Raheem Morris, Bucs Fans And Mental Midgets
January 2nd, 2012
Now Joe will be the first to admit he’s far from a perfect fellow — far from it! Joe’s had many people suggest to him he has an inferiority complex. Whatever.
But Joe learned from a young age that you should always be humble, treat others the way you want to be treated (Joe fails at this too often, sadly) and the voice of Joe’s dad rings in his ears, “You put your pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.”
So personally, when embattled Bucs coach Raheem Morris suggested he is not concerned with his job security because “that’s for mental midgets,” that really rubbed Joe the wrong way, and no it has nothing to do with circus employees.
Now Joe may not be a mental superior of Morris’ or even a mental equivalent. But when exactly does a coach of an NFL football team, also the team’s defensive coordinator whose players in his charge can’t stop a cool breeze, a coach of a team that has lost 10 in a row and was absolutely clobbered to a pulp the past five games, get to cop an attitude that he’s some superior being? No wonder the guy drinks alone on the holidays.
Joe never realized one had to be a virtual Stephen Hawking to run the worst defense in Bucs franchise history. Silly Joe.
So you are 17-31 in three seasons and the architect of the worst Bucs defense in franchise history and you are to be considered a sophist of some sort as a result? “Oh, good for you!”
In a society where debate on the job performance of the most powerful man in the free world, the president of the United States, is welcome, where does a coach with a losing record of a bad team get off that only lesser people can discuss his merit?
Now don’t go mistaking confidence for arrogance. Two totally different things. But a guy with a losing career record that sees his team go from first place in the NFC South and a 4-2 record to the fifth pick in the draft with a defense that couldn’t stop a Weedeater Bowl participant has zero room to be copping some attitude he is better than the fans he serves.
If Morris is retained — and it’s possible, yes — Joe just hopes Bucs fans remember that phrase of Morris’ when you cut your check for season tickets, that you shouldn’t wonder if your team’s immediate future is in the best hands, no matter the record, no matter the results, because Raheem Morris is far smarter than you, better than you and that you, Dear Bucs Season Ticket Holder, are a mental midget for even considering such a passing thought, an untermenschen.
Maybe later this week, this self-glossing superior man of intellect will get a little dose of humility that, by golly, those mental midgets actually fund a good chuck of his salary.
(Of course, a cynic would suggest only a mental midget would help support his salary with the types of results fans are left with like Sunday.)
If Morris doesn’t want the entire Tampa Bay community turned against him — as if it isn’t already — perhaps today at his weekly Monday press conference he may want to apologize to Bucs fans for copping that attitude, just like he apologized earlier in the season for dropping and F-bomb in a postgame press conference? Joe understands Morris talking down to fans Sunday was just after an ugly game with his job very much is on the line and emotions can get the best of people, even in a defense mechanism.
Joe would hope Morris would want to apologize later today to the people that help pay his salary.
It’s what a person of superior intelligence would do.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:12 am
ya i said it we are the best team in the nfc was my favorite raheem quote if he is not fired and brought back i will boycott this team and almost everyone i know feels the same way
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:19 am
I was going to make a profound revelation, but I guess I’m too much of a mental midget to remember what I was going to pontificate.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:24 am
What he says at press conferences matters little with whether he should be fired or retained. How his team performs on the field does and will be the reason for his dismissal. I heard the PC and I thought he was taking a shot at the media. Even so, it would have been better unsaid because it could easily be misconstrued and has other social connatations that are not considered politically correct.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:46 am
raheem is a mental midget….the worst team in buc history ! NO WAY he stays, In the next few hours should be an announcement.RAH has worn out his welcome ! C-YA
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:48 am
Were you drinking when you wrote this? I’m a regular visitor to the site and I read most all your articles. I thank you for the insight and the entertainment. But this, for some reason, is kinda weird. That “mental midgets” quote is one that can be taken completely out of context for various reasons. It can be taken many different ways. I read it as if he’s saying that the fear of being fired in the future is for the weak minded when you’re supposed to be focused on completing the current task at hand. Did he “complete” any task other than being at the helm of the worst defense in BUCS history? No. I just don’t see where the “mental midgets” quote can be seen as an insult to the fans or the reporter to whom he answered the question. Keep writing. Keep entertaining. I’m a JoeBucsFan.com fan
Let the OFFSEASON begin….though 2011 WAS an OFFSEASON
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:50 am
I took it differently. I thought he was referring to himself, or “the coach” as being the mental midget. As in, if you are a coach worrying about job security you are a mental midget.
