Reminded Of Lovie Horror
January 9th, 2017
Misfires in personnel brought to light (again).
It is going to take a Bucs playoff win for Joe to purge the two-year Lovie Smith siege of terror from his hard drive.
Watching the Giants-Packers playoff game demonstrated (again) that a drunk in a corner bar could evaluate NFL talent as well as if not better than the former Bucs coach.
Remember wide receiver Tavarres King? You probably don’t, but he was on the 2014 Bucs. You know, the same team that finished with the worst record in the NFL? Sharp Bucs fans will remember King’s key drop of a would-be first down that helped the Bucs win the Chase for Jameis, securing the first pick in the draft.
Lovie had no use for King after that. But yesterday, there was the same guy catching passes from Eli Manning in a friggin’ playoff game! King had three catches for 73 yards yesterday. How is it a guy couldn’t play for Lovie but could contribute to a playoff team in a playoff game?
Nah, the Bucs couldn’t have used King last year or this year, could they, Lovie?
Then there is linebacker Jonathan Casillas. He got in Lovie’s doghouse for some reason in 2014 and Lovie traded him to the Patriots during the wretched two-win season. Casillas, who has a New England Super Bowl ring, now starts for a playoff team. He led the Giants yesterday with 11 tackles, seven of which were solo. Imagine!
Now Joe isn’t saying the Bucs need linebackers but couldn’t Casillas have played Daryl Smith’s strongside position? Or was it that Lovie would have had to work with Casillas because he wasn’t the right fit for Lovie’s coveted defense?
How is it a guy can start for a playoff team (and a good defense on top of it) but couldn’t play for Lovie?
Watching Casillas and King play reminded Joe of the nightmare that was Lovie’s horrid personnel decisions, starting with Darrelle Revis and Donald Penn and ending with the likes of Casillas and King, with quite a few others in between and afterwards.
Just a freaking trainwreck, man.
Thank God Lovie had enough common sense not to listen to Father Dungy and waved the green flag for the organization to draft America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston!
January 9th, 2017 at 7:12 am
I was watching that game thinking the same thing. Also when I watched the Raiders game and heard the accolades Penn got, I thought of the rest of the Oline Lovie dismissed and replaced with his all star studs. OMG, what a nightmare Lovie was
January 9th, 2017 at 7:27 am
I remember thinking the Lovie hire was just what this franchise needed after seeing the work he did in Chicago… boy was I WRONG!! He makes Raheem and Schiano look good! So glad he is out of the organization. I hope Dirk is a round for a long time, just so we can finally build a winning franchise, and not start all over again!
January 9th, 2017 at 7:30 am
Ok Lovie Bandwagon fan who screamed for One More Season please come forward and admit.
LOVIE SUCKS
January 9th, 2017 at 7:36 am
Bobby Rainey didn’t help the Giants much last night.
January 9th, 2017 at 7:38 am
Lovie sucks but so does King
January 9th, 2017 at 7:39 am
Your article Joe is exactly what drove me nuts about Lovie. He wasn’t really a coach, more like just a guy installing a defense scheme. If a player didn’t fit his scheme, he wasn’t willing to coach said player and bring out his abilities to match his ancient defense. He will be done coaching altogether soon as his days of riding off the coat tails of Dungy are coming to an end.
January 9th, 2017 at 7:41 am
Lovie is unquestionably the worst coach in bucs history and the most ignorant. Lovie’s 9 years of previous experience is the tie breaker that makes him worse than Bennett.
Lovie was horrible in Chicago. Only decent year was with Rivera and what did the classless Lovie Smith do can Rivera. No NFL head cosch has burnt through and screwed more family’s of assistant coaches and coordinators than the no Class, bad character dirt bag Lovie Smith. Ask Chicago fan about his bad trades and contracts. Lovie Smith the worse coach and publicity stunt in bucs history.
January 9th, 2017 at 7:41 am
Former Buc MLB, Mason Foster is a top, if not the top tackler on a good Deadskins D. Maybe he was let go under Shiano? The Lovemiester gave up on the 1st round, hard-hitting safety, now with the Rams. Moving on from a healing, expensive and over rated Mevis was the best long term move, though.
January 9th, 2017 at 7:46 am
I liked the Lovie hire,
And I loved the Lovie fire!
Go Koetter!
