“Have We A Ram Among The Sheep?”
August 25th, 2010
Learning of Sabby Piscitelli speaking out today in a big way about his “demotion,” as the Bucs’ defensive mastermind/head coach called it yesterday, reminded Joe of one of his favorite Star Trek moments.
That was when the evil Khan (Ricardo Montalban) stares down tough guy Captain Kirk, raises his eyebrow and says, “Have we a ram among the sheep?”
Sabby publicly questioned the integrity of his competition with Sean Jones and moaned about how he was advised of the demotion, per Tampa Tribune veteran beat scribe Woody Cummings.
It was a shot directed squarely at the head coach.
What little Piscitelli said on the matter didn’t sit well with Bucs coach Raheem Morris. One day after saying Jones won the job because he was the more physical player in practice and preseason games, Morris suggested Piscitelli’s approach to the competition might have played a role in his losing it.
“If he thinks that way then that’s probably why he didn’t get it,” Morris said of he starting job. “I think you go out there and you do your very best at everything you do. That’s Sabby’s problem at this point. Again, that’s Sabby’s problem, not mine.”
Joe can’t recall any other active Buccaneers player speaking out against the current regime, in this case essentially blasting the manhood and integrity of his head coach, who quite clearly said multiple times the Jones-Piscitelli competition was a fair battle among men.
Can this be tolerated from a player who stinks, a second-round pick that can’t start in his fourth season?
Joe suspects not. Joe thinks it would send a heck of a message to send this “ram” out to pasture.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Who cares. Sabby is Garbage.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I agree Joe, and that was a great seen. I have a feeling Sabby may have put a nail in the coffin.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
See Joe,
This is what you get in return for dropping the nicknames.
Now Sabby thinks he can control anything by complaining.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Calling Sabby a ram is an insult… To rams everywhere.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
What kills me is all the people on the other article saying that Jones and Sabby are equal, I just saw it a bit different. Jones is no HOF safety, but he is an upgrade from Sabby. He is more consistent and reliable.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
You just can’t say things like that and not expect some backlash. I would love to hear Steve Whites take.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Yes , we really noticed that upgrade against the CHiefs as our starting defense got TORCHED…
August 25th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Bucfanjeff…I agree. That may have been the kiss of death.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
First of all, watching the press conference today I loved the way Rah handled the situation. Cut right to the chase. Sabby and Clayton are clearly on the trading block right now. To bad they couldn’t work a deal with the Vikings.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Sabby may very well get cut now, for having it out with our mushmouthed leader , Rah , but I have a prediction to make:
Sabby will be playing somewhere in this league next year , be it as a backup or a special teamer , and Raheem will no longer be a head coach. So , who get’s the last laugh ??
August 25th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Radio, you simply have an issue with the coaching staff. If Sabby would have been named the starter you would have said it was due to age, or something along those lines. You are consistent at your hatred at least, but it also blinds you from seeing that this was the right move to make. Lake should have told him in a more appropriate manner, but Sabby should have kept his mouth shut as well.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Jones brings the wood whereas Sabby gets run-over.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Stupid move by Sabby. Horrible P.R. for him personally, bad for the team.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
I think Sabby is more like a wild Mouflon Ram.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Time will tell if it’s the right move or not , McBuc. If the defense plays the way it did against the CHiefs , the 1st game Sean Jones started , then the move didn’t do a damn thing for us.
I don’t really think it’s a good idea to cut talented young players though, if you really are building for the future. As dissappointing as Sabby has been , he does have more upside than Jones with his physical ability. I don’t think anyone can deny that.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Yeah…another guy who’s blaming the coach for not keeping his spot, just what we need. Clayton part deux.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Never a competition, huh? What a joke! Here’s a thought Sabby, make a play every so often and MAKE it a competition. I keep reading about how he gets burned in training camp, and he didn’t set the world on fire in the preseason either. If he even had one “splash” play, maybe he could make that argument. So what exactly has he done to even warrant a competition? He now seems like the type of person who expects things to be handed to him. Sorry Sabby, now go to the back of the line.
McBuc, you are absolutely right. Some people are going to criticize the coach no matter what he does. If he started Sabby, they would complain. Now that he’s not, they are still complaining. We get it, you don’t like the coaches. Okay, he’s going to be fired. That’s old news, you’ve said it a million times. Haters please stop bitching about stupid things all the time, you sound like a nagging woman. If I want to hear that, I’ll go in my living room. You have a right to not like the coach, just stop complaining just to hear yourself complain. How can you really justify complaining about Sabby and Zuttah not starting??? I’m sure you will have plenty to complain about this year after we lose a game (it won’t matter whether it’s our first game or last game, you will still complain), but give it a rest for a while.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Radio, after your racist comments on the last article you have no cred anymore. You also do not know if the Bucs would have stood up, many times in the past the defense has started slow. The Chiefs did not jack the score up on the starters either. You also cannot blame the decent running attach by the Chiefs on Jones alone. I never said they should cut Sabby, and he may be able to redeem himself with the coaching staff, but typically when a player comes out like that, they want to move on and the coaches do as well. Upside and potential are great, but they are not always met either.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
I think Grimm and Lynch have more upside the Sabby. Hopefully Sabby is cut.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Upside equates to physical talent, Charlie. Niether Grimm or Lynch are 6’3 224 like Sabby , nor are they as fast as he is. So, no , they have less upside.
