Raheem Morris’ Self Critique “Patently Absurd”
February 20th, 2012
It seems there may have been a war of personalities brewing over the past couple of years that this morning spilled over the webpages of SI.com.
Recently, former Bucs coach Raheem Morris, jettisoned Jan. 2, appeared on the “Dan Sileo Show,” heard on WDAE-AM 620, to in part explain why he was terminated by Team Glazer as the Bucs coach.
While he admitted the team’s failure eventually would be placed squarely on his desk because he was the head coach, Morris seemed to squirm and dodge when trying to point the finger at why the Bucs collapsed.
“I wouldn’t change anything about it. You put yourself in a position of power and you put yourself out there and you want to go out there and want to be great and we had the opportunity and almost pulled it off … The year that we went 10-6, people say you’re too young, but we just went out and won. This year [2011], we didn’t have some of that same fortune. Some of those games [in 2010] we won by three, some of those games Josh pulled off fourth-quarter comebacks, they didn’t play in our favor this year. For whatever reason, it just didn’t work out that way.”
This explanation, or lack thereof, seemed to enrage popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King of Sports Illustrated, who blasted Morris in his weekly must-read column, “Monday Morning Quarterback,” ripping apart the former Bucs coach and all but suggesting NFL owners should never consider him for another head coaching gig.
Sometimes, I understand when former coaches are interviewed about their former place of business and they don’t want to say much of anything controversial, or of substance. That sounded like Morris on WDAE when I saw the transcript of this interview. But to suggest that “for whatever reason” these narrow wins just didn’t quite happen, and only the football fates know why, is patently absurd.
The Bucs collapsed because Morris’ defense collapsed horribly, and because the team lacked discipline. Period.
King went on to document just how wretched the Bucs defense was last season, historically so, specifically since the now notorious trip to London. Just to jog one’s memory, Morris was also the Bucs defensive coordinator.
But Joe thinks there is more to this than what can be read on face value.
Two years ago Joe caught up with Peter King in Miami at Super Bowl Media Day and King told Joe to his face that Morris’ long-term job security with the Bucs was “dubious.”
Not long thereafter, King predicted the Bucs would win but two games. They won 10. Morris, seemingly with a long memory, blew off King when arguably the top NFL writer in the country paid a visit to One Buc Palace last August and refused to talk to King.
This is not unusual. NFL coaches often cop an ego like this with scribes, Tuna Parcells is one example as is Bill Belicheat. But if you are going to yank the chain of one of the most powerful voices NFL circles, you better back it up with wins.
Instead, last season blew up in Morris’ face and left him on the street and alone in a trendy Tampa night club, left to ponder his football future.
Morris may have had a powerful ally in King to defend if not advance Morris’ future cause. Instead, by being petty, that bridge is not just burned by Morris, but destroyed.
February 20th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Joe, I absolutely love every time you bring up Peter King. The coffee slurping, fried chicken eating, beer loving, oatmeal chugging, gets me everytime.
February 20th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
And yes I know it isn’t “oatmeal chugging.” But I beg the question, how hillarious (if not also disturbing) is the mental image of Peter King chugging a bucket of oatmeal?
February 20th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
I dont think rahrah is capable of an analysis that is deeper than – we won close ones in 2010 and lost them in 2011.
How many close games were there out of the 12 losses? One maybe.
He also forgot that he called 2010 smoke and mirrors – which is an understatement – fluke and blind luck is more like it.
Rahrah is incapable of making sense – no wonder the players were confused.
February 20th, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Jared Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Joe, I absolutely love every time you bring up Peter King. The coffee slurping, fried chicken eating, beer loving, oatmeal chugging, gets me everytime.
________________________________________________
Funnily enough, I was just going to comment on how tired that is.
February 20th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Raheem never explains how it really is and he never elaborates on anything. Oh, he uses “and” so many freaking times when he’s talking. And……….oh never mind.
