“In Tears Right Now”
January 7th, 2017
“Hug me, Mike.”
Bucs fans and were attached to something historic for 10 consecutive seasons — and that all came crashing down yesterday.
Former Bucs Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn, a Pro Bowler this season for the Raiders, was ruled out of today’s Wild Card game in Houston with a knee injury.
Penn stepped in as a starter at left tackle for Tampa Bay after Luke Petitigout was injured four games into the 2007 season. Penn, 33, never missed a start since. His streak will die at 156 consecutive starts, one of the longest runs at the position in NFL history.
Joe is an unabashed Penn fan. He is exactly the kind of guy you want on your football team, but Lovie Smith and Jason Licht sent him packing after the 2013 season. Despite that, Penn still has much love in his heart for all things Bucs. (Yes, Joe considers Penn a personal friend.)
Regardless, today is a day to celebrate and mourn. Penn himself took to Twitter to speak to fans and express his pain.
@dpenn70 – I did everything I could 2 play tomorrow I mean everything in tears right now haven’t missed a game my entire career lost 4 words
On the upside, Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith hasn’t missed a snap since Licht drafted him in 2015. So it seems the Bucs have found a new ironman for their offensive line.
January 7th, 2017 at 8:38 am
Penn was my favorite buc when he was here. He didnt take any sh!t on the field. Definitely a warrior. I feel so bad for him.
January 7th, 2017 at 8:44 am
Tears of joy
January 7th, 2017 at 8:46 am
Another quality assessment by Jason Licht along with Zuttah, but glad lict can find the 4.8 CFL WRs and lounge singers
January 7th, 2017 at 8:51 am
@ dusty
Licht has found a lot of talent. Sorry you are too blind to see it. Carry on though
January 7th, 2017 at 8:53 am
That is too bad. You can’t be a football fan and not have a tremendous amount of respect for that guy.
January 7th, 2017 at 8:53 am
Penn was a keeper, still could’ve gotten Smith and started him at RT and groom for the left side, that is how this line could’ve been built. I would’ve love to keep Zuttah too, but I think that trade turned into Kwon
January 7th, 2017 at 8:57 am
Exhibit 1 of why I despise Lovie Dovie.
January 7th, 2017 at 8:58 am
You know I swear some of think a gm should get every single decision right. I mean really do you get evey decision right and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE?
January 7th, 2017 at 9:06 am
Crazy position the raiders are in. I had them pegged as the only team that could knock off the Pats. Then Penn gives up his first sack of the season and Carr breaks his leg. Now Penn himself is out. Tough luck for Penn, Carr and Raider nation.
January 7th, 2017 at 9:09 am
Don’t blame Licht for Lovie’s personnel decision.
Licht wasn’t elevated to responsible status until Lovie got the apple & roadmap.
The entire Lovie tenure was largely a personnel disaster…
January 7th, 2017 at 9:11 am
I thought it would have been from a concussion from diving at everyone’s knees!!!!!
Seriously, my knee still hurts just from watching Fat Penn dive at Bucs knees way back when they played this year!!!!!
January 7th, 2017 at 9:23 am
The beginning on the end for Coach my scheme. How stupid do you have to be to cut Penn? Oh that’s right the TB media and fans said he was washed up! Wasn’t he voted into the All=Pro squad yesterday? #Suckers
January 7th, 2017 at 9:57 am
Sorry, I believe getting rid of him was all Jason Licht as he wanted to get the salary cap under complete control. It worked too. All those guys released put us where we are today…on the verge of a stellar roster and team.
January 7th, 2017 at 10:01 am
It’s hard not to feel Penn’s pain. It really is just a horrible break for a decent man who toiled on bad teams for so long, is not griper, who deserved to see the playoffs.
With the Bucs out of the playoffs…scrw the Raiders I hate them anyway but I do feel horrible for Penn.
So just a social question for all. Not so much football. Not asking who you think WILL win…just who you HOPE will win now that the Bucs are out.
