“Just Lose, Baby!”

December 10th, 2014
What kind of Bucs fan are you?

What kind of Bucs fan are you?

Should the Bucs do their best to lose their final three games in hopes of locking up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft?

The topic has Bucs fans buzzing.

It came up yesterday with Joe and the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620. Joe would love to see the Bucs score the top pick. That would be in the best interest of the franchise versus, say, beating New Orleans on the final game of a three-win season. Duemig said he’ll be screaming, “Just lose, Baby!” for the next three weeks.

However, Joe can’t root against his beloved Bucs. When the whistle blows, the draft theories, armchair general managing and hypotheticals go out the window, and Joe just wants to see good Bucs football and a “W.”

But many fans want the team to lose. They want Jameis Winston. They want Marcus Mariota. They want the draft booty that could be had by scoring the top pick and trading down.

It’s a popular thought across many sports.

Just hours ago, Magic Johnson said he wants the Lakers to lose like champs and score a top draft pick.

“I hope the Lakers lose every game,” Johnson told reporters, via ESPN. “Because if you’re going to lose, lose. And I’m serious.”

Lakers icon Kobe Bryant accused Magic of thinking too much like an owner.

And that brings Joe to Team Glazer. What are their wishes? And what would their wishes be if the Bucs enter Week 17 with a shot at the No. 1 pick? Is it possible Team Glazer would then launch the Mike Kafka era?

74 Responses to ““Just Lose, Baby!””

  1. Aceofaerospace Says:

    After the last several years, the very least this team could do is loose out. Give us something to look forward to and talk about.

  2. Aceofaerospace Says:

    Lose out.

  3. Dewey Selmon Says:

    No one will be able to tell if we are tanking. That is the sad part.

  4. bucrightoff Says:

    This team already has a very losing culture. Intentionally losing will only make it worse. Winning the last three games in a row would be better than losing them no matter what people think. Besides they could lose out, get #1, Mariota can stay at Oregon and then what? Lovie isn’t drafting Crab Legs, no way, no how.

  5. James Pearls Says:

    I was just thinking today – so many teams around us got their QBs at the top end of the draft – newton, ryan, stafford, luck etc. We Need to LOSE!!

  6. nate_tweetz Says:

    Real fans can see that we need to have the best draft positions possible in the draft. Remember, this is not just the first pick. The higher up in the draft you are impacts your entire draft positioning and it does make a difference. Real fans can see the forest from the trees and realize that loosing 3 meaningless games to possibly set your franchise up for success for years to come is the right thing to do.

  7. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    “Joe can’t root against his beloved Bucs. When the whistle blows, the draft theories, armchair general managing and hypotheticals go out the window, and Joe just wants to see good Bucs football and a “W.”

    Good for you Joe…..

    Sure, we want the best draft pick we can get…..but I don’t want any player or coach that wants to lose on purpose to get him.

    There is still a way to get the #1 pick and win. Other teams can keep winning….doesn’t look like the Raiders or Jags are tanking!!!

    Fans have the luxury of rooting for losses…..frankly, I actually feel sorry for some of you…I also don’t believe many of you who are real fans….

    I think you’re like Joe…..when the whistle blows you want a win.

  8. Patrickbucs Says:

    @bucsrightoff

    Assuming the Bucs draft first is the main reason I want Oregon to win so in reality there’s not much else he can to a Heisman winning campaign…. That is outside of going for a repeat.

  9. Mr. Patrick Says:

    Regardless of what everybody thinks, drafting Mariota or Winston is not going to immediately turn this Franchise around. Team has way too many holes and the entire O-Lines needs rebuilt for either one of those guys to be successful here. Look how bad it turned out for Trent Dilfer and Vinny Testaverde when they were drafted by Bucs in the first round and put behind horrible offensive lines as rookies. They got beat to death and team still stunk

  10. brett Says:

    as a pure,diehard fan of the bucs I will always root for them , no matter what. that being said , for the greater good of this franchise and the fans we need to secure that #1 pick and hopefully get that franchise qb we so desperately need.over the years I have seen enough losing as to be totally numb to it( sad ,but true) , so what’s 3 more losses in a another completely forgettable season. I’m with Magic , if you’re going to lose anyways ,go out in flames and build a new future. as I stated yesterday in another post , cut to cure!

