Raheem Morris, Ticket Sales And TV Money
December 6th, 2011
What will happen to the Bucs, specifically Bucs head coach/defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, at season’s end is anyone’s guess.
No one, not Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, not Team Glazer, has come out (yet) and given the embattled Bucs coach a vote of confidence. So without sitting in a boardroom at One Buc Palace, no one knows if Morris is twisting in the wind or if his job is safe.
Morris has one year left on his contract, which could be a can of worms. Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com recently said that one of the paradoxes of having a coach with one year left means “free agents won’t want to come here” because of the uncertainty.
Of course, until 2013 when teams are required to spend a large percentage of the salary cap season on player payroll, that is probably irrelevant as the Bucs are building through the draft. Having but one year left on Morris’ contract also handcuffs the Bucs if they would want to bring in new assistants or replace departed ones; good assistants don’t want an uncertain future.
Joe rmembers last winter he was talking with Gil Brandt. For those unaware, Brandt may have been one of the greatest front office minds in NFL history. He was the architect of the Cowboys from their franchise birth through the first months of the Jerry Jones/Jimmy Johnson era.
Anyone who listens to Brandt on SiriusXM NFL Radio knows Brandt is a treasure trove of information and was obsessed with scouting talent, going to all corners of the country to find players, and he possesses a photographic memory that is unequaled in sports radio.
When Joe asked Brandt if Morris would have his contract re-upped by the Bucs, Brandt looked Joe straight in the eye and without blinking responded, “How many tickets are they selling in Tampa?”
The response took Joe aback. Joe never thought of a coach’s job security in that manner, but it did remind Joe that, at the end of the day, the NFL is a business and it’s not exactly all about wins and losses, but dollars and cents (just ask Bill Bidwill).
Now let Joe be clear: Until this past Sunday, Joe thought Morris’ job was safe, that Team Glazer would bring him back if not extend his current contract. Since Sunday, Joe isn’t as certain.
Brandt’s response to Joe has haunted him ever since that freezing Dallas afternoon. It’s been lodged in the back of Joe’s head since and whenever someone asks Joe if he thought Morris would be brought back, Joe would respond, “Yes, but… ” and tell the curious questioner about Brandt’s statement.
Joe regaled a fellow media member Sunday with this story, and said media member scoffed that ticket sales are irrelevant, saying that revenue from TV networks so dwarfs gate revenue that it’s not worth even bringing up.
Oddly enough, Monday the Sports Business Journal reported that the NFL was on the cusp of finalizing new contracts with all of its media partners that would bring revenue for all teams to a staggering amount annually, with no end to the rivers of cash in sight.
The size and scope of these deals offer further proof of the stunning power of NFL programming, which makes up the highest-rated shows on TV. Looking at the total revenue from the next round of national media deals puts the immense nature of the deals into better context. Combined with ESPN’s annual average of $1.8 billion a year for “Monday Night Football,” DirecTV’s out-of-market “Sunday Ticket” deal, the league’s planned Thursday night game package that it is preparing to shop, Sirius Satellite Radio, Westwood One radio and Verizon’s mobile deal, the NFL could wind up generating close to $7 billion annually in national media revenue starting in 2014. That represents a whopping 64 percent increase over the $4.28 billion that the NFL received from national media before the most recent round of renewals.
In fact, the $7 billion figure is more than the league’s total combined revenue from just a few years ago.
The league’s huge rights fee increases are coming far quicker than even the most optimistic projections. In February, Moody’s Investor Services predicted that NFL media money would hit $8 billion annually over the next two renewal rounds. With these deals, the league will close in on the figure after just its first renewal round.
With a calculator, that brings revenue just from media partners alone per team to $218 million dollars a year. Without going into too much legal mumbo jumbo, the NFL salary cap for 2011 is roughly $120 million.
(These figures do not include Spanish-rights broadcasts which are being negotiated. All of the contracts are based on 16-game schedules.)
If the figures from the Sports Business Journal are accurate, Joe can easily see how gate revenue influencing Team Glazer’s decision whether or not to retain the services of Morris is trival at best and likely a non-factor. The number of season tickets sold probably will have zero influence over Morris’ job status.
