Who Is “They?”
May 15th, 2020
Pointing fingers.
If one takes literally the words of Sean Payton, coach of the slimy Saints, it means multiple people were involved.
What is Joe getting at? Well, we all know the Bucs threw the final game of the 2014 season against the Saints so they could draft Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, four months later.
(What’s funny is the Bucs were so utterly terrible that year they couldn’t even throw a game right. They damned near won the friggin’ game!)
Anyone watching the game knew they were tanking, it’s hardly a surprise. Remember, the Bucs pulled Lavonte David, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, who even said he got this typical halftime IV fluids and then was told his day was done.
This week, Payton was on heavy metal, head-banging Jason La Canfora’s radio show in Baltimore. The CBS NFL Insider asked Payton about his new backup quarterback, Jameis, and Payton started pointing fingers.
“Heck, they lost a game on purpose to us at the end of the season prior with (head coach) Lovie Smith,” Payton said. “They forced Lovie to take his starters out of the game so they could get the one spot to draft Jameis.”
Let Joe be clear: Joe absolutely was in favor of the Bucs taking a dive in that game so the team could draft Jameis and Joe publicly advocated for it.
Joe has always been of the mind that you play for the playoffs or you play for the draft. In other sports, it has been proven that tanking leads to wins down the road. It’s just smart business, that’s all there is to it.
What Joe would love to know is who Payton talking about? The word “they” is plural. And since Lovie had full and complete control of football operations, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht likely didn’t have the muscle to force Lovie to pull players.
All of this is very interesting to Joe.
May 15th, 2020 at 10:42 am
I’ll admit I was wrong on Jameis.
LUVMYBUCS #1 record holder on this site for referencing the decisions that should have been made. He was all about a trade down and rebuilding the team. I would have hated it at the time but that may have been better for both Jameis & the Bucs long term.
May 15th, 2020 at 10:50 am
in a season that was defined by horrendous decisions by ownership (coronating Lovie Smith, franchise fixer), the GM (EVERY free agent was bad), and the coach (fingerprints all over every personnel decision and 14 mostly utterly embarassing losses)…..the ONLY decision that i felt good about was the decision to not win that game. it’s a shame it didn’t go better but assuming THEY is everyone listed above, taking that dive might have been the most sensible thing THEY did in 2014
May 15th, 2020 at 10:51 am
Can you imagine what we would have gotten to trade down?
May 15th, 2020 at 10:54 am
they=bucs organization
reading comprehension 101
May 15th, 2020 at 10:59 am
The bait and hook is in the water.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Doesn’t answer the question.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:08 am
It’s too bad the Bucs didn’t do MORE tanking over the many years they sucked.
1 or 2 more losses would have made all the difference in drafting…
Calvin Johnson
Suh instead of McCoy
And many other stud players we always seemed to barely miss out on.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:09 am
“All for tanking” what a ridiculous black mark on the sport and those who support it. It works? Bull spit. The tank for WinSTUNNED might top the Bo fiasco in Bucs lore. Try some imagination and write about the 80 or so players and their stories on the team. Not some BUM on the saints.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:11 am
The sad reality is ‘they’ were wrong and put the Bucs in a 5 year bondage of losing all while polluting the Bucs fan base with Jameis fanatics….
I was all for trading down and building the team…. Both QBs that year were more ‘media darlings’ that year than extraordinary… JW with his interceptions (some while falling backwards) and MM being more gimmick ..
Wasn’t sure Lovie was the coach that was ever going to bring winning football to Tampa But that draft sure didn’t help him any!
May 15th, 2020 at 11:11 am
Robert … ‘Bucs organization’ is pretty broad. Obviously it didn’t include Lovie in Payton’s eyes because he said “THEY forced Lovie”. It also probably didn’t include Licht because Lovie had more control at that time than JL did.
Safe to assume IMO that the THEY who Payton is talking about is the Glazers. The part I don’t get though is HOW Sean Payton could definitively know that they FORCED Lovie to pull his starters. Unless he was specifically told that by Lovie Smith perhaps?