  11. HawaiianBuc Says:

    Our luck Mike Kafka would start the last game, and throw for 450 yards and 6 TD’s. Then we would pass up on Mariota or Winston. I feel much more comfortable with Glennon or McClown.

  12. buc4lyfe Says:

    We’re consistently inconsistent so no worries because there won’t be any upsets. And as far as the draft, hopefully they are smart enough to let whoever they draft develop while you’re line is revamped and develop

  13. Skyline Crew for Mariota or Winston Says:

    Unfortunately, I think the Glazers don’t want to win. Otherwise, they would pick a real coach or keep one for more than 2 yrs. They are the problem and the NFL should force them to sell.

  14. bucrightoff Says:

    Mariota can come back because he doesn’t want to play here. The advantages of having eligibility. This is why Andrew Luck isn’t a Carolina Panther, he could have came out then and had virtually no reason to go back (he was a lock to go #1 when he was in high school…), but probably didn’t want to play for Carolina. Obviously worked out quite well for him.

    The #1 pick means nothing at all unless there is a sure thing there. The year to tank was 2011 to get the 90% likely future Hall of Famer, who everyone thought would be a future Hall of Famer before the draft. Mariota or Winston aren’t even assured of going #1. These are not locks to be great, they both have major question marks. We aren’t definitely becoming better drafting them. Starting to win and turn the culture around is more important.

  15. NewTampaChris Says:

    I will be rooting hard for the Bucs, as always, during the game. But as soon as the game is over, it will be hard to think of anything other than draft position. I’m not sure I can bear an off-season of knowing that McCown, Glennon or Brian Hoyer could be our QB next year.

  16. Nick Says:

    The goal is to win the Super Bowl, not win individual games. In any scenario, 3 more losses this year, makes us a better team next year.

  17. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    I really don’t want us to trade up for either Mariota or Winston……I hope one of them falls to us in the draft…..I want to win every game we play no matter what the circumstance.

    That being said…there are other QBs that could have francise potential like Cook, Petty & Hundley….perhaps others.

    I do think we need to draft a QB to compete with Glennon if he’s still with us.

    If we can’t get Mariota or Winston…..I hope we trade down, get an extra pick and still draft a good QB….

  18. Skyline Crew for Mariota or Winston Says:

    Cook isn’t coming out.

    Only problem is with drafting a QB is that our fan base requires that they win in their first year and if they don’t then they need to go. You can look at Glennon for that. Has what? 16 games? And people want him gone. Only thing was is he was a 3rd rounder that was supposed to develop behind Freeman. Freeman had a meltdown and Glennon was thrown into the situation as a starter not being ready. I know “Sh!t happens”, but what do you do now. Draft a QB and find a journeyman for a yr or two or do you leave McCown as the starter and let Glennon go. Or do you keep both and draft a QB and the best two are the best two and the odd man out is let go or put on practice squad.

  19. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    @ Nick

    “The goal is to win the Super Bowl, not win individual games. In any scenario, 3 more losses this year, makes us a better team next year.”

    Wow!!! I could just imagaine coaches and players all over the league making this comment after being ineligible for the the playoffs…….

    They would be run out of their cities….and shamed for what is left of their careers.

  20. lightningbuc Says:

    For a team to lose on purpose, said team needs to have a decent chance of winning. The Bucs don’t need to worry about tanking – they’ll do just fine playing the Buc ball we’ve all grown accustomed to this season.

  21. Tye Says:

    If you do just a little research of #1 over all picks in the NFL you will be enlightened that not all of them have panned out or even lasted long with the team that drafted them… Especially QBs…. Just saying, believing the top QB is going to automatically be the Bucs’ Andrew Luck or Sam Bradford is foolishness and deception… Faults security!

    He could also be the Bucs’ JaMarcus Russell or Tim Couch…

  22. HawaiianBuc Says:

    @bucrightoff,

    Mariota didn’t come out last year because he wanted his degree. The same for Luck. Believe it or not, the degree is important to some people. He’s coming out this year. Done deal. You are out of your mind if you believe players stay in school simply because they don’t want to play for a certain team. If they don’t want to play for a certain team, they’ll pull a Bo, Eli or an Elway.

