Bucs Hire “Aggressive” Pro To Run PR Operation
May 4th, 2010
"Look, this guy's worth the money."
With the help of former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, Team Glazer sought a power player to run its Bucs media relations operation and has found a true professional to deliver the team message.
His name is Jonathan Grella, and he seems to be from the pit bull school of Beltway relations, having worked for Tom DeLay and played Republican strategist on CNN.
And Tom DeLay’s former spokesman Jonathan Grella had such a forceful, tackling-esque personality himself that when he was employed by the then-House speaker, his email address was aggressive@mail.house.gov. (That’s no joke.)
More recently, Grella, a popular fixture on the D.C. social scene (especially when donning his trademark captain’s hat) was working in the private sector on energy issues. Still, he’d been interested in the “intersection of sports and PR for awhile,” he told POLITICO. And with the help of his pal, former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, Grella got the gig with the Buccaneers.
On the surface, it might seem like the Bucs hired a fully-armed guard to protect their cone of silence and effectively channel the team’s rebuilding message, but Joe sees Grella as a great savvy veteran who can teach Raheem The Dream; Grella’s a former college professor.
Joe suspects the head coach just got a hell of a lot better in front of the microphone. So the upcoming season surely won’t be as much fun.
Though considering Grella describes himself as “aggressive,” and he’s a Republican, Joe suspects nobody will censor Raheem to stop him from saying “violent” this year.
May 4th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Shock and Awe
May 4th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Not to worry Joe, did W ever improve his speech, and he had Ari himself.
Im thinking were heading for many juicy quotes from our friend the Dream. Especially the glorious Monday news conferences.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
JimBuc, are congratulations in order on your new gig?
May 4th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Jake, what makes you think it is a “new gig?”
May 4th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Why is experienced free agent from outside the organization hired here, yet we’re allergic to those guys when they’re players?
May 4th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
‘Republican’ and ‘Aggressive’ don’t go together. Kind of like oil and water.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
They spent way more time on this decision than to hire the Dream as coach!
Where was the damn consultant then!
May 4th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Maybe they’ll now be able to articulate “the plan”.
May 4th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
If he made the Republicans look good he can do wonders for the Bucs image.
May 4th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Hell all they have to do is read the local message boards
here
bucschat.com
pewterreport.com
offical buc.com
and between the 3 of them
the could detect which way the wind blows
May 4th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
@Jake:
Exactly, my favorite target Jimbuc has been in P.R. for quite some time on this site.
I just hope Mr. Aggressive takes some reasonable and realistic positions publicly unlike our Spin Doctor (and I sure hope he has a decent memory and doesnt conveniently forget his prior positions), but that is of course doubtful.
Has anybody considered why these guys need a P.R. guru to deliver this completely honest and straightforward football decision to improve (tongue-in-cheek) intially and almost exclusively through the draft?
My guess is because it is b.s. and they realize that it smells like b.s. to reasonable followers of the team. Just think if the world were full of Jimbucs, the org to do whatever they wanted and so long as they say “it is our plan and these are not decisions to cut costs” they would full support even after 3-13. What incentive would there be to win.
We “haters” keep these folks in check. We ought to be thanked. All hail to the haters!!
May 4th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
You know its the offseason when:
a story about hiring a PR guy gets some play
(cue Allen Iverson … we’re talkin about PR guy man, PR guy . . )
You know you are on a Buccaneer “fan” football blog when:
“fans” find a way to turn the hiring of a front office, non-football person into a negative about the team . . . ridiculous.
(Thomas, you never disappoint. I think I here your Mom calling. Time for you to go home)
May 4th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Oops . . .
May 4th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Most teams dont need a political spin doctor to get the “message” out to the fans,apparently they don’t to you Jimbuc.
But Joe,I and others think that this relevant, potentially revealing and most importantly on a blog fodder for commenters.
One day you sheep (yes you Jimbuc and really just a selective few others) will realize that the opposing viewpoint should not be threatening (in fact Jimbuc has not said one thing that I found to be an excellent point – while other sheep have) it should be encouraged or your positions would be irrelevant,
So, Jimbuc,please, please dont go home, we want you to keep commenting or we would lose our whipping post. I am happy to go home to mommy, but I will bring my laptop so I can pummel your weak positions while she tucks me in..