While Brandt had a very, very, very valid point to Joe not quite a year ago, Brandt was using an NFL standard that is now obsolete.
Welcome to the new NFL.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Well, lucky for the Bucs they don’t want free agents to come here either
December 6th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
i’m surprised you were taking “aback” by that statement joe. it’s usually the number one cause in all sports. fresno state finally got the net and dumped a coach who’s tenure was 6 years to long… finally the only way the A.D. woke up was because fans had simply abandoned hope along with the games. we’re talking one the most poorest places in the nation… they were still selling out for years until now.
whats that say for tampa? bye raheem.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
nice article by the way.
sorry for using a college example. but i just figured it held some weight with the main theme.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
lower:
Comparing Fresno State to the Bucs is like comparing Clearwater High School to the University of Florida. WORLDS of difference in financial revue streams and as Joe took pains to point out in this post, in the current state of the NFL, gate receipts are a drop in the bucket.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
lower:
Tricked ya, huh? 🙂
Thanks for the compliment.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Last offseason was when we should have gone after free agents. Coming off a 10-6 season but with a ton of holes and a ton of money to spend and a historic class of free agents.
We got a punter. I love our new punter, but come on!
It is going to be a lot harder to get FAs this offseason, especially if Morris and Dom are both still around.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
I think it is common knowledge that Raheem is history. The ONLY question is will Mark Dominick get the axe as well ?
A coach’s weapon is benching a player that is not playing well, but WHO was Raheem supposed to replace a benched player with ? Mark Dominick has failed to stock Tampa with enough really good players IMHO. It is not “just coaching”. Tampa is being DOMINATED, teams are imposing their wills on us, until we finally just quit. All these penalties are a sign we are being manhandled, forced to cheat, to avoid being exposed.
In preseason, the Patriots exposed us for what we are, but guys who spoke up about what we saw were told to “Shut Up” and “It’s only Preseason” by the Homers, drunk on the Raheem Dominick Kool Aid.
I think it unfair for Raheem to go down as the scapegoat for all of this. Mark Dominick needs to take the blame too.
After all, a cook is no better then what he is given to cook with.
And IF, God Forbid, we keep Dominick, let’s just hope the new coach will have final say on all draft picks, and free agent acquisitions ?
Mc Coy’s propensity to arm tackle was totally either Missed, or Ignored, when Dominick watched film of him.
It is not like McCoy just started doing that. This is a fundamental football mistake, like Raheem said.
I think there may be a LOT more Raheem isn’t telling us about the hand Dominick dealt him.
If Dominick is not fired along with Raheem, you can bet it will all come out in the Press.
The great Tampa Teams of years past had Hardy Nickerson type free agent veteran leaders.
Anyone noticed how well Bowers is playing since Haynesworth got here ?
December 6th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Yep, pretty much the same thing I’ve been saying, just with more current/accurate numbers. The Glazers won’t care about fans in the seats, go ahead and cancel your season tickets in an effort to fire the head coach. The Glazers make their money anyway. It’s TV revenue. And they don’t even have to worry about blackouts, so what if they don’t get on local TV they still get their money. And if fan apathy goes too far, they’ll shop around for another stadium deal elsewhere that is just as good as what they have now, no rush… if they don’t get a new deal right away, they still make their money. But eventually, they’ll move the team where they fill the stands, even if they don’t have the best team.
By all means, voice your opinions, let it be heard. But realize that your dollars are not going to make the owners change in any way other than possibly moving the team at some point in the future.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Yep, fits perfectly with the plan to suck the other revenues, keep the salaries low, and the cheap coach – while they still can before the floor is instituted.
Dont know why this is surprising. Hugh perfected this years ago. It was only the nasty salary floor that led to some respectability.
