|
|
-
I've seen this scenerio too many times in my career. Teams, companies not willing to keep talent worth keeping. Making the neceassry moves to ensure it happens. What I'm seeing over at One Bucdom is concerning to say the least.
Example #1- Monte leaving. No fault of the Bucs. He wanted to coach his last years with son, Lane. Blood is thicker than water. I wish Monte and Lane luck - they'll need it.
Example #2- New Bucs Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris interviewing for Denver's Head Coach. This is why they named Raheem D-Coordinator before the end of the season. In bettering the hopes they could keep him around. It may not work.
Example #3- This may be the most critical departure of all. Pro Souting Director Mark Dominik on KC's radar screen as GM. He is, without question, and has been for at least two years, the best kept secret in football. Dominik's abilities to find pro talent is among the best in the business. Why would you want to let him get away.
Imagine Example #2 and #3 happening. Lights out a major blow to the organization. I do hope the Glazers are keeping an eye on the ball here.
Let's dream and play fantasy owner here for a moment, given the present landscape that Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen will be around at least one more season. What would I do? For one, I would elevate Dominik to EXEC VP, Player Personnel. He would be my needed insurance for GM. Does Dominik understand the 'cap" stuff Allen does? Don't really care. I'll get someone who does if need be. I want my GM to know talent, and able to exercise his expertise. It's called accountability.
As for Raheem- I would make him Asst. Head Coach-D-Coordinator. He is a future Head Coach in-waiting.
Third:- I would go get a true offensive coordinator. This won't sit well with Jon Gruden. But as a 'fantasy" owner, 9-7 doesn't sit well with me. Never will.
All I'm saying here is this to the Glazers. If you feel as strongly about Morris and Dominik as I would in your place, make it happen. As an owner, I would be willing to put my instincts on the line. Are you willing to do the same? Dream over.
Tom Korun
|
-
Manager Joe Maddon gets it. So does the Rays front office. What am I talking about? Being a winner.
Recently, Joe and I talked about the state of the team after the Matt Joyce trade. I brought up the Yankees spending spree that defied logic. You know what Maddon told me. He said, " I'm not concerned with what the Yankees are doing, I'm focused in on what we need to do." That is a winner's statement. A statement carried with confidence in making right decisions, while sending a message to the Yankees, and the rest of the AL EAST - WE ARE DEFENDING DIVISION CHAMPIONS.
It's like any other business, when your on top, others react to catch up, and usually out- think themselves. That's what NY is trying to do, and so will the rest of the AL EAST. The Rays sent shock waves through their division, leaving NY, BOS and even TOR scrambling to keep pace.
While the Yankees added mega millions to their payroll recently, the Rays added a power hitter by the name of Pat Burrell to the tuned of 16M over two years. The Rays hope Burrell is the added DH "power" they're looking for in the lineup. Hopefully that will happen, but you can be rest assured they are getting one of the class guys in baseball. A clubhouse plus. A vet who exhibits leadership. This 16M spent on Burrell is a chunk of change for this franchise to swallow. But the taste of this move is far sweeter than the bitter pill NY and BOS had to swallow in '08. I ask NY and BOS - You sure you've done enough to get back on top?
Tom Korun
|
-
Oklahoma Practice Quotes – 1/4/09
Bob Stoops, Head Coach
On today’s practice …
It was great. A good practice. We had full pads, and going at each other for parts of our
team periods and it was good.
On Austin Box’s injury and whether he’ll start or not …
It’s loosening up for him and he’s moving around pretty well, really. He’s going to play,
but we’ll see.
On Oklahoma’s 4-Game BCS losing streak …
You know, you got a chance to win the National Championship, that’s what I’m focused
on. No, that stuff doesn’t, you know we’ve won our share of games.
On Mike Balogun improvement from the end of the season …
He’s doing really well. It’s just natural the more snaps you get the better you are, and
Mike’s doing that. He’s quite a bit further along than he was in the [Big 12]
championship game
On the team’s players from Oklahoma having more pride …
Hopefully our guys from everywhere else have as much pride as they do, and I think
they do. I don’t notice it any different than all our guys. They’re all here at Oklahoma,
we’re all on the same team, so I don’t see how you can, it’s like me, I don’t love them
anymore than I do another. You can only love them so much.
On Florida’s running game…
I think anytime anybody’s a heavy run team that it all begins inside and then there’s a
discipline to it too because all the complications they give you with pulling people and
the different schemes that they run.
On wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson…
They’re great players, Manny and Juaquin, and consistent players, you know starting for
four straight years and you know, they make a lot of explosive plays, they got great
hands, really good route runners, all of it. They’ve been really solid and consistent for
four years now.
On Oklahoma’s big players …
As much as anything, our downfield blocking with these guys this year has been really
solid and good, more so maybe than other years here.
On Florida QB Tim Tebow …
We know he’s a great player. We got great respect for him. You know, they’re not a lot
of Heisman Trophy winners running around anywhere, so it speaks for itself. He’s an
exceptional guy.
|
-
Records can be deceiving. Such was the case for this year's Indianapolis Colts. Even the so called experts were enamored with Indy's 8-game winning streak at the end of the season. Conclusion: Quarterback Peyton Manning was back, injury free and ready to roll.
Upon further review, take a good, close look at who the Colts beat during that winning streak. Two class teams: Pittsburgh and Tennessee. However, the Tennessee game was a toss away when nobody played in that final game of the season. Sandwiched in-between those wins were W's over Houston, San Diego, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Jacksonville. Combined win-loss of all eight - 54-73-1. Whoops!
Let's review San Diego's final eight games of the season where they went 5-3. Four wins in a row to finish the season. Combined record of those teams played - 61-67. Not exactly an eye opener, but the quality of competition was better. Five of their eight games were against teams over .500. Indy's - two.
To break it down even further, the final four games of the season, where momentum is usually built, Indy's wins came against CIN, DET, JACK, AND TN. San Diego's wins came against OAK, KC, TB and DEN. We can argue which was a tougher schedule there. I say SD's.
Indy's fortunes were based on the newly crowned NFL MVP, according to AP - Peyton Manning. Perhaps you may now see my point why Manning would not have been my choice for MVP, as stated two days ago on ABC Action News. I would have selected Chad Pennington. Put those two QB's side-by-side, and you're ready to Baker Act me. But take another good look before you leap. Miami went 8-1 in their last nine games, five of those wins came on the road. Their only loss was to NE, which should have been in the playoffs, and arguably could have won it all again. But Pennington was the difference, and in my opinion, the free-agent signing of the year. Stability in a position Miami has not had since Marino.
As for Manning, he will be back to continue his Hall-of-Fame career. Chad Pennington will be back to continue his less fashionable career. But, in this given season, the less recognized QB won out.
Two more thoughts - My pick for the best NFL defense : SD punter Mike Scifres. I've seen the Ray Guy's and Reggie Roby's, but this guy is better. Just ask Indy. For those of you that watched the SD/TB game, you know what I'm talking about.
Finally, will Tony Dungy retire? His decision will come within a week.
Tom Korun
|
-
OKLAHOMA PLAYERS QUOTES
OT Jon Cooper
On his expectations for the BCS Championship game.
We’ll be disappointed if we do anything less than the best.
On the ability to run the ball without Murray
We’ve got quite a few running backs and we’re lucky to have depth like that. Chris
Brown has been great all year. He’s our leading rusher. Mossis Madu has come in and
done a great job. I think they’ve proven to themselves that they can do a great job.
On being called “the greatest offense of all time”
We don’t think about it too much. We hear it on ESPN like everybody else but that’s not
our goal. Our goal is to win a football game and score one more point than the other
team.
QB Sam Bradford
On choosing to play at Oklahoma
I grew up an OU fan and if I ever had the opportunity to go to OU that’s something I
wanted.
On Oklahoma’s anticipation of Bradford coming to the program:
I didn’t get as much attention as some of the other guys but once they saw me and
what I could do I got my shot.
On Coach Leach recruiting him:
That got some other’s people’s attention too.
On adding the no huddle this year to the offense:
It’s been a really big factor for us and allows us to do so many more things than we did
last year. It’s a really quick tempo which puts the defense on its heels. Early in games
and this season you see us getting in plays where the defense is still looking to the
sideline for signals.
On his favorite Kevin Wilson story:
I just enjoy when he gets out there and starts blocking it’s pretty cool. He gets fired up.
On getting advice from Jason White (Past Oklahoma QB) :
I talked to him in New York and he told me as soon as I get home ‘forget about New
York and forget about the Heisman; it’s over.’
On Heisman winners struggling in the National Championship game:
I wasn’t there in the other situations. As soon as I got back to Norman, within an hour, I
was at the stadium and taking part in practice.