Doesn’t mean they wont be better players , I actually think Lynch and Grimm can be good, but we are talking upside.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Sabby’s going to take his ball and go home.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
I guess we have differing definitions. Upside to me equates to potential as a player. Physical talent is an element, but instincts are a part of it to me as well. Sabby has very questionable instincts. Grimm, on the other hand, seems to have a knack for being in the right place.
If both were sitting there in the draft, sure. I’d agree. But after seeing Sabby play for a year against the pro’s, his upside has diminished in my mind. Just like JaMarcus Russel is filled with physical talent, no one would say he has an upside any more.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I say go Rah, keep it up, you sounded like a NFL Coach for the first time ever today IMO.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Eric , we don’t need him to sound like a NFL coach , we need him to coach like a NFL coach….hell, I’d settle for him coaching like a College coach.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
It’s hard to feel sorry for someone who was first in missed tackles last year in the entire league. Not just safties, but LB’s; Corners; Lineman; everybody.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
gee……didn’t the wheels start coming off Raheem Morris about this same time last year ?
August 25th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
My two cents:… Did sabby suck last year?, YES! Did the whole team suck last year? YES! Did sabby have a lot of missed tackles last year? YES! Was there a lot of running backs making it into our secondary last year? YES! Should a good running back get tackled in the open field? NO! Is sabby a young player in development?, YES! Should a unproven safety(in our system)coming to a new team steal a job from a young player based on glorified practices? NO! That being said I’m not the head coach or the GM and they know and see a lot more than we do… So with that being said, I’m excited to see how the choice they made pans out. I’m not gonna question dom’s moves until he makes a bad one.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Oh and I can’t stand that stupid shoulder shrug thing he does after he makes a play.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
mushmouth, do you know how many ex-nfl players there are sitting on their couches at home on sundays who also had upside and potential? those are two dangerous words to have describing you as a player. i’ll take instincts over physical potential.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Gee, I wonder who was around to “coach” Piscitelli last year. Oh, thats right, you have to coach yourself on a Raheem the Dream team!
I’m glad Piscitelli spoke up. Raheem pulled this same crap last year with Sluggo & McCown. There never was a competition because it was all stacked against McCown. Piscitelli was around last year and is inthe locker room this year. So maybe he knows a little more about what goes on than Joe or the other Media. If there is something wrong, maybe it’s time a player speaks out and the truth comes to light, no matter what that truth is!
August 25th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Good players show up no matter how bad their surrounding team may be. This is one of the biggest problems the Bucs have right now. No one wants to take the lead and say Don’t worry; I’ve got it. Not everyone can be a Warren Sapp, but someone needs to be a Paul Gruber or a Hardy Nickerson. Take charge and make some of your teamates accountable for their play or lack of. I’d really like Jeff Faine to take on the co leadership role on offense with Freeman & on Defense Tanard Jackson and Aquib Talib should be more vocal leaders as well. Players respond better from their peers instead of just their coaches. That is why Ray Lewis and the Ravens are so successful.
August 25th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
“Truth is” Sabby’s the worst tackler in the entire league. Now that’s a fact!
August 25th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Well said Tampa 2 !!! I agree !!
August 25th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Sabby had 2 years with one of the best defensive coaches of all time. It’s not like this is his second year in the league! Leftwich and McCown were nothing more than stop gap QB’s anyway so what does it matter. Neither of them is worth a crap as far as frachise QB’s go.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Dont agrre with raheem on alot of things but what he said in responce to Sabby I can miss a tackle was great . Morris said if he had that attitude that is why he probaly did not win the battle.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Geez even ERIC would agree with me on this one…..
CUT SORRY PISCITELLI’S ASS!!!!!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
It’s ridiculous to compare this to Leftwich/McCown. First of all, they both sucked in preseason last year. I really liked McCown and wanted him to win the job, but he did nothing to warrant it. I think you are forgetting how bad he was (if you want to talk about McCown getting screwed, it was by Gruden the year before when he started Griese over him against Atlanta). They both sucked, Leftwich sucked a little less, and they were both only temporary until Freeman was ready. McCown had some trade value, Jacksonville needed a backup, and no way in hell were they taking Leftwich back after that divorce. Stop turning everything around to bad coaching. Even a terrible coach can make some good decisions, and no matter what you think of Raheem, this was the right decision. Hell, even some of Raheem’s biggest critics can admit that!
