Football fans throughout Tampa/Clearwater are hungry for an engaging personality to captain the Buccaneer's ship. Not since Warren Sapp, the former outspoken and super talented Buccaneers defensive tackle, have the Bucs had a personality fans find charming and the competition fears.

Over the past two years playing at Florida State, Jameis won all but one game, won a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player. There is no doubt among experts that Jameis Winston has the tools to be one of the greatest QBs of all time, both in the huddle and in the media.

Jameis Winston was recently the 1st player picked in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thus Tampa's experts determined he was the collegiate player that could most help our NFL team. The NFL is a 12+ billion dollar per year industry and the players on the field make the plays which is the product sold to the fans and advertisers.

So what's the problem? Well, Jameis was suspended and missed a game for shouting something (I assume it was obscenities) in public, had to make amends for something to do with crab legs theft, and is currently defending himself against a sexual abuse claim by a fellow Florida State student.

Newspapers and televisions are filled with shitty news, likely because they make big money by promoting chaos and conflicts. I usually feel worse after I watch the nightly news, how about you? As an alternative which seemed more sane, I became an avid sports fan. I turn to sports when I want to read or watch something that is fun and relatively meaningless. Unfortunately, more and more sports radio, tv and newspaper articles are being filled with the ugly side of life. I know people aren't perfect, the news media tells me that everyday and athletes aren't perfect either, but that doesn't mean I want to or have to know why they don't walk on water.

Here's my solution... Let's hold athletes accountable for the environments they create and/or put themselves into, whether its getting cozy with a co-ed after a few beers, jumping in the car with a pot-smoking buddy, beating their spouse/kids, or visiting doctors known for getting around the illegal steroid issues. 

What is popular in nursery schools across the planet and many parents have used it effectively is "TIME-OUT". So the next time an athlete gets accused of stealing crab legs, assaulting a fellow student or whatever, let's (the media, their sport's team owner/coach, fellow fans, etc.) collectively put the athlete into time-out. The US employs embargoes on countries that violate human rights and conversely rewarding those countries with commerce that play nice. How about if we get to see sports with the good citizens (except MMA where the barbarians belong) and let the good guys make the money and get the endorsement money?  

Don't let those in legal trouble play their sport and let's make invisible these individuals - no tv/radio coverage, endorsements, don't search for them on the internet, etc.

Let those that seem to find trouble everywhere disappear into a mutual executed black-out until their issues are fully resolved, that they have the realization that they are responsible for creating their own environment and they are the ones creating the bad situations they are finding themselves in.

A close game being played by Little League baseball players or the best athletes in the world is entertaining. Think about the greatest annual tournament on the planet, the NCAA basketball tournament (sorry World Cup fans), is not played by the best players in the world, in fact none are yet considered professional in their sport of basketball.

I want my sports back and without the ugly news.

Would I like to watch the Bucs play and win with an elite athlete that will excite the fan base? Yes, but Jameis Winston needs to go to time-out first and come back when his legal issue is fully resolved and he gets it that he, whether innocent or not, is the one that created the noise!

It's time for a time-out Famous Jameis!

Hollywood Style Movie Premiere of "The Forger" Live in Downtown Clearwater Hosted by Mr. John Travolta 

This past Saturday evening, those of us lucky enough to call Clearwater Florida our home were treated to some special Hollywood magic.  Mr. John Travolta was in town on the red carpet hosting a one night only event - at the historic Capitol Theater - launching his new motion picture "The Forger".  As a Florida resident, John supports the movie industry within our state in big ways.  He is consistently helping to bring more awareness, funding and jobs to the area. It's big business and he is one of its leading stars. 

It was a magnetic evening downtown with a vibrant atmosphere full of enthusiastic arts supporters.  It was reported that including John and the other local contributors generous support, over fifty thousand dollars was raised to help expand the Martha P. Hoffman School Of The Arts.  

You can find out more about their great program at www.rutheckerdhall.com/education. 

Over the past few years, the downtown Cleveland Street District has been transitioning from a sleepy simple "Beach Byway" into something quite unique.  It overlooks the gorgeous Gulf Intracoastal and is within walking distance to one of the world's most famous beaches.  Winter the dolphin lives here too!  Nestled near the Town Hall Bluff you would be hard pressed to find a better sunset view than strolling westward on Cleveland street between the diverse selection of shops and restaurants towards the park, yacht harbor and beautiful Clearwater Beach bridge.  The atmosphere is starting to remind me of a scaled down version of my birthplace, San Diego California.

Although Saturday evening, it was all Hollywood.  Limousines, red carpets, movie stars, bright lights, large crowds, beautiful weather, exuberant fans...who could ask for more.  I've not had the pleasure of attending the Oscars, but this to me was like a short glimpse into that world.  Watching John mingle effortlessly with his adoring fans, endlessly posing for photos, signing autographs, giving hugs and genuinely happily being there was extremely refreshing to see.  What I was able to observe was someone passionately giving back to the art community from which he had come.  Clearwaters own Mayor Mr. George Cretekos was overheard to say "its another gem in the city's crown."

