“… Doing What You Believe Is Right.”
March 7th, 2010
Joe believes Raheem the Dream will be justified in pointing fingers if he is jettisoned after this season.
Perhaps knowing that unless there’s a dramatic, unexpected turnaround he may be in his final year as head coach of the Bucs, Raheem the Dream has had it with people trying to tell him how to do his job.
Per The Mad Twitterer of the St. Petersburg Times, Raheem the Dream will shut out all outside influences.
Instead, he will coach the team his way.
“The biggest lesson I learned was making decisions and doing what you believe is right,” Morris said. “Because the wind blows in all different directions, and you can’t worry about the wind. You’ve got to do what you think is right. If you go down, go down swinging.”
Morris said the Bucs can be more competitive this season, but he won’t predict a win total.
“I believe that we have the guys in place, that if we do the right things, we can win a significant amount of games to put ourselves in a position to compete with anybody,” he said. “That’s probably what last year was and what the end of the season was. I don’t know a team at the end of the season that I would say I didn’t want to play. We played the Saints, we played Atlanta, and we played Green Bay. No disrespect to those teams, I don’t look at any of those teams and say I don’t want to play them.”
Oddly enough, Joe was having an adult beverage with a Dolphins fan of all people last night. Dolphinfan believes the Bucs front office is “hanging Morris out to dry.” It’s an interesting theory.
When the Bucs let Antonio Bryant go, leaving by default the two best receivers to be Sammie Stroughter and Mo Stovall, it sure appears Raheem the Dream is being set up for a fall.
Joe’s not so sure Bill Walsh or Vince Lombardi could piece together a winner with virtually no wide receivers to speak of and a second-year starting quarterback who hasn’t played a full NFL season yet.
March 7th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I think we should all sign a giant ‘We’re Sorry For Your Loss’ card and send it to Raheem.
Poor Guy :'(
March 7th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Looks to me like the Glazers have been bracing for a lockout for the past couple of years…..
March 7th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
DEAD MAN TALKING
March 7th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
We all know they want Freeman to progress. Any youth football coach or fann knows you go backwards if you don’t have WR’s to help with that progression. So the Gods at OBP owe us an explanation as to why they aren’t going to put players in place to make that happen. Freeman can’t do it by himself.
March 7th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
@ Cream
“Looks to me like the Glazers have been bracing for a lockout for the past couple of years”
You are absolutely right.
The Glazers will be the first team to vote against ANY compromise between the NFL and the Players Union. The Bucs may even boast how aweful ticket sales in 2010 are as being reinforcement to forcing the Union’s hand… all at the expense of the Bucs fans.
But you know what, after the fanbase turned on Chucky and the ownership just a few seasons after the super bowl, the fans actually deserve this. They do.
The vocal fanbase in Tampa are so negative, that they absolutely deserve this treatment. The glazers are sitting back saying, “Hey Tampa Dungy Lovers, here is your token, social experiment. Enjoy! Now lets see how far we can push the fans and still get paid. Bad economy, bad team. Lets see what the Bottom of Tampa Bay Area’s market looks like.”
I would not be surprised at all if they purposely want a bad year so to reinforce their “whoa is me pocket books” to the union as revenue drops by way of low ticket sales.
Additionally, if there is a lockout in 2011 or even half a lockout 2011 will be a wash too, then it won’t be until 2012 that Bucs will need a group of players to compete… that’s way off… why sign anyone now?
March 7th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
“You’ve got to do what you think is right. If you go down, go down swinging”
Right on Rheem. Do your thing.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
“Doing what is right” how about picking up some free agents for that slow “D”?