February 20th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Really who cares what fat boy thinks about anybody? He needs to just break the news and stay fat. I really don’t know why “joe” or fat boy have such a boner for a guy thats not even a head coach… Like, really who writes a story about a secondary coach???
February 20th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Well Eastside that DB coach was just our HC for 3 seasons. Makes sense to me to write a story on it WHEN HE WAS JUST ON THE RADIO.
February 20th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Raheem needed to go, but screw Peter king. Its real easy to kick some one when there down. King is just a fat @$$ typewriter tuff guy. If I was as bad at my job as he is at predicting team records I’d be living in a freakin’ box, and yet his opinion still matters enough to someone for him to remain employed. WTF?
February 20th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Thomas, I totally agree with you about 2011 but you don’t go 10-6 in the NFL on a fluke…you just don’t. Wins are too hard to come by and at any time you can lose to a poor team the same way you can beat a poor team. It was no more of a fluke than us beating New Orleans and Atlanta this year. We just played much more fundementally sound football in 2010 and Freeman made very few poor decisons.
2011 started out well but I think the 49er game let us know that we had a lot of work to do. We were outplayed and out coached most of the year last year and when the players saw that the coaches had no ability to adjust, they just bailed. It should be very different this year.
February 20th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Joe, how did Raheem burn bridges when King first said Raheems team would win no more than 2 games? Wouldn’t that mean King did the burning?
And I don’t think king is that big a deal anymore. SI only rarely breaks football news nowadays.
I’m not saying King is wrong about Morris, but I’m not going to say Morris was wrong for not giving King access.
February 20th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
He said….she said…blah, blah, blah.
The interview with Morris revealed his lack of understanding what a REAL coach does in the NFL. I can guarentee you that Belicheck would never say it was ‘fate’ that determined the Patriots wins/losses.
The reason that the Bucs won 10 games in 2010 was that other teams overlooked the Bucs, plus the Bucs played teams that were even crappier than they were. In 2011 the truth came to light and it showed that with discipline and good planning how truely pathetic this football team was/is.
February 20th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
all anybody had to do for clarity was listen to me and thomas2.2 about this matter.
we had the man pegged from the first presser and had to endure sheep wrath for over two years for stating the painfully obvious.
who cares what that fat slob king has to say. rah never had a disciplined or even decent defense even in 2010.
doesnt surprise me he hasnt a clue why they collapsed. if he did he woulda stopped it.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Raheem could have had Chris Berman, Walter Cronkite and Edward R Murrough by his side and it wouldn’t have mattered the way his defense imploded. Worse defense in Bucs history? I never could have imagined such ineptness. No Peter King couldn’t have saved his job. In the end it really didn’t matter. Raheem had no right to be a head coach. Not a leader of men.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
You can’t take 10-6 from the man. He earned every win. Just like you don’t excuse the pathetic 4-12. He lost control of the team, and didn’t hold his players accountable- time to go!
But- if you think that Raheem was the only lost person on that staff, you’d be wrong.
As one of our local writers said, and the pressed announcing Raheem’s dismissal
” a man who didn’t spend enough( Glazer), along with a man who didnt sign enough talent( Dominick), talked about how they fired a guy for not winning enough!”
The incompetence and blame goes much deeper. If they pull the same cheap, stupid crap, then they will screw Schianojust as bad! One man can’t build a winner, when his partners just try to save money. It has to be a team commitment!
We’ll see how committed to winning Dom and the Glazers are. Real soon!
February 20th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
I wish Raheem were not such a gentleman, and let loose with what REALLY happened in Tampa.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
well said captain.
I disagree in that rah wasnt gonna succeed anyhow bu
t well said nontheless.
schiano vs sean payton. smith. and rivera ought to be most interesting.
pretty darn good competition for the man from rutgers.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
One has to wonder if a different coach could have gotten better results with the same players.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Time to let it go and focus more on the new Coaching staff, Combine, FA, Draft and the upcoming season. Understandably things didn’t go well with Rah, but it’s time to move on.