On where the Heisman is right now:
It’s at my parent’s house. To be honest I don’t know where they have it.
On getting defenses off-balanced:
That’s hard to say but we got people off guard more in the beginning of the season
when people weren’t expecting it. I would still say there’s multiple times a game we do
it.
On communicating with professors:
I’ve never brought that up in class. I’ve never say ‘hey I’m a football player.’ Most of my
professors realize I do take academics seriously. This semester all my professors were
really cool about it and never said anything during class.
Oklahoma LT Phil Loadholt
On Florida’s defensive line:
They’ve good a defensive line up there. The front four is definitely the strength of that
defense, and they have a lot of speed.
On whether Florida resembles any past opponents:
They resemble a couple teams we have played this year. Missouri had a decent
defensive line. Texas. Texas Tech. I think they resemble a lot of teams.
On Florida DE Carlos Dunlap:
I think he has a pretty good combination of speed and power. They have a good
combination of guys and I’ll get looks at a couple other guys.
On whether he has a favorite player he looks up to:
Definitely. I like Tre Thomas from the Eagles. I like the way he moves. We’re about the
same size. I think he’s a very good player in what he does, in getting people off the line.
RB Chris Brown
On handling the offseason after the loss in the bowl game:
It’s hard coming off a big-time loss like that. You have to deal with a loss like that up
until the next year and get to another BCS bowl game. Just looking at the quotes and
stuff like that, the score and stuff like that, it was hard on us. But I think that it makes a
difference because it has helped us want it a little bit more this year.
On the anticipation for the big game and redeeming last year’s bowl loss:
You want to redeem yourself. You hear people in the media saying 0-4 in BCS games
and as a team guys just want to come out and fix that. A big way to do it is in the
National Championship.
FLORIDA PLAYERS QUOTES and Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong
S Ahmad Black
On Oklahoma’s offense:
They’re explosive and well coached. I like their offense and how they run it. It’s quick
tempo.
On whether Oklahoma’s fast-paced offense put will put pressure on Florida’s defense:
We just have to line up with them. Just lining up with their fast-paced offense is the main
issue.
Does that mean you can intercept them more?
(Laughs) They line up quick and fast and we just have to make sure we see what they
are doing and be ready for it. We’ve been working on it.
On making contact with Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford:
Every time I see him his jersey is clean so I must be missing something. I haven’t seen him
be hit once. We just have to get pressure on him and I’m sure the defensive line will get
pressure on him. If we get good coverage on the back end we can get god coverage
up front.
S Major Wright
On handling distractions while playing in his hometown (South Florida – Attended St.
Thomas Aquinas High)
As soon as the game was over against Alabama, I got calls from people saying ‘Can
you get me this? Can you get me that?’ I only get six tickets so I was only thinking about
that.
On whether he thinks about things other than football during the weeks of preparation
for the BCS game:
I just think about the opportunities that I’ve had to take advantage of this opportunity.
I’ve made some great decisions in life like playing at St. Thomas Aquinas. I feel like that
was one of the best decisions of my life and all those decisions have led me to where I
am today, playing at Florida for the National Championship. I think about those things a
lot.
On preparing for Oklahoma’s offense:
We haven’t played a team as fast paced as them. They get on the ball and are ready
to go really fast. Our scout team is getting on the ball and ready to go. We just have to
get on the ball and be ready to go.
On Big 12 defenses:
Oklahoma’s a great team you can’t take that away from them. They’re in the National
Championship. They’ve played some pretty good defenses. Texas played them pretty
good. TCU played them good. They’ve played some pretty good defenses.
On focusing on the game while being close to home, family and friends:
It’s kind of tough but that’s what life demands of you. It’s part of life. Coming into town
and focusing on football. Focusing on my goal.
LB Brandon Spikes
On getting motivated by seeing Sam Bradford with clean white pants (not getting hit by
opposing defenses)
We’re going to have pressure him. We can’t let him get into rhythm. That offense can
get explosive. The offensive line is very athletic. Our main goal is to stop the run, and we
want to stop their passing attack. Their offensive line really doesn’t let too many people
hit him. But we’ve got a dynamic pass rush and I’m pretty sure we’ll get to him.
On the absence of DeMarco Murray:
He’s a dynamic athlete who can make guys miss. As far as the second tailback (Chris
Brown) I think he does a great job also. He gets down there, makes guys miss and hits
the gap. Hitting the holes. He can also pass block well.