  23. Tye Says:

    Not Sam Bradford…. I meant Matthew Stafford

  24. HawaiianBuc Says:

    There is no doubt drafting a QB could be a bust. Nobody in this draft (or most drafts) is a sure thing. However, it sure is nice to be able to have the first choice in the draft, and not having to worry about what others are doing before you. It does increase your chances of picking a great player, but it also increases your chances of embarrassing yourself and getting everyone fired. Every team would love to have the #1 pick every year, but of course nobody wants to be bad enough to actually have it.

  25. Robert 9 Says:

    do they really have a choice?

  26. Espo Says:

    Nice to see that competitive fire from He Who Shall Not Be Named. #1 sports talk show again by dumb luck and dealings of billionaires.

    Win every game possible. Worry about the draft when the season is over. If you lose on purpose, how do you bounce back? How can you want that player or that coach on your roster knowing they stepped onto the field and actually tried harder to lose than to beat the guy lined up across from him. How do you work together during next training camp?

    What’s worse is the “fans” who have been having this conversation all year.

  27. Patrickbucs Says:

    @Hawaiian

    I completely agree with what you said about their education, Mariota I think comes out this year. Hopefully to the Bucs.

  28. bucrightoff Says:

    Hawaiian, you do realize these guys can finish their degree anytime right? They can come back and do summer classes anytime they’d like, even 3 or 4 years down the road. Many players do in fact. Returning for your “degree” is nonsense because these guys are one injury away from losing it all. See: Lattimore, Marcus. These guys have more than one thought to returning. He didn’t just go back for his degree, that’s ridiculous.

  29. ToesOnTheLine! Says:

    Let’s ask Redskins fans how happy they are to have solved all their ills by drafting their franchise QB. RGIII was right there for them at #2 all they had to do was give away the farm the next two drafts, but hey all you need is a QB picked in the top of the first round and sunny days are here. Heck it was probably karma for the Rams using the #1 pick on franchise stud signal caller Sam Bradford (who wasn’t lighting it up even before his second knee surgery). I for one remember how great the Bucs were back when they used first round picks on franchise guys like Dilfer and Freeman…ah the good old days of guaranteed stud QB’s leading us to playoffs wins, how I miss Trent and Josh (sarcasm)

  30. Buccfan37 Says:

    Many fans are drooling over the first pick. The Bucs look like 2-14 finishers. But it’s hard to not pull for the win.

  31. Espo Says:

    TBBF, well said, on all your comments.

    I feel there is simply no point in being a fan of a team or of a sport if you feel that way. I know this isn’t true, but it’s almost like most visitors to this site have never played little league baseball or high school football or a game of chess or a video game or those dumb carnival games. Unless you’re coaching up a little kid or trying to get laid (not my style but I get the tactic) there is no reason to lose on purpose. I’m not some uber talented guy. Like 3/4 of my favorite professional teams, I have no problem losing without the intention of doing so.

  32. Nick Says:

    @Tampabaybucfan

    I didn’t say that was the goal of a player or coach. Each of them must produce at all times for the betterment of their career.

    However, Licht’s job IS to win a Super Bowl. He should look at what he can do this year to accomplish that: Lavonte David has a possible concussion, put him on IR. McCoy has a bum knee. Take a game or two off. Does Kafka have any trade value, lets find out. VJax is known commodity, lets not get him hurt. Take a seat on the bench.

  33. HawaiianBuc Says:

    @Nick,

    I get what you are saying, but there are two sides to every coin. How do you preach winning as an organization, then fold up shop with 3 games left? If you were a player, how would you feel about that? Players don’t give a damn about draft position, especially with their non-guaranteed contracts. They might not even be here next year. You can and should be more cautious, but you have to walk that line between being cautious and tanking. We have to build a winning culture in Tampa. That’s been sorely lacking. It’s difficult to build a winning culture when you are coaching to lose, don’t you think?

  34. Architek Says:

    Why win now???

  35. Robert 9 Says:

    Nick says “Licht’s job IS to win a Super Bowl”

    RFLMAO……..lichts jobs is to hang on lovies sack while making drunken calls to opposing teams offering ill thought out trades.

