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Forbes put out its annual list of the 10 best and 10 worst owners in the NFL, and I’m thinking the NFC South didn’t get a real fair shake.

The division got one owner on each list, and I’m not sure I agree with either selection.

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson came in at No. 8 on the best list. There’s no question Benson’s reputation with fans has improved in recent years. That’s largely because the Saints have been successful, the Super Bowl is coming back to New Orleans in 2013, and the Saints have committed to stay for the long haul. But there are still a lot of New Orleans fans that haven’t forgiven Benson for reportedly looking to relocate the team. Forbes cites a 13-percent increase in franchise value over five years as one of the reasons for Benson’s selection, and also points to the team’s five-year winning percentage (61 percent).

If Benson is on the list, I think Atlanta’s Arthur Blank and Carolina’s Jerry Richardson also deserved strong consideration. Neither has ever made any noise about relocating their teams. Blank also learned from some early mistakes and has his franchise in the best shape it’s ever been in. The Falcons have had three straight winning seasons. Prior to that, they never had back-to-back winning seasons.

Richardson’s popularity with fans took a big hit as the Panthers have struggled in recent seasons. He was roasted for being “cheap’’ as he prepared his franchise for the labor lockout, and no employees lost their jobs. Richardson was extremely instrumental in eventually getting a new labor agreement. Once that was in place, he came out spending more than he ever has, and the future appears bright because the Panthers finally have a franchise quarterback in Cam Newton.

The only NFC South representative on the list of the league’s 10 worst owners is Tampa Bay’s Malcolm Glazer. First off, it should be noted that Glazer hasn’t been in good health for several years and sons Bryan, Joel and Ed handle the operations of the team. I know there’s a disconnect between Tampa Bay fans and the Glazers, but I don’t really understand it. The Glazers might not be the best owners in the league, but they’re far from the worst.

For those of you who weren’t around before the Glazers, and those without long-term memories, let me remind you of what things were like when Hugh Culverhouse owned the team. The Bucs were almost always horrible. They played in the old Tampa Stadium and always had one of the league’s lowest payrolls.

The Bucs have a low payroll these days, but Glazer did spend big for a while before former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen showed that shuttling in high-priced free agents every year doesn’t bring consistent success. The Bucs are building through the draft these days, and the team appears to be on the upswing.

Plus, when Glazer still was heavily involved, he helped the Bucs get Raymond James Stadium, which still is one of the league’s finest facilities. He brought in coach Tony Dungy, who made the franchise consistently respectable for the first time. When Dungy couldn’t quite get over the hump, Glazer made a trade with Oakland to bring in Gruden.

The Bucs turned around and won the Super Bowl. The Glazer era has been much more prosperous than the Culverhouse days.

We’ve got some reaction to Tampa Bay’s failed bid for the 2015 Super Bowl that went to Glendale, Ariz. earlier Tuesday.

Buccaneers co-chairman Bryan Glazer and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn each have issued statements.

“Our bid team deserves tremendous credit for putting together Tampa Bay’s best foot forward,’’ Glazer said. “The best news is that Tampa Bay is very well regarded by the league as a destination and we are already looking forward to bidding the next open Super Bowl.’’

"While I am disappointed that Tampa was not selected, I am proud of the effort that our team put together,’’ Buckhorn said. “It took two rounds of votes to declare the winner, so I know our bid package was more than competitive. I specifically would like to thank the Glazer family who was advocating owner by owner on our behalf. In addition, the leadership of Paul Catoe and the entire staff of Tampa Bay & Company was superb. We have a long relationship with the NFL, which we treasure, and I look forward to competing for the next available opportunity to host another Super Bowl."

Presumably, the next opportunity is the 2016 game and the site of that likely will be decided in 2012.

In recent days, a lot of readers have been asking about when – if ever – was the last time a Monday Night Football game did not sell out and was blacked out on local television.