I’m pretty sure that’s what he meant. Unfortunately he’s done getting the benefit of the doubt.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:50 am
I thought he was just trying to paint himself as some kind of obdurate badass that doesn’t care what 99.9% of people who have an opinion about the Bucs think. Sadly, cliched and pre-written responses don’t accomplish that. They just make him sound like…..well, a “mental midget.”
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:50 am
Black monday has arrived…no pun intended
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:51 am
I don’t think he meant it as a reelection of other people but what he thinks in his own mind. I think your making too much of the statement. He’s simply stating if i get fired I’m not going to let it bother me and it’s out of my control.
I think Raheem should be fired yesterday but I think your trying to make something out of nothing and frankly trying to make the guy look bad just before he gets canned is kinda classless.. IMO.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:52 am
What could coach possibly say to his team at half time losing 42-0 or whatvever it was….
“Dont worry about the score guys, that is for mental midgets”
Atlanta could have put up 70 on us, seriously…..
Good to see some young guys in there in the second half, like Asante..
Not sure why these guys werent playing more all along…..
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:54 am
Mental midget was referring to weak minded individuals who are more worried about being fired than completing their jobs.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:56 am
I didn’t watch the press confrence like I normally do, so I may be off here, but it seems to me he was referring to himself not worrying about losing his job (meaning he’s strong mentally and not going to worry about those types of things). I really don’t care enough to watch it to make sure, but it seems a bit out of his character to criticize fans as you are suggesting.
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:56 am
I thought mental midget was referring to a coach more concerned with being friends than instilling discipline into a football TEAM
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:01 am
Is he gone yet? No? I don’t think he makes it to the noon press conference. I sure hope he doesn’t.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:05 am
Sheesh, why so touchy? Is he supposed to like the press he’s gotten this year? The media is so funny. They complain when a guy locks them out of a locker room. They fan the flames when a guy that talks too freely.
The way I see it the media does their level best. But I can’t imagine it is possible to get the stories correct 100 percent. So that would cause some heartache for a team/coach. I assume the media also can’t figure all the angles on stuff that might even be a better story and more hurtful for a team. So it goes both ways.
Raheem has been beaten and bashed this season. I sure don’t mind if he goes on a rant. It’s not like his comments are going to play badly for the media. You know he’s getting fired, and so does he.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:19 am
I don’t understand this. Raheem isn’t touting his superior intelligence; he’s saying that he’s not mentally weak. This is a reach, Joe.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:19 am
I sure don’t take that as an insult to the fans and/or myself.
The players have put Raheem in a bad place today and hopefully ownership will make a decision one way or the other regarding his future here quickly. They don’t have to hire a new HC today or tomorrow but it’s not right to leave him twisting in the wind IMO.
Another thing, Raheem isn’t the only one who may need to go. There are probably 20 or more players that need to go as well and IMO that’s on THEM!
