“The Great Teams, They Know Each Other”
May 20th, 2015
A couple of 2015 Buccaneers own a Super Bowl ring, and when one of them talks, it’s always worth listening.
Joe’s talking about defensive tackle Clinton McDonald. Aside from his piercing stare and penetrating deep voice, McDonald is all about team — “band of brothers,” he calls it.
McDonald talked to Joe and local media this week.
Asked about what it takes to have a Super Bowl team, McDonald said, “the camaraderie comes first.” He added he’s heard that from various winners, and it’s his firm opinion that, “the great teams, they know each other.”
McDonald also relayed an analogy from Bucs icon and threesome-unfriendly Warren Sapp that illustrated the power of the unit, delivered by Sapp at Bucs practice last spring.
Joe’s a big fan of McDonald, but Joe doubts camaraderie comes first. Remember, it was Josh McCown who had 100 percent attendance for player-run, private team workouts last spring. McCown brought the Bucs together from Day 1.
Give Joe good coaching, talent on par with most NFL teams, and a couple of leadership types that raise the play — and the standards — of those around them. That’s a winner right there.
Those glory days Bucs teams had plenty of friction and not always universal camaraderie.
Enjoy the McDonald video below.
May 20th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Warren also said that the team needed to be relaxed and he knew some trustworthy women who can take care of that for them?
May 20th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
No question mark ***
May 20th, 2015 at 2:09 pm
“Joe’s a big fan of McDonald, but Joe doubts camaraderie comes first.” – Joe
I think the words he should have used are familiarity and trust.
Just like with our superbowl team, the players need to become accustomed to how those around him play, and to trust that those players can handle their jobs.
Otherwise, the player will try to do too much and leave their assignments to try to make plays.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Yes. It is quite interesting of all the talk of what a good guy and leader Jamies is. It has the same fell as last year with all the talk of how McNown was such a great leader and good guy. This is always the best time of season because the feel good stories are all over the place. Now we get to wait to see what controversy comes. MRSA, OC’s health, injureis what have you. I am cautiously optimistic about the Bucs but have been snake bitten the last 3-4 years/decade.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
#3 will have his teammates ready to run through a wall for him come week 1.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
The word we are searching for here is accountability. Forget all the other crap. It’s about accountability. Teammates need to hold each other accountable for better or for worse. Once everyone accepts accountability everything else falls into place. Trust, familiarity, camaraderie. All of that happens when accountability is being practiced.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:42 pm
I Think McDonald’s referring to it as the “extra” ingredient for teams that have the talent and coaching to be champions. I’m pretty sure my familiarity with my lifelong buddies would not offset our complete inability to play football at an NFL standard eniugh to put us ahead of Andrew Luck and those guys he’s only known and played with for 3 years
May 20th, 2015 at 3:42 pm
If “camaraderie” is what it takes to win, Then the Bucs must hate each other the last 6 years!!!
May 20th, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Joe’s a big fan of McDonald, but Joe doubts camaraderie comes first.
I think Pick6 touched on it. I would simply add that I agree with McDonald but would point this out.
While camaraderie may need to come first, that’s not saying that camaraderie will take care of it. There are teams with great camaraderie that suck, last year’s Bucs?, and teams with great camaraderie that kick butt…Seahawks and Packers come to mind. But I can’t think of any great team that didn’t also possess great chemistry.
May 20th, 2015 at 8:00 pm
This guy just ooozzee that leadership. I hate to feel optimistic because the bucs have just crush my heart so many times these past years. But why not us with leaders like this guy and Jameis and all of the support we have turn this franchise around.
May 20th, 2015 at 8:15 pm
LMAO. We have become like Chicago Cubbies fans. They wanna believe too.
They added a great manager, some great pitching, and they have the best rookie in all of baseball. They wanna get excited but they can’t shake the past failures.
That’s us guys. I know many of you are chomping at the bit, you wanna believe, but you’re Buc fans and have just had your hearts broken too often…including last year.
Buc up guys. It’s all good. We’re going to have some serious fun this year.
May 21st, 2015 at 8:42 am
Remember St.PeteBucFan. we have a Super Bow trophy in our case to massage some of those bruises we have endured the last couple of years which many people seem to forget, so it hasn’t been all locusts and plagues.
Love the Clinton McDoanld “FA” pickup from last year. The guy is a real quiet blue collar force and has given our starting DL from the previous year more time to develop which he needed. Definitely wasn’t ready to start in the NFL in his rookie year but he was thrown to the wolves anyway.