On when defense started playing at a high level this season:
After the Arkansas game guys just felt like they were letting each other down. We
weren’t being accountable.
On his role in improving the defense:
I started having little meetings without the coaching staff. Have guys come in and do
extra things. That’s what it was going to take. Doing the smaller things. Football is your
life and you can sacrifice things. We would get together and have something like a
pizza party. We just wanted to get the chemistry of the defense going. After that we
started molding together as a defense.
On taking a leadership role in the defense:
I didn’t really prepare like I should have before the Arkansas game as a starting
linebacker. We won the game, but as far as taking things for granted, we stopped that.
On the heart-to-heart talk with Urban Meyer during the offseason:
He just made me feel like it was all on me. Our conversation kind of touched me. It
didn’t give me pressure because I wanted it all on me. It was time to start being a vocal
leader and time to start talking to the younger guys. I’m looking forward to coming out
and seeing this defense play. The conversation kind of shocked me because I wasn’t
expecting him to come up to me at that time. On the field and off the field, I approach
the game with passion, energy and intensity. Coach felt like I was the core of the
defense and guys just feed off of me.
Charlie Strong – Defensive Coordinator
On pressuring Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford:
He does have a lot of time back there and that’s one of the things we’re really looking
at and working on. He hardly ever gets hit. They haven’t given up many sacks. It’s going
to be critical for us. ‘Can we get pressure on him?’ ‘Can we rush the quarterback and
get pressure?’
On QB Sam Bradford:
He’s very accurate. He gets on the corner. He gets on the edge. He has enough
people where he can avoid the rush and get outside. Just the way he manages and
controls the offense. He’s such a competitor.
On whether Florida is in trouble is Bradford is getting to his third or fourth receivers:
If he’s getting to his third or fourth receivers we are in big trouble. He’s done that very
well this year.
On giving up points to Oklahoma:
Our guys understand they can score points. You look at the last five games and they’ve
been scoring 60 points. Our defense knows what they’re going up against. We may
give up some points, were going to give up points. But what we’re going to have to do
is not give up 60 points. We’re going to have to go play.
On the speed of Florida’s defensive line and the comparison to the defensive line of
2006:
If you look at two years ago the speed was a lot different because you had a firstrounder
in Jarvis Moss, a first-rounder in Derrick Harvey, a third-rounder in Ray McDonald
and Joe Cohen who was a third or fourth rounder. If you look at this team this year,
Jermaine Cunningham is still developing and coming on. Terron Sanders is still
developing and coming on. Then you have Lawrence Marsh and Justin Trattou. I think
you can’t compare the defensive fronts from 2006 to now. We’re still going to have to
get pressure with those guys and go play. We’re going to have to roll guys which we
have done the whole year and try to keep the pressure and keep their legs fresh so we
can get pressure on the quarterback.
|
-
University of Oklahoma Practice Quotes – 01/03/09 Bob Stoops, Head Coach
On Bill Parcels attending practice…
It was great. He’s just evaluating our players I’m sure, but it was great to have him here. I’ve always been a big fan of the way he coaches and the way he handles you media guys too. I think it’s always important when you get a legendary figure and a guy that’s a hall of fame coach. I just like to have our players see and hear from those kind of guys and always he has a great message for them. On QB Sam Bradford’s cast… He’s gonna be in a splint, and the splint has been reduced each day. He’s been taking snaps at home ever since, really the last two, three practices. It’s not an issue.
On the situation/rumor that the Denver Broncos are interested in Coach Stoops …
What situation? That’s a rumor that I have not heard and no one has contacted me about that so I don’t know anything about it. We’re preparing for a national championship and that’s all my focus and all my concentration’s on so obviously I’m not a candidate. I’m sure some one might have told me other than you guys if I was a candidate if I was.
On whether Stoops is worried the rumor will be a distraction for the team
No. I don’t know why. There’s no story. I’m not a candidate. This is the first I’ve heard about it. Once it’s addressed with my guys it’s not an issue. My guys know that there’s a lot of stuff that’s said about me that isn’t true. There used to that.
On whether he has talked to the team about the Broncos rumor …
No. I didn’t know I had to. I guess I have to start dealing with rumors then. It won’t take long. On his interest in coaching in the NFL at some time … At some point in my life or career that may be the case. Everyone wants you to tell them what what you’re going to do ten years from now. Who knows? I don’t know, nor do you.