January 9th, 2017 at 7:52 am
The Lovie hire was a desperate sad attempt to rekindle the Dungy era and was so backwards in its thinking it set the franchise back years. Only good thing to come of it was drafting a young promising QB
Good riddance Loser Lovie
January 9th, 2017 at 8:11 am
Watching that game, I had to google Taveres King because the name sounded familiar, so I am thinking the same thing w/Casillas, but I wasn’t thinking Lovie, I was thinking Bucs history, hopefully we can turn this thing around and get the best out of our players, looking for Jonathan Banks and ASJ to have career years, jk. But i would hope that we start developing players on the team especially those that may not be a superstar, but work hard and play their roles. Bucs history as far back as Doug Williams, Steve Young to Legerette Blount, Aqib Talib and Michael Bennett who all have SB rings
January 9th, 2017 at 8:29 am
What has this coaching staff done, considering all the money spent. You have a G.M. that has missed on so many selection. The Buc’s paid a OL player who did not play a down to include pre -season. Caoch Morris, won more games then this coach with less talent. Look At how much money was spent on free agents and tell me who is the coach of the year. this coach lost the locker room, Winston letter pulled the team back together. Win more gains then coach Morris and make the playoff until then this is a bad coach as well. Some of the coach decision cost the Buc’s at lease one game,reference the Raiders game.
January 9th, 2017 at 8:43 am
3years later and your trying to equate what TKing was in Tampa to where he is today……are you f*cking kidding me? Let me shovel this road kill to the side of the road, he caught a pass in a playoff game, good for him, maybe he wasn’t the player in Tampa that he is now, I mean like it took him a little time to catch up to the game! LOVIE ain’t the reason we didn’t make the playoffs, maybe if he’s a free agent we can lure him back to Tampa, because we all know we need a #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 receiver upgrades and if he’s a bust when he returns at least we can say he caught a pass in New York City…………NEW YORk CITY!!!
January 9th, 2017 at 8:44 am
Ed
Get your facts straight Lovie spent more money and created over 42 million in DEAD money with his horrible free agent class and injury prone has beens in year two. That 42 million in DEAD money could have purchased a couple of wr, safety and a drug
January 9th, 2017 at 8:46 am
Free reliable running back
January 9th, 2017 at 8:48 am
Ed Ed Ed…. SMH
First of all, Raheem didn’t win 10 games until his second season. That pretty much discounts any credit or integrity your point may have had.
Missed on so many selections? I’m assuming you mean FA and the draft. Okay well, Ali Marpet, Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, Kwon Alexander, Charles Sims, Noah Spence, Brent Grimes, Robert Ayers, Cameron Brate, Adam Humphries etc. Not to mention the guy had 9 wins with a new DC and decimating injuries to the offense.
So you decided to focus on Sweezy, the outlier that may even be back and stronger than ever next season… got it.
Koetter lost the locker room???? Well there goes any merit your point may have had. My head hurts from the holes and unawareness of this team in your post. SMH. You really shouldn’t comment, Ed.
January 9th, 2017 at 8:53 am
@Ed … “What has this coaching staff done?” Seriously Ed? Top to bottom, this is close to being the best coaching staff the Bucs have ever assembled. Achieving a 9-7 record with relatively little depth against a much-tougher schedule and with a lot more injuries than in 2010 is really quite an accomplishment. And your statement about “this coach lost the locker room” is pure bull. And for another thing, your last statement about Coach Koetter costing the Bucs a win in the Raiders’ game is bull also. What kept the Bucs in that game was that the Raiders committed 23 penalties for 200 yds (which is ludicrous) and shot themselves in the foot. Yet the Raiders kept the ball for almost 45 minutes. Bucs defense really didn’t match up well against the Raiders huge OLine, but it kept hanging in there. Our defense played 94 snaps in that late Sunday game, which is unheard of, and I’d contend that’s what crucified us for that following Thursday game (lost also) against the Falcons. Bucs never really had a chance in that Atlanta game.
January 9th, 2017 at 8:59 am
Hey Joe……I get your line of thinking but getting rid of Revis was not that bad of a thing. Guy is toast now and was stale bread the yr after we got rid of him.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:08 am
Lovie Smith was an egomaniacal nightmare. If he didn’t personally bring in players, he either cut or just ignored them. Johnathan Banks/Mike Glennon were victims of the Lovie curse. The worse coach in Bucs’ history? He was one of several. Glad he’s history now.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:08 am
Hey BigHog……….How does all that Crow taste in your Racist mouth?