And even more germane, with a record of 2-13 going into that last game, does anybody really care 6 years later? Unlike Joe, I’m opposed to tanking for ANY reason, BUT … it’s water under the bridge at this point.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:20 am
Damn with the exaggeration everyday. Why can’t they mean the Buccaneers period. The coach takes responsibility on this one considering he hired Licht, yea he probably informed the glazers he was pulling starters but considering the number of wins we had and knowing we were kicking for the first overall pick what was the benefit of keeping the starters in? What the hell would Payton know about internal decisions made by this team and who gave specific orders if it wasn’t even leaked to local reporters, give me a f-ing break You would know before the Saints Joe.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:24 am
Kind of funny coming from Sean Payton, especially since the Saints tank everytime they secure their playoff position. And why wouldnt you? You get better position and screw with other teams draft positions.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:28 am
Tanking….disgusting
May 15th, 2020 at 11:28 am
And NDog will be arriving to ruin this thread in 3…2…1…
May 15th, 2020 at 11:29 am
Who gives a crap what this tool says. Can we get back to current, relevant Bucs info?
May 15th, 2020 at 11:29 am
Hi Sean!
https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5153943
May 15th, 2020 at 11:30 am
The Bucs don’t win even when they try to win
The history of the Bucs suggest we will win only 38 percent of the time. So Sean Payton is talking about nothing. He just happy he has JW
May 15th, 2020 at 11:33 am
And we’re happy he has Winston also so there’s that.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:36 am
BTW Joe, just went back & relooked at the play-by-play for that last game (Saints 23 Bucs 20). I’m not so sure the case couldn’t be made that the SAINTS were also trying to tank that game.
Bucs were AHEAD 20-7 starting the 4th quarter. Drew Brees has thrown THREE INTs prior to that. Apparently the Bucs’ DEFENSE must’ve been playing pretty good football up to that point to hold the Saints’ offense to only 1 TD in 3 qtrs of play. Saints scored 2 TDs in the 4th qtr to win, with the winning TD coming after a Josh McCown INT at midfield. Saints scored about 3 mins later on a Brees to Colston 36 yd pass to go ahead 21-20 with 2 mins left. Bucs couldn’t get anything going close to their goal line, took a safety with a min left then tried an onside kick that failed.
Very strange game to say the least. Interesting that the Saints had only scored 1 TD after 3 qtrs of play in this game with the Bucs supposedly pulling their key starters, and yet they beat us in the first game that season 37-31.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:39 am
Sean “Butthole Lips” Payton hates us, and I’m ok with that.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:43 am
Agree with Robert they = bucs organization. You can say that doesn’t answer the question, but I think Sean P meant it in a general sense… he probably doesn’t know for sure who was involved in that decision either. Could have been the Glazers.. people reading too much into this
May 15th, 2020 at 11:52 am
I’m relieved that my faves share my thought. Tanking is for losers.
I’d need to at least see some examples of successful tanking. I’ve seen a lot of examples of total failure. Losing on purpose requires a certain mindset…not difficult for a LOSING franchise to manufacture.
Meanwhile after the dust settles the JW mistake will be viewed as a MAJOR Messup.
I’m like Lord C…I thought JW was the pick but like Lord C I think LUV got it right. The first pick that year would have been worth a boatload of picks…the kind of haul that can set you up to win with a decent QB…not a savior…just a competent professional.
Meanwhile JW basically cost us five lost seasons and sadly lost in some of the most frustrating ways including the disastrous 2018 season which started with JW’s suspension…led to the Fitzmagic controversy…the absolute humiliation of playing like a high school kid against the Bengals that year…we’ve been through a lot!!! A pick six to start his Bucs career and a walkoff game ending pick six to end his career and insure another LOSING season for the Bucs.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:53 am
This is funny stuff, If I am not wrong this guy was suspenden for 1 year….and now he teaches morals?????
I really can´t stand this guy…….DOuble morals….
I hate him more than he hates the Bucs…….
Sending players to injury rivals……
Hard to forget!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 11:56 am
I said before that 2015 draft that neither Winston nor Mariotta were true NFL franchise QBs and Bucs should trade down, and man, I was 100% right.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Bucs may be re-examining that decision now.
Bucs could have started to rebuild the franchise with all of the picks and player that they would have gotten for that #1 overall pick
May 15th, 2020 at 11:58 am
Agreed. Tanking is something only losers do and somehow even when pulled off it never works out
May 15th, 2020 at 11:59 am
Jimmy!!!!
HahahahahH!!!!!
I just can’t stand that slimy prick.
