“That Really Bothered Me”
February 3rd, 2012
CBS Sports game analyst and Sirius NFL Radio personality Rich Gannon, lamenting the 10th anniversary of the Bucs burying him and his Raiders in the Super Bowl, is still troubled by what he saw from the 2011 Bucs only halfway through their season.
Gannon called the Texans-Bucs game on CBS, when the 4-4 Bucs returned home to get absolutely clobbered by Houston. The loss got Raheem Morris talking about “loafs” and fans wondering why they bought tickets when they could be home jamming pencils in their eyeballs.
Gannon sat down for a strong interview with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig, on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday and was quick to say the Bucs of that weekend were ugly on many levels.
“I did the [Houston] game live and then as I watched the tape, I just felt the effort wasn’t good, the finish wasn’t good. It just looked like a team that really wasn’t ready to play,” Gannon said. “I remember going to Friday practice, and I remember leaving telling our crew ‘Boy, this is not good.’ Practice wasn’t good. It wasn’t crisp. It wasn’t up-tempo. The ball was on the ground a lot. It just didn’t seem like guys were dialed in and focused. And that really bothered me.”
Gannon went on to explain why he likes the Greg Schiano hire and that he thinks the Bucs are “not that far away.” You can listen to the entire interview below.
February 3rd, 2012 at 12:42 pm
That will all change under Schiano. You can be certain of that.
February 3rd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Water under the bridge as they say.
I want to know why it’s Friday and there are no staff announcements or even F’ing rumors. You want to lose fans? Drag this sh!t out a little longer. We want to connect with a direction and the longer this goes the more it takes away from the feel-good Schiano hire.
February 3rd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Are TB and Oakland that last teams filling out out their staffs? The lack of info is killing me.
February 3rd, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I agree with Gannon, the Bucs aren’t that far away, the NFL also stands for Not For Long and that applies to both winning and losing franchises. The best of the best find a way to stay on top for a long time, teams like New England, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and a few others are where they are because of great coaching, strong GM’s, a blend of solid draft picks and key free agent pickups.
If the Bucs want to take it to the next level, they have to draft well and develop the talent they have, supplement the team with some free agents to fill in holes and provide more of a veteran atmosphere for the young players to lean on and learn from. Quick turn arounds happen all the time in the NFL, look at the Bucs from the season prior for proof of that. Yes, the schedule plays a factor, but Dominik believed in his own hype a bit too much and it caused a regression that a young coach wasn’t prepared to handle, and it cost him his job (rightfully so).
Kregg Lumpkin on the field almost as much as LaGarrette Blount will result in double digit losses every year, we need some real depth, a few free agents, some real coaching (let’s fll that staff, Greg) and the Bucs can be right back in the division race.
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:10 pm
I think we (and Schiano) are going to be right back in the same boat unless the Glazers get out of their comfort zone and spend on some assistant coaches. I’m more concerned with that than acquiring any high priced free agent talent.
One of the other sites out there mentioned that 4 assistant coaches have turned us down because the contracts aren’t long enough or rich enough. Even if that’s not true, we still have a long way to go to overcome the perception that the Bucs are a cheap organization in coaching and player circles.
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:20 pm
I have acknowledged that I think Schiano is a good hire and I have already pledged my support. But, to be candid, I am a little concerned that things have changed in name only and philosophically, they are operating as usual when it comes to investing in talent and it begins with the hiring of asst. coaches.
I am referring, in particular, to an expose in PR concerning the Bucs intent and subsequent success at hiring asst. coaches. It alleges that the Bucs are being turned down by many prospective coaches because they are offering 1 year contracts with a 1 year option at salaries below NFL scale. If this is true, the most disturbing concern is that this unwillingness to commit to longer term contracts, casts doubts on their sincere belief that Schiano will have success at turning this team around and will not be a 1 year wonder.
PR stands by its sources and interviews they conducted at the Senior Bowl, where many coaches expressed a negative opinion of the Bucs organization and would not consider employment there. Among other things, they suggest that it was Jon Gruden’s eleventh hour call that persuaded Chip Kelly to back out of the Bucs original offer.
