Playing Hacked Off
November 15th, 2012
Earlier this week, Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman appeared on the Mike and Brady Hoke Show broadcast nationally each morning by the four-letter network.
When asked, in so many words, why the Bucs are succeeding of late rather than tanking it last year, Freeman all but said the team is playing p!ssed off.
If the Bucs make it to the playoffs, Freeman said the turning point of the season was the very first practice after the bye week.
“Any time guys get a new coach and he preaches his philosophy, there are going to be guys in camp going, ‘Is this really going to work? Is this what we have to do?’ Looking back, going into that bye, it came just at the right time. New regime, new coach, a lot new faces and you drop three straight. Going into that bye, I remember, ‘We better come back loaded and ready to go.’ and guys were all on deck and when we got back to work, we snapped right into it. We threw pads on the first day after a four-day break. Guys were flying around getting after it. It was a very enthusiastic practice. Where in the past, ‘Man, we are in pads?’ Guys would be hesitant to go back at practice like that.
“I think that day set the tone. Guys stepped up and said, ‘This is going to be who we are. We are going to be a team where we do our job and we are going to prepare as well as we can.’”
Later, Mike and Brady Hoke asked Freeman what it is like to play for such a drill sergeant like Bucs coach Greg Schino and Freeman laughed, suggesting Schiano is not like the image many portray him to be.
“Honestly, it is great [playing for Schiano]. It really is. When that poll came out [where NFL players voted Schiano the coach players least wanted to play for], we had a captains meeting the next day and we all thought it was hilarious. He has that reputation but if you look back, you look at his teams at Rutgers, he got his players to play to their ability. They battled.
“He is an awesome coach. He lays out the plan to succeed, the steps, the goals and what to expect, it’s simple. He lays it all out and the coaches say, point blank, ‘We expect you to give your very best on each and every snap and every rep.’ Guys have taken that personally. And you develop a culture that, rather than guys worried about being tired and ‘Man, coach is too hard on us,’ we are all trying to one up each other in each snap and each practice and keep pushing and you see the improvement. Then, you see the growth and the development of the team from a skill standpoint, from a mental standpoint, from a physical standpoint. Yeah, we lost some close ones, but that is in the past. It’s all about the next game.“
Is there any wonder why such me-first clowns like [currently unemployed] Kellen Winslow, Jr. and Sir SmokeALot Tanard Jackson and reality TV star wannabe Dezmon Briscoe were run out of town by Schiano? Joe smelled that transaction coming months ago, and no, it was not the smoke coming from Jackson’s bong (allegedly). These guys were cancers!
It’s the New Schiano Order. And we are currently seeing the results of a culture change at One Buc Palace. That change is the win-loss column and a postseason run.
To listen to the full interview Freeman had with Mike and Brady Hoke, click here.
November 15th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
good. i love a pissed off football team, cause when players are angry they want to release some of that angry out on the other team. the angrier the better.
November 15th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Excellent interview. Thanks for the write up Joe. I am even more excited to see what we can do against the elite teams on our schedule. (Especially the Falcons!)
November 15th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
After some very careful calculation, the results of my Miguel El Grande equation resulted in the following answer. He’s not here because they WON 3, let me repeat WON 3 games in a row.
Regardless of how I modified the equation or sliced and diced the results, the answer came back the same. He’s not here because they WON 3 games in a row.
Enjoy the siesta El Grande! @Joe BUC fans are thinking of you and did I forget to mention they WON 3 games in a row?
November 15th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Thank God it wasn’t Yissed off or Yangry.
November 15th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
you all care waaaaaaaay to much about miquel grande. I hope he never shows up. fuk that little prick.
November 15th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
one thing i got from that interview is that Doug Martin doesnt wanna be called the Muscle Hamster and when Free told them that (and he was serious) they still called him Muscle Hamster, thats disrespectful. i think we should call him Douggie Fresh!!!!! lets just hope we can continue wining and Douggie Fresh locks up rookie of the year!!!!!!!! BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 15th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Reading that had me thinking of K2 and TJax and Talib before I even saw JOE write it.
It’s a Parcells, Belicheck, Coughlin approach – most players will buy in and give their all, the ones who don’t get jettisoned. As the results come, and they almost always do from those type of coaches, even vets will play for those coaches.
Hopefully many of the palyers and coaches remain together for at least a few years and then, as they grow older, you will see Schiano lighten up A LITTLE, not alot, just a little.
Loving the direction fo the team. It is so unfortunate that the D-Line and O-line are so depleted.
Cannot wait to see Clayborn get after it in this defense.
I do expect more O and D line and CBs drafted though.
Thinking they might need more depth at LB as well.
These are things that can take place in one offseason and there is no reason for them not to be a playoff FAVORITE next year.
Don’t get me wrong, not dicounting this year. Anything can happen if you get in the playoffs, I just think the combo of lackluster pass rush and average CBs will catch up.
The bright side is they are finding some players and some depth.
I hope they put up 30 plus again on the Panthers and would LOVE to see the pass rush step up against Cam. IF that happens, it will be a blowout.
November 15th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
COME ON DOUG!!! Muscle Hamster is an awesome nickname.
November 15th, 2012 at 10:11 pm
If I were an NFL team, I wouldn’t want to be playing the Bucs anytime soon.
November 15th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
What impresses me most about Schiano is that he’s done exactly what he said he would do in the press conference when he was first hired.
1. We WILL stop the run.
2. We will run the ball and take big shots down the field.
He said that before he had any coaching staff lined up. They are doing exactly what he said they would. It’s awesome.
November 16th, 2012 at 12:11 am
Isn’t it Mike and Mike? Why does this say Mike and Brady Hoke?
November 16th, 2012 at 12:52 am
Because Mike Golic looks like Brady Hoke’s (Michigan football coach) stunt double….
November 16th, 2012 at 3:41 am
This is a very exciting time to be a buc fan. The turnaround from the pathetic ragheem regime the past few years to this new staff is amazing and the arrow is definetly pointing up for our beloved buckaroos.
November 16th, 2012 at 4:48 am
Hey Joe,
Completely off topic but noticed something over on BSPN in their weekly pics that I thought was interesting. Other than the Bucs/Chiefs game, “Me”shawn Johnson has picked the Bucs to lose every single game this year. (including this week vs. the Panthers). Is he “hacked off” at the Bucs for some past transgressions or is he just a terrible prognosticator?
November 16th, 2012 at 9:58 am
@Bangkok. Both