May 15th, 2020 at 12:01 pm
Sean Payton = Judge Smails from Caddyshack
May 15th, 2020 at 12:15 pm
1st tanking is absolutely a no go in my book. And for everyone talking about what we could’ve done if we traded down you must have forgot the terrible free agents that Lovie brought to this team and the terrible drafting. Giving him more picks doesn’t mean he would’ve done anything good with them. Heck with the way our luck as a franchise has been we would’ve traded the pick and both Jameis and Marcus would’ve turned out to be franchise QBs and we’d be complaining about what could’ve been. Let’s talk about current players and the up coming season.
GO BUCS!
May 15th, 2020 at 12:38 pm
It’s hard to say, what was worse at that low time of the Bucs Franchise!!!!!!!!!!!
The Bucs tanking for the #1 overall pick?????
That the front off having to remind incompetent lovie to tank?????
All the so-called fans after the game cheering here on JBF like they just won a playoff game????
The sheep wrongly thinking lovie tanked the whole season, and was going to “unleash” in 2015????
Knowing another bad year was coming because incompetent lovie and licht were not held accountable for the dubious honor of being the worst team in the nfl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“This is the no excuses of no-excuses years”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s time to herd the sheep, and put them back in the pen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 12:38 pm
Robert Says:
May 15th, 2020 at 10:54 am
they=bucs organization
reading comprehension 101
The question was specifically who in the Bucs organization is “they”. Come on man. Common sense 101.
They = The Glazers. I think Payton is going all the way up the food chain with the accusation. It’s obvious that we threw that game. That’s not in question. Payton calling attention to it though isn’t necessarily in his best interest. This is about the shadiest thing the Bucs organization has ever done. The Saints under Payton have a whole plethora of shade. Bountygate anyone?
May 15th, 2020 at 12:43 pm
He need to keep the buccaneers name out of his slimy mouth. Go focus on his 41 year old qb and America’s turnover machine Winston. The Taints sure have been grumbling about the Bucs a lot. Sounds like fear to me how dare we challenge the almighty Taints I’m Sean Slimy Payton Winston’s at Harvard now. He won’t have to google “ why do I keep throwing the ball to the wrong team?” and “ what’s the best way to deflect my mistakes on others? ” and “ what’s a good crab leg recipe” and “ When does Uber forgive sexual assault and let banned passengers ride again? “
May 15th, 2020 at 12:45 pm
“They” might be one Head Coach protecting another. By using “they” Peyton avoids putting Lovie on full blast. The coaching fraternity is tight.
May 15th, 2020 at 12:51 pm
https://www.google.com/amp/s/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/01/sean-payton-implicated-in-alleged-vicodin-theft-at-saints-facility/amp/
When Payton comes for dinner make sure to take your pills out of the medicine cabinet or else they will be a lot missing!
Sean Payton implicated in alleged Vicodin theft at Saints facility
May 15th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
I was going to say the Glazers without question,
but @Marty may be right
May 15th, 2020 at 2:01 pm
If I remember correctly the Saints looked like “they” were trying to lose that game too and mess up the Bucs chance to pick #1.
May 15th, 2020 at 2:23 pm
I’m opposed to any article trying to make the Lovie smith era relevant, all it got us was more losing so if he was going to criticize tanking he should have done that 5 years ago. Don’t talk about us tanking and we won’t comment on your tainted Super Bowl run
May 15th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
tickrdr Says:
June 29th, 2018 at 1:05 pm
………………………………………………………………………………………………
For the record, I voted trade down in every single poll.
If you really want to be upset, read some of the trade rumors that Philadelphia was offering for the #1 pick that year. Probably all BS, but one said the Eagles offered Nick Foles, Lesean McCoy, and THREE first round picks. LMAO.
tickrdr
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BTW: I agree with Lord C, that LUVMYBUCS usually has the very BEST takes on players to draft.
May 15th, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Realisto, we can always count on you, Ndog and Robert for zero logic, common sense and comprehension.
Are you ladies siblings or something?
THE REAL FANS WANT TO KNOW!
May 15th, 2020 at 2:44 pm
tickrdr Says:
March 28th, 2015 at 6:52 pm
@Tom Edrington:
Not low standards, just low expectations. I’m just grateful they took Mike Evans and NOT Johnny Manziel. Now I’m worried they are about to make the Big JabooBoo. Still a member of the trade down crowd—-I know….. pitiful.
tickrdr
May 15th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Amazing absolutely amazing.
May 15th, 2020 at 2:52 pm
Sad day.
May 15th, 2020 at 3:08 pm
its simple imo….