So who are you ROOTING for to win this year’s SB. \
I’m all in with the Pack! I love Rodgers…my summer home is full of Pack faithful…my inlaws all love the Pack and since Rodgers I’ve grown to like them as well.
After that it’s Atlanta…I like Matty Ice…Quinn..have a ton of respect for that offense and for some reason even though they are division rivals I do not loathe them like the Panthers and Saints.
After that…meh…anybody but NE!!!!
January 7th, 2017 at 10:16 am
@StPetebucsfan
I hope that the Falcons make it to the NFC Championship game and lose ( for the lower draft pick) !!!!!
I hope something happens to Brady so that the NFL can get a “blood sample” so in 5-6 years they can find all the things he is taking and he has to go on Oprah and interview like lance armstrong of why he cheated the game in every way possible!!!! ( or do you think a 39 year old plays that well because he works hard in the offseason!!!!!)
I have seen 39 year old QB play and it does not add up!!!!!!
i might root for the Lions and Dolphins as their teams success is rare for their fans!!!! I like the underdogs!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!
January 7th, 2017 at 10:29 am
I put most of Licht’s 1st year free agency moves on Lovie. Lovie was hired 1st and was part of the hiring process that later brought Licht in so I’m sure he had a lot of say in all of the horrible decisions that off-season. I liked Lovie and was excited when he was hired but he really set the the team back with his personnel moves. Revis, Mason Foster, Dalvin Joseph, Mark Barron, Zuttah, DJ Swearinger, Johnathan Castillas and quite a few other guys that are still in the league and productive but didn’t fit whatever it was that he was looking for.
January 7th, 2017 at 10:35 am
I’d like to see Detroit and maybe KC make it but Detroit is a longshot.
January 7th, 2017 at 10:42 am
@BucRealist
You know I had never considered PED’s for Brady but you make a sound argument.
I loathe Brady so much that it’s probably bad for me to speculate I’m prejudiced…but the dude does seem ageless.
Maybe sleeping with a supermodel does that for you?
January 7th, 2017 at 11:04 am
I hope the raiders win today so Penn can have a chance to play next game. Feel bad for the dude. Think I’ll pull for the Fins and the Giants because I grew up in Florida and lived in NYC for 10 years. However, I’d be very surprised for this SB haha.
January 7th, 2017 at 11:12 am
@Stpetebucsfan
Its because he is a bit of a phony is what we dislike!!!! and for an unathletic weak arm prospect, to be a 40 year old stronger than ever,,,,,,, well, we all have read that book before!!!!!!
January 7th, 2017 at 11:44 am
Don’t really care who wins. I might root for Atlanta cos of Raheem Morris. I really want to see their receivers in action. I would like to see the end of Brady, Belicheat and Patriots. Hopefully, KC will represent the AFC. Sorry about Penn. Good player and good/no head case guy. I knew Lovie was history the way he dumped all these good young Bucs cos HE didn’t draft them (gawd forbid).
January 7th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Bucsrealist,
PED’s? Lance Armstrong was physically dominating the competition. Tom Brady isn’t running any faster or throwing farther than his competitors. He studies more than anyone and it shows in his decision making process. This particular area he has been dominating. Adderall certainly could be helpful in this area.
As you mention his off season training regiment, the one thing that stands out is how unique his approach his vs the conventional wisdom. Since he has not been able to improve or even maintain his speed, quickness or strength as he’s aged and he hasn’t gotten bigger where is there any signs of the benefits or side effects of PED’s?
One item of note between Him and say Peyton manning is the former hasn’t been injured as often or as servere as the latter. Considering the approach to training Brady focuses on which is injury prevention, not strength and size, and his history of injuries there is a relationship between the two. Frankly it’s more logical to explore his out of the box, creative approach to training than to point to Lance Armstrong and make inferences. The fact is Lance Armstrong’s drug regiment was frequently talked about in the cycling world
His efforts to concealing their use was more of proof that he was not clean. Every one knew but the campaign to discredit his accusers claims and evidence was either suppressed or the individual making said claims was subjected to attacks on their credibility. Hillary Clinton has never been convicted reminds me of the same type of defense lance supporters used to defend him
even when the preponderance of evidence supports the charges.