Ticket sales are mere icing on the cake.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Which is exactly why I stand by an earlier comment I made that despite the cry of fans, Raheem will be back next year to finish (so-to-speak) the rebuilding project the Glazers wanted. Thought this is Raheems 3rd year, realistically it’s only year two. You can’t count that first season which was a complete dismantling of the team. One of the goals was to rebuild the defensive front. Bowers, Price, McCoy, and Clayborn I think will be a very, very nice unit next year – presumed healthy. Sprinkle in an offseason and maybe a FA LB and\or DB – who knows. I’m not saying we will be great or that Raheem can get the players to play for him. I do think he returns and next year is the measuring stick – good or bad.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
@Eric, if my memory serves me, Hugh was one of the main reasons for the floor…I was young so I could be wrong.
@Joe…Thanks for posting this, it was interesting and muddies the water a little more. Great job pumping out all osrts of material to keep us coming back day in and day out. I will always be here, becasue I will always be a Bucs fan. Of course my six year old keeps rooting for the Panthers, which means he may have to start sleeping on the porch!
December 6th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Odd, my last post did not show up…
December 6th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
I suppose the real problem is that the TV money gets distributed equally amongst the owners. But clearly, the TV networks and other medial partners are not paying a king’s ransom to broadcast Bucs games – they are paying mostly for the big name teams – Steelers, Cowboys, Pats, etc.
If the TV money was distributed back to the owners as a percentage of each team’s contribution to the overall size of the TV deal, we might see the Bucs spend some $$ to improve the product on the field.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Micronole…Good point. I would love to be in that business model.
I will also repostr my comment that vanished into cyber space…
@Eric, if memory serves me, and I was young so I could be wrong, but wasn’t Hugh one of the main reasons for the floor?
@Joe…Great article, thanks for this information. It was interesting and muddies the water a bit. Thanks for pumping out so much great material in this dark time for the Buc Fan. I will always be here, becasue I will always be a Bucs fan. Keep up the great work!
December 6th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Well this isn’t going to help. Below is an email I just send to the Bucs regarding my four season tickets.
I recently received my Bucs season ticket renewal information. My name is __________ and my account # is ________. After much consideration, I have decided to cancel my season tickets for 2012. I reached this decision based on primarily one thing. The failure of the Bucs GM/Owners to put what I consider a less than excellent product on the field. I blame Rah much less than I blame Dominick and the owners. For just one example look at the 3rd down back situation. When Earnest went down we could have and should have searched for a veteran running back to replace him. Tiki might have been perfect. Instead thanks to someone we have been stuck with Lumpkin. That pisses me off as I believe our season would have ended much much better if we had.
I will continue to be a diehard Bucs fan. And I’m sure I will attend some games in 2012. But I refuse to give the Glazers my money until I know what kind of product they are putting on the field. And I can’t do that now. If the plan is to only use the draft and improve slowly, then call me when we’re there.
Please confirm my 2012 tickets have been cancelled. Thanks.
_________
PS: At times the service at the stadium was just as poor as the team. But it has gotten better. I still say we need more people walking around selling items to fans in there seats. And somehow the fans need to be more aware of events on the field that are unclear in the stands.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Please, spare us with the continuous rock star reference. Only you are making it.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
100 million dollars of profit before even opening the gates or selling franchise merchandise….damn
December 6th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
@Joe, sorry for my lack of patience.
@Morgan…If you remember, Joe did not deem Dom “Rock Star” for anything other than the amount of interviews he was doing the last couple of years.
December 6th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Let’s be real here. Dominick isn’t going anywhere. This is a coaching issue, not a talent or GM issue. Dominick was ashen-faced, that means the owners are royally ticked. They are not like Hugh, just counting money not caring what is on the field.
Have they skimped on free agents, sure. Have they had a lower combined salary tha other teams, definitely. But they are also in the game for corporate sponsors and pride. They have to show their faces at owner’s meetings. They don’t want to be ‘the worst producer’ at the convention.
I expect Raheem gone. If they want Cowher, he gets veto override on draft decisions. If they want Fisher, he gets veto override. If you really think about it, we are in a Dungy/McKay situation agian. Do you walk over the GM and fire the coach, imposing your will on the GM. Or did you just tell the GMthat he better start finding a massive solution, starting with the coach. . . to the point that the GM walked out of the owners box ashen-faced.
