Former Bucs great Simeon Rice verbally slapped Chucky on NFL Radio Tuesday.

It doesn’t appear that Chucky and Simeon Rice will be exchanging Christmas cards this year.

The former Bucs great defensive end appeared on NFL Radio Tuesday afternoon and teed off on the fired Bucs coach as documented by Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

“You get what you deserve,” Rice said. “That’s what Jon said. He got it now. Everybody gets what they deserve. . . .

“You look at what he did when Chris [Simms] damn near died on the field he wanted to release him right when he got injured. I get hurt, my shoulder’s torn off the bone. This dude releases me. You know what I mean? I’m your guy. The list goes on. Keenan McCardell, that situation was a debacle. Keyshawn Johnson, another situation [that] was a debacle. Joey Galloway, which was his man, was in the dog house all year because he got injured, broke his ankle or whatever. Brad Johnson, that situation was bad. Brings Jeff Garcia in here, oh, he’s going to change things. I helped recruit him [and he] released me, kept Jeff and then put him in the dog house. Gets rid of Brian Greise, brings him, starts a controversy. It was chaotic. I’m giving you facts.

“How I feel personally? I could tell you that, too. I think he’s a scumbag,” Rice said. “I think he’s a scumbag personally. That’s when he’s telling you one thing and… You know what he told me? ‘Simeon you’ll be here in the next five years.’ I got injured [and] this man’s never said one word to me. I won a Super Bowl for you. I got 13 sacks, 12, 15 every year for you. I balled. I got injured [and] you let me go like it was nothing.”

This sort of bums Joe out to read this. Joe had access to radio row at the Super Bowl Media Center yesterday and wandered in and out of the ballroom. Later, when banging out this story on one of the computers provided by the NFL, Joe heard Rice talking to someone as he was walking away.

Joe knew at the time he missed a good interview as Rice never holds back. He wasn’t aware at the time he missed on a fantastic interview.

Super Bowl Media Day was a long day for Joe. He got up at 5 a.m. Tuesday, leaving shortly thereafter for the media festivities in Tampa. Joe returned home in the wee hours.

But it was fun. Joe will provide additional reports and revealing photos from Media Day shortly. Some other photos Joe shot are of the kind Joe took of a lovely Latina reporter. Joe can’t figure out which is her bad side? Maybe you can provide assistance?

Anyway, Joe thought he would bring you what he filed for Joe’s good friend, TheBigLead.com. Again, much more on Media Day will come before the Super Bowl kicks off:

(Please forgive Joe as the text doesn’t want to wrap around Ms. Inez, a concept foreign to Joe.)

* Radio row was virtually vacant at 9 a.m., save for maybe five shows. The only shows that showed any life were Randy Cross and Bob Papa of NFL Radio, a Pittsburgh station which seemed to have a cast of eight and a local Tampa station where the on-air moron, who is a Tony Siragusa lookalike, was screaming at some caller named “Pat.”

* The Cardinals’ morning session seemed light compared to the (hot) afternoon Steelers session. The Steelers session was much livelier.

* If you are unaware of Jenn Brown, you need to do some research. She nearly stole the day despite the presence of our favorite tight white slacks-wearing Latina reporter.

* The Cardinals were all seated at their assigned booths as their session began. Media relations staff provided grids and rosters showing where each player was. The Steelers mingled and trolled amidst the fourth estate like a crowded college pub on a Saturday night, totally at ease and seemingly enjoying themselves (not that the Cardinals didn’t).

* Women from a Tampa dance troupe wore colorful, if not scant attire, and provided free salsa lessons to various interested Steelers. The dancers are apparently part of an Entertainment Tonight Super Bowl special.

* In person, Steelers head man Dan Rooney is tiny.

* Cardinals’ longtime owner Bill Bidwill seemed lost.

* John Clayton must be a radio interviewer’s dream. You ask him one NFL question, his response is five-minutes long.

* Steelers kicker Jeff Reed was quite popular with the foreign press who wouldn’t know a football from a Whopper. Reed was also a must-stop for the Hollywood crews, as was Cardinals backup quarterback Matt Leinhart.

* A woman working for THE BEST DAMN SHOW PERIOD demanded a chestbump from each Steelers player she interviewed. Each player happily obliged.

