent-wise the room is probably lacking. Steve says Jason Licht fell in love with Egbuka, who looks overdrafted so far, and both talk about how much Mike Evans is missed. With the trade deadline at 4 p.m., they debate whether Chris Godwin (about four targets a game, $22 million salary) could be moved. Rick says he'd be out of here if anyone wanted him, Steve says no one would pay that, and both agree Licht rarely buys or sells. They also note Jacksonville going all in and Atlanta and New Orleans selling.Along the way they argue the NFC South math (Steve says seven wins might win the division if Tampa Bay sweeps its six division games), whether playoff teams should be reseeded, the Super Bowl landing on Valentine's Day, and how the trade market energizes teams. Rick calls the Chicago loss even more ridiculous given his stats: the Bears had lost 10 straight times they turned it over five times, and the Bucs had won 22 straight when forcing five. After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, they take a mailbag question on whether Tez Johnson is the best Bucs receiver left, then get into Ted Hurst's drops, Brady's views on receivers who drop passes, tight end Cade Otton leading the team in targets, and whether Robinson can fix the offense.SegmentsTodd Bowles' Monday press conference and the bye-week planThe Tom Brady bye-week resetBaker Mayfield's numbers and $55 million salaryJacksonville's deadline movesEmeka Egbuka and the receiver roomMike Evans' absence and Jason Licht's draft choicesChris Godwin and the trade deadlineThe defense, the coverage bust, and the NFC South mathReseeding the playoffs and the Super Bowl on Valentine's DayBucky Irving's workload and Sean TuckerTrades in the NFL and Baker's pressureSponsor: Breitling Boutique, International PlazaMailbag: Tez Johnson, Ted Hurst, and Cade Otton's targetsZac Robinson's play calling Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick, reporting from Chicago, and Steve react to the Bucs' 27-24 loss to the Bears on Sunday night, a game Tampa Bay lost even though its defense forced five turnovers. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson's opening script put the Bears up 14-0, but the Bucs weathered it, tied the game, and had a shot to win until a Baker Mayfield pick-six and a late coverage bust on tight end Colston Loveland. Rick says the Bucs would have been alone in first place at 4-5 going into the bye. Instead they're 3-6, still 2-0 in the division. Steve credits a switch from man to zone coverage for confusing Williams, and they argue over Mike Tomlin's halftime comment on the Bucs kicking a field goal on fourth-and-goal (Rick would have gone for it, Steve says he understands the thinking). They also talk about the five false start penalties and Todd Bowles sounding defeated afterward.The hosts keep coming back to the offense. Rick says Baker Mayfield hasn't been sharp since returning from his thumb injury, with too much staring down receivers (Cade Otton included) and not enough throws to open players. They talk about the drops and Ted Hurst's "yips," the lack of a true No. 1 receiver, Emeka Egbuka still coming back from an ankle, and Jalen McMillan being out. They wonder about a trade-deadline receiver, though neither expects Jason Licht to make one. On the positive side are the defense's takeaways (Rick calls Zyon McCollum an All-Pro candidate and cites Jacob Parrish's pass breakups), Bucky Irving's strong running, and a division so weak that Steve says eight wins will likely take it and the Bucs would need to go 5-3 the rest of the way. Rick says a 5-1 division finish would be elite, and both agree Antoine Winfield Jr.'s ankle is a concern. Rick also notes the Bears' fans were on edge after the fast start.After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, Steve recaps the Lightning's weekend: a comeback win in overtime at Minnesota after trailing by two goals late, then a 4-3 loss at Winnipeg after rallying from three goals down, when Winnipeg scored with 1.6 seconds left on a five-on-three. They talk about Nikita Kucherov's fired-up celebration, Yanni Gourde's return, Brayden Point leaving hurt, and the back-to-back at Buffalo and Columbus. After a look at Penix and the Falcons in Madrid, they run through the college weekend, including Florida State's road win without Mike Norvell, a disputed Miami-Notre Dame touchdown, USF's loss at ECU, Florida losing to Oklahoma, and Alabama over LSU.SegmentsBucs lose 27-24 at Chicago despite five turnoversBaker Mayfield's pick-six, drops, and the passing gameDefense: man vs. zone, the late coverage bust, and Todd Bowles' reactionFourth-and-goal field goal decisionMissed chance at first place and the NFC South raceTakeaways, Bucky Irving, and five false startsReceivers, the trade deadline, and Ted HurstWinfield's ankle and the bye weekSponsor: Breitling Boutique, International PlazaLightning's comeback win at Minnesota and loss at WinnipegKucherov's celebration, Brayden Point's injury, and the next road tripPenix and the Falcons, and the NFC South's winning numberCollege football roundup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick and Steve preview Sunday night's Bucs-Bears game at Soldier Field. Rick says Chicago (6-2) has beaten both of last season's Super Bowl teams in the last two weeks, including a win in Seattle, and calls the Bears a real NFC contender with Caleb Williams getting better each year and Ben Johnson among the league's best play callers. Rick calls it a different weight class for the Bucs but says he still believes in Todd Bowles' defense. Alex Anzalone was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and Tampa Bay leads the league in takeaways. They talk about what Chicago's trade for Jeffery Simmons does to that defense, the Bears being on a short week after Seattle, and a schedule Rick says is the third easiest in the NFL the rest of the way. They also look ahead to the bye and then Detroit.The big question is the passing game. After 11 attempts in Carolina