Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 3-20-20

Editorial/Column
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T. B. Comes To T. B.
If this year wasn't already panning out to be the weirdest and craziest we've seen in recent memory with a world-wide viral outbreak, swarms of crop-destroying locusts, increased sightings of strange flying objects, and the inexplicable hoarding of toilet paper, it just got a little stranger with the news that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have acquired one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football... Tom Brady. As I'm writing this I'm still trying to process that it's actually happening. I mean who would have thought that when it came down to Brady choosing between the glitz and glamour of super-sized Los Angeles and the laid- backness of the Bay Area that the 6-time Super Bowl cham- pion, married to highest paid super model on the planet, would choose our town to call home?
But, to everyone's sur- prise, that's exactly what he did. And all I can say, in the memorable words of Terrell Owens, is that you better get your popcorn ready.
This is mainly because the
quarterback, known as TB12, is going to be a box of- fice hit. The attention, the spotlight, the prestige he'll bring will be unlike anything the Buccaneer franchise has experienced in its 40+ year history. Some may want to compare it to the hype that existed during the Tony Dungy, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and Mike Alstott era but, in actuality, it won't even be close.
Granted, this is a much older version of the Brady whose New England Patriots dominated the league for so many years. But, if he truly has something left in the tank, I don't think it's a stretch to assume that even a seasoned Brady has the po- tential to take the Bucs back to the Promised Land.
When you think about how many close games the Bucs lost last year due to multiple turnovers on of- fense, it's not hard to imagine that a technician like Brady, whose known to protect the ball, could notch at least five more wins and make the Bucs immediate playoff con- tenders. With the Super Bowl
in Tampa next year, that also translates to the very real probability that the Bucs could wind up being the first team to ever compete in a championship game inside of their own stadium.
All of this enormous po- tential warrants the excite- ment that Brady's presence is bringing. Of course, in the midst of all the celebration, there remains one unan- swered question... What hap- pens to Jameis Winston?
Hopefully, the Bucs can find a way to keep Jameis in the fold as well. He may not like the temporary demotion. But the upside for him is that he'll be able to learn how it's done from the best in the business and in two years, when the keys of the car are handed back to him, he will have developed a better ap- preciation for the driver's seat.
Until that happens, though, I believe the energy that Brady brings to the table will motivate every player in the building to go that much harder because they'll all know what is now possible. Is it a new day in Tampa Bay? You better say it is....
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Catastrophic Pay
o, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on an
emergency paid sick leave bill that would guar- antee workers without sick leave benefits 14 days of paid sick leave during pandemics, just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Exposing the dark-side of America’s economy wherein 58 per- cent of American employers do not offer employees sick leave benefits or paid vacation time to one third of our country’s working population becomes crystal clear.
We all should be alarmed because workers in the fast-food industry and other near-minimum wage jobs are the workers who face economic disaster if they contract the Coronavirus and become sick. Also, they are the most likely to go to work when they are ill because they can’t afford to miss a day’s pay.
This scenario should alarm everyone in America who can afford to eat at fast food and regular restau- rants. This situation needs to be corrected immedi- ately by providing “catastrophic pay” to these employees. Indeed, the lack of paid sick-leave and paid vacation is a form of twenty-first century slav- ery. Even part-time workers should have at least 50% of these benefits. Thus, it is the right thing for government to provide a mandate that minimum wage and other poorly paid workers will receive at least fourteen days paid sick leave during pandemic events. During these events, such a policy could quickly stop the spread of contagious diseases.
When we can afford to cut taxes for companies by $79 billion dollars annually, and sixty of those com- panies can earn more than $79 billion dollars in profit and pay no taxes, we certainly can afford to pay workers in order to prevent the endangerment of the health of American citizens.
We should, therefore, call our Republican Sena- tors today to let them know that we will work to see that they do not return to Congress if they fail to take care of this matter before recessing Congress.
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PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020