  36. biff barker Says:

    You play to win every single game. Forget what tripe McCown is spewing! You can’t build on losses.

    Who is to say whether a QB will work out. Freeman? Dilfer?

  37. Skyline Crew for Mariota or Winston Says:

    Bucrightoff, Mariota absolutely went for his degree.

    When Marcus Mariota decided to return to Oregon for another season running the Ducks’ offense, it was likewise portrayed as a tough one to pass up the potential of millions of dollars. As it turns out, it wasn’t all that much of a choice for the potential first-round pick.

    “A lot of things played into it. First and foremost, I wanted to get my degree. My family has always valued my education. My major (general sciences) factored into me coming back,” Mariota said Wednesday at Pac-12 Media Days. “Secondly I just wanted to come back and enjoy college. You experience so many things and I wasn’t ready to leave that yet.”

    “I learned last year that my footwork played a lot into my accuracy and consistency. I wanted to focus on that this offseason and to just focus on some snaps under center,” said Mariota. “I do play in a spread offense and in order to translate into the NFL, I’ll have to take snaps under center. I’m just getting my feet wet in that regard.”

    During his recent appearance at the Manning Passing Academy, Mariota took advantage of the presence of Peyton and Eli Manning to get some pointers on taking snaps under center.

    In many respects, that decision to come back and get his degree will pay off in the long run for Mariota, but the fact that he’ll have additional time to work on skills that translate better in the NFL, like going under center, might be just as valuable in the short term.

  38. Skyline Crew for Mariota or Winston Says:

    Lost in the late July revelation that Mariota’s class load this football season amounts to a total of two elective credits in golf and yoga is the fact that Mariota’s class load last football season — when he was playing at a level that had some scouts projecting him to go first in the 2014 NFL draft — totaled 20 credits. Ten of those were in physiology and human anatomy, two classes that many Oregon students avoid taking in the same term because of their rigor.

    “The best thing I can say about him,” said Scott Frost, Oregon’s offensive coordinator, “is he’s done absolutely everything right since he’s been here.”

  39. stratobuc Says:

    This crap again? People rooting for their team to lose? You are no fan at all if you want the Bucs to lose for a draft pick. Only gutless, spineless cowards want that. Root for the Dolphins, bandwagoning idiots.

  40. Greg Says:

    Dewey Selmon Says:
    December 10th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
    No one will be able to tell if we are tanking. That is the sad part.
    ————————————————————————–
    So true, so true…

  41. BirdDoggers Says:

    I hate the idea of losing on purpose. The team needs something to build on. The draft is a crap shoot. If Lovie is coming back next year, they might as well keep working to get better. I’m done with the losing.

  42. Nick Says:

    Yes, we should definitely strive for the greatness and glory of a 3-13 season. 2-14, is shameful, shameful. BUT 3-13, poets would speak of us until the end of time.

    Those of us abdicating for 2-14 this year do so hoping we don’t have to revisit this crap next year.

  43. Nick Says:

    I abdicate that last comment. I ADVOCATE this one.

  44. Greg Schiano Says:

    I agree rooting for the Buc’s to lose is sick! Leave it to the Big Poodle to wish the Buc’s to take on any more of a losing mantra!

    I am not as concerned about which pick the Buc’s land in the First Round, but more concerned about Lovie Smith! If the HC wanted to win games this year, he would have picked Johnny Football! I am sorry, but I do not see the Bucs being a winner winner with the Lovie Smith Chicken Dinner!!

    Fire Lovie….run the Big Poodle out of Tampa, and go get a QB!! We should have been able to watch Johnny Football running all over Raymond James! Even if the Bucs had gone 8-8 with Johnny Football, it would have been fun!

    I cannot believe Lovie has gone all season without hiring a OC?? I cannot believe there is not a offensive coach out there with NFL experience that could have coached up this offense. Lovie has no killer instinct…..he is not dying to win. The Buc’s should be 4-6 game winners this season, but because of Lovie’s lack of game management and NO offensive coaching, the Buc’s are 2 game winners with the Big Poodle yelling “Just Lose Baby!!” Well I say Just Lose the Big Poodle and his boy Lovie TOO!

    Fire Lovie….Hire Harbaugh!!! Now Harbaugh is a winner! If the Buc’s don’t change the team starting at the top, it will be the same crap next year.

