No Fan Of Rumormongering
January 30th, 2012
Yes, Joe’s gotten the countless “Did you see this!” emails from readers pointing Joe to today’s story by former Bucs beat writer Charlie Campbell, now of WalterFootball.com.
Campbell penned a rumor-filled/anonymous-source blast quoting unnamed former Bucs coaches ripping Mike Williams, LeGarrette Blount and Bucs management. Frankly, Joe’s no fan of this rumormongering kind of stuff. Heck, even Campbell has the story filed under “rumor mill” on his employer’s site. Joe could write this kind of stuff all day long from the many sources that communicate with Joe, but Joe would find that seedy and he doesn’t go there.
There’s no reason to think Campbell is making stuff up, but Joe’s always cynical about unnamed sources and a story from this angle.
For example, Campbell’s confidant(s) rips Mike Williams’ work ethic and question his future, and Campbell says he could be going down a Michael Clayton path. But in Williams Joe sees a guy that caught 65 balls in a “down year” when the offensive coordinator forgot to throw him slant passes early in the season and rarely threw him the jump balls downfield that Williams had great success with in 2010. Plus, Williams was surrounded by a coaching staff that had a lousy 2011 season.
Joe just advises his readers to consume this stuff with a big grain of salt.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
I don’t consume anything from “unnamed sources”. If you can’t say it with confidence, what worth does it hold?
January 30th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
I don’t see Campbell as making all this up.
He says ” Former Buc coaches bemoaned the lack of talent on the roster, and how much the team is made up of players that have been cut by other teams and dependent on playing late-round picks. They said the last five drafts from the team can only be described as terrible. ”
Sorry to say, this is what I see too, we just don’t seem to have the talent or depth other teams have.
Hopefully, we fix that soon.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
We are whom we thought we were.
Can we get a DeSean Jackson to go next to Williams?
Williams is a #2 WR at best, and put Benn in @ the Slot.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
We ALL Sucked last year, and at times, such as the London Game pictured above, where MW should have CAUGHT the football.
He gets a free pass every bit as much does DOM.
Young players that are not being “Coached Up”, are only 15 % liable for the failure… lol
January 30th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
I did a roof cleaning for a Man who knew Regis Benn’s coach in high school.
He told me Regis Benn is the real deal, and went on and on about it.
So, I am still looking for good things from Benn, if we ever figure out how to use him.
End arounds need not apply.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
They all need an Offseason with the New Staff
January 30th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
pretty much tracks what ive heard rick stroud say absent the
specific players.
doesnt mesh well with the “we got great talent” crowd trying to prop up mark dominik.
we dont.
long rebuild is ahead.
hope mark has learned his lesson and improves. otherwise were doomed
January 30th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
No surprise…It’s a fishbowl and eventually it all will come out. This season will not be as pretty as we all would hope but the best could be that they learn how to be professionals and prepare themselves better as a team.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
I heard in a personal conversation with a player that there were “multiple problems” in the locker room…and those issues have been addressed. It will not happen again.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
It all matches up.
These guys were giving up on the field, noticeably this year, what is the difference with not putting in the effort of the field.
Atleast they were consistent.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
I think we’ll be fine talent wise, though we need some FA to spot fill.
A full off-season and new systems and we should be ok – of course, we need an OC and DC first.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
^^..and all the rest of the staff.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
You said it Jeff:
FA’s:
MLB, CB, WR, LG
OC: Hue Jackson
DC: Butch Davis
Draft T-Rich.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Additionally,
Cut:
Talib, Hayneswurf, Q. Black, Geno Hayes, and Trueblood
We need to use more of the TALENT/SALARY CAP.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Makes a lot of sense to me. I don’t care how many passes he caught(it isn’t like catching 60 passes is a huge accomplishment anyway), when i watched him play this past season, I saw a WR that couldn’t get open, dropped passes, and was afraid of going over the middle(Todd Pinkston had nothing on his occasional alligator arms).
If it was any other coaching staff he would have been benched but they held no one accountable for their actions, which if I’m to believe Schiano, that will all change. Williams better get it together because he won’t get much playing time if he doesn’t.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
I hope the coaching staff looks at all the radio shows this yungry team had, I understand they want to connect to the community, but I rather see them earn a radio program, mike Williams and GMC, please no show this year. All we need to hear from is the head coach, Ronde if he doesn’t retire and maybe Josh Freeman
January 30th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
It is typical for WRs to have a second year slump, and this entire team had a slump.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Just my take, but the coaching staff let this team down and the players followed, it’s a common scenario in team efforts, when the leadership fails the rank and file fails right behind them. I am more than ready & willing to dismiss last season as an aberration and move on. It’s like real estate, Coaching, Coaching, Coaching, coach these kids up and they will respond, don’t and you are left to your own peril & you too can become the DB coach of the Redskins…damn he fell further than his OC did, yikes!
January 30th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Rumors or no, they are consistent with previous information on some of the issues within the locker room. You also can’t discount the fact that all the coaches were fired and are now airing dirty laundry that we’re already aware of. There were multiple examples throuhout the year of guys not being prepared or giving up during the games. No surprises here. Just fix it in the offseason.
January 30th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
I can see everything he said as truth.
