Tatum Bell: Tuskers can beat the Bucs

Former NFL coach Jim Haslett said he'd love for his Florida Tuskers to get a shot to play some NFL teams, saying there's a lot of talent on the first-year franchise in the United Football League.

So what would happen if the Tuskers played the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Tuskers running back Michael Pittman, a former Buc, said there are some guys on the team who would "probably tell you we can (beat the Bucs)."

Running back Tatum Bell chimed in: "I'm one of them."

Bell, who played five seasons in the NFL, said he believes they can compete with some NFL teams, like the Bucs.  The Tuskers (3-0) play against the Las Vegas Locomotives Friday at Tropicana Field.

"I think that's how confident we are as a team," Bell said. "We feel like we can go out there and play with some of the best of them. There's a lot of savvy vets that have a lot to prove to everyone. I think that's what also makes the talent in the league so high, everyone is trying to prove something."

So it would be like, Tuskers 24, Bucs 14?

"That's how much credit you give our defense?" Bell said, smiling.....I see more than that. I see our offense putting up more than that and I see our defense shutting them down for less than that."

Pittman laughed when asked the question, and gave a more politically-correct response.

"I'm not going to say we can beat the Bucs, I guarantee we'd give them a great game,"Pittman said. "This team, we have a lot of fire, we've got talent at every position. I guarantee we'd give them a great game..."

Pittman said he still watches and supports the Bucs, as he has a lot of friends on the team and "hopefully they'll get a win soon."

"I feel for them," he said. "I believe they have more talent than what they're actually showing out there."

- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Comments

[DR]

Yeah, made an "honest mistake" when he stole Rudi Johnson's bags when he was replaced on the sorry Lions team. Quote a joke like him, that makes sense. Thanks for the laugh! I'm sure the idiot thinkt they can beat the Saints too! LOL! Pittman at least has some sense. Bell is just a bitter clown.

[Daisy]

The Tuskers have better coaches than the Bucs. Maybe they could find some GOOD players for the Bucs, it would not take a lot of searching!

[Tom]

Actually, I would like to see that game. The Bucs are so terrible, I can't say with any certainty the Bucs could beat the Tuskers considering they have NFL talent on their team. And a former, albeit terrible, NFL coach.

[Robert]

Tatum, u play in the UFL for a reason.. BCUZ u coulndt even make the BUCS roster. As horible as we r these guys r either washed up vets or guys that never mde an NFL roster. Just bcuz u r undefeated in a league that has 4 teams LOL, doesnt mean u can beat and NFL team. To say your Offense would score more than 24 when our D has held NFL teams to less makes me laugh. Barber, Talib, and TJ would combine for like 6 int's and our D, as bad as it has been, would score more points than their offense.

These vets think they could beat us just like June, pittman, bryant, dunn, DB, and Galloway would find another team that wanted their services when we let them go. GIVE ME A BREAK. These guys r just trying to draw a crowd to the game. Well, Tuskers I would rather go watch the bucs go 0-16 before I go a game in the joke of a league u guys have with 4 teams.

[Robert]

I would put my money on the Gators or Tide against any 1 of your teams. Actually, I would have to sit down and actually WATCH one of your games to make that assumption, but that isnt happening!

[DR]

Robert, I agree with you, but seriously, stop texting on blogs. It's terrible. Texts and tweets have limited space so you have to use short cuts, but blogs don't. It's irresponsible for anyone to "text" on blogs. Yeah, blogs are a joke in itself, but let's not destroy the English language for the sake of being lazy. Texting/tweeting is making us dumber, especially when we apply it to everything else. I know friends who teach and they have graded papers like this. It's disgusting.

[WS]

Tatum, you just keep running the ball in front of 3 thousand fans:) You are lucky to have a job after you lackluster NFL career. Better start learning how to flip burgers when you wash out of the UFL.

[Robert]

DR, I got ya. I just try to type so fast I use the short cuts, but some times I do need to slow down. With the texting now u just get so used to the short cuts

[Vincent]

This is the best thing that could have ever happened to the Bucs. This comment by non NFL players should really inspire the fury and fire in this team to beat the Packers. You couldn't pay a coach or inspirational speaker to write a more fury inspiring speech. Thank you Pittman, thank you Bell, for your honesty!