On whether his agent was contacted concerning the Denver Broncos head coaching position
… No, not that I know of, so no. That’s not something that I am concerned with what so ever.
On whether team is ready for the game …
Not yet, but that’s what this week’s for. We’re working towards it. Sometimes you don’t want to get ready too soon. I feel like our pace has been pretty good.
|
-
Maybe that Mississippi win over Florida earlier this year wasn't a fluke. Anyone catch the Cotton Bowl. Anyone see the Rebels roll over #8 Texas Tech 47-34. Mississippi Head Coach Houston Nutt has done quite a job in his first year. He took a team that was 3-8 last season, winless in the SEC, a program that hadn't sniffed a bowl game since 2003; and turned them into a 9-4 team with quality wins over the Gators and Red Raiders.
This game has also raised the hype bar for the BCS Championship game, if that's possible. SEC fans are saying, "see, the Big 12 doesn't play defense." Maybe they have a point. Maybe not. Make no mistake, Houston Nutt is the toast of Jackson, MS right now.
Come late next week, Mississippi should move up to at least top teen's on the final polls. Next year, no one will be looking past the Rebs. Well done.
Tom Korun
|
-
MEDICAL UPDATE FOR LIGHTNING DEFENSEMAN JAMIE HEWARD
TAMPA BAY – Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jamie Heward has been released from a Washington D.C. hospital and is traveling back to Tampa today. Heward suffered a concussion during the third period of last night’s game against the Washington Capitals.
Heward, 37, was taken to Sibley Memorial Hospital last night, accompanied by Lightning Assistant Athletic Trainer Mike Poirier. He underwent further testing, where it was determined that no damage to his cervical spine occurred. Heward was kept overnight as a precaution and will be sidelined indefinitely, though the prognosis for his personal health is good.
|
-
No sooner was Raheem Morris named successor to Monte Kiffin as Bucs Defensive Coordinator, he get s a call from Denver. This meeting reportedly on Monday is about being their head coach.
Is Raheem Morris ready to be the head guy? We'll, let me break it down. He knows the game. He's a motivator. He's disciplined. He's a leader. He's a very good communicator with the players and media. What he doesn't have is the head coaching title at any level of football. Many think, including me that Raheem will likely not get this job. It won't be because he isn't worthy. The competition out there for this Denver job is fierce. My guess is Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen will come away extremely impressed with Morris.
It just goes to show the steady depth the Bucs have when it comes to defensive coaches.
Would be nice if there was a Bucs offensive coach that received this type of attention, just once.. It says volumes, doesn't it? By the way, are Glazers in town?
Tom Korun
|
-
Jared Cook:
On whether you felt prepared for the game
“Like coach Spurrier said everybody was ready, I think, but just came out with turnovers and got down by 21 points.”
“To play like this the last game of the year is very disappointing. I thought we had a better shot to come out and do bigger things. We have a lot more potential.
On his decision making regarding the draft
“I’ve just got to go home, talk it over with the family, sit down and see where I am.”
Stephen Garcia:
On first interception throw
“I just threw it too early. I threw it before Wes could break on it and the safety was sitting right there.”
“The way the season ended was not the way it was supposed to go. We have to get better. Losing a bowl game in general is frustrating, especially here in my hometown, it adds on.”
On Iowa overall
“We knew what they were doing, we couldn’t make any plays.”
On first interception
“I threw it too early, right to the guy.”
About being pulled in second half
“I was a little surprised.”
Spurrier’s reaction to game
“He was pretty frustrated. That’s as far as I’ll go with that.”
South Carolina QB Chris Smelley:
“Coach (Spurrier) said at halftime I would go in and finish the game. Obviously the game was disappointing. We had been practicing a month. They gave us the look we thought. We just didn’t execute. I thought we played hard. I thought we had a lot of fight.”
“I thought Stephen deserved to start. He’ll bounce back.”
“We didn’t look prepared even though we were. Iowa came out and kicked our butts.”
CB Captain Munnerlyn:
On decision making process from here on
“I really don’t know. I’m going to sit down and talk to my mom and make the best decision to assist my family. I know it’s going to be a tough decision. I really love playing football for South Carolina.”
