TJ Rives Tells Todd Bowles Haters, “Go Away!”
December 2nd, 2025
You won’t ever catch Joe telling a Bucs fan how to be a fan.
If your goal is Tampa Bay winning a Super Bowl, then Joe is not here to judge how you think it’s best to get there.
There are so many different opinions and approaches. It’s a trait of fandom for every professional team. And clashing fan opinions should be celebrated.
In a quest for a Super Bowl ring, the Buccaneers fired a respected head coach, a future Hall of Fame coach, in his prime. The Bucs also fired a Super Bowl-winning head coach after he went 9-7 in back-to-back seasons, the latter of which featured his legendary defensive coordinator announcing he was bolting the team.
Given that history, it’s absolutely logical that some Bucs fans think firing Todd Bowles would be a positive step toward winning a championship.
Joe’s not agreeing with that minority faction of fans today. But essentially, those fans have been conditioned to think that way after Team Glazer fired Tony Dungy (2002) and Jon Gruden (2009).
The Bucs won a Super Bowl immediately after firing Dungy and the Bucs were a 10-win team with a completely overhauled young roster two seasons after firing Gruden.
As Bucs fans who listen to sports radio or dive into the cesspool that is social media know, Bowles isn’t very popular among fans, despite his winning record with Tampa Bay. Those who read fan comments here or follow Joe’s weekly Todd Bowles confidence poll know that as well.
Joe believes the common core among these fans is a belief that Bowles doesn’t have the chops to lead a team to a championship. So that leads some to froth and demand the Bucs move on ASAP so they can try to find a Super Bowl-caliber coach.
Agree or disagree, these passionate fans’ opinions come with the territory and they’re hardly on the level of Sasquatch sightings.
However, longtime Buccaneers employee TJ Rives has a different take.
For decades, Rives has been part of the Buccaneers Radio Network broadcasts as a sideline guy and a host. He’s also hosts an in-season podcast on the team website.
On Sunday, Rives joined Peter Blake of The Sports Web on the field of The Licht House for a postgame chat after the Bucs beat the Cardinals.
It was there that Rives told the Bowles haters to get out of town.
“If you are a Bucs fan and you are rooting for your team to lose, if you are rooting to get the coach fired while you’re 7-5 with everything in front of you with all of these home games, go away. Go away!” Rives urged. “I will hold the door. Leave. The rest of us want to enjoy meaningful football in December and the chance to be in the playoffs. If you want to talk about next year now, go away. There’s opportunity here to be in the playoffs and do damage.”
Joe wonders what would have happened if Rives had barked this from the patio or the bar one mile north of the stadium at Hooters on Hillsborough Avenue. Joe suspects Rives would have gotten some loud blowback and perhaps a few delicious Buffalo shrimp tossed at his head.
Fans are fans. It’s ok to love the coach. It’s ok like him. It’s ok to hate the coach and want him run out of town, or to be lukewarm on the guy.
Nobody needs to “go away.”
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:44 pm
True that.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:45 pm
yea yea yea. join ronde with the tell me how to think club and GFY.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:48 pm
I agree ..Go Away with Bowles Derangement Syndrome…If you lived thru 0-26 and 11 straight 10 loss seasons from 1983-1994 ..Than I will give you a a pass .. But at 56years old I will always take getting in the playoffs and having a chance over I am more deranged about the coach getting fired ..Loose mentality for those usually under 40 yrs old.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:49 pm
Man, you guys HATE Bucs employees. How many times did you mention Jackie last year? Now the new clock/strat guy and now TJ Rives? Sheesh, you guys get spurned for a Bucs job and have an axe to grind? Why make things up? What axe? Newsflash, Joe covers the Bucs, aka Bucs employees. Yes, Joe will write and talk about those in the public eye. Jackie Davidson did a national TV interview last year. Joe has talked about the clock/game-management position, not the person. Rives WANTED everyone to hear this. Don’t blame Joe for sharing. And no, Joe has never applied for a job with the Buccaneers?–Joe
Thanks for the heads up about TJ. Who cares? Everyone has an opinion. I don’t care for Bowles the (sorta)DC. But as a HC…I don’t know I can argue yet. We will see where we end up at the end of the season I guess.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:51 pm
There is a big difference between Gruden’s roster, Arians’ roster & even Dungy’s roster compared to Bowles. Just losing Gronk, Brady & the crazy Antonio Brown, not to mention a ton of star defensive power. The Bucs @ 7-5 are about where this team should be. Very few superstars on this team! They are a grind it out bunch that can win or lose most weeks.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:51 pm
Fans(fanatics) are who they are cheer and boo at what truth they see but all bucs fans are bucs fans just the same and are welcome settle down guy.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:52 pm