March 7th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
I can’t help but ask this question. Surely Dominik knew that he was “not” going after any Free Agents! Knowing that, “why” would you let Bryant go without negociating with his agent? No negociations, see ya later, goodbye, no free agent replacement. That is not a ploy, nor is it some strategic move, it is simply ignorance. Or it is some plan by the Glazer “boys” to hoard all the money they can hoard for the lock-out. But they seem to skip one year. I just don’t get it. Any person that purchases a ticket this year is a bigger fool than Dominik is for not trying to keep Bryant.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
rah rah the defensive backs coach…talks so fast you cant even understand half the jibberish coming out at times…..i just hope his pep talks for the team are a little more……..well……less jibberish……lol
adam from ny
March 7th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
rah should start to take the approach that mckay took….in fact it would be really funny if he started to act and dress like him…..bucket hat and all….and out his mouth shot bonifide mckay-ish statements like back in 76 and 77….rah should have fun with it in case the losses start to really pile up this year….he’s like an army leader going into battle with the troops but they ran out of ammunition…its a lose lose situation for dommy and morry…….adam from ny
March 7th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
the glazers boys generally have a super duty discount deal with eachother…..since the economy is so bad and they are slipping from the billionaire boys club to the millionaire toy chubs, when one bro sees a tie on sale real cheap…like say $7.99, he buys one for all the brothers so to save money and hopefully climb back to billi-status…..so this is why the clown conglomerate is always seen in pictures wearing the same freakin’ neckwear…..adam from ny
March 7th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I’m not gonna jump on the man for the comment. What the hell, he can only play what he is given. Nice to know he has fire in his belly.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
No doubt Raheem returns because the Glazers know there is no chance this team next year will be any better then this team; in fact, you have to think it will be worse. Problem is once they fire him no one with any sense will want to come here and we’ll be stuck with some coach who was a loser who will try to regain his reputation here. As a Bucs fan you really have to hate the direction this team is headed, and I’ve been a Buc fan from day 1; this is about as bleak as it has ever been.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
It really is a shame that he is in the situation during his first Head Coaching gig. I truly believe he will make a great head coach one day. Unfortunately, that day may be when he is no longer with us. Go down swinging Rah, and us true Bucs fans will go out fighting with you.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Who’s saying the Glazers won’t stand another 3-13. By all the moves, or lack of, recently, I don’t believe they care if the Bucs win another game. Hugh Culverhouse made money with a putrid team for years. The Glazers must think they can do the same. Their ownership is beginning to smell like the Marlins of a few years ago. Win a championship, then dismantle the team. There’s no way they can want a winner if they are content on solely “building through the draft.” While I believe the draft is the way you build a team for the long term, this team has so many holes, free agency must be used to fill some gaps. Overpaying for stiffs is stupid, but some upgrades can be had for reasonable money. They have quit on us so repay the favor. You can still be a fan without lining their pockets with tickets sales, concessions, etc. I’m beginning to think Rah Rah is plenty safe, at least ’til the end of his contract.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
tampa2 — don’t belive the hype about “no negotiations” with AB. As I recall that story was floated by his agent.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
If what you “think is right ” is arming yourself for a GUN fight with nothing but your fists , you WILL go down swinging.
Trust me on that .
March 7th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
raheem sucks.. dominik sucks.. both are fired next year.. just get this draft right and lets move on..
March 7th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
@Vince: I haven’t seen ANY reports that the Bucs negotiated with AB. Why would they negotiate with a guy who they say runs bad routes and isn’t a team guy. If I missed some report that says the Bucs had talks w/AB’s agent, please enlighten me.
March 7th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
JBuc, I can’t speak for your other “FOLLOWERS”, (I don’t count myself as one, because your work is bad, and I read it simply because I am a fan and read most articles about the Bucs) but can you please … please show a bit more professionalism. I can’t stand when you call Coach Morris, “Raheem the Dream”. It makes you sound childish. Like my younger brother when we were children, calling me a name to piss me off. I can’t take you seriously, and at this rate I never will. Again, maybe I’m the only one, or maybe that says something about the people that follow you.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Louie, the report that the Bucs did NOT talk with AB’s agent were floated by the agent. The agent wants to protect his client and himself by painting the Bucs as the bad guy. From his perspective, why else wouldn’t the team not sign his client. It’s a way tpo keep the market up for his client.
The “no negotiation” report is likely true, but not accurate. In other words, if the Bucs only value AB at a veteran minium but AB wants $9-$10 million, both sides know each other’s position, it is very far apart, so there may be no negotiations, so to speak. But, that does not mean the parties don’t know exactly where the other stands.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
If he thinks that they have the guys in place to compete for a playoff spot then he is dumber and more lost than I thought.
If you are ownership and your h.c. says that we are ready to compete for a playoff spot now, with what we have, then why spend $ on free agents etc.
All of you idiots who are saying that u believe rah is going to be a good h.c. are just guessing b/c he has done nothing to suggest that. Last year was the worst year by a hc in the nfl in a long time. As stated by others, rah is a terrible communicator – I can’t understand a word he says and he can’t clearly articulate his thoughts. It is one thing to have a plan for leadership and another to articulate it. This guy may be brilliant but noone will know b/c you cant understand him.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Joe here,
Rich — Sorry Joe does not have enough “professionalism” to please you. And sorry that you don’t like JoeBucsFan.com, yet continue to return.
Joe has referred to the head coach as “Raheem The Dream” since the opening month of his tenure. …As a big basketball fan, Joe heard the name Raheem and immediately though of Hakeem Olajawon, aka “Akeem The Dream,” whose Hall of Fame career was accentuated by his famous “Dream Shake” move. …Anyway, since Morris was living a “dream” by becoming head coach and such a young age, he was given the name Raheem The Dream. Joe will never use anything else. …Take it or leave it. It is what it is. There’s no negative connotation.
