THE OPTIMIST: Paitence Leads To Pride
October 10th, 2014
In these unsettled times of devastating Bucs losses, constant change and growing pains, Joe thought it would be wise to bring back THE OPTIMIST.
THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.
THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t. … Of course, THE OPTIMIST’s opinions are his alone and are not influenced by Joe.
Ring of Honor Bucs head coach John McKay was given a five-year plan to build the original Bucs. If that were today, Social Media would have been all over him with “Dump McKay in the Bay” photos on Facebook!
Tony Dungy? He went 0-5 and 1-8 with a 1996 Bucs team with Warren Sapp on it, with Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson, and John Lynch. The cries on Twitter would have been enormous!
Enter Lovie Smith, a coach with a proven track record. This is a former Bucs assistant that brought a formidable defense to St. Louis and then took it to Chicago and won with the Bears.
Let’s not forget Lovie Smith had a top-5 defense only two years ago running the Tampa-2 probably as much as he’s going to run it now. The game doesn’t change that much in two years.
If you really think it has, then go back and watch the Super Bowl from last year, and tell me defenses can’t shut down the most potent offense of all time?
But if you listen to the masses, there are already whispers calling for Lovie Smith’s job! Those people need to listen up right now; YOU are the problem. You are not the solution, you are the reason the Bucs do not have the talent to compete in the NFL right now.
Raheem Morris comes in and cleans house of Jon Gruden’s Players. Then Greg Schiano comes in and sweeps Raheem’s players out the door. Now enter Lovie Smith and Greg’s Schiano Men are gone. Three head coaches in 6 years = no talent left on the football team.
No talent. No depth. Look at the teams with the greatest success over the last decade: The New Englands, Pittsburghs, Green Bays. Look at the teams who have coaches for a long time, and you’ll find winning there consistently. Maybe a down year here or there, but consistent winning.
Pittsburgh has had as many coaches since 1969 as the Bucs have had since 2009.
Give Lovie Smith time to implement his program, give the players time to buy in, and the administration time to build up the talent base, and you will have a team that makes you proud.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Joe, the fans aren’t the reason why we went thru three head coaches. The fans weren’t the ones who hired anyone.
THat’s correct. But ramped up fan pressure to win has changed the NFL. And Joe didn’t write this post, as is made clear.–Joe
October 10th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
“You are the problem” uhm we don’t line up on Sundays. All we do is spend our time and money on this team. The media should just tell the few remaining fans to piss off.
OR
You can call it what it really is, the OWNERS!!
I guess I’ll just keep bashing lovely, Geraldine and the rest of the crew bc it’s obviously my fault that we’ve avg 4 wins a year for like the last 4 or 5 years. Pssst, what a joke this organization is.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Buc fans have waited so long for the team to make the playoffs they want instant success. It’s what I was talking about yesterday on here. Instant success from rookies or they are a bust. Instant success from the coaches or they area bust.
The guy is right. Fans don’t give new coaches enough time around here. Schiano is a classic example. 7-9 in his rookie season isn’t good, but it doesn’t suck. That mofo was dealing with a lot of adversity last season to go 4-12. Fans wanted him gone by week 6. Not even a season and 1/2 under his belt and fans wanted him gone. That’s what the optimist is trying to say.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:19 pm
87
So if we fans boycott the bucs they’ll start to win?