MANY MEDIA MEMBERs NEVER give up their “SOURCES”
C’mon Man !!!!!!!!!!!
January 30th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
joe this is a blog..a good one..but ur not a real reporter..lol sources …u dont even get invite to the press cof…i do..
January 30th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@BucFan813 Joe’s as real as it gets, partna.
January 30th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
@Apple Roof Cleaning
I can’t put my finger on why, but I have always felt good about Benn. He’s taking a little time to shine, but I get the feeling that once he gets things down he’ll be very reliable.
As to the article…
I’m sorry, but I don’t see the lack of effort. In one sentence he says Mike is not trying hard, and then in another he says Mike lost a bunch of weight to try to fix his speed issue.
If anything, it seems to me that Mike Williams was trying the only way he could think of the fix things, and no coach gave him advice on how to do so. So, this guys sources are as much to blame.
And as to Blount…I can see where a lack of lifting weights affected his game…certainly his holding onto the ball. But both these guys strike me has being willing to do what it takes.
@BucFan813
First…Joe has not claimed to be a reporter. Second…and brace yourself for this…almost any blogger can get into the press conferences. I can get into them, in fact I had the opportunity to get credentials at one point and decided I didn’t wish to do so.
And I don’t blog or report, I don’t work for any news agency. I work at home and am a full time author of novels these days.
However…you suffer from the same issue that those coaches quoted in the article do…you remain anonymous so no one can verify your claim of being able to attend the pressers. If what you say is true, reveal your identity and prove it.
January 30th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Every SINGLE writer in the WORLD has sources they don’y give up. Charlie Campbell said it was “former coaching staff”
stop kissing the Bucs Butts dude!!!!!!!!
January 30th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
I think that more will come out as we approach FA because some moves that may shock us will be justified by the foolery of last year. I am no Raheem apologist but yo ucan see now where Raheem dropped the pill. It’s clear that winning cured the major issues 2010 but 2011 showed the true character of the staff and the players. Let’s see what they come up with. I personally and suspicious of Freeman’s development and how he will respond to last season because now he knows that he has to work equally as hard to maintain a certain level of play. He’s got good stuff but playing with success is another animal.
IMO, Freeman came off extra cocky and nonchalant heading into last season. I pointed that out and by week 6 that cocky swag turned into holy crap something is wrong. I believe in Freeman but only IF he can learn what it takes to be great. Notice I said learn what it takes. He has the tools but learning the craft from someone is the key.
January 30th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
I saw Mike Williams working with Freeman in the non off-season. Maybe he had a little let down after his rookie year and thought he could just repeat it, but I doubt it will happen again. Not after a coaching change.
If any of them lacked work ethic… that goes back to the coaches, they should DEMAND it!
If players don’t this time (as alleged in the past), then they will be gone.
Simple, it is called discipline
January 30th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
Did you watch the games Joe?!?!
Not sure about Blount, but just going to games you’d see Williams loafing, how about the game where John Lynch specifically called Williams out on not going down for a ball, that was damn near picked off, because 2 DBs converged on the ball. Williams was by far the biggest quiter on the team, Those jump balls that he had last season, they were thrown (see first carolina game) and he watched the ball sail over his head on a pass that he would have snagged out of the air a season prior!
Williams was the problem not a solution.
January 30th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
I got an anonymous tip that Charlie is a d-bag. Unnamed sources confirm this!!! In the words of cad Johnson “child please” it’s funny how they make up stuff to write about.
January 30th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Joe here,
@BucsFan813 – First of all, Joe is a credentialed reporter covering the Bucs with access to practices, training camp, games, etc. In fact, Joe is credentialed by the NFL and is at the Super Bowl right now and will deliver his usual annual reports from media day this week.
@Tampa2 – This has nothing to do with revealing sources. And how exactly is Joe kissing “Bucs butts?” To write a damning story with no balance from anonymous sources is just something Joe wouldn’t do. It’s bad enough to quote anonymous sources, something Joe only has done here on a handful of occasions — like when Joe broke the story that Lane Kiffin was shopping for jobs selling that Monte Kiffin would join his staff.. Joe’s just alerting readers to take a bunch of comments from anonymous ex-coaches with a grain of salt.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:16 am
Joe as always you’re on the point. Ex coaches and again Charlie should man up when making that type of accusation. Hope Blount rushes for 1500 yards to shut all the haters. Go Bucs!!! Joe keep up the good work!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 2:14 am
I find it hard to believe that Mike Williams doesn’t work hard. His season wasn’t great, but it certainly wasn’t awful either, especially when compared to the rest of the team. In two seasons he has yet to miss a game, despite taking some vicious hits. If he doesn’t lift weights and work hard, I highly doubt he could do that (especially if you saw the hit in SF. I heard it 25 rows up like I was down on the field). Perhaps he has been partying, but the NFL is full of players (past and present) that party all week and still put in work and are great players. We will learn a lot about Mike Williams this coming year, as we will about a bunch of players.
January 31st, 2012 at 7:19 am
Sounds like that if Campbell had talked to a real Bucs former-coach, that perhaps that coach has a serious case of sour grapes. I’m not saying there isn’t truth there, but obviously that coach is jaded and throwing blame towards the players and away from…. you guessed it, the coaches.