Feel free to visit and continuing sharing your dislike for Joe.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Thomas:
What about Rod Marinelli (zero wins) in 2008?
Or how about Cam Cameron (one win) in 2007?
Joe would suggest those two very recent pathetic coaching jobs were worse than Raheem the Dream last year.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Hey Rich.
The moment 1 player calls rah Coach Morris you will have status to request that Joe and others do so.
I heard 21 y.o. Josh Freeman, pre and post signing calling his h.c. rah. The use of Raheem the Dream is professional, calling him Radio (like most non-journalist) is not.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Rich:
First, thanks for dropping by. Joe does truly appreciate it.
Joe is more concerned with the professionalism of accuracy than the “professionalism” of boredom.
If Joe wanted to be like everyone else (dry, lifeless prose), well, what’s the point?
Joe’s continued growing traffic — Joe may have just completed his highest week of traffic since launching this site two years ago — suggests others agree: why not add some color to Bucs coverage?
March 7th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
@Vince: “The “no negotiation” report is likely true, but not accurate.” You’re kidding, right? It can’t be both — it’s either true or not. I’m going to assume there is NO source to your claims since you didn’t provide one.
Joe spoke with AB at the Superbowl and AB indicated he would be willing to re-sign with the Bucs for a reasonable price. I’m sure even that was too much for our fiscally challenged team. My point is, why would the Bucs negotiate with someone who they have publically trashed? They wouldn’t and there are no reports that they did negotiate.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Joe
I am not referring only to w-l record (Of course taking 7 win team down to three would be worse than taking a 1 or 2 win team to 0 or 1 win). Lets review just a few Rah moves in 2009:
J. Phillips – Safety to LB to Safety (laughable);
Talib and Tanard failure to discipline;
McCown – Leftwich – Josh Johnson pre-season and in-season debacle;
O.coordinator hire/fire;
D. Coordinator hire/fire;
One gap to 2 gap d; zone blocking to man blocking schemes;
Starting and staying with Sabby the Goat;
The Nugent and Matt Bryant and 3 other kickers fiasco;
In game decisions ( going on 4th) to hand atlanta the game;
Reports by broadcasters about the lack of intensity and music and dancing during practice;
Need I say more . . . (Marinelli had almost no talent, cameron had very bad luck with injuries). Rah had some talent, and no serious injuries.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Joe, your stuff is hilarious, keep it coming. Some folks don’t get wit and satire.
March 7th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Something can be true but not accurate because the fact can be true but not convey the entire story. What do you want a source for? Maybe I am confused?
As for AB, what would you expect him to say? That he wouldn’t sign for a “reasonable price?” What the heck is a “reasonable price?” Reasonable to who? You tell me, what would have been a “reasonable price” for AB? At least we should be able to agree that the Bucs were best situated to know what a “reasonable price” would be for AB? BY the way, has AB signed with anyone?
The Bucs commented on AB’s route running AFTER they said he would not come back. That’s called damage control. Further, you think there were no negotiations because there was no report that there were negotiations??? Really? So the onus is on the Bucs to inform everyone about their negotiations? Are they negotiating with Ruud? Penn? Did you know about Winslow’s new contract before it was signed? Do you think there were any negotiations with KW?
Think of it this way. If AB would really have been willing to sign with the Bucs for your mythical “reasonable price” and there were NO NEGOTIATIONS wouldn’t he have fire his agent? What was the agent doing letting his client get no contract where one was available at a “reasonable price?” Do you see how silly that sounds? Remember, things are floated in the press for a reason.
March 7th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
@Vince: OK, let me see if I can put this in terms you can understand…
None of the local media have reported via their sources that the Bucs negotiated with AB or his agent. However, the local media have been reporting for a while (via their sources) that AB was out of favor. There have been NO reports that the Bucs did negotiate, so since the Bucs were reportedly not happy with AB, why would they?
As I said in my prior post, the Bucs probably view any price for AB to be too much. You’re absolutely right, AB has not signed with anyone so his asking price is likely going down by the day. However, for some reason they don’t want AB at any price.
All I’m saying is that the Bucs don’t like AB and therefore didn’t negotiate with him. You are saying they did negotiate or magically knew his price. I’ve been asking for your source on this, but you can’t give me one.
March 7th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
First, no need to try to belittle me by saying “terms I can understand.” Second, I am not claiming to have seen someone report what I am saying happened so why do you keep asking me for a source? You seem to think all truth is reported (i.e. no reported the Bucs negotiated ergo the Bucs did not negotiate). I would refer you to my example above with the KW contract.
