We've been calling the 2013 Buccaneers things like "garbage fire," "dysfunctional shitshow," and "sad mess" lately. Now we can add "roiling pit of disease" to the list.


During the preseason, two Buccaneers players—kicker Lawrence Tynes and offensive lineman Carl Nicks—were diagnosed with MRSA, a particularly nasty kind of staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics.


Tynes is still dealing with his infection, but Nicks recently returned to the team and declared himself "MRSA-free." That statement was made prematurely, though, as the disease recurred in his left foot last week. And now, according to NFL.com, cornerback Johnthan Banks has also been diagnosed with the disease.

In case you haven't noticed yet, MRSA is a bitch to get rid of, and this could be a big problem for the Bucs going forward. According to the NFL Network's Albert Breer, the Duke Infectional Control Outreach Network will be issuing a report to the league and the NFLPA detailing just how bad the situation is, and it's possibly that this Sunday's game against the Eagles could be cancelled if DICON's report is grim.


On the bright side, this should help Greg Schiano weed out the rest of the players on his team who aren't real "Schiano Men." A true warrior of the gridiron wouldn't let a life-threatening infection keep him off the field!


[NFL]