It took some extensive searching by ESPN Stats & Information and a couple calls to the NFL office. But we’ve got the answer.

The last time a Monday Night Football game was blacked out was Jan. 3, 2000. That was Week 17 of the 1999 season and the matchup was San Francisco at Atlanta. The game was not televised live in the Atlanta market.

This has become a very relevant question because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Indianapolis Colts next Monday night. The Bucs have a streak of 10 consecutive home games that haven’t sold out and it certainly doesn’t help that Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning is hurt.

The Bucs aren’t giving constant updates on where ticket sales stand for the Indianapolis game and they’ve drawn around 50,000 for their first two home games this season. Raymond James Stadium holds about 65,000.

In a recent radio interview with Steve Duemig on Tampa’s WDAE (620 AM), Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer discussed ticket sales.

“Ticket sales are still slow,” Glazer said. “We’ve got the two nationally televised games (against the Colts and Cowboys) which are ahead of the other games this season (in sales). But we’re still a long ways to go this year. We just want to be realistic and not put expectations in people’s minds.”

I’ve got a hunch this one will go right down to the wire (72 hours before kickoff, which would be Friday night) and I think there’s a reasonable chance the game will sell out and the blackout will be lifted.

But, ultimately, this is going to come down to the fans and whether they buy tickets. Manning may not be playing, but the Bucs have done their part on the field. They went 10-6 last season and are 2-1 this year, including a big win against division rival Atlanta on Sunday.

I know the local economy is in hard times, especially in Florida. But, if the Bucs can’t sell out this game, they might not sell out any.

CHICAGO -- As the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers get ready for Sunday's season openers, let's take a look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

The Carolina Panthers continue to take care of their own. Safety Charles Godfrey reportedly has agreed to a contract extension.

Although a lot of wide receivers are individualists, Atlanta rookie Julio Jones is a team player, according to quarterback Matt Ryan.

Atlanta running back Michael Turner grew up in the Chicago area and has been in the league for eight years. But he’ll play at Soldier Field for the first time Sunday.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank said he would like to see his team go deep into the playoffs. The team’s yet to win a playoff game under coach Mike Smith and, after offseason moves to get Jones and defensive end Ray Edwards, the pressure is on.

Marques Colston’s broken collarbone leaves the Saints without their top receiver for at least four weeks. The Saints were without Lance Moore (groin) for the opener and it’s unknown if Moore will be able to play next week against the Bears. If Moore is out again, the Saints suddenly would be very thin at receiver. They’d have Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. But, after that, they’d have only Courtney Roby and Adrian Arrington. Roby primarily is a return man and Arrington is very inexperienced.

Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer referred to Lee Roy Selmon as a “gentle giant’’ and a "Tampa Bay treasure'' during Friday’s memorial service for the Tampa Bay Hall of Famer.

Let's take a stroll through the Sunday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Defensive end Jeff Charleston has re-signed with the Saints. No big surprise here. Charleston’s a solid backup and the Saints wanted to keep him all along. Even though they drafted Cameron Jordan and have veterans Will Smith and Alex Brown, there still is a role for Charleston. Plus, coach Sean Payton has said that expects Smith will have to serve a four-game suspension this season, so that only made it more important to keep Charleston.

Bradley Handwerger writes that New Orleans receiver Adrian Arrington might have trouble making the roster. Arrington’s been missing time with an ankle injury. The Saints are set with their top four receivers and several young players have been having good camps. One of them could edge Arrington for the fifth-receiver spot.

Some fine work by my friend Steve Reed. He’s got a five-part series that looks back at the history of the Carolina Panthers. It’s a must-read for any Carolina fan.

With Tracy Porter missing time with an injury, second-year cornerback Patrick Robinson has been getting a lot of first-team work with the Saints. Robinson didn’t do much as a rookie last season. But neither did Malcolm Jenkins the year before that. Jenkins emerged as an impact player last season. I’m expecting Robinson to follow a similar path this season. At worst, he’ll be the nickel back. But Porter and fellow starter Jabari Greer each have a history that includes some injuries, and Robinson could end up starting.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith said the new offense of coordinator Rob Chudzinski is refreshing. It’s important to keep Smith happy. If he’s content, he could be a very valuable weapon for Cam Newton.