    Greg Schiano

  45. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    The wife is sick….and the treatment is expensive….if she died sooner money could be saved to spend on the next wife….who would, of course be better!!!

    I wonder where some of the “lets tank” crowd thinks about the concept of “for better, for worse”???

  46. BirdDoggers Says:

    Losing on purpose means the team has given up. Lovie doesn’t want to give up, he wants wins. If the players give up on Lovie, how does that bode for next year. I wouldn’t want the players to tank the rest of the season under a coach they’ll have again next year. It doesn’t matter who the current regime drafts, even if it’s one of the QBs. If the players have a losing mentality, the new #1 pick will likely not make a big difference. If the team tanks again next year Lovie is likely out of a job. If a new coach comes in, guess what? They have no ties to the new QB and might not be inclined to give him a fair shake. New regimes typically like to draft their own players. To summarize, the idea of tanking the rest of the season on purpose for a shot at the #1 pick is completely flawed.

  47. Bucsfanman Says:

    This entire conversation sickens me. That anyone thinks tanking for a draft pick is better than trying to build a culture of winning is ludicrous. Too many people here in fantasy football land. Cultures are bred from within. Imagine Mike Tomlin in this same scenario. If you need me to spell it out you’ve already missed the point.

  48. Nick Says:

    @Tampabaybucfan

    If we are “married” to McCown and Glennon, I would pay money to pull the plug.

  49. NOTGIVINGUP! Says:

    WIN…WIN…WIN…. 5 and 11….don’t we want to end the year on a positive note….this team needs it and they deserve it….I will never root against them…I really agree with you “stratobuc”…go on- you negative fans…we don’t need you! I don’t care about the draft pick…we went to the Superbowl with an OK QB….but a GREAT defense….thats what we are building…we will get a QB ….and it will work out….GO BUCS!!!

  50. ToesOnTheLine! Says:

    @Nick

    Winner! Though I still believe there’s hope for Glennon that was a well played one liner 🙂

  51. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    @ Nick

    I don’t believe in plural marriages……when you have 2 or 3 quarterbacks, you have none…

    I do think we should draft a new QB…..just want to win more….

  52. LJ'sDaddy Says:

    Lose out. Trade top pick for many other picks. Mariota will be mediocre in the NFL. Winston will meltdown in two years. He is a Cam Newton. Remember who told you this. Build the lines!

  53. ToesOnTheLine! Says:

    It would be interesting to take a sample of say the past 5 years or so and see how teams that have had the #1 draft pick have faired currently. While I haven’t checked I’d imagine most teams who have had that #1 pick are still wallowing in mediocrity (or futility!) still to this day. The problem is bad teams tend to make bad decisions nor do they typically have good coaching or veteran presence to groom these high picks. I get the logic of some fans wanting the Bucs to tank for #1, but I think barring a once in a generation near 100% sure thing like Luck was the team is better served winning as many as possible and trying to get some confidence in themselves as well as their coaches. Better to be the Ravens or Patriots than Jaguars or Raiders.

  54. Rutgers4Schiano Says:

    IT IS K-A-F-K-A TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  55. ihateloviesmith Says:

    this current bucs roster, reminds me of the expansion years when we lost, I can’t remember exactly like 26 games in a row, was the laughing stock of the league, went thru a chorus line QB hopefuls including steve spurrier, and then had the sense to draft arguably the only franchise QB we ever had (sorry vinny) and within 4 years we were 1 loss away from the superbowl, and yes I had the pleasure to be there. so then we had the pleasure of having to wait another 20 years and a litany of coaches and QB’s before we actually got there and won. let us hope for the first choice and let ownership and this coach to do the right thing, pull the trigger and go after the QB of their choice, roll the dice because you might not get that chance again for a long damn time. and that QB was none other than doug williams

  56. ToesOnTheLine! Says:

    Ok I checked: Texans…Clowney…eh, so far incomplete due to injury, bust watch on though; Chiefs…Fisher…not ranked high enough in 2 seasons to justify #1 pick; Colts…Luck…slam dunk…Colts are set; Panthers…Newton…including 2014 team has had three losing seasons and one division title since he’s been QB…hardly a glowing recommendation for #1; Rams…Bradford…bust!; and Lions…Stafford…good QB, not among elite…if a QB is measured by playoff appearances and championships on this site than one could argue Calvin Johnson elevated the pkay of Stafford moreso than Stafford elevating his teammates. Draw your own conclusions on having the #1 pick

  57. BoJim Says:

    A top pick would be nice for us but I think we should trade down for picks.