About being dominated by opponents in the last three games
“Right now I really don’t know. The guys, it seems like we gave up towards the end of the game and I’m the type of player I don’t like to give up no matter what until there are double zeros on the clock. Some of our guys gave up and it bothered me a little. I really don’t know where this program is going but I hope we can turn it around.”
“We have to turn it around. Last year we started 6-1 and didn’t finish. This is disappointing.”
On Iowa
“They weren’t any different than we expected. They were a great team. They ran the ball right at us.”
WR Kenny McKinley
On Iowa scoring on the first several possessions
“I was thinking here we go again like the last two games. It’s just like last year, we went down to the end of the season and couldn’t finish. To be a good team, you have to be able to finish at the end of the season, and we just didn’t do it. We pooped out.”
On finishing his collegiate career with a loss in the Outback Bowl
“I’ve had a good career here. The thing that hurt me was for the fans. They traveled down here and expected us to go out there and have a good game and we came out there and stunk it up like we did the last two weeks. That’s what hurts. It hurts me because we were playing the game for the fans. We just couldn’t do anything.”
On the future of the South Carolina program
“We’ve still got to improve and get better. We’ve got athletes here; that’s a good thing. Hopefully, these guys, man, I don’t know what it takes, but hopefully they get around that hump, get over that hump. To become a good team, you’ve got to get over the hump.”
On South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia
“Garcia, he’s still young. He’s got all the physical talents to be a good quarterback.”
Iowa TE Brandon Myers:
“We wanted to come out and show them what we were about. They thought we were slow guys from the Big Ten. We’ve been working hard since our last game. It showed today. Everyone did good.”
“Since last year when we had to sit at home, the seniors stepped up. When you have a guy like Shonn (Greene), people come and stack the box. He opens up all that for us.”
Iowa DT Mitch King:
“I knew we’d win last week. We knew is we prepared well, it we played well and mistake free, we had this game won. I can not wait to sit in my living room next year and watch them play. They’ll be a great team.”
(On Greene’s decision to turn pro): “It’s the right decision. I don’t think he could have a better season next year. He might have topped it (this year’s numbers), but why do you need to? He’ll be drafted high. He never told us (before the game), but in my opinion, it was a no brainer.”
Iowa OL Julian Vandervelde:
(On Coach Ferentz’s future at Iowa): “They should give him a contract and leave it blank. Let him coach (at Iowa) until he’s done coaching.”
|
-
After witnessing the Buccaneers lose to San Diego, I said watching the Buccaneers was like going to the dentist.
Scratch that.
After witnessing the Buccaneers lose to Oakland, I've decided watching the Buccaneers is like going to a proctologist.
Enough said.
Al Keck
|
-
HEAD COACH JON GRUDEN
(On the final game)
"I probably feel worse today than I did yesterday. Again, I'm very disappointed any time the season ends."
(On Carnell Williams saying his knee injury doesn't seem as severe as the last one)
"That's the encouraging word. A patellar injury…it's a similar injury to the one Mark Jones had. Mark Jones obviously has returned to full health. But it will be another grueling process for him. I was just excited to see him come back to life as a ballcarrier. I thought he caught the ball well. All indications are that he has a chance to be ready for training camp but it will be a long road to recovery."
(On if this is the toughest season ending for him)
"Yeah it's tough. It's very tough, obviously. We had a 10-point lead with 10 minutes left in this game. As a coach, you have to take responsibility for that. We didn't defend the run well enough. In the last four games of the season, I think we were last in the league, we gave up more yardage rushing than any team in football.”
(On how much of the problem was coaching and how much was execution on the field)
"Well, they go hand-in-hand. We missed some tackles, we missed a run fit, we seemed to make some critical errors in key situations down the stretch. We played some good football teams – Carolina's a good football team, Atlanta's a good football team. San Diego proved again last night they're as good as anyone in football. We lost to one football team with a losing record this year, that was the Oakland Raiders. We had a 10-point lead at home in the fourth quarter and I take responsibility for that."
(On the Bucs going 3-11 in the last three Decembers)
"I'm more focused on this year. The '06 team, we weren't very good in any quarter. The '07 team, we had a lot of players that didn't even play in the last couple games. I'm more focused about this season. Again, we just lost to three good football teams; we lost to a team yesterday that has proven all season on any given Sunday they're good enough to win. You give up 180 yards rushing, we have a couple opportunities to make plays in the passing game and we don't make them.”
