"Mike Sherman? Why, bay-BEE?"

This is what it has come to for the Bucs. It isn’t just that Team Glazer and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik are being scoffed at by local talking heads over the known interviewees to replace jettisoned Bucs coach Raheem Morris. It is now national scorn.

First it was Deadspin, then it was PTI mocking if not laughing at who the Bucs are looking at for their new head coach. Well now, Dick Vitale has piled on.

The ESPN college basketball icon and Tampa Bay area resident took to Twitter to lambaste the talk of Mike Sherman being one of the leading candidates as the next Bucs coach.

@DickieV: BUCS may hire Mike Sherman. y is he on their radar? They say offensive genius.25-25 @Tex A&M fired by Green Bay that doesn’t = GENIUS!

Later, Vitale used Twitter to please with almost-Bucs coach Steve Mariucci to leave the NFL Network desk to run the Bucs.

@DickieV: @SteveMariucci Comeback to coaching – my BUCS NEED U! U can always get back into tv.

Joe will have more on “Mooch” tomorrow. He recently was in St. Petersburg and was kind enough to talk to Joe about the Bucs.

The list of coaching candidates currently on the Bucs’ radar has left Bucs fans cold if not bewildered. From Mike Sherman to Wade Phillips, many a Bucs fan is hoping these are just wild rumors.

But no, they are not. It sure appears the Bucs are looking for a guy, an older guy, who has head coaching experience, perhaps ignoring what type of success said coach had.

So here’s the good news/bad news of the momment, courtesy of Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune via Twitter.

Marty Schottenheimer says he’s slated to interview for Bucs HC job on Tuesday. He follows Brad Childress, who is in today.

What does Joe consider good news? Marty Chokenheimer. Given the list Joe has seen of Bucs coaching candidates, he is without question the best choice.

The bad news? Chilly.

"Tavaris Jackson can vouch for me. I can develop Josh Freeman."

Many Bucs fans are rolling their eyes at the list of candidates rumored to be interviewed by Team Glazer and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to replace jettisoned coach Raheem Morris.

It seems the common denominator is head coaching experience and being one step from retirement.

Now some have speculated that the Bucs interviewing former Minnesota coach Brad Childress — BRAD CHILDRESS! — may not actually have been for a head coaching gig, but as a coordinator.

Now, Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network has added fuel to that fire claiming the Bucs have a package deal in mind, so he Twittered today, stopping just short of writing Mike Sherman is the Bucs’ top target.

@JasonLaCanfora: Bucs interviewing on road, not at team headquarters. In the end package of Sherman, w/ Childress and Mike Nolan as coordinators, may be it.

Sherman makes Joe yawn. Joe just cannot believe Sherman is the best head coaching candidate out there. What other teams have interviewed Sherman if he is so valuable? Case closed.

As far as Childress, please explain a quarterback he developed? Sure, he was with Andy Reid when Donovan McNabb was the Eagles quarterback but Joe is convinced that was all Reid.

Yeah, Childress really developed Tavaris Jackson, didn’t he?

Joe is OK with Nolan. Solid coach, solid defensive guy.

Joe never thought he would write the following: Please, Marty Chokenheimer, please come to Tampa Bay.

Joe read the venom on this very site. Heard the rage in fans’ voices on sports radio.

Joe cannot remember the last time he ever heard a fanbase so outraged at the team, and in particular soon-to-be jettisoned coach Raheem Morris.

How PO’ed were fans at the Bucs after the team turned into a glorified practice squad, getting pistol-whipped each and every week as the season grew to a close? Baseball fans like to say World Series and hometown hero David Freese will never have to buy a drink or a cheeseburger in that river city again. In the Tampa Bay area, Joe’s guessing Morris would be hard-pressed to find someone who would pick up his tab for a cocktail.

Well, after reading popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King of Sports Illustrated this morning in his must-read Monday Morning Quarterback, King seemed like one of the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of jilted Bucs fans as King lashed out at the Bucs, and in particular Morris.

I think, and I’m sorry for continuing to dump on the Bucs, but how on earth did a team with that much recent defensive drafting and a defensive head coach and a solid core allow 31 points a game? I don’t recall such a blatant and incredible collapse on defense. Seven times the Bucs allowed 35 or more points in a game — and that’s with four picks in the top two rounds of the last two drafts being used on the front seven. Seven! Twenty-two sacks, with some of the best and the brightest pass-rushers to come out of the draft in recent years! Utterly, absolutely, stunningly pathetic. What was that coaching staff doing? Where was the defensive discipline?

