“We Ain’t Really Used To Care About Football”
December 9th, 2024
Gronk opened an ugly door and another ex-Buccaneer dove in.
If you’ve been a Bucs fan for more than a dozen years, then you might want to stop reading here if you have a weak stomach or high blood pressure.
Joe often refers to The Lost Decade of Buccaneers football as 2009 through 2018. Ten seasons mostly filled with misery.
Sadly and unforgiveably, it wasn’t just about poor players and coaches.
That was underscored to the extreme today on Up & Adams. That’s where retired Bucs great Rob Gronkowski was a guest listening to former Bucs stud and trouble-maker cornerback Aqib Talib (2008-2012) assessing the struggles of the 2024 Falcons, losers of four consecutive games.
Talib pointed a finger at Kirk Cousins and got detailed about his throwing weaknesses before defending Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
“Rah is my guy. I know it ain’t the energy in the [Falcons’] building,” Talib said. “I know it ain’t that. Start with the quarterback play [of Kirk Cousins,] man.”
That seemed to spark Gronk into reminding Talib that Morris, the former Bucs head coach (2009-2011), oversaw a mess in Tampa.
Here’s the painful exchange for Bucs fans.
Gronk: Aqib was part of that era in Tampa, too, where football was like secondary. It was all about the nightlife.
Talib: Yeah, yeah.
Gronk: It was all about what you were doing off the field from 2008 to 2012.
Talib: Our cars.
Gronk: I heard about those times in Tampa.
Talib: It was all about the parking lot. You know what I’m saying? (laughs)
Gronk: Yeah (laughs).
Talib: We used to have new-whip Fridays, man. We’d get cars up here on Fridays. It was a car show, man.
Gronk: Hey, Thirsty Thursdays on Howard Street. I heard all about it (laughs).
Talib: Yeah, Thirsty Thursdays. Hey, I’m tellin’ you. We used to go down there, man. We ain’t really used to care about football. We was just happy to be there.
Ugly stuff, especially for all those Bucs fans who spent money they couldn’t afford on tickets, warm beer and parking.
It’s amazing how much was tolerated.
Joe is so glad Team Glazer has matured as an ownership group and found strong leadership in Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht. The depth of nonsense in The Lost Decade won’t be repeated under current management.
Sure, the Bucs had a fun and successful season in 2010, with a 10-6 record but missing the playoffs, but it’s clear they never had a chance to be great.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Aquib is a complete moron, glad to see Gronkowski slap him down with reality. If other teams were hering about this stupidity I wonder why they local media that reported on the Bucs didn’t report on it. Talib wrestling with his mom for a pistol for the rights to shoot his sisters abusing boyfriend was one of the funniest stories I heard about at the time. Only in the ‘hood or a trailer park do you hear such stories from.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
And this is what players who talk about “winning cultures” mean. And luckily we now have a GM that knows how to scout the character of a young man and not just his physical talents. This is why we have had sustained success.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
One of the main reasons I am not an avid fan anymore. I finally grew out of my beer goggles and what I saw was ugly. It started with all the kneel downs “including ME 13” during the National Anthem.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:48 pm
One thing that really impressed me about Bruce Arians is he didn’t allow that BS on the team. When he perceived a player wasn’t focused on winning–it didn’t matter if you were a first round pick like Vernon Hargreaves–you were off the team.
December 9th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
I agree with all the very positive press Jason Light gets here he deserves all of it.
But I think he would agree that he’s benefitted from the people he selected doing their jobs well. Since this was about Talib and Rah I think leaving Bowles out of this conversation is an oversight if only a small one.
Rah didn’t have his team when he was here. I’m not sure he didn’t mature and is now a much better coach. I honestly do not know. But the first iteration of Rah is not a pimple on the butt of Bowles.
We can argue till the cows come home about strategy and use of players and offensive versus defensive coaches yadda yadda. But coaching is also about leading men!!! Will they follow you or do they quit on you.