1. This must be Pom Pom Joe.
2. I don’t hate Bowles at all. He’s demonstrated to care about his players, his affection for Tom Moore was super classy. He’s known s a player relations guru. It would be awesome to crack a few beers with him. I genuinely like what I know of Todd Bowles, the human.
3. TJ is a Bucs employee. What does anyone expect him to say, “Fire Todd?”
4. I don’t see anyone cheering for the Bucs to lose. Expecting them to lose? Yes, of course. How could you not expect them to lose, especially after the Rams embarrassment in which nobody showed up for their 3rd loss in a row, and then the Vomitous showing against the Cadinals.
5. The man is one game over .500 in his tenure with the Bucs and the alleged defensive mastermind consistently fields one of the worst pass defenses ever. He is 1-3 in the playoffs, including an embarrassing no show against the reeling Cowboys at home in Tom Brady’s last game and an embarrassing loss to a rookie QB where Todd didn’t force. One. Punt. That’s zero punts forced for the math challenged.
6. If the Bucs win out and compete for the NFC Championship, Todd will deserve flowers and the extension he got handed.
7. Missing the playoffs, or sliding in through the back door and getting Rams-beaten one and done……well Glazers fired Gruden a year after giving him an extension so no one should blame the owners if that’s what happens.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:53 pm
No one is telling anyone how to think but the obsession of being able to go I am right about Bowles is over winning games is for losers
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:55 pm
I see no Blame for Licht ..Do you think Bowels has studs at DE or at LB ? He has to do exotic stuff to get pressure..
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:55 pm
I do enjoy having a chance to make the playoffs year in and year out though. Compared to the early years where we were out of it literally in October.
December 2nd, 2025 at 3:59 pm
💯 People that think teams should tank for picks or to fire their head coach are losers.
You guys really think this team would hire an A1 coach? Get real you don’t know what you’re talking about. We fire Bowles, get ready for a 5 year rebuild and losing seasons
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:01 pm
People forget how bad the lost decade was… I have ptsd thinking about it. Is Bowles perfect no do I agree with his Defense no would I take him over Raheem, Schiano, Koetter yes !!! Would I take him over dungy perhaps. Dungy had 4 HOF players and possibly 5 and couldn’t get over the hump ijs
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:11 pm
You can tell who the idiots are that only became Bucs fans when Brady got here, they think if you don’t win a SB every year, you fire everyone and start over, then keep doing that every single season. Very low IQ individuals, not Bucs fans, just loser bandwagon riders.
With that said, Bowles makes tons of stupid mistakes and bad moves in games. He certainly seems in over his head as head coach, which is a shame since I think he excels when he’s solely a DC and only has that to concern himself with.
At the same time, anyone who isn’t a moron could look at the schedule the day it came out and know the Bucs would be 7-5 right now. The same idiots complaining the loudest now, are the same morons who were celebrating winning the week 6 ESPN Power Poll as if it meant anything, and chanting MVP in week 6. As I said, very low IQ individuals with zero football knowledge, in fact they’re the same dopes who were yelling for Dean to be cut in the preseason, because, as always, they have no idea what they’re watching.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:12 pm
TJ doesn’t know s*** about football have you ever listened to him?
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Agree, Licht needs to be questioned!!! I’m still on board!!! flying down for the Atlanta game!!! Go Bucs!!
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:17 pm
On a different note, did you see Tomlin repeating a line I’ve said for years…
After being asked about fans booing the Steelers he said they should be booing, that football is the entertainment business, and the fans are not entertained right now. Amazing how when I’ve pointed out this is the entertainment business, literally for years, I’d get blowback from people who act like this is life and death, and beyond mere sport. It’s not.