Tampa Bay co-chairman Bryan Glazer was asked Saturday night if he’s expecting sellouts this season. The Bucs didn’t sell out a single-home game last season, and those games couldn’t be carried on local television. Glazer made it sound like some games could sell out, but not all of them.

With the addition of Keith Millard and Grade Stretz as defensive line coaches, the Tampa Bay defensive linemen will be using new stances.

It’s not official or straight from the coaching staff. But D. Orlando Ledbetter has a projected depth chart for the Falcons that’s based on his own observations after watching all the camp practices.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The orange and white (also known as Creamsicle) colors that symbolized the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make a return late in the 2011 season.

Co-chairman Bryan Glazer announced Wednesday the Bucs will wear their “throwback’’ uniforms for the Dec. 4 game with the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. That will also be the day the Bucs will make former tight end Jimmie Giles the third inductee into their Ring of Honor.

The Bucs, who switched to red and pewter as their dominant colors in the mid-1990s, started bringing back the orange and white for one game a year in 2009.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Of all the hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of moments Jimmie Giles could have picked as his favorite with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this one’s definitely not the cleanest. It also may surprise you a bit at first.

“Wrestling in the mud with (teammate) David Lewis,’’ Giles said Wednesday as the Bucs announced he will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at a Dec. 4 home game with Carolina.

The wrestling session happened at the end of the 1979 season, a crucial one for the Buccaneers. Needing a win to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Bucs beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 3-0, in a torrential downpour.

The team that began as an expansion franchise in 1976 and started 0-26 would go on to stun everyone and reach the NFC Championship Game. It was a high-water mark for a franchise that soon would fall back to its losing ways. Giles was with the Bucs from 1978 until 1986 and, by that point, the Bucs were mired in something well below mediocrity.

They spent the latter half of the 1980s and the early and middle parts of the 1990s as a national joke. Actually, there were all sorts of jokes in those days.

“The sign on the ticket window was “Sorry, we’re open,’’ cracked long-time Tampa Bay radio personality Jack Harris, who was one of the guest speakers before Giles took the microphone.

But one of the best things the Bucs have done since starting the Ring of Honor two years ago is that they’ve embraced their past. It would be easy to try to forget it all and skip the whole era before coach Tony Dungy came along and changed the climate and the uniforms switched from orange and white to pewter and red.

That also would be a mistake because there were some good times and good players from those early years. Co-chairman Bryan Glazer made it a point to say the team’s present and future wouldn’t be possible without its past. He’s right.

Lee Roy Selmon and John McKay, the first two inductees, created some magical moments for a young franchise. So did Giles, who played tight end and went to four Pro Bowls while with the Bucs.

“It was Jimmie Giles and some others who helped turn this team around,’’ Harris said. “It was a great era.’’

But a short era. Sooner or later, the Bucs will open the floodgates for their Ring of Honor. That will start when Derrick Brooks goes in, which will clear the way for guys like Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Mike Alstott, Ronde Barber, Dungy and Jon Gruden.

It’s not quite time for that yet. Although there was a long dry spell between the 1979 team and the teams of the late 1990s, there are some other guys from those eras who deserve the honor. Guys like Ricky Bell, James Wilder, Paul Gruber and Hardy Nickerson should go in before the Bucs get to their more-recent past.

Then, there’s Doug Williams. He was the quarterback of the 1979 team and, by all rights, he should be going into the Ring of Honor before or with Giles. He’s not. That’s mostly Williams’ fault. He did some great things as a player and left Tampa Bay in a bitter salary dispute with former owner Hugh Culverhouse. Williams carried a grudge before finally returning to work in the team’s personnel department.