Yeah it’s clear now that Rah lost that team and they quit on him. Bowles on the other hand has survived the retirement of a Prima Donna GOAT and all that he brought to the Bucs which I’m the first to scream was CONSIDERABLE. Of course who was the DC of that SB team. Why the guy who many here love to deride as the worst DC since…. Bowles had talent on that SB D. He hasn’t had it since but after salary cap hell the Bucs seem to be turning the corner. But it had it’s expense. The salary cap and the attitude after the SB win seemed to send the Bucs down a slippery road.
So now the Bucs are again at a crossroads. The problem is not the coaching. Nobody’s going to win a lot more games with this talent and the massive injuries. The Cap created a thin team, a Licht/Bowles miracle at that. They still managed to compete but now the thinness of the team’s margin and zero depth will start showing up. But oh noes it will be ALL Todd Bowles fault right.
But when they win despite the same challenges as last year Bowles gets all the credit? Yeah that’s the ticket! Of course not, but when they lose as they should given their depleted (cap hell/injuries) talent it will be ALL Bowles fault.
December 9th, 2024 at 1:09 pm
I shared an elevator with Talib at a Rays game one night. When he got off, the friend I was with was so excited. He said “dude, that was cool to be on the elevator as Snoop Dogg!” He was very disappointed when I told him its was the Bucs cornerback.
December 9th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
@View from 132 HAHAHAHA, wow that’s funny
December 9th, 2024 at 1:30 pm
Raheem is like Bowles, players love him because there’s little accountability. Their leadership style rarely correlates to consistent winning at a high level….both will hover around 9-8.
December 9th, 2024 at 1:57 pm
It all starts with ownership. Glad the Glazers figured it out. Retaining Licht who then brought in BA turned the franchise around.
December 9th, 2024 at 2:13 pm
Raheem sent Josh Freeman on his spiral. Hope Atlanta loses out.
December 9th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Punk
December 9th, 2024 at 2:20 pm
Bobby M … that’s a bingo. The players respect him enough not to take advantage of his player coach ways and so the Bucs are mostly disciplined under him and I appreciate Todd for those valuable characteristics. It’s much better that way than a coach you don’t like and will roll over on at some point.
Gotta find someone who walks the line … a player coach they like and respect but has fire inside of him and is gonna kick some rear ends when needed… and sometimes it’s needed when you are winning 14-0 so guys don’t get complacent.
Thats Dan Campbell and Jim Harbaugh and 6 other of the best coaches in this league.
December 9th, 2024 at 3:27 pm
“We ain’t really used to care about football”…Buddy, you’re rich! You don’t have to pretend like you still live in the hood speaking that jive!!!
December 9th, 2024 at 3:40 pm
bowles is better than raheem the dream. more mature and intelligent. bowles not the greatest but not the worst either. i dont want to lose coen but how does he lead men?
December 9th, 2024 at 3:56 pm
So I guess the message I’m getting from this post is that we are so much better off now than what we were when Morris was coaching. I totally agree with that !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Chargers!!
December 9th, 2024 at 4:17 pm
Granny hassling, cab driver sucker punching AqibTalib ( to paraphrase Joe )…few bigger dirtbags to come through Tampa only to win a ring or two when he was traded for an 8th round draft pick to The Patriots. I’m kind of surprised he hasn’t taken a dirt nap yet to be honest.
December 9th, 2024 at 4:24 pm
* was curious and fact checked myself ( before I wrecked myself ). Talib won a ring with Denver eventually but was traded to the Patriots along with a 7th rounder in exchange for a 4th rounder. That 4th rounder became Will Gholston…which is a “happy ending” ( not that kind, Ira ). In fact Gholston has to be Top 5 all time in Buc tenure.
December 9th, 2024 at 4:28 pm
** fact check # 2
Gholston is 6th all time in games played as a Buc…one behind “coulda been a hall of fame contender” Paul Gruber. Dave Less Is Moore…Mean Gene‘a sidekick is # 4 which surprised me. I guess he did have two tenures ( but missed the SB season 2002 ).
