Glazers Don’t Believe In Public Coddling
December 29th, 2009
Not even John Lynch knows what will happen with Raheem the Dream.
The football equivalent of alarm bells and sirens thoughout the Tampa Bay area went off Sunday when Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reported the Bucs approached Bill Cowher to gauge his interest in coming to the Bucs.
On paper, it appears Raheem the Dream has saved his job with two straight road wins, the latter against the Saints being the biggest upset in Bucs history.
But Bryan and Joel have done nothing to dismiss — or confirm — the Cowher rumors, leaving poor Raheem the Dream to twist in the wind.
Don’t expect Bryan and Joel to make any public statements either, so reports Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The rookie head coach whose team has won at Seattle and New Orleans to improve Tampa Bay’s record to 3-12, is operating under a presumption that he will be retained because Joel and Bryan Glazer, who run the team for their father, owner Malcolm Glazer, have not told him otherwise.
The Glazers have not made a public statement in support of Morris — something they have never done for any head coach — even as the media and fans are clamoring for a sign either way, in light of the team’s record.
Morris said he has not received assurance of his future from the Glazers, and talked around admitting he would like to have assurance he will be back in 2010.
Meanwhile, scant few people know if Raheem the Dream will get dumped into the bay following Sunday’s game; win or lose.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:50 am
I guess I’m one of the scant few. If you look at the season as a whole (not just the last few games), it’s been pathetic. I still think the Bucs have to beat the Falcons for Morris to have a decent chance to return. And, it would be nice if they played the first half too for a change.
With regards to the Cowher talk, when there’s smoke, there’s fire. So, the Glazers appear to be preparing for a change. The question is will they pull the trigger and is Cowher even interested in the job.
Steve White has an interesting take on it. He believes Morris was a short-term solution from day 1.
December 29th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Let’s look back at the history of the Glazers shall we?
With Tony Dungy – there was a public outcry that Tony just “couldn’t win the big one” and he was let go. Few people believed that the Glazers would bring in Gruden in fact Jon wasn’t in the “front runner” category.
Last year at the end of the season many fans, myself included, screamed bloody murder about the Bucs losing their last 4 and missing the playoffs. It seemed like the team had just “given up”. While I was one who was calling for a Gruden change I have to admit I was surprised when it actually occured – especially so late in the season.
I was even more surprised at the announcement of the replacement, Raheem Morris, an untested vertial unknown replacing a Super Bowl winning coach – it just didn’t seem to be a fit/match.
As this year has progressed it has become evident to me that Jon Gruden did wonders last year producing a 9-7 record. The players this year were handicapped with a revolving coaching door, inexperience at the coaches position and players postion as well.
When Raheem started the season he promised to “stay the course” which was a total lie. This team, with the exception of the offensive line, was disassembled and the coaches attempted some really stupid experiements: Moving Jermain Phillips from FS to LB, Changing the defensive line from a 1-gap to a 2-gap system, etc.,
While I am not a Morris fan I will/have given him credit for relieving Bates and since that time the Bucs defense has performed at the level that I had expected prior to the beginning of the season.
Will Morris remain at the Bucs HC in 2010? Personally I would much rather see Cowher come into One Buc Place – but I don’t write the checks so… 😉
December 29th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
The point has been proven. Imagine how good of a D coordinator “Radio” could have been with an excellant coach above him from the start. I believe “Radio” has proven that he has the talent to be a D coordinator in a good coaching staff. He certainly is many years off from being even a decent HC. I think that ultimately, like Zorn, he will hurt his own stock if he continues to be a piss poor HC regardless of his Coordinating skill. Zorn will be lucky to get a QB coach job at the Pop Warner level after two really crappy seasons with quite a bit of talent wasted. Zorn and Raheem should do there time if they get the chance at the assistant coach level. It will help them to make longer term coaching careers and may be able to resurrect there careers before they are over. Go BUCS!
December 29th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
But even zorn got 2 years …. And improvement speaks wonders when you had as big a roster turnover as the bucs
December 29th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Justin wrote “…even Zorn got 2 years…”
And look what the Redskins did in their 2nd year. I mean look at the President he gets 4 years. All that means is there is more time to do more damage.
Admit it Glazers – you made a mistake, don’t compound it, correct it.
To bad the US can’t do the same… 🙁
December 29th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
They should give him another year. many experienced rookie coaches had the same type of rookie season (Noll, Walsh, Johnson, Parcells, etc). I guess you guys would have fired these men as well, for they also had some odd decisions during those times. Now, Cowher did have a winning rookie season. If Morris stays another year and does not work out, he will be hired as a DC somewhere. Belichick had a horrible time with the Browns, and five years later he gets the head coach job in NE. The people in the system know when someone has potential. It may have served Morris better to have been the DC for a few years, but that does not mean he can not turn this thing around. the team plays hard for him, and that is important. If someone else comes in now, we start over and have another bad year…than what? Will you all call to get rid of Cowher or some other coach? How many Super Bowl coaches win when they leave for another team? Which ones have won with two or more teams?
December 29th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
hey Chuck talking about potential – Gaines Adams had lots of potential that’s why the Bucs drafted him and gave him 4 years….so much for potential.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Lets give Morris two years, In EXILE !!!!
December 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Mr Lucky, maybe you think that about all the great coaches that had bad rookie years as well. Thank god you are not in control of a football team. Not that I would be any better, but you can not argue that he is in good company when it comes to bad rookie years for rookie coaches, can you? The Bucs are not the first team to draft someone that did not work out. It is not like no one thought Adams would be a ggreat pick up before he was a bust.