“I Buy That One Big Time”
November 14th, 2017
Has fresh Chucky talk.
It is becoming a daily drumbeat.
Even though the Bucs won Sunday, snapping a five-game losing streak, that hasn’t slowed down the daily drip of Chucky chatter for some national talking head types. Innuendo that Chucky will be coaching the Bucs in seven short weeks.
Of course, former NFL executive and Chucky colleague with the Raiders, Michael Lombardi, has been pushing this notion for weeks: Winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter is a dead man walking the Bucs sidelines and your Tampa Bay coach soon will be none other than Chucky.
Over the weekend, heavy metal, headbanging Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports basically picked up Lombardi’s football and is more convinced then ever Koetter is a goner. This, despite the fact there are seven games yet to be played.
While wrapping up Sunday’s games on the “Pick Six” podcast, La Canfora said even though the Bucs won Sunday, Koetter lost. Prickly Pete Prisco, co-host of the CBS Sports-produced pod, was talking about how the Jets kissed away their playoff dreams when La Canfora began with his Chucky-is-coming takes.
“You know who the real big loser was in that game?” La Canfora asked Prisco. “It was Dirk Koetter. Take a look at the stands there [at the Den of Depression]. This is a business. That… that was — I’ve never seen — maybe I have seen something like that but it has been a while. It is not just the upper bowl, but it is the second tier in the lower bowl that there is literally sections that look uninhabited in the second quarter of a game midway through the season. That is not good and trust me, the Glazers are looking at that.”
Prisco then asked La Canfora about Chucky and before Prisco could finish his question, La Canfora shoved all his chips into the middle of the table.
“I buy it,” La Canfora said. “I buy that one big time. More than I would a week ago. Yeah. Yeah.”
First, Joe isn’t so sure he buys that Koetter will be launched just because folks would rather sit at home or at their neighborhood bar than go to a Bucs game.
In case one hasn’t been paying attention the past 15 years or so, this is a societal change, not just a Tampa thing. If NFL owners really cared about rear ends in seats, they’d drastically lower the price of tickets, parking, etc. or they would bring back local TV blackouts.
So explain to Joe how and why, strictly because of La Canfora’s economics claim, Team Glazer is going to run off Koetter — and then eat three more years on Koetter’s contract and pay Chucky top dollar (say, $7 million a year) on top of that. Is Team Glazer going to make up those many millions just by selling 10,000 more tickets a game?
Expecting sellouts in Florida like the Bucs had in their glory years is beyond wishful thinking and completely and totally ignores consumer trends.
If coaches are going to get run because of empty seats, then Sean McVay and Doug Marrone ought to be sweating bullets. Does anyone in their right minds believe those two coaches are on hot seats because their home stadiums have swaths of empty seats?
This just in: Those two teams look playoff bound yet they can’t sell out games. (See aforementioned reference to consumer trends.)
Joe wrote about the factors that may or may not compel Team Glazer to make a coaching move at the end of the year. Currently, all this Chucky talk wreaks of an agent-driven narrative. We all know how much Chucky loves to hear his name talked about every time a job looks to be open.
As Joe mentioned in the “Monday Morning Joe” podcast yesterday, if Chucky misses and loves coaching as much as he claims, why has he turned down every job offer from Boca Ciega High School to the NFL for the past nine years?
Joe also has a hunch that Lombardi is the source for this Chucky chatter because Lombardi is rolling the dice that Koetter is fired so Chucky might bring him on board. That is, if Team Glazer decides to re-hire Chucky.
Oh, and if Team Glazer decides to move on from Koetter.
November 14th, 2017 at 5:36 am
It’s curious how sites like this ignore the fact that the fans are sick and tired of players taking a knee to disrespect the country and the military. Their movement is misguided and has no focus. Fans do not want politics and football. The players are part time and make millions. Not a bad gig. How many of the readers here work part time? How many readers work part time and make millions? Just what I thought. America is the only place on the planet that part timers can make millions. And, they protest…smh People are sick of it that is why the seats are empty, Joes.
November 14th, 2017 at 5:36 am
I still dont understand why fans see Gruden as the savior of this franchise.
November 14th, 2017 at 6:24 am
Still don’t think Gruden’s coming back, too cush a job on TV, if he doesn’t win big in an NFL return, he’ll take tons of abuse nation-wide…..