* Some clown working for some electronic media outlet dressed at Genghis Kahn and screamed unintelligible jibberish at whatever player he tried to “interview” in order to get some sort of reaction out of them. Instead, the “reporter” only received puzzled looks from said player.

* Warren Sapp just does not stop talking. Never. His voice often echoed in Raymond James Stadium.

* A TV reporter (apparently) from an unknown outlet used a violin as a prop. He would ask each interviewee what song he preferred and then try to play the song in an effort to lure further answers from him.

Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks is lured away by the well-endowed Molly Qerim of BSPN to talk about the new regime of Raheem the Dream and new defensive coordinator Jim Bates. Ms. Qerim seems enamored with Brooks. You be the judge.

Fired Bucs offensive line coach Bill Muir told all Thursday in a candid interview with a New York radio station. Among the highlights, Muir said the Glazers and Chucky had a 3 1/2 hour lunch within days of Gruden's firing and Chucky left the meeting excited about the 2009 season.

Jon Gruden hasn’t opened up to the media since his firing. But Joe has for you the next best thing.

Chucky’s veteran offensive line coach Bill Muir, who came to Tampa with Chucky in 2002, let it all hang out Thursday to Mike Francesca of WFAN-AM in New York. Fired along with Chucky, Muir has coached in the NFL for 31 consecutive seasons, including years in New York with the Jets under Bill Parcells.

Muir dropped some major bombshells, including Chucky describing a feel-good, 3 1/2 hour lunch meeting he had with the Glazer boys the day before he was fired. Muir also believes Raheem the Dream’s interview with Denver so quickly after being named defensive coordinator sparked the Glazers interest in making him head coach.

Joe hopes you enjoy the transcript of this great look inside the Bucs. You won’t find it anywhere else.

Francesca: In those last four games you were seeing Tampa give up yards and plays that we’ve never seen before. Can you put your finger on what happened?

MUIR: “It’s a confidence factor. I truly believe that teams have peaks and valleys as the season goes on. And sometimes, and I really go back to that Carolina game, from the standpoint of a team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. I can’t think of another way to describe it other than we were gutted that day. You’ve got a veteran team, and they look at it and say that’s not supposed to happen. I think there’s a confidence erosion there. …And I think when your confidence is gutted, then I think it’s a different deal. It’s harder to get things restarted. …When things aren’t going well, it’s kind of a prophecy. You get in a jam, things don’t go well. Basically it’s a confidence factor. And I have to say that as I look at it and say that the faces didn’t change. Yes, we had some injuries, but one of the things about the seven years I was in Tampa is that if you got somebody hurt somebody stepped up, and they played well enough for you to be competitive.”

On Monte Kiffin leaving:

“One of the things you try to avoid in the National Football League, particularly when you’re in a stretch run, is distractions. And nobody can ever say that that wasn’t a distraction. …”

You’re up on Oakland 10 points in the fourth quarter. … That was mind-boggling.

“I don’t mean this in deference to anybody. We saw a lot of Oakland offensive film in preparation during the course of the year, you know because we were [playing the} AFC West. I have to say that was as well as I’ve every seen them play. I had to check a couple of times to see if it was really the Oakland Raiders out there. It’s hard to laugh about this, even at this juncture. It’s the only way to keep my sanity.”

Gruden leaving was a surprise.

“It was a shock. …At 3 p.m. Friday afternoon I left One Buc Place. Had a brief visit with Jon [Gruden]. All week long Jon had been interviewing defensive coaches. …He was putting together a defensive staff. …I did, and this is interesting, have an opportunity to talk to him on Thursday late in the day. And he confided in me that he had a 3 1/2 hour lunch meeting with [the Glazers] and he said they had very positive conversation, they recognize the problems, they were on the same page solution-wise, and he felt really good about the meeting. So I felt good, at least we had a plan to work our way out of it. ….[On Friday evening] I get a phone message from John, you know he doesn’t often call me. … He says, ‘I was fired.’ He said, ‘I was just fired.’ …I said, ‘The jokes over what do you really want.’ …He said, ‘Listen to me expletive expletive.’He said. ‘I’ve been fired.’ I know it sideswiped him. I know he had no idea it was coming. … I think it was very unfair to put it all at Jon’s feet.