and none in the rain against Atlanta, Rick and Steve wonder how quickly Baker Mayfield (no glove on his healing thumb anymore) and a thin receiver room can get back in rhythm, with Emeka Egbuka possibly missing another game. Steve asks whether the offensive line, which has dominated as a run blocker, can handle pass protection against a defense coming at it. Rick credits Zac Robinson's heavy two- and three-tight-end looks and the blocking of rookie Bauer Sharp, and both hosts say the Bucs can't be one-dimensional against Chicago. Along the way Rick tells the story of how he once covered the White Sox in Chicago when it looked like they might move to the Tampa Bay area, until the Illinois governor stopped the legislature's clock and a new Comiskey Park was funded.After a Breitling Boutique sponsor read, Steve runs through a stacked college football Saturday, including Alabama at LSU, Miami at Notre Dame, Georgia at Ole Miss, Kentucky at Tennessee, and Texas at Missouri, with USF at ECU on Friday night and the Gators hosting Oklahoma. They mention the loss of Miami's Malachi Toney to surgery and say it is too early to worry about the first rankings. The mailbag covers why Coe Keefe is playing mostly on special teams, Rick's B-minus grade for the Bucs' 2026 draft class (Rueben Bain, Josiah Trotter, Keionte Scott, and Bauer Sharp), and whether Stamkos or Mike Evans was harder to lose (Rick says Evans, and Steve adds the Bucs never really replaced him). They wrap with a Lightning doubleheader, at Minnesota Saturday night and at Winnipeg Sunday before the Bucs kick off.SegmentsBucs at Bears preview: Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, and the Bears' hot streakAnzalone and the Bucs defense vs. Chicago's offenseCan the Bucs pass again? Baker Mayfield's thumb, receivers, and pass protectionJeffery Simmons and the Bears defenseThe short week, the bye, and the schedule aheadSoldier Field, the White Sox story, and the Bears' futureZac Robinson's tight end sets and Bauer Sharp's blockingSponsor: Breitling Boutique, International PlazaCollege football slate: Utah, LSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, USF at ECU, and Florida vs. OklahomaMailbag: Ko Kieft and the tight endsMailbag: grading the Bucs' 2026 draft classMailbag: Stamkos or Mike Evans?Lightning doubleheader and sign-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the third straight day, Rick's former radio partner and longtime Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones, now at the Poynter Institute, joins the show. Tom was up until 3 a.m. writing his newsletter after election night, so they start with the media coverage: how results come in so fast, the "magic boards" on CNN and NBC, the Associated Press and decision desks, and the New York Times needle. That leads to Tom's gripe of the day. Standing in front of the First Amendment engraved outside the Poynter building, he says he defends anyone's right to say what they want, but out-of-town critics who tell Tampa Bay it doesn't deserve a team can, in his words, "shut up."Rick takes the other side too. He says he can see why Yankees and Guardians fans would admire the Rays and wonder why more locals don't show up, and he talks about how players feel when the opposing team's fans take over the stadium. Tom and Rick get into the transient makeup of the market (Rick guesses the share of native Floridians is very small), whether it will ever change, Tom's sons (one in New York, one still in Tampa Bay) and their loyalties, exorbitant ticket prices and airline-style pricing, and Rick's decision to skip a pricey World Series game that turned into a 10-1 loss. They also wonder what a new stadium will do for attendance, and Rick says Bucs coach Todd Bowles gave the right answer when he asked about opposing fans: win more and you'll see fewer of them. Along the way Tom talks about being a Steelers fan and having to deal with Aaron Rodgers, why some national fans disliked the Rays (Rick and Tom point to the Junior Caminero bat flips), and why Yandy Diaz is one of his favorite Tampa Bay athletes.The second half is a college football conversation. Tom talks about Penn State firing James Franklin and hiring Matt Campbell, and recalls Jim Leavitt building USF from a trailer. Rick says paying players "through the front door" and the transfer era have made college football more like the NFL, with parity instead of Alabama-style super teams and few undefeated teams. Tom says players should be able to move the way coaches do, that ESPN has a stake in the debate, and that scholarships were never guaranteed. They bring up the injuries that change a player's life while the game moves on with the "next man up." They also cover Florida State's firing of Mike Norvell and his reported $50 million buyout, Tom's Jimbo Fisher radio memories, whether Fisher could return, and Tom's Lane Kiffin story. They close with a plug for Tom's biweekly Poynter podcast (past guests Rachel Maddow and Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, and a teased election-coverage guest he won't confirm), and a note that the pair just recorded two shows.SegmentsThird day with Tom Jones: election night media coverageHow results come in: magic boards, the AP, decision desks, and the New York Times needlePoynter, the First Amendment, and Tom's gripe about critics of Tampa BayIs Tampa Bay a good sports market? Natives, transplants, and opposing fansTom's sons, Rangers vs. Lightning, and who you root forTicket prices, Taylor Swift, and airline-style pricingThe new stadium, Charlie Crist, and "We are St. Pete"Players, visiting fans, and Todd Bowles' "when we start winning"Penn State, James Franklin, Jim Leavitt, and USF's trailer daysThe Rays as a fun team, bat flips, and Yandy DiazCollege football in the NIL and transfer era: parity, ESPN, and player freedomFootball injuries and "next man up"Mike Norvell's buyout, Jimbo Fisher, and Lane KiffinTom's podcast and a teased guest Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.