BTW, that’s also where Bowles fails – he’s a dullard in front of the camera, which is a shame since everything I read about him says he’s nothing like that behind the scenes. If he showed a little personality, he’d get over better with the public. Many fans out there, mostly men who act like women, demand their coach to be emotional and jump up and down and yell and scream because that’s all they can relate to since they, themselves, can not control their emotions.
In any case, if you win, people are entertained – well most people are.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:18 pm
DEFINITION OF INSANITY:
Do the same thing and expect different results.
Supporting Bowles has become somewhat insane. Every year: Fast start, failed midseason, huge loss in primetime, scramble to the finish, lose early in the playoffs.
Bowles has done okay but he’s gone as far as he can go. It’s time.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:19 pm
TBBF has watched every game beginning with the Rams preseason game in 1976……
TBBF has never ever rooted for the Bucs to lose…..for any reason…..not tanking for a draft pick, not to get rid of a coach.
You can root the way you want to but rooting to lose isn’t in my DNA.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Bowles will be fired after the Bucs miss the playoffs this season.
Take Rives with him….
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Clean house…TJ too!!!!!
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:34 pm
Defensive HC’s don’t win Superbowls in the modern NFL.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:35 pm
This is a site for opinions. That is all it is–opinions. Opinions are not facts; at best they are beliefs. There are many things that affect beliefs. Many fans were crushed when the Buccaneers gave up on Winston. Many were horrified when Baker was signed. The majority of fans on this site want the Buccaneers to win–indeed some want and expect the Buccaneers to win every game. Joe, at least one of the Joes believed the Buccaneers were a 12 win team. This was based largely on the roster and the belief that the offensive line was top 5 and the receiving core was top 5 or 6 too. Neither proved to be the case. The injuries mounted but a fast start and early wins against Seattle and Texas extended the optimism. But those wins were last minute “miracles” produced by a red hot Quarterback playing over his head. Both of those could have been losses. But games against New England (the hottest team in the NFL) and Philadelphia (the luckiest team in the league) could have been wins. So it goes. The vast, vast majority of NFL games are decided in the last 10 minutes of the game. Could we have won all of these games with better coaching? That’s a fantasy. What new coach do you have in mind? The Bears and New England and Jacksonville all will be in the playoffs this year. But does anyone believe any of these teams will be in the Super Bowl. Look at the odds. Las Vegas doesn’t believe it. The Bear and New England have played cupcake schedules and their stats rank them below the Buccaneers. Four weeks ago Houston’s coach was on the hotseat; now he is a contender for Coach of the Year. This is the NFL. This is the age of AI and affordability. People are angry. They can’t afford rent, groceries, or electricity. So they take it out on free public access sites like these. So be it. Let’s not take it all so seriously. Is Bowles a decent coach or good coach? It depends. He certainly looked good in the playoffs against Green Bay and KC and and New Orleans. Has he lost to teams he was supposed to beat. Yes, last year he should have beaten Atlanta. This year? Maybe he should have beaten New England even with all the injuries. But that is about it. You decide. But don’t take the “group think” on this site so seriously. Most of the criticism I’m reading here is a personalty thing. That’s hilarious. I grew up in Pittsburgh during the years Chuck Noll was coach. He lost 15 of his first 16 games as coach. Now he’s in the Hall of Fame. Noll never smiled; never changed his expression. The Dallas Cowboys coach, Tom Landry, was the same way.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:40 pm
TJ drinks the KoolAid because he knows who butters his bread . I never took him seriously in the past and do not now. I have been a Bucs fan since the beginning and always want the Bucs to win. Think everyone on this site feels the same way. However, Bowles does not learn from his mistakes and will never get the team to the SB. It’s debatable who is responsible for the state of the defense. But the blame probably lies with both Bowles and Licht.
If this team goes one and done again, Bowles needs to go and possibly Licht.
December 2nd, 2025 at 4:43 pm
I dont have a problem with criticizing the Bucs or
Bowels but the personal attacks and calling him names are BS. and none of you arm chair GMs and
Head Coaches would have the BALLS to say it to their faces…