Things were good for a few years, but Williams left after the 2010 draft. Williams and general manager Mark Dominik weren’t getting along. Since his departure, Williams has taken some public shots at the Bucs. He’s not going to get into the Ring of Honor as long as that’s going on.

As Giles talked, I think there might have been a subtle message to Williams. Giles was talking about how the Bucs of long ago went through some tough times and weren’t beloved. Giles said that things change with time and that no one should succumb to bitterness.

That’s an excellent point. The Bucs are going out of their way to reach out to their former players. Let the water flow under the bridge.

The Bucs and their former players need to stay above the bridge -- above the pettiness.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have said they’ll make an announcement Wednesday about the next inductee to their Ring of Honor.

They won’t officially say who it is yet, but the St. Petersburg Times is reporting that it’s former tight end Jimmie Giles and they’re citing former quarterback Doug Williams as the source. I’ve got no problem with Giles going in as the third member of the Ring of Honor after Lee Roy Selmon and John McKay. Giles was a very good tight end. The Glazer family, which owns the team, works together to select members of the Ring of Honor and team co-chairman Bryan Glazer serves as the front man for those efforts. The Glazers are making a smart move by going by some degree of chronological order.

If he had skipped ahead to Derrick Brooks, guys like Giles, James Wilder, Paul Gruber and Hardy Nickerson would have to wait for years. Once Brooks goes in, it’s going to open the gates for the rest of the big names from Tampa Bay’s golden age -- Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Mike Alstott, Warrick Dunn, Tony Dungy, Jon Gruden and Ronde Barber. By the time all those guys get in, Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams might be ready to follow.

The Bucs didn’t have a glorious history before Dungy came along, but it’s important to recognize guys like Giles now and Brooks and friends can wait a few years. The guy who may be waiting the longest is Doug Williams. You could make a case Williams should be the next guy going into the Ring of Honor, but that’s not likely to happen anytime soon.

After winning the battle of public opinion in his long-ago feud with former owner Hugh Culverhouse, Williams was back in the good graces of the franchise for a time. He worked in the team’s personnel department and was close with Gruden and former general manager Bruce Allen.

But Williams left due to a strained relationship with Mark Dominik after he became the general manager. Williams might not have the fans on his side this time. He’s taken public shots at the Bucs and Dominik, while the franchise has stayed quiet about Williams. Even while Williams still worked for the team, he created an awkward moment when the Bucs announced Selmon as the first member of the Ring of Honor. Williams spoke at that news conference and it was kind of bizarre. Instead of talking about Selmon, he spent almost all of his time talking about the 1979 team.

The franchise probably is going to stay quiet on Williams for a long time. He was an important part of the franchise’s early years, but he’s burned some bridges. Unless those are repaired, Williams probably won’t be going into the Ring of Honor.

Time for a run through the NFC South headlines.

Offensive tackle Charles Brown hasn’t been taking part in the workouts led by New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. That’s because Brown had back surgery immediately after the season and has been doing his rehabilitation in California. He’s running again and hopes to compete for a starting job this season. If fully healthy, Brown could end up challenging Jermon Bushrod for the starting job at left tackle.

With rookie quarterback Cam Newton joining first-year coach Ron Rivera in Carolina, here’s a look at how similar pairings have fared in the past.

Tampa Bay co-chairman Bryan Glazer offered some optimism about the labor situation to a fan.

Tampa Bay rookie linebacker Mason Foster has elected to work out in Seattle during the lockout. He hasn’t missed much because the workouts organized by quarterback Josh Freeman have been primarily for offensive skill-position players. Foster admits missing offseason time with the coaches isn’t ideal, but said he still thinks he can compete for the starting job at middle linebacker. His chances at that spot will be largely determined by whether free agent Barrett Ruud stays with the team.

