“No Idea What’s Going On”
January 7th, 2016
Shocked.
Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy already took to Twitter this evening to shoot down rumors that he and America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, are somehow at odds.
After his Twitter posting, GMC responded to a request from Josina Anderson of ESPN to comment on her Facebook page about Lovie Smith’s firing tonight.
“I don’t know what to think right now. I am at a lost for words. I was just out driving, out getting some gas, and my phone started blowing up. It’s 10 o’clock at night. I don’t know what is going on. I’ve always loved Lovie. He’s always been great to me and my family. I’ve never had a bad thing to say about him. I’m just at a loss for words. I honestly feel bad for my coach. This is unexpected. I never expected this.
“I honestly have no idea what’s going on, or why it’s happening. Next year will be my seventh year and now my fourth coach. I was liking what was going on. Coach has always been great to me even before he was my coach. He was the coach of one of my mentors, Tommie Harris. I had an opportunity to meet him and he has always been a great guy. As a coach, I don’t see a better guy to play for.”
Look, no one, no one person is suggesting Lovie is a bad guy. He is a standup guy. But for those expressing shock, they haven’t been paying attention.
Yes, Joe thought Jameis saved Lovie’s job. As it turned out, the terrible job Lovie did with both his defense and picking free agents was horrendous. There is no way to spin that. Also note that only one other Bucs coach has lost as many games in two years as Lovie. No way to spin that.
What can Joe say when Raheem Morris accomplished what Lovie couldn’t: a double-digit win total in his second year.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:23 am
And if our decent wasn’t atrocious, he’d still have a job.
You can thank your defensive teammates for that, Gerald.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:25 am
Well the best got to comfortable for ya Gmac. Eventually you have to make the nest uncomfortable so you can grow. That’s what happen the players were to comfortable and wouldn’t play to their potential. It was clearly displayed but the penalties and the bonehead actions of some the players. Remember when Gruden called out warren Sapp?? The next coach will do the sane to Gmac and he will go from good to great you’ll see.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:25 am
No idea why it’s happening?!?!?
He had a .250 winning percentage. The last two years have been peppered with EMBARRASSING losses. Lovies lucky he made it past thevtennessee game this year
January 7th, 2016 at 12:27 am
Gerald saying again how great is was being on loser quitter teams.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:27 am
It’s discerning to watch the NFL network and others “shocked” at the firing because he’s a “nice guy.” He’s had the second worst record in the league the past couple years and the team crumbled when it mattered most. Steve Marriucci was saying how horrible a decision it was, but seemed like he and everyone else just talked about being 6-10 while neglecting that we lost to garbage teams with a chance to make the playoffs. So frustrating, but Bucs fans know the deal…there was no fight, and we were in most games and found a way to lose. Jameis and a new coach with guts and a killer attitude will make the difference.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:32 am
I know it’s neither here nor there, but my God, Pewter Report sucks….. There is only one Bucs website for me going forward. Thanks Joe.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:32 am
LOL notice none of these players are surprised cos Lovie was coaching the team to wins.
Nope, its all “oh man, how could this happen, Lovie was a nice guy!”
Nice guy?!
What the hell does that have to do with putting a winning team on the field?
If you get fired and no one can honestly say you had been doing a good job… well it is what it is.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:34 am
4 coaches in 7 years ….
Laughingstock.
And you morons are happy.
Go read Twitter. LVD, the best defensive player, sounds like he would bolt if he could.
Fantastic.
1 step forward, 2 years back. Again
January 7th, 2016 at 12:35 am
Lovie got fired not for his record but for how he achieved it…the same as Chucky.
When we had the discussion about the number of wins expected during the preseason chatter to save Lovie’s job I pointed out that it wasn’t the total so much as to how he got to that total.
A 6-10 record could have saved his job if he lost 8 up front and won the last four.
That’s exactly why Chucky got fired. You can’t collapse at the end of the season.
The other thing that got Lovie fired…were his teams total lack of discipline and respect for the game. Mike Evans was getting embarrassing…yes he has loads of talent and I’m not saying cut him…but a good benching might have had an effect…not for the drops but for all the freaking whining and hacking off of officials.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:38 am
We can praise Lovie for how he handled Winston. But Lovie is a defensive guy. We didn’t hire Lovie to be our QB guru. We hired Lovie specifically to get this defense back to championship form. Back to the glory year defense that won us a super bowl. But the defense he gave us was far from that defense. And I’m sure a lot of it was personnel, we didn’t have a lot of talent in the secondary or any DEs worth mentioning. Or maybe that great Tampa 2 defense has gotten washed out. Perhaps with the evolution of today’s offenses it just isn’t effective anymore. Idk. But I can’t disagree that big changes in some form needed to happen.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:38 am
One more thought..the players got Lovie fired not just for their horrible undisciplined play from many…but for all the comments where players like LVD and #3 talked about lack of preparation…coming out flat…not wanting to win it bad enough….those are horrible indictments on the coach AND the players…in fact the players MOST of all…grow up act like men and stop being freaking prima donna babies!!!