Peter, many Bucs fans were asking the same. It was one of the worst chapters in franchise history, documented by the franchise-record number of points allowed.

Also in the link above, King mentions how the Bucs “like” Mike Sherman, and not in a Facebook sort of way.

Quoth King, “I think Mike Sherman would be a perfect fit — today, for what the Bucs are and need right now.”

Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud says money is an issue in the Bucs' head coaching search. Stroud also is no fan the Bucs' current list of candidates.

Looking for a guy thoroughly disgusted by the Bucs’ head coaching search? Joe’s got one for you, beat writer Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Stroud said the Bucs’ current candidate list of older retread types is one that would have no interest to other teams around the NFL.

“It just slays me how organizations overreact, overadjust and go to the polar opposite of what they had,” said Stroud, speaking today on The Dan Sileo Show on WDAE-AM 620. “You had a young coach, never been a head coach, yungry guy, relates to players, you know, and when you don’t win that means you’re not disciplined. Now you’re going to go to the oldest head coach you can find, a guy that’s been there multiple times, you know, elder statesman. …

“And it just seems like a bridge to, I don’t know, to somebody else some day, you know, to get the train kind of back on the tracks. They want someone to come in here, be organized, be able to put together a staff, make it look like the NFL again.”

Stroud went on to say the Bucs have seemingly “pigeon-holed” themselves looking at only longtime veteran coaches.

“Where are the young coordinators?” Stroud asked rhetorically. “Todd Haley, same thing, too close to what [the Bucs] just had.”

Stroud also questioned Team Glazer’s willingness to spend money, just a week after Team Glazer said they’ll spend “whatever it takes.”

“Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. What kind of salaries are [the hot candidates leaguewide] going to ask for?” Stroud asked, implying that the older veteran coaches will take less money to get another shot at head coaching.

Stroud also said Jeff Fisher wasn’t interested in the Bucs job, in part, because the Bucs wouldn’t spend freely.

Joe’s hardly feeling so negative at this point. It’s still early in the coaching search. Loads of names could emerge this week.

For many Cheesehead-related matters, Joe will seek insight from longtime Packers analyst Bob Fox, also a frequent Tampa Bay sports radio caller who uses the stage name Green Bay Bob. Joe recently asked Fox for some thoughts on former Packers coach Mike Sherman, who appears to be the early favorite to replace Raheem Morris. Fox was kind enough to pen a take for JoeBucsFan.com readers.

By BOB FOX

Jason La Canfora of NFL Network seems to think Mike Sherman is the frontrunner to become the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, he thinks a decision could happen soon.

So why Sherman?

Sherman most recently spent four years at Texas A&M as head coach before he was fired weeks ago after posting a 25-25 record. But I would like to concentrate on his tenure in Green Bay.

In 1999, the Packers and Ron Wolf hired Ray Rhodes as head coach after Mike Holmgren left for Seattle. But Rhodes was fired shortly after the 1999 season, as the Packers fell to an 8-8 record following four consecutive season winning 11 or more games. The biggest reason for Rhodes being fired was the way he allowed the “inmates to run the asylum,” as the saying goes. Players were late for meetings.  There was little or no team discipline. Wolf saw enough and pulled the plug on Rhodes after only one season.

Sherman was next in line.

Sherman had been the tight ends/assistant offensive line coach under Holmgren in Green Bay in 1997-98, plus was offensive coordinator under Holmgren in Seattle in 1999. One of the biggest reasons that Wolf hired Sherman was to restore discipline to the Packers. In many ways Sherman did just that, including notoriously installing digital clocks in meeting rooms to make sure players knew what the time exactly was.

In 2000, the Packers were 5-7 and looking at their first losing season since 1991, but Sherman lit enough of a fire underneath the team to see the team finish 9-7. Bucs fans might remember the last game of the 2000 season. The Bucs and Packers were tied at 14-14, when Martin Grammatica lined up to attempt a 40-yard field goal with just 14 seconds left in the game. Grammatica missed wide right and the Bucs lost 17-14 to the Packers in OT.

Before the 2001 season started (after the 2001 NFL draft), Ron Wolf decided to resign as GM. Packers President Bob Harlan decided to give the GM duties to Sherman, which he would later regret.

Sherman was a decent coach in his tenure in Green Bay, but his decisions as GM were largely awful. More on that later.

In 2001, Sherman and the Packers finished 12-4 and were a Wild Card team in the rough NFC North sandwiched between the playoff-bound Bucs and Bears. The Packers beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-15 at Lambeau Field in their first playoff game and then were shredded by the St. Louis Rams 45-17 a week later, as Favre threw six interceptions.