I do not vouch for the PR information, nor do I direct you to their website. I simply refer to their words among other opinions about the Bucs and the Schiano hiring, that if true, should be a valid concern regarding our success in getting a good supporting cast upon which so much of Schiano’s success will depend. It may also be a precursor to our approach and expected success in getting free agents to want to come to the Bucs.
At this point, it’s only a concern. I’m going to take a wait-and-see approach!
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:20 pm
I remember almost all of Dungy’s staff came from the unknown and college ranks. Dungy’s coaching tree has done very well for itself in the NFL.
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Gannon is saying exactly what I was saying for 3 years.
I attended practices over the years, I had never seen a completely loose and undisciplined atmosphere like that in an NFL practice. I was almost comical.
That will be eliminated immediately by Schiano.
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Macabee
Glazers obviously have faith in Schiano, they gave him a 5 year deal so throw that argument out. Furthermore, theres a good chance that they could be waiting until after the Super Bowl to make asst. choices. Also you can’t read these speculative articles and take them as gospel. The Glazers are so secretive I would venture to say that the people writing those articles are completely full of sh*t trying to get someone to pay attention to them. Remember, “Blogging is just grafitti with puncuation.”
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:02 pm
I guess I was wrong about Raheem. Consider me eating crow.
I still like the guy though.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:03 pm
As HolyBuc pointed out, a good head coach knows how to select his assistant coaches. In no way whatsoever does Schiano need to be concerned about satisfying fans’ demands for “name” coaches. He needs to do what’s comfortable for him and what, in his mind, gives him the best chance for success. And I completely support that.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@Macabee
PR is a horrible source to go by. Not only do they make up news, they change articles or pull them if they get called out on it. Nothing but hacks there.
I also doubt the Glazers are offering 1 year contracts only. That might work if you have coordinators already on staff, but the Bucs don’t.
IF it is true, then it means they want to get someone that isn’t available until next year (McNulty?). However…more people would have spoken up by now.
And why would “sources” keep their names out of it? It’s not like getting on camera and saying “we couldn’t come into agreement on the length of a contract” would be a bad thing.
I call crap…not on you, but on PR.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:09 pm
In that same PR article, there were some disturbing observations. Not only the ones previously mentioned by Macabee and Sensiblebuc, but also that Dom and the Glazers were pissed and embarrassed by Rah’s drinking with players, one of his assistants got a DUI. Dom and the Glazers were worried that Rah would be next. That’s why they were so big on Schiano being a “family man”. PR says it was fairly well known. Has anyone else heard these rumors?
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:18 pm
Great post Macabee. If true about offering 1 year deals with an option, that is horrible. It absolutely is undermining Schiano right from the start. Choose the best guys, give them legitimate contracts and move on. It is almost like the Glazers/Dominik are gun shy because of the firings of Jagodzinski and Bates during Raheem’s first year. I pray this is unfounded and not true, but it does make you wonder why it seems to be taking a long time to fill the staff. Dammit Bucs management! Get your act together. Schiano appears to have the makings of a good HC, now give him the tools to turn this thing around. Go Bucs!!
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Interestingly CHip Kelly tried to hire Jon Gruden at Oregon.
Wife nixed the deal………
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/01/01/sports/doc4b3d4b72d73c4812419673.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Small world I guess.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Stop making assumptions based on rumor. Remember when Mike Sherman was rumored to be the next head coach? How’d that go? Or that the Glazers were focusing on hiring an old-school coach with tons of experience? And just exactly how accurate was that, I might ask? You get my point. Fans know nothing of what the Glazers and/or Dominik are doing. Nothing at all.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@Flboyindallas
I am not exactly the president of the Glazer boy fan club, but your right.
Lets see who is on staff is before we draw any conclusions.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:30 pm
@FLBoyinDallas
So a staff with mostly former Rutgers coaches wont concern you?