If you want to talk about a conspiracy, then talk about if Ward gets the backup job over Huggins. If that’s the case, then I would agree there was definitely no competition there.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
If Sabbitha feels that way then they should clearly cut Clayton.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Sabby’s problem is between his ears.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Raheem’s problem is between his ears too.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Remember the old Dungy approach:
No excuses
No explanations
Rah made some headway in that department. If he keeps applying it to other situations like Clayton and Ward, his players not only will like him but will respect and fear him – a huge component IMO.
At least the dude spoke from the heart, and not some half ass company line.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Ummm. wrong Eric.
Dungy would never have let a guy find out he’s benched via text message. Dungy was a man , and he would tell you to your face.
The fact that he didn’t have the balls to do it leads me to believe that deep down he knows it wasn’t desesrved also…
August 25th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
@ eric
Agreed! I’ve heard Rah use the “No Excuses” mantra numerous times during his pressers (most recently about the field conditions during the Dolphins game) but it always felt like they were just empty words. Today was the first day I saw him apply it.
Lastly, you are absolutely correct again on the Ward/Clayton decisions. If he makes those moves in favor of unproven/more productive players that may signal the beginnings of us having a coach we can believe in ; )
August 25th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
“No excuses”….i will remember that when the team is 1-9 through the 1st ten games and Raheem is telling us why he should stick around….
August 25th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Radio, hate Raheem much?
So what will happen if the team is successful? What will you write about then?
August 25th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
You do that Mush.
August 25th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Sabby should squeeze that neck of Morris and pop that puss filled head of his. He wouldnt make a pimple on any NFL coaches ass . Break down some more film Raheem thats what your good for!!!
August 26th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Once again Sabby to tackle things using the wrong angle. Even if it wasn’t a “real” competition and more of an audition…who cares? He should be lucky there was even a competitio at all after his performance last year.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Maybe if Sabby had texted his feelings to Rah, Morris wouldn’t be so irked. Look, I think Discotelli is awful, but Morris was his position coach for awhile, and I have a feeling Sabby knows Rah is in way over his head.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:49 am
Maybe if the Glazers text Rah to tell him he’s fired , we won’t be so irked either….
That day will be sometime in December by the way. Party at my house.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Uh, Morris did not text him, Lake did. The position coach is the one that breaks the news. I guess the CEO at some of your companies gives you reviews instead of your supervisor.
August 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
McBuc,
In this case the CEO (Rah) is the one that is “irked” with what Sabby said. And since the CEO’s underlings, the supervisors, like to communicate demotions via text, that is why I wrote what I wrote. By the way, who is your supervisor – the fry guy or the drive thru girl?
August 26th, 2010 at 9:32 am
All Sabby defenders can point to are his “physical tools.” The fact of the matter is he was given every opportunity to solidify himself as the starting SS for years and years and he flat out BLEW IT. Missed tackles, missed assignments, bad angles, the list goes on and on. Physical tools are great and all but it’s numbers that dictate a player and Sean Jones has put up FAR superior numbers in his career and has proven he can at least make plays every once in a while.
Speaking of “physical tools,” here’s a list of some other players that were said to have great physical tools: JaMarcus Russell, Matt Jones, Courtney Brown, Vernon Gholston , Mike Williams, Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich, the list goes on and on. I’ll take a proven player any day of the week. Sean Jones is no pro-bowler, but to say he’s not an upgrade over Sabby is, in my opinion, ludicrous.
August 26th, 2010 at 9:35 am
KJ:
At least Mandarich was a serviceable player for a number of years. He didn’t come close to living up to the hype but he was an average if not a decent player.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Sounds like Sabby thinks he was entitled to the starting job… LOLOLOLOLOL
The reality is TJ and Sean Jones will start and Grimm and Lynch have been making very strong cases to be the backups due to their great special teams play.
Sabby was probably going to be a backup but now might just be cut. Raheem is the one who was behind drafting him from day one and now Sabby is burning that bridge.
ADIOS Sabby, maybe you and Clayton can share the exit row on your flight out.
August 26th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Lightningbuc…LOL, the fry guy!
August 26th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Lightning…BTW, There is no excuse for texting the news to Sabby, I was just pointing out that it is Lake’s job to tell his players.
If I went on TV and blew up- about the Fry Guy, than yes., Ronald would be upset as well. It makes the organization look bad. This should have been taken care of in house.
August 26th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Radio I’ll be at that party. Fire Raheem, I mean, Fire them Cannons!
I can’t wait any longer for Joel to fire raheem via Twitter!
August 26th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Hell yes Javier ….karma is a b*tch, and it will catch up to Raheem the Dream !! Fire his ass with a public tweet 🙂