Recalling Daily Insults From Bruce Arians
August 3rd, 2024
Bucco Bruce Arians
Life around One Buc Palace sure has changed after the transistion to Todd Bowles as head coach.
Players certainly are treated differently.
Former Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, a 2020 postseason hero, reflected on his Bucs days during a recent visit to the Burns & Gambo show in Arizona. Murphy-Bunting signed an impressive free agent contract with the Cardinals in March.
Murphy-Bunting was asked about playing for Arians.
“I love B.A., but love-hate relationship,” he said.
“As a coach, how aggressive his demeanor is, it can be easily translated into him not liking you and him hating you and like, ‘You suck.'”
Murphy-Bunting was asked if Arians ever point blank told him, ‘you suck.’ Murphy-Bunting didn’t answer the question but instead shared stories.
“I remember one time my first preseason game, we played against Pittsburgh Steelers,” Murphy-Bunting began. “I didn’t really do anything in the game. … I remember getting on the plane and he said to me, ‘Hey slappy, were you at the game?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘You didn’t do jack sh*t.’ And I was like, ‘Alright,’ and I went and sat down.”
Murphy-Bunting went on to say Arians was very harsh on a lot of young players.
“I remember vividly, me [Jamel] Dean and Mike Edwards, he used to call us slapdic*s all the time. That was just our nickname [for about two years]. … Every day he walked in and that’s what he said … and he kept going about his day, man.”
While Murphy-Bunting said he was “love-hate” with Arians. He later said there is no hate now.
“Honestly, I love B.A. You know, he was such a hard coach but he cared,” Murphy-Bunting said. “And you can tell he cared by his everyday demeanor being the same.”
The Arians stories sure are fun, but Joe does get concerned about them. Hopefully, Arians audio or email doesn’t emerge one day and shine a light on him demeaning the wrong person or persons. That could lead to Team Glazer ripping Arians out of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor without a pathway to return.
There is precedent.
August 3rd, 2024 at 5:25 am
Arains is one of those coaches like Gruden. Larger then life personalities. Can be the greatest thing having a coach like that, but after awhile it wears thin. B,A. got out at the right time. Todd’s demeaner was just what this team needed after B.A., and Brady. Licht has been free the last two drafts having Todd instead of Bruce, and he’s nailed both. This year we’ll really see the Bowles, Licht Bucs. Rebuild almost complete.
August 3rd, 2024 at 5:33 am
People need to toughen up and stop searching for things to be offended about so that they can be consoled for being a “victim” of someone being “mean.”
August 3rd, 2024 at 6:18 am
I think BA was like many other coaches through the years in their harshness in order to incite players to improve. Sounds like it wasn’t a great moral booster at times though. Agree with Hodad, it can wear thin. I respect BA and he is one of the greatest coaches. We are now hearing that Canales was way too much the other way as a rah rah coach. Players didn’t know what to think about him, but maybe he was brought in to unite and calm down the previous friction. You need to have the coach balanced in the middle of the two. That is Todd Bowles. He is the guy! He is calm but then selective in his words when needed. His demeanor has won over the players. They respect him.
August 3rd, 2024 at 6:29 am
Awwwww. Did the big, bad Bruce hurt some feelings? Counselors are standing by. 🙄
August 3rd, 2024 at 6:44 am
Sounds to me like smb is a little sensitive
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:11 am
You’re talking apples and oranges with Arians and Gruden. Arians is know for his progressive thinking and the advancement of minority players, women, and coaches. Gruden, not so much.
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:35 am
Motivating grown men and especially professional athletes is way harder than anyone can imagine. Some need a kick in the butt and others need a pat on the back. Great coaches have the ability to do both at the same time. Arian’s success speaks for itself!
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:39 am
Arians wore out his welcome everywhere he coached so no real surprise. He was a great coach but his act got old after 3-4 years with the Steelers, Indy Arizona and the Bucs.
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:44 am
There is no school like the old school.
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:57 am
Yeah it’s normal to call young men slapdicks instead of their names
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:09 am
At some point the players are going to hear something they don’t like. Whether that’s from a player. coach, parent, fan, someone in the media or someone on social media. The world is not going to coddle everyone. This soft ish has to stop at some point. It’s a violent sport and if you are getting paid millions, then you need to toughen up your mental when you aren’t playing well. I can’t have sympathy for a millionaire because the one person who tells him something he don’t like. I hear stuff I don’t like all day long, and there is no exchange of me being a millionaire.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:22 am
Slapd!ck is what Ira has been calling Joe(s) for years. lol
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:23 am
Lotta nerve writing that last paragragh Joe. Lotta nerve. Absolutely love it and respect you for it.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:41 am
The best coach I ever had growing up used to say the meanest crap to you but when I think of learning sports, that’s the guy I think of. Say what you want but make sure people remember the things you bring to the table.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:42 am
Gruden isn’t out of the ring of honor for what he called the players. He’s out because of what he said about the owners. As long as Arians didn’t call the Glaziers slapd!cks, he should be OK.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:50 am
When something wears thin it becomes ineffective.
August 3rd, 2024 at 9:19 am
I think a BA true life movie is in order. It would be fun, sad, and crazy too! I’d see it a dozen times!