From 2002-2004 the Packers won three consecutive NFC North titles under Sherman.  However, the Packers did not fare well in the playoffs.

In 2002, the year the Bucs won it all, the Packers had a chance to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC. All the Packers had to do was win their last game of the season against the New York Jets in New Jersey. The Jets bombed the Packers 42-17 and the Packers ended up the No. 3 seed in the NFC, with the Philadelphia Eagles being the No. 1 seed and the Bucs at No. 2. Then the Packers lost their first playoff game ever in Green Bay as Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons beat the Packers 27-7 at Lambeau Field.

Questionable decisions

That was painful to Packer fans, but it got much worse in the postseason in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, the Packers won their first playoff game by beating Seahawks at Lambeau Field 33-27 in OT. If the Packers could beat the Eagles next in Philly, Sherman and the Pack would be playing in their first NFC Championship Game since 1997. The Packers should have beaten the Eagles. Green Bay lead 17-14 with less than two minutes to go in the game. The Packers had the ball and a 4th-and-inches at the Eagles 40 yard line and Philly had no timeouts.

The Packers had rushed for 210 yards that day, with Ahman Green getting 156 yards himself.  So…what does Sherman decide to do? Go for the throat and end the game right then and there behind an offensive line and running attack that had been gashing the Eagles?

No. Sherman punted, which led to the famous 4th-and-26 play when Donovan McNabb hit Freddie Mitchell. The Eagles won in overtime.Many have said, myself included, that was probably the day Sherman lost the team because of his decision-making.

In 2004, the Packers won the NFC North but lost once again at Lambeau Field in the playoffs. By then, President Bob Harlan had seen enough and he hired Ted Thompson to become GM of the team, while Sherman was kept on as coach only for the 2005 season, which would turn out to be his last in Green Bay.

Solid coach, poor GM

As GM of the Packers, Sherman made a lot of poor decisions. In the draft, he started out well enough in 2002, as he plucked WR Javon Walker, RB Najeh Davenport and DE Aaron Kampman in his first ever draft as GM.

That was his high water mark. In his 2003 and 2004 drafts, the only players of significance that played well with the Packers were LB Nick Barnett, DT Corey Williams and C Scott Wells. Otherwise, the drafts of those two years were absolutely horrible.

Sherman wasn’t much better in free agency, although he did sign former Buccaneer Hardy Nickerson to play MLB for the Packers in 2002. But even then, most folks knew that Hardy’s best days were behind him.

The biggest free agent bust in the history of the Packers had to be the signing of DE Joe Johnson, formally of the New Orleans Saints, also in 2002. Sherman signed Johnson a six-year, $33 million contract, but Johnson only played a total of 11 games in two injury-shortened seasons. At least Johnson contributed two sacks.

Favreitism

Then there is the way Sherman handled Brett Favre. For a disciplinarian, Sherman sure gave away the keys to the kingdom to the face of the franchise.

First, Favre was allowed to have his own shower/locker room away from the other players. Favre was also given his own office. Finally, Favre was allowed to park his vehicle underneath Lambeau Field, near the locker room, right next to Sherman’s vehicle. All the other players used the players lot in front of Lambeau Field. I’m sure this type of favoritism did not sit well in the locker room.

Anyway, in 2005, the Packers finished 4-12, had their first losing season since 1991 and Favre had his worst year ever in the NFL. Thompson fired Sherman and hired Mike McCarthy. Thompson also drafted a QB by the name of Aaron Rodgers in 2005. The rest, they say…is history.

Now I’m sure Sherman learned from his mistakes. If indeed Sherman is hired by the Bucs to be the next head coach, it wouldn’t be the worst decision that the Bucs would make. Sherman is well liked and has a good reputation among his peers.  Sherman was 57-39 as head coach of the Pack, but was also 2-4 in the postseason, including the first two postseason losses at Lambeau Field in team history.

Bottom line, there are a lot of qualified candidates that the Bucs should look at before they decide on their next head coach. It should NOT be a quick decision.

Sherman could indeed be the next coach of the Bucs. Signs seem to be pointing that way. However, don’t expect Warren Sapp to visit One Buc Place too often if that happens. However, Sapp might visit occasionally, but only if Sherman “gets a jersey on.”

Friday afternoon, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune made an appearance on “Primetime,” co-hosted by Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi heard on WHBO-AM 1040.

The majority of the conversation was about the Bucs’ coaching search and Joe, as you can expect, took notes.

“As with most coaching searches, it’s easier to find out who [Team Glazer is] not interested in than who they are interested in,” Kaufman said.

