“His Rightful Destination”
March 12th, 2025
Bucs Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber.
Rondé Barber stopped short of saying a mistake was made.
The iconic Bucs cornerback visited The Jay Recher Podcast and was asked about his old ball coach, Jon Gruden, being reinstated into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
The announcement came last month, as Team Glazer changed course on a decision made about 3 1/2 years ago to kick Chucky out of the Ring of Honor for email crimes against decency that included naughty comments about Roger Goodell and a Glazer.
Barber feels a wrong was righted.
“The initial reaction was one that I think kind of shocked a lot of people. We all know Jon, and he’s not what people portrayed him to be,” Barber said. “So I think the Glazers have done a great job here, you know, re-engaging with him. The business side of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [is] doing a great job getting him back involved in the things that happen at One Buc Place. And having him back in the Ring of Honor feels like his rightful destination.”
Barber went on to laud Gruden, noting “he changed the course of this franchise.”
Joe’s been asked a few times about whether Gruden will have another ceremony to go back in the Ring. Joe highly doubts that would happen.
It would make little sense and likely be embarrassing. Joe suspects Chucky’s name will re-appear for the first preseason game in August.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:07 am
I definitely love that Gruden and the Bucs seem to be burying the hatchet on all fronts…
March 13th, 2025 at 12:09 am
Gruden put one of the best Bucs teams on the field, followed by years of inept management of players. I still wish Chucky would replace Collinsworth in the booth. Far more interesting personality.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:13 am
As much as we like tony dungy, the bucs were Not gonna win a superbowl with him. Dungy was adamant about his offense and staff. The next year when gruden came in , it was night and day on offense. Bucs were struggling and going 3 and out on offense under dungy.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:19 am
‘Barber went on to laud Gruden, noting “he changed the course of this franchise.”’
No truer words have ever been spoken!
March 13th, 2025 at 12:21 am
Fun fact: Bucs had a top 10 offense only once under Gruden (10th)
March 13th, 2025 at 12:44 am
Gruden’s name should never have been removed. We all say crap in private that we would never say in public. Gruden learned the hard way why we don’t put those things in writing. The real story here is that Roger Goodell is a scumbag and a puss-boy for ruining Gruden’s career in order to advance his own. The NFL has gone to pot on his watch, but they keep making money, so we’re stuck with him.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:51 am
Agree B. Gruden was an over rated coach. Grateful he got the bucs their first super bowl. But he inherited a stack roster and team got worse and worse year after year under his leadership. Not a Gruden hater by any means but the man was over rated. Awesome personality but not the offensive guru many make him out to be.
March 13th, 2025 at 12:55 am
Team got worse cause he was a terrible gm and traded signed players like baseball cards. Bad signings and disrespect to the spine of defense in Sapp, lynch and brooks. Gruden didn’t respect team chemistry something tony did build and respect. Jon and his ass gm were arrogant.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:15 am
Obviously some of these posters here must be like 14.
Rich McKay left the team in cap hell and knew he was leaving so he sabotaged Gruden and the Bucs. Sometimes 2+2=4 after all.
March 13th, 2025 at 1:36 am
Great OC.
Not great HC. Made promises he had no intention of keeping. Hard to respect a man you can’t trust. Sapp and Lynch should never have played for another team. And yes, I hold a grudge.
March 13th, 2025 at 2:18 am
Chucky chucky chucky! Does that statue come back too with him pounding that rock?
March 13th, 2025 at 4:15 am
CHARK: never is a long time. Would we have won the Super Bowl that year with Dungy? almost for sure NO. But Dungy did win a Super Bowl, so dont say NEVER. and we would have had Rich McKay a lot longer, making better personnel decisions. It all works out in the end, but dont say the Bucs NEVER would have won a Super Bowl with one of the best coaches we ever had.