How did he take it?

“I think he took it outwardly extremely well. I think it hurt him. I don’t think he’ll ever tell anybody that. I’ll just say this. I’ve been here seven years. Some people label me a Jon Gruden guy. …And I’m glad to be labeled that. I’ve never been with a person who worked as hard, I mean hard, who was more thorough. I’ve never seen a team be better taken care of during the course of a week physically. I’ve never seen an offense be better prepared. …In the big picture, I am stunned.” …(Muir went on to scoff at fans and pundits who say that Gruden won the Super Bowl with Tony Dungy’s players. Muir said the Bucs won with Gruden’s offense and Tony Dungy’s defense. He talked about Gruden bringing in Joe Jurevicius, Ken Dilger, Michael Pittman and Keenan McCardell.)

“I can tell you this, we overachieved on offense given the talent that we had here in the seven years I was here. The ability for us to be competitive offensively, you can put it all at the feet of Jon Gruden. …He’ll be back in the National Football League better than ever.”

Raheem Morris, when they take a kid 32 years old, and he’s never been a coordinator. …And that’s who’s going to be a head coach at 32? He better be really good.

“I would have to say to you I think the whole NFL is upside down in their process of selecting coaches. I’m not just saying that because I’m old or jealous. I just think in my opinion you have to have a little bit more background to be a head coach. The NFL is a copycat league. ..Some of the owners have looked at Mike Tomlin, at Harbaugh, and they say maybe these guys relate better with the players. I think that’s the case with Raheem. The defensive players rallied around him. …He’s very … charismatic, effervescent. He’s got a good football base, too. … He was obviously a popular choice to be the defensive coordinator. Jon made that decision. …One of the reasons Jon liked Raheem, there was going to be a lot of reciprocal philosophy. Raheem was receptive to some input. … (Muir went on to say that Raheem interviewing with Denver immediately after being named coordinator sparked the Glazers interest in him as head coach.)

Bryan Glazer claims fans helped fire Chucky. THE PESSIMIST doubts any of these fans recommended Raheem The Dream.

So Bryan Glazer strolls into the Super Bowl media center Monday and spews crap about how the Glazer clan consulted fans as part of the decision-making process to fire Chucky.

Ha. Ha. Ha. What a joke. And the media hounds at the local newspapers lapped it up like a bunch of naive hacks.

Are we supposed to believe this drivel from Glazer, as if they really cared about the fans’ perspective? Of course, Glazer offered absolutely nothing tangible to back up his claim, only some Bruce Allenesque spin. 

The St. Pete Times ate it up, screaming a ridiculous headline as if it were fact, “Glazers Took Pulse Of The Fans Before Firings.”

Asked further about the community feedback, Glazer said, “Our fans are our stockholders. They’re what we play for — the people in our stadium and the ones that watch on TV. That’s what it’s all about: winning and how they feel about the team. If they don’t feel good about the team, then there’s something wrong. . . I think you all know the sense that’s out there. It was time for a change.”

Crap, if you’re the Glazers, and you really want to consult fans, you pay a survey firm $10,000 to get some real data.

But no, not these Glazers. Why mess with a true cross-section of the community when you can consult your high-class hookers, cousin Esther and limo drivers. Oh, and don’t forget the guy who cleans the pool. He’s such a nice kid.

Now if we believe these Glazers, men of the people, surely they would have asked these same fans who they wanted as the new head coach. That would be critical information and a logical follow-up question.

THE PESSIMIST is quite sure nobody voted for Raheem The Dream. Funny how the Glazers didn’t take the “pulse of the fans” on that one.

Upon learning that the Glazer Boys consulted with fans before firing Chucky, Joe wonders if "Big Nasty" has the ear of Bryan Glazer?

A rare revealing article popped up a blog entry by Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. The overly private Glazer Boys — specifically Bryan Glazer — confessed that feedback from the fans played a role in Chucky’s firing.

“We talked to a lot of people, but we not only talked to the players, but (also) out in the community getting a feel for the team,” Glazer said. “We get opinions and we mix them all together. We just took our time making that decision.”

