JumboTron Scared Greg Schiano
November 13th, 2013
Donald Penn scoring on a touchdown pass from Mike Glennon was cool because you don’t often see an offensive tackle catch a pass.
The touchdown against the Dolphins on Monday night almost didn’t happen. Penn, who already caught a TDpass in his career, nearly didn’t get the chance thanks to the JumboTron at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
The pass play was in the Bucs’ game plan and they were ready to call it, but Bucs commander Greg Schiano noticed something that spooked him, reports eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune.
“We’d already called the play when Mike goes down,’’ Schiano said Tuesday. “During that stoppage, I knew we were going to recognize Donald because his 100th (consecutive) start came on the road. I was great with that, but then (quarterbacks coach) John McNulty says, ‘They’re playing it on the board.’ ”
As a video of of Penn’s previous scoring catch against the 49ers was displayed for all to see in front of a sold-out crowd at Raymond James Stadium — and any attentive Dolphins — Bucs coaches couldn’t believe their eyes.
“The conversation on the headset, you wouldn’t believe it,’’ Schiano said. “You can’t make this stuff up. But cooler minds prevailed. One of our coaches said we can’t let the JumboTron make our decisions.’’
Good thing Schiano was caught up in a moment of common sense. With coaches spending hours and hours and hours and days and days and days pouring over film, and with the Dolphins having 10 days of prep work since they last played on a Thursday night, Joe just cannot imagine a coaching staff seeing a three-year-old highlight on a JumboTron, and then canceling the play.
That would just be being paranoid, no other easy way of looking at it.
November 13th, 2013 at 8:12 am
Paranoid until the the tackle reports eligible and then you realize something is up.
I, too, am paranoid that the coaching staff didn’t see the jumbo torn and then decide that was the play to call. If my suspicions are true, the bucs are a lot easier to fix than we thought:
Just hire Jon and Tony to be the scoreboard operators and that way the Schiano staff can see what to do in the situation.
November 13th, 2013 at 8:22 am
Speaking of our “Jumbo Tron”… What ever happened to getting ours replaced? Jacksonville just got their city counsel to approve funding for a 63 million upgrade. I’m getting tired of looking at the mail slot video board at RJS. It has to be the worst in the league.
November 13th, 2013 at 8:22 am
Too many coaches can actually be a bad thing. I think Schiano has so many wanna be O and D Coordinators on this staff that they all just can’t help themselves from making stupid suggestions throughout the game and I think far too many times Schiano listens. Schiano really over complicates this game.
November 13th, 2013 at 8:35 am
What would everyone be saying if the the ‘Fins had defended it and said it was nice of the stadium to give them a ‘Heads-Up’?
November 13th, 2013 at 8:53 am
Joe, after all this coach has been through this season, some paranoia is justified. BTW loved the call…. a gesture of recognition for Donald.
November 13th, 2013 at 9:41 am
That’s a great story. Hope it’s true.
I mean, what are the odds that Schiano watched the jumbotron and thought, “Hey that looks like a great play. Let’s run that” and then drew it up in the sand.
November 13th, 2013 at 10:17 am
maybe the Magical Jumbo-tron needs to show some video of VJ catching some Touchdowns.
November 13th, 2013 at 10:29 am
“Too many coaches can actually be a bad thing.”
Bingo!
November 13th, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Maybe add the JumboTron to the coaching staff?
November 13th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Aloha from Kauai…as I sip my cup of Kona coffee watching the sun rise over the mountain top….perhaps the Jumbo Tron should call more Red Zone plays plays…..
November 13th, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Alternate headline could be: Schiano recognizes veteran for his achievements on national TV.
I know Deadspin made fun of Schiano earlier today, but lets give the guy credit where credit is due. It was a really cool move to throw the guy the ball on his 100th game.
November 13th, 2013 at 4:52 pm
I was watching A Football Life: Warren Sapp a couple weeks ago and i noticed that they did that with him too when he was at Miami U. He was a TE and i thought that was interesting that they did that for Donald Penn. I mean..They are the same size. Lol. Anyone notice how old the 02 bucs look now like 11 years later? lol.
November 13th, 2013 at 7:51 pm
They look older because they are. Time has a way of altering ones looks. It goes faster the longer you exist.