November 14th, 2017 at 6:29 am
Koetter isnt going anywhere as long as his bff keeps running the defense like he did last week but I suspect smith goes back to his old ways. A proven defensive coach doesnt wait until week 10 to make adjustments. Koetters fate is in smiths hands because he wont fire his bff
November 14th, 2017 at 6:56 am
It’s a win-win for Gruden. Stay at BSPN and get overpaid for coming up with phrases like “Turkey Hole” (while getting paid with Glazer loot) or try your hand at coaching again while getting fired with multiple years remaining on your contract when your season starts to tank and the option of going back to BSPN (while getting paid with Glazer loot). Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. #PaidFloridaVacation
November 14th, 2017 at 6:59 am
So I guess the question is, is 6-10 or 7-9 good enough to keep his job.
November 14th, 2017 at 7:03 am
No playoffs = no Koetter. The only team Gruden would consider coaching is the Bucs because he has no desire to move from Tampa.
November 14th, 2017 at 7:08 am
Gruden is not coming back, but you know he is relishing the chatter
November 14th, 2017 at 7:26 am
I don’t understand why anyone would not want a coach like Gruden. Obviously he wants to coach again. Yes I hope Koetter is fired but it’s not really anything he did. He’s just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Gruden is a legendary Head Coach and face it, this franchise needs him back.
November 14th, 2017 at 7:34 am
@WyomingBucFan
Because legends should stay just that “legends”!!!!! How many head coaches take a 10 year break and come back and are successful???? This is a tactic that Gruden has used several times and Espm has renegotiates and extends his contract for more money!!!!!!! I do not see or want Coach Gruden as Bucs head coach, ( and I was a huge supporter and fan 10 years ago) And I do not see Coach Gruden coaching any team!!!!!!! It is ok for people to leverage their position, but don’t be “used” by it!!!!!!!!!! know when the sheep are being herded!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 7:52 am
@ Buc Realist
Dick Vermeil pulled it off…perhaps Gruden would too. Keep Koetter & Licht’s Out…I’m trying to beat my unhealthy addiction to the abusive Bucs. 🙂 That oughta do it.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:03 am
@JonBuc
and he went 5-11 and 2-12 in the first two years!!!!!!! Can you imagine if “IF” by some crazy reason that Coach Gruden came back and the first 2 years are failures!!!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 8:11 am
I’d rather have Harbough.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:22 am
Koetter will be retained…Chucky rumors are agent driven (as always). I do believe that Koetter will be forced to change Mike Smith out unless they get to 7-8 wins somehow. This team played the same way last year by not playing hard until mid-way but had better results. You have to question the leadership and professionalism in the locker room as it has been degraded in some way (player?).
They need to bring back Raheem’s “Race to 10” slogan for ’18 campaign maybe it will remind the players the season starts in week 1.
Top 10 picks do not always change a team dramatically so I don’t expect Barkley or any ONE player to come in and sprinkle magic dust. This team needs to draft in the trenches OL/DL.
Go Bucs!
November 14th, 2017 at 8:27 am
The societal trend is indeed a contributor to vacant seats at Ray Jay, cost to attend is a definite factor, and the quality of coverage in High Definition all combine with a pattern of poor performance on the field.
Let me remind all that the protest by immature and overpaid athletes who disrespected our Nation, Our Flag and the Veterans of Our military brought about a National Boycott of the NFL and that too is a contributing factor!
No question, a major turnaround on offense, coupled with defense that can produce ShutDown performances and there will be a boost in ticket sales!
November 14th, 2017 at 8:36 am
I think 80% rain chance, then the QB match up of McClown vs Fitz, and then the 5 game losing streak were the reason ( In that order!!!) why the turn out was poor!!!!!!!!
And what was with boomer esiason taking shots at Fitz at halftime during the boardcast!!!!!!!! Why is not talking about all the shots he took when he called Fitzpatrick, Fitz-tragic multiple times???????? he did not say a word about McClown who was worst and a so called starter!!!!!!!! He is a back up and played as such!!!!!!!!!
WTH!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 8:46 am
@ Ricbucsfan – if the Bucs were 8-0 going into the game against the Jets the stadium would be sold out. Your boy Trump did his job and got all the white middle aged guys pissed off for a couple of weeks but that has died down now.