October 10th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
That’s a great feel good story and all, but when ownership brings an a NFL experienced HC and basically gives him the keys to the castle he should be expected to put a better product on the field than either a first time HC with little free agent talent or a new to the NFL HC who inherited a total mess from previously mentioned first time HC. Sorry but I don’t see a better overall product thus far (well maybe better than the 2011 Bucs…that was epic stink). Lovie is being paid more than his two predecessors and has more control over personnel, therefore we as fans should expect better.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:21 pm
it’s pretty well established that many eventually great coaches started their tenure with alot of losing while the team settled in under their leadership. unfortunately, almost 100% of bad coaches start their tenures with lots of losing as well. I agree completely with Nick on one front: if you changes coaches every 2 years, you have no chance at a talented, sustainably competitive team. Hiring Lovie might prove to be a mistake in the end, but the bigger mistake would be pulling the plug before Lovie has at least a 32 game resume with the offseason in between to tweak his roster and approach
October 10th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
@Pierce
Oh, so the Galzers were completely oblivious to the ever popular #FireSchiano tag and the constant whining by this fanbase? The sh*t ticket sales and billboards to fire coaches? Im pretty sure the Glazers have many a minion checking spreadsheets and Twitter to get a feel on what the tempeeature of a fan base is.
Please cut the crap with the talk of firing Lovie. It makes the Bucs fanbase as a whole look bad. This will require patience and sure as hell am tired of rooting for the Browns of the NFC South.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:30 pm
We finally have a proven coach and system in Tampa.
Time for the complainers and “coaches want to be” to put down their beer and get help and stay away from making stupid comments.
Within 5 years Lovie will bring another Lombardi to Tampa Bay!
In Lovie I TRUST!
October 10th, 2014 at 1:30 pm
So in other words, Lovie Smith sucks now because he is new. You badmouth Twitter but argument fits nicely.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Let’s take an optimist point of view………after a dose of reality. First, we have a new offense, new defense and a crapload of new players. Rookies starting, mistakes everywhere and only glimpses of quality play thus far.
Where we go from here is the key….and room for some optimism. Lovie and Jason said Win Now. Sorry guys, but there is much more to fix, than you initially thought.
We need to add playmakers and that’s going to take time and money. The ownership has put out the money so far and I don’t see any indication they will change. Management needs time to rebuild from humongous failures in the past. It can’t be done by changing schemes, coaches, etc. It takes time and talent (and we seem to be lacking the latter).
October 10th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
This guy is a shill.
“The fans are the problem”?
That is absolutely, categorically unequivocally the most absurd and
asinine statement ever uttered.
The fans don’t have that much power, Hoss.
The fans in every NFL city are just as much or more critical than
Bucs fans yet a lot of teams are great every year.
Not one peep about the owners taking responsibility for their mess.
Typical sissy journalism.
Why are the same teams really bad year after year.
Jacksonville is 0-5 again….
….it must be the Jags fans fault.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
@touchdown
And josh mccown is a better qb than glennon. Lol
October 10th, 2014 at 1:37 pm
DB55…the fans are basically boycotting them now as I type. Like I said yesterday fans of today think they have it bad. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen prior to Dungy-Gruden. Actually Raheem 2011 was close to the old days.
Ray Jay looks empty nowadays because the team is so bad. If you think this is bad, then try this out for size.
http://www.10yardline.org.uk/Images/TampaStadiumCirca1989.jpg
I was there in those stands… this is 1989. Things are not all that bad right now.
I think this team is going to get better as the season moves along.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Optimism is for the offseason. Winning is for September through January.
This team stinks. More bad football played than good football. Period.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Yeah! The Glazers should sell the team back to the previous owners. You know the ones that finally brought Tampa to respectability and a Super Bowl WIN. Yeah!
I repeat:
Put down the BEER and get help! Stop making STUPID comments!
October 10th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
87
Yea, I remember those days. I think fans would get in for free after halftime. I get the feeling that some feel as though sucking is the status quo and holding leadership responsible is frowned upon.
Some of youz remind me of battered spouses. No matter how bad you get beat you’re still in love and making excuses.
We lose bc with 9 secs left in a tied game we decide to go into OT rather than taking a shot at a FG. I can name a million reasons why we suck but the fans aren’t on the top of this list.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Yes, the team is moving in the right direction.
Yes, constant change is stupid.
Like a company that constantly fires people ends up sucking
because they have no continuity.