Third, nothing in life is as absolute as you are trying to make it. The Bucs — or any other team — would take any player at the right price, That is what teams do. You seem to believe that the Bucs placed AB’s value at ZERO? Really? If that is the case why did they franchise him? Moreover, why would any team that has a huge investment in a rookie QB and huge need for receivers place a ZERO value on any receiver? Does that actually make sense to you? Isn’t it more plausible that the Bucs just did not place the same value on AB that AB did? If so, then the next obvious question is how would the Bucs know that they did not place the same value on AB that AB did? Hmmm … maybe because they . . . wait for it . . . negotiated.
Do you honestly think that the Bucs and AB didn’t both know exactly how far apart they were? So in your world from the moment the Bucs first decided to franchise him (rather than give him a long-term deal) all they way until they just released him, AB’s agent and the Bucs FO never had a single discussion about his contract. Instead, at some point after they paid him $10 million dollars the Bucs decided that they “did not like” their ten million dollar receiver and so they decided to not speak with him or his agent because they knew they would not sign him at any price? Does that sound reasonable to you?
Fourth, how is it that you can acknowledge that AB has an asking price but think that the Bucs were not aware of it? How can AB’s asking price be going down if he was suppossedly available at a “reasonable price?” Doesn’t the fcat that no one has signed him and the fact that his asking price must be going down suggest, just perhaps, that his prcie to the Bucs was not a “reasonable price?” Oh, wait. The whole “reasonable price” theory has to right though because it was REPORTED that AB said it!! Never mind . . .
March 7th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Given the economic enviornment, and the uncertain future of the NFL, it makes no sense to “negotiate” with anybody, either currently on your squad or those in free agency. Players and their agents are going to base the value of their worth on past contracts signed for similar performances. That all goes out the window!
Why sign a free agent now, knowing that his value could drop like a lead baloon if nobody else picks him up? Let other teams pay ridiculous amounts of money for players that were not wanted by their last employer.
It seems wiser to wait untill the END of the free agency period…scoop up the most talent for the least amount of money…
Just my humble opinion.
March 8th, 2010 at 12:27 am
Raheem is an idiot.
A complete and total idiot.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Kinda like a gerbil running on a wheel in a steel cage, hes sorta cute and all, but you know he isn’t going anywhere.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Rich is a troll from the Poo-poo report. He’s just bitter that Joe thorougly flogged little Jimmy Reynolds last week…
Radio Mushmouth is Raheem Morris’s true name , Raheem the Dream is friendly as it comes.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Radio Mushmouth:
Nah, Joe is cool with Rich. This isn’t the first time Joe has heard such a complaint and likely won’t be the last.
Like Joe tells others, someone wouldn’t want to start a burger joint when the business was surrounded by Wendy’s, Burker King and McDonald’s. Same with Joe here. Why write AP style and be like all the rest? What would be the point?
March 8th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Hey Rich, this (non-professional) writer “is” non-propessional. But I love my Bucs, & I think Joe Bucsfan.com is a great forum for fans. I have been calling Raheem Radio since his “promotion” last year. He (and Dumynik) are nothing but amatuers playing at being professionals (at their given jobs). Being a “non-journalist” I have much more lattitude to say what I think, and often do. While “Raheem” the person might be a nice guy, he took a high profile job that he is not prepared to take. Therefore, when it comes to his Head Coaching, He is “Radio”! If that offends you, good! Because, I am offended that these Glazer boys are destroying our team!
Vince, I’m not buying your argument. If they wanted to negociate with AB they would have offered him “something”, then slandered him when he didn’t take the offer. That is the way Radio & Dominik work. Remember last year when they hired the “best” offensive Coordinator, then fired him 10 days before the season start? Then they slandered the poor guy after he was gone. Again, this is just the way these to amatuers work.
Joe, I for one like your style of writing/reporting/comments & like the way you come in an answer back or defend yourself, whichever the need. we needed a “tell it like it is” site. And you don’t need to change a thing. Your site is, as the young kids say, the bomb!
March 8th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Joe here,
tampa2 – Nice try. Kids haven’t said “the bomb” in about 4 years. 😉
March 8th, 2010 at 11:52 am
Tampa 2, not really concerned whether you “buy my argument.” Don’t really care to engage in a conversation with someone that refers to Raheem Morris as “radio.” Your use of the term “radio” nullifies any serious consideration your comments would otherwise receive. One thing to say someone is inexperienced or even incompetent, another thing entirely to equate a handicap with general incompetence.
March 8th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
You won’t engage in conversation with people who use “radio”.
How about Mushmouth ??
March 8th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Vince,
Incompetence is a good work. But “Radio” sums him up nicely. You aren’t giving the “real” Radio enough credit. He got “paid” for his part. Much more than this “amatuer” that spends his time bar hopping in South Tampa drinking Grey Goose.Now, it seems that “you” equate the name Radio with a mentally challenged person. So that is on you! No, you aren’t concerned, because you are full of crap! No one negociated with AB. By the way, “Bite me”.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Thanks for proving the point.