May 4th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Joe here,
Thomas – Joe really doesn’t think this hire is particularly anything more than something of note for fans, unless the guy can rush the passer. Every team has a message and an image to get out into the community. Might as well have a qualified guy in place.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Hey, I’m not down on this move. Hell, they spent some money — I’m estatic! Too bad the money wasn’t spent on the field.
May 4th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Joe,
You dont mean that somewhere in your conscious or subconscious you didnt think that this would be interesting at all to us, particularly those who believe that there is more to this shift from experienced leadership and players to inexperienced leadership and players,do you?
May 4th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Joe here,
Thomas – Sure it’s interesting. If Joe’s interested, it gets on the site. That written, Joe will have to check his subconcsious and get back to you. 😉
The conspiracy types might say the Bucs needed a real PR heavy hitter to be braced effectively for what could happen after and during a losing season complete with blackouts. …But, really, the hire isn’t that fascinating. And I say that because if Grella resigns tomorrow, nobody would really care.
May 4th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Hey you can never tell who is important at one buc place. We would have never known that Kareem Huggins was the MVP last year until the Dream let it slip.
This guy could be the key!
May 4th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Eric you are too funny. You really HATE Morris and I mean with a capital H. Maybe the new PR guy will send you an autographed picture of Morris and Huggins at practice. Maybe that will help you with your anger problems 🙂
May 4th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Jimbuc
Thanks for the concern. I think what i really need are some of those happy glazer pills which would place me in the delusional state of believing that Raheem Morris is a bona fide NFL head coach. I know you have an endless supply of those.
But i will take the pictures if you are offering them in your official capacity.
May 4th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I will make sure you get a picture because I don’t even believe Morris is a bona fide NFL head coach.
May 4th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Thank you Mr. Grella, you are off to a good start.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Nice job Jimbuc!! We all lovingly agree at least about Rah.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Thomas, I think it is very unlikely that you and I would agree on anything, but one can dream.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
“I don’t even believe Morris is a bona fide NFL head coach.” Jimbuc 4 comments earlier.
I agree!!! Now maybe Keith Olbermann and Sean Hannity can come to an agreement on Obama.
There is always hope for an accord my friend! Maybe next we will agree on the zit-faced GM. I am sorry but I just can’t resist a little-jab.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
This whole thing is gross
May 4th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Was the devil busy?
May 5th, 2010 at 12:15 am
I don’t see how this can be construed in any way but a positive. Every professional sports organization has an identical position with perhaps some variance in the titles. Call him what you will but we all want someone that can help the organization in any way possible. He appears to be fully vetted and highly qualified and when you have a team with a winning tradition that is young and in a rebuilding stage there’s going to be growing pains and lots of issues to deal with. He will no doubt have his hands full but if he can handle the pressures of working for high profile politicians and is a seasoned veteran in the media spotlight he can really help ease the pressures and perhaps help coach the coaches and players so that they can focus on winning football games instead of dealing with a sometimes insensitive media and ever growing impatient but loyal fan base.
May 5th, 2010 at 5:42 am
I don’t think he can improve Morris’s press conferences. The guy is a complete idiot
May 5th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Anyone care to explain why a football franchise would need high-powered political spin-doctors?
The Glazers obviously see the writing on the wall. Another horrible season, an empty stadium with blackouts, and an increasingly angry media and fan base.
May 5th, 2010 at 8:01 am
You can’t put PR on a pile of shit…
May 5th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Gotta love that Mookie states (correctly) that the news is nothing but positive only to have a few dopes come right behind him and post negative comments. LOL. Too freakin funny. Lots of “fans” on here wishing nothing but the best for their team.
May 5th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Uh . . . Jerry . . . . the answer is because they recently lost one? The Bucs did not hire a PR guy to fill a new position they hired him to fill an empty exisiting position.
Oh my! That cannot be . . . I thought they were broke and not spending any money???
May 5th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Anyone been on the buc’s new official website? I couldn’t find their message board. I guess that’s the new p.r. guy’s first move. No relations with the public.
May 6th, 2010 at 7:42 am
that would actually be a great PR move , gbuc.
That message board is a cess-pool.