When a person's passions and moral compass are lined up to "True North" like John's seem to be, great things normally happen.  Most of us in business would pay handsomely for the kind of word of mouth marketing and PR this type of event creates. A positive buzz like this in our local media had normally been reserved for our water mammal friend down the street.  Paying for it directly somehow never works, what does seem to work is having a great service or product that is backed by passion with integrity.  With that combination in hand, the process of making something well known would seem to become a very simple endeavor.  If asked to speak for the community, I would say this event was a wonderful marketing coupe for us all.

Travolta told reporters "A lot of my friends have played the Cap," "It sounds like a theater that's inviting a lot of, in my opinion, very important artists who are doing quite well by it." The Forger is available on DirecTV, with a limited theatrical and wide VOD release April 24. "It's a wonderful film that also admires the arts within the subject and story line. I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to use this film to raise money for the arts in Clearwater?" Zev Buffman, president and CEO of Ruth Eckerd Hall that owns the Capitol, said Travolta's event comes at a crucial time in the Hoffman school's expansion. John told the audience "Thank you for being here, for supporting the arts. I had the privilege of growing up in a family that supported the arts … but not every family has that advantage. Tonight, you are helping … other young people to become artists of their dreams, who didn't have the advantage I had as a child."

If you have never watched John's dance with Princess Diana, watch this short Youtube clip here:  

It's fairly undeniable that living legend Mr. John Travolta has forged one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time.  Like many, my earliest recollections of his prowess started with his iconic "sweathog" character Vinnie Barbarino from ABC's  hit show Welcome Back Kotter. My older sister had gigantic posters of 70's stars David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, Donny Osmond and of course Mr. John Travolta. Back then, there was three main networks along with a couple minor local stations to choose from and Welcome Back Kotter was most definitely one of the 70's highest ranking TV shows that everyone watched every single week.  Of course, John's movie career took off from there to a point only Boeing 707 aircraft can fly.  Which eventually reached the zenith where he enjoyed top box office draw along with the worlds most beloved Princess requesting a dance. Thank you Mr. Travolta for all you have done to make downtown Clearwater, the Cleveland Street Business District and the world itself a more enjoyable place to live.

See Great French Art For The First Time In Florida

If you are looking for some culture you can't go far wrong by visiting the Museum Of Fine Arts at any point - you are always going to find something of interest there; well, if you like art you are. At the moment though they have a real draw with the exhibition Monet to Matisse - On The French Coast. This is the first time that a lot of this art has actually been in Florida or the Southeastern United States, so if you combine this fact with the great location and the unique chance to view these works arranged in this way, as an art lover, why would you not want to take advantage?

To celebrate the museum's 50th Anniversary they have put together this comparative collection that holds up the Impressionist and Modernist visions of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of France. the museum already has an impressive collection of French art regularly on display and this just adds to and enriches that.

One Of Many Great Exhibitions At The Museum Of Fine Arts

The show runs from February 7th until May 31st, 2015, so there is plenty of time to catch these two masters, and some other great European painters. It was put together by Dr Kenneth Wayne, formerly of the Portland Museum Of Art and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, working with Jennifer Hardin, the hazel and William Hough Chief Curator of the MFA.

Earth Day Festival Celebrates 2nd Year in South Straub Park

It has a long tradition, stretching back to 1970, but there may be more than a few people who aren't even really aware of Earth Day. I have to admit that it was one that had kind of passed me by, but it giving some recognition to the importance of the Earth is something that is a lot more at the forefront of people's minds.

It was first celebrated in 1970 after a proposal put forward in 1969 by a peace activist called John McConnell, who wanted to honor Earth with a day of peace. The date of April 22nd derives from a second Earth Day started by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, a winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award. the whole thing went worldwide in 1990, when Denis Hayes, the original coordinator organized events in 141 nations.

St Petersburg Is A Forward Thinking City

On April 18th St Pete celebrates the day in South Straub Park - the second time that it has done so. It is sponsored by Duke Energy and the St Petersburg Downtown Partnership. It is pretty cool, because the whole idea is to educate people about eco-friendly technology and different ways that you can build healthy sustainable communities.

If you walk around St Pete the evidence that the city is very supportive of forward thinking initiatives is obvious - there are the charging stations for electric cars for one thing, and recycling points as well. It's the first city in the state to be awarded for Green Building Coalition's Green City designation. When a city takes an interest in conservation, recycling, water conservation, and various other initiatives that seek to improve the life of its citizens then that is definitely something to celebrate. St Pete is a very art-oriented community anyway, so you know that there is a certain kind of attitude that the people who live there imbue the place with, and the whole ethos of the festival seems very much in line with that way of thinking and living. It is very forward thinking of the city planners, and pretty inspirational.