That said, it amazes me how the Glazers are exempt from any
criticism in the media. It’s f**king sick, really. These guys have
billions and bloated egos to match yet they’re too sensitive and
insecure to take any richly deserved criticism?
Un-freakin-believeable.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
@td
The only stupid comment on here is that the fans are the problem.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Yeah! The Glazers should sell the team back to the previous owners. You know the ones that finally brought Tampa to respectability and a Super Bowl WIN. Yeah!
I repeat:
Put down the BEER and get help! Stop making STUPID comments!
__________________________________
Hey Tex,
How about Robert Kraft or the Rooney family or Paul Allen?
Why is our choice limited to the Culverhouse or the Glazers?
I think I know the answer:
Because we’re little piss-ant NFL bottom feeders who are lucky to
have a team at all, right?
You know what?
Tell the Glazers to go ahead and move to LA.
I’ll still watch the NFL.
It will be hilarious to see them try to make that deal work.
October 10th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Thanks for that Joe! Awesome blog/article!
October 10th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
THE OPTIMIST, a.k.a. THE FAN BLAMER, wants us all to enjoy the crap sandwich the Bucs continue to serve season after season. What a shill!
October 10th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Yeah! Lovie was wrong about McCown lets fire him and get Schiano back. Yeah!
I repeat:
Put down the BEER and get help! Stop making STUPID comments!
October 10th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Bottom line to me is the guy is right. I really don’t care what anyone else thinks about this matter. Of course it’s going to get some fans riled up, but he’s telling the truth.
How soon was it before that Fire Schiano billboard went up last season? Week 6?
How soon before fans showed up at the stadium in masses with Fire Schiano signs? Week 7?
The dude was not even through a season and a 1/2. Part of the blame can be laid at the media’s feet too. Radio guys ya know.
Yes the owners do the hiring and we the fans are impatient. We want wins right out of the gate.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
I give a new coach 3 years. Many JBF’ers do not and it’s obvious by their comments on this thread. Things are going to take time and when the wins start dropping, hopefully some of you will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
All this talk about new coaches, new schemes, new players is total BS. 7 new teams this year with new coaches, schemes, players, etc.
Texans worst team in the league last year are currently 3-3 and actually competed on thursday night football rather than getting embarrassed 56-0 on national tv, with Ryan Fitzpatrick at qb nonetheless.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:13 pm
Mid 1980s I went to a ticket kiosk at Tampa Stadium. Asked the lady for a seating chart so I could see ticket prices. She said “Honey, buy yourself an end-zone ticket and sit wherever you want.”
October 10th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Look this is the truth. We got new players, new scheme, new coaches its going to take a little bit of time. We are improving every game under Glennon (which im not a fan of but he is getting the job done.) People need to CALM DOWN we will get it together! GO BUCS!
October 10th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
@td. @buc87
You guys are going to lead me to drinking.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:18 pm
At no point am I inferring the FANS are the problem. I clearly said for those who want to fire lovie right now, YOU are the problem”.
So if YOU want to fire lovie, then yes, you, and your way, is the problem. The wanting a new coach every two years.
Not “Fans are the problem”. “Fans who want to fire Lovie after 5 games”
Hope that clears it up.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
The years when the owner’s refused to spend money…..was that the fan’s fault? This is the most asinine thing I’ve ever read on this website.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:29 pm
Buc1987 Says:
October 10th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Bottom line to me is the guy is right. I really don’t care what anyone else thinks about this matter. Of course it’s going to get some fans riled up, but he’s telling the truth.
How soon was it before that Fire Schiano billboard went up last season? Week 6?
How soon before fans showed up at the stadium in masses with Fire Schiano signs? Week 7?
The dude was not even through a season and a 1/2. Part of the blame can be laid at the media’s feet too. Radio guys ya know.
__________________________________
A good ownership group that knows what they’re doing
will ignore the fans during the building periods.
If the Glazers are letting fans and sports media make
business decisions for them then it just adds weight to my
argument that they’re either incompetent or dishonest
(or both).
