MVN: Most Valuable Network

Only a couple of hours after firing Jon Gruden, the Bucs organization has underminded him by hiring his former defensive backs coach, Raheem Morris, as his replacement. This is a move that puzzles me. Morris is a great coach, but he's never even been a defensive coordinator, which is the job he briefly inherited from Monte Kiffin. Either he blew them away in interviews, or they grabbed the first guy available. I'm glad that they're staying within the organization, but I can't help but feel that this is a slap in the face for Gruden. Mark Dominik will inherit the GM position, and the Bucs will need to find a defensive coordinator, unless Morris wants double duty. With Gruden gone, they will need an offensive coordinator. This is just still too much for me. Its been a long freaking day. There will be more to come tomorrow.

On a side note, Shaun King needs to shut the f%^$ up. He said that it was about time that Gruden got fired. Shut up Shaun. You suck. You have no room to talk. You're a failure. Deal with it. The same goes for Michael Clayton. You're a failure too. Deal with it you little whiny bastard.

What an offseason this is going to be.

When I heard the news, my heart just dropped. Everyone was so shocked, and it was such breaking news that ESPN even devoted time to it, something they never do for the Bucs. Head Coach Jon Gruden and General Manager Bruce Allen have been fired. As of this moment, that son of a bitch Joel Glazer has yet to speak. I just can't comprehend this. What the fuck where the Buccaneers thinking? Jon Gruden went 60-57 in 7 seasons with the Bucs (including playoffs), and is the winningest head coach in Tampa history. He led them to their only Super Bowl, and has won 3 division titles in 7 years. He is the only coach in NFC South history to have back-to-back winning seasons. Everyone is going to point to the collapse at the end of the season, but give him more credit than that. He has had enough success... Read more

In the final game of the season, the Buccaneers will face off against the team that they beat in Super Bowl XXXVII. Ironically, the game will take place at the site of this year's Super Bowl. We all know what needs to go down. The Cowboys need to lose, and the Bucs need to win in order to get into the playoffs. The Bucs will play the early game, while the Cowboys play the late game. The Bucs will have to watch and see if Philadelphia can pull out a victory. If Dallas wins, it's over. This week's game is a seemingly sure-fire win, but not everything is as it seems. Aside from winning, there is really nothing else that the Bucs can do. Right now, they hold their fate in their hands. After their game, it will be Philadelphia who will hold the Bucs fate in their hands. The... Read more

There still is a little hope left to hang onto. There is still a chance. But after yesterday's game, it's hard to think that there is a chance. A Buccaneers victory and a Cowboys loss next week will ensure the Bucs a playoff spot. But as bad as they've looked, it's going to be hard to fill that spot. Yes, it is kind of hard to be a Bucs fan right now. Their vaunted defense is looking terrible in Monte Kiffin's final weeks. They are on the verge of an epic collapse, New York Mets style. For the third straight week, they lost a game, and now their playoff chances hinge on what the Eagles can do to the Cowboys. Yes, it is tough to be a Bucs fan right now, but there is still a little light at the end of the tunnel. Let's look at what made this... Read more

I'm not going to keep reiterating how important this game is for the Bucs. It would seem as if they had an easy week this week, but the Chargers are no cake-walk. The Bucs need to win, and they need losses by Dallas and Atlanta or Philadelphia in order to find themselves in the playoffs. This game is important, no doubt. I'm not going to wear myself out with the reminder of the importance of this game. Instead, I'm going to say that I am very disappointed with the NFL in their decision to bump this game out of the Sunday Night spot this week. In their flex week, the league chose this game for Sunday Night Football, but then decided to drop this game from the slate, and instead put the Panthers/Giants game on. Yes, it is an important game as well, but they made the decision already, and... Read more

After every member of their team was snubbed by the Pro Bowl last year, a couple of Buccaneers finally got the respect they deserved. Veteran linebacker Derrick Brooks made his 11th Pro Bowl team, while rookie return man Clifton Smith made his first. Brooks was facing a lot of criticism this year, as many people thought that he had lost his touch. Proving them wrong, Brooks was elected as a reserve. Clifton Smith hasn't even been on the team all season. After only 8 weeks with the Bucs, Smith made his first Pro Bowl as the NFC's return specialist. Congratulations to the both of them, as they get to represent a team that is grossly undervalued.... Read more

One year later, "The Return" is still magical. On this day a year ago, Micheal Spurlock returned a kick for a touchdown, marking the first time in the Bucs 32-year history that the feat had been accomplished. Spurlock is no longer returning kicks for the Bucs, but is still a member of their practice squad. Since that day, another kick has been taken back for a touchdown, officially eliminating the embarrassment the Bucs once had to endure. He may no longer be playing on Sunday's, but Spurlock is still very much a member of this team. He will always remain a prominent figure in Buccaneers lore, as what he did will always be appreciated and respected. December 17th is the official date for Micheal Spurlock Day, but all Bucs fans can celebrate his accomplishment year round.... Read more

The Bucs have kind of had a thing for magic this season. They have come from behind to win games in overtime. They have come back from big deficit's. Unfortunately, there was no magic left over. The Bucs failed in overtime, and a chip shot field goal led them to their second straight loss. With the loss, their playoff chances started to fade a little faster. Atlanta and Dallas won, tying them with the Bucs at 9-5. If the season were to end today, the Bucs would be out of the playoffs. I recently said that no team should have to rely on another to get them into the playoffs. Ironically enough, the Bucs now have to rely on 4 teams in order to find a spot in the playoffs. This is one of the worst positions the Bucs could be in right now. They have to win their final... Read more

Last week's loss is still a tough one to shake. All week there have been questions about the durability of the Bucs defense. The season is winding down, and it is truly crunch time. Hopefully, the loss isn't still lingering in the minds of the Buccaneers, but only in mine. After last week's shameful debacle, we all know that the Bucs are out for redemption. That's all well and good, but does it have to come in a week when they are facing one of the best rushers in the NFL? That redemption is going to be hard to come by this week. But hopefully they've done enough to just keep Michael Turner in check. If not, then they will have to rely on two other teams to get them into the playoffs. The Falcons are a vastly different team than they were in Week 2. They've matured into one... Read more

Honestly, I can't come up with any solution as to what happened last night. What I saw was one of the single-most embarrassing performances ever by a Buccaneers defense. Here they had been so good for so long, and in one game, everything can change. I've waited for my anger to subside before I started writing, because otherwise you would find a lot of angry words. I've found that blaming people isn't going to help the Bucs plight. Yes, I am pissed beyond belief, and the bastards at ESPN aren't helping me any. The season isn't over, but in what was their most important game of the season, the Bucs blew it. Enough with the excuses. A loss is a loss. The Bucs perch atop the division has been vacated for the time being. It's a good thing the season isn't over yet. Let's look at what made this game... Read more

If the season ended this week, the Bucs would be NFC South Champions and the #2 seed in the NFC for the duration of the playoffs. Too bad the season doesn't end this week. In fact, the most important game of the season takes place this week. There is no understating how vitally important this game is. If the Bucs win, then they have virtually locked up the division. If the Panthers win, then it will be an interesting scenario. The Bucs have a lot to prove this week. Even though the Bucs beat the Panthers 27-3 in their last meeting, the Panthers are still the team favored to win. Plus, the game will be on Monday Night Football, so the country will be watching. The Panthers have had some easy opponents to deal with this year, but they are no slouch. Jake Delhomme has made a resurgence this year,... Read more