Again, let’s be real everyone. Dominick stays, Raheem goes, a big name comes in and we continue looking for draft picks and young (youngry) free agents that can contribute not just fill seats and retire.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
If you really think a just a head coach is gonna sell tickets, I got a bridge to sell you. Winning won’t sell tix. Stu Sternberg agrees. And if by chance it does, then we have our priorities mixed up. Take into account the Rays and lightning (doing good, but not always sold out), hell even USF a few years ago. This town needs to look in the mirror.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
You’re wrong Nick. I just canceled my four season tickets due to the poor product being put on the field. I would not have done that if the Bucs were having a good season. You can’t compare the Bucs to the Rays. No way.
December 6th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
why sell tickets to fans when they make $100 million per year before regardless of the product that they put on the field and regardless if anybody shows up in the stadium?
They could put an 0-16 team on the field next year, not sell a SINGLE Ticket and still profit $100 Million.
Why Change?
Sounds like the Hugh Culverhouse Ghost still is haunting Tampa Bay Bucs Fans
December 6th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
I’m with Joe – Gate revenue is becoming less important to these owner. Only team I ever hear about having an empty stadium is Tampa but as I’ve watched games this season, I’ve noticed a lot of less than full stadiums. Atlanta games are NEVER full.
December 6th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
I agree that the play has been less than stellar but I have seen signs that give me hope for the future. Clayborne and Bowers as our TE’s. McCoy and Price as our DT’s. Our receivers are starting to step up and I like Williams, Parker, Briscoe and Benn.
We need LB help and DB help and I think you’ll see the W’s start to come. I blame most of our losses on poor LB play. They have just been horrible against the run and pass on the outside edges. Black and Hayes can’t shed blocks and if they do they miss the tackle. I think LB is our #1 need.
December 6th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@bobby..for real? Come on man.
The bucs have had a problem stopping the run for the past 6 seasons. I remember the night clearly when our run defense was exposed in front of a national audience. It was MNF (same game antinio bryant made that amazing catch) against the Panthers and J. Stew and Deangelo tore our defense up. I remembering turning to my boy and telling him “the panthers have provided the blueprints to the league on how to whoop us”. We were in first place in the nfc south that night, we never won a game again. All the teams that beat us down that stretch just pounded the rock up the Bucs asses.
And guess what nothing has changed since were still talking about how the run defense sucks!
So no I have not seen progress in this defense and it’s time we stop sugar coating this teams “progress” because their has been none since that MNF game.
the future is bleak with this gaggle of bums.
December 6th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
I disagree. I think the problem has been primarily at the second level where the LB’s have been unable to shed blocks and get to the ball carrier. The way Bowers is coming on along with Clayborne and with a healthy McCoy and Price, I see just the addition of two outside LB’s and a really good corner and you’ll see a different defense.
December 6th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Is there even any point in trying to win then?
December 6th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I agree with Bobby. Back then (2008) our D-line was Kevin Carter, Jovan Haye, Chris Hovan, and Gaines Adams. Really not much potential left in any of them, and definitely nothing for the future. Now we have Bowers, GMC, Price, and Clayborn…. much more promising than any of them, and a potentially brighter future for ALL of them. So, from there, you have to look at the second level. Back then we had DB55, Cato June and Barrett Ruud. If I remember correctly, Brooks had been hampered by hamstring issues recently and was considerably slowed from his younger days. Ruud was no different than the guy everyone wanted run out of town last year. And Cato was never anything special. This year, we have a rookie MLB that has shown promise combined with a worthless Black and Hayes.
Based on youth alone, this group has more “future” promise than any of them did. Clayborn is on pace to have a better year than Gaines Adams rookie year. Price and GMC have been hampered by injuries, but have shown ability at least as great as Hovan and Haye. Bowers has only gotten limited time in his rookie campaign and is showing every bit the talent Carter had at that late stage of his career.
If this team would simply improve the 2nd level at OLB, and instill some discipline in these guys they could be a tremendous group. At worst, they’re equal to the washed up bunch we had then. But when your DT takes on the double team, the LB HAS to fill the gap and make the tackle. Well, they rarely fill their gap, and when they do, they rarely make the tackle. Either way, we’re better off than we were in 2008, it’s just not showing in the stats line yet.
