2008 Bucs' Schedule: PNG

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Bias...It's Getting Old

Why is it I have to keep hearing and reading about all these evil things that Gruden and Allen supposedly do? Especially considering that guys like Bellichick can cut guys and do so unceremoniously and they are great coaches, yet Gruden/Allen do it and they are scum? I mean really. Lombardi wasn't exactly a choir boy. Teams that recover, and turn themselves around, do so because they make the tough decisions and move on. Gruden learned this from Walsh. Heck, Brad Culpepper was mad as hell when he was cut, and that was a turk cut, yet Dungy was always perceived as this class individual (which he is), when in fact he was also able to make the tough cuts.

The reality is that this team was shown to have really poor depth as well as some players that could not be depended upon to stay healthy going forward. Quarles was cut, and, instead of getting away from the EVIL Gruden/Allen monster, he said yes to being a Pro Scout for the Bucs the moment they asked him. He's HAPPY to be back with this team. He's even since admitted that he needed to realize that he couldn't play forever. It's amazing how many of these players, who guys like the little dog say hate Gruden, seem willing to come back to the Bucs. Even McCardell and Keyshawn put feelers out about coming back!

Yet, the bias continues. Why? Maybe because the local rags have to work hard for information now that Allen is there? Maybe because Gruden doesn't care for some of their questions and can tend to be short with them? Who knows? The bias is, however, clearly there. So much so that some places appear to just be making up crap that the Bucs then have to run around denying because people believe this stuff. Does Simms have an issue with Proprioception? He says no. The Bucs say no. The Times says yes. The reality appears to be no. It appears to be a "bad golf swing" type issue compounded by a sore elbow/arm. Gee...the evil GM/HC combo deal must be lying...right?

It's really getting old. I can't even listen to a lot of sports talk anymore because it's all anti-Gruden/Allen. They aren't saints by any means, but they did build the Raiders' team that nearly went to the Super Bowl the year before they did. That team didn't change much in 2002 when it did go to the big dance to get stomped by Gruden's Bucs. Yeah, the defense was Dungy's and Kiffen's, but the offense was almost all Gruden's, as was some of the defensive depth. To top it off, this is the same coach that took a team that had shallow depth, and who's starting QB was knocked out and replaced by a QB that doesn't fit well in a West Coast system, and went 11-5 and was a handful of just wrong calls away from winning a playoff game. Yet so many think he's just a bad coach and want him gone. I really hate going into a season with all this negativity. I had enough of that during the 80's and early 90's. Gruden FINALLY has the right QB for his offense here in Tampa, much like he had with the Raiders when Gannon came in. I expect this offense to be potent, and for the rebuilt defense to get back into the top 10. If those things happen, this team will likely see post season play again.

So let's throw off the negative thoughts. Be skeptical where needed, but keep it in context and realize that Gruden isn't the guy that people like the little dog claim he is. He's not perfect either. He's just a damn good coach who isn't afraid to make changes when necessary. Let's give the staff some benefit of the doubt and see what this team brings to the table. We'll know soon enough if the front office chose wisely or blew it out their collective rears.

2 Comments:

At August 02, 2007 6:19 AM, Blogger KLHOA Admin said...

"damn good coach"

Gruden's a damn good coach? What are you living in, la-la land? The CRITICISM is warranted. He's never implemented the Shot-Gun (when the team desperately needed it), he went with a Rookie QB over the Veteran he had on the Bench, he opts to throw the ball 50+ times with a Rookie Quarterback.....

Allen CUT Warren Sapp and John Lynch, both have gone on to have great season's beyond playing for the Bucs. God forbid the Newspapers and Fans get up in ARMS when the team cuts a player in the same brash manner that two previous Pro Bowlers were cut.

It's one thing to be positive 100% of the time, but when a regime is freaking up, they need to be called out on it .....

Don't think i'm trying to jump on you or anything, I'm just trying to portray another perspective. I read the site all the time and even link to you at BucEm.com .....