“The more [Team Glazer looked] at Jeff Fisher’s resume, the more holes and chinks you can see in it. They are not interested. They don’t seem interested in Brian Billick for whatever reason. They don’t seem interested in Mike Mularkey. They have yet to contact Mike Zimmer.

“It doesn’t mean [Mike] Sherman will get this job, he is no lock to get it but there are compelling reasons to get him. You can argue you want Mike Sherman as an offensive coordinator [more] than head coach. Joe Philbin is getting a look at from some teams. Tom Clements has done a nice job.

“You can’t go with the unproven route after what has happened with Raheem Morris. But I do find Clements intriguing.

“There are mitigating factors in Buffalo for Mularkey. He resigned. He has some high integrity but I do not feel there is much interest from a Bucs standpoint.

“This will take at least another week. Whoever is brought back for a second interview is probably the guy. They are not taking the weekend off.

“Look, after [Dungy] was fired and they got Gruden, it took 35 days.

“It’s very ominous about the candidates. My feeling is, based on their past, they go the opposite of what they just had. You look, they went from Dungy to Gruden and from Gruden to Raheem and based on this failed experiment with Raheem, you figure they will go with the old school disciplinarian with head coaching experience.

“Rich Bisaccia, I’ve heard people bring up his name but I don’t put much stock into that.

“There are guys we haven’t mentioned which we don’t know about could be looked at. Can they come back with a guy with a wow factor?

“If it takes $2 million dollars you go out and get Steve Spagnuolo [as defensive coordinator]. He can work with young defensive lines. I want that man running my defense. I don’t care if he is rumored to be joining Andy Reid, you go get him!”

Team Glazer’s promised no-stone-unturned search for a head coach will take a wild turn this week when Brad Childress, Wade Phillips and Marty Chokenheimer are expected to get hard looks and/or interviews, per various media reports.

So much for “yungry.”

Veteran Tampa Tribune scribe Woody Cummings even talked to Chokenheimer, who seems quite excited.

 “I think my agent called them, and (while) nothing has been finalized, I am interested in the job,” Schottenheimer, 69, said. “I think it’s an interesting situation there. I should know something (more) in the next 48 hours).

Joe’s not quite sure of what to make of this virtual dead head coaches society booking flights to Tampa. At least these guys will make Mike Sherman look like a fresh face. Maybe the Bucs will interview Newt Gingrich during his next campaign stop in Florida?

Obviously, these are all savvy football men who will know how to interview and come prepared to dazzle Team Glazer. Joe can only imagine how fired up Chokenheimer will be, maybe even giving one of his famous speeches or emotional pleas.

Joe’s really enjoying the post-Raheem madness.

What’s Bruce Coslet up to these days?

When Joe first learned that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was interviewing former Packers and Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman to fill the void of jettisoned Bucs coach Raheem Morris, Joe wondered, “What would Warren Sapp say?”

In case Bucs fans have a short memory, Sapp, the greatest defensive lineman to play for the Bucs since Lee Roy Selmon, and Sherman, then the Packers coach, nearly came to blows after a close Bucs win at home when Sherman approached Sapp and called him a cheap shot artist, among other unpleasantries.

Sapp, who had to be restrained by several people from tackling Sherman himself, yelled at Sherman to “put a jersey on” so Sapp could crush him like bug.

Now, that same coach seems to be just a step or two away from coaching Sapp’s beloved team and the quarterback killer was none too pleased as he took to Twitter earlier today.

@QBKilla: Mark Dominik Hiring Your Agents Client (Mike Sherman) Is Not Da Way To Win Football Games!! #WhereTheyDoThatAt … 25-25 At Texas A&M?? … How Can a General Manager That Leaves Work Everyday At 4pm! Hire a Head Coach?? #HireAFriend

Now Joe has no idea where Sapp is getting the “leaving at 4 p.m.” stuff from, but let’s say Dominik did do that. Does anyone really believe Dominik can’t get the same work done at home at night that he can in the office? What, Dominik doesn’t have broadband cable at home? Can’t use an iPad because his house doesn’t have a wireless router? Dominik doesn’t have a smartphone, can’t access his office voice mail? Please.

Later, when Sapp’s co-host of NFL Gameday Morning, Rich Eisen, relayed to Sapp Jason La Canfora’s report that the Bucs were hours away from interviewing Brad Childress, Sapp had this reaction.

Who could question NFL.com senior writer Jason La Canfora’s sources? The man works for the mother ship, for goodness sakes.

So Joe paid close attention this afternoon when La Canfora wrote that former Packers head coach Mike Sherman impressed during his interview with Team Glazer and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik last week and could be named to lead the Bucs in a matter of hours.