Joe, I would strongly disagree that this is about high def TV and watching games in bars or from home. Once I got through the first half of the Saints game I gave up and have watched hardly any of the Bucs since that point. I was at the Panther’s game and as I left during the 4th quarter and 3 points on the board, I decided I would not go to another game this season and will not going back until this franchise proves that they deserve my hard earned money. I am sure other true Bucs fans like me have hit their boiling point as well and are boycotting this team until they earn thier pay on the field. Btw, a 15-10 win over an awful Jets team is not a start either.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:57 am
It is ironic that the Fox News crowd believes that anthem protests have something to do with disrespecting the military. These black players come from communities where militarization of our domestic police force takes away their freedom and often their lives. They are protesting the police state that we are slowly becoming. If you valued freedom, you would support those libertarian ideals.
November 14th, 2017 at 9:03 am
Gruden has a beautiful home here in Tampa. I know, my company recently cleaned his roof!
He has it made at ESPN, and IMHO has no plans to return to coaching, though he says he wants to.
He is trying to increase his value to his current employer by threatening to return to coaching.
If he returned to coaching here in Tampa, and he failed, his value to ESPN or whatever media outfit will be ruined.
November 14th, 2017 at 9:28 am
@richbucsfan
If the “disrespectful” knee before the games upsets you this much I assume you must be going nuckin futs about all the statues littered around the South to TRAITORS who participated in the killing of hundreds of thousands of LOYAL Americans.
If a knee is so disrespectful you feel this need to vent how does taking a cannon and firing at that same flag you respect so much hit you?
No less a person than Robert E. Lee said there should be NO statues after the war and that the South lost and they should just move on.
November 14th, 2017 at 9:33 am
I would like to know the current state of Chucky’s contract with ESPN. Is he perhaps in a final year? If so that would explain Lombardi and Chucky’s friends filling the air with return to coaching rumors! As Joe has pointed out BSPN is not in great financial shape and maybe Chucky needs all the leverage he can get.
If he’s serious about returning to football the NFL isn’t the place. Tennessee would give Chucky WHATEVER he wanted or needed to take on Saban. That’s who Tennessee really wants to beat.
I covered the Vols during the 80’s and their facilities were already awesome way back then. I got to cover their upset of Alabama at Neyland and the folks tore down the goal posts as if they had won a National Title…something Phil Fulmer pulled off a few years later.
Since he’s been an NFL coach there’s no way for me to be sure but I just gotta believe Chucky would be one of the top recruiters in the nation. He would have incredible talent and a rabid fan base. He could shoot for a National Championship to go with his SB. Head to Knoxville Chucky and cement your reputation forever.
November 14th, 2017 at 10:04 am
@aceinthehole, And hows that working out? Im so sick of this anti-white, anti-Trump, anti-Police BS….apparently so are many others.
Keep protesting…im not seeing it. Only game I watch is the Bucs. Why take a knee to protest the USA Flag when it didnt do anything to you….theres many other ways to protest and shine a light on an issue. Disrespecting our flag isnt one of them (in my opinion). You will get tuned out (which is obviously happening) and many, MANY, will not take you serious. And yes it is seen as disrespectful. But go ahead, keep it up….in the mean time im tuning those dumba$$$$ mthfks out!
November 14th, 2017 at 10:08 am
dirk is a goner unless he wins out….would love for him to do it but I doubt it….don’t think gruden is the answer either…..I say give harbaugh a call and watch us go 12-4 next year….GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 10:15 am
And if they were to hire Gruden and then start the season 2-6…guess what? The stands would be empty yet again. We don’t give a crap who the coach is, if the product isn’t worth watching, people aren’t gonna go.
November 14th, 2017 at 10:15 am
If we finish 8-8 and the team plays consistent football the staff will be back next year. Mike Smith needs Licht (or the next GM) to have a good defensive draft and free agency this offseason
November 14th, 2017 at 10:29 am
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. If the Bucs hire Gruden the Bucs will fire him one day. How terrible would it look on the franchise and city if the Bucs fire a coach that has been immortalized in the Ring of Honor? When it comes to Gruden this fan base is like the pathetic guy that reminisces about his ex-girlfriend. He remembers all the great times but has selective amnesia when it comes to all the bad times. There was plenty of bad with Gruden.
November 14th, 2017 at 10:56 am
TouchDownTampaBay:
Don’t disagree fans are turned off. It’s not quite as bad as Schiano’s final days. But as BrianDorry pointed out, running Koetter just because — as La Canfora seems to imply — not enough rear ends are in seats is dangerous.
