“You See The Person And The Sincerity Of His Words”
May 10th, 2016
Strong take on ex-Bucs standout receiver Mike Williams
After five consecutive cellar finishes in the NFC South, Joe yearns for the glory days of 2010, a 10-6 team, a young coach pushing all the right buttons, a ridiculously young roster with a 22-year-old quarterback who just shocked the NFL with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Joe aches for the happiness of 2010, even if too many Bucs fans dismissed that team and its head coach — 20,000 empty seats were common at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
So there is a place in Joe’s heart for many of the men (not all) who made them team great.
Wide receiver Mike Williams is one of those guys. In addition to mind games from Greg Schiano, and a bogus DUI claim by local cops, Williams was persecuted in local media, ripped for using a mattress as a lawn ornament and installing a stripper pole in his living room, as well as having bad roommates and taking a blade in his thigh, courtesy of his brother. What a menace!
Joe knows Williams as a standup teammate in so many aspects, putting an awful lot on his shoulders en route to a Bucs rookie receiving record for touchdowns (2010) and not missing a game in three-plus seasons before a serious hamstring injury took him down,
Williams, as Joe previously shared, is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, after more than a year out of football.
Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey run a hell of an organization, and Williams isn’t just camp meat by any respects.
ESPN.com penned a short feature on Williams’ recent signing. Pretty powerful stuff here from Dorsey:
“He came in for a workout and really displayed some of the traits that he had earlier,’’ Dorsey said. “I sat down and talked with him extensively for about 30 minutes, and then I wanted everybody within the building to sit down and talk with him. And you know what? He is a very genuine guy, driven to get back his career that he got derailed on.
“You see the person and the sincerity of his words, and I think that’s first and foremost, and how driven he is to be that guy. So we’ll see what happens.’’
There’s more via the link above.
Williams turns 29 this month, and Joe wishes him well. And Joe hopes the Bucs finally make Joe forget the great 2010 season this year. Enough losing already.
May 10th, 2016 at 10:06 am
2010 was all smoke in mirrors!!! even the coach said so!!! 3rd in the division despite the soft schedule and even the Panthers Tanked the season for Cam!!!!!! And by half time NO was starting to pull players in the last game as they walked into the playoffs!!! Sad to think that some thought this was a great season!!!
May 10th, 2016 at 10:20 am
He had talent in college at Syracuse, and then quits the team (about to be suspended?)
Shows talent again in Tampa, but, after get his $ contract, he is not the same player, and gets released.
Marrone, his college coach, gives him another shot with Buffalo. At one point, he asks for a trade, and then is, again, released.
Next, he gets a 3 game suspension, and stay a free agent for the rest of season.
Some people (and cavemen) can’t get out of their own way.
May 10th, 2016 at 10:29 am
I agree Realist. I was at every game that year. It was fun to get some wins, but it seemed obvious we were not a serious contender. “Rah” had some magic that maybe lasted a few games, then back to reality. As for Mike Williams, KC can have him.
May 10th, 2016 at 10:35 am
Rah had a better record than Schiano and Lovie with Dom as his GM and the Glazers experimenting with Moneyball. It may have been smoke and mirrors but I was a much happier fan.
May 10th, 2016 at 10:43 am
I prefer a winning record with a soft schedule over a losing record with soft schedule any year. I’m tired of every team scheduling us for “homecoming”.
May 10th, 2016 at 10:47 am
yeah I haven’t been satisfied with the bucs on field performance since 2010…I don’t care what anyone says that year was so much fun as a season ticket holder…damn I miss those days…GO BUCS!!!
May 10th, 2016 at 11:02 am
I guess he got sincere and genuine once he realized he can’t rap and his caveman buddies spent all his cash. GO BUCS!!
May 10th, 2016 at 11:04 am
@Joe
While your at it, you should just go full on mental and start your campaign for Sergeant winslow for the ring on honor as well!!!!!!
May 10th, 2016 at 11:35 am
Does anyone remember Mike taking that brutal hit on a slant pass against the Falcons? I think it was 2011. Dude got rocked but stayed in the game!
May 10th, 2016 at 11:52 am
McAlpinMike Says:
May 10th, 2016 at 11:02 am
I guess he got sincere and genuine once he realized he can’t rap and his caveman buddies spent all his cash
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My thought exactly MM. As soon as Mike Williams got paid some real $ – his interest in football dropped substantially. It happens I guess. 23 TDs in 3 years ain’t no fluke – and neither was his downfall.
The 10-6 record in 2010 was total smoke and mirrors. Damn near every lucky bounce fell our way. We didn’t even make the playoffs – so remembering 2010 as “the good ol days” is ridiculous. This team has not been truly competitive enough to win a Championship since 2002. Sad but true. The double “dips” combo of Bruce Allen and Mark Dominik screwed this franchise up so bad we are STILL trying to recover. Having owners with moths flying out of their wallets for 8 straight years during that period sure didn’t help either.
May 10th, 2016 at 11:52 am
When Williams ‘got paid’ he cashed out and reportedly didn’t take his rehab seriously, angering the front office. He was one of the best receivers in recent team history, it’s a shame he and Freeman flamed out so completely while lesser talented players were able to stick around.
May 10th, 2016 at 11:52 am
@Pirate
That wasn’t the Falcons, it was the 49ers. And the guy delivering that hit was a safety who would later become a Buc himself: Dashon Goldson. That was one of the hardest hits I’ve seen a defender make on a guy who wasn’t on a crossing route. Mike doubled over and left the field afterwards and I felt sorry for him. That was a blast he took from Goldson.
May 10th, 2016 at 11:56 am
I love how some use the schedule to justify wins and losses. You play who’s in front of you. Sometimes you get lucky and play scrubs, sometimes you don’t. 10-6 is 10-6 and, a winning record.
