What a rough week.

First, Jerramy Stevens gets a new deal from the Bucs on Friday. (At about 6:20 p.m. no less, cutting it pretty close to the time when all the news stations go off the air)

WHY?!!!

The Bucs have been a pretty classy organization for the past decade. The team was infused with outstanding MEN, not just outstanding players. The glory days of Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott (and Tony Dungy) seem to be WAY back there in the rearview mirror. The decision to re-sign Stevens only highlights that fact.

Stevens is a 6'7", 260 pound target for quarterbacks and controversy. He was just suspended for the first two games of the 2008 season for violating the NFL's drug policy.

Oh, and there is that pesky little alleged rape of a University of Washington co-ed a few years back that surfaced around the Super Bowl in January. Stevens has a few DUIs under his belt too along with a few other charges.

Is this the role model you want your kids to cheer for? Do you want your son or daughter wearing a red #86 jersey on Sunday afternoons?

Why do the Bucs want this kind of guy on their team? Because he can catch a football?! Who cares!? He didn't even do much of THAT last season, with only 18 grabs all year.

This signing doesn't help the Bucs. It only puts a huge smudge on the organization and the Tampa Bay community.

Oh, and then there is John Tortorella...the FORMER coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

WHY?!!!

John was fired with one year left on his contract. Tortz changed the entire landscape of the Lightning organization from Day 1.

He held players accountable. He got results. HE WON A STANLEY CUP HERE.

Yeah, it's been a few years since that Stanley Cup, but watching the Red Wings raise that trophy last night only made me think about how far the Bolts are from getting back there after parting ways with Tortorella.

No doubt this is the new ownership's doing. If they keep making bone-headed decisions like this one, don't expect great improvements from the Lightning this upcoming year. Remember, Dan Boyle missed almost all of last season with injuries. The team didn't, and still doesn't, have a proven #1 goalie. What was Tortz to do?

It's been a dark week for Tampa Bay sports. And for the Bucs and Bolt's sake, hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming freight train.

>Bobby Lewis