Fans will come if the team wins. The only way Koetter should be launched is if Team Glazer believes he cannot move the team forward. Empty seats should never factor into the equation. (Again, if ticket sales were that important, the NFL would have never done away with local TV blackouts. That should tell folks something.)
Running a coach (who had a winning season in his first year, the first winning season this franchise has had in six years) who is developing one of the better young quarterbacks in the game — Bill Polian’s words; not Joe’s — just because someone won’t drop hundreds (thousands?) of dollars on season tickets is incredibly short-sighted.
Reminds Joe of the University of Illinois. Joe can remember twice in the past two decades that school hired a former Bears coach with the thought that Bears fans would make the two-hour drive to Champaign on gamedays. Instead, it blew up in their faces. How many arses has Lovie Smith put into Memorial Stadium? None. Why? Because he is a horrible coach.
Winning is what sells tickets.
November 14th, 2017 at 10:58 am
BTW, the last time Team Glazer dipped their toes into the pool of nostalgia, Lovie Smith surfaced. How’d that go?
November 14th, 2017 at 11:08 am
Joe Says:
November 14th, 2017 at 10:58 am
BTW, the last time Team Glazer dipped their toes into the pool of nostalgia, Lovie Smith surfaced. How’d that go?
would’ve went well if he had the time fix the defense and talent that dirk has now….2015 the offense performed much better….didn’t have the talent on defense yet…..even IRA reminisces on 2015….GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:12 am
Koetter can not move this team forward Joe. His regression as a play caller is a big part of what has killed this season.
Other offensive coordinators dream about having the weapons we have in the passing game. And we see teams all around the league doing far more with far less. That is absolutely inexcusable.
Lovie got fired for being a defensive guy with a rotten defense. Koetter’s rotten offense this year should be held to that same standard.
Write Jim Harbough a blank check, Hire Dave Gettleman to replace Jason Licht, bring in Nick Fangio to run this defense, and let Harbough hire whoever he thinks is capable of getting the most out of this incredibly talented offense.
In my mind that sounds like a formula for success.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:15 am
Because the glazers have done it before Joe that’s why…they want to win and this team has been trending down …its been a s#!t show this season and yes the attendance has been disgusting …gruden will be the most sought after coach in both college and the NFL come january and I wouldn’t be surprised if the glazers have a deal ready for gruden to sign …oh yeah there’s only 1 win I see this year left mark it down that’s this sunday…and if we lose lmao it’s a wrap even if koetter wins the last 6 games after Miami
November 14th, 2017 at 11:30 am
Pablo says Joe has a powerful voice in the Tampa media. Your biases shape the opinion of many and its cleer you have an Irk (No D with this team) Ketter (no O with this team either) bias. Its too bad because you could be unbiased. You went all in on the fire Lovie hire Irk stories and now we are seeing why Atlanta fired Irk and Mike Smith. There is no good reason to not give Irk the same treatment you gave Lovie. Mayb Lovie was dismissive with you and the reat of the media. It’s not a head coaches job to be nice and quotable for you. Speakong of witch, the Stick Carrier movement name looks silly now as fans are turning on the coach for good reason. Lovie Smith had a far more successful career than Irk will ever have but hey, he gave fans a few nice quotes and in turn he got an oil painting. Let’s bring him back for that!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:31 am
Running a coach (who had a winning season in his first year, the first winning season this franchise has had in six years)
its justified when the team and coaching staff regressed as much as we have this year….Winston hasn’t developed the way he should under dirk and that’s not even debatable….Winston looked like a franchise QB in 2015….this year not so much…GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:34 am
First, Joe has no such power, but it is humbling some believe this. 🙂 If Joe did, he’d be working for the Bucs.
Second, as always, the only bias Joe has is for the Bucs to win games.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:37 am
blake says:
Lovie got fired for being a defensive guy with a rotten defense. Koetter’s rotten offense this year should be held to that same standard.
Write Jim Harbough a blank check, Hire Dave Gettleman to replace Jason Licht, bring in Nick Fangio to run this defense, and let Harbough hire whoever he thinks is capable of getting the most out of this incredibly talented offense.