As the saying goes…the Glazers couldn’t fire the entire team so Lovie’s head had to roll.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:38 am
Were a laughingstock for getting rid of.a bad coach? No we are a laughingstock for being blown out by the titans. Blowing leads like the redskins. Thats why we are laughingstock. Whats wrong is not liring coaches after 2 years but that we keep hiring spitty coaches. Cut your losses and move on
January 7th, 2016 at 12:39 am
Dave, you know little to nothing….. First off, we should commend the Glazers for admitting their mistake and nipping it in the bud before things really got out of hand. And second, LVD best defensive player on this putrid defense?? Hardly an accolade to flaunt. By the way, how many times did we hear his name called this year?? I rest my case, son.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:43 am
Lavonte was the second leading tackler in the league. We heard his name a lot tbh. But you have to watch the games to know that.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:49 am
This was the right move.If something is broken you fix it.As for players being upset remember your not 100% safe either.
January 7th, 2016 at 12:56 am
Team Jim Harbaugh, Joe? Buy out Harbaughs contract with michigan? the glazers are billionaires…who cares? 🙂
January 7th, 2016 at 12:57 am
It is a black thing.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:00 am
Well 93 you and your teammates should have played for him.
Bottom line the players got him fired
January 7th, 2016 at 1:01 am
Trubucfan22……. I have watched every Bucs game since 1982, so I think that warrants the fact that I “watch the games”…… So LVD was the second leading tackler on a putrid defense, should he be honored for that??? How many splash plays or game changing plays did he make??? Exactly my point, so before you run your punk a** little mouth about my loyalty to my team, maybe you instead, should watch the games instead of just the highlights….. douche..
January 7th, 2016 at 1:03 am
Once again let me extend my gratitude to everyone that ran Jon Gruden out of town for not winning more than one Super Bowl. And losing playoff games.
Destroyed this organization for seven years now.
I have my doubts anybody good will take this job.
Or that our brain dead fan base will give anybody time to build a winner.
Hope I am wrong.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:09 am
@stpete – I don’t always agree w you, but you’re dead on w all 3 points.
Put simply: this was a very poorly coached team.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:11 am
Once again let me extend my gratitude to everyone that ran Jon Gruden out of town for not winning more than one Super Bowl. And losing playoff games.
Destroyed this organization for seven years now.
I have my doubts anybody good will take this job.
Or that our brain dead fan base will give anybody time to build a winner.
Hope I am wrong.
————————————-
the problem with Gruden was that he wasn’t personable with the players….sort of like schiano…Say one thing, do another. We also would go 11-5 one year…4-12 the next…no consistency, and one and done in the post season. great we made the plaoffs, bad were losing home playoff games.
We also made poor draft choices, brought in aging ex raiders (much like lovie did with bears) and didnt manage the cap well….and that’s why he got the axe
January 7th, 2016 at 1:15 am
Yeah. Gruden wasn’t so bad compared to the last 7 years. We probably wouldn’t be anything great, but would probably be a lot more entertaining than this. I think the fans will support a head coach, if he wins games. However he does it, he needs to win games. Whether the roster needs to be flipped or whatever, but winning is the key cog. We played the 3 worst divisions in the league and couldn’t come out with a winning or even record.
I think we need a HC that is a better leader. The players liked Lovie, but he never was a leader to them. Not the way that makes great football teams anyway.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:15 am
Wasn’t expecting this but I could not handle Lovie’s ridiculously uninspiring attitude and scheme. If they now promote Koetter (who I believe actually has a pair) and get a boss DC, then ima be excited
January 7th, 2016 at 1:16 am
Someone please inform McCoy what is going on since he seems unable to comprehend. This means incompetent Lovie Smith no longer holds the title of head coach. That will be a new guy real soon. This also probably means the paid vacation is over. Perhaps it also means that showing up on Sundays might mean more than physically being there. By “showing up” you may actually have to play really good for all four quarters. I know, that’s crazy, right?
January 7th, 2016 at 1:19 am
The Glazers need to step back, take a deep breath, and then find the best football operations executive to take control over the entire organization. A Polian or McKay type guy. They should not hire or fire anyone else right now. That new CEO should evaluate the franchise and current staff and then decide on the next HC. The Glazers are not competent to hire the HC. If Koetter walks to take another HC job in the meantime, then so be it. We cannot make another ill informed, impulsive move. If we do then the team will stink, guaranteed.
As for coaching candidates, there are plenty to consider, although Chip Kelly and Tom Coughlin should not be among them.
January 7th, 2016 at 1:20 am
Not surprised Lovie was fired, just the timing of it. @stpete, I agree too, poorly coached team and undisciplined.That was the most frustrating to me. Unless you are somehow going to bring in 2 probowl DE’s and 3-4 probowl DB’s that soft defense was never going to work. Please at least keep Koetter as OC, if not HC, for the sake of Jameis and the offense. Hopefully the Glazers really let Licht do the hiring of our next DC.