    On the other hand, this is my team and I say, “No Tanking EVER!!!!”.

  58. MadMax Says:

    Why try to win now in a meaningless season? To lose the 1st for a 3rd or 4th or 5th? Yeah, thats the typical thing that will probably occur….hard to get your hopes up for this team to win right, or at this time, lose right.

    That 1st pick could get us some lucrative trades to work on our O line and QB positions, maybe even pass rush/DB areas. I dont want to see them blown out, Id like to see some competitive playing and a close loss… but still a loss, yes, just to help us hopefully start winning more in the future. And this isnt comparable to human life, its football for crying out loud!

  59. SAMCRO Says:

    Joe may say he wants to win, but we all know Joe. If they do win, Joe will berate them for blowing their chance for the #1 pick. Joe is never satisfied. Joe gets his rocks off of melodramatic drama. Joe is never wrong. Just ask Joe. tsk tsk

  60. MadMax Says:

    I called the Clowney bust right here last year, even before ne played his last few games at SC….multiple posts on it somewhere in these archives.

  61. Mr Lucky Says:

    If Lovie went into “tank mode” I would be REALLY disappointed. On the one hand it would be nice to get the #1 pick for the franchise but I CAN’T root for the team to lose on purpose. Unfortunately I’ve come to accept that the Bucs are going to find a way lose.

    At this point in their season the coaches should sit any of the “proven” starters like GMC, VJax and let the 2nd team have a chance to see what they can do.

  62. Rob Says:

    This is the part where the Bucs lose by winning a few meaningless games and missing out on a potential franchise QB.

    They’ll win one or two of these next ones, pick 4th or 5th, miss out on the two big QB’s, take one in the third round will take 2 or 3 years to not pan out, and we’ll go into next year with McCown throwing lame ducks all over the field like they’re going out of style.

  63. MariotaOrWinstonOrWalkdaPlank Says:

    Win or lose, I think I just want Mike Evans to have a great finish for two reasons. One, to winROY which he deserves looking at the offense he plays for. Two, so everyone will stfu about that clown Odell Beckham Jr. The guy made ONE great catch and lost, Evans has helped his team far more and without him the Bucs might even be winless.

    Doesn’t matter if we finish with the No. 1 or the No. 4. Only teams competing with us for a QB would be the Jets and Titans, and the Titans have a soft schedule to finish the year. If we’re not going QB (a mistake IMO) we should just stock up on picks.

  64. Fort Myers Dave Says:

    I’d like to see all the 2 win teams win this week; except the Titans who will be playing the Jets. Then let the Titans beat the Jags later to get their 3rd W. No way the Bucs win vs Green Bay so its likely the Bucs will still be picking 1st or 2nd (I think Titans will have worst SOS after playing Jets and Jags)…. Of course everyone points to the Bucs beating Detroit and moving from 3rd to 7th in draft order with the W last year and I remember the Bucs beating Detroit in ’89 21-10 and picking 6th @ 5-11 while 4-12 detroit picked 3rd after Green Bay (Mandarich) and Cowboys (Aikman) and got Barry sanders… The Bucs got a bust by the name of Broderick Thomas from Nebraska. That win was nice, I was at the old Sombrero on that cool December day and it felt good to see a rare win for Ray Perkin’s boys to end the season but after the draft all that was kind of forgotten, especially after Detroit started winning a bit more with sanders and the Bucs fired Perkins midway next season…. So the fan in me wants to watch Ws especially against NO and Carolina but of course its in the best interest for the team to just lose out…. I think the Bucs fans are pretty much split on this, the board has a lot of just lose chatter but a lot of posts are simply from trolls who are fans of other teams who enjoy being negative IMHO as I do not recognize the handles as regulars…

  65. Mr. Patrick Says:

    Lovie will not go into “tank mode” because he still has to worry about his own job

  66. 87ForJameisOrMariota Says:

    Right now I’m going to be livid pissed if they win a game at this point in the season and blow this pick. I might never get over it.

