Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their opponent this week, the New Orleans Saints, are out of the playoff chase heading into Week 17. Nonetheless, the Bucs still have something to play for as a loss would give them the first pick in this year’s NFL Draft.

Buccaneers tickets for the season finale have an average price of just $104, currently. The cheapest tickets available are $37 which makes this week’s game one of the cheapest options of the week. Fans coming from out of town can find hotels near Raymond James Stadium for as little as $80 if you’re looking to stay near the building. You should also make sure to check out Hipmunk.com for any travel options, such as flights to Tampa from any city in the country.

Tampa Bay enters their home finale at 2-13 and has been relatively in shambles over the past month. They just recently started to get their running game going again with third-year back Doug Martin, but have struggled mightily all year to establish any sense of consistency or balance on either side of the football. Lovie Smith will be tasked with a huge turnaround in 2015, but before he can even think about that he’ll have to try to build some momentum this week with a big win over the Saints.

The Buccaneers are losers of five straight and will surely like to end that slide against the Saints, who they lost to in a 37-31 shootout earlier in the year. Mike Glennon was under center then, but Tampa Bay’s fortunes are back in the hands of Josh McCown to close out the season.

A loss would likely end the reign for either Glennon or McCown behind center in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers would have the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and the option for several different signal callers, headlined by Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Mariota hails from Oregon and is expected to be the top overall pick in this year’s draft, due to Winston’s off-the-field issues.

Either way, it’s a disappointing ending to what many believed would be an improved Tampa team this season. There’s a lot of work to be done, but at least there will be one more opportunity to get a victory in 2014.

MADRID – The media storm returned with Vinicius’ samba in celebration of his goal against RCD Mallorca. Some, because you have to let him celebrate as he wants; others, on the other hand, because you have to respect your rival. What is clear is that there is no quiet victory in recent times for anyone.

Real Madrid’s first half was improvable. I’m sure Ancelotti is not happy with what he saw from his team at the start. Even RCD Mallorca got ahead on the scoreboard to increase the suspense of a match that the Whites would later come back with no problem.

First, with a Maradonian goal from Federico Valverde. Later, with the annotations of Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Rudiger.

The second of the goals was the work of Vinicius who, in the absence of Benzema, was in charge of leading the team, demonstrating that he is settled in the Top 10 of the best footballers today. There is no doubt about that. Without the Frenchman, his best teacher, Vinicius pulled his personality to launch the team in the second half.

With his goal, the celebration came. “El bailecito”, said a club worker with laughter, the same one who predicted that there would be “more mambo than samba” in relation to its media coverage. It was clear. Some defend it, others are embarrassed and the rest simply pass.

From his environment, there are several sectors that ask to be left calm and happy with the goal and the celebration. From the club, the same, although some voice slips that there are other ways to celebrate. And, from Mallorca, significant anger is denoted because, as a player slipped this morning to ESPN, “one thing is to celebrate and another to humiliate”.

There are interpretations for all tastes. It was expected that each one is consistent with their actions and opinions. I say this last because someone who now asks for “freedom to celebrate” for Vinicius strongly criticized Dani Alves and Thiago when, in 2014, they also danced the samba until Puyol interceded to stop the culé samba.

In the midst of so much media hype, I would like to remember one thing. First, the defense of the behavior of each player usually depends on whether the player is from the team that one supports or not. And second that, away from the dances, Vinicius has started the season with self-confidence, speed, power, and definition. Those qualities added to the patience and pause he has when defining, make him a tremendous player. And that only depends on football, not on the colors that one defends

NOTE: Apologies for the lack of content lately, we are moving and it has been quite the experience. everything is packed including the computer, so iPad writing it is! Bucstop.com will be back strong in 2015, like the BUCS!

Random thoughts on the BUCS.

You can call it tanking the game, but the Bucs did the right thing. They put in young guys, and while allowing

some of the backups to play, the team played hard and got the result…the top pick in the draft. No one follows the NO.2 team. All offseason, you’re going to hear about Tampa Bay, what will Tampa Bay do. In April/May all cameras will be on Tampa Bay. That kind of coverage is priceless. No one is going to care the Bucs lost every home game and every NFC South game. Just that much sweeter when it’s turned around.

Speaking of turned around, let’s face it, the Bucs defense has me excited going into 2015. Next year the Bucs won’t have to deal with 50 Burgers being placed on them, they will go into week one with an attitude and defensive prowess. The Bucs still need a few players on that side of the ball, but the youngsters on this team like McDonald, Mcdougald, Tandy, Jacquise Smith, Orie Lemon, and Danny Lansanah,  remind me of the youngsters on the 1996 team. This offseason should be all about the offense, with a little depth added to the defense. The Bucs need another edge rusher, safety, corner, and maybe even a Mike Linebacker, depending on how they feel about the current one, Mason Foster.

Bucs coaches need to be fired today. No…not Lovie! George Warhop, and Marcus Arroyo for starters, both need to go. No, it’s not Arroyo’s fault, but he was a Tedford guy and is probably bound for BC in Canada. With Mark Tressman expected to be fired soon by the Chicago Bears, perhaps even today, the Bucs need to pounce on him immediately. With Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, the Bucs could have quite the offense at some point next year.

Look at the teams in the Playoffs…. consistent at the coaching position…didn’t fire their coaches last year or the year before, and were rewarded for their patience.

Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and the exception is Detroit, who had to make a choice after giving their coach several seasons to make a difference. I can assure you the Bears fans are not happy with the state of their franchise, and many would love to have Lovie back. Arizona is also with relatively new coaching staff, but you get the picture. Keep your coach, have stability, and you have a winning program.

First time ever, that the Bucs had two 1000-yard receivers, and considering how bad this offense was, that’s amazing! While the free agency was so so this year, the draft was a pretty good hit for the Bucs.