Jim Bates Should Stay Home
December 3rd, 2009
Joe is firmly of the belief that you don’t fix what’s not broken.
Of course, with the Bucs, there’s very little that isn’t broken. So even the smallest sliver of hope is considered to be functioning properly in Joe’s eyes.
When the Bucs registered 10 tackles for a loss and six sacks last Sunday in Raheem the Dream’s first stint at the Bucs defensive coordinator, it was near cause for Joe to drown himself in more Caybrew.
Defrocked defensive coordinator Jim Bates apparently stayed home, sulking, Christmas shopping or maybe watching NFL Sunday Ticket. Whatever he was doing, his fingers were not on the Bucs defense in Atlanta. Yet the Bucs defense had its best game this season.
So when Joe read that good guy Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times, taking a break from his Rays beat to help out with Bucs coverage, wrote that Raheem the Dream said Bates may make the trip to Carolina Saturday, Joe got a cold shiver up his spine.
“We’re not going to make (Bates) full participation in the game, but he’ll be at the game more than likely,” Morris said.
If last week was any hint of what the Bucs defense may be or can be without him, Joe hopes that if Bates has to go to the game, he is sitting in the stands pounding beers and not in the coaches’ box with a headset on.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Joe, why aren’t more people pissed about this? Bates should have been gone at the beginning right after Jagz. The fact that Raheem waited so long speaks volumes about his decision making abilities,he can’t be trusted to run this team. He may know how to run a defense, but he has no business being a head coach!
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 pm
bucsfanlostiniowa:
Actually, the two moves are linked closer than meets the eye. One reason Raheem the Dream (likely) waited so long in the move on Bates was the firing of Jagodzinski. No coach wants to admit they made two horrible errors right off the bat. Raheem the Dream was likely hoping, praying, Bates could somehow turn the defense around.
It got to the point where it was obvious to a guy with a white cane the defense was actually getting worse. Plus, there were whispers of growing frustrating from players about Bates which, you can tell may have been accurate given the many quotes from the defensive players since Bates was defrocked.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I see your point, but I for one would have a lot more confidence and a lot more respect for Raheem if he had just come clean earlier and taken over the defense sooner. Instead of hoping and praying it would all work out.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Can’t wait to hear the excuses after we give up another 300 yds rushing against the Panthers. Sounds like RahRah doesn’t want Bates to get to far so he’ll have someone to blame, or at least the dim wit media will have someone to blame.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Do you guys give up so quick on everything you do? give this staff a chance to see what it can do collectively. My guess is Raheem and Coach Bates worked every day to get better. As a manager you need to be sure that you have worked your way thru the problems before you pull the trigger.
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 pm
With all due respect if it took 11 games to figure out Bates was not efective than Raheem has some problems of his own!