In theory, continuity and familiarity will make for a stronger staff but I can’t help but be fearful of a Rah 2.0-type of ceiling on their development. We’ll look good one year but then the League will catch up and smack us back down permanently.
For the record, I’m starting to get more positive about the defensive AND offensive schemes that Schiano may bring over from Rutgers. They ran some interesting pro stuff and with better personnel maybe they can get better results.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:38 pm
@FLBoyinDallas
Lol that’s the whole point of the Internet and the blogosphere man! Put the pieces together, figure out what makes sense and speculate.
Also, Jason “I’ve Never Broken A Story In My Life” LaCanfora was the only one in the media pumping up Mike Sherman. He (Sherman) never made any sense. The Glazers only offering 2 year deals and being roundly and soundly put down at the Senior Bowl by the coaching community makes a ton more sense.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:43 pm
The problem with speculation is that it’s rarely correct. I’d rather stay in the realm of fact and to some degree educated guessing, and stay away from assumptions and presumptions. Just my preference. Nothing is gained by ranting about what the Bucs haven’t even done yet. It’s like fighting your own shadow…there’s no substance and it mostly makes you look silly.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Listen: you dont have to worry about rah 2.0. There are very few human beings on this planet less disciplined and less capable to be a high level coach than rah.
The only people who wouldnt admit this are: the anti-gruden faction that wanted Gruden out and were invested in the success of the replacemen.
Now they are forced to admit how firing gru and replacing him with a complete incompetent set the org back 3 years.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Here we go again. First it was “We’re too late in the game. All the good coaching candidates are gone” We got Schiano which I think is an excellent hire. Now it’s “Oh my God, all the coordinators are gone! We’re gonna end up with a staff of ex Rutgers coaches!” My personal opinion is that he’s not being turned down by everyone he’s approaching, he’s trying to get the best he can get and that is going to require time and patience which is in short supply by fans wanting a quick resolution.
February 3rd, 2012 at 2:58 pm
There’s no way that they’re offering one year contracts to assistants and coordinators. How is it that some of you can’t recognize how silly that sounds. They didn’t just go through a four week Head Coach search to hamstring the poor guy with lame contracts for his assistants. This was sure to have been a subject talked about in the hiring proccess and there’s no way Schiano would uproot his family if they weren’t going to give him full support.
It sucks waiting to see who the assistants will be, I’m with all of you on that, but who have they really lost out on since Schiano got hired? Nobody. Hue Jackson? Todd Haley? Jim Caldwell? Doesn’t seem like anybodies knocking down the door for these “popular” prospects.
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Gotbucs is on the right track.
But Charlie Campbell and I believe that Rah’s deal had some atypical lanuage in it kerping the Gazers from owing all of the deal like they did with gru,
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Great article from the commish regarding the bucs coaching staff: http://www.commishonline.com/?p=2850
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:18 pm
That is a good article by Justin. It makes a lot of sense to just relax and let the process play out.
February 3rd, 2012 at 3:22 pm
I thought the rumor of the Glazers offering 1 year contracts only was in regards to certain members of Raheem’s coaching staff, with no assurance that they would remain in place when a new coach was hired, but I could be mistaken.
I think the staff will be filled within one week after the Super Bowl, and I have confidence in the direction of the team, so I’ll sit tight and wait to see what happens.
February 3rd, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Just to clarify, PR said two year contracts that were 1 year with a team option on the 2nd year i.e. a one-year guaranteed contract
February 3rd, 2012 at 4:26 pm
@sensible
That still seems pretty far fetched to me.
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Is he wearing an earring in that picture?
February 3rd, 2012 at 9:50 pm
10th anniversary? The Bucs were in the Super Bowl in January of 2003. It’s February 2012. 2012 – 2003 = 9.
I’ve seen people mention 10th anniversary a few times recently. What gives? Is math that hard?
February 4th, 2012 at 1:12 am
@snook… I was just about to post the same thing… And you are absolutely right! Hasn’t quite been 10 years Joe…