December 6th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Interesting read Joe thanks.
#OCUPPYONEBUCPLACE
No, I don’t mean lets go camp out. Demand Excellence. Remember where we came from. There is no need for the second coming of Culverhouse. Out.
December 6th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Ok guys, consider this ?
if you are a big name head coach, why come to Tampa, unless you can control the acquisition of talent ?
Do you guys really believe it is ALL Raheem’s fault ?
I am starting to think Mark Dominick is made out of Teflon.
Sorry, but I don’t see a Warren Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, or Barber type player that Mark has drafted.
Do you ?
December 7th, 2011 at 1:27 am
@Apple Roof,
It’s hard to compare a player that has been playing in the NFL for at most 3 years to a Hall of Famer like those guys. I will say, however, that with the possible exception of Brooks, none of those guys looked like Hall of Famers in their first 3 years.
That being said, I think Freeman and Blount have a very good chance. Clayborn and Bowers have LOADS of potential. GMC might even be if he could stay healthy (that one is mainly for the enjoyment of Thomas 2.2). Brian Price has the potential to be an amazing player, barring more serious injuries. I concede that all of them won’t be Hall of Famers, but I think it’s very likely that a couple of them could be. It’s just way too early to tell. I would also remind you that drafting Hall of Famers is way too much of an expectation to put on any GM, especially in only 3 years. Most GM’s would be happy to draft 3 Hall of Famers in their entire career.
One big difference between then and now is that the NFL is much more of an immediate impact business now. Players are expected to come in and dominate almost immediately (league wide). As far as Tampa, those 3 you mentioned had much lower expectations, so they weren’t judged so early in their careers.
December 7th, 2011 at 8:07 am
Lets first deal in facts before speculation.
Fact: The Bucs have sold out two games this year at home, one a MNF game, the other an NFL Network prime time Sat. Night game, but against the Dallas Cowboys. With the economy slightly improving, and prices falling, its not a far fetch to think season tickets will go up. People forget the poor play in the offseason, once August comes around we all want football again, and fans will hand their hats on something.
FACT: It was the glazers that instigated this ‘Build through the draft’ policy in the first place. Not because Bucs money is going to Man U. Thats like saying Tampa Yankees money is going to support the Yankees. Man U is the BIGGEST sports franchise on the whole planet, if anything its profits could support the Bucs. Glazers are low on income from Bucs money if anything at all, but thats going to end soon enough as explained here. How can the Glazers fire Raheem Morris when they are the ones who didn’t allow him to field a good enough team with veterans to help the kids.
FACT: There was no “Fire Morris” banter prior to this season. 6 weeks into the 2011 season, only the small handful of vocal Morris haters were talking about replacing the Head Coach. That means the hysteria over firing Morris is a result of the last 6 weeks of Football. Let me repeat in caps. PEOPLE WANT TO FIRE RAHEEM MORRIS BASED ON THE PAST 6 WEEKS!!!
Now, lets leave the facts behind. How many of you think the Colts should fire their coach, they havnt won a game? What about Spagnolo in St.Louis, he was looking pretty decent last year? Andy Reid? Mike Shanahan (you guys wanted him instead of Morris), what about Leslie Frazier? So why fire Morris?
6 games ago the guy was 16-9 in his last 25 games. Now the wheels have fallen off, and you want a complete regime change: starting over?
Doesn’t keeping Morris as HC, finding a new and better DC and OC as well as promise to bring in Free Agents sound like a better plan for one more year?
December 7th, 2011 at 9:18 am
I was a long time season ticket holder. This year after 16 years I gave up my tickets for two simple reasons. Raheem Morris and the Glazers. They have simply run this team into the ground. Two years ago we could have had Bill Cowher but the Glazers didnt want to pay him 6 mil a year, because they were dumb and fired Jon Gruden and he was still under contract until this year. With that being said, I sure hope they do the right thing, bring in Cowher this year and get the fans back into the Stadium.
