Bucs Should Show Dignity: Trade Ronde Barber
October 18th, 2009
There are few Bucs Joe admires and respects more than Ronde Barber, even if he has foolish things to say about the fourth estate, an institution not only he has dabbled in, but his brother works in.
So Joe writes the following with a heavy heart: Do the right thing Mark Dominik: Trade Barber by Tuesday’s trade deadline.
There’s no need for Barber to have his final year(s) of his wonderful career stained by Jim Bates. Surely there is a playoff contender that could use a cornerback. Barber needs to go out on a winner with dignity and honor, not the dishonor and shame Bates has saddled the Bucs with.
The last thing Barber needs is to play for some headstrong coordintor that is bound and determined to force players to play his defense, even though teams are lighting up the same defense game after game after game.
Bates reminds Joe of a captain of a ship that is off shore hundreds of miles, yet is ablaze. Bates is determined to get the ship ashore before he pulls out the fire hoses.
Like the captain of said ship, Bates will get his way.
The Bucs, like the ship, will go down in flames.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Joe well said – Unfortunately Rhonde wouldn’t bring much in return – maybe a 3rd round pick but it should be done for the sake of dignity.
In retrospect maybe it was more respectful in how the Bucs treated Derrick Brooks that letting Rhonde tangle in the wind.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Good article but I think you should write one on Michael Clayton.. He has to go! If they can acknowledge that they screw up on him maybe I’ll have some respect towards dumbminick and 0-heem then maybe mayyybe one day they’ll do the same to his girlfriend Josh freeman when the time comes and he’s a proven bust.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Joe here,
Culverhouse, Joe beat up on Clayton last week. And Joe assures you he will write more about Clayton later.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
It would definitely be the right move for Ronde but not the right move for the Bucs. He’s still getting paid and he’s still playing hard. He’s doing a job and being paid well to do it. If we traded him off because he didn’t deserve to go through this season with the team that would send a terrible message to the rest of the team who risk their health every week to play a violent game.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Joe, hope you don’t forget to write something up on Antonio Bryant giving up just prior to the last play. While he was smokin’ and jokin’ with the Panther CB, Penn, Zuttah and Johnson were screaming and waving to get his ass in gear. Hell, Clayton was 40 yd downfield and sprinted back and beat Bryant back to the line of scrimmage!! JJ couldn’t call a play because he barely had time to get the snap off!! Bryant needs a broom stick broken off in his ass for giving up like that! Other than that, I thought the guys played hard, but this one step forward, two steps back crap is getting old!
October 18th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Sorry, Joe, I don’t agree.
I’m just thinking of when we (the Rays) sent Adam Kennedy to Oakland, so he could be a starter/because it was the right thing to do. In return we got a player we never used, and Kennedy killed us when the A’s came to town. Oh, yeah, and we needed a second baseman not long after he left.
Moral of the story? You don’t ship off players for their dignity, you do it for our needs. Right now we need Barber. If for some reason we got an superb return, then yes, we could ship him, but until that day comes, forget the dignity stuff. It could really bite you in the ass.
October 18th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
GREAT point Justin!!
October 18th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Trade him. This isn’t baseball, where pitchers can throw into their 40s. If they can get a 4th rounder, then let Mack finish out the season. Nothing to lose.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I say trade him. Even if we get a 3rd for him that is a draft pick we can use to rebuild. The way this team drafts early, a 3rd or 4th might be more valuable than a first or 2nd.