Faine Talks About The Pain Of Larsen’s Demotion
September 23rd, 2011
Jeff Faine points out that more than one Buccaneer hit the bench last week
There’s nothing pretty about getting yanked from a starting gig after one game, especially on the heels of the general manager talking you up through the offseason.
That’s what happened to Ted Larsen. The second-year guard Mark Dominik plucked from the waiver wire last year hit the bench last week in favor of Jeremy Zuttah.
Speaking solemnly on The Jeff Faine Show tonight on WQYK-AM 1010 with multimedia czar J.P. Peterson, Faine gave his take on Larsen’s demotion and likened it to Brian Price getting the nod over Roy Miller after one game.
“It was two things,” Faine said. “Larsen did get banged up early in the preseason. He may have came back too early. … But Zuttah, I have to give him credit. I think he had a little bit of a better camp, a little bit better preseason games. Zuttah is a great competitor. I think the world of the kid. … He’s transformed his body [over his time on the Bucs]. … He hit the weights hard.
“It’s uncomfortable. There’s a little uneasiness addressing it with Ted. Ted’s a starter in the NFL. It’s just Zuttah is a little better.
“The first couple of days when I guy get’s deomoted, It’s hard. It happened With Roy Miller and Brian Price.”
Joe must express that Faine was answering a caller’s question about how the locker room deals with a guy losing his job. Faine was clearly treading carefully out of respect to Larsen.
What Joe found interesting was the Miller-Price analogy. With all the happiness and excitment surrounding Price making a comeback and getting a starting nod, Joe lost sight of the fact that Miller was sent to the bench in favor of a guy (Price) that claimed to be playing at about 65 percent. That must have been brutally hard for Miller to take, as well as very telling about his future on the Bucs.
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:49 pm
JOE- Can u show me a map highlighting where the game wont be blacked out? I live in daytona beach and its still blacked out all the way over here .I went to the opener and have tickets for the monday night game but im not sure what im going to do this sunday please help..
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Joe here,
You can go to The506.com for a map. Otherwise, just call your local FOX affiliate or check their schedule online.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Great. So Larsen was second best and younger but still got the call on opening day. Roy Miller blows. Nice hardworking backup at best.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I vacation in Daytona, & I think the reason they’re blacked out is that their Fox affiliate is in Orlando, which is blacked out. However, local sports bars could prolly get the game legally. I havn’t tested that theory, but it’s worth a try.
September 23rd, 2011 at 9:48 pm
I don’t believe Zuttah is the answer at left guard long-term. I personally like Zuttah at Center if he can improve his snap in the shotgun. We need a big, fast roadgrader-type like Carl Nicks from the Saints. He will be a FA next year.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Joe thanks for the map, i will def use it to locate a bar with the game.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:29 pm
THANKS JOE
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:30 pm
looks like im headin for st Augustine on sunday
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Alan:
Is the FOX affiliate in your viewing area an Orlando station? If so, you will be blacked out. If your FOX affiliate is from another city (not Tampa), then you may be OK.
As the “other Joe” stated, each week The506.com has NFL TV coverage maps.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Nice to see a coaching staff who will play the better player.
Price at 65%? Can’t wait to see him at 100%.
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:40 pm
JOE-
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:42 pm
JOE- thanks anyway every day reader . who is this fake joe?
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:50 pm
JOE- also thanks for answering everything I have asked
JOEBUCSFAN.COM = BEST SORCE FOR YOUR BUCS INFO
September 24th, 2011 at 1:31 am
alan:
Thanks man! Joe appreciates the support and the compliments.
September 24th, 2011 at 5:48 am
Dont worry, Jeff. We think Larsen is a starter Too! But he wasn’t a guard in college. He was a center! I want him to start there- and really soon! Larsen had no problem attending unofficial practices with the team. Our Centrr/ Captain seemed to reticule the young guys for getting together. Plus he’s not that good anymore, and Injury prone.
So, Hopefully Larsen will be back in the lineup soon, at a spot he will play for many years to come.
Your job, Jeff.
September 24th, 2011 at 7:18 am
If Zuttah can keep up with the great play he had last week, I say try Larsen at Center, He was a Center in College anyways. This is only if Faine’s new found above average play drops back down to normal or he gets injured.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Hmm. I haven’t seen any”new found great play”. In the first game, Faine-Joseph- and TruebloOd all played very poorly. Faine and Trueblood were useless in run blocking, Joseph was a turnstile in pass blocking
Last week, in the first half- on every single play, one of those three missed his assignment and/or block. Strangely, in the second half, Joseph and Trueblood played well- Meybe their best game as Bucs! Faine was a stalemate.
Of the Three, Trueblood has played the consistant. But none of those three have played like an NFL starter. If Joseph and Trueblood play like the second half of last week- then they’ll be Okay.
Faine plays like he wants to go into the retail clothing Business ASAP. Larsen is good enough to hold that spot for the next 8 years. Why not save some money- Meybe we’ll sign a . . Nah, nevermind.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Alan: There is more than one legit Joe.