Wake-Up Call: The year the Bucs weren't so funny anymore

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

Thirty years later, the 1979 Bucs remain an incredible story.

When the former players gather to be honored Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium, part of the franchise's throwback game as the Bucs (0-7) meet the Green Bay Packers (4-3), the fuss might be difficult to understand for younger fans or transplanted Tampa Bay area residents.

"You try to explain what it was like," said former Bucs linebacker Richard "Batman" Wood. "You try to describe what it was like in that stadium. Really, you had to live it. You had to feel it from deep inside you."

And even then, it was barely believable.

Two years after enduring the franchise's 0-and-26 beginning, two years after being continually ridiculed in Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" monologue, two years after Tampa Bay players generally avoided being seen in public, the Bucs fell 10 points short of a spot in Super Bowl XIV.

It was the coming-out party for a team - and a town.

It was the Sports Illustrated headline from Oct. 1, 1979 - Tampa Bay: Unbeaten, Untied And Unbelievable - that celebrated the rapid ascension of Coach John McKay's Bucs.

"It was the time of our lives," former cornerback Mike Washington said.

It was the four linebackers - Cecil Johnson, Dewey Selmon, David Lewis and Wood - hamming it up, dressing like plundering pirates for a fan-poster photo shoot on the beach.

"The players and the fans, it was like we were all in it together," former safety Mark Cotney said.

It was that unofficial team anthem, reverberating around Tampa Stadium.

Hey, hey, Tampa Bay,

STAND UP AND SHOUT!

It was Doug Williams throwing a touchdown pass from the seat of his pants. It was the indefatigable Ricky Bell, legs churning, carrying his team. It was Jimmie Giles, with unusual size and speed for a tight end, getting behind the defense.

It was Lee Roy Selmon, fighting through a triple-team, clubbing a quarterback to the ground with a one-armed swipe. It was an entire defense buying into a philosophy - bend, don't break - and putting aside personal glory. It was a low snap, Tom Blanchard somehow steadying the hold and place-kicker Neil O'Donoghue punching in the playoff-clinching field goal amid monsoon-like conditions.

It was Orange Pride.

It was near-perfect execution in a playoff win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Then it was eerie quiet as 72,033 fans shuffled home when the improbable dream was dashed. The scoreboard stayed illuminated for a long time.

Rams 9, Bucs 0.

"It was so close, we could taste it," Wood said. "It's still one of my greatest disappointments, that we couldn't deliver a Super Bowl to the fans."

Actually, the Bucs did deliver that Super Bowl - 23 years later.

Tampa Bay's Super Bowl XXXVII-winning team will be the franchise's standard-bearer. But there's only one first time for the initial experience with national exposure. There's only one first time when it seems so fresh and new.

Even though there was no Super Bowl appearance, the 1979 Bucs still have a special place in the franchise's history.

"Maybe we didn't have the greatest collection of individual players up and down the line," Lewis said. "But I have no doubt about this. We were a great team."

And an especially great defense.

The 1979 Bucs surrendered just 246.8 yards per game to rank first in the NFL, an average that was lower than the franchise's 2002 Super Bowl-winning team (252.8).

"People did move up and down the field on us, but when the field shortened, we became more effective," Cotney said. "We weren't diving at people's legs. We were getting them on the ground. We gave up minimal points.

"The defenses I see today are totally different, the way they try to rip the ball out and create turnovers. There's such a premium placed on that. It's almost like they don't even mind missing tackles. They're always breaking in front of the receiver, trying to get the pick and score a touchdown. If we would've tried some of that stuff, we'd be on the bench."

Eras have changed.

So have defensive philosophies.

But Lewis said he believes the 1979 Bucs meet the test of time.

"The Bucs have had a lot of great defenses and naturally, each era will say they had the best defense," Lewis said. "I think the '79 defense could have played with any of the modern-day defenses. But I don't think those other defenses could have played with us because they were too small.

"Back in our day, we had to deal with backs like Earl Campbell, Walter Payton, Chuck Muncie. We didn't have situational substitution. We stayed on the field the whole game. We had to play the pass and the run. I think our approach was the better one."

Tampa Bay's defensive prowess has its roots in the 1977 season, when the Bucs were still winless. The 1977 Bucs, who failed to score an offensive touchdown in nine of the 14 regular-season games, had the league's 13th-ranked defense. Had they averaged 17 points per game, those Bucs would've finished 9-7 instead of 2-12.

"On defense, we had some guys who could play," Washington said. "We had to grow up quickly because in that year (1977), we were on the field about 80 percent of the time. But no matter how good you are, you've still got to score. So when the offense started coming around, when we got guys like Doug Williams and Ricky Bell, then it got a lot better."

