Peter King Likes The Bucs
September 29th, 2010
Earlier this year, coffee-slurping, oatmeal-loving, popcorn-shoveling Peter King of SI.com incited a near riot among Bucs fans by claiming the Bucs would win but two games this season.
After the Bucs met King’s prediction after two games, the longtime Sports Illustrated scribe began to warm to the team.
While he’s not about to make excuses for the Bucs after they got pounded by the Steelers, King confessed he does “like” the Bucs.
THE BUCS ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. “First of all, I just wanted to say thank you for not doing a rip up of the Bucs, but to put down the Bucs would have stolen away the thunder from your BFF Batch and all your favorite players in Pittsburgh. I think Batch is a stand up guy, Troy P is one of the best football players I have ever seen, Hines Ward is dirty, and Ben is a pig, but I digress. My point is: three plays worth 21 points (touchdowns each with the point after), and it’s a different ballgame. Grimm didn’t turn around, Talib should have intercepted the ball that landed in his hands instead of tipping it up, and a very large and slow man running that far for a touchdown after a tipped interception. Tomlin was very smart to start Batch, and it’s why he is a good coach.”
— Frank, Varico, Fla.Look, when a team’s fourth-string quarterback has the kind of day Charlie Batch had Sunday, it’s not the time to say it was a fluky loss, which it sounds like you’re saying about the Bucs. I like the Bucs, but they’re not in the Steelers’ league yet.
Yeah, the way the Bucs got pounded, it’s a little juvenile to say, “Well, if Player-A made a play and Player-B made a play and Player-C made a play, the Bucs would have only been trailing… “
Good teams don’t resort to that.
September 29th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Joe, you are right. Any team can say that about any game.
September 29th, 2010 at 10:42 am
It does not matter if it is a blowout or a close game:
You can ALWAYS point to 3-5 plays that would have, or could have, changed the game… any game.
It is pointless to do that.
Good golfers understand this. You can not harp on the 4′ putt missed on hole 6 and the 3 bad tee shots that cost you 5 shots. “If it wasn’t for those 4 shots I would have shot ……..”
It is pointless.
The bottom line is they lost.
The D-Line & the O-Line SHOULD have had a wake up call against a very physical lines.
And EVERYONE should understand by now that Barrett Ruud is NOT a high caliber MLB. He is average and can not stuff a run to save his life. there is a reason the Bucs did not sign him to an extension and it is showing. He is basically playing for a contract and failing miserably.
2011 Draft thoughts:
1 DE
2 OG
3 MLB
4 RB
5 Safety
September 29th, 2010 at 11:54 am
@Joe
“Good teams don’t resort to that.”
You are right, good teams don’t…but fans do 😉
September 29th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
My top “coulda’s”
1. Halfback pass to Mucker in the 1979 championship game.
2. Bert Emanual dropping the ball in the 99 championhip game.
3. Prohl’s touchdown in same game.
4. The reveiver who let the ball slip away in the endzone 2005 redskins playoff game after great throw from Simms. (forget the dudes name)
September 29th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Eric,
You would be referring to Edell Shepherd letting the ball slip away in the Washington game. I recall Washington scoring on a dubious Tampa fumble (and Washington fumbled the inital fumble only to recover and score), and Tampa holding the Redskins to 120 yards of offense and losing the game…I don’t think I’ve been that upset with a Buc’s loss since the MNF debacle against the Colts (illegal onside kick and the idiotic leaping call).
September 29th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
OMG! I cant believe your actually diggin that up!
We lost! Badly! With some pathetic defensive plays. Against a good D team.
Move along nothing to see here….
September 29th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Eric…Great post. My list is the same. A friend of mine from high school played center for the Rams in 99, man was I happy when he left for Arizona. I really hate the Rams!
September 29th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
“Woulda” loved to see the bucs number one defense carry on in that playoff year. Only da bears and seahawks would have stood in the way.
Or is that a “coulda”?
September 29th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I totally underestimated the Steelers. What an idiot. They may just be the best team in the NFL, and I can see them beating up a lot of teams in the weeks to come. The Saints play the Steelers in Week 8, and they too will get their asses kicked. Brees has an injured knee, sort of, they won’t admit it, wearing a brace in practice. This may be good for the Bucs, but I like Drew Brees, hate the Saints, but like Drew and think he needs to rest on the sidelines for a while.
September 30th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Glad to see Peter king showing the Bucs a Lil love. One of the reasons I’ve appreciated and respected his work for so long. Nice guy, good reporter! Thanks, Pete, keep up the good work!