League sources continue to indicate that Mike Sherman is well-positioned to be named the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a decision that could be announced this week.

Sherman interviewed for the position last week , and it went well, according to sources.

Sherman went 57-39 in six seasons in Green Bay from 2000 to 2005 and led the Packers to three NFC North titles. He was fired after posting a 4-12 season in 2005.

Of course, BSPN is reporting the Bucs still have other candidates, like Marty Chokenheimer, to consider. But perhaps Sherman already has wowed his way into the job.

The Bucs have not stopped in their quest to replace jettisoned coach Raheem Morris. So far, the Bucs have interviewed Mike Sherman, Jerry Gray and apparently have turned their sights to the notorious Marty Chokenheimer, per Chris Mortensen via BSPN’s Twitter account.

@mortreport: Marty Schottenheimer is on Bucs’ radar but not at top; he is hungry to coach. Note that Marv Levy went to his 4th Super Bowl at age 68.

Now Joe has admiration for Chokenheimer, who is coming off a UFL championship this past season. Chokenheimer is a no-nonsense coach who won’t put up with a lot of nonsense that Morris tolerated if not enabled.

And Joe can assure you that if LeGarrette Blount is on the roster, Chokenheimer will use him, pound him, game after game. The misuse of Blount by the Bucs coaching staff last year was borderline criminal.

That stated, Chokenheimer has richly earned his nickname. No coach in recent NFL history has so often dominated regular season play with punishing defenses and a pounding running game better than Chokenheimer whether at Cleveland or Kansas City or San Diego.

But each and every time that team guided by Chokenheimer gagged in the playoffs. An absolute Heimlich maneuver.

Chokenheimer would be a great tease, probably better than Chucky. But don’t bank on any Super Bowls much less NFC title games with Chokenheimer as coach.

Regular seasons would be fun though.

Per Mort, the Bucs also will interview Brad Childress (Joe’s praying with  his rosary as he types that interview fails) and are also looking at Mike Zimmer and the pure definition of “retread” coach, Wade Phillips.

Joe’s very much a fat-friendly guy. So Joe has a sensitive ear when it comes to potential fat-guy bias in the media.

In a look at the potential 2012 Bucs roster today, beat writer Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times offered brief takes on each member of the Bucs roster and offers an opinion on whether each will return under a new head coach.

For Donald Penn, Holder says Penn returns next season but claims Penn is still battling fat challenges. Remember, those concerns from rockstar general manager Mark Dominik prior to Penn scoring a massive contract prior to the 2010 season. But this is the first Joe’s heard of anyone hinting that Penn is having new or ongoing girth issues.

Donald Penn: Weight issues; didn’t finish 2011 strong.

Joe knows Penn had a subpar final quarter of the 2011 season, and Penn admitted as such on his radio show, but overall Penn is a damn good left tackle and had a solid season. And Joe’s surely not seeing how Penn’s weight got in his way in 2011, or is an issue moving forward.

The man has started 76 consecutive games.

Holder says Penn has “weight issues,”  and perhaps he’s busted weight limits set by the Bucs, but Joe hasn’t heard of any such offense and there’s no evidence Penn’s beef is holding him back.

You’ve all read THE PESSIMIST, who spews his Bucs-related anger like no other. But Joe also brings you THE OPTIMIST. 

THE OPTIMIST is Nick Houllis, a Bucs fan and an accomplished writer whose steadfast allegiance to the Buccaneers goes back to the 1970s. Houllis is the founder, creator and guru of BucStop.com, a place Joe goes to get lost in time via Houllis’ stunning video collection.

THE OPTIMIST will shine that positive light in your eyes. Some will love it. Some won’t. … Of course, THE OPTIMIST’s opinions are his alone and are not influenced by Joe.

Lay off Josh Freeman.

Watching the season-ending debacle last Sunday, I paid some attention to Twitter feeds during the game and was amazed by Tweets about Josh Freeman once the game got out of hand.

Freeman should have been benched like Blount was for turning the ball over, some Tweets said. Never mind James Lee did an OLEY block letting John Abraham come in untouched while Freeman was looking left, or that Kellen Winslow screwed up and ran the wrong route; right into Bucs’ RB impersonator Kregg Lumpkin, the result of which was a Pick-6.

People actually wasted their time complaining about Freeman. Did anyone watch Sean Jones or Geno Hayes? Quincy Black took on horrible angle one specific play, amazing since he was only two feet away when he did it!

