“The Abyss”
June 22nd, 2018
Like the old days.
Humorist Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Bay Times will have Bucs fans know they are living through “the abyss” again.
Joe will hunch that 80 percent of Bucs fans already know this.
When Tampa Bay lost its first 26 games in existence, it was a collection of bumbling errors and hiccups. Fennelly believes the Bucs are back to the future.
Bucs fans, you’re living through another nightmare era. Your children have no idea this team was ever any good. You are in the abyss again.
Winston’s suspension could pass for punctuation. He might never again throw a meaningful pass for the Bucs. He is edging toward the Island of Misfit Toys. Josh Freeman is saving him a seat.
Winston is not a victim. The Bucs are not victims. This is Winston’s creation, one the Bucs knew was a (remote?) possibility when they picked him No. 1 in the 2015 NFL draft and made him the face of this franchise.
Bucs fans are fully, painfully aware of this. They know the Bucs have turned into Cleveland South since that dark January 2009 Friday Chucky was jettisoned.
They know the Bucs have turned the pirate ship into the Den of Depression with the worst NFC home record since Chucky was launched.
They know the Bucs have the longest playoff drought in the NFC.
They know the Bucs have had only two winning seasons since 2008.
Bucs fans have seen the two-bit, 2 a.m., off-strip comedy show at a Las Vegas liquor store that the Bucs have turned into. Idiotic player moves that a drunk in a bar knew better than to make. Hiring fools for coaches. Player meltdowns. Disease-ridden locker room. You name it.
A franchise quarterback getting suspended over a hassle with an Uber driver? Par for the course with this team.
It’s a Bucs Life, baby.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:05 pm
I lived through the abyss part 1. Jimmy Kimmel isn’t calling us out, we haven’t gone 0-16(yet). And we don’t have ugly creamsickles (close). When i stop to think about it, we are close. Still ain’t jumping ship. GO BUCS!!!
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:08 pm
Yeah dark days indeed. F*ck me.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:09 pm
I officially blame the alarm clock number font on the jerseys. get rid of them and we will go 13-3 and ride into Valhalla shiny and chrome.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Stick Carriers- A new term for women in the Tampa area, who think they might run into Jameis.
Ok. there IS a joke there. I just cant seem to be able to put the pieces together. Something about keeping him away with a stick…
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:11 pm
I said it last night and I’ll say it again.
This whole debacle should just further the point that Lovie Smith was the worst thing to ever happen to this franchise. If he doesn’t completely crap the season in 2014 who knows who we could have gotten at QB these past three years whether it was in Free Agency or the Draft. And I don’t care what anyone says: The Bucs tanked that last game in 2014 and Ray Charles could have seen it.
Of the teams that have rebuilt around a new QB whether in Free Agency or the Draft in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 why does it feel like the Bucs have the most uncertainity around their QB and their future? Did anyone wake up positive about the future of the franchise today? Even the BROWNS of all teams have hope that Baker Mayfield can turn things around.
2014 was the worst year to completely crap the bed.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:11 pm
Ouch………..and all absolutely true.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:12 pm
Absolutely correct!. The only thing people need to be careful with is calling a sexual assault accusation a hassle. It trivializes a serious issue. At least until we KNOW that’s not what he was suspended for and it was merely the failure of reporting it. I however doubt that just failure to report an incident would merit a multiple game suspension so do the math. We are stuck with second rate GMs and coaches because we have second rate owners who dont know how to hire.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:14 pm
This is less like the 0-26 which was just 2 years of terror before the team became a contender.
This is more like the 80s-mid 90s. So many years of laughable futility and idiocy.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:16 pm
This team is the definition of “The Abyss”. Good luck trying to lure quality free agents now. This is just an example of the many reasons why great free agent talent avoid Tampa. Unless they are over paid with boatloads of cash up front or they are a veteran that has run out of other options, who the hell would want to sign here?
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:27 pm
Totally confident, right guys?
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:28 pm
Somebody wake me from this nightmare dubbed, “Bucs fan!”
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:36 pm
We should adopt the “doom despair and agony on me” Hee Haw song at the stadium.
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on meeeeeeeeeeee
Beyond sickening.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:40 pm
At least we have the Raiders to watch when the losing becomes unbearable. Just imagine Martin running wild with actual NFL plays and blocking.
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:50 pm
cut Winston today
June 22nd, 2018 at 1:52 pm
Craziness. The Bucs have gotten better through the draft and FA this year and last and have a decent QB at the helm. They will be good on the D side of the bale save for Mike Smiths play calling. I still see them winning nine games. They can now run, pass and play D, something that was not present last year.
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:02 pm
wake me up when they win 6 games lol
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:07 pm
Eric:
HeeHaw? How old are you?