^^BINGO^^
lovie was fired after improving from 2 wins to 6….there’s no logical explanation for keeping dirk if we have double digit loses and the team regressing….if lovie can get canned for having a lousy defense without talent, then dirk can get canned for having a lousy offense with all the talent in the world….GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:40 am
I’m not sure I want Gruden back either. What I do know is Koetter has no passion on that field what so ever and he needs to be replaced with someone that does. THROW ME SOME NAMES’ FOLKS has become my new question to all Bucs fans.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:41 am
Not all but many people are staying home because of protest. I had family plan a trip since August to come down for Jets game. We stayed home and tailgated at house and didn’t really watch game at all. That is 6 people right there who will not go to a game again until this disrespect ends. The media want to make it a black-white thing but they are wrong its about respect.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:46 am
@813bucboi
If lovie did not have talent then that was his fault!!!!! In year 1 he had the juice!!!! He was in charge!!!!!!! And he was fired for a lot more than just his antiquated defense that the players hated to play in!!!! He was very incompetent in many areas when it came to coaching!!!!! Just some examples, he was burning thru coordinators, and penalties were thru the roof!!!!!!!
He is even on the hot seat at that third rate college that he is running into the ground!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:47 am
How much time did the guy need? He came in and cleaned house to make room for his guys and the team bottomed out. Why shouldn’t Koetter be given time to fix things? At least he had a winning record. Lovie never had.
You could damn near come up with a competent starting defense with the guys Lovie ran off. Rashaad Melvin, Mark Barron, Mason Foster, D.J. Swearinger just to name a few. The fact Lovie kept pushing for Mike Jenkins as a savior to the secondary was a major tell Lovie didn’t have a clue.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:47 am
I beg to differ, Joe. On Twitter during the game you stated you received a very nasty text from the Bucs about a story on O.J. Howard the day after the draft. You *don’t* have a job with the Bucs yet the team felt compelled to write to you to complain about what you wrote. Why? They’ve never written to me. They’ve never written to the other Bucs bloggers.
You do have a powerful voice among the fan base whether you believe that or not. The Buccaneers certainly believe that.
November 14th, 2017 at 11:49 am
Believe Joe mentioned that on a podcast.
Why did Joe receive that text? Because someone had Joe’s cell number. 🙂
Joe also received a harsh text when he wrote about how he thought the “new” uniforms were ugly when the designs were revealed. Joe hasn’t noticed the Bucs reverting to their previous unis (yet).
November 14th, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Joe Says:
November 14th, 2017 at 11:47 am
How much time did the guy need?
LOL….the same amount of time your willing to give dirk…..he cleaned house because it was filthy as hell….
we currently have damn near an all star offense but we cant get any production….zero scoring….lovies defense was lousy and he got canned….but somehow he deserves more time with a lousy offense and a team that has regressed…BS….
so I ask you joe….how much time does dirk need with all the weapons he has on offense…..GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 12:05 pm
Hate to think that “Money Talks while another head coach Walks.” And these talking heads are free to punch in the gossip of the day at the expense of a hard working coach like Dirk Koetter who like so many coaches in the NFL simply needs a little time and talent to build a team. Off with his head, He’s a goner, Instant gratification, what have you done for me lately? And for all you experts who think Gruden would walk in here and win another Super Bowl his first year, I have some swamp land I’ll sell you. All the above are typical symptoms of Desperate fans and losing.
November 14th, 2017 at 12:09 pm
@REALIST
so what is dirks excuse….his offense has all the weapons in the world….so according to you, its his fault the offense and team has regressed…..
lovie knew got him fired in chi town…the offense…so what does he do first when he arrives….fix the offense….he wasn’t giving time to fix the defense(which this staff hasn’t gotten done either) and now is even worse…..
dirk walked into a great situation but his incompetence had this team regressing…..luckily, he’ll be gone soon….GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 12:19 pm
@REALIST SAYS:
Just some examples, he was burning thru coordinators, and penalties were thru the roof!!!!!!!
do you mean when his OC had heart problems and we had to role with an unqualified assistant to call plays….and then he hired dirk….or the DC when he reclaimed the DC duties….
penalties???…..what difference does that make?…we’re still coming out flat, getting blown out, looking unprepared and we’re 3-6….but we don’t get penalized….LOL….BS…GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Sure Chucky would turn down the U of TN with a chance to be in rare company to win a super bowl and a National championship and be a God in Knoxville forever if he does. Or He can go to Tampa a place where if he doesn’t turn it around in 18 months he will be fired again by the happy trigger Bucs organization. LOL Don’t know what he is thinking but there would be no way in H$# I would want to be the coach of the Bucs as long as the Galzers own the team.