“Defense is on the field all the time because of Freeman,” another fan wrote. Really? Sunday, once again, the Bucs QB took the field for his second possession already down 14-0.

That wasn’t Josh Freeman’s fault, and it happened all year long. Only twice did the Bucs scored first last season: Week 1 vs Detroit (3-0) and week 13 at Jacksonville (14-0). That’s it, besides that, Freeman gets the ball for the first time usually down 7-0.

How many times? Eight times, half a season, the Bucs offense began their second possession already down a touchdown, four times down by two scores. Also four times, Josh Freeman touched the ball for the first time with a 7-0 deficit.

That doesn’t provide an excuse to turn the ball over, but it certainly doesn’t help.

But we have to be honest, even as a Josh Freeman fan, you have to admit he had a bad season. There were some bright moments, thought they were overshadowed by 22 interceptions. So what happened?

Quite a bit of those 22 picks were tipped balls by a wide receiving core full of No.2 WRs and no legit No. 1 guy. Josh Freeman himself admitted the Kool-Aid he drank from 2010 gave him too much confidence and he tried to squeeze the ball into places he had no business attempting.

We know every quarterback missed offseason OTAs, but one of the biggest reason’s Josh Freeman improved from 2009 to 2010 was because the massive amount of studying and preparation during the OTAs paid off during the year. Freeman greatly missed last summer.

There is a reason the entire coaching staff was let go, some of these assistant coaches were straight ‘basuda’ for our Spanish speaking Joes!  Where was QB Coach Van Pelt during this season? Olsen? Coaching him to not throw of this foot, Squeeze passes in, whatever?

Anyway you look at it, Freeman was not a good QB this year, not at all. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be. My goodness, think about all of the holes on this team, and some people want to use the top pick in the draft for Robert Griffin III? You want to do 2009 all over again? Over one bad year?

You don’t throw away a franchise QB over one bad season, especially when its been shown to happen before. Both Peyton Manning AND Big Ben from Pittsburgh had bad third seasons, tossing up plenty of interceptions. Freeman is only 18 months older than Andrew Luck, and five more months than that over Robert Griffin III. Look how long the 49ers stuck with Alex Smith and they are the No.2 seed.

And for those that criticized Morris for not pulling Freeman like Blount, you don’t pull your QB over interceptions. QB is NOT running back. You can find a running back on a street corner (Blount), a franchise QB? Not so much.

Bottom line: with so many needs on this team, you don’t even think about pulling the plug on Freeman, and if you can find me ANYONE who writes or works for a reputable network who agrees with you, you’ll be the first one to find that person — because the concept is plain silly and ignorant.

Get some linebackers, running backs, corners, etc., and coach up the guy who has nine fourth-quarter comebacks on his resume.

NO!

One of the coaches the Bucs are rumored to be interested in is former Buffalo head coach and current Dixie Chicks offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey.

A former get-back coach for Sam Wyche here in Tampa Bay, Mularkey has worked with quarterbacks and has had solid results wherever he’s been. So naturally Joe is high on Mularkey coming to take over the Bucs… until now.

If Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is to be believed,  the Bucs are indeed interested in Mularkey through his league sources. But, Mularkey has a stipulation, so Biggs reports. That if Mularkey is to be a head coach, that former Bucs offensive coordinator (keyword: offensive) Clod Christensen is a package deal as Clod will be Mularkey’s offensive coordinator.

Colts offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen, if let go, could be a strong candidate for the position based on his previous experience with Smith for the Buccaneers. But an NFL source said if Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey lands a head coaching job (the Jaguars and Bucs are interested in him) Christensen will go with him. The source said Mularkey will be the leading candidate in Jacksonville.

Provided this information is accurate, if Joe were either Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik or Team Glazer, during a prospective interview with Mularkey, if he demanded Clod as the leader of the Bucs’ offense, Joe would stand up, shake Mularkey’s hand, say “Thank you for your time,” and walk straight out of the room.

Hat tip @JennaLaineBucs

One of the classic debates among sports fans surrounds when truly great players should retire.

Should stars try to go out on top? And does that mean on top of their game and/or with a championship team?

Should they try to not “embarrass” themselves by competing long past their prime?

Frankly, Joe loves watching the competitiveness of superstars as they keep working in their craft, regardless of their success or age. If a guy wants to be dragged off his field of play or forced out of his game, then so be it. Joe doesn’t expect a game warrior to somehow want to sit back on his couch smoking cigars and drinking cognac. Though, sadly, Muhammad Ali took hanging on way too far.

