Buccaneer defense makes statement with three scores in

SP_D_1_D1_LA_1_01-27-03_mo_2_CMYK
2003:01:26:23:34:24
D
CC
SPORTS
Monday, January 27, 2003
/ SF / VN / OC Q
latimes.com/sports
SUPER BOWL XXXVII
R
A
ID
E
R
1st
3
3
S
OAKLAND
TAMPA BAY
2nd
0
17
3rd
6
14
4th
12
14
F
21
48
Returns to Glory
Buccaneer defense makes statement with three scores in dominating win
Wally Skalij L os Angeles Times
A N O T H E R P I C K F O R S I X : Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks begins the celebration early as his 44-yard interception return for a touchdown ends the last real hope of the Raiders.
Safety Jackson is MVP,
but he is one of many
as Raiders are dismissed
BILL PLASCHKE
Moment of Truth
Hurts Davis, Feels
Great to Gruden
By Sam Farmer
Times Staff Writer
S
AN DIEGO — When the truth sprinted
down a sideline of grass-scuffed, Grudelyawakened Oakland Raiders, it was screaming.
Al Davis was wrong.
When the truth danced around so many fallen
Raiders turned into Ground Chucky, it was laughing.
Al Davis was wrong.
When the truth finally stopped long enough for
Jon Gruden to dab the Gatorade from his saucer
eyes, it spoke calmly, clearly, and for five decades
worth of victims who could not speak for themselves.
Al Davis was wrong.
The kid won. The old man lost.
The kid’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers whipped the
old man’s Oakland Raiders, 48-21, in Super Bowl
XXXVII Sunday, and make no mistake.
If Raider boss Al Davis had a chance today to
keep Jon Gruden instead of trading him to Tampa
Bay as he did last February . . . well, he would
probably still make the trade, the stubborn fool.
But now it’s official, certifiable and undeniable,
even in the deepest, darkest reaches of the Raider
empire.
Al Davis was wrong. Jon Gruden was right.
Notarized with a world championship.
On an emotionally heated night at Qualcomm
[See Plaschke, Page D11]
Robert Gauthier L os Angeles Times
G A N N O N F O D D E R : Oakland’s Rich Gannon was the league’s most valuable
player, but he couldn’t get anything going against the Buccaneers.
GAME BREAKER
XXXVIII COVERAGE (D2-11)
Dexter Jackson
Tampa Bay Safety
Best Performances
Were Before Game
The Buccaneers were pillaging just for fun, with Super Bowl MVP Jackson
getting two of their five interceptions. Related, D3
INSIDE
OTHE R C OV E RA GE
Celine Dion, Shania Twain
shall meet T.J. Simers, if he
has any say. The Raiders?
They just met their match. D2
What a waste: Brand gets
first triple-double, but Clippers lose to Pacers. D12
SAN DIEGO — Pull back the
Steel Curtain. The No-Name Defense shall remain nameless. The
Purple People who?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
proved Sunday in Super Bowl
XXXVII they have a defense for
the ages, returning three of five
interceptions for touchdowns,
limiting the league’s top-ranked
offense to 11 first downs, and
thoroughly embarrassing the
Oakland Raiders with a 48-21
victory that gave the Florida
franchise its first title.
So much for Oakland’s experience carrying the day. It was
Tampa Bay’s defense — and its
suddenly strong running game
— that left the Raiders grasping
for answers.
Call the Tampa Bay defense
what you will — Stompa Bay, the
Here-Stop Bucs, or, if you’re a
fan of the 300-pounder in the
middle, the Warren Commission
— but call it world class.
“No disrespect to the Ravens,
but we played the No. 1 offense,
they didn’t,” said linebacker Der-
Interception returns for touchdowns by
Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII:
DWIGHT SMITH
44 YARDS at 10:13 of third quarter
Score: Tampa Bay 34, Oakland 3
DERRICK BROOKS
44 YARDS at 13:42 of fourth quarter
Score: Tampa Bay 41, Oakland 21
DWIGHT SMITH
50 YARDS at 14:58 of fourth quarter
Score: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21
rick Brooks, referring to the Baltimore defense that paved the
way for a Super Bowl victory two
years ago. “The ’85 Bears, I don’t
think New England was the No. 1
offense when they won it. The
Raiders came in tonight with
what many people considered
was one of the top five offenses of
all time. We stepped up to the
challenge.”
And they stomped Oakland’s
designs on a fourth championship ring. It took 19 years for the
[See Super, Page D8]
MISFIRED
Corporate Rock
in a Hard Place
Question of Day: What
Were They Thinking?
Bon Jovi eclipsing Buccaneers
as stars of the Super Bowl?
ABC fumbled this one bigtime, says Mike Penner. D4
Have NFL “experts” ever been
more wrong than they were in
anointing Raiders favorites?
Diane Pucin doubts it. D6
Vijay day: Singh birdies five
of first six holes and wins
Phoenix Open by three. D13
Pick and Roll
Mixed feelings: Steffi Graf
was a little surprised to hear
about her husband’s bet. D13
Rich Gannon
Oakland QB
NFL’s MVP turns into Jay
Schroeder for four hours
and deserves a low five for
Super Bowl-record interception total. Related, D6
Not Miller time: Finn wins
World Cup slalom race as
American struggles. D14
Brumel dies: Russian high
jumper was world-record
holder and gold medalist. B11