“they” gave lovie full and complete control of roster moves..NOT MONEY MOVES!!!
“they” saw the perfect opportunity to expand their brand….in the panhandle..in BAMA…all of the kids that like FSU because of JW would now become BUCS fans….
so at the end of the day,”they” gave lovie full control when “they” approved…
GO BUCS!!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Incompetent loser lovie set this franchise back a decade in two short horrible years!!!!!!!!! His buffoonery and stinch still persist at One Buc!!!!!!!!!! They might have to burn the building to the ground to remove any doubt of all the damage that imbicile setup and caused!!!!!!!!!!! The man had no class!!!!!!!! And was fired on Friday, because that is when they took out the trash!!!!!!!!
There is a reason why he is a failure at a third rate college even!!!!!!!!!!! He would wreck his own teams even at a high school level!!!!!!!!!!!!
Incompetent indeed!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 3:23 pm
I too was thrilled the Bucs tanked or lost that game. I was fully on board with drafting Winston.
I was wrong, big time.
Jameis wasted 5 years of my football life.
Glad he’s gone and couldn’t care less if he is successful anywhere else. He wasn’t successful here and I’m tired of riding that roller coaster.
May 15th, 2020 at 3:32 pm
joe: you knew back in 2015….
This cool dude told Joe how the gear concession areas at the stadium party were selling Winston jerseys — complete with Winston’s chosen No. 3 — as fast as lightning once he was drafted.
One after another, fans were paying top dollar for Winston jerseys and throwing around credit cards like Joe pounds beers.
Always skeptical, Joe went to Buccaneers.com to look at the pictures of the official Bucs party. Sure enough, Joe saw the photo below.
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 3:34 pm
realist
dirk and smitty were both took to the curb on monday morning!!!!!!!!…..thats when they come put up the trash in BUCSVILLE….
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 15th, 2020 at 3:42 pm
Payton, who allowed his defense to headhunt and collect nounties for injuring opposing players. Eff him .
May 15th, 2020 at 3:45 pm
Pete
You said you wasted 5 years of football life because of JW but we came off a 2-14 season to draft JW.
So a 2-14 season is not a bad season unless JW was the qb? Geez
May 15th, 2020 at 4:13 pm
NDog , is your government name Lamarcus ?
May 15th, 2020 at 4:25 pm
Simply could have meant the Bucs, they. I personally cant stand that clown Payton. He is a sociopath at worst and a narcissist at best. Not my kinda gal.
May 15th, 2020 at 6:04 pm
F@#$ this buttf@#$k and the city of new olreans and their fans
May 15th, 2020 at 6:33 pm
Well said Lokog!
May 15th, 2020 at 7:07 pm
We broke his leg i was there and we laughed..soft lil bountie coach got what i refer to as karma..wish him nothing but the worst
May 15th, 2020 at 8:33 pm
Sean Payton is a punk and should have been thrown out of the NFL. He has the kind of face that just needs to be punched.
May 15th, 2020 at 10:53 pm
BrianBucs Says:
May 15th, 2020 at 11:56 am
I said before that 2015 draft that neither Winston nor Mariotta were true NFL franchise QBs and Bucs should trade down, and man, I was 100% right.
Hindsight is always 20/20.
———————————————————————-
Looks like you have 20/20 foresight my friend.
If the NFL wasn’t such a boy’s club rampant with nepotism and cronyism, I would say apply for a scouting position in the front office.
May 15th, 2020 at 11:10 pm
As I die Hard Gator fan and Alum I supported the JW drafting.
Egg in my face and feathers in my mouth right now!
May 16th, 2020 at 12:14 am
“All of this is very interesting to Joe”
Because it has to do with a certain QB who isn’t on the roster anymore?
May 16th, 2020 at 9:39 am
See man that is what so wrong with your thinking!! Nobody should EVER tank!!! This isn’t Madden where your wins depend on button pushing!! It’s won with confidence and never give up demeanor!! When you tank on purpose you’re A LOSER!!! Just take a look at how many top 5 picks the browns have had over the years!! And they still stink!!! Because all they know is losing!! And then there are people like you saying lose on purpose because again… You know nothing about football!! I like reading some of these posts but it’s obvious you really have no clue!!!
May 16th, 2020 at 8:17 pm
Jameis will be out the door in 1 season. Similar to McCoy in Carolina. They’ll figure out he sucks.