Joe was living north of San Francisco when legendary Joe Montana, then 37 and coming off a major injury, was traded from the 49ers to the Chiefs in 1993. Joe’s never seen such an outcry of fans and media. Legions were screaming from rooftops that Montana should have retired to preserve his legendary legacy and not wear a foreign uniform.

It was amazing. All the soft-spoken Montana wanted to do was play football — no Brett Favre lunacy — and many Niners fans skewered him for that. … Montana went on to lead the Chiefs to the AFC Championship game in the ’93 season.

This brings Joe to Ronde Barber, who had surgery this week for a broken arm, so The Roanoke Times (Va.) reported yesterday. Click through the link for brother Tiki Barber’s comments on Ronde’s future.

Who knows what Ronde Barber will do next? And would the Bucs want to give him a blank check to return?

The only thing Joe’s sure of is that Joe will not be the guy who says Barber, if he decides to keep playing somewhere, should have hung it up and held on too long.

Don’t tell former Ravens head coach and current FOX NFL analyst Brian Billick he’s some sort of power-hungry potential head coach that would come to the Bucs demanding power and control. Billick says that’s way off the mark.

Check out this very interesting Billick interview on The Dan Sileo Show on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. Among lots of juicy head-coaching talk, Billick says he believes the Bucs need to “address some things along the offensive line,” and says “the Bucs need a Darren Sproles type.”

Click on through the image to get even more information about the dazzling greyhound racing, 24/7 poker room and the best darn buffet in the Tampa Bay area at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg.

"I don't get it, Mr. Glazer. I wasn't the guy who drafted Gaines Adams or Dexter Jackson."

Joe finds it amusing in a scary way that since Raheem Morris was jettisoned by Team Glazer suddenly Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik has somehow become evil incarnate to Bucs fans.

Bucs fans, it seems, will either have to deal with Dominik or find something else to hate, so NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas wrote in an ESPN chat yesterday.

Charles (San Francisco)
Hey Pat, Happy New Year. Pat are you surprised Mark Dominik survived? And though the coaches took the fall, how much did the players immaturity and lack of veteran leadership resulted in the inability to stop the bleeding?

Pat Yasinskas
Not surprised at all. Remember, Bucs gave Dominik a four-year contract extension last offseason. All they did with Raheem was pick up his two-year option. That right there tells me that, even after 10-6, they were sold on Dominik, but still weren’t sure about Raheem.

The fact Team Glazer reupped Dominik for four years tells Joe he is doing what Team Glazer wants him to do.

Sorry, but Joe just doesn’t get the vile that is all of a sudden built up for Dominik. But it seems Bucs fans just have to hate someone. First it was Barrett Ruud (who was unjustly crucified in this town) and once he was gone it turned to Morris (justly) and now that Morris is out of town the hate is now targeted for Dominik.

Joe’s good friend and Buccaneers Radio Network pregame and postgame host Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski takes to the airwaves of WDAE-AM 620 this morning from 9 a.m. to noon.

As one can imagine, the state of the Bucs and their head-coach searc will be the topic du jour. Look for The Commish to field a barrage of calls from outraged Bucs fans that can’t believe Mark Dominik is employed.

Those chained to a computer can listen to a live stream via the station’s website.

Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times stopped in for a visit with Tampa Bay sports media czar J.P. Peterson yesterday on WQYK-AM 1010 and talked about the Bucs’ job search to fill the void left by jettisoned coach Raheem Morris.

Naturally Joe took notes.

The Bucs want to “interview someone that can work with Mark Dominik. But they are all on one-day contracts,” Stroud said.

“Not having Barrett Ruud and Cadillac Williams had an impact and was a calamity down the stretch. Coaches sort of expected it but they bought into it and” then came 2010.

“Keith Milliard never had a chance to work with his players in an offseason, but that’s the job they chose.

“You have to start with ownership. I’m a big believer in good organizations win championships. They do what it takes to win, they invest financially and they pick good people.

“One of the reasons Jon Gruden is not here is because they wouldn’t invest in free agency and get guys in their prime and spend money and they were not willing to do that.

“2010 was miraculous, I mean pretty incredible. But those decisions [on lack of veterans] came back to bite them. The coaches, believe me, they are on the field and in the classroom with these guys, they tried to impart upon management with wouldn’t fly this year and guess what?

“The Glazers do pay attention to the rest of the league. They take their time. Because Jeff Fisher is popular, doesn’t mean a thing to them. They have been around as long as Jeff Fisher. They will march to the beat of their own drum.

“There are a lot of good football coaches out there. I think it will be very risky for them to hire a first-time head coach after what happened with Raheem and that is unfortunate. Maybe the best coach is Rob Chuzinski, but a first-time head coach, is that the best move? That’s a different job than you have ever had before and you will learn on the job and make mistakes.