Darren Sharper said he’d like to return to New Orleans, but he knows Malcolm Jenkins is the Saints’ future at free safety. Sharper said he has to decide if he wants to accept a spot as a role player and return or look to go somewhere else where he can start.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is optimistic the lockout will end soon.

Let’s take a look into the NFC South mailbag.

Dan in Omaha, Neb., says the Panthers need to draft a defensive tackle with the first pick in the draft and give quarterback Jimmy Clausen a chance.

Pat Yasinskas: You really want the Panthers to go into a season with Clausen as their starting quarterback without adding a viable alternative? I do think there’s upside with Clausen and he could develop into something with better coaching than he had last year. But Carolina’s got to compete with three NFC South teams that have true franchise quarterbacks. I don’t think they can afford to count on Clausen suddenly turning into one.

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Pat in Tampa says I referred to Tampa Bay landing Nnamdi Asomugha as a pie-in-the-sky dream and wonders why. He points out the weather in Florida and California is similar and the Bucs are a team on the rise.

Pat Yasinskas: True, the Bucs are very much a team on the rise and I’ll take the weather in Tampa Bay over the other Bay Area any day. Also, there’s no state income tax in Florida and that’s always appealing to free agents. But there’s going to be a bidding war for one of the game’s best cornerbacks and lots of teams are going to be involved. I’m not sure if the Bucs, who are accused by their own fans of not spending enough money, will go all out on this one. We'll have to wait and see.

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Robbie in Murphy, N.C., asks why I wrote that Cam Newton has more potential than Blaine Gabbert.

Pat Yasinskas: Um, mainly because I think Newton has way more potential than Gabbert. Yes, there also could be downside with Newton, and Gabbert has less downside. But I think Gabbert’s best-case scenario is that he ends up being someone like Mark Sanchez. Newton’s best-case scenario is a lot better than that. Yes, Newton may come with risks. But the Panthers are doing their homework and might be willing to take some risks on the guy with more upside.

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Zain in Tampa writes: “There's a reason we hate the Glazers so much around here. But let's make something clear, it is the sons we hate, not the father. The father has been a great owner in his time. He got it, period. The sons? They have no business running a sports franchise.’’

Pat Yasinskas: Malcolm Glazer obviously was a very astute businessman and that’s how he assembled a huge fortune. But the fact is, he never was heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the Bucs. Yes, he was available for consult and ultimately signed off on major decisions. But, since the day the Glazer family bought the team, sons Bryan and Joel have run the day-to-day operations and youngest son, Ed, joined them a bit later. The only thing that’s changed in recent years is that Malcolm Glazer has had some health problems and has even less to do with the day-to-day operations. Truth is, part of the reason Malcolm Glazer bought the team in the first place was because his sons were huge football fans. Malcolm Glazer didn't follow the game all that closely. In fact, there's a legendary story about one of the few news conferences he ever took part in. It was to announce a contract extension for Warren Sapp and the plan called for him to make a joke about how the contract meant Sapp better produce a lot of sacks. Before the news conference started, a Bucs staffer had to take Malcolm Glazer aside and explain what a sack was.

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Russell in Asheville, N.C., writes that Drew Brees’ involvement in the labor situation shows the New Orleans quarterback is greedy. Russell says 99 percent of fans now hate Brees and that this should be pointed out to Brees.

Pat Yasinskas: Brees took a stand by taking an active role and putting his name on the lawsuit against the league. But I don’t think Brees is acting purely on his own behalf. I think he’s trying to get what’s best for all players. He is, after all, a player. And I think your estimate on the percentage of fans who “hate’’ Brees is off by a lot, at least in New Orleans. Brees is the most beloved figure in that city. Once the labor situation is resolved, I think any resentment against Brees that might be out there will be forgotten very quickly.

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Tom in Cambridge, United Kingdom, writes that it sounds like Aqib Talib was defending his sister in the incident in which he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. He wonders if Talib doesn’t end up in prison if this whole situation might be handled with a four-game suspension and some anger-management classes.

