SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders returned to work Wednesday in preparation for Super Bowl XXXVII and the man in the spotlight was particularly glad to see his team get into some sort of routine.
Being in a routine is difficult under any circumstance for a team playing in the Super Bowl, but the Buccaneers and their coaching staff feel they have been forced into an initial disadvantage.
To reach the site of the NFL title game, the Raiders had to travel about an hour by air. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, had to go back home from Philadelphia after capturing the NFC crown, then fly cross-country -- all in the space of less than 24 hours.
Now they will have to get ready for the biggest game of their lives in very unfamiliar surroundings.
Tampa Bay Coach Jon Gruden was quick to point that out Wednesday before his team took part in its first workout of the week. Much of the focus prior to the game will be on Gruden since he was, in effect, traded from the Raiders to the Buccaneers following the 2001 season.
"Well, this is a lot different for me, an 8:15 press conference," Gruden said as he greeted members of the media at his team's hotel. "I usually bunker down and live in a dark room the early part of the week almost exclusively. To be out here on a golf course (adjacent to the hotel) at 8:15 in the morning in front of you people is certainly a change of pace for me.
"It concerns me, obviously it inhibits your preparation, but it is fair for both teams. That's just part of your responsibility in a game of this magnitude.
"It's been a struggle for us. We didn't get home until three o'clock in the morning or so Sunday night. On Monday, we had to brief our players, get organized to prepare them to travel. We worked Monday in our offices. Then we had a long flight out here yesterday morning and we worked late in the evening last night preparing the game plan that we'll pass out and distribute to our team."
That presentation was made Wednesday when the Bucs went through a practice session at the University of California-San Diego, just minutes from their hotel in La Jolla.
It is generally accepted that the most critical portion of Tampa Bay's work will involve the defense trying to figure out a way to deal with Oakland's all-star offensive cast.
Super Bowl XXXVII will mark the first time since the league's merger that the No. 1 offensive team in the NFL (Oakland) will meet the No. 1 defensive team (Tampa Bay) in the Super Bowl.
Oakland's offense is led by this season's MVP, quarterback Rich Gannon.
"Gannon is a lot like a robot," Gruden said. "He's like the Terminator. He's got a lot of different ways to destruct a defense -- with his legs, with his arm, with his mind.
"This guy will not waste plays. He'll change plays three, four, five times. Obviously, he is surrounded right now with great football players. This offensive line is very big, very physical. They've got two Hall of Fame wide receivers (Jerry Rice and Tim Brown), an emerging star in (Jerry) Porter.
"And let's be honest, they've got Charlie Garner, who is as good an all-purpose back as there is. They're all veterans, they've been playing together now for some time. And Gannon is the leader of this band."
When Oakland Coach Bil Callahan took part in his news conference Wednesday, he joined in the praise of Gannon, who broke the NFL record for completions in a season and the most 300-yard passing games in a single campaign.
"I really believe that Rich Gannon is one of those individuals who continues to get better because of his intelligence," Callahan said. "He's smart enough to know how to improve on a daily basis.
"His ability to push himself mentally in the classroom and in his preparation is special. You feel comfortable as a coach with him in command."
Nevertheless, Callahan said Gannon and the rest of the offensive stars will have a special task ahead against the Buccaneers.
"That defense has been together for some time," the Oakland coach said. "They know how to play off each other. They make the correct adjustments. They don't get fooled twice."