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:10 pm
Go get Kapernick, at least he would sell some jerseys, what could it hurt ????
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:18 pm
FIRE THE GLAZERS
that’s a start.
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Passthebuc
Define decent
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:22 pm
This was my fear in drafting JW. Off field issues.
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:39 pm
Yoemans, this was EVERYBODY’S fear. Just sad that many fans put their blinders on and defended this jerk. Some unbelievably still do.
June 22nd, 2018 at 2:52 pm
I was all in for drafting Mariota over JW. Was even cool with bring the Chip Kelly type offense. Between JW’s turnovers and off field questions I just didn’t see drafting him. I’m an ironworker not a football coach so when the Buccaneers drafted him I hoped for the best figured they knew better than I did.
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:13 pm
Hee Haw? Wow, you must be a lot older than me. I vaguely remember Hee Haw in the late 70’s/early 80’s as re-runs when I was very young.
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:18 pm
This stinks! It is way harder to find a brown paper sack big enough to fit over my head that I can cut holes in these days. Guess I have to answer “paper” next time at the grocery store *sigh*
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Next man up Baby. We are like the presidents wife jacket, We don’t care. Get her done. If these Bucs don’t finish at least 8-8? We..determine the coaches fate. Which means..they are bait..for Nat Geo Wilds..Shark Week. NEXT!!!!
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:27 pm
Old as dirt!
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:28 pm
But still bench 225 at ten reps…..
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:51 pm
adversity breeds character!!!!!!….its on you dirk!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
June 22nd, 2018 at 3:55 pm
It’s a stretch to say he may never throw a meaningful pass again. A bit dramatic there.
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:08 pm
Martin. Fennelly. Another column with sentences longer than three words. This must be a record. But labeling him a “humorist” is…well…humorous.
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:16 pm
Is it possible to trade Winston to the Canadian football team that currently has Manziel?
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:19 pm
Eric and Tampa town –
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
We figured she was rich, loaded to the hilt
And we figured she had class like the Vanderbilts
‘Cause we had heard for years how she was so well reared
How was we to know they meant the way she was built
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
————————————————————————————-
Just replace the “She” with WInston
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:21 pm
The shine is off of JW. His exuberant fans are no longer. He brought this on himself. He may be a has been after this season if not during.
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:25 pm
Trade now for Nick Foles,
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:48 pm
I coughed up $80+ bucks last year for a “color rush” jersey with Winston #3 on the front and back, thinking this might be the ‘go-to’ Sunday jersey for the next 10 years. Now it is in the back of my closet next to 22-Martin and 5-Freeman. Any chance of the Glazers buying them back? You think?
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:51 pm
Told you we should have drafted Mariota…but he was too much of a choir boy to be the face of the franchise. Bet you Licht wishes he had drafted a QB who could get into the playoffs and can be responsible enough to roam this world without groping women.
June 22nd, 2018 at 4:56 pm
Seminole Bill
Oh poor choice to buy the Color rush jersey. Regular home jerseys look MUCH better.
June 22nd, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Just politics…
NFL had a choice-
Me Too movement , Feminist protests with liberal media jumping up and down
Or
Take the fall, Jameis-
June 22nd, 2018 at 6:20 pm
Eric- I’m that old, and you’re right- perfect song for this excuse for a football fanchise.
If you are a Musician- you know about Hee Haw. Many mordern day Virtuosos list Roy Clark as a major influence. Slash,Buckethead, John 5, etc all credit him as an influence to their careers.
Jolly Bucs- the 80s and 90s were the absolutely the pit of misery. Absolutely the longest run of pathetic excuses for teams in sports history!! It was a horror show.
And its like we’ve gone back in time, at the Horror show is back!
If they have proved Jameis guilty- the Cut bait, and let Jameis go.
Fitz had a winning record last year.
Roll with him, until we can draft/trade for a new QB.
Its not like we’d be breaking up a winning team, anyway.
June 22nd, 2018 at 6:32 pm
I cant believe that Jameis is becoming our Johnny Manziel
June 22nd, 2018 at 6:52 pm
Send Winston to a mind reader class. That way he’ll know who to grope or who not to grope. I still think the Bucs should keep him. We have waited this long for a winner, wait a little longer. I don’t see this as a major crime if true. People are just too damn sensitive.
June 22nd, 2018 at 8:16 pm
We’re right back in the medieval ages!! The black plague has struck the Buccaneers. Yo-Ho Yo-Ho It’s a pirate’s life for me!
June 22nd, 2018 at 11:31 pm
Hey Joe! You think it’s to late to pick Johnny football of the CFL and reunite him with Mike Evens?
June 23rd, 2018 at 11:00 pm
FM (B)L