A weekly look at the Tampa Bay area and national politics from a conservative viewpoint – plus a helping of sports and lifestyle items. Warning: not everything printed here should be taken at face value!

Can’t anybody get anything right?

Over fifty years ago, well-known journalist Jimmy Breslin wrote a book about the then new Mets and their total ineptness. Over the last several months, this book (Can’t Anybody Play This Game?) came to mind as we struggled with the wireless company (incorrect bill several months in a row); the library (book turned in they then lost); insurance company (failure to notify our bank of a policy renewal) and Spectrum (more issues than space allows). Think back to your own, say, ninety day period and how many emails or phone calls you’ve had to make to straighten other people’s mistakes or omissions - and how many of the same that were not returned occasioning more action on your part. In short, customer service has gone to hell. And no, we don’t mind naming names – AT&T, Clearwater Public Library, HUB Insurance and, of course, Spectrum. We can’t fire the library, but in time, the others will no longer subject us to this nonsense. Let the consumer revolt begin!

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Re: our lead article: in fairness, we must salute our bank (Regions), Duke Power, Clearwater utilities, a trio of credit card companies and others we may have omitted for painless service.

2. Newly minted Governor DeSantis had his inauguration upstaged (at least in the bay area) by the Buc’s hire of a new coach.

3. Idle thought: Why does everyone (especially the liberal media) think that every convicted felon who gets their vote back is going to be a Democratic vote?

4. Just after the New Year, the gas station closest to our home had regular at $1.97. We made a bet with ourself that there would be a 2 before the 97 before year’s end. Stay tuned.

5. Legal/media news from the 5:05 Newsletter: FBI Special Counsel Robert Mueller said that "Some major things will happen this month." In anticipation, CNN unveiled a special panelist desk that will seat 170 panelists all simultaneously expressing outrage and bringing CNN one step closer to the day when it has more panelists than actual viewers.

Sports, the media and other stuff:

6. This week marks the 100^th anniversary of the births of TV curmudgeon Andy Rooney and TV’s Eliot Ness – Robert Stack.

7. His Dad was an acclaimed symphony conductor; his nickname (The Captain) was bestowed on him by Beach Boy Mike Love and with the attractive Toni Tennille and some strong Neil Sedaka songs, the Captain and Tennille charted 14 songs in the 70s and 80s. Darryl Dragon died last week at age 76.

8. Best line of the first week of NFL playoffs from our long suffering bride while enduring the Eagles-Bears game with her hubby and son as guys keep getting hurt – “They’re going to need a bigger tent”.

9. Ratings are up for the NFL regular season and first round of wild cards. Might have something to do with guys no longer taking a knee – just saying.

10. Who foresaw the vanquishing of the Tide by Clemson? Not this observer. Give the 15-0 Tigers their due.

Did the Bucs make the best hire?

In a few words – probably so. Bruce Arians has won everywhere he’s been as a coordinator and head coach. We had hoped the Bucs would have at least talked with Adam Gase, but many teams (excepting the Jets) tend not to hire recently fired coaches no matter what their credentials. It doesn’t hurt that Arians is “getting the band back together” as he had assembled an excellent coaching staff in Arizona. His relationship with Jameis Winston played up in the media is more tenuous as it might seem – the guy attended one of Arians’ quarterback camps – no more guarantee that Arians will get more out of the turnover king than did Dirk Koetter. Speaking of which, the Falcons made an excellent move in re-hiring him.

Up Next: A bit of paradise; Edgewater Drive; Spahnie and Stan the Man

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