Joe,
Can you provide any insight on all of the above with the exception of Rah?
February 20th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
Eric- ultimately, yeah. He was too inexperienced. Forcing him to be head coach AND DC was not only cheap, but a lousy thing to do do a young guy, who had some talent!
No matter how much you two hate it, he showed coaching ability, to go from 3-13 to 10-6. he had potential. Was it way to much, way to soon? Definitely!
But he didn’t force anyone to promote him that fast. The Glazers gave him the job, if he would agree to do Two jobs. Is that the fault of the employee, or the employer?
Absolutely bad job this year. Absolutely horrible defense.
But the same people who forced him into that job, are still here. And still calling the shots! And still not spending money on experienced coaches. Have they suddenly decided to pay attention to this team again?
Time will tell. For Schiano’s sake, I hope so. If you are gonna hire a guy- at least give him a fighting chance. Not the cheapest payroll, and refusing to sign his team captains.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
I really doubt Raheem could say during an Interview” ownership refused to sign players, refused to resign Vets, refused to pay for a DC, spend the least on players in the entire league. Then blamed me when these scrubs folded up a quit playing!!”
No gonna get him rehired the NFL.
But I bet he wanted to say that, because all of that was the truth. He lost control, and had a horrible defense, but if at that, he still did his job better than Dom or the Glazers!
February 20th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Can someone force me into a two million dollar a year job!! Please!!! You could fire me after one year.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:09 am
Come on guys. You guys are missing the point.
Peter King chugging a bucket of oatmeal. Slurping down fried chicken. Loving beer.
Thats the point guys. Peter King can chug a 5 gallon bucket of oatmeal.
Like a champ.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:43 am
Like Raheem is gonna come out at a press conference and say we lost games because the players quit. He’s got new players to deal with now, DBs in Washington, and he can’t afford to throw old players under the bus if he expects the new players to listen to a thing he says.
February 21st, 2012 at 12:50 am
I can’t help but wonder (after the fact) if the story with Raheem goes much deeper. I liked and supported the guy, but I’m curious how much fraternization and partying with his players went on. I’m not accusing anyone of anything but after the Bear got busted on big time drug charges, it makes me wonder. Young players like to party. It seems as if the coach did too. How much partying actually went on? Wine, women, song and Lord only knows what else. It was an incredibly wasted opportunity for Raheem, and looks like many Buc players as well, could all be headed out the door. The sad thing is Raheem took some really good coaches down with him, bad ones too, but it cost some good guys. Makes you wonder why Rich Bisaccia left, a great coach that probably new they were headed for disaster. The smoke screen worked on me, but it won’t happen twice. You have many years to party and have fun, but when work and opportunity is front of you, it has to be seized and not taken for granted. King says Rah may never get another shot, and he is probably correct, with no one else to blame but Rah. He’ll be lucky to continue as DB coach for more than 1 season. Made his bed.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:03 am
Drew:
Not sure what you are referring to.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:52 am
I’m so grateful I don’t have a job that requires me to kiss everyone’s arse that I meet. God forbid you rub one of these media types (no offense Joe) the wrong way!! I think it’s a little childish and pathetic.
February 21st, 2012 at 2:12 am
Joe,
Insight on the new Coaching staff, Combine, FA, Draft and the upcoming season.
February 21st, 2012 at 2:26 am
Drew:
Joe’s been writing about all of those subjects since Friday, through the weekend including today.
There’s really not much to write about the combine. Dudes show up in shorts and run track practice and catch footballs.
Joe’s not much of a combine guy. He believes it is a colossal bore and grossly overhyped. Decisions on players should be based on game tape, not how they run track practice.
The only thing good Joe can see coming from the combine is that it generates a lot of football chatter.
February 21st, 2012 at 2:31 am
OMG Can’t wait to argue about why (fill in the blank LB) put up only 20 reps in the bench press instead of 22 reps!?!? Why was his 40 time 4.61 instead of 4.57!?!?