December 9th, 2024 at 4:40 pm
That couldn’t have been as much fun as the boat parade!
December 9th, 2024 at 5:20 pm
I’ve been a fan since the Steve Young days….and nearly the Doug Williams days (I was just too young then). Hearing this sort of talk makes me feel disenchanted. I have followed the Bucs faithfully through more than one “lost decade.” I’ve had reason to believe that the team is better than that sort of unprofessional behavior now, but there’s still a lingering feeling that the Bucs are getting into the playoffs recently because the rest of the division is just plain awful and that this Bucs team isn’t really a title contender. I hope that at least this current team takes their careers seriously for the fans who pay their salaries and doesn’t have this careless sort of off-the-field attitude.
December 9th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
Help me out, Howard Street?
December 9th, 2024 at 6:04 pm
Rah use to party with the players, especially Freeman. Hard to come down on the people you are out with the night before
December 9th, 2024 at 6:08 pm
Have heard plenty of stories. Have seen tons of pics of Raheem and his players at college and even high school parties all the damn time.
The ones I can’t get over are the constant coke orgies at Josh Freeman’s crib. That was the culture. And the main reason why the team and the “trio” sucked so effin bad all of a sudden.
Nobody cared about football forreal forreal.
December 9th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Henry Says:
December 9th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
One of the main reasons I am not an avid fan anymore. I finally grew out of my beer goggles and what I saw was ugly. It started with all the kneel downs “including ME 13” during the National Anthem.
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So weak minded!!!
December 9th, 2024 at 6:45 pm
We ain’t really used to care”…sums it up so eloquently
December 9th, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Talon was the best corner I have watched, outside Deion.
December 9th, 2024 at 8:04 pm
Always funny to me.
Some fans treat football like life and death.
The young millionaires on the field, if you’re lucky, treat Football as a job.
I wonder if they are laughing at the fans in the stands.
I know they relate to the players on the other team- far more than they can relate to fans.
Talib is just revealing a truth that the NFL hides at all cost. It’s a job to the players. Not life or death. Only the fans are that fanatical
December 9th, 2024 at 9:14 pm
Capt Tim, hope your doc cares as much about his job as Talib cared about his.
December 9th, 2024 at 10:45 pm
So they fired Coach G for that… Earn while you learn
December 9th, 2024 at 11:34 pm
Should make an awesome 30 for 30 episode with some crazy stories. Time makes life funny.
Worst coach in history Schiano and GM in Dominick how that guy does anything on TV or radio as an expert is beyond me.
Josh Freeman hosting Freakoffs and in Gay bath houses in his spare time. Never saw a fall like that from such a talented player.
December 10th, 2024 at 4:30 am
Not surprising at all. We couldn’t tell you spoiled brats didn’t care. I guarantee some did though. Immature brat needed to go get his first real spanking from step dad Billy B. to act right. You cant be the boss and be buddies with your employees it never ever ever works.
December 10th, 2024 at 4:31 am
We could tell they didn’t care. Not couldn’t
December 10th, 2024 at 4:56 am
Some advice to Kay!
Go find some non wanna be thugs who speak English!
Advice to Gronk. While I appreciate you pointing things out to this asshat, You don’t have to laugh along with the things he thinks are amusing. In his broken English gangsta wanna be story. Sad is an understatement Joe. The things that have come out since then and I am sure you could tell us all plenty more. Are indeed nauseating.
Go Bucs!
December 10th, 2024 at 6:37 am
I would love to know everything that happened in London. It’s been long enough, go ahead and tell us.
December 10th, 2024 at 8:51 am
I love the Rick James energy from Talib here.
“Nah, Rah is great for the team. No way he’s the problem there.”
“Yeah, I remember when Rah was here, we didn’t give a sh** about football”
December 10th, 2024 at 9:19 am
Raheem was the cheerleader at the Blue Martini.
December 10th, 2024 at 7:18 pm
Shocked Talib would defend Morris and blast Cousins. I wonder why
🤔🤔🤔