“Guys are going to wake up and not be on the team, they won’t realize it.

“I think they will get a guy who has head coaching experience. Jeff Fisher worked for an owner, Bud Adams, who is one step from Bill Bidwill or Hugh Culverhouse. What is Fisher looking for? Commitment. I don’t know if that is what he sees.

“Mike Mularkey is really intriguing. He’s not a young guy any more. He’s good with young quarterbacks. He knows the Falcons, he knows the Saints. He’s an intriging guy.

“Chip Kelly? It’s a big risk coming from college football. How will he do? Will his offense work with Josh Freeman? When you have LeGarrette Blount who gets a quarterback killed, when you have Mike Williams who can’t stretch the field, when you have Kellen Winslow who can’t run any more, let’s see how you do.

“I don’t think they want a guy who wants to run personnel. They will have to get along with Mark. I would be surprised if they hire a first-time head coach and that may be the best way to go, that guy might be a superstar.”

Perhaps every Bucs fan agrees that the Bucs had ineffective locker room leadership this season, from iconic former players, to staunch Raheem Morris supporters in the media like Shaun King and Steve Duemig, to the everyday fan that had to watch a lifeless team have the same problems repeatedly.

All could see the Bucs lacked discipline and inspiration.

It’s not like the Bucs had no veterans or captains. Team captains were Ronde Barber, Quincy Black, Jeff Faine, Adam Hayward and Josh Freeman, and of course the Bucs had other veterans. But Joe has to put a giant spotlight on the captains.

Ultimately, these guys failed. Outside of Barber and Freeman, Joe knows the Bucs need new blood at the top of the leadership food chain. So the Bucs are almost forced to look outside the organization for a couple of standouts that can excel on the field and lead, especially on defense.

Specifically, Joe’s grown tired of Faine in a leadership role. Joe had major issues when Faine scoffed at attending team bonding/practice sessions during the lockout. And Joe sees Faine as a guy whose on-field play and extensive off-field interests no longer make him an ideal captain.

Plus, look at Faine’s paycheck for 2012, roughly $5 million non-guaranteed; that’s cold hard cash the Bucs could use to sign an impact name that still has his best years ahead of him. As it relates to money, you could make the same argument against Ronde Barber, though Joe would never advocate showing the Bucs icon the door.

Quincy Black? Unlike Faine, the Bucs still owe Black guaranteed money. The thought of Black returning as a leader of the Bucs makes Joe shakes violently. Perhaps the man best known for his big “Redskin Package” sack against lowly Carolina in 2010 will be very happy in a true secondary role in 2012.

In the third report in as many days, this time even strongly worded, the Bucs will not interview Jeff Fisher to fill the vacancy of jettisoned Bucs head coach Raheem Morris.

Per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the teams courting Fisher have been whittled down to two: Miami and St. Louis.

All indications are that it’s a two-horse race between St. Louis and Miami for Fisher’s services. He apparently will not interview in Tampa Bay, as had been speculated.\

But the rest of the NFL has taken notice of Kroenke’s serious pursuit of Fisher. With Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden seemingly intent on sitting out this hiring season, and no real hot coordinators on the market, Fisher is the belle of the ball in this year’s NFL coaching carousel.

In conversations with a variety of sources around the league, one recurring theme has been that Kroenke must be serious about winning in St. Louis if he’s going after Fisher. This will be Kroenke’s first coaching hire as Rams controlling owner, and for better or worse, it will help define his ownership style to his competitors in the NFL.

On Monday after, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune reported the suits at One Buc Palace were indifferent to Fisher. The next day, good guy Maoist Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Bucs and Chiefs were the only two teams with head coach openings that didn’t seem interested in Fisher.

Thomas’ report seems to close the door on Fisher and the Bucs.

Apparently looking to shore up their defense, or scare the hell out of their fans, the Vikings are welcoming the worst defensive coordinator in the 2011 NFL for a visit.

BSPN is reporting that Raheem Morris will meet with Vikings’ brass for a powerful position.

Morris will meet with Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and newly named general manager Rick Spielman to discuss a possible job as defensive coordinator or assistant head coach/defense.

Raheem probably has a strong shot at this gig. The Vikings were 11th in the NFL against the run, so they won’t need Raheem to craft new methods to stuff the run, something he never figured out in Tampa. Joe can only imagine how Raheem might answer for his run defense in an interview.

The Vikings were 26th against the pass, even with Jared Allen and a strong pass rush, so Raheem might just be their man.