Clear Mistakes Can’t Raise Glazers’ Confidence
September 30th, 2009
Joe continues to try and think like a Glazer.
That means Joe tries to look at the Bucs sometimes through the minds of the currently frugal ownership group that wants the most bang for its buck from the Buccaneers.
Joe thinks the Glazers look at the winless Mark Dominik-Raheem The Dream regime and see mistake after costly mistake. These would be the Glazers’ (not Joe’s) Big 4 blunders:
1) The Glazers ponied up a $2.5 million signing bonus for Luke McCown, only to have him get traded in the preseason after sucking up loads of practice and exhibition game reps that could have gone to well-paid first round draft pick Josh Freeman. Raheem The Dream then settled on $2 million Byron Leftwich as starting QB. Leftwich will now ride out his final three months in a Bucs uniform on the bench.
2) The Bucs are paying their lone big offseason free agent signing on defense, linebacker Angelo Crowell, his full salary for the 2009 season. It’s estimated at about $2 million-plus. He came to the Bucs injured after having missed the entire 2008 season with an injury. He finally got on the field for the Bucs in the preseason and promptly went down with a season-ending injury.
3) Gaines Adams is collecting a fat paycheck from the Glazers for the 2009 season. After two seasons of subpar play, Adams was allowed to return. Clearly there were red flags about him all over the place after his first two years in pewter and red. But Raheem The Dream and Dominik determined he was worth his massive No. 4 overall pick contract to come back for another try this year.
4) Former offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinksi was hired with fanfare and fired before the season. It seems he’s on the Glazer’s payroll while he relaxes at home. In the process, expensive Josh Freeman might have less time with quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, who was named the new offensive coordinator. This whole scenario didn’t put a feather in the new regime’s cap.
On the flip side, Joe is struggling to figure out what the Glazers might be happy about. Sticking by fan favorite Cadillac Williams? Maybe they like Roy Miller? Perhaps they see value in cutting Derrick Brooks’ big contract and giving Geno Hayes a shot to shine? Does Josh Freeman arouse them?
But surely the Glazers can’t be overly impressed by the value they’re getting so far from big money offseason signings Michael Clayton and Kellen Winslow.
Joe believes the Glazers need to be significantly impressed over the remainder of the season for Raheem The Dream and Dominik to keep their jobs.
There’s plenty of time for that to happen, and Joe is surely rooting for the Bucs to take major strides in the coming weeks.
September 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Joe, no one has mentioned this but the NFL would love to have teams outside the US if it would be viable. My question is this. When the Bucs travel across the big pond to play New England will they be playing in Manchester United stadium? Could the Glazers be testing the waters for a possible relocation for the Bucs? Let’s face it, some of their decisions are very suspect. They just don’t seem like they are into it like they were when they first aquired the Bucs.
October 1st, 2009 at 11:33 am
JK, You are not the only one who has pondered that very same question.
It came to me a few days or maybe even a week ago now when I read an article about the NFL looking to expand world wide and possibly create interest in teams over seas. Since the Glazers already own a team over their, they may be looking to relocate the Bucs as well. Surely it is obviousthat many of their decisions as of this year especially has been highly questionable!
October 9th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
JK, no the game is in London at the new Wembley stadium. I think it highly unlikely that the Bucs would relocate to Manchester for the following reasons:
1. Security. The Glazers are hated in Manchester.
2. Soccer has to be played on natural grass. The pitch in Manchester regularly has to be relaid 2-3 times a season as the very high, all round stands prevent wind and sun ventilating the grass properly. the soccer season is August-May and it is virtually a non runner to ‘allow’ another sport to cause significant wear and tear to the surface. As it is, the rugby grand final is played at the Manchester ground each October and the soccer manager always complains about how rugby players damage the pitch, but as it is an annual one-off it is tolerated for the money it brings in.
3. The new Wembley stadium is an very expensive white elephant. Only a handful of soccer games are played there each year. The FA (football association) that owns it are desperate to attract money by persuading other sports to play games there.
4. American football has tried and failed to win an audience in Europe. It is seen as a novelty. I very much doubt playing each week in England or Europe would be financially viable.