Time Was Not On Clyde Christensen’s Side
February 2nd, 2021
Bucs QB coach Clyde Christensen.
Joe remembers back in his newspaper days writing a feature on a St. Petersburg resident by the name of George Kissell, a noted baseball wizard of defensive and baserunning fundamentals for the St. Louis Cardinals for nearly 70 years.
When Joe interviewed Kissell, he was in his early 80s and his mind was sharp as a razor and he had a gregarious personality, even dropped to his knees once demonstrating the proper way to field a short-hopping ground ball to third.
Most of his career Kissell worked in the minor leagues and with the Cardinals’ rookie league team that was based in St. Petersburg for decades.
For a time in the 1950s, Kissell managed minor league teams. Back then, clubs only just a manager for each team, no pitching coach, no hitting instructor. The manager was a coach of all stripes wrapped into one. But Kissell confessed he knew little to nothing about pitching — he was an infielder in his playing days.
While Kissell was telling Joe this, he shook his head and got depressed and said, “Lord only knows how many pitchers careers I may have ruined because I just didn’t know any better.”
Kissell’s body language reminded Joe of Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen yesterday.
During his media session at Super Bowl Opening Night, morning edition, Christensen was his normal open-book self.
Bucco Arians’ old friend is like Arians and some of his colleagues. Ask him a question and you really don’t know where Christensen is going to go. Sort of like throwing a tennis ball to a dog in the backyard. The dog will eventually bring the tennis ball back, but you have no idea what its path will be.
Christensen was asked about his football travels and he meandered his way into talking about park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking Bucs quarterback Tom Brady’s predecessor, Mr. Entertainment, America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
“Last year was extremely frustrating and rewarding with Jameis Winston,” Christensen began. ‘
“I loved Jameis Winston. We made some ground. We did some really special things. And the coldness [of the NFL] it was only for one year. All of a sudden Tom Brady rolls in and it is a new hand that you are dealt. …
“I really, really enjoyed Jameis Winston. I have unbelievable respect for him. Sometimes you wish you had a little more time. And you wish things would have been different.”
And then Christensen had a droopy look to him that reminded Joe of Kissell wondering how many pitchers’ careers he may have trashed.
Joe doesn’t know if it is just a coach’s DNA that they think they can turn around players, but Christensen seemed genuinely bummed out he didn’t get a second season to work with Jameis.
Joe doubts if Christensen got his wish, the Bucs would be where there are now.
February 2nd, 2021 at 12:12 am
No need to speculate. No need to feel sad. It’s over now.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:06 am
Joe – Thanks for all the insight and history of the Bucs. What a site. Cheers.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:08 am
I’ve been saying forever that Jameis is going to go somewhere else (prbly NE), get his eyes fixed (on Belicheats orders), and turn out to be a REEALLY good QB. But I was happy to see him walk all the same..
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:44 am
He got his eyes fixed during the off-season. I hope Jameis turns his career around but only if he leaves our division. If he stays with the Saints I how he never figures it out.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:45 am
* hope he never figures it out.
February 2nd, 2021 at 1:53 am
“Joe doubts if Christensen got his wish, if the Bucs would be where there are right now”
Agreed, but Tom Brady is one of a kind and any of the other FA QB options the Bucs couldve rolled with (Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, etc.) wouldve not made it to this far as well.
Brady in 1 season alone has completely changed the culture of Bucs football. There are only a handful of QBs in NFL history who would be able to do that.
So before any Jameis bashers get here to take their victory laps…..The Bucs would not have been anywhere close to this position with any other QB not named Brady.
February 2nd, 2021 at 2:03 am
tbbucs3, spot on. Spot on.
February 2nd, 2021 at 3:36 am
Reigning NFL passing leader with 5109, 1st in Ypg, 1st in total offense, 2nd in TDs
check yo sheets!
February 2nd, 2021 at 5:55 am
And 30+ INT’s; stop this revisionist history Clean House
The entire city of Tampa rejoices. All the seafood at Publix is safe and nice again.
February 2nd, 2021 at 6:28 am
Unmentioned were the 30 picks, 7 pick-6’s, 7 or so lost fumbles. I hope he has success somewhere. Jim Plunkett was pretty much a journeyman until he showed up with the Raiders, it can happen
February 2nd, 2021 at 6:56 am
If Winston was our QB this year we would not have made the playoffs.
Remember how many interceptions, fumbles and pick sixes?
Winston does not have it between the ears.
He couldn’t even be trusted to call an audible at the line of scrimmage…
LOL!!!!
Good riddance.
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:00 am
Don’t look so sad
I know it’s over
But life goes on
And this old world
Will keep on turning
Let’s just be glad
Tom Brady is now a Buc
And the Bucs are now in the SB
Enjoy your W’s in your gumbo
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:28 am
Clean house
Hey man. You came out of hiding. Good to see you
I think its funny that you are so scared to post cause bucs so successful under brady. You only come out from under rock when things are bad for bucs or their is uplifting jameis story
the bucs were last in division for how many years before brady came along?
Can you give us another 48-3 chiefs prediction cause it worked so well for the saints game.
And I thought you changed poster name to just “clean his jock”
😂
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:28 am
There
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:52 am
Clean House, you forgot best NFL QB to ride the pine making 1/30th what he thought he was worth. Check that sheet!
February 2nd, 2021 at 7:57 am
Clean house’s Google alert must have gone off at 3am to wake up and remind us yet again that stats are for losers.
A lot of us probably have that ex girlfriend or one that got away who “if we just had more time” or “if I had done that one thing differently” it all would have worked out. But that’s life.
You can spend your days crying, reminiscing what could have been, or move on and do something with your life… like upgrade to someone with a Super Bowl pedigree and go win the dang thing. Your choice!
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:30 am
And Winston’s ‘sheets’ still are making him feel all warm and fuzzy at night.
February 2nd, 2021 at 8:42 am
If we had stayed with JW, I have no doubt that his “numbers” would have improved. We might have even made it to the play-offs. The odds of being in the Super Bowl, however, were very very low.
If he was with us I would have been rooting for him. But he isn’t wearing pewter and red anymore so… why do I care?
In many ways, TB12 is the reason we are where we are. HE’s the QB of my team now.
How’s about we just let dead dogs lie, eh?
February 2nd, 2021 at 9:47 am
JW is and will always be a bust….
GO BUCS