 
At August 02, 2007 7:29 PM, Blogger Richard P said...

While, certainly, one has to hold someone accountable for the team's results, and Gruden would be the guy, equating the three losing seasons he's had here to him be a bad coach would, in my opinion, require one to completely ignore everything not under his control.

For example, in 2003 and 2004, the Bucs essentially lost half, or more, of their starters to IR during those seasons. Last year wasn't much better, but we were exposed for a total lack of depth, mostly the result of a lack of draft picks, salary cap, and two bad drafts ('02 and '03) when McKay was still here and the scouting staff wasn't familiar with the players he wanted on offense (McKay did draft Marquise Walker instead of Gruden's choice, Westbrook). Simms apparently wasn't Gruden's choice either. The team also had a problem with aging players, combined with huge contracts being given to McFarland, Rice, Grammatica, and a few others under McKay's watch. These were all contributors to a team that declined in depth. In 2005 the Bucs stayed relatively healthy and went to the playoffs. Last year's team was clearly the one lacking the most depth, and the result was obvious.

Now Gruden is the coach, as is Allen, and you can bet Kiffen has a big say in any moves on defense. Sapp, who had a torn fascia and appeared to be on the decline in 2003, even before the injury, was let go because of those things combined with his salary demands and the the fact that the Bucs had invested so much money in Booger. Now I don't know what Sapp you've been watching, but he sucked for the Raiders in '04, was barely marginal in '05, and finally had a pretty good year last year. One good season at of the last 3 would hardly be categorized as great "seasons". Lynch failed physicals for other teams when he was cut, but then Denver decided to take a chance. They played the lottery and managed to come up big, though Lynch's Pro-Bowl seasons have been more on rep then on actual play. He's clearly not able to cover the field, speed wise, as he used to. But he uses his football knowledge to minimize that. The Bucs lost on that one, but that happens.

As far as the QB situation goes, Rattay SUCKED in preseason and in camp. Gruden only retained him because he was a veteran, and Luke McCown was injured, otherwise Rattay would not have even made the roster. What Tim showed, briefly, is that a veteran could help open the offense some, but not enough to overcome key injuries, and a defense that was playing bad in big spurts. Tim might have gotten us 2, maybe 3 more wins. Then we would have drafted later. What the Bucs did get was an extended look at Bruce, and the kid got experience that can't be replicated in practice or Preseason. That will help him tremendously. Whether or not he'll ever be a starter is still up in the air, and I'm not really sold on him. And while I don't agree with Gruden's strategy in the Giants game, their were a couple of dropped passes, and a couple of wide open receivers being missed that would have all been either scores or huge plays to get into scoring position. The Bucs weren't going to be able to run in that game anyway.

I'm not positive 100% of the time. I'm just more optimistic than the local papers that fill fans' heads with utter crap. They whip everyone up in a frenzy by saying things that, on the surface, appear to be correct. But when you dig deeper, the real truth isn't anything like that.

Is Gruden a damn good coach? Well...he did build up the Raiders, with Allen, and that team nearly went to the Super Bowl for the 2001 season, and then did in 2002 to face us, led by the same guy. Until these past 4 seasons, he hadn't had a losing season. His coaching was not a significant factor in the loses. Injuries and lack of talent were the primary issues. The fact he took that 2005 team to the play-offs, with an 11-5 record and Simms at QB for most of the season, should illustrate the point quite clearly that he can take a team with at leas average talent, which the starters were, and win. And keep in mind that he's had to dramatically scale down his offense the past two seasons.

Being in manufacturing I am used to drilling down to the Root Cause. What may appear to be a cause upon initial glance, may only be a symptom of a bigger problem. The biggest problem with this team has been a lack of talented depth. This year's team seems to have addressed most of the depth problems, and looks like it could be a strong team, if the players play like they can. Will they? We'll get a better idea next Friday.

 

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