Cam Newton couldn’t hit the ocean if he fell out of water at the combine when he was throwing. That sure indicated how well he’d turn out this past season didn’t it!?!?!?!??!!??!
February 21st, 2012 at 3:48 am
I’m done with Raheem Morris and 2011. I am blocking it out of my mind as if it never happened. I could care less at this point as to why Raheem got fired, and could care even less about how we won 10 games in 2010. I have a really good feeling about this staff (I admit, I say that exact same thing every single year), and can’t wait to see a better product.
February 21st, 2012 at 7:15 am
Yeah, RIGHT. To think that any owner would give a crap about some journalist’s opinion of a coach is to live in fantasy land. King is JUST a sports writer. That’s like saying George Lucas would consult with a film critic before making another movie. Sorry Joe, I luv ya, but journalists don’t have that kind of pull.
February 21st, 2012 at 7:50 am
Raheem was the worst coach in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. From X’s and O’s, to personnel hiring, to managing players…. across the board, he was the worst in the 35+ years of the franchise.
From here forward, we will no doubt be saying about future coaches, “He’s not as bad a Raheem.”
February 21st, 2012 at 8:31 am
Raheem’s comments are always pie-in-the-sky” with absolutely no substance or points. His coaching style was no different. He was ill prepared, wasn’t disciplined himself, and it was only a matter or time before the charlatan was exposed.
February 21st, 2012 at 8:36 am
I don’t want to hear about this clown…I have lost a lot of respect for Raheem after hearing about his behavior and partying. How could you do that when you have a young team following your lead.
Glazers! What were you thinking…
February 21st, 2012 at 9:33 am
Captain Tim,
“Morris forced” to be head coach AND defensively coordinator???
Now that is revisionist history at its best. I was very outspoken in my support of Raheem, but I have never felt one should not be accountable. Him being DC had nothing to do with money. Morris wanted that hat for himself.
Don’t paint the man as a victim. He was given an opportunity and blew it. The fact that he was inexperienced played a factor in his failure, but so did the choices HE made.
Bruce Allen cut spending substantially and Trident was still able to win. A good coach works with what he’s got.
I think that Raheem learner through this experience but it remains to be seen as to whether he’ll ever get another shot.
February 21st, 2012 at 9:35 am
Freaking spell correct changed “gruden” to “trident”????
February 21st, 2012 at 9:40 am
@Adam
Two winless seasons was worse.
February 21st, 2012 at 9:50 am
If only they had won one of the games after London the train of misery might not have happened, Raheem would still have a job and the Bucs wouldn’t have a great position in the draft. This team will now be sprinkled with more premiere draft talent along with the most free agency money available. You could say that by losing ten in a row Raheem helped the team by forcing the Glazers to get real coaches with actual experience leading men and forcing them to have to spend at least some money in free agency besides a kicker.
February 21st, 2012 at 11:28 am
Talk about your Johnny come latelies.
Thats ok, enlightenment takes time.
Now if you will all come to realize that Mark Dominik is shaky at best, you will be on the true pathway.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:25 pm
You seem to think that King would have reviewed Morris more favorably had Morris granted him an interview. Based on that assumption, perhaps pettyness is something King and Morris share in equal amounts.
February 21st, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Eric- lol, you earned the right to shoot out that “I told ya so”!
February 21st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
When you’re trailing 21-0 or worse in the first quarter game after game, that tells you something. It shows you’re team isn’t prepared; that you’re being out-coached,; and that your players lack want-to and more. The head coach has to be the grown up in the room.
February 21st, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Quiz time? How many head coaches, in Buccaneer history, ever won 10 or more games in a season, as Raheem did?
He don’t look so bad now, does he? Lol
And it’s been mentioned several times- Raheem didn’t want to be both HC and DC. That was the deal he had to take.
Any of you ever tell your boss you refuse to be promoted?? How’d that turn out for you?