October 10th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
This is crazy, uh, optimist. Look, the last THREE coach hires were all foolish. The motives behind the Lovie hire we’re as transparent as celofane. It had very little to do with making a lasting winner. It was about hardening back to the days of yore.
The Bucs SHOULD have focused on offense. They should have hired an offensive minded head coach. (They SHOULD have kept Gruden. I knew it then, I know it even more now.)
But associating the Seahawks win with great defense is a red herring. To THIS DAY the Seahawks remain the most frustrating team in football. The league came out this year saying they were going to enforce pass interference and illegal contact closer. And today, everyone is called tougher, except Seattle. Um, why? Narrative. The league is invested in this Seattlw dominance thing. Watch Seattles D. They MUG guys all the way down the field. Richard Sherman, and their two safeties being the biggest culprits. Though ESPN will have you believe they’re great at their positions. Shoot, let Goldson, Barron and Verner bear hug guys and they’ll be amazing too!
I’m tired of hearing about Seattle being this beacon of how teams can win w defense. They win by having the zebras look away, nothing more. Period.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:50 pm
BucStop, I understood your point, but the problem is that the fans were sold a bill of goods. That Defense was the way to win. Lovie even cited that’s a good D can win you 8 games. That’s just not true and it’s definitely not what anyone wants to watch.
Having a good defense is nice. But as Joe has said countless times on here. You need to score these things called points to win games. Lovie is allergic to scoring points. Part of me thinks that of we were rolling up 30 in the first half he’d punt on second down just to keep the score down.
October 10th, 2014 at 2:54 pm
DB55 Says:
October 10th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
@td. @buc87
“You guys are going to lead me to drinking.”
Nope that would be our team man. Crack a bottle, make your body waddle.
October 10th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
87
Them too! Bottoms up!!
October 10th, 2014 at 3:24 pm
Kalind I respectfuly disagree…this town has been built on defense, WAY WAY WAY before Tony Dungy even became a pro football player!
John McKay drafted defense, and set up a defensive team here in Tampa in the late 70s. In only the 2nd year the defense was top 10. It was No. 4 in 78 then no.1 in 1979. It dipped in 80 then firmed up again in 81 and 82, allowing the fewest of TD passes.
Throughout our franchise we have had dozens of great linebackers, Winston Moss, Jeff Davis, Eugene Marve, Hugh Green, even during the lean years. Dozens of good safeties like Mark Cotney, Mark Robinson, Harry Hamilton, Corners, Ricky Reynolds, Mike Washington, Jermiah Castille, and these are all before Tony Dungy came to town. Then you have all THOSE defensive heroes. No my friend, this town was built on defense, this area LOVES defense. We live defense in Tampa Bay. Don’t get me wrong, Im dying to see a powerful offense one day, and when it comes, it’ll be the first! But I don’t agree people in Tampa Bay don’t want to see defense. It hasn’t been true for over 35 years, i don’t believe its true today
October 10th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
“Crack a bottle, make your body waddle.” Hilarious!
“You guys are going to lead me to drinking.” Coffee???
October 10th, 2014 at 3:26 pm
bucstop.com…Dear lord, I’m having flashbacks now with all those names.
October 10th, 2014 at 3:38 pm
When Lovie Smith was hired, we were basically promised great Buccaneer football by the local media types during their ‘loviefest’ bs. After they finally realized that they had whipped the fan base into a frenzy, they started trying to manage expectations with ‘improvement’ over last year. Well, I don’t see improvement at all. In fact, all I have seen so far is terrible football, awful coaching, and horrendous coordinating. I agree that a coach should normally get three years, but since they weren’t willing to do that for Schiano, then I don’t think that Lovie deserves it either. If they Bucs don’t go a minimum of 5-11, which is only a single game improvement, then Lovie needs to be dumped in the bay!