Unlike the LA case, Tom Brady isn’t the subject of wide spread credible reports indicating he has or is engaged in PED use. There’s no smoke, why you seem to think there’s a fire is mysterious and wholly unsupported by anything,
not even rumors. Basically, it’s lazy thinking not anything more.
January 7th, 2017 at 11:58 am
It was Lovie Smith who got rid of Donald Penn and the other players. But it also was Lovie who drafted Mike Evans, Kwon Alexander, Jameis Winston, Kevin Pamphile, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet etc.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Right on Lakeland…. its either one way or the other, i dont understand how licht is an “old OL” and has done such a poor job getting that unit to be dominant and licht has missed on many pieces to get it right
January 7th, 2017 at 12:08 pm
I’m sorta pullin for the Raiders. But sadly, they will be..one and done. Loved Penn when he was here. Never knew why we let him go. But we have let other good players go in the past. Get well Donald. Forward we march..next season.
Never wish anything bad to happen to a player. Even the ones you don’t like. Football already has its built in special injuries which last a lifetime. Nobody who has eve played the game..even at the HS level escapes without a scar or 2 for life.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
For those having difficulty with assigning blame/credit to player decisions the past three years.
Lovie was hired with COMPLETE control of the player roster. The man in CONTROL is always responsible. He hired Licht. Licht was his inferior and has to please his superior. Nobody except for Lovie and Licht and a few other privileged Buc One insiders know precisely how those decisions were formulated.
The Buc stops at the top. Lovie was the top. The decisions for Licht’s first year are blamed or credited on him. Even if Licht influenced Lovie to make one of those bad decisions it was ultimately LOVIE’S CALL.
Lovie leaves and Licht is named the new number one guy in charge and DK is hired by Licht and the Glazers. This means DK works for Licht not the other way around. So the Buc stops at the top now with Licht. Ultmately player decisions the past two years are Licht’s responsibility…credit and blame.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:27 pm
While D Penn was a great find/pickup by GM Bruce Allen!!! The last 2 years of Donald Penn’s career in Tampa was not very good!!!! In 2013 D Penn gave up the second most of sacks allowed in the league of all tackles!!!!!
Now the guy they replaced Penn with was horrible, and it was funny how NFL GM Licht at the end of the year said A Collins was on him, but did not mention any of the other free agents forced upon him!!!!!!
After that first year, there were many rumors and talk of lovie losing juice around 1 Buc!!! And after lovie’s first choice of OC did not want to interview, Licht suggested Dirk Koetter which lovie agreed with!!!! the rest is history!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2017 at 12:29 pm
You guys have no idea what you are talking about. Lovie had final say on the final 53. He did not have total say on the 90+ players that competed in camp. Why cant you guys understand that while lovie is coaching 16 week seasons, its the gm and scouting department doing their job of evaluating draft prospect. If you idiots think lovie made every personell move ie draft/free agent/undrafted free agent/ practice squad move without licht having a say, then you are bigger idiots then I thought. Here is a clue, it was the gm that fired lovie because he felt he had provided lovie with enough talent to succeed. You geniuses are so quick to assign blame or credit that you miss everything. Did you notice how the bucs got rid of michael johnson or collins after one year? Why, because licht learned that philosophy from his time with the pats which you move on from mistakes quickly. That should tell you he had more power then you are giving him credit for period.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Ok so it was Jason Licht who decided to bring in Chris Conte, Major Wright, Tim Jennings, Henry Melton, D.J.Moore, Josh McCown, Isaiah Fry, don’t make me laugh. Lovie hand print is all over these ex-Bears who played for him in Chicago. When the Bucs drafted Charles Sims, Lovie said that he reminded him of Matt Forte.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Adam caplan twitted out in 2014 the specifics on the lovie gm relationship. His tweet stated lovie has final say on 53, the gm will control the draft. All this mess about thanking lovie for drafting jameis is hog wash. Winston was going to be the pick with or without lovies blessing. So much so that licht texted his brother in law during the previous draft that winston is his choice and not bridgewater or manzeil. If it was up to lovie, you think licht could have made that call a year prior? Get out of here.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:54 pm
