Bruce Arians Embraces Bucs Legends
August 11th, 2021
Former Bucs great Simeon Rice, left, chats with Bucs OLB Joe Tyron after practice yesterday. (Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)
It’s funny how two guys can look at a football game and see opposite things.
For example, two of the greatest coaches who ever lived and who often locked horns in the playoffs saw football through completely different prisms.
Bill Walsh saw the game as an art form with the quarterback painting the picture.
Bill Parcells believed football was a test of will and that to win, a crushing defense would dictate the game.
A more modern example is former NFL suit Michael Lombardi and Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
In a recent edition of his podcast, “GM Shuffle,” Lombardi railed how he heard Lions consultant Chris Spielman was too involved with the players and that the former Lions great linebacker shouldn’t be anywhere near them. That’s the coaches’ turf.
Lombardi hollered that is a perfect example of a rotten team culture (Lombardi is obsessed with “culture”). In so many words, Lombardi said to those who are not coaches, keep your arses away from the team.
Then there is Arians. When Arians first arrived in Tampa at his introductory press conference, he welcomed ex-Bucs to hang around One Buc Palace and encouraged them to visit often.
Yesterday was Alumni Day at Bucs practice and several ex-Bucs were there including the great Simeon Rice. Arians lamented the ex-Bucs can’t be around more because of protocols the NFL has in place due to The Sickness.
“Oh, it’s awesome,” Arians said of the alumni hanging out. “I always love that. I wish we could have all the guys back all the time, but with the protocols we can’t get them in the building and get them where we want, to be around our guys.
“I love having [Warren] Sapp, RondĂ© [Barber] and all those guys back as much as we could possibly have them.”
Lombardi, of course, would cringe about Arians’ culture in inviting ex-stars back. Like Lombardi, Arians has been around his fair share of winners. Arians worked for Bear Bryant and the Rooney family in Pittsburgh.
Would Lombardi have the stones to suggest Bryant and the Rooneys don’t know anything about building winners?
This isn’t to bang on Lombardi. Joe heard Arians’ words yesterday and thought of Lombardi. As Joe has written, when it comes to winning football games, there are different ways to get the job done.
.@simeon_rice is in the building đź‘‹ pic.twitter.com/rQKIiALep6
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) August 10, 2021
August 11th, 2021 at 5:05 am
This is a gesture to pacify the old players. Any current player under age 35 has no idea about these guys. OJ Howard wants NOTHING to do with Jimmy Giles.
August 11th, 2021 at 5:15 am
Simeon will always be one of my favorites. Definitely a free spirit. One of a very select group of players who can say that over the course of a 12-year NFL career they averaged over 10 sacks per year. Looks like he could still play (hey, he’s only 3 years older than Tom Brady).
August 11th, 2021 at 6:18 am
Lobardi has benefitted from being a part of two great football franchises, but is not part of any franchise at present.
August 11th, 2021 at 7:00 am
Medicated Pete Says:
August 11th, 2021 at 5:05 am
This is a gesture to pacify the old players. Any current player under age 35 has no idea about these guys. OJ Howard wants NOTHING to do with Jimmy Giles.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Uh, I’m pretty sure Antoine Winfield Jr. knows who Antoine Winfield Sr. is.
August 11th, 2021 at 7:26 am
I think the young guys know who the gold standards were of their profession. Most of us do. And nothing wrong with the young guys being able to connect with the champions that this team had in the past. Glad we could find a way to get them together, and to do it safely. Arians…a real coach. Lucky to have him here.
August 11th, 2021 at 7:39 am
97 needs to be in canton also
August 11th, 2021 at 7:45 am
Simeon Rice- one of the all time greats. He is a different kind of cat. A man of many interests and fun to be around I’m sure. I remember the day the Bucs brought him in. It was a huge signing, one that helped solidify that great defense.
Nice to see his interest in the Bucs.
August 11th, 2021 at 7:58 am
Simeon has mellowed!
I remember him in TC at Pidgin Poop
Stadium blazing through blocking dummies set up right in front of the fans to show case his skills, of course all the rest of the DL&LBs did the drill .
August 11th, 2021 at 9:08 am
Rice could probably still deliver some productive snaps…
August 11th, 2021 at 9:37 am
How many Teams has Lombardi won the Super Bowl with? That’s right 0 teams. I like Lombardi, but he is not the one that the Super Bowl Trophy is named after, that would be Grand Dad Vince.
Good to see Big Sim back in the house. Ira, please get on this right away, Sim should be in the HOF. GO BUCS!!!!!
August 11th, 2021 at 10:08 am
I listened to the same podcast and that wasn’t the message I got from Lombardi. Spielman is a full time consultant for the Lions and not a visiting player. Spielman has been meeting with some of the players and giving them advice but not attending the defensive meetings. If I were Aaron Glenn, DC for the lions, I wouldn’t mind Spielman giving pointers on technique but I sure wouldn’t want him giving defensive advice unless he knew exactly what I was trying to accomplish with my defense. Having alumni comeback isn’t the same thing as being in the building every day. Culture does matter look at all the success the Bucs have had pre-Brady.
August 11th, 2021 at 10:24 am
More evidence why Lombardi is on TV and not running a team.
August 11th, 2021 at 12:09 pm
Rice !
When he would take off during a game. Wow.
August 11th, 2021 at 2:15 pm
The pear shaped Michael Lombardi has traded off his last name and rode Belicheat’s hoodie cutoff sleeves with little to no substance of his own. BA is the perfect coach for this team currently. Let the Giants have the Joe Judges of the coaching world who will be outta work in 2 years or so.
August 11th, 2021 at 2:28 pm
@cannon I agree I bet he could get 4 sacks this year if he played. Dude was just a different type of player and should be in the H.O.F
August 11th, 2021 at 2:32 pm
Actually two.
Lombardi worked with Bill Walsh in San Francisco and Belicheat in New England (and Cleveland).
Lombardi was also the Raiders’ GM when the Bucs stomped them in the Super Bowl in 2002.
August 11th, 2021 at 2:52 pm
IR Howard isn’t fit to carry Jimmy Giles’ helmet, so who cares what he thinks?
August 12th, 2021 at 12:00 am
Hopefully he got to teach the rookie Tryon some things.
They’re identical! 6’5” 260 with a long reach.
August 12th, 2021 at 10:11 am
HOF player for sure. Just go ask any LT or RT DC who had to play against him for 60 minutes in his 12 years in the NFL at DE.
I like how he called out Sapp at the end. They are still trying to push each other’s buttons.
Giles could definitely teach Howard a few things. On showcasing O.J.’s best ability, you know Availability.
In Giles first 4 seasons with the Buccaneers, he made the Pro Bowl twice. And not starting in only 7 games in 4 years, while playing in every single game of those 4 seasons 16 game schedule. So yeah I doubt Giles has anything to share with OJ Howard.