Rondé Barber, Todd Bowles And Knute Rockne
August 3rd, 2023
Joe has mentioned this on the “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” for many Bucs fans, mention Derrick Brooks returning a pick-six to seal a Super Bowl win or Chucky doing his dance on the sideline that night, and they look at you like a puppy that turns his head sideways and perks his ears at the sound of a whistle.
Many Bucs fans, of course, either have no memory of the team’s first Super Bowl win or weren’t alive to enjoy it.
That was over 20 years ago. College graduates and successful working professionals are out there with no vivid memory of that glorious night.
This was clearly apparently to Todd Bowles. The Bucs coach was asked Tuesday after the night practice at the Glazer Shed if he mentions Rondé Barber, one of the stars of those old Bucs, to his players.
Of course, Barber will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night.
Nah, not really, Bowles said of explaining to players what a stud Barber was. That’s ancient history.
“I mention it to them, but today’s player probably only goes back as far as 2019, 2018,” Bowles said. “So, it’s kind of among deaf ears.
“They find it hard to believe that I played – I’m like Knute Rockne to them. You bring it up and they’ve got to Google everything, so they’ll Google it and see but it doesn’t relate much.”
So yeah, Bowles did play for Washington and won a Super Bowl ring. He also played for the 49ers.
For those who don’t know about Knute Rockne, he was sort of a father of football, a legendary football coach at Notre Dame who grew a massive coaching tree that still has branches reaching today’s game, including the Bucs.
One of Rockne’s former quarterbacks, Frank Thomas, coached Bear Bryant at Alabama. Bryant was one of Bucco Bruce Arians’ coaching mentors. And of course, Arians led the Bucs to a Super Bowl win just three years ago.
So yeah, Joe gets what Bowles is saying. A player who didn’t play in the last five years … you may as well be talking about Wild Bill Hickok (or Wild Bill Hiccup, the cowboy character in the Three Stooges short “Goofs and Saddles.”)
August 3rd, 2023 at 4:33 am
Maybe if it’s among deaf ears, you
A) are picking the wrong players
B) are failing at getting through to them about important things like being successful and wanting to emulate hall of famers
If I recall, Tony Dungy told all of our hall of famers that if they worked hard they could emulate all of the old Steelers legends. They sat and watched tape and got excited and harnessed their potential and became great.
This guy is beyond uninspiring.
props for game planning in the Super Bowl win.
Respect for that, but thats where it ends for me
Lost me at the Rams debacle… But I was still open
Truly lost me (and Tom Brady in my opinion) punting in the Browns game while losing with the ball beyond midfield
August 3rd, 2023 at 4:34 am
Running this team into the ground
August 3rd, 2023 at 5:50 am
At least Knute believed in the forward pass.
August 3rd, 2023 at 6:32 am
If we don’t teach em who will Joe?
If you are a Packer I bet they make sure you know who Lombardi, Starr and Hornung were.
Go Bucs!
August 3rd, 2023 at 7:24 am
I have a mural air brushed on the back of my red F250 of our first SB win, I won’t ever forget that game and I won’t sell the truck. Go Bucs!
August 3rd, 2023 at 7:31 am
Nice post. I appreciate the history of the game. The entire history – not just the past couple of years. Thanks Joe.
August 3rd, 2023 at 8:11 am
Cardiac kidz Says:
August 3rd, 2023 at 7:24 am
“I have a mural air brushed on the back of my red F250 of our first SB win.”
Nice!
August 3rd, 2023 at 8:34 am
🙂
August 3rd, 2023 at 9:28 am
Nice, bringing the stooges into the conversation. A very good simile there. I should probably stop bringing up Selmon too since he retired before most commenters on here were born.
August 3rd, 2023 at 1:05 pm
While I understand what Bowles is saying, not sure I agree with his logic.
You want an example of perfect, sound tackling technique? Look at Ronde Barber
You want an example of a total class act on and off the field? Look at Ronde Barber
You want to see the person who defined the hybrid nickel corner position? Look at Ronde Barber
You want to show how a DB can make heady decisions and attack on blitzes? Look at Ronde Barber
Who give a s(p)it if someone has to google it…
August 3rd, 2023 at 11:24 pm
Wild Bill Hiccup, the cowboy character in the Three Stooges short “Goofs and Saddles.”
.
.
You want to know how to turn a meat grinder into a Gatling gun, look at the Three Stooges.
August 3rd, 2023 at 11:54 pm
That might be the same show.