January 9th, 2017 at 9:15 am
NO JOE BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR KIND WILL NOT LET “STUFF” GO!!! 10 YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL FORCE US TO HAVE TO REHASH IT AGAIN. SUPERBOWL VICTORIES WILL NOT MATTER! IT’S DONE AND OVER WITH BUT YOU NIT PICKING OLD HOUSEWIVES WON’T LET IT GO. WHY DON’T YOU CLOWNS FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES OF KOETTER AND THIS STAFF NOW????OH I FORGOT YOU’RE AN UPTIGHT CONSERVATIVE/REPUBLICAN WHO ONLY HARP ON NEGATIVES. THATS THE PARTY WAY.
This story wasn’t even worthy to be read just commented on. I’m glad I didn’t read it! NICE PIeCE OF JOURNALISM THERE JOE.
TH
January 9th, 2017 at 9:23 am
@Joe
When need to have a poll to see who single handedly did the most damage to the Bucs during one of the most darkest periods in Buc History!!!!
dominik vs lovie!!!!!!!
Who was the biggest buffoon!!! Who ran this franchise into the ground more than the other!!!!!
Who is the king of incompetence with a loss record of 36 wins-76 losses between the two of them!!!!
Do the poll Joe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 9th, 2017 at 9:31 am
@ Realist….yeah, Lovie and Dominik would be at the top of the list among the other horrific GM’s and coaches this team had in the 80s and early 90s.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:44 am
Hey ATRAIN, Ill step up..I called for one more year for Lovie, but dont put bandwagon anywhere on my name. I was a Bucs fan when you were in diapers probably.
It wasn’t Lovie love, it was the points in this article, as to why I didn’t want ANOTHER coaching change.
Castilas, King, just a few of the examples when you see ex Bucs playing in playoff games, the Bucs have had 4 coaches in 6 years. 2011,12,13,14,15,16 Morris, Schiano, Lovie, Koetter. Each coach did the same thing, Morris dumped Grudens guys, Schiano got rid of Morris kids, Lovie jettisoned Schiano’s Men, and so on.
Its not a Tampa Bay thing, look at the franchises that kick out coaches in 1 or 2 years, and youll see perpetual losing. Cleveland, San Francisco currently in that pattern.
Coaches get rid of guys that dont fit their system, and that turnover creates a depth gap.
Bucs problems over the last 3 years have been depth more than anything.
So I was against getting rid of Lovie for another new coach. But the Koetter move made sense, there was no real turnover, just a change at DC basically. Offense stayed the same.
There is no doubt that Koetter deserves responsibility for the 9-7 season, but most of the responsibility for turning this team around belongs to Jameis Winston. It was HIS leadership that brought this team together.
The defense was not much better than Lovies most times. But Smith did what Lovie could not, he listened to his players, and for that the Koetter move was the reward.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:48 am
Why is it that almost ALL of the ftball guys on tv say M.M. has more upside and will be a better qb when compared to Winston ?I think Joe likes keeping the locals happy with the pick !
January 9th, 2017 at 9:51 am
A whining, name calling, tantrum throwing liberal? Hmmm, imagine that. Forced to read some future article, yet didn’t even read this one? Let me guess, you didn’t vote either.
January 9th, 2017 at 10:17 am
Yea Joe why don’t you “pole” him!
January 9th, 2017 at 10:24 am
I screamed like a scorched bear when Lovie was hired, just as I did when Trump “won”. I knew the first would be a disaster and the only thing that Trump ever made great was his bank account (ask the Trump Tower folks). But those that told me Lovie was great are now scarce as hens teeth. They have disappeared or conveniently forgotten. And a couple years from now, I expect the same disappearing act from Trump supporters. They will say they voted as I did…for Kasich.
January 9th, 2017 at 10:36 am
tmaxcon…you hit the nail square on the head, nothing more needs to be said.
SB Jameis …YUP.
BigHog and David…try not to be so color blind. It’s 2017 not 1957.
January 9th, 2017 at 10:46 am
are we still talking about lovie…..
@joe….don’t act like this regime hasn’t made mistakes that has cost this team games(dirk f’ing up the clock & quitting on his team)….or set this team back a year or 2(licht trading up and drafting a kicker instead of another position, signing a player that was hurt i.e. sweezy)…..
I don’t see why everyone including @joe is so happy…..we missed the playoffs yet again…..even Winston said he isn’t happy with this year….but some how because dirk is in charge, everyone is happy even tho we missed the playoffs…..what a bunch on GMC’s…..LOL…SMDH….GO BUCS!!!!