    I’ll watch and cheer for them. I won’t root for them however. Nah, nah, nah, not at this point.

    I’ll turn into the biggest Lovie hater on this site if they win another game this year. I just wish the season ended now.

  67. 87ForJameisOrMariota Says:

    MadMax Says:
    December 10th, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    “I called the Clowney bust right here last year, even before ne played his last few games at SC….multiple posts on it somewhere in these archives.”

    I can confirm that Max.

    Here’s a question for everyone. Who’s the better Josh? Josh McCown or Josh Freeman?

  68. Espo Says:

    Freeman was better. No doubt. He just spiraled into his predicament. I still think he’s better based on his natural talent alone. McCown doesn’t have the talent and we now know doesn’t have the brains either.

  69. J Moné Says:

    I think bucs lose out They couldn’t win no matter how hard they try.

  70. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Since 2009, 4 QBs have been taken with the first pick. Of them, only one was a bust. (Bradford)

    Remaining 3 were Stafford, Newton and Luck.

    But lets look within our division only.

    The Falcons took the first QB off the board in 2008, getting Matt Ryan. Franchise QB.

    The Panthers took the first QB off the board in 2011. Franchise QB.

    Drew Brees just missed the first round by one pick in 2001. San Diego not only picked in the top 5 of the first round (took LaDainian Tomlinson), but picking at the top of the second round landed them a Franchise QB. And guess what? They sucked for 2 years after that. He was still a franchise QB, and he became a future HoFer with the Saints.

    So don’t give me this bull about winning games that mean nothing. They do mean something. If we win them, it’s more of the same crap year after year, and we won’t have achance like this next year.

    Lose. Get the #1 pick. Then decide what to do with it.

    In 2009, we missed out on Matthew Stafford because we won just enough games to keep us from #1.

    In 2011, same thing happened and we missed out on Cam.

    In 2012? Same thing. We won just enough to miss out on Luck and Griffin (whom I think can still make it). It doesn,t take many wins to get booted way down the line. Heck, we even PASSED on Ryan Tannehill.

    In 2013, we took Mike Glennon as the 3rd QB of one of the worse QB classes in 20 years. EJ Manuel and Geno Smith??

    We should have taken a QB last year, when we had our choice of Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and David Carr. Blake Bortles went 3rd overall.

    Do what needs to be done. Get the QB this year. If he’s a bust, so what? It’s not like Bucs first round picks ALWAYS pan out. But you cannot win the lottery without buying a ticket.

  71. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    We don’t have to win to cheer. If McCoy gets 1.5 more sacks by the end of the year, that’s something the cheer about. If banks gets a pick ba game from here out…cheer. If Michael Johnson gets a sack…feint.

    The point is, we can cheer on individual players and still hope for a loss. And if they get that first pick? Then the potential is there for a turnaround.

  72. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    And FYI, fans gave up on Glennon because he showed no growth. Being a 3rd rounder, his faults were easy to spot and his failure to improve them obvious.

    All he had to do:
    Stop panicking in the pocket
    Read the defense quicker
    Release the ball quicker
    Develop better pocket presence
    Become more accurate

    He improved none of those areas. That’s why fans gave up on him.

  73. soflobuc Says:

    It all makes sense now!! This was the Bucks plan all along ….suck for Jammis.

    BTW as for Harbaugh, Lovie was a winner too before he wore pewter and red. He made it to the Superball

  74. ToesOnTheLine! Says:

    Dunno Bonzai personally I’m glad the Bucs didn’t draft Cam Newton or even Matt Stafford. Newton is a franchise QB only because Carolina has bet the farm on him, but the Panthers offense is consistently near the bottom 1/3 of the NFL ever year since he’s been there. Stafford is good, but the definition of a franchise QB on this site seems to be a guy who elevates the level of play of the guys around hom and can carry a team on his back towards championships. That isn’t Stafford. Like me and many others have said if a guy like Andrew Luck (on AND off field) comes along then do whatever is necessary to get him. If not then giving a perennial losing team with a questionable talent evaluator the #1 pick is a recipe for disaster.