Media Frustration At One Buc Palace
February 29th, 2024
Bucs officials often say they don’t pay attention to outside noise. But team officials also say they are tuned into media and sometimes they’ll passionately comment on national perspective of the team.
It’s confusing, but Todd Bowles cleared the air a bit this week.
Bowles, speaking on the Ira Kaufman Podcast, noted how brutal preseason predictions for Tampa Bay last season got a little under his skin.
“My whole thing was, you know, a lot of people didn’t even come down and see what we had. They just said, ‘Tom’s gone. They suck.’ If you came down to training camp and you actually saw what you saw, you figure we have a chance,” Bowles said. ” … But if you make a decision without even looking at it, you know I don’t agree with that. If you come down and say, ‘Ehhh,’ I can respect that decision. But that’s just part of it. It motivates you. It motivates you the players. It motivates the coaches to get going. So, I understand everybody has a job to do. I just wish some people would do it — instead of just hear it and then say it.”
Interesting stuff.
This year, however, the Bucs are sure to be picked to have a winning record by most in the national media. They won’t be an underdog. The Bucs will have to find new motivation.
February 29th, 2024 at 9:40 am
I picked them to be 10-7 before last season and it wasn’t a heart play, I thought they really did have legitimate pieces to win. I believed Mayfield was not to blame for his poor performance with the s****est teams ever, which was the biggest factor.
February 29th, 2024 at 9:50 am
Bowles and Licht both pointed out how the national media undervalued the Bucs. Baker in particular was undervalued and he put the chip on his shoulder. Nobody knew how Canales would be as an OC either. Bowles didn’t have a good record as HC.
The Bucs need to use the national media for bulletin board material. Our local media need to sell LVD and Evans as HOF players. The Bucs are still in a weak division and if we want recognition, we need to stomp all over the division and beat some of the other division leaders. Hell, the playoff win over the Eagles was portrayed as an Eagle loss and not a Bucs win!
February 29th, 2024 at 10:02 am
I think most national people didn’t realize how bad the NFC south was. Worst division in football by far. Don’t forget, we lose the final game of the season, we would of had the 7th pick in the draft. We get a fumble in the endzone and a td called back to beat the worst team in football.
February 29th, 2024 at 10:10 am
They sucked with Tom there the last year. The suck is toilet bowl…..it aint NOT having tom.
February 29th, 2024 at 10:12 am
If they look at the games with todd they see horrible clock management, timeouts, bad schemes, not adjusting at the 1/2…..
they see a horrible coach…not the talent. but yeah, its everyone else lol
February 29th, 2024 at 10:32 am
The press has become nothing but an echo chamber. Those people are the laziest and most unreliable people on earth, even to the point of just being liars.
February 29th, 2024 at 10:39 am
The frustration is not only with the media, is with the Bucs fan base too.
They were skeptical at the beginning in the middle and on the end of the season, some of them are skeptical even today.
Remember the Polls that were here @ JBF?
Remember what everybody said about Coach Bowles (even today).
Remember what they were saying when ME13 dropped some passes?
February 29th, 2024 at 11:48 am
He’s right. Outside of any Tampa media it seemed no one even spent more than 5 seconds researching the team or roster. Tom Brady was the whole roster to them lol.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
zzbuc,
I think it is fair for fans to be skeptical. We’ve gotten our hopes up many times, and it only led to disappointment.
We’ve seen QBs do well one year, then be horrible the next year.
I see Mayfield being heralded, and maybe he deserves it. But I think he is getting way too much credit for an up and down season (mostly down).
Don’t take me wrong…I want Mayfield to re-sign now (at a team friendly number), but I’m not 100% sold on him until I see him play better than last year.
By better, I mean show improvement…show that he can become really good if we show patience. I want him to show me that he can eventually win a ring, and until then, that he can win more than 9 games…and not have a losing streak in the middle.
The rest of the team? Too early to tell until the draft and free agency, but if Mayfield does turn out to be on the upswing, Jason Licht has a chance to build a true contender.
But…I do thing we can save money with Russel Wilson and get better results…if he truly does sign for league minimum. Problem is, it would be short term and his age is a factor.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:11 pm
Boss Says
“They sucked with Tom there the last year. The suck is toilet bowl…..it aint NOT having tom.”
The thing to keep in mind is the injuries. The offensive line was decimated with them. Even if Tom had been in his right mind, it would have made little difference.
And I do thing Tom could have played another year on a good team.
February 29th, 2024 at 12:12 pm
We did better than I predicted. I said we would win 6..maybe 7 games. We won 9 and a playoff game. And had we had a Pass Rush? we would have definitely won 11 or 12.
February 29th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Bowles just had his best year this season its all downhill from now own. We have good players I hope the big three return. Coaches are fleeing the ship in rapid succession. You can’t have good chemistry with a revolving door coaching staff.
February 29th, 2024 at 3:18 pm
Good for Todd. Well stated. Of course, a lot of media don’t give the Bucs a chance because he’s the head coach.
February 29th, 2024 at 4:05 pm
And our Bucs proved the sports media wrong. Go Bucs!
February 29th, 2024 at 6:54 pm
I wish you Todd bashers would just shut up He is NOt a bad coach.We have a good thing going here and that doesnt happen often with this franchise. So chill you ungreatful dupes
February 29th, 2024 at 8:07 pm
I said they were a 10+ win team. They won 10. They underachieved in my eyes. Canales offense wasn’t good the first half of the season. He did little of what he spoke about. His personnel groupings weren’t diverse, he threw few screens, had few calls/audibles to easy throws for Mayfield, didn’t run enough play action, not enough movement to determine coverages, few plays to thr perimeter… it was very basic and what few points we scored were a result of talent. The last half he started to come around but we dropped some games because Canales was over his head.
February 29th, 2024 at 10:44 pm
Donald G :
What was Todd’s Win-Loss record with the Jets?
What is his Win-Loss record with the Bucs?
(Hint – more losses than wins for both teams, defines a loser)
February 29th, 2024 at 10:49 pm
Brandon – agree on your observations about Canales, but remember he was doing what the head coach wanted him to do. Run up gut and be stubborn about it.
March 3rd, 2024 at 5:59 am
That is perhaps the most important statement to the players and fans that Todd Bowles has made since he has been in Tampa!
Maybe if an NFL head coach like Todd Bowles calls out these so called journalists Peter King and his buddies will straighten their act up! Thats right Peter King came down here at least and then wrote his BS. He is the only one who publicly fessed up to being wrong too.
Deep Sigh… Unfortunately responsible and honorable journalism is dead.
Go Bucs!