January 9th, 2017 at 10:57 am
Love how in this entire article not a single mention of the person who is responsible for acquiring/signing the talent available on this football team. Free-pass Licht keeps getting that free pass around here.
Think I’ll chug another media sponsored beer with GMs name and likeness all over it. These proceeds are going to which charity in full?
January 9th, 2017 at 11:01 am
Dallas…all GM’s have winners and losers. But there is one that I really find unnerving, and I think the Glazer’s would too.
The one I’d really like for one the media folks to explain to me is how Sweezy was cleared for signings and who made the multi-million dollar poor medical prognosis that burnes a hole through the Glazer stack, and our O line upgrade, this year.
January 9th, 2017 at 11:04 am
mark2002- agree and agree
January 9th, 2017 at 11:19 am
Lmao Eddy boy. smdh son
January 9th, 2017 at 11:33 am
Ed.. either the least informed person in the world, or the worst troll ever. I can’t tell
January 9th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
i’ll say this, if licht and dirk don’t get to and win a super bowl with jameis Winston, they will be the BIGGEST LOSERS/WORST coaching/gm combo ever in bucs history….no other coach/gm in bucs history has ever had a franchise qb of winston’s caliber….bash lovie all you want but he’s gone now…..dirk is under pressure to not only improve to 11wins next year but soon be challenging for super bowls…..I want him to succeed, but he has his work cut out for him….time will tell….GO BUCS!!!!
January 9th, 2017 at 12:22 pm
wow…there’s nothing quite as refreshing as getting too far ahead of ourselves by living in the past. that’s always sweet.
January 9th, 2017 at 12:27 pm
Love how You’s beat that dead horse to death. Revive him and beat him some more. kinda like a..cross burning of sorts. But then again, at some southern crossroads, Cross burnings are still popular huh? I want to remind everybody, Dirk Koetter has not appeared in any playoffs yet. Until he does, the team is just..average or slightly better than average. Beating the ghost of Lovie Smith
only serves one purpose. I’ll let YOU geniuses figure out what it is!
January 9th, 2017 at 12:36 pm
Another year , another year at home during the playoffs. That should be the goal of this team. Until this team start playing games during the postseason, this blah, blah, blah don’t mean nothing.
January 9th, 2017 at 12:49 pm
I would rather be where we are now!!!!! and that was finishing second in the NFC South!!! And just missing the playoffs by the #3 tie breaker rule!!!!!
As opposed to watching the incompetent one finish bottom of the nfc south for the 3rd straight year, no more than 4 wins because the schedule was “hard” or the players quit on the obsolete defensive scheme!!! and us talking about who the new coach would have been if coach my scheme had weaseled his way into a 3rd year!!!!!
Buc fans step up and stand up like we told you!!!!!!!
Go America!!!!!!!!
And GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 9th, 2017 at 1:11 pm
@Atrain- Guilty as charged. And for all the reasons niko listed. Good franchises don’t turn over coaches the way we have. In retrospect/hindsight, firing Lovie seems to have been the right choice. That’s the beauty of hindsight!
I, for one, find it futile to continue pouring gasoline on a fire that’s nothing but ash at this point. Moving on……………………
January 9th, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Yeah thank god we didn’t draft the QB who Dungy wanted us to draft. You know the kid who most football people think will be better long term. The Titans are probably crying themselves to sleep every night knowing they are stuck with that bum they drafted.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:33 pm
Marcus Mariota will always be injured. I can see it happening every season. He’s brittle at the pro level. Fameis is an ironman. The only thing MM has on Fameis is he is more accurate but Fameis is a better all around QB. He learns how to be more accurate then he’s gonna be gettin the Bucs into alot of playoffs.
1987 I said nothing about color. I was talking about type, because this Joe definitely fits the type I’m talking about. The conservatives up here also are one color and always the ones dogging Lovie even though he’s gone. Negativity out the yin yang just like the good little republicans they are. Don’t say jack about about Schiano even though he was almost as bad as Lovie and are the ones who talk bad about Dungy even though he’s the one who brought the Bucs respectability.
mickeymousedeemas you’re a newbie up here so don’t know jack about this board or me. Get it straight I’m a moderate on everything. I know what I said put your panties in a bunch
January 11th, 2017 at 9:49 am
Up here??? Lol