March 13th, 2025 at 5:43 am
I’m glad MY texts have never been published. That’s all I have to say about that
March 13th, 2025 at 6:33 am
“”I’m glad MY texts have never been published. That’s all I have to say about that””
100% with that statement!
March 13th, 2025 at 7:18 am
i mean you show your true colors when someone you deem important to you is in a rut and instead of defending/helping them, you kick them to the curb.
March 13th, 2025 at 7:48 am
When you speak ill will and nasty things towards the signee of your paycheck, there is some payback when your words get back to their ears. Yeah, I hear all you folks saying his First Amendment rights…
Try it out yourself.
Trashfully speak about your bosses in a few emails and accidentally let it get back to your boss; see how that works out for you…
Or have you ‘Bosses” had an employee do this to you, all while it is on world wide news. Yeah, I would bet there would be some very different reasons as to why you would never allow that employee and their name to be on display on your business wall for the world to see..
Glad that we have brought Gruden back to the “Ring of Honor”. Thanks for the first Super Bowl Trophy Jon!!!!
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2025 at 8:14 am
They need to start back on adding players to the ring of honor. My vote is for James Wilder.
March 13th, 2025 at 8:22 am
Joe Gruden should have not been removed from the ring of honor. I disagree with Ronde Tony Dungy changed the course of a losing franchise though.
March 13th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Jon gruden never had a top 10 offense but he also didn’t have the same kind of weapons we have today. Brad Johnson was no Baker Mayfield, he was a fully immobile pocket passer with not that strong of an arm. Really great game manager who would just throw it away before taking a sack or throwing an interception. He knew that if they punted, they’d just get the ball back again because of our defense. Bucs best receiver back then was Keyshawn Johnson, solid possession receiver but not as good as either or two receiver now. Keyshawn wouldn’t even be signed today because of his attitude, he was a “me” guy and not a team player. We had a pretty good running game back then but that doesn’t get you a lot of yards in general.
March 13th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Chucky got kicked out of Vegas cos of questionable remarks he made on his WORK computer there, and was too dumb and arrogant to erase them. That was part of the reason he was dropped from the ROH here. He never was much of a HC after the Bucs won that first SB with their Dungy Tampa Two Defense. I’m not a Chucky fan, but I do agree he would be better than that moron Collinsworth in the broadcast booth.
March 13th, 2025 at 10:05 am
What’s fun is to forecast who on the recent SB winning team, will end up in the HOF.
Brady, Gronk, ME, Wirfs, maybe Godwin and the rest are unknowns on offense.
On defense, David, Vea, Suh, JPP, maybe Winfield and Carlton Davis.
That’s 8 guaranteed to me and possibly 10-11.
Just ridiculous we didn’t win back to back.
Really fortunate we still have 5-6 on the team.
March 13th, 2025 at 10:34 am
Agree with Allbuccedup, Gruden may have taken us to the promise land (having a top 5 all time defence and knowing what the opponents offense was going to do didn’t hurt one bit) but DUNGY deserves all the credit for turning this franchise into winners!
March 13th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Gruden was the perfect coach at the perfect time. He challenged the defense to be even greater than they already were. And he was able to get the offense to a level that complimented the defense. A true championship level HC.
Welcome back Jon. You belong in the ring of honor forever.
March 13th, 2025 at 11:43 am
Aqualung
You must be one of them..
Fun fact pt.2. Grudens offenses averaged 1 point more than Tony’s.
And McKay didn’t run out.. he was run off by lil Napolean , in season. As far as salary cap BS, I feel confident that Rich would have worked it out. After all the cap is just a concept.
March 13th, 2025 at 3:07 pm
Career .500 coach who couldn’t develop a young QB and whose offense barely outperformed Dungy’s. I never bought the Gruden hype.
March 13th, 2025 at 8:56 pm
Gruden managed to get a very good team over a hump to get us to the SB. I feel like we lost the nfc title game 2 years in a row, then they fired TD. After that SB the team went to sheet for a long time. I feel like Bowles has been a better coach