Like Ace said, I’ll take a winning record with a soft schedule over a losing record with any schedule any day!
@Realist- I’ll take Winslow over ASJ every day of the week! Ring of Honor, not so much!
May 10th, 2016 at 12:01 pm
The Buc Realist Says:
May 10th, 2016 at 10:06 am
2010 was all smoke in mirrors!!! even the coach said so!!! 3rd in the division despite the soft schedule and even the Panthers Tanked the season for Cam!!!!!! And by half time NO was starting to pull players in the last game as they walked into the playoffs!!! Sad to think that some thought this was a great season!!!
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Agree completely with you!
As everyone knows by now, I strongly feel that the strength of schedule of your opponents in the year that you face them (not based on last year’s record, since so much can change year to year) is a very important determinant of a team’s record in any given year. Specifically, the opponents of the 2010 Bucs had an aggregate record of 122 wins and 134 losses, despite having Atlanta (13-3) and New Orleans (11-5) on their schedule twice. They faced 10 teams with a record of under 0.500, and EIGHT of those teams had at least 10 losses.
By comparison, for instance:
In 2013, the aggregate won-loss record of the Bucs’ opponents was 147-109.
They played only 5 games against teams with records under 0.500, and they went 4-12. That year’s schedule included NINE games against teams with at least TEN wins.
In 2014, the aggregate won-loss record of the Bucs’ opponents was 123-130-3.
They played 9 games against teams with records under 0.500, and they went 2-14!!
In 2015, the aggregate record of the Bucs’ opponents was 124-132. If you take out two games vs. the 15-1 Panthers, the remaining opponents were only 94-130! They played 9 games against teams with records under 0.500, and they went 6-10 against one of the softest schedules in the league.
BTW, the only opponent that had as many as 10 wins last year was the Carolina Panthers. The next closest were the Washington Redskins at 9-7. Atlanta and Indy wound up at 8-8, and all of the rest were under 0.500!
tickrdr
May 10th, 2016 at 12:04 pm
@Bucsfanman
and when he does not practice with your QB and his bad attitude leaks onto the QB and team, will you still take it???? what was in that duffle bag he would bring in the team hotels??? Why was when Coach Schiano was ordered to clean up the team because of the rampant drug problem The sergeant winslow was one of the first to go????
May 10th, 2016 at 12:09 pm
if he understood at the beginning that all that CaveMenGroup BS was crap and focused on its actual football talent, he wouldn’t be begging for a job. Still surprised someone is willing to give him another chance. I wouldn’t.
May 10th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
@Realist- I should’ve specified. I’ll take Winslow’s production…sans the “issues”!
Man you guys are ornery today! The Bucs lone winning season in 10 years is being picked apart for “playing a soft schedule” and one of our most productive TEs is a pariah! (I kind of agree that he was a pariah/prim a-donna!)
May 10th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
I wish the refs wouldn’t have screwed us in the Detroit game. We may not have gone far in the playoffs but at least the Cheeseheads wouldn’t have another title.
May 10th, 2016 at 12:26 pm
We like Mike. Hope he does well.
May 10th, 2016 at 12:30 pm
The Qb’s that the 2010 team beat
Browns – Jake Delhomme
panthers – moore/clausen
bengals – palmer
rams – rookie bradford
arizona – Hall/anderson
panthers – clausen
SanFran – Troy Smith
Washington – D McNabb
Seattle – Hasselbeck/Whitehurst
Saints – Brees
all these were the scary QB’s that the Bucs beat during that “great” (as some call it) season!!! most were under .500 and some were walking into the playoff!!! and Bucs had no shot at winning the division!!!!!
May 10th, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Let us dream Realist! Who cares about the competition! A ‘W is a ‘W’ is a ‘W’!
Sure, that team may not have gotten far but….see above^
May 10th, 2016 at 1:28 pm
Buc Realist, the Bucs last year won 6 games against TERRIBLE QB’s please list that and then tell me why you believe so much now?
May 10th, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Oh and basically played a last place schedule in 2015 and still…6 wins
May 10th, 2016 at 1:37 pm
his days as an impact player are far gone. he was never explosive or crafty getting open, not known for yards after the catch, and you can only throw so many jump balls
May 10th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
i’m never sold on the idea that a guy who couldn’t stay interested in football when he was being paid 8 figures or high 7 figures will suddenly buckle down and give it his all for a fraction of the money down the line. it’s hard to reverse your work habits in the middle or late part of your career to begin with, now throw in a body that’s many years older and a paycheck that’s quite a bit smaller and it seems darn near impossible
May 10th, 2016 at 4:47 pm
“Williams was persecuted in local media…” – Joe
Ironically, most of those guys are out of work this week.
May 10th, 2016 at 4:48 pm
The Buc Realist Says
“2010 was all smoke in mirrors!!! even the coach said so!!! 3rd in the division despite the soft schedule and even the Panthers Tanked the season for Cam!!!!!! And by half time NO was starting to pull players in the last game as they walked into the playoffs!!! Sad to think that some thought this was a great season!!!”
Dang it.
Stop making me agree with you.
May 10th, 2016 at 4:49 pm
I haven’t been satisfied since Gruden was fired truth be told. But I have been supportive.
May 10th, 2016 at 6:41 pm
Well I was gonna be happy to just say Good Luck Mike! But now you guys are making me sad.
May 10th, 2016 at 6:50 pm
“Williams was persecuted in local media, ripped for using a mattress as a lawn ornament and installing a stripper pole in his living room, as well as having bad roommates and taking a blade in his thigh, courtesy of his brother. What a menace!”
Joe says this like he doesn’t include it in EVERY article about Williams.