Team-Building Rare For Bucs
February 4th, 2021
Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
What a turnaround for the Bucs franchise.
Tampa Bay goes from a rich and well-deserved reputation of a being a loser that cannot win at home to one win from a Super Bowl champion in a year.
It’s remarkable.
Of course, Joe points to park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady for being the catalyst for this genie-in-bottle transformation.
In his media session yesterday, Bucco Bruce Arians brought up another element of team-building that is usually critical but missing this year, which he said makes the turnaround all the more special.
Because of The Sickness, Bucs players, as soon as they are finished with their responsibilities at One Buc Palace, go straight home.
Arians noted it is hard to bond when you are away from each other.
“It’s been amazing, I think, with the pandemic and the sacrifices that they’ve all made for each other,” Arians said. “They go to work, and they go home. We don’t get to sit and eat together. We don’t get to just sit and have conversations.
“It’s amazing to me how close this team is. I think it’s because of the commitment they made to one another to beat the virus before we could beat another team.”
That is a unique take: If you can beat the virus, you can beat another team. On face value that seems ridiculous, a virus has nothing to do with football.
Then again, because for the most part the Bucs have kept The Sickness away from One Buc Palace, they’ve played mostly at full strength (aside from normal football injuries). So yeah, Joe guesses you could say that staying safe from The Sickness enabled the Bucs to possibly win some games by being relatively healthy.
If the Bucs win Super Bowl LV, it would put a dent in all the cash teams spend on team-bonding activities like going to the movies and bowling and family barbeques.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:15 am
Warren Sapp does not approve of you anti-bowling stance, Joe.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:17 am
Hey Joe, how about making those references to Brady links to the articles that refer to what you are talking about. Kinda like you do with Peter King. This way it will make a little more sense to those of us that are not familiar with the stories you are referencing. Thanks
February 4th, 2021 at 11:19 am
What a difference 1 year makes. “Check yo sheet” was the catch phrase around here just before the SB last year.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:28 am
Not sure how you came up with that. Props for being creative.
Joe thought he was clear enough in the story: If the Bucs win a Super Bowl by turning around the franchise without the “team bonding” activities (that cost owners money) that some believe are so crucial, what owner wouldn’t then wonder about the monetary value of team building activities?
One reason owners got to be billionaires is they keep track of every nickel.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:34 am
This team seems to have been super careful about the virus. Attention to details. A stance that likely carries over to team practices and play. Nice work.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:38 am
Joe how about an article about how ridiculous it is for Aaron Rodgers to win the league MVP after all Brady accomplished this season. Not even close. I’m not going to list all the obvious reasons but hard to ignore Brady beat Rodgers both times they played.
February 4th, 2021 at 11:40 am
The Buc players are to be commended for their extreme discipline & personal sacrifices…..
Obviously, they have been extraordinarily careful around friends & family….because they have no idea who others have been in contact with…..
It will all be worth it.
February 4th, 2021 at 12:08 pm
Amen @DEW SAYS
February 4th, 2021 at 1:03 pm
Amen Dew
February 4th, 2021 at 7:32 pm
I agree that Tom Brady should be MVP, especially ahead of Aaron “Cry Baby” Rodgers.
We beat them twice, and beat them so badly the second time that they fired their defensive coordinator, and may have cost them Aaron Rodgers ?