October 10th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
We could win with a good defense, but we don’t have one, so it is a moot point for now. I believe in Lovie, but it is not working this year. The product is very poor.
October 10th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
From a different perspective: Mr. Malcolm understood a team takes on the personality of their coach…. He was the one who brought in HC Jon Gruden and “bam!” Super Bowl 1st year…
Unfortunately his health caused him to have his sons take over the team and they obviously don’t understand or see what their dad saw in a winning team…. Fired Gruden and now 3 horrible HC hires later they are known as a losing team…
What makes anyone confident that after 3 straight bad HC hires, the owners will suddenly hire a winner!
October 10th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Lovie’s problem is why he was fired in the first place: His stubborn, staunch refusal to bring his coaching style to modern NFL football (and refusal to play young guys over vets). If after 2 years he’s shown he won’t change, why keep him? To continue building a roster designed for 2005, except we’re in 2015? That was mine and many’s primary concern when he was hired. If he doesn’t change he deserves only 2 years.
October 10th, 2014 at 5:38 pm
I agree with this article 1 million percent. I always felt Dungy should have practically been made coach for life the way Pittsburgh coaches almost have tenure. This organization needs some consistency in players, schemes and coaches for some time.
October 10th, 2014 at 5:52 pm
I agree with Nick Houllis. I’ve been saying the same thing but people seem to have this sense of entitlement these days that they don’t have the patience for a new regime to build a winning program.
They want it now, and this includes the local media who tends to use the fans as a human shield to vent their own frustrations. They like to pour gas on the fire to watch it burn, and don’t take into consideration the ramifications of what they say and print only sways hearts and minds. Quit giving the haters a platform, and maybe the public perception will be a little more tolerable and patient.
October 10th, 2014 at 5:58 pm
Some of you closet chicago bears fans who pretend to be Buc fans should stop being cowards and admit that you hate Lovie because the media out there told you too. I know it hurts that the Bears suck again after Lovie was fired, Hmmmmmmm. I know it stings that the media made you believe that it was lovie’s fault and not Cutler’s, how is that working out for ya! I know it bugs you that with all that talent on that team your coach can only manage .500 record at best and Lovie won with less. You wanted charles tillman gone before lovie got there calling him a bust but now he may go to the hall of fame (what is he doing for u now). Brian Urlacher was a safety converted to MLB, under Lovie HOF, Devin Hester HOF, Lance Briggs HOF. Tim Jennings was a journeyman scrub until he got with Lovie. Henry Melton was a converted runningback and when Lovie left he left too and went to cowboys who were terrible on D, its amazing though how one player can help change that defense. JUST STOP!
October 10th, 2014 at 6:16 pm
That’s absurd. Bucs have sucked last 6 years because the glazers fired a proven head coach and inserted an unqualified stiff who should have been run out. I believe a coach deserves 3 years unless he shows himself to be totally incompetent. I would have given schiano another year. I support Lovie but he he can’t be awful and get a pass. Ultimately, it’s on ownership to hire a good coach and gm. Not fans to tolerate garbage team!
October 10th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
And I stand and applaud Optimist for this.
I agree with what was said. Not just the fact that these coaches change impact the depth. Our previous GM did slightly better than Bruce Allen and that not saying much. He can’t help that some guy got injured like Carl Nick and Brian Price who was product when healthy. But, he can help with silly things like drafting a punter. Or keeping Myron Lewis for a very long time. Also, not signing any one for Raheem Morris team.
October 10th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
@Newbucsfan!!!….you are on misguided individual. No one on this site cares about the Bears but you.
October 10th, 2014 at 6:32 pm
no Bears fan here, but I’d be pretty damn happy if Lovie could manage a .500 record this year the way Trestman did with the Bears. So far it ain’t looking good that the Bucs will achieve a better record than last year’s MRSA, Freeman meltdown, billboard coach firing team let alone hit .500.