TBH… The Bucs didn’t outright fire Lovie Smith, the problem was that Lovie didn’t want to give up his power. The Glazers wanted to strip him of his power, they wanted him to fire his son and the rest of the defense staff. But Lovie refuse to do it, so then he was fired. They wanted him to relinquish control of the Bucs personnel. They wanted to give Jason Licht complete control of all football operations. But Jason Licht didn’t get that control until the Glazers released Lovie.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:55 pm
So i guess koetter has all the power because we brought in grimes, hawley, rodgers, martino, reedy etc. And obviously your comprehension is not to good. I said if you think all 90 + players brought in to compete was all lovie, then you are a bigger idiot than i thought. Not once did i say lovie didnt bring in some players. But his power was the final 53. Why is that important to a coach? Because you can have a gm like rich mckay who had a clause in his contract that gave him a bonus due to the amount of playing time a draft pick receives. Thats why guys like odom, anthony, jaques green etc played on this team much longer than they should have. Lovie did not have to worry about, but he didnt bring in all 90+ players.
January 7th, 2017 at 12:58 pm
Hey Joe
A thought just occurred to me in relation to this article on Penn. It seems that very good players are vulnerable to getting released from teams when there is a transition from one coach to another such as in the case with Donald Penn and the Bucs. I’m sure you already have this on your radar but… Is it possible for you to do an article on good players that could be vulnerable to being released from the teams that will have new coaches next year? You know… Good players the Bucs might be interested in…
January 7th, 2017 at 1:57 pm
@ st pete
HE11 NO on the fudge packers. I live in Wi and these are the most clueless ungrateful fans. They will only be packers fans when they are winning. U should have seen earlier this year, they were all Cubs fans and Vikings fans. It’s pathetic, I root for the Fudge Packers to lose every chance I get. I personally want the Texans to do well so they don’t fire Bill O Brian. I think that would be the PERFECT place for Smitty, but I don’t want him to leave
January 7th, 2017 at 2:48 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing the ‘Hawks get throttled today. I think the Raiders pull out today’s game and that should do it for them. Packers are hot right now, but I can’t see them getting past either the Falcons or the Cowboys. Too much offense for their D. The Pats should come out of the AFC.
Pats beat the Falcons in Super Bowl. Goodell gets to shake Tom’s hand as MVP. Seems only fair.
January 7th, 2017 at 3:46 pm
only to upset the thick skinned Joe.
Good riddance of Penn! That line was atrocious.
January 7th, 2017 at 3:56 pm
Anybody but the Patriots #1, the Cowboys #2 will automatically make the playoffs and the SB more enjoyable for me.
January 7th, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Penn was a fan favorite. But he was also a fan favorite to bash. His weight issues (as if they were ever an issue) constantly had the media chirping. Yet, through thick and hin he was always our best o lineman. Him and Jameis would have been an awesome duo to have playing together. The passion just oozes from both of them. No doubt they would have been best friends in the locker room.
January 7th, 2017 at 8:52 pm
Why did we get rid of him???
Shocking how bad the front office decisions have been.
January 9th, 2017 at 9:50 am
I dont think Licht is the culprit as much as Lovie, or their shared decision to move on and redraft a new O line. Problem is their plan failed as there was no talent from the people they drafted/picked up in FA.
Only Pamphile, but as a rookie he wasn’t ready yet.