Asked further about the community feedback, Glazer said, “Our fans are our stockholders. They’re what we play for — the people in our stadium and the ones that watch on TV. That’s what it’s all about: winning and how they feel about the team. If they don’t feel good about the team, then there’s something wrong. . . I think you all know the sense that’s out there. It was time for a change.”

Joe finds this equally a fascinating statement by Glazer, and a frightening one. While Joe had no qualms about Chucky being fired, and was in support of the decision by the Glazer Boys. But for any managment figure to suggest he fired a coach partially due to fans feedback is not a smart statement nor should have any clout in personnel decisions.

Just think about it: How many Bucs fans have you heard in the hours after Chucky was fired that Father Dungy should be the Bucs coach (again)? Case closed.

Among other things, Warrick Dunn told Jim Rome today he had his power shut off as a rookie because he didn't pay his bills

Warrick Dunn trolled through radio row today at the Tampa Convention Center and appeared on the Jim Rome Show heard locally on WDAE-AM 620. While rapping with Rome, Dunn made a startling revelation:

In his first year with the Bucs, as a new millionaire, he had his power shut off because he didn’t like paying the utility company.

“As a rookie I had my lights shut off because I didn’t pay my bills.”

Wait… what?

Dunn later had an interesting conversation about the Bucs and his career.

Dunn was asked about if he’s happy about the Super Bowl being in town and he said, “Yes and no.”

He went into detail:

“Yes, I don’t have to spend money on hotels but I don’t get the opportunity to experience the game and all the hype. I’ve been to two NFC Championship games but never had the opportunity to get to a Super Bowl.

“I am not going to the game but I will be in the city. Years ago, [the Super Bowl was] too hard to watch. Now I can watch it and enjoy it.

“It gets tough sometimes though. When Tampa won, I saw parts of the game. In hindsight, if I stayed in Tampa, I might have won a Super Bowl.

“My days and years are numbered for being in the inner circle of football.”

Some other questions (and Dunn’s answers) Rome had:

What was it like losing the last four games of the season?

“It was a catastrophe. Some players were on suicide watch. We were so close. One game. Not playing in the tournament, that’s tough. To not win one game out of four, it was a catastrophe. It was tough. Guys are still recovering from that. Guys took that hard.”

How did it happen?

“I’m speechless. To even get to that point… yeah, we lost to Carolina. OK. They won home field advantage. But to not win at home, to not defend our home turf… we led in the fourth quarter. We just weren’t a team to finish. I think it was the little things during the week we didn’t do.”

Did you expect to see Gruden fired after losing the last four games?

“Not at all. I didn’t see it coming. It was a big surprise to everyone. Three weeks after the season? Everybody was shocked. What is going on?

“But [the Glazer Boys] had a plan in place. They felt like Jon was here seven years, felt like it was time for a change and wanted Raheem. He is more energetic, young. He just understands football. Guys respect him and want to go out and play for him. I like Raheem.”

Are you ready for a new coach?

“For me it was my first year with Gruden. I wasn’t ready for him to go or stay. I’ve seen some crazy things. I went through three coaches in Atlanta. The unexpected doesn’t surprise me any more. Jon is a great coach and he will get his opportunities down the road. But the owners and the fans were ready for a change.”

Bucs LB Barrett Ruud is one of the few players to publicly stick up for Chucky.

Joe has already documented that thus far the lone person to really stick up for Chucky was the notorious waste of talent: John Daly.

Sure, Derrick Brooks sort of stuck up for Chucky on the night he was fired when he call Steve Duemig’s show on WDAE-AM 620. But Brooks was more upset that people were dancing on Chucky’s grave, upset that people were knocking his coach. And that is why Brooks is such a stand up guy.

Today, add Barrett Ruud to the slim list of people sticking up for Chucky.

Appearing on the Jim Rome Show heard on WDAE-AM 620 at radio row at the Tampa Convention Center, Ruud was quick to defend Chucky.

“I think he took too much of a knock,” Ruud said repeatedly. “I liked him. He entertained me. He kept me on my toes. I thought he was a good coach.”

Of course, Ruud admitted Chucky didn’t have a whole lot to do with the defense, but enjoyed Chucky when he handled team meetings.