Pat Yasinskas: I get the whole innocent-until-proven-guilty thing and understand it’s one of the basic rules of the legal system in this country. But we’re not just talking one incident with Talib. We’re talking a lengthy track record that dates back at least to when he was in college. Several incidents have been very public since he joined the Bucs and there have been plenty of other behind-the-scenes issues involving him that have been handled behind the scenes. In fact, I’d be willing to make a guess that the Bucs or the NFL already told Talib to work on the anger-management issues. Fact is, I think the Bucs already would have cut Talib if the league wasn’t in a lockout. I think they will cut him as soon as it’s over. Talib was down to his last chance -- and there are some people who already think he was past it even before the latest incident. The mere fact that a gun was involved in this latest incident gives the Bucs the right to cut Talib before the legal system plays out. Even if he’s not found guilty, the fact that he put himself in a precarious situation when he already was on a short leash with the team and the league doesn’t reflect well on him. The Bucs have taken their share of criticism on the character issue in the last year or so. Talib has made it easy for them to come out and make a strong statement by parting ways with him. The Bucs can make a statement to the community and their fans that they are serious about character issues. They also can show receiver Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount, who have had some problems in the past, that they better stay on the straight and narrow because even the best players aren’t going to get too many second chances.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Glazer family, which owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, often gets labeled as reclusive by fans and the media.

That’s kind of strange, because the guy I just spent 20 minutes talking to might have been the most gregarious person I ran into all day. That would be Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer.

At an NFL owners meeting, where a lot of people are walking around looking worried or sad about the labor situation, Glazer was a notable exception. He spent time individually with reporters from the two main newspapers in the Tampa Bay area and with the NFC South Blog. In my portion, which was roughly 20 minutes, Glazer was almost effervescent.

He did most of the talking and was animated and happy almost the entire time. There’s a reason for that. Glazer, along with brothers Bryan and Ed, is presiding over a team that’s clearly in a good spot. Glazer didn’t want to talk much about the lockout but said he’s confident the labor situation will be resolved at some point and his team will be ready to jump out of the gate.

“I couldn’t be more excited about where this team is at,’’ Glazer said. “When we set out on this path two years ago, there was a plan in place. We said we’re going to be disciplined in that plan. We’re not going to deviate from that plan. The one thing we recognized was when you’re doing something like this, you have to have thick skin and endure the early part of the plan. There are a lot of people with opinions. Their opinions are immediate and reactionary. To see the plan to start unfolding and for last year to play out like it did was one of the most exciting, fun seasons I’ve ever experienced in football.

“What’s most exciting is the fact that we’re the youngest team in the National Football League and the exciting players we have and where we can go from here.’’

You know the story, so we’ll keep the recap very short. After a 9-7 season in 2008, the Buccaneers fired coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen and replaced them with Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik. Veteran players like Derrick Brooks were shown the door and, at times, Morris and Dominik looked like they didn’t know what they were doing.

The Bucs went 3-13 in 2009, but things turned in a big way last season, and the Bucs went 10-6.

The Glazers get labeled as detached owners because they’re not as visible as some others in the league. But I think that’s a huge misconception. Although you don’t see the Glazers on the sidelines like some others, they’re far from absentee owners. It’s not unusual to run into them at One Buccaneer Place or see them roaming Raymond James Stadium. Back when Malcolm Glazer, the father of Joel, Bryan and Ed, first bought the team, one of the reasons he cited for making the move was his sons’ love of the game.

“I love football,’’ Joel Glazer said. “I haven’t missed a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game since we’ve owned the team and gone all the way to Japan. I live for Sundays. I live for the wins and can’t stand the losses. Anybody who knows myself or knows my family knows this is a true love. To have a young team that you know is going to get better and to compete for the ultimate prize, that’s what you’re in this for and that’s why it’s so exciting.’’

