Misunderstood Comments
February 29th, 2016
Not slamming Lovie.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht dropped interesting comments while lauding new defensive coordinator Mike Smith during a Senior Bowl week hit with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, co-hosts of “Movin’ the Chains,” heard only on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Licht spoke glowingly of how Smith will use the talents of his defense and not shoehorn a player into a specific scheme. Some thought it was an indirect slap at Lovie Smith’s failed Bucs defense.
Not so, Licht told Vaughn McClure of BSPN last week.
“That wasn’t what I was talking about; I was talking about Mike Smith,” Licht said. “That was not referring to Lovie at all. I was just talking our new defensive coordinator and very excited about him. That has nothing to do with Lovie. Lovie fit players into our scheme. We’d bring players in, and he’d play them. And they played well — the players in the last couple years that we brought in like Kwon Alexander, Jacquies Smith. That wasn’t a dig at Lovie at all.”
The shining light of all of this is Joe’s buoyed optimism that Mike Smith will get the most out of players, specifically cornerbacks.
Joe still can’t believe Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks, talented corners, suddenly got worse, not better, at the same time all under the same defensive coordinator, Lovie.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:07 am
I wasn’t talking about Smith…..I was talking about Smith……you don’t need to prop up Smith by cutting Smith down.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:21 am
NFL Gm Licht should not worry to much about insulting lovie!! What is lovie going to do, give him the double silent treatment!!!
February 29th, 2016 at 8:28 am
DB’s will finally have good coaches to get the most out of them.Same could be said for D line. No knock on Cullen,I like the potential that Hayes could
unlock in players like Gholston,and Smith already on the team
February 29th, 2016 at 9:05 am
It’s a shame that when someone like a GM (Jason Licht in this case) says something positive about a new coach (Mike Smith in this case) that certain media (BSPN in this case) read more into it than was intended. Hard to blame GMs and coaches (and yes, politicians) for being so reluctant to talk openly to the media in today’s world.
That’s really kind of silly. Is media not to analyze and interpret the words of public figures? The NFL is entertainment. Fans enjoying the game year-round, despite only 20 or so games, is what it’s all about.–Joe
I personally expect both Banks and Verner to play very well this year. Both have something to prove (beyond last year’s circus) … Banks is in the last year of his rookie contract, and Verner needs to do well to show that he’s worth $6 mil for 2017, assuming that he sticks for 2016 of course. Still, Bucs need a big infusion of talent in our secondary to be playoff contenders.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:42 am
No Joe, analyze maybe, interpret, definitely not. The media was meant to report the news, that’s all. Just as it happened and our was said. Not each individual reporters version of the events.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:43 am
No Joe it’s not silly.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:56 am
When the media over analyzes and dissect quotes and comments to create a story then they are no longer journalists but are trying to create news to create a name for themselves rather than report news.
February 29th, 2016 at 10:12 am
meatloph, Largo, Tampa:
Editorials in newspapers have been around longer than this nation we live in.
February 29th, 2016 at 10:37 am
To your point Joe
The Federalist Papers shaped this country through opinions and interpretations…both good and bad. I interpreted it as a dig at Lovie no matter what Jason Licht says.
February 29th, 2016 at 10:52 am
Luther
Very true. Alexander Hamiltons break down of the Constitution, was indispensable to the voice of the nation.
February 29th, 2016 at 11:44 am
That’s why I say (GM’s) should stay behind the scenes, too many talkin heads, especially this BACK-STABBER!!
February 29th, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Thats why the great marshawn lynch said nothing because some in the media choose to try and create the news and psycho analyze comments as if they are qualified to do so. Its really a shame. I’m surprised more athletes have not taken a page out of lynch’s book. All it did for him is lead to millions in endorsement as oppose to the idiot or thug the media tried to make him out to be.
February 29th, 2016 at 2:09 pm
The more I see and here about Mr. Licht I’m starting to think he is a link somewhere in the family tree of..Benedict Arnold!