Ruud did hint that possibly the defense did get a bit cocky or possibly overlooked Carolina, which started the Bucs’ historic collapse that led to Tampa Bay watching the playoffs on TV.

“Going into the Carolina game we were coasting,” Ruud said.

Ruud also confessed that he couldn’t get all that excited about the Super Bowl watching a team that finished with as many wins at the end of the season (Arizona) as the Bucs had through November.

To Joe's chagrin, Herm Edwards won't return to Tampa Bay to coach the Bucs' defensive backs.

Reports from PewterReport.com suggest Joe’s dream of having Herm Edwards return to the Bucs as a defensive back coach are all for naught. It appears that former Denver Broncos linebackers coach Joe Baker will be the defensive backs coach.

Baker, 39, spent the past two seasons serving as Denver’s linebackers coach. He spent two seasons (2007-08) with the Broncos, the first of which was with Jim Bates, who was recently hired as Tampa Bay’s new defensive coordinator. Baker and several other Broncos assistants were fired with former head coach Mike Shanahan earlier this month.

Also, Patriots tight ends coach Pete Mangurian, who was hired by the Bucs over the weekend (but no one knew for what) will be the Bucs new offensive line coach. Given his resume on the Patriots website, Mangurian has an impressive background with coaching offensive lines.

Additionally, the Bucs are interviewing Titans quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson for the open offensive coordinator position.  Could free agent quarterback Kerry Collins follow if Johnson is hired?

Thus far, other than Herm not coming back, Joe is somewhat satisfied with the coaching selections by Raheem the Dream.

Seems the lone person who thinks Chucky was wronged is the ultimate slob this side of Artie Lange, golfer/drunk/quitter John Daly. Nice.

In the past week or so since Chucky was fired, all manner of people have come out of the woodwork to slam him. Well, finally someone has come out to support Chucky, other than Derrick Brooks. And it’s not exactly to Chucky’s benefit.

One of the biggest slobs in the free world, John Daly, is upset that Chucky was let go and thinks the Glazer Boys did him wrong.

Yeah, John Daly. From Peter King of SI.com via WTSP-TV.

“I love Coach Gruden. He’s one of my best friends. I felt he probably should have been released a little earlier, so maybe he would have had a chance at the Broncos, the Browns, or the Jets job. I did not like that at all.”

This is a man with tremendous golfing talent all but thrown away because the guy has zero discipline. A drunken, woman-abusing sloth of a quitter sticking up for you isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for Chucky.

Maybe Chucky and Daly are kindred spirits? Though Joe confessed he’s unaware of Chucky ever passing out in front of a Hooters (yet).

Luke lovers need to snap out of it, writes THE PESSIMIST.

The beer gut geniuses seem to have it all figured out. Re-sign and start Luke McCown, they say with a straight face.

Yeah, like he’s the answer at quarterback in a divsion with Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Jake DelHomme. And how the hell do you have a strong opinion on a quarterback when there’s no offensive coordinator in place?

THE PESSIMIST ran into another Luke lover yesterday at Publix (they’re everywhere). He was the typical guy who just can’t think of another quarterback who could possibly start for the Bucs.

The dude gave the same pro-Luke logic. “Son of Bob sucks and Garcia isn’t the answer.”

Nobody seems to care McCown was a fourth-round pick rejected by Cleveland and rejected by Chucky. Sure, McCown showed some flashes in ’07, when he went 1-2 in starts against teams with losing records. But the guy made some bad decisions in those games. 

There’s really know reason to think he’s going to jump out of the shadows at 28 years old and lead the Bucs to a winning record. The guy can’t even chop wood.

The real answer for the Bucs is to make a major move to solidify the quarterback position. We’re talking big trade or moving up in the draft, as the free agent pool is pretty bare.

If The Dream and his new offensive guru don’t like any of the options out there, then sign Jeff Garcia and McCown for one more season, let them battle it out, and make another go at a big-name or blue-chip quarterback in 2010.

Would anyone bet the Bucs finish 9-7 or better with McCown under center next year? Didn’t think so.

Something tells Joe this guy won’t be watching the Super Bowl come Sunday… sober.

In Mel Kiper’s first mock draft, he wrote how the Bucs will choose Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman in the first round. Kiper explains the pick in this video. Bucs talk begins about the 3:30 mark.