October 10th, 2014 at 6:47 pm
newbucsfan? What kind of a name is that? Did you just decide to be a bucs fan this year?
You’re an assclown!
October 10th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
@BucsfaninChina,
I just want to be clear, I like Lovie and I like the direction that we’re going. The last two games I’m seeing more pressure up front from our defense and we’re starting to get the turnovers that Lovie is looking for. I agree that it takes time to build a team and I think people who want to fire Lovie at this point are pretty ridiculous. This team we’re seeing now could easily have beaten both Carolina and the Rams so we’re definitely moving in the right direction. But THE OPTIMIST is a little far fetched to say that it’s the fans fault for our 3 head coaches.
Consider our biggest free agent signing with Raheem Morris was a punter. He had no help from the Glazers. They picked him because he was cheap and they were obligated to continue to pay Gruden after they fired him. But they didn’t spend any money on free agents to give Rah any help. In the end, it didn’t matter because he lost the team making them unwatchable.
Then you go to Schiano. The guy who wants Clayborn to cover Darren Sproles. The guy that wants to run stunts not utilizing our talent. How many times has a college coach come up and failed in the NFL – more times than they succeed. I wish him well though and I wish he would’ve worked out. But keep in mind, Steve Duemig was one of the main people who wanted to run him out of town. That came from the media, not the fans. (and same with that billboard)
The NFL wants their fans to be there 365 days a year. We’ve got the NFL Network, Free Agency Period, Mini-Camps, all that. So when the season finally gets here everybody’s so ramped up that when their team loses from the start, people become impatient and want changes which isn’t wise.
But the OPTIMIST says it’s the fan’s fault. That’s a B.S. To me it’s the Glazer’s fault for not conistently spending the money to put together a competitive team each and every year. They let their foot off the gas the last couple of Gruden years and never did much during the Rah term. I hate that they open and close their purse strings at will and expect us all to follow them like blind sheep.
And Joe, sorry I directed that at you. I drank a lot yesterday and have been slow-thinking today. 🙂 Go Bucs!
October 10th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
@lightningbuc ….Newbucsfan ahs also enlightened us with his wisdom that unless the Bucs win the division this season, Glennon will be gone. He’s confident Lovie will use Glennon as the scapegoat for the losing season. WTF?
Have you ever seen anything so ridiculous on these pages? He double posted it too, in 2 different threads he’s confident of this foolishness.
He considers himself the resident Lovie authority on JBF, he knows so much about him.
Actually there has been something just as ridiculous on these pages and it came from me. The Freeman support poll. (Still embarrassing to me to this day)
F U Freeman.
October 10th, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Great article. I enjoyed it alot.
He’s hit some of the problem right on the money. This isn’t your dad’s world anymore- not even your older brother’s. Technology is moving so fast that half of the things teams got away with in the past would be totally unacceptable and spread everywhere at the touch of a button today.
We live in an age of speed and lack of patience- we don’t have to wait for anything we want like we used to. We didn’t used to have multiple sports channels waiting to fill TV air with anything they could get their hands on.
Once upon a time a coach would be given plenty of time to bring in his players and scheme etc… but now if you don’t have immediate success people are clamoring for your head.
I will say this- Lovey knows the scheme must be adhered to. The players MUST be where they are supposed to be and trust their team mates. On this very website Gerald Mccoy said people were out of place and not where they were supposed to be last week.
As a Bear/Bucs fan I can tell you that Lovey will let his team get their a$$es kicked to prove a point. Do your job. Be where you are supposed to be and ‘this’ wont happen. This will be rectified with buy-in and yes, even more new players.
What was he going to say other than he’d like to win now? With crazy fans screaming the whole time, he had to say that. Its the company line. Its what the owners want too.
And to clear up this common misconception… the owners spent alot of money in all of the previous three years. They do want to win and they are spending money on the team. Is it the fact that they merely own a soccer franchise that’s worth close to twice as much as the Bucs that makes people think they don’t?