[Vincent]

This is the best thing that could have ever happened to the Bucs. This comment by non NFL players should really inspire the fury and fire in this team to beat the Packers. You couldn't pay a coach or inspirational speaker to write a more fury inspiring speech. Thank you Pittman, thank you Bell, for your honesty!

[drspb]

What's everyone's opinion of the "Radio" nickname controversy?

[Scott]

Tuskers 34 Bucs 3

[Scott]

Drspb,

I think that the nickname is unfortunate and a nasty slight by nameless cowards. Radio knows much more about football than Morris.

[aj]

I'll say this. Their kicker and their punter are both better than the Buc's. No doubt.

[Jay]

Scott, you know darn well that Morris would never go for 3.

Besides, I just wanna see Simeon Rice play again. That man is a freak of nature.

[drspb]

Scott, good one. I think it's humorous the organization is trying to quash the Radio nickname. Jeesh, its all in good fun, I hope. The only way to survive this miserable season is to keep your sense of humor. My garage has never been so clean and tidy.

[Valrico Rick]

I always find it interesting when somebody makes a claim that can never ever be proven. You can say anything in the world you want as long it never has to be backed up. These kind of words usually come from inside the cave of the ears where the great vacuum of "not good enough" resides. Pittman, that's how you handle it, but then again he put up 123 and helped the Bucs win a trophy so "not good enough" doesn't live inside him.

[Slamdunk]

The Tuskers are 3-0? Who knew...

I hope Pitman has stopped trying to show off his biceps and learned to hold the football with two hands in traffic--I think every memory I have of him as a Buc involves fumbling.

[Yoshi]

this is the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. Im not sure who said it first but this is just an attempt to get some publicity and interest in a league that is full of people who probably cant even cut it at the college level. Even as bad as the bucs are they would still put up atleast 40 points against a bunch of has-been's and never-will-bes

[Lester]

I hope for your sake that you people who say the Tuskers (what an idiotic name) would beat the Bucs or the 0-16 Lions for that matter are not serious. Any NFL team would humiliate any UFL team or college team. If you happen to be serious then stay off of blogs because you are not intelligent enough to make a post.

[Brandon]

DR,

You are right. I teach middle school English and I see kids hand in papers all the time with text shortcuts on them... it's awful. It is even worse trying to decipher the same stuff on a blog. I can't/won't read it.

Sure, I text, and I use as many shortcuts as I can... but on the computer it is just plain unreadable.

[Brandon]

SLamdunk:

You must be remembering something else. The Pittman I remember used to break into the open-field and be on his way to the endzone before a blade of grass would trip him up and turn a 70 yard gain into a 7 yard gain. Pittman was never a fumbler!

[Brandon]

Here's my claim. Every year some moron makes a statement about the worst team in the NFL not being able to beat the best team in college. That is absolutely ridiculous and downright idiotic!

But I will say this, I bet the best team in the NFL can beat the Bucs by more points than the Bucs can beat the best team in college. We're not even competitive on any level with the good teams. If we played the best team in college football we probably win 27-13, which is a score ALL of us would like to be able to lose by to an elite NFL team... friggin pathetic!

[D Block]

Ummmm i admit that this team is far from a winning record but they would blow out the Tuskers lol.

People always make that ignorant statement that whoever is the NCAA Championship team could give an NFL team a run for there money in this case the Bucs, Titans & Rams at this point.

Just remember the players in the NFL are really the BEST at what they do and most are in there prime.

[Grs]

Can the tuskers beat the bucs? who cares? it doesn't change any part of the 0-7 record the bucs currently own.

once again the st pete times bucs beat writers manage to give us yet another useless story instead of writing about real issues with the team and asking the questions that should be asked to the players, coaches, and ownership group.

[clark kent]

Michael Pittman was the only NFL player ever to be flagged for tripping......... himself.

[clark kent]

One thing for sure, you will never see Michael Pittman on Dancing with the Stars. Can you imagine that? I know he never was a star but I would pay to see that. Emmitt Smith better look out!

[Adam]

Sad part about it is Tatum Bell is probably right. I say bring in Jim Haslett.

[clark kent]

Vincent, if the Bucs, or any NFL player for that matter, gets motivation or fury from something quoted by a Florida Tusker, then most likely they'll be playing for the Tuskers pretty soon. Give me a break. The Packers are in for some trouble when the Bucs read or hear about what Tatum Bell said.

