
Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in town. He has hung his hat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters since July 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, Ira busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also see Ira every football Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on FOX-13, Scott Smith’s Tailgate Sunday.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Jon Gruden’s homecoming affair is a joyous occasion, a chance for the Tampa Bay community to express its appreciation for a Super Bowl-winning head coach as he enters the Ring of Honor.
It’s also a sad reminder of where this franchise has dwelled since that fateful evening of Jan. 16, 2009.
It was a Friday night and I was at a local dining establishment with my wife when the phone rang. Just as I was polishing off my second margarita, the office called with the news that Gruden and GM Bruce Allen had been fired. (more…)