August 3rd, 2024 at 9:23 am
Agreed, infomeplease. Would love to see a documentary or life movie of Arians. They could name it “No Risk it No Biscuit.”
August 3rd, 2024 at 9:23 am
Your right Joe it’s crazy how soft people are these days a few cry babies crying about he hurt my feelings when he was my coach. Bunch of snowflakes
August 3rd, 2024 at 9:55 am
Slapd!ck? That’s it?
The dude should have played for a coach who was vastly less tolerant of mistakes. He’d take slapd!ck as a positive!
August 3rd, 2024 at 10:01 am
You still carry all this water for Gruden, yet you won’t even post direct quotes from what he said. So which is it? It’s either not that bad, or you need to move on. The Glazer family has every right to expunge him from the grandiose position in their stadium after what he was revealed to have said.
August 3rd, 2024 at 10:46 am
Ahh, old school.
When insulting each other as an Art form. No off limits.
And no one as hurt, angry.
And they Damn sure werent triggered.
I dont know if today is better or worse.
Everybody seems to get along alot worse, and hunt for things to get upset about.
I can’t imagine the military, or Construction, talking to greenhorns the ay we used to. They’d never recover.
Of course, what do I know? Im just an old Slapd*ck
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:03 am
Bruce is lucky Brady showed up
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:09 am
Both fiery coaches, Gruden and BA got SB trophies for Bucs. They knew how to get the players to produce.
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:43 am
BA had the ability to light a fire under Brady’s a$$. Bowles did a wonderful job with Brady.
August 3rd, 2024 at 11:59 am
heyjude Says: Would love to see a documentary or life movie of Arians. They could name it “No Risk it No Biscuit.”
NFL films already did one.
August 3rd, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Insulting young players isn’t the way to do it. Yell at them, bench them, that’s fine but young players need better communication than “were you out there today?” And just being referred to as “slapdicks”. That’s not doing anything for their confidence. Sure some guys might use it well and improve but not all athlete minds are created equal.
Call that soft if you want but passive aggressive talk on the plane 2 hours after the game or in the locker room the next day from your boss is not productive. We talk about how the players love Bowles and he gets a lot out of them, guaranteed he doesn’t talk to them like that. Players know when they screw up or didn’t do enough, usually you are your own toughest critic. A kick in the butt and constructive criticism is always needed but those other comments are akin to mind games.
I like BA, he obviously is a guy who would say stuff like that but hug you and tell you great job when you deserved it. That balance usually plays but too much negativity and you will lose guys. You wouldn’t stand for your boss at the office calling you slap dick everyday and saying things like, your kid write that report, yikes, and walking away.
August 3rd, 2024 at 12:23 pm
Love the boldness @Joe – Gruden & BA are similar in that they were old school and have ACCOMPLISHED pushing a team to become Super – should be respected and celebrated by the team results they achieved – not diminished for being politically incorrect.
Nice nod, although Bruce was hard, he demonstrated that he cared about people, on and off the field. From his college roommate, throughout his career, and the way he decided to exit the stage. He wasn’t always classy, but he had a lot of class.
August 3rd, 2024 at 1:06 pm
Wow…Flashbacks to my former coaches. Got home from a tough practice and told my Dad that the coach was being too hard on me. I hated his nickname for me as well. Cabeza was mine. Spanish for head.
My wise father told me something that clicked. “When he stops yelling at you is when you should worry son.” That man helped me more than I knew at the time and was actually a very very good man as well as a good coach.
I think SMB may feel the same way about Arians.
Go Bucs!
August 3rd, 2024 at 1:58 pm
When you pay people money and then hear what they really think of you, I would bet my last dollar everyone would fire and/or strip their name from a ROH.
Too many people pretending like they wouldn’t let their base-level anger find some retribution. Gimme a break.
August 3rd, 2024 at 2:54 pm
That big ol’ ring on Arians’ finger (and SMB’s finger, too) suggests otherwise. And yes, Bucs likely don’t win a Super Bowl without SMB.
August 3rd, 2024 at 3:10 pm
All the dudes saying to Toughen up are the same one who cry like babies when someone Criticizes their post!!!
August 3rd, 2024 at 3:13 pm
Thank you, Buc1987! I had no idea. That is fantastic! I am going to search for it.
August 3rd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
I love BA lol
August 3rd, 2024 at 5:28 pm
Basic training/boot camp in the military are similar. There is a purpose for the rough treatment.
August 3rd, 2024 at 7:33 pm
You know, if someone shoots you, that injury can be fixed by a surgeon.
But if someone wounds you with words, that is inside, it can never heal.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:47 pm
Basic training/boot camp in the military are similar. There is a purpose for the rough treatment.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah, to keep you from being murdered! Not to teach you how to play a game.
August 3rd, 2024 at 8:51 pm
Anyhony Says:
Yeah, to keep you from being murdered! Not to teach you how to play a game.
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Yeah, it’s ridiculous that people are mean or use hurtful language when it’s just a game. I wouldn’t even call bin Laden what a lot of people in this message board call Gerald McCoy. There is never an excuse for using abusive language. If you do, that makes you literally worse than Adolf.
August 4th, 2024 at 5:59 pm
Calling the 3 of them slapd**ks everyday is just hilarious, sorry.