Glazer even is excited about the one thing that wasn’t a positive last season -- attendance. The Bucs didn’t sell out a game at Raymond James Stadium, and none of their home games was shown on local television. Before last season, the Bucs had sold out every home game since their stadium opened in 1998.

“Our new sales in January, February and March have been stronger than I ever remember them being,’’ Glazer said. “Renewals are extremely high. The sense you get is that the community is reacting to what they saw last year. That excitement is starting to percolate throughout the community, and it is translating into ticket sales.’’

Glazer’s not ready to guarantee sellouts, but he’s optimistic things are headed in the right direction.

“There’s still a lot of work to do,’’ Glazer said. “Even before the season ended, we sat down and we started to change our pricing to reflect the economy and what’s going on and trying to find ways to make something available for everybody. The one thing that hasn’t been lost on us is Florida has been hit very hard. Unemployment is very high in Florida. You can’t just ignore that. You have to adapt to the situation.’’

By the way, you're going to hear a good bit more from Glazer in the coming days. He filled up my tape recorder, which is something reclusive people generally don't do. But, hey, maybe, as Glazer said, he and the Bucs are adapting to the situation.

ATLANTA – There’s a very interesting scene going on in the Georgia Dome right now.

As players are warming up, there’s a meeting of powerful people near the 50-yard line. Tampa Bay co-chairmen Bryan and Joel Glazer are chatting with Warrick Dunn and posing for pictures. Dunn played running back for Tampa Bay and Atlanta and is now a part owner of the Falcons. Atlanta majority owner Arthur Blank took part in the conversation briefly.

I just came across this radio interview with Falcons owner Arthur Blank. There was one part where Blank was asked about being accessible to the media. As a media member, I found this interesting and I think fans will, too.

“That’s very much a part of our culture, is to be available, and frankly to be even more available when times are difficult,’’ Blank said. “It’s easy to be available when things are going great. Sometimes when you’re facing adversity, some folks go off and hide someplace. We don’t think that’s the best thing to do.”

Applause for Blank. There’s no doubt he is the NFC South’s most accessible owner. Nobody else is even close. Blank isn’t Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder. In other words, he’s not constantly out there seeking attention, but he’s willing to be out front with the media and, in turn, his fans. Blank gets it when it comes to dealing with media and fans, and I give Falcons public relations guru Reggie Roberts and his staff a lot of credit for creating a very media-friendly environment.

It’s really not that way with the other NFC South owners. Carolina’s Jerry Richardson is by no means an unfriendly man. In fact, he’ll often stop on the practice field to talk with reporters. It’s off the record and just basic conversation, and Richardson treats media members as real people. But he just doesn’t like being in the spotlight. When I covered the Panthers for The Charlotte Observer, Richardson usually would agree to go on the record once a year, and usually it was at the spring owners meeting. He’d talk extensively about the state of his team. At the end, I’d always say something like, “See, it’s not that difficult’’. He’d laugh and say, “Yeah, but we won’t do it again until next year’’. It’s just the way he operates.

New Orleans owner Tom Benson has been a bit more visible since the Saints won the Super Bowl, but he’s never been the type to hold court with the media. His granddaughter Rita LeBlanc, who seems to be gaining more and more power in the operation of the franchise, is more media friendly and has become the face of the franchise, from an ownership perspective.

Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer used to be called a recluse, and I don’t think that was inaccurate. In fact, I can only remember him speaking twice in the early years of his ownership when I was covering the Bucs for The Tampa Tribune. I believe once was when he officially bought the team, and the other time was when the Bucs signed Warren Sapp to a huge contract extension. Glazer is not in great health these days, and sons Bryan, Joel, and Ed are running the team. They take a lot of heat locally for not being very media friendly. But I don’t think that label is entirely accurate. The Glazers might not be outgoing personalities, but they know every reporter in their market by name and they’ll make small talk when they run into media members. They also have taken the Richardson approach at times and done some state-of-the-union addresses at league meetings. There also is a new effort inside One Buccaneer Place to make the Glazers more visible, and we’ve seen some evidence of that with the brothers playing big roles in Derrick Brooks’ retirement ceremony and the announcement that John McKay will join the team’s Ring of Honor. Look for that to continue, but don’t ever expect the Glazers to become like Blank.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Derrick Brooks retirement announcement just ended a few minutes ago. It was lengthy (deservedly so) as accolades flowed from all directions and Brooks talked at length. But let’s cut straight to the chase.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brooks both did what they had to do. They made things right for their pasts and their presents. Their futures?

