Silence Of The Icons
January 9th, 2016
Updated 10:22 a.m. Calling John Lynch, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, Mike Alstott and Warren Sapp!
Has the cat got your tongues — and Twitter accounts?
Lovie Smith, a guy they all publicly praised as a fantastic hire by Team Glazer, was fired 2 1/2 days ago. Joe has yet to hear one of these esteemed men say one public word about the Lovie firing, and three of them work in media.
What are the odds of that happening?
This silence of the icons tells Joe they collectively hated the firing but don’t want to speak out against Team Glazer. There really is no other explanation for the group lip zipping. (For the reading challenged, Joe is not referring to one individual icon, just the group as a whole.)
Update: Joe will be typing up Father Dungy’s comments on Lovie’s firing shortly.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Or the Tampa2 mafia is working all the back channels they can, leaking out wrong information like the ” firing over the phone” or meaning less stats that try to make it look like the wrong move!!!!
Thank you Joe for standing up and telling the truth and trying to post both side!!! I know that the Tampa2 mafia is powerful and has lots of connections!!!
January 9th, 2016 at 10:08 am
Possible, but to what end? He’s gone, so what’s the point?
January 9th, 2016 at 10:11 am
This silence of the icons tells Joe they collectively hated the firing but don’t want to speak out against Team Glazer.
It could also mean that while they might have hated the firing on a personal level they totally understood it professionally.
Not sure why you assume it’s the Glazers they are protecting. ((Where did Joe write that??))–Joe ..perhaps they are simply protecting their good bud Lovie and their own reputations. They might wish to defend Lovie on a personal level but realize that aside from his past and his class there is NOTHING left with which to defend Lovie. Had they tried to do so they would have come off looking like “sycophants”. 🙂
January 9th, 2016 at 10:12 am
@JOE
While I’m certainly interested to read about the Bucs icons…niece piece..I’m most anxious to hear about the Bucs newest Icon.
What does #3 have to day. I haven’t read or heard anything? Has JW gone into silent mode?
January 9th, 2016 at 10:14 am
That is strange, not one of the icons has said anything, good, bad or otherwise. Makes you wonder. And if they’re fans of the team, besides the fact that Lovie is their friend, why would they hate the firing? The team sucked. How would they explain keeping Lovie? Hmm….
January 9th, 2016 at 10:22 am
Dungy spoke yesterday on The Dan Patrick Show about the firing of Lovie Smith… and, his comments were not that surprising. Sad that his friend got fired, not surprised (but because Team Glazer fired him, and Gruden), and wouldn’t throw anyone under the bus (except possibly Team Glazer, but that’s a stretch IMO).
Your point on the silence of the others still stands…
January 9th, 2016 at 10:29 am
@Joe
Not sure why you assume it’s the Glazers they are protecting. ((Where did Joe write that??))–Joe .
Probably my use of that most dangerous word assume. But here is why I thought that was case…
This silence of the icons tells Joe they collectively hated the firing but don’t want to speak out against Team Glazer.
On rereading I certainly concede that both are a possiblility and you didn’t negate one…(the Icons protecting Lovie) by mentioning the other..the icons either fearing or respecting or for whatever motivation were thinking of the Glazers and were silent.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:30 am
How do you defend bottom of the league in:
Points allowed
3rd down stops
Turnovers
QB Completion %
1st downs allowed
Penalties
Back to back last place finish
Easiest scedule and still lose
Blow a 24 point lead
Ofer against teams with a winning record
Free agent signings
Game management
January 9th, 2016 at 10:33 am
Let stop protecting people for the sake of arguing, there are several players that should be shown the door as well. Verner, ASJ, half of the defensive line, Bruce Carter (although he did make some splash plays when he played), 4 to 5 DB’s. We need 2 wide receivers, RT, and a KR/PR. With that being said we still need better players on the back-end of the roster.
Now that I think about it we are still rebuilding, and I feel that the organization should hire the best candidate to turn things around, and if it’s Koetter so be it. However, it will be foolish of them to back themselves into a corner with one potential coach. In all honesty if a change was going to be made it should been after the Rams game or Monday morning after Carolina. This late move appears that the Glazers are just rolling the dice without a clear direction.
