December Blues
December 9th, 2016
Don’t look back.
Since the Bucs nearly missed the playoffs in 2010, losing a tiebreaker to the eventual Super Bowl champion Packers, the month of December has been anything but a holiday.
In fact, the final month of the calendar year may as well have been an extended version of Halloween. As noted by the Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman, the Bucs are 3-18 the past five seasons in December.
Talk about deplorable!
This uglier than ugly record was cemented last season when Lovie Smith’s Bucs gagged the final four games, which is why he is now infecting the cornfields of central Illinois.
That nasty month was brought up to Dirk Koetter yesterday in his daily presser and he wanted nothing to do with it, when asked if the Bucs were in a similar situation as last year.
“Kind of similar for who? Not for me, not similar for me at all, so I don’t live in the past like that,” Koetter said. “We’ve got no reason to visit anything except what’s happening right now. We don’t have any reason to go – I’m not saying they might not, or they might. Some players might, but in my opinion, there’s no similarities [to last season].”
Joe understands where Koetter is coming from.
Often he spoke of a bad culture around the Bucs locker room earlier in the season. Joe’s guess is that culture has yet to fully change. The last thing Koetter wants is players to look back at December futility and begin to think they are supposed to lose.
Koetter is right; last year the Bucs were not in first place when December began. This year, they are (tied). Major difference.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:13 am
Ball coach knows that winning games and changing the culture means having a short memory..
December 9th, 2016 at 8:18 am
Different coaching staff. Quite a few different players. Different schedule. Different mindset. Agree totally with Coach Koetter … “Kind of similar for who? Not for me, not similar for me at all, so I don’t live in the past like that.”
December 9th, 2016 at 8:38 am
I think the person asking the question subscribes to a similar mindset as a lot of fans of the team. They refuse to update their file on the team and just assume that we’re a loser franchise. Any success is met with skepticism. Failure is our comfort zone because it’s what we’re accustomed to. The team has turned the page and the new guard wants nothing to do with that chapter of Bucs history.
Hopefully he, and the Buc “fans” who refuse to believe that we’re getting it together, can come to terms with the new look Bucs. It would be a shame to be a Buc fan for years but then still get on board with the team just in time to be a bandwagon jumper.
December 9th, 2016 at 8:54 am
In Dirk we trust
December 9th, 2016 at 8:55 am
Jameis, Ayers and Holley bring in the right mentality. The team is following their mindset. I am too. I believe.
This team is totally different than even the one back on September.
Go Bucs!!!
December 9th, 2016 at 9:29 am
Joe, as a journalist, do you not realize that you are perpetuating that losing culture somewhat by asking that type of question???
You are the one bringing up the past.
December 9th, 2016 at 9:36 am
Forgot its repeat Friday..
December 9th, 2016 at 9:40 am
Thank the football gods that Lovie Dovie’s no longer here!
December 9th, 2016 at 10:00 am
Translation- ” I don’t care what coach my scheme failed at”!!!!!!!!!
December 9th, 2016 at 10:04 am
Where is the poll on trust in coach Koetter now. We only seem to see it when we are losing.
December 9th, 2016 at 10:15 am
Love this attitude.
Different coach. Different team. Different season. Different mindset.
December 9th, 2016 at 10:36 am
I agree with ‘SB with Jameis Says’! How are you so down on GMC and his mindset, or lack of in your opinion, in another article when he basically said the exact same thing that coach did just in a different way? How about questions like ‘how has the team improved in practice during the week’, or ‘who are you expecting to have a break out game this week based on practice’ instead of ‘remember what happened this time last year right’?! I know where their minds have been in the past, i’m more concerned with where their mind is now and what they believe they are capable of going forward! JUST SAYING Joe(s)!!!
December 9th, 2016 at 4:17 pm
One of Koetter’s strengths seems to be blocking out the nonsense. He’s focused, and you can hear it in the way the players speak and see it manifested in the way they’ve been playing lately.