The St. Louis Rams and Vice President Al Gore now have something in common. Both have lost very close contests in the state of Florida.

Despite recount after recount, the final outcome remains the same.

And in all likelihood both Mr. Gore and our Navy and Gold Football Heroes will have plenty of free time on their hands in the last weekend of January 2001.

In the state of the Dimpled and Pregnant Chad, before a raucous crowd in Tampa and a nationally televised audience, the Rams lost a "playoff" game that they needed to win. The Buccaneers earned revenge from the NFC Championship game eleven months earlier by defeating the team from the Gateway City 38-35.

In so doing, the Buccaneers qualified for the NFC playoffs.

In so doing, the Rams can no longer control their own playoff destiny. Our Navy and Gold Heroes absolutely, positively had to win in Tampa. Earning a "W" in this game meant a free trip to the playoffs. The Rams failed in this test (again).

To make matters worse, St. Louis needs a Christmas Eve present: a victory from the 4-11 Chicago Bears in Detroit. (That's right, St. Louis has to root for a Chicago team.)

In an ironic twist, the smart money felt this Monday night match-up would come down to the potent St. Louis Offense against the highly charged Tampa Bay Defense. Instead, the Buccaneers won in a wild seventy-three-point shootout: scoring the winning touchdown with only 48 seconds remaining in regulation time. A smart odds-maker would have paid for his Christmas presents had he taken the "Over" in this game.

Had you offered Head Coach Mike Martz thirty-five points on the high grass in Tampa and a four point lead with three minutes remaining against an opponent that had to march eighty yards with no timeouts remaining, door number two would not be considered.

Yet, this is precisely what the Buccaneers did. Quarterback Sean King improvised his team into scoring position on the final drive. King, who has criticized his coaches in the past for not allowing him to be creative, basically played sandlot football effectively against the confused Rams Defense on that final drive.

The key play in that drive was a double flee-flicker/lateral that King threw for a completion and a vital first down. Then Mike Jones, who eleven months earlier was remembered for "the Tackle", would commit "the Penalty": a fifteen yard personal foul after the play sending Tampa to the St. Louis thirty-five yard line. A couple of completions later, Warrick Dunn rambled for one yard for a Tampa Bay lead.

With forty-eight seconds remaining and needing only a field goal to tie, Quarterback Kurt Warner tried to rally his troops. The first down play was a dropped pass by Isaac Bruce at mid-field. On second down, Warner threw his third interception of the night.

Ball Game.

The Buccaneers go to the playoffs. The "Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams" with their gaudy rings and spiffy uniforms now have to wait by the telephone.

Monday night's loss overshadowed another outstanding performance by the Rams' Marshall Faulk. #28 improved his MVP voting position with his second straight game of scoring four touchdowns. On this Monday night the Marshall Plan was in high gear: rushing the football twenty-two times for seventy-nine yards and three touchdowns. Faulk also caught four passes on the night for fifty-three yards and one touchdown.

That's the good news. The bad news (again) was the play of the Defense.

Tampa Bay is not an offensive threat. Still, these Buccaneers scored thirty-eight points against the Rams' Defense. Tampa Bay accumulated 446 total yards. Quarterback King, who did not generate a touchdown in the past two games, threw for two this night. King also passed for 256 yards against the Rams on this Monday before Christmas.

Once again, the inferior play of the St. Louis Defense came back to haunt them. When you think about it, you don't win many games in that rich and arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League when you allow an opponent thirty-eight points.

Playoffs are a pipe dream if your Defense can not respond in pressure situation. The St. Louis Defense did not respond. The Rams simply do not deserve to go to the playoffs.

These Rams have no one to blame but themselves for this predicament. For four weeks, St. Louis had the opportunity to control its own post-season destiny. They declined that privilege. It's now up to others if the Rams are allowed to play after Christmas.

Still, it is at least frustrating and at worse flagrant, when the defending Super Bowl Champions start the season 6-0 only to play .333 football in the next nine games. A .333 winning percentage is another example of Football Like it Used to Be.

Do I hear the word "Choke" out there in the audience?

Just like Al Gore, the Rams need something beyond their control to reach their goal. Unless the Florida Supreme Courts intercede, the Rams playoff hopes appear grim.

One week ago, it was all smiles at Rams Park. The biggest controversy was the NFL's fines on the Bob & Weave end zone celebration. Heck, even our local media pundits got into the holiday spirit: by passing the hat for a collection to help their favorite millionaire football player pay their fine for deliberately breaking an existing rule.

Still with the loss to Tampa Bay, there may be a silver lining. Now, the Rams and their groupies can practice the Bob and Weave and start the lobbying for its resurgence in 2001. Heck, they can even employ Al Gore with this project.

Why not? They will all probably have plenty of time on their hands in late January.