January 7th, 2016 at 2:00 am
I don’t think anyone see’s what is really going on here. It’s really simple, here are the 4 names, one very unlikely, but would sell the stadium out, That name is Jon Gruden, Glazers call him, tell him they screwed up, how’s 10 million a year? Next 2 is most likely, 1a and 1b, 1a is Josh Mcdaniels, extremely great working relationship with Jason Licht, hell they are probably good friends, that NE spread offense is Jamie’s all the way. 1b is Koetter, we all know why that is. And last but not least, Jimbo Fisher, the guy who made Jameis Famous, and this organization is all about Jamies. So you can’t count out Jimbo. Those are the 4 names, there are no others. I guarantee it.
January 7th, 2016 at 2:03 am
I know what’s going on GMC… The glazers are sabotaging the franchise… Now all they need to do is make an executive decision to trade jameis for manziel and we’ll have the perfect recipe for TRUE DISASTER.
January 7th, 2016 at 2:30 am
“No idea what’s going on.”… WTF. This is exactly what I expected to hear from you Aunt Geraldine. No surprise. You’re clueless on and off the field. Go look at your game film. That’s why he got fired! #tapedontlie
January 7th, 2016 at 2:40 am
I heard the Glazers will be bringing back Gruden.
January 7th, 2016 at 3:12 am
I heard the Glazers are going to trade for Sean Payton, going to give up a 1st and a 3rd for Payton and a barrel of Heinekens.
January 7th, 2016 at 3:20 am
What’s going on is that GMC is clearly one of the guys who don’t know the WHYS as in “why are we playing this game?”. All of our loser players are shocked that their coach who lead that putrid defense is gone. They need a coach that will tell them WHY they are playing so our QB doesn’t have to.
January 7th, 2016 at 3:45 am
How many new players will be starting on defense next year? My guess is five at least. I defended Lovie this year, but I”m not mad with the firing. I feel many of these guys won’t be here in 2016, once new defensive staff evaluates the film.
January 7th, 2016 at 4:26 am
No you morons, you haven’t been paying attention. If the team happens to read your “opinion polls” I’m really not surprised. Any franchise that lets it’s media become it’s personnel department shouldn’t be surprised to find that it hasn’t had a winning season in 6 years, hasn’t had a back-to-back winning seasons in 8 years, and hasn’t been to the playoffs in 9 YEARS!!
Since you obviously can’t pick a head coach (your philosphy can be summed up with “any but the one we got”)…how about keeping your pie-hole filled with, well, pie. Try and LISTEN to what really smart coaches have been trying to teach you about this game WE love and know a lot about.
We really don’t care what a bunch of preening former BACK-UP writers from Philly, New England, Connecticut, who couldn’t make it in Philly, New England and Pittsburgh – so have graced us with your wisdom. We don’t LIKE what you’re doing – and HAVEN’T for a LONG time.
Here’s a direct appeal to YOUR bosses – I’d like you to put an opinion poll for EACH writer, shock-jock, producer, sportscaster – on the front page of ALL the electronic media in Tampa. Once we contribute what WE think – I’d like the editors to FIRE the back-up malcontents, fired in OTHER cities – and somehow ended up HERE!
Bet your editorializing would become LESS know-it-all and more “gee I wonder what’s cooking?”…which is more like what we want.
This city had a Hall of Fame sportswriter in it once, he helped us understand that we had something special here that only 31 other cities across America had – and we should enjoy it when it’s good…and understand that we really don’t much about personnel decisions or how big of an impact an injury to phantom spleen might have on a pot-smoking starting QB who for some reason couldn’t remember the play he’d just called.
I’m TIRED of your pro-player, pro-union CRAP. I do CARE that you’re ignorance will never be questioned – because i’ve seen ALL of THIS media’s strategic ‘opinion polls’ I care to see – unless some editors decide to step up and impress me with THE ONE POLL I’d LOVE to take…
I was here before you arrived, and I’ll be here a LOT longer than ANY of you fools.
See ya in the funny papers…
January 7th, 2016 at 6:56 am
Offense in 2014 ranked 29th in scoring, 2015 20th. Defense ranked 8th worst in points allowed in ’14, regressed to 7th worst in ’15. He put his head in the noose by running the defense and the Glazer’s responded. Most attractive opening with Jameis at the helm should provide a lot of interest
January 7th, 2016 at 7:08 am
I like GMC. He is good in his position (when notinjured.) But he is no Warren Sapp when it comes to swagger or insightfulness. That’s OK. We have Jameis to lead us.
January 7th, 2016 at 7:40 am
GMC. Look in the mirror. You know whats funny. Eli Manning blamed himself for Coughlin getting canned. Not our D players. They don’t get it. Lovie was fired because “HIS” defense sucked.
January 7th, 2016 at 9:00 am
Nice guys finish last in the NFL !!! Simple as that….
January 7th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
It waS A MISTAKE FIRING THE MAN.
That said, I hope we get a good replacement…because he’ll be lucky to get 2 years!