It appears the Bucs have lured away Patriots tight end coach Pete Magurian. But Joe doesn't know is if he was hired as a coach or to pat down hot chicks entering the CITS on game days.

It appears Raheem the Dream has hired a new coach. Joe just isn’t sure what position said coach will fill.

Eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune reported Friday the Bucs were talking with Patriots tight ends coach Pete Mangurian. Since then, Mangurian has left the Patriots, so reports Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe.  Reiss suggests Mangurian is headed to Tampa Bay, and not just to party.

Mangurian, 53, is expected to hook on elsewhere – with Tampa Bay, joining the staff of new Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris.

What is curious is that no one is reporting for what position Mangurian was hired. Kaufman suggested Friday Mangurian is not a candidate for the Bucs open offensive coordinator position.

With Super Bowl week upon us and parties and festivities all over the Tampa Bay area, Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune takes a look back at the lone Bucs Super Bowl win.

Though it occured seven years ago, it seems like ancient history the way the Bucs finished the 2008 season, and lost their Super Bowl-winning coach, Chucky.

The MVP of that Super Bowl, (the good) Dexter Jackson remembers what that win meant for a number of his teammates.

“I’m not sure I understood the full magnitude of the moment. I’m looking at Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and John Lynch, just seeing their faces. I’m seeing offensive tackle Lomas Brown bawling like a baby because he finally won the Super Bowl in his 18th year. I can still see it. I wish I could freeze that moment forever.”

Jackson also remarked how Chucky owned Tampa Bay that day. He quickly went from being loved to loathed.

NationalFootballPost.com suggests the Bucs will pick Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry in the first round.

While mock drafts are a total guessing game this time of the year, they are still fun. So Joe will bring them to you from time to time.

NationalFootballPost.com has its mock draft updated just prior to tonight’s senior bowl. Unlike other mock drafts so far that have the Bucs picking a quarterback or a wide receiver, this mock draft has the Bucs picking for need, specifically Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry.

With head coach Raheem Morris now at the controls of the defense, expect him to try to infuse talent along the defensive line. The Bucs’ defense wore down toward the end of the season, and a young, penetrating tackle like Jerry would be a great fit. Perry is very underrated at this stage, but after a strong Senior Bowl performance, expect him to be the second DT off the board in April.

This is more like it. So long as the Bucs lock up Antonio Bryant they don’t need a wide receiver drafted that high. Joe isn’t sold on quarterbacks either in the first round. The Bucs need a defensive lineman in a terrible way.

Herm told Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com he only wants to be a head coach or a defensive backs coach. Hey Herm, Joe knows where there's an opening for a defensive backs coach. Please come home.

There is no NFL reporter who gets more scoops than Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com. Even when he’s not trying he gets scoops he comes up with a gem.

Sure, Adam Schefter of NFL.com breaks all sorts of stories but remember he’s an employee of the NFL front office so he’s being fed 95 percent of his “scoops.” Still, Schefter is solid.

But in Glazer’s story about Kansas City coach Herm Edwards being fired yesterday, Glazer noted that if Edwards returns to the NFL sidelines it will only be as a head coach or a defensive backs coach.

“I’m going to take until after the weekend to decide what I want to do next. I need to talk to my wife and see which direction I want to go.”

Edwards said he will decide between taking time off, doing TV, and being a defensive backs coach, a job he truly enjoyed before becoming head coach of the New York Jets. Edwards said he does not want to be a defensive coordinator.

This warms Joe’s heart. Joe has made so secret of his mancrush for Herm. Even when WDAE-AM’s Steve Duemig informed Raheem the Dream of Edwards’ firing live on the air yesterday. The Dream said he would call Herm.

Joe only hopes that phone call included a job offer.

Herm Edwards brought Raheem Morris into the NFL

Joe mentioned yesterday how Raheem Morris might talk Herm Edwards into coaching the Bucs secondary and possibly giving him an assistant head coach title, if Edwards were to lose his job as Chiefs head coach.

Well, Edwards was then fired an hour later. And informed of the development on the air with Steve Duemig, of 620 WDAE-AM, The Sports Animal, Morris said, “I’m going to call [Herm} here right now.”