“I don’t know,’’ Brooks said when asked about the next step in the process. “We’ll move on from here.’’

That’s important just to hear that Brooks and the Buccaneers are moving forward. Kind of like the one between Tampa and St. Petersburg, there is a bridge between the Buccaneers and the best player in franchise history.

Like I said yesterday, the Buccaneers need Brooks on their side right now, perhaps more than they ever needed him as a player. They didn’t need another “Curse of Doug Williams’’ and another feud that went on for decades.

This one went on for 18 months. Brooks had his feelings hurt when the Buccaneers released him just after coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik took over. The Bucs didn’t handle that situation very well. Truth be told, Brooks wasn’t exactly flawless in handling things either. This whole thing could have been worked out by both sides long ago. Instead, it took 18 months.

All that really matters now is that there’s an official truce. The Bucs went out of their way with a spectacular ceremony, and team co-chairman Bryan Glazer put one in the upper deck when he referred to Brooks as "such a symbol of what we want our franchise to be on and off the field."

When Brooks got his turn, he never put on any airs or implied that he was thrilled by how his departure from the team came down. There was no official “I forgive you’’ or anything close to that from Brooks. There was no announcement by the Bucs that they were adding Brooks to the coaching staff or giving him some exotic title in the front office.

But just making this ceremonial move was a big step for both sides. Brooks said he’s not interested in coaching anything beyond his son’s youth league team. Although there have been rumblings about a career in politics -- and Brooks didn’t totally rule that out for the future -- he said that’s not what he wants at this point.

He’s doing some broadcasting work. He’s staying active in his various charity work. That’s all great. But the most important thing Brooks can do going forward is just continue being Derrick Brooks.

There wasn’t a more fitting quote Thursday than the one sent down from New York, and we’ll end it with that.

“Derrick Brooks exemplified the best of the NFL, a true class act both on and off the field,’’ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “He will be remembered as one of the greatest players in Buccaneers history. But even more important is the type of man Derrick represents -- his leadership and integrity have few peers.’’

Here’s another article that suggests the Panthers could move Jon Beason from middle linebacker to the weak side now that Thomas Davis is hurt again. Let me just emphasize again this is only a possibility. The Panthers have lots of options at linebacker with James Anderson and Jamar Williams as candidates to play on the outside and Dan Connor on the inside. What the Panthers have to decide on is which balancing act gives them their three best linebackers on the field.

New Orleans receiver Lance Moore officially signed his tender as a restricted free agent. There still remains the possibility the Saints could work a long-term deal with him. Moore attended offseason workouts, unlike some of the other New Orleans restricted free agents, and that fact may help his cause.

Tampa Bay co-chairman Bryan Glazer spoke at a Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce gathering Friday. He addressed the possibility of an 18-game season, said local television blackouts could be a reality this season and said the team is committed to building with youth. The Glazers get knocked quite a bit for not talking very often. There’s been a subtle change in philosophies and you’re going to see the Glazers become a bit more visible in the public eye. They’re not going to suddenly turn into Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder, but you’re going to see more of them than you have in the past.

The Bucs released linebacker Angelo Crowell. He’ll go down as one of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history. The Bucs didn’t pay Crowell a ton of money when they first signed him, but they thought he had a chance to start. He had some injuries and contributed absolutely nothing to Tampa Bay.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has been chosen to receive the Four Pillar Award.