What a Way to Start the New Year
(January 3, 2000)

What a first weekend of the year for Tampa Bay area football fans! While it took overtime to decide Saturday's Outback Bowl, that paled compared to the Buccaneers clinching the NFC Central Division title on Sunday. No Y2K problem here.

The Bucs capped off an amazing year with the franchise's first division title since 1981. A 20-6 victory over the Bears, at an unseasonably warm Soldier Field, gave them the best record in team history at 11-5. It also gave them a first round bye and a Saturday, January 15 playoff game at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs won eight of the last nine games and turned a 3-4 record into the second best in the NFC. This also marked the first time the Tampa Bay team has had three consecutive non-losing seasons. The Bucs were a team record 7-1 at home this season and, with a little luck, the NFC Championship Game could come to RJS.

What a game the Outback Bowl had for the first major sporting event of the new millennium. It is a shame the game was blacked out in the Tampa Bay area. Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, who won MVP honors, threw for 378 yards and four first half touchdowns. The Boilermakers built a 25-0 lead and it looked as if the rout was on. Georgia staged the biggest comeback in the history of college bowl games and the score was knotted at 25 at the end of regulation. The Bulldogs completed the rally in OT with a field goal and 28-25 victory.

What a way to start to the year 2000!