Losing Isn’t Thriving

July 12th, 2013

Before the era of statistical gibberish and fantasy fun that doesn’t involve women, sports were all about winning and losing.

The “W” was the almighty. Being called a “winner” was the highest compliment. Call Joe old school, but winning is what Joe cares about most. It’s the greatest intangible in any sport — in life, too. There are winners; there are losers. Any man who’s ever set foot on a field of competitive sports knows some players just find a way to win consistently and/or play like a winner over and over again.

So Joe was intrigued by the recent headline on Buccaneers.com: “Welcome Back Orange: Freeman Has Thrived in Throwback Gear”

Freeman is 1-2 in throwback games.

“In all, Freeman has completed 57 of 111 passes for 806 yards, seven touchdowns and just two interceptions while wearing the Bucs’ throwback uniforms.  The completion percentage is lower than his career average, thanks mostly to a 14-for-31 effort in his debut start, but his averages of 269 yards per game and 7.26 yards per throw are well above his career marks.  That coupled with the excellent 7-2 TD-INT ratio has helped Freeman compile a strong 88.6 passer rating in Throwback Games.  He’s even run nine times for 61 yards in those three outings.”

Joe understands the Bucs’ marketing machine working to put a positive spin on how No. 5 plays in throwback-uniform games. But this was a bit much for Joe.

Losing is never “thriving.” And Freeman’s stats in those games aren’t blow-your-mind great.

Joe only really likes what Freeman did in his first throwback game, his first career start. He led his team to victory against a strong Packers team. It was one of Freeman’s six career wins against teams with a winning record.

46 Responses to “Losing Isn’t Thriving”

  1. BucDan Says:

    Can’t argue with that point

  2. Buc'n Junkie Says:

    How should the color of our uniform’s have any bearing on whether we win or lose the game? If you were to cherry pick 3 games while Freeman played in red & pewter, you might get close to the same results. We can’t use uniforms as an excuse of why we didn’t win. 🙂

  3. robert Says:

    I have those uniforms. wish they would burn them!

  4. Couch Fan Says:

    Freeman has lost a lot more in red n pewter than he has in the creamsicle jersey… just sayin

  5. Walter Says:

    Is it not possible for Freeman to play well and the team still loses?

  6. Architek Says:

    Joe,
    Please rush to PFT and get a post on Mike Williams tweet about his contract situation. This is significant and carries some weight going into camp here shortly.

    Can’t wait to see you and everyone weigh in.

  7. Couch Fan Says:

    Now that is very interesting Architek… and a bit worrisome.

  8. BucsfaninChina Says:

    Lol @ mike williams. Somebody get this guy a whambulance. This is why twitter is great.

  9. Architek Says:

    It really is considerable noise being that we are changing the culture and Schiano runs a tight ship! Remember guys how he feels about players that are overly active in the social media. Something to watch that’s for sure.

  10. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Joe, I think a “W” is for the team. Stats are for individual players mostly.

    A player can thrive in a game that is loss. Look at Barry Sanders. He did it all the time.

  11. mike Says:

    should be 3-1!!!! had the falcons and saints beat!!!

  12. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Hopefully Joe is checking to see if Mike actually meant the Bucs. If not PFT is going to look stupid.

  13. Biff Barker Says:

    Williams’ agent has a fool for a client.

  14. Joe Says:

    Hopefully Joe is checking to see if Mike actually meant the Bucs. If not PFT is going to look stupid.

    No where in that Twitter did Williams mention “Bucs.”

  15. Architek Says:

    Right but my thoughts are centered around Mike W taking to the social route to talk through such items knowing Schiano doesn’t like said transactions.

  16. robert Says:

    F twitter.

  17. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Good call, Joe!

  18. Joe Says:

    Architek:

    Please rush to PFT and get a post on Mike Williams tweet about his contract situation. This is significant and carries some weight going into camp here shortly.

    Joe read that yesterday. Joe has no clue what Williams was Twittering about. Unless Williams specifically typed “Bucs/Dominik,” which he didn’t, it’s a leap to think he was Twittering about his negotiations.

    For all Joe knows, Williams was Twittering about Syracuse.

  19. Buc'n Junkie Says:

    Yeah, that’s a little to loose of a statement to imply any certain meaning. It’s to open to interpretation.

  20. WestCoastBucsFan Says:

    Joe, are you going to comment at all on @NFLosophy? The anonymous twitter, former NFL front office, guy worked for the Bucs in 2011. He has already talked a lot about Freeman. As well as Raheem and even Bruce Allen. Seems like this is the time of year where this would be very relevant news.

  21. WestCoastBucsFan Says:

    Also, I don’t know how those Mike Williams tweets could be about anything other than his contract.

  22. Couch Fan Says:

    @WCBF

    Agreed. Its plainly obvious but I can see how Joe would need to protect himself in case it isnt how it appears.

  23. WestCoastBucsFan Says:

    * Mike Williams * ‏@Mikebuc19 21h

    I FEEL LIKE MY FAMILY DON’T WANT ME….HAVENT I BEEN EVERYTHING YOU WANTED AND MORE WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR YALL. .. AND WE SAY FAMILY FIRST

    * Mike Williams * ‏@Mikebuc19 19h

    FORGET .ABOUT .ME .I .LOVE. YOU(FAMILY) FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL AHHHHHHHH THIS OUR YEAR….LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN !

    You guys decide what you think Mike is talking about here. “Family first” sounds like something Schiano has preached a lot. That the team is a family. I understand it is professional to not jump to conclusions Joe but I don’t think it hurts to speculate?