Joey Johnson, of the Tampa Tribune explored the relationship between Edwards and Moris recently. It turns out Edwards gave Morris his start in the NFL.

Morris was coached during his playing days at Hofstra University by Joe Gardi, former Jets defensive coordinator during the Sack Exchange years. Morris later became an assistant coach at Hofstra and Gardi recommended him to Edwards, who was then head coach of the Jets.

One day, Jets coach Herm Edwards, whose team worked out on the Hofstra campus, was out for a jog. Gardi called him over.

“Look at my guy,” Gardi said, motioning to Morris, who was coaching the defensive backs. “Now he would be a great pro coach.”

A little later, Edwards found Morris. In a fast-talking, rat-a-tat-tat exchange, a career path was forged.

You want to work with us?

Yeah, let’s go.

Morris was given an NFL minority internship. Gardi later recommended him to Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who needed a quality-control coach.

“Monte later told me, ‘Joe, after seeing how Raheem works and how tenacious he is, you just send the next one on because anybody you recommend is solid with me,'” Gardi said.

Joe has no idea whether Edwards wants to return to Tampa, where he was the secondary coach for five season under Tony Dungy? But he’d sure be a valuable addition and a key mentor to Morris.

New Bucs coach Raheem the Dream spoke with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio Steve Duemig Friday afternoon. The interview in its entirety can be found on “The Big Dog’s” page on the station’s website.

The Dream didn’t say a whole lot but spoke in a lot of cheerleading cliches. He seems to be a likeable fellow but it’s hard to judge someone who doesn’t offer much to say.

Joe did notice that his voice inflections remind Joe of Steve Spurrier.

Aside from saying defensive backs coaches make the best NFL head coaches, the most interesting thing Dream said came near the end of the interview. Duemig informed him that former Bucs defensive backs coach and Kansas City head coach Herm Edwards was fired. The Dream then said, “I’m going to call him here right now.”

Offer Herm a job Dream!

Joe just got a phone call from a great source who played college football with a pair of former Steelers.

Apparently the NFL has Tampa Bay mixed up with Detroit or Miami. Seems the former Steelers received a letter from the NFL warning them of how Tampa Bay is such a “high crime area.”

In fact, the NFL informed the players that if they plan on coming to the Super Bowl Feb. 1, that the NFL “cannot guarentee their security” and that if the players want to avoid getting lead in their backside they should only appear at NFL sponsored events next week in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

Joe smells a rat. This is the NFL’s version of coercing players into avoiding events that haven’t paid the NFL for the right to use the three-letter acronym.

Tony Soprano would be proud!

If the Chiefs cut ties with Herm Edwards, would he ponder a return to the Bucs?

Joe has always had a soft spot for Herm Edwards. Jets fans may recoil in horror and Chiefs fans may curse aloud but Joe thinks Herm is a good coach and a damned fine man.

Herm was a solid coach with the Bucs under Father Dungy. And if Peter King’s educated guess is accurate, Herm could be had by the Bucs. And not as part of a Chucky-like trade either.

Since Scott Pioli was hired to be the Chiefs new general manager, rumors and speculation has become rampant that Herm could lose his job in Kansas City. Sort of makes sense: A new general manager would want to hire his own coach, especially when the team that just hired him has one of the worst records in the NFL.

King, writing today on SI.com, is reading the tea leaves and predicts Herm will get the pink slip soon.

New Kansas City GM Scott Pioli allowing Gunther Cunningham to leave the coaching staff with a year left on his contract to be Detroit’s defensive coordinator tells me Herman Edwards is in his final days at the helm. Why let a trusted guy walk if you’re not planning a change?

Not sure if Herm would want to be a lowly defensive backs coach after years of being a head coach. But Joe assumes if Herm could get a lofty title such as, “Royal Knighted Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs Coach” that may take some of the sting out of such a step down.

Well, that and a boatload of Benjamins.

Just play to win the game Herm!

[UPDATE: The Chiefs fired Herm late this afternoon.]

[UPDATE II: While finishing his interview with Raheem the Dream on WDAE-AM 620 this afternoon, Steve Duemig informed The Dream of Herm’s firing. The Dream said, “I’m calling him right now.” Let’s hope The Dream offers him a job in the phone call. Come home Herm.]