[George C. Costanza]

question: should local sports reporters get reaction from Bucs players to Mr. Bell's bold statement?

i say Yes

[clark kent]

Pretty soon we'll see articles about the Harlem Globetrotters taking shots at the Bucs. Maybe that'll motivate the players.

[Vincent]

Clark, they're not just Tusker players, they're former NFL players, and one is a former Buc player. When I guy that can't even make an NFL team anymore calls your team out, I'd say that can be quite motivating. Just an opinion of course, and you have every right to disagree. If you heard a recent story of Giants player Anonio pierce referring to the game against the Oakland Raiders "like running a scrimmage". The following week after the comment was made, the Raiders beat Philadelphia, and the victory was attributed to the comments by pierce. There were several articles written calling Pierce this years Oakland MVP! Your only defense is that "this was the Giants and not a empty threat by a former NFL player", yeah, yeah, I get it, but this is just an opinion not gospel! I think it's even more fury inspiring for a former player to think they can beat you, than a current player. No retort necessary, you have your opinion, I have mine.

[Vincent]

"Antonio Pierce"

[clark kent]

I see your point Vince, and let's face it, every player is different and is motivated by different things. If motivating NFL players was easy, anybody could coach. I would hope professionalism and personal pride would motivate them but for some players it takes more than that.

[Jay]

The Bucs may have a worse record, but they are by no means as pathetically and astronomically bad as the Oakland Raiders. I'm not being an apologist, but if you look at the schedule the Bucs have had this year, only an elite team would fare well. Granted, they should have won the Cowboys and Bills games, but Tampa Bay has more pieces in place, and at least the appearance of a team - something that the Raiders can never say. Our franchise's owners may be cheap, but they're not as insane as the Cryptkeeper in Oakland.

[Aaron Shaw]

Saying this means that it's safe to say that the Buccaneers practice squad should be playing on sundays. The degree of professionalism is lacking in the bucs as the off-season discessions are affecting them as a team right now. When thinking young go young.

Reminds me of when Steve Spurrier tried to come and run the NFL, what a joke. I think the only thing that was transitioned was the wildcat offense during this time frame. Spurrier knew that the pace and talent requirements are placed on a very high platform when considering the NFL level of play.

Tampa has it, it's just that there is not enough vets on the time to help them establish this concept of blends and balances as the team they are now. Everything should be down hill from here. A young coach prone to making bad discessions needs a young quarterback that is prone to making the same mistakes so that the growing process can begin.

Now we can expect some wins, naw really.

[JimN]

I'm a Bucs fan. I've seen the Bucs play live, I went to both Tuskers games in Orlando, and in all honesty, as much as I hate to say it, I agree with Tatum Bell, it would be a stomping, if for any reason, the quality and experience of the coaching staff. The Bucs can't adjust, the Tuskers can. The Bucs are probably a little faster than the Tuskers, but the Tuskers have a HUGE experience advantage amongst the players, and the team definitely has that 'swagger'. I was pleasantly surprized by the high quality of football with Tuskers. Now some of the other teams??? Well, not so good. The California team is just plain BAD, the Bucs could take them. But the Tuskers? Sorry Bucs fans (myself included)...

[OAR]

Guys its football! Besides we'll never know if a UFL or college team would ever beat the Bucs(or any NFL team for that fact), cause the NFL would never allow it for fear of the "any given Sunday" factor. Even the best teams have there bad ones.

[OAR]

What's up with Freeman's weight? He looks like he has added put on some pounds? Wonder if his documented problems of conditioning issues at Kansas, are seaping through?

[ref813]

I don't know why people get so upset about this. We are terrible. Morris shouldn't be a head coach. He claims Freeman starting after the bye no matter what our record was his plan all along. If that's supposed to be a comforting statement, I'd hate to hear his whole plan. It isn't working. He is apparently opposed to adjusting his plans according to the circumstances (see RB rotation) or doing much of anything well. Name one game this season when our team made adjustments at halftime and came out improved. That's what a good team does. That's one reason we aren't any good.

[KennyNance]

Who knows if they could really beat the Bucs, I believe it would be a good game, but one thing is for sure, they have a better coach. You'd have to be blind not to see that.