  24. Solaire of Astora Says:

    Joe your pushing the stereotype that you can’t be a good player if your team doesn’t win. This is the exact kind of talk that leads to people thinking Joe Flacco is a good quarterback. It Is also stating that bucs greats like James Wilder, Paul Gruber , and Jimmy Giles aren’t good and doesn’t matter because the bucs didn’t win much.

  25. Gus Says:

    Well it sounds like the deal won’t get done this year and that he is looking forward to this season and will continue negotiations at another time. That is the worse case scenario in those tweets

  26. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    The deal will get done. Still got a couple weeks. More really.

  27. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    WestCoastBucsFan, it could literally be a family issue, and then he sets it aside to focus on football.

  28. Tye Says:

    Highly disturbing to think that those running Buccaneers.com can be that delusional…. Most be those pewter and Red colored glasses I have been hearing about!

  29. Kevin Says:

    We all already know how Horrible our defense has been year in year out. But since Joe is going into completion percentage…I would like to know how many of Freemans INTs over his entire career have be clearly catchable balls that we dropped. Not all on him

  30. Architek Says:

    Joe I see the safe and diligence approach but isn’t odd that he would post Schiano theme of family?

  31. Gusjackson Says:

    @Kevin: not to mention receivers running the wrong route. I remember clearly in 2011 when two players ran into each other and lead to a pick. That clearly is not Freemans fault.

  32. Solaire of Astora Says:

    Also Selmon don’t know how I forgot Selmon

  33. Joe Says:

    Solaire:

    It’s all about the rings, baby. You can be a good player and never be in a playoff game (Giles and Gruber did play in playoff games, btw).

    Would you rather have a good player, or a player that somehow helps a team win? Joe would take the latter.

    Joe’s about winning.

    And, yes, Joe thinks Joe Flacco is a good quarterback. He makes plays in the most pressure-cooker of games. Bad players surely don’t.

  34. Joe Says:

    Joe, are you going to comment at all on @NFLosophy? The anonymous twitter, former NFL front office, guy worked for the Bucs in 2011.

    What’s there to comment about?

  35. Solaire of Astora Says:

    Good players are what help you win Joe but you need a collection of them to win. No doubt Joe Flacco played lights out in the playoffs but he was mediocre at best throughout the regular season. He definitely deserves credit for the Super Bowl win but he was carried to the playoffs. I would rather have a player like Ken Anderson( and his mustache) than a player like Joe Theisman but I would rather have the entire redskins team than the Bengals of that era.

  36. WestCoastBucsFan Says:

    What’s there to comment about?

    A former front office person talking about the Bucs? Seems like something Bucs fans would be interested in. I grabbed a few tweets about the Bucs.

    You know me as NFL Philosophy. My real name is Joe Bussell & I worked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2011 season. Best year of my life

    who are some players that u would say u had personal relationships with if any? >>Most of them. Built rapport w/ a lot.

    how far in over his head was Morris really?? >>Young team & young “player’s coach” type probably wasn’t a good mix.

    Put Raheem in charge of a veteran team and it’d be a completely different story. Rah is the type of guy you’d run through a brick wall for.

    I felt so bad when he was let go, Yungry >>Yungry was the dumbest thing ever.

    think Freeman’s worried about Glennon? >>I’ve seen Freeman. Chiseled up. Looks good. He’s focused. He’ll be fine.

    I’m going to try. Training camp was something I was in charge of. I definitely know it inside and out.

    What’s the notion? >>That QBs generally perform better out of no huddle and hurry up. Specifically Freeman.

    I remember in 2011, Freeman seemed so much more comfortable in no huddle. We ALWAYS started slow and then went to NH to catch up.”

    Many of the people I worked with at the Bucs worked with Bruce. Said he’s phenomenal & nothing but good things to say about him”

  37. Joe Says:

    West Coast:

    He didn’t work in the football operations wing.

  38. SteveK Says:

    Solaire,

    Flacco has **won** a playoff game **5 straight years** since entering the league.

  39. WestCoastBucsFan Says:

    True. Just seemed like it would be newsworthy this time of year.

  40. delson Says:

    Joe just.. stfu

  41. Solaire of Astora Says:

    Never said Flacco didn’t win a playoff game I even said he played well in the playoffs I was just saying that he doesn’t play well enough in the regular season to make the playoff on an average to bad team. Throughout Flacco’s career his defense averages less than 20 points per game. On an average team there is no way he would have made the playoffs every year. They hardly made last year an wouldn’t have if Ray Rice wasn’t a monster. The fourth and 29 play is a perfect example to how Flacco has played His career. Besides the playoffs this year where he played great he has been mediocre with great players around him. If he plays more like he did in the playoffs next year I will retract my statement

  42. Buc'n Junkie Says:

    @Solaire

    SteveK hadn’t been born yet when the media and fans in Baltimore were trying to run Flacco out of town. Or he just refuses to accept that it happened.

  43. Solaire of Astora Says:

    Buc n Junkie I mean it was only week 16 last year wasn’t even that long ago

  44. Buc'n Junkie Says:

    @Solaire

    I got it. I was poking at SteveK

  45. Solaire of Astora Says:

    I know you were I was agreeing with you

  46. Chef Paul Says:

    HAHA This is the definition of irony. Joe could have an article about Rachel Watson and the comments will turn to Freeman. This article Joe writes about Freeman and the comments turn into Williams and @NFLosophy. We’re like a lost puppy that doesn’t know what to do when you fake throw a ball.