November 14th, 2017 at 12:30 pm
Blake_Bucsfan Says:
November 14th, 2017 at 8:11 am
I’d rather have Harbough.
Ditto that.
Plus, Gruden ain’t coming back. Sorry to burst your bubbles
November 14th, 2017 at 12:39 pm
Jon Gruden will come back for another 7 seasons. And give the Succaneers another 57-55 record. The delusional fans in Tampa, treat Gruden like he’s Vince Lombardi. A living legend with a 57-55 record. I don’t know which sucks more, his record or the Yucs fan base.
November 14th, 2017 at 12:43 pm
@LakeLand
I’m sure if Gruden came back and went 57-55 over 7 seasons, and won another Ring, everyone would be pleased.
And Gruden would probably get into the hall.
November 14th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Economics?????
Gimme a frigging break, Joe.
Top 10 teams in attendance (2017):
Dallas (5-4)
Green Bay (5-4)
NY Jets (4-6)
NY Giants (1-8)
Washington (4-5)
Denver (3-6)
Kansas City (6-3)
Carolina (7-3)
Los Angeles (Rams) (7-2)
New Orleans (7-2)
Bottom 10 Teams:
Los Angeles (Chargers) (3-6)
Cincinnati (3-6)
Oakland (4-5)
Jacksonville (6-3)
Tampa Bay (3-6)
Chicago (3-6)
Detroit (5-4)
Indianapolis (3-7)
Arizona (4-5)
Miami (4-5)
The first list is made of teams which have been good this season, were good until this season, and/or are perennial contenders. The second list is made of perennial top 10 picks in the NFL draft. Sure, some cities have been hit economically worse than others which would explain Jacksonville, Detroit, maybe Indianapolis, but WINNING PUTS BUTTS IN SEATS. If you don’t have a winning head coach which creates an inspired fanbase, which is exactly what the Bucs HAD at the beginning of the season, then it’s real easy to blame “economics” rather than quit being a homer about keeping ole Dirk. The Bucs will remain to be one of the lowest-attended games until they can find ways to win, plain and simple.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
What weapons? A rookie TE and DeSean were added and I think peeps thought explosiveness. I never did, I just imagined Dirk being able to get really good matchups with what he had. That hasn’t happened.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Oh and once again. Gruden will never coach the Bucs ever again.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Joe, you can’t be this stupid. McVay and Marrone are heading to the playoffs, Koetter is not. McVay’s team just got to town in a fickle area, and Marrone’s is probably leaving and probably never should’ve been there. Koetter and Tampa Bay’s situation are total false equivalencies to your examples. And don’t pretend to live in the vacuum of no playoff appearances since Gruden left. Why you’re fighting this is truly puzzling.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:53 pm
@1987
What weapons you say?
Just one of the best all around receivers in the league in Mike Evans.
A premiere Deep threat in Desean Jackson, who was supposed to free Mike Evans from constant double coverage.
Cameron Brate, who has developed into a legitimate threat in the redzone, who has a knack for making spectacular touchdown scoring grabs.
O.J. Howard, the Rookie Tight end you mentioned, who at 6’6 251 with 4.51 speed, soft hands, humongous catch radius, with more than enough quickness to run clean sharp routes that create separation. A player that has already proven to be deadly in the short passing game, with real potential to get wide open deep down the field, despite being criminally under utilized.
After that, we still had Adam Humphries, who is solid and dependable out of the slot (or was anyway until that fumble), and Chris Godwin, who showed off plus athleticism at the combine, that had a bucket load of production and big time games at Penn State. And what should have been a solid group of running backs.
So yeah, despite what we have learned about our O-line and our RB group and their lack of production. Any Legit OC in the league should still be putting up at least 24 points a game. Koetter is just flat out not getting it done. He has regressed severely as a playcaller, most likely due to the fact that he can not handle all of his current responsibilities as HC.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:55 pm
Look, Gruden isn’t even sweating this right now. The great thing about successful people is that they realize there is a time to act and a time to not act. so much can change over the course of 7 weeks. So much. Think about how the Bucs rallied right about this time last season. Gruden isn’t talking to his agent or speculating on a daily basis and neither are the Glazers. they’re experienced businessmen who understand that this thing has a long way to go to play out.