Turmoil sucks, but I love my Bucs.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:35 am
Left out missed cornerba
only 2 int’s by cornerbacks
Can’t stop a simple slant pass all year. Yes the pass that made Cousins a rich man.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:41 am
The icons said after year one it takes a year to learn how to stop a slant pass. Year 2 they say it takes 2 years to stop a slant pass. Im glad we dont have to hear in year 3 it will take 3 years to stop a slant pass. Brooks.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:42 am
The mark of a true media professional is to be able to comment on any event….no matter how close to home or personal…..it would be rather easy for them to “split-the-baby”….
“I really like Lovie Smith and had hoped he could bring a winner to Tampa…I’m sure it was a very difficult decision for the owners”
We have had comments by several to that effect…..puzzled by the silence (potential cowardice)…..have some cajones….if you disagree with it….say so.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:43 am
CC,
Those are true indictments of Coach Smith. Player coaches like Lovie need strong locker room leaders. IMO, players like GMC (Mr. Fun) Evans, ASJ, and many bad personnel choices doomed Coach Smith. A change was needed, but don’t stop with the coaching staff. We need a coach that can mode and engage individuals like McCoy, ASJ, & Evans and get in their tails, but He needs to be able to let people like Jameis and Alexander become natural leaders.
Schiano’s downfall was that he was a micro-manager that didn’t allow individuals to develop.
Lovie’s downfall is that he have the players too much rope, and they ended up burring themselves. This approve aquires a locker room of self-driven leaders.
January 9th, 2016 at 10:45 am
hanging themselves
January 9th, 2016 at 10:50 am
I am 99.9% certain that this job has already been given to Dirk. If it is not then the Glazers are insane. You have a rookie QB that played end well in this system. A RB and OLine that thrived in this system. if kept together, you would expect all to continue to progress in a 2nd year.
If the entire staff is removed then you are taking a major gamble on both sides of the ball which would be completely nuts given their track record. No doubt about it, this is a done deal.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:01 am
just protecting their fraternity brother
January 9th, 2016 at 11:09 am
@ Jamboo,
I makes too much damn sense for it to be Koetter. Raheem, Schiano, and for many (not me) Lovie were all WTF picks. The Young Glazers to not have a good track record for making good coaching selections.
January 9th, 2016 at 11:10 am
do not
January 9th, 2016 at 11:14 am
maybe the Icons are sick and tired of the Three Stooges bullspit
January 9th, 2016 at 11:37 am
I’ve been in the position of having to tell a close, personal friend that they simply couldn’t get the job done. I’ve had to tell friends that wanted some help getting into my company that they weren’t a fit for the team. It can be painful.
I take the silence as sadness over someone collectively loved and respected (Lovie still has my *respect* as well) but simply was a failure. *Acknowledgment* of the facts is how I interpret their silence. Quiet resignation.
January 9th, 2016 at 12:12 pm
Or it could be the 100% agree with the firing and do not want to kick Lovie while he’s down…
Brooks is the only one that has a direct coaching relationship with him. Smith never coordinated the D while he was here.
January 9th, 2016 at 2:18 pm
And do you know why all of our former Buc superbowl are silent? because they know. They know how long it took them to build that Kick A.. winning Buc team. It did not happen overnight. It took years. They feel Lovie was on the right track. I believe they are correct. Its done now though. And the rebuilding starts again. Buc fans think this team is not that far away because of the offensive excitement. You are wrong. Takes 2 or 3 yrs to build a winning Defense. Just ask the Chicago Bears and our old Bucs. BUTTTT..let the honeymoon began…Golden Boy Koetter arrives to save the day. Worst move in Buc history. Defense wins championships.
January 9th, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Just take the silence as tacit agreement that Lovie Smith’s defense was as awful as the stats and the record indicate.
70% opposing quarterback rating?
Dumping Revis. Goldson and Barron for Jennings, Jenkins and Conte?
Who can argue Coach Smith did a good job?
January 9th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
They are mourning their loss. Everybody wanted Lovie to succeed so I’m sure a lot of people are upset. They’ll get over it. The future is bright!!
January 10th, 2016 at 12:44 am
Of course they don’t want to piss off the Glazers or Bucs fans in general, but the bottom line is they know the firing was absolutely IDIOTIC. At least Dungy spoke up, because he doesn’t owe the Glazers anything.
January 10th, 2016 at 6:21 am
screw the fans they are as bad as those fools who ran kurt warner out of stl and still looking for a franchise qb 10 yrs later