Or are that many people still pissed off about the ‘youngry’ years? They went from overachieving nobodies, that were eventually all found out, to Mr Discipline, to Mr Calm.
Lovey is Mr Calm. He knows what he is doing and has done it before. He coached as Defense coordinator and won a superbowl. He got to another as Head Coach with Rex Grossman of all people as Qb. You give him time and patience and it will be rewarded. You’ve seen how many players he got rid of this year. He has to build the team he wants to see and it cant be done overnight even though there was a massive amount of turnaround this year.
I just want them competitive along the way, and they have been. With the exception of the Atlanta game they have been in all their games with a chance to win it at the end. Hopefully they can string some wins together here… lets start this week.
October 10th, 2014 at 11:02 pm
I’ve asked the ‘be patient’ crowd the question before…how long should the fanbase and ownership wait? I tend to agree with the 3 year folks, but if they gave a guy who had to deal with MRSA and the franchise QB going nutty 2 years then an experienced HC with far better circumstances should probably be held to the same 2 year timetable. I get that a lot if people look at Lovie as a guy who’s had success and that’s a good thing for sure, however I always go back to the Mike Shanahan example in Washington. There you had a coach who actually won a SB and failed with the Redskins. I’d hate to see the Bucs waste 3 years on Lovie if like Shanahan he can’t get this thing fixed sooner rather than later. Two seasons is the Glazer’s established time table
October 11th, 2014 at 12:36 am
ToesOnTheLine says :
“I’d hate to see the Bucs waste 3 years on Lovie if like Shanahan he can’t get this thing fixed sooner rather than later.”
I have an easy answer for you my friend. Of course it’s me right. I have all the answers right or wrong.
Answer : You’d “hate” to see the Bucs waste 3 years? I say what’s the difference? What can you and I do about it, but wait and hope for the best?
It’s pretty much the same answer I’ve had for myself since I became a fan. It’s not easy being a Bucs fan man. I’ve known this for awhile and I embrace it because I have nothing else. I don’t like basketball, baseball is corrupt, and well hockey in Florida I never got.
I went through Ray Perkins the clueless, Richard Williamson the WR coach turned HC, Sam Wyche the has been, Tony Dungy the innovator, Jon Gruden the mastermind, Raheem the dream, Schiano the dictator, and now Lovie Smith.
All I can do is be a fan. Hold on tight and wait for things to take off. But ya know what? When they do finally take off, it’s feels soooo freaking good. It’s like redemption. All is not lost man. Just wait. You’ll see what I’m talking about. Take all these losses in man, soak em up like a sponge. Absorb them. It will feel a lot better when they start winning and you’ll be a better fan for it.
I only cry at funerals and the sight of Gruden raising that trophy on the SB DVD. I think I cry, because I went through so much crap with this team and it all paid off. YES I would cry right now if I put the DVD in.
Sorry you probably won’t get a chance to read this, it’s damn late right now, but I put my 2 cents (or 5) in on the matter. That’s what holds me together.
All we can do is voice our opinions on a website, cheer for our team and hope for the best. That’s my Bucs life.
October 11th, 2014 at 4:19 am
Amen Optimist
October 11th, 2014 at 5:03 am
The failures of the team since the super bowl win can all be pointed to poor drafting, plain and simple.
October 11th, 2014 at 9:18 am
my Rebuttle page is ready for viewing on bucstop when your done reading all the good stuff on joebucsfan.com
http://Www.bucstop.com
October 11th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
He’s had 5 games. Isn’t that enough to decide if he can get us winning again? Damn! What does it take? Six games? Seven? smdh
October 12th, 2014 at 9:45 am
meh… I doubt I’ll read these in the future to be frank.
I and my fellow fans are not the problem. Lovie has too much control over personnel decisions here, and they’ve almost all been bad.
Chicago success means little. Lovie inherited Urlacher, and was crap (12-21) without him in the lineup; he also inherited Briggs.