Tampa Bay's offense was not explosive, but it was efficient.

Bell rushed for 1,263 yards. Williams, who had a completion percentage of just 41.8, was sacked only 12 times.

"The fact is, Doug was playing smart," former offensive tackle Charley Hannah said. "He'd throw it away and hurt his individual statistics, but he'd help the team."

"It's simple math - I'd rather be second-and-10 instead of second-and-16," Williams said. "When we played the Rams, I saw Pat Haden complete three straight passes. Well, that made it fourth-and-2. That's not winning football. We were interested in winning. That's what the '79 Bucs were all about."

The Bucs parlayed their 5-0 start to a 9-3 record, needing only one victory to wrap up the NFC Central. Then came the slump. The Bucs lost three straight games, including a 23-7 defeat at San Francisco, which finished 2-14.

That forced the Bucs into a win-or-else showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular-season finale. Torrential rain turned the field into a quagmire. But Tampa Bay's defense surrendered just 80 yards and the Bucs emerged with a wet-and-wild 3-0 victory.

The playoffs were a reality.

"I remember it well," Lewis said. "And it's nice to be remembered, too."

The '79 Bucs are a bunch of regular guys with real jobs and scars of their past (including back ailments, knee replacements and migraine headaches that won't go away). At times, they are unfairly lumped into a lengthy orange-clad era of losing. After all, 30 years have passed.

But then there are times such as Sunday afternoon.

"I know we meant a lot to the fans and we meant a lot to each other," Wood said. "We built something special in Tampa. I believe we were the foundation. We had something that lasted, even to this day."

Pirates and Aki: One year only?

Former Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura, traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, immediately became Pittsburgh's highest-paid player with the team exercised the $4.85-million club option on his contract. After next season, Iwamura can become a free agent.

Iwamura, who will turn 31 in February, is expected to bat second behind budding superstar center fielder Andrew McCutchen (Fort Meade), a prime candidate for National League Rookie of the Year.

"Our goal for 2010 is to be a better team," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We've made a lot out of having years of control, and our hope is that this is more than a one-year fit for us and Akinori.

"Hopefully the fans of Pittsburgh make him welcome and wanted and pique his interest in having this be more than one year. But that's down the road."

The Pirates have not made the postseason since 1992.

Iwamura was traded for reliever Jesse Chavez, 26, who registered a 4.01 ERA in 73 appearances last season. Chavez isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2014 season.

"I know the Rays have a lot of talent and, to be honest, I'm kind of antsy already," Chavez told the Post-Gazette. "This wasn't what I expected, obviously. I don't think anyone did. But for a team like that to want me, it's cool."

Dungy visits Louisville

Former Bucs coach Tony Dungy on Tuesday visited the University of Louisville - no, he's not a candidate to replace the embattled Steve Kragthorpe - and passed along a message of persevering through difficult times.

The Cardinals are 3-5.

Dungy could point to 1996, when the Bucs lost their first five games and opened at 1-8.

"You have to dig deep and stay focused," Dungy told the Associated Press. "My team in 1996 ... lost eight of the first nine, but really that's where the groundwork lay for that 2002 Super Bowl team (when Jon Gruden took over as head coach).

"Those guys stayed determined, they stayed the course and they stayed focused. At the end, we got it going, we won some games and we developed some momentum for the following year."

UT's Thompson grabs top honor

University of Tampa goalkeeper Ryan Thompson was named Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Year for men's soccer. He ranks second in the conference's goals-against average (0.84), save percentage (.834) and saves (62).

Other UT players to make the SSC first-team were senior forward Pascal Milien, junior midfielder Lister Warren and junior defender Dan Inqvarsson.

Eckerd College senior Luke Sheekey was an at-large selection on the first team.

Lilliquist surfaces at Memphis

Former Sarasota High School pitcher Derek Lilliquist, who played eight major-league seasons (1989-96), has been named pitching coach at Triple-A Memphis in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to former Bucs tight end Jimmie Giles, one of the key performers on the 1979 NFC Central Division championship team that will be saluted during the franchise's Throwback Game. Sunday, Giles turns 55.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Thursday's trivia question:

The Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams are the only NFL franchise to NOT use a first-round draft choice for a quarterback in any season since the merger in 1970. The last time the Rams used a first-round draft choice for a quarterback was 1964 (Utah State's Bill Munson, seventh overall selection).

Friday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

The Bucs lost to the Los Angeles Rams 9-0 in the 1979 NFC Championship Game at Tampa Stadium. Who kicked the three field goals for the Rams?

Check for the answer in Monday's Wake-Up Call.