I really missed not having an off-season last winter and very much look forward to this one, to seeing what happens. Then there;s the playoffs! Love the NFL playoffs no matter what teams are in.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:25 am
JoeBucsFan: Taking trolling to levels never imagined before on the internets.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:30 am
For the first time Joe has let me down. I don’t care if Rah gets fired or not, but if we keep him there’s still needs to be a lot of changes to the coaching staff regardless. With that said, the “mental midget” quote is referring about a weak minded person worrying about things that shouldn’t be worrying about, to the point in which your whole purpose in life is focus around those worries, i.e. your girlfriend dumping you… Not quite like Joe tries to paint it as being superior as others, but I’m sure Joe is a US bottom fellow or has spent too much time at the bottom of the US. People there are usually too touchy and have attitude (more like want to be…) problems, and trust me I know, I live in Miami…
I’m a Bucs fan and unlike most of those ticket holders (claim to be) I will continue to support this team until I die, regardless of who the coach is or if I like the moves they make. Let’s go Bucs and lets make the team competitive again…
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:30 am
Some people can’t even comprehend a quote. Come on man. You take any little crumb and turn it to a damn loaf of bread. If he’s radio Raheem, I guess your sling blade, what you look like. Stop talking so much trash, unless you like people talking trash on you Joe. I like how you started off by saying your not one to judge, blah blah blah. Run Forrest ruuuuuunnnnn
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:31 am
I decided to watch the press conference, and you are dead wrong Joe. You completely took that quote out of context, and I highly suggest you watch the press conference again and issue a correction. There is no doubt with the job Raheem has done this year he is deserving of being fired, but I see no point in spinning his words out of context to flame the already blazing fire. I would expect that from Thomas, but not from you.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:35 am
stop reaching joe
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:38 am
Read this and heard Raheem and I don’t you guys coming down on Joe. Raheem telliing a reporter that the question on the mind of all fans is for mental midgets is a slight on the people that obsess over this team. It ain’t classy at all. Maybe Raheem was referring to himself, maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. Hey coach, the fans want to know if you’re thinking about returning. “THat question is for mental midgets.” Please. Get this guy out of here. At least he didn’t curse to the media this week.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:42 am
Rah, guess what. It’s time for ‘next man up’.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:43 am
And I doubt they’ll hire a mental midget for the job.
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:55 am
I think the Glazer boys thought all the fans were mental midgets when they passed Morris off as a Head Coach when he was nothing more than an Amateur. Who cares what Morris thinks or says, just as long as he leaves. That is the important part!
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:56 am
Look, it doesn’t matter, technically, who the derrogatory comment was directed at. At a time when the coach is embattled, words and emotions are heavily scrutinized. This is no different that a politician on a national platform.
Rah should have said: “my concern has not and is not focused on my job security. I have been focusing on preparing my team and executing game plan. Now that the season is over, the owners and GM can address their concerns. Until I am notified differently, I will begin planning for the next step to make this team a true playoff contender.”
And people, since he doesn’t care for his players calling him coach, please stop doing that. His name is Rah.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 am
For those of you busting on Joe for calling out Raheem, go look up the term ‘mental midget’ and you will see that Joe interpreted it correctly. Morris just used it improperly.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:22 am
Joe. All he was saying is that why worry about things outside the realm of his control. No big deal.
But I am confused, as it is Monday and he still has a job.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:24 am
Wow Joe,
You’ve sunk to new levels. This is absolute garbage and you’re the only one who took this way out of context. Congratulations Joe! You are THAT guy…
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:33 am
@Higher728,
If you watch the press conference and you agree with Joe, then you may in fact be a mental midget.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:37 am
I’m sorry Joe, but this is the biggest piece of trash article you have ever written (and I don’t think I’ve missed one article in 3 years).
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Hawaiian, you just love to pick a fight with anyone, don’t you?
From answersdotcom: mental midget: n. a stupid person. When he says ‘blue’ you expect that he meant blue. If he means something else, then he should say something else.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:36 pm
Higher,
The question isn’t what it means, but who it was directed towards. It’s really not a difficult concept.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Higher,
To clarify, he was asked if he was worried about losing his job and he replied by saying that coaches don’t worry about that kind of thing and that thinking that way is for mental midgets. How anyone could interpret that as him calling the fans mental midgets is beyond me. But I guess to the people who love to pile on, they will spin it somehow.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:41 pm
not a raheem supporter but i took it as hawaiian did
he would be mental midget if he focused on his own future.
January 2nd, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Since I’m in sales and have to “read” people for a living, here’s what I “read” in his tone and body language.
Based on the Mental Midget comment, yes he disguised it well whether he was attacking the media or other critics, but his body language was just screaming out “Defensiveness and Insecurity”. It’s even possible a lit bit of arrogance was behind it all as well, but his eyes and facial expressions revealed someone under a lot of pressure and looking for an escape route by throwing out desperate Hail Mary comments hoping someone, anyone would buy it.
I don’t buy it and he is certainly feeling the heat.