No good coach would ever take a job in season – so Koetter is the Bucs coach for at least 7 more weeks. That means there’s at least 5 weeks before this even has to be considered by anyone making the decisions.
This is just meaningless drivel to the rest of us blathering about on these sites so they can accumulate hits and charge more money to their sponsors.
Carry on.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:19 pm
I agree with Joe and others who have stated the obvious….winning is the best way to increase attendance.
But these attendance comparisons are a bit strained. The most embarrassed city should be Chicago. 3rd largest city with a team that was an original NFL team with TONS of history. They should support the Bears like they did the pathetic Cubbies for all those years of misery.
We are the 13th largest…not top ten and geographically really spread out. We live in paradise….spent plenty of time in Dallas and it’s NOT paradise…the Cowboys are their lives. Same for Green Bay. Their fans literally OWN their team with shares of stock and they have arguably the most loyal fan base in the league.
I just tire of comparing our attendance to places like New York, Boston, Philly and DC.
Again…agree that wins are paramount but there are a lot of factors in attendance. Those last four cities I mentioned have major corporations using them as their home base…these corps buy LOTS of tickets….we have no major corps based in Tampa and our wage scale relative to those other cities also sucks. Disposable income is another predictor of how any entertainment endeavor works.
November 14th, 2017 at 3:19 pm
@Joe (Again, if ticket sales were that important, the NFL would have never done away with local TV blackouts. That should tell folks something.)
^^^Absolutely, you can thank a true American patriot, John McCain in part for the NFL lifting the blackouts. You know they didn’t want to do it.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on NFL owners’ vote to suspend the league’s policy of blacking out home games that do not nearly sell out at least 72 hours before kickoff:
“I am pleased by the decision today by NFL owners to suspend the possibility of blackouts of league games for next season, for which Senator Blumenthal and I have been advocating for several years. In recent years, we introduced legislation that would have banned blackouts in taxpayer-financed stadiums and conditioned leagues’ antitrust exemptions on ending their blackout policies. Last year, the FCC has voted to spike the federal sports blackout rule that contributed to the likelihood of blackouts. And last fall, Senator Blumenthal and I sent a letter to Commissioner Goodell urging the league to voluntarily rescind its local blackout policies or face continued pressure from sports fans and the Congress.
“I appreciate the leadership displayed by the NFL’s owners, and urge them to make today’s decision permanent league policy as soon as possible.”
November 14th, 2017 at 4:18 pm
If Jon Gruden go 7-9 with Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Keenan McCardell, Keyshawn Johnson, Brad Johnson, Shelton Quarles, Brian kelly, Michael Pittman, Joe Jurevicius, Mike Alstott, Booger McFarland. The year after winning the Super Bowl.
How many games will he win with this roster?
November 14th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
You forget Koetter took over for Lovie and did what Lovie couldn’t do with the Bucs: put together a winning season.
November 14th, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Joe Says:
November 14th, 2017 at 4:46 pm
so I ask you joe….how much time does dirk need with all the weapons he has on offense….
You forget Koetter took over for Lovie and did what Lovie couldn’t do with the Bucs: put together a winning season.
LOL….HAVE YOU FORGOT WHAT OUR RECORD IS CURRENTLY!!!….LOL…..its fair to say both failed at making the playoffs….but only 1 regressed in his second year….GO BUCS!!!!
November 14th, 2017 at 7:10 pm
Koetter had a winning season his first year (something we didn’t have in a while) and in second we had a losing. He still deserves time. I mean cmon!!! Let’s stop going thru coaches cuz of a losing season! Some coaches go thru losing seasons and then come back with better seasons. It happens!
November 14th, 2017 at 9:03 pm
Joe, you are overthinking this. The lack of fans at the games has nothing to do with the snowbirds, cost of games, travel, beer cost, or anything else. It has to do with winning football games. Yesterday, I watched the highlights of the Bucs-Rams game circa 2000 week 16. It was towards the end of the year and there wasn’t a seat uninhabited. You want to know why. Because if we won that game which we did in spectacular fashion, then we were in the playoffs. There was meaning to the game. The team was good. How much meaning will there be for the Bucs when they host the Aints in week 17? Nothing but draft position and possibly the icing on the cake for the jettison of Dirk Koetter. Bottom line: Winning puts fans in the stands. Nothing more. Nothing less.