Who are you? Who Who? Who Who?

Hey there folks! My name is J.C. De La Torre! I like long walks on the beach and finding that special…hold up, no that’s something else. Sorry about that! It gives me great pleasure to be a contributing writer for this amazing site dedicated to my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Some of you have seen me lurking around WhatTheBuc.net for a while now, throwing in a contribution here or there. Or perhaps you’ve seen me in some of my former lives, as a columnist for BucsNation.com or with Bleacher Report or even further back in the day when I co-wrote the NFL.com Buccaneer Blitz with now ESPN superstar Jenna Laine.  Yes, writing about Bucs football has been in my blood for quite some time.

It’s really only natural considering how long I’ve been a fan. Indeed, I am one of the few Tampanians (Tampons? Tampans? Tamponian?). I was born here three years before our Buccaneers and I’ve lived here my whole life. I grew up with this team, admiring the great Lee Roy Selmon, Doug Williams and my childhood hero, Ricky Bell. I wondered at the skills of Jimmie Giles and James Wilder. I was there through the lost two decades of Leeman Bennett, Richard Williamson, Ray Perkins and Sam Wyche.

I can still remember attending my first NFL playoff game in 1997 when Tony Dungy’s Pewter Power Buccaneers crashed into the playoffs and Mike Alstott ran over the Lions to lead the Bucs to their first playoff victory in 18 years.

I remember the bitter disappointment of all those trips to Philly – where Buccaneer seasons went to die – and of course, I wept when Ronde Barber intercepted Donovan McNabb and sealed the Bucs first trip to the Super Bowl. I’ll never forget that moment, that feeling, for as long as I live. My Yucks. My Pastel Footwipes From the Tropics. Succaneers no more!

In addition to writing about our beloved Buccos, I’m a filmmaker – we’re completing post production on our first feature film, Seekers of the Lost Worlds, which I co-wrote, produced and co-directed. I am the creator and writer of IDW comics’ Star Mage. I’ve written two novels and a short story collection and my second (or is it third?) job is with Brazen Wench Productions, where we do S.T.E.M. edutainment to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  Oh and I do have a 9-to-5 at a local company as a SharePoint developer (it’s like web design).

But back to football, this year I’ve committed to having all my Bucs thoughts right here on WhatTheBuc.net. Really, why would I want to go anywhere else? With my excellent fellow writers, the boss Old School rockin’ the original and top Bucs podcast around and you, our wonderful Buccaneer krewe, where would I rather be?

From me this year you can expect my Monday column, DLT’s Doubloons – where I break down my thoughts on the game in more than 8 pieces. I’ll tell you what went right, what went wrong and what it all means.

Then on Wednesday, you’ll get After Further Review – where after I’ve reviewed the coaches film, I’ll tell you what I missed in DLT’s Doubloons and what really happened in the game.

Thursday’s will be our group picks, where we’ll be picking that week’s games.

If that’s not too much of me, Saturday’s I’ll give you my What to Watch Out For article where I give you little factoids that perhaps only interest me about the Bucs and their upcoming opponent.

If you’re not completely sick of me by then, come November I’ll give you my world famous (in my own mind) DLT’s Wild & Crazy NFC Playoff Scenarios where I break down every facet of the playoff race in the Bucs’ conference and what they need to do to play into the second season. Sleep, you ask? Who need sleep? Sleep is for the weak! It’s football, baby!

Anywho, that’s my lineup, so let’s all head out to sea together, me hearties. It’s going to be a season to remember. Yo Ho!