December 7th, 2011 at 9:28 am
NIKO- I am not sure where you are getting your facts from, but I believe you need to review them. The majority of the season ticket holders and fans never wanted Morris to begin with. He was a cheap hire because the Bucs still had to pay Gruden until this year, hence why he never took another coaching job and signed with ESPN!
The Glazers are cheap simply put! They dont want to pay for free agents because we all know that we needed CB help for years. I love Ronde Barber as a player and enjoyed his years here, but if you can not see that he has slowed down over the last two years then you may not be watching the games too closely.
Now tell me how many games sold out the year before? I believe only 1, compared to the previous years in the Ray J. If the Glazers do not look at the numbers closely they will soon find that no one will be in the stands and they will have no one to blame but theirselves.
December 7th, 2011 at 9:32 am
Niko- Here is an article from TBO.COM, this was prior to this years Monday Night Game – As we enter the 72-hour window until kickoff, plenty of tickets still remain for the 4:15 kickoff. Sunday’s crowd is expected to be comparable to that of the season opener against Detroit. That game drew 51,274. Raymond James Stadium seats roughly 65,000.
A local blackout covers all of Tampa Bay and many surrounding markets, including Bradenton-Sarasota and parts of the Orlando market.
This will be the 10th straight regular-season home game not available on local television after all eight home games were blacked out last season.
December 7th, 2011 at 9:32 am
So what are the gate, concessions and parking figures? Doesn’t the team keep a larger portion of that than the percentage they get from revenue sharing from tv deals? I understand that more is made off of the media deal yet another large Chunk comes from gate and concessions. I would like to compare those numbers against each other and then tell me if the ticket sales do not contribute to coaching decisions.
December 7th, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Scott, what on earth are you telling me? I don’t understand.
I said this year, we had two sell outs. And we have. Colts game, and Cowboys game.
I know there were non sellouts before, thats my point, this year we sold out two games more than last year.
I have no facts, because there is no scientific poll of season ticket holders. Your telling me your opinion, and Im simply giving mine. I am not a season ticket holder, nor will I ever be. I enjoy sitting all over the stadium, usually one club, one end zone, one upper, and one really close to Bucs bench lower per year. the rest I stay home. Sometimes I go to a preseason game, usually the first, if its home. I sit next to a lot of people, and engage in conversations. I rarely ever come across anyone who wants to fire the coach, Gruden, or Morris.
Can you deny that you didn’t want to fire Morris 6 games ago? Why would you want to fire him now, after 6 games, including the last one that pissed everyone off, even though we knew our backup QB was going to play the game?
And before anyone says Josh Freeman didn’t play linebacker, I know everyone on this site is football knowledgeable enough to understand one third down conversion eliminates one opposing teams possession, or at least part of it. We were in Carolina’s 35 yard one 8 times. Tell me Freeman doesnt turn some of those to TDs and thus its a different game. I refused to watch the game when I found out Freeman wasn’t playing in it. I decided to do my own throwback, and listened to Gene and Dave Moore! Spent many a Sundays in the 80s that way (and previous network team Mark Champion).
December 8th, 2011 at 9:08 am
Niko maybe I misunderstood your what you were saying! Your later response seems to clear it up, I believe we feel the same way!
So you know, I have never been a fan of Morris! He has had no head coaching background until the Bucs! He was D-Cord at Kansas State for only one year and then was a Quality Control Assistant, which I never truly understood that position. To me sounds more like a Secretary!
Most folks saw through the smoking mirrors. The Glazers were not going to pay for another High Profile coach when they still had to pay Gruden for the remainder of his contract! In my thoughts, just simply put they are Cheap Asses!
Now I do like drafting young players, but as you may or may not agree, you need veterans to assist in mentoring these young players. We have had countless opportunities to get quality younger veterans in here to play and let them slip by.
On the game this past week, I do agree, I am a huge Freeman Fan, even though I was a little uncertain about his ability in the start, I watched him in college and he had that big arm and could run, but the mental errors were huge, but he has grown, but I also feel that our current coaching staff doesnt know how to use his abilities to the fullest!
From my side, I hope for change and soon. I would safely say Morris needs to win out to save his job. Because no fans in the stands will equal a new coach at some point!