Dominik Wants The Bucs In Pain This Afternoon
January 8th, 2011
When football kicks off this afternoon in Seattle, with the loser Seahawks hosting the Saints, Mark Dominik wants his young Bucs team watching and agonizing.
He wants them bitter watching the two teams the Bucs pounded the past two Sundays fight it out to move on in the playoffs and gobble their share of postseason money.
Speaking Thursday to hosts Ron Diaz and former Bucs guard Ian Beckles on WDAE-AM 620, Dominik was asked by Beckles to give his take on what will keep the Bucs motivated and a step ahead of the competition now that they’ve tasted a little success and teams will be taking them very seriously in 2011.
Dominik didn’t hesitate with a response.
“It’s the fact that we didn’t make the playoffs. They realize they’re going to sit at home [today] and they’re going to watch the New Orleans Saints travel to the Seattle Seahawks and say, ‘We just beat those teams the last two weeks and we’re not playing.’ And I think that’s going to be the thing that’s really going to help motivate them.” Dominik said. “We’re certainly going to keep that throttle down. I know the coaches will, and I know Coach Morris will.
Talking more about staying hungry, Dominik went on to identify Brian Price and Kregg Lumpkin as two players he’s excited about and who should be chomping at the bit to return for 2011. “There are still hungry players on this roster,” Dominik said.
Joe, too, will be in pain watching this game knowing the Bucs could have made some noise in the playoffs. At this point, Joe’s just hoping the Seahawks somehow bury the Saints and turn the NFL upside down by winning the NFC.
January 8th, 2011 at 11:25 am
LOVE IT!!! Hunger starting already. All these Bucs want is to win championships and 2011 could just be that year. It doesn’t matter about the negotiations or lockouts. If Freeman wants a ring, hr’ll get the whole team to practice over the offseason.
Super Bowl 46 here we come!!!
GO BUCS!
January 8th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Where is the SB nest year?
January 8th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Joe,
If the Seachickens beat the Saints tomorrow then it legitimizes their awful candidacy for the playoffs. No 7-9 team should make the playoffs. Ever.
I hope they get shut out 42-0 and their fans are forced to watch what happens when a wretched team like theirs gets to play with non-NFC West teams.
January 8th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
I second that Tom. If a team doesn’t have at least an even record, they should be disqualified. Playoffs are for winners. A losing record does not represent a winning team regardless of their division standing.
January 8th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Joe here,
Think the playoff system is just fine. It’s a division setup. It works. Look at it big picture over the last how many years, it works out just fine.
January 8th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Is Dominik implying that Lumpkin could be a legitimate #2 back for the Bucs? If so it would have been nice if the Bucs could have gotten Lumpkin enough carries THIS YEAR to know what they have in him going into the offseason.
January 8th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
I’m sorry but I was under the impression the best playoff system was the one that introduced the best teams in a given league so they could play against each other in an elimination format.
But in case you are wondering the NFL is the only major US professional sports league to have 4-team divisions across the board. Which is something they implemented wayyy back in the olden days of 2002.
When you have such small divisions and an automatic qualifier for the “best” team in a 4 team division you can end up making NFL history with a sub .500 team being given a privilege handed to what is supposed to be the best 12 teams in a 32 team league while teams with records well above .500 are left out.
Joe must like the BCS as well.
January 9th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Tom…I that sun par team moves on, and the Saints go marching home. Remembirds those Warner lead? This just proves the “any given Sunday (or Saturday)” thing. The NFL also wants to market to the entire country, so they will not change the play offs any time soon.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
I did not see a team this entire weekend that I did not think the Bucs could beat.
NO vs Seattle… From what I saw the Bucs could have and would have beat either.
GB vs Philly… I saw nothing from Philly and little from GB, although they looked good on defense. Still think the bUcs could have beat either.
Oh well, stay hungry my friends..