Ditching The Past; Embracing The Pressure
July 14th, 2022
Todd Bowles enters a pressure-cooker.
Team Glazer and the NFL are like-minded when it comes to canceling Jon Gruden.
Whatever you think of that reality, one wise NFL man also seems to believe it’s a good idea to wipe the 2002 Super Bowl championship team from the minds of Tampa Bay fans.
Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian forged his reputation as a personnel guru with the Buffalo Bills. Built by Polian, the iconic Bills teams of the early 1990s went to four consecutive Super Bowls and lost them all.
That legendary club was littered with Hall of Fame players and big personalities, much like the old Bucs. And since the Bills stunk for years and years after those glory days, Bills fans have stayed obsessed with the 90’s team — until now.
Speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio last night, Polian was asked about the pressure facing the Bills as a favorite to win the AFC and the Super Bowl this season. Polian responded by saying that a lot of the pressure comes from fans finally clearing their minds of the 90’s Bills following Buffalo’s thrilling playoff loss last season.
Therefore, Bills fans are now true believers and are all-in for the present. And that means more pressure on the team.
Polian wasn’t being cranky. He thinks it’s fantastic the Bills fans have finally let go of the past.
Joe heard the take and immediately thought of the Bucs.
Tampa Bay fans finally moved on from yearning for the Chucky-Dungy years and fans are completely dialed into the present, especially with Tom Brady likely in his final season.
Throw in the Bucs being on a 22-5 run and a brand new head coach, and the Day 1 pressure on Todd Bowles is extraordinary. Joe has no problem saying it’s far more pressure than Bowles endured has Jets head coach.
Polian was asked about managing the pressure on a team that’s a leaguewide favorite, something he dealt with while leading Buffalo, Indianapolis and Carolina. Polian didn’t give a direct answer, but he ultimately said teams can’t pretend it doesn’t exist and, well … just keep winning.
Joe sure hopes Bowles is prepared for the pressure-packed, fish-bowl season that awaits. Even Tom Brady wants the pressure on.
Why else would Brady sit down for a magazine interview in May for a feature that dropped today, in the middle of the NFL’s quiet time? Brady wants all eyes on him (and the Bucs) and to keep his teammates on their toes.
July 14th, 2022 at 5:06 pm
Hope Gruden gets a Billion Dollar victory. Can’t stand the woke NFL management team.
July 14th, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Why in the heck would we want to forget the team’s first Supper Bowl? That’s just crazy talk.
July 14th, 2022 at 6:38 pm
I’m afraid Todd begins this season like he ended last. Dear in the headlights meets Mack truck.
July 14th, 2022 at 7:24 pm
Supper bowl?… Hungry….Mmmm….Donuts….
July 14th, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Bills were 0-4
Bucs are 2-0
I loved 2002
I loved 2020
Will never forget either
July 14th, 2022 at 7:56 pm
Polian said forget because his teams lost. The Bucs won. First champion in Tampa 2002 Buccaneers. Never forget.
July 14th, 2022 at 8:47 pm
I will never forget that amazing super bowl team from 2002, all legends, including Gruden.
July 14th, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Canceling Gruden was a low life move, but I expect nothing less from our ownership. Their past actions are all the proof that you need as to how they feel about us. Thankfully they aren’t cheap like the previous owner, but I still hope that Gruden takes em to the cleaners.
July 14th, 2022 at 10:06 pm
I’ve always respected Bill Polian because he is a extremely smart football guy that has forgotten more about football then any of us will ever know !
That being said , I would have to disagree with him on this as it’s already in the record books and just because they have a problem with Chucky and Sapp doesn’t mean the other 52 players and coaches and entire organization should have to submit to their witch hunt and get the shaft in the process.
Last time I checked Dan Snyder is still with the Redskins , EXCUSE ME (Commandos) and the guy is a criminal ! Al Davis was the pimple the NFL couldn’t pop for how many years @joe ? I mean they hated Al Davis but I don’t see them taking away his legacy and all the great teams he put together ! It’s just another thing to stick it to us Bucs fan’s … Period.. I can go on and on . We all know all to well about Sean “Punchable Lips” Payton and his Bounty Gate AINTS ! We had a 1 game version of it last year when they took out all our players in that game and cost us the Super Bowl for sure ! Bounty Gate AINTS 2.0 and he did it because he wasn’t going to make the playoffs without his boy Brees and didn’t want our Bucs to win back to back Super Bowls. Then he up and quit on his team when he figured out that Brees was the biggest reason for his success ,,,, in the REGULAR SEASON LMFAO ! Go Bucs and go 2002 Super Bowl Champion Bucs team , the greatest defense ever in my opinion
July 14th, 2022 at 11:08 pm
No one should or will forget, and it’s time for the Glazerettes to sell the team for canceling Gruden. Let them buy another soccer team. Buy a women’s’ soccer team for the sake of diversity and inclusion, make sure a number of them are binary or tertiary or quaternary, multi-racial and multi-ethnic, and call them the Rainbow Unicorns.
July 15th, 2022 at 12:53 am
Always with the name calling Bully Goat
July 15th, 2022 at 6:59 am
Only thing worst than the woke NFL is the Woke NBA. Jesse James looked decent in his Steeler days.
July 15th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Seeing people use the word ‘woke’ in a pejorative sense is generally a good IQ test.
July 15th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
the pressure was all over us in 2020 and the team responded with a super bowl. every week the team was dissected.
July 15th, 2022 at 1:07 pm
What is with this country that makes everyone believe if you want to erase history you can? News FLASH you can’t. Bucs won in 2002 and Gruden was their coach and to be honest if he were coaching the Bucs last season and this season I would of felt a lot better about their chance for a repeat SB.
July 15th, 2022 at 6:15 pm
Gru is basically a career .500 coach. Yes, 2002 was special. No, he’s not a particularly special coach.