(On what areas the team needs to improve)
"There are a lot of areas we have to get better at. We have to get better. You don't go 11 games where you don't give up a rushing touchdown and basically the final four games three different backs went for 160 yards or more. Injuries took its tool on us, certainly. We have to get more pass rush. We have to get more turnovers. You can't start at the minus-20 every series and expect to have great success. We have to take a look at every area, really. We have to take a look at our running back situation. We have some injuries there that are going to obviously impact the direction that the Buccaneers go. Again, we have to look at every area, really."
(On what he would say to fans that would like to make a head coaching change)
“I'd just assure them that I'm doing the very best that I can and I appreciate everybody's opinion on this matter. But I'm working as hard as I can and I'll continue to do that as long as I'm in this position."
(On if the team should have developed a young quarterback by this point)
"Well, it would be nice. That would be nice to do. I think the highest draft selection we've made was Chris [Simms] in the '03 season. We did our best to develop him. We got a lot out of Chris, he did some good things here. The injury, he was sidetracked a little bit. We've been fortunate – we had Brad Johnson who won a World Championship here. We had some issues at other positions that we needed to address. So it's been a little bit harder than maybe it appears. It's hard to find a guy unless you take him early sometimes. A lot of the young guys that maybe you're talking about having on your football team don't make it to free agency.”
(On the amount of roster turnover the team could face)
“Well, I think I’m always going to be confident. We’ve turned things around before. I think we had a seven or eight game turnaround when we first got here. I think we went from 4-12 to 11-5. Confident we can do it. We obviously have to do a great job in free agency, have to re-sign some of our key guys, have to acquire some guys. We found Antonio Bryant one of the best receivers in football. We’re fortunate to have a guy like that. Hopefully we can get him back. We’re confident we can do. We think there’s evidence that we have done it and can do it again.”
(On the strengths of the team)
“I think the offensive line is strong, very good. I really do. I feel very good about that position. I think our secondary when healthy is very good. S Tanard Jackson, I think, will be a great pro. [CB Aqib] Talib is going to be an excellent pro. I feel very good about our secondary. LB Barrett Ruud is one of the best middle linebackers in football. We have to pick it up in some other areas and we’ll do that.”
(On the priorities this offseason)
“I’ll talk about all that later. Priorities right now are improving in every area. We have to do better obviously at the end of the season. We had a number of injuries in ’07 and a number of injuries in ’08. I think the priority is to figure out why that is. I don’t know how we go about it but we have to find a way to have our best players available in closing time.”
(On the age of the team)
“Obviously everybody in the league has veteran players. We have some that obviously had lingering injuries during the final portion of the season and it hurt us big time. Yeah, that’s concerning. You want those guys to be playing their best football as the season folds, but the circumstances weren’t just that way this year.”
(On Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin)
“It’s been tough. That’s been tough, because it’s been talked about daily. All I can say is that I love that guy. I really have a lot of respect for him and a lot of appreciation for what he’s done here. It’s been tough, certainly. All I can say is that I won’t use that as an excuse.”
(On the team changing after the season)
“Well we went 16 games, we went 9-7. That is who we are, that is what we are. We went as far as we could go this year, believe me. We did not try to do anything but win every game. No team stays the same year in and year out, there will be changes on every team, ours included. Change is tough, it is inevitable, it is part of the game and we will do everything we can to field a better football team next season.”
(On the passing game)
“We threw the ball as good as any team in Buccaneer history this year, statistically. We feel like looking at the tape, we could have got some more out of it. But two different quarterbacks, a new split end, we had a number of new components. We like Michael Clayton now; we like Clayton and hope to get him back.”
(On the offense’s continuity)
“We have tried to build a line, we feel pretty good about that. Skilled positions, we inherited a veteran quarterback and Brad Johnson did great for us. It has been hard at that position certainly to find a guy. We are fortunate to find Garcia, who went to a Pro Bowl, helped us a lot this year. Carnell Williams was the rookie of the year; he has had a couple of serious injuries. You can’t apologize for that, that is the reality of it. Mike Alstott had a great run here, he had a serious injury. That sometimes has an impact on the decisions that you make. Michael Clayton had an unbelievable rookie year, was derailed by a number of injuries. We feel like we got a lot out of Joey Galloway when he was healthy. So to go back on the initial question, there have been some injuries and that has had a lot to do with it, we are not alone.”
(On the QB situation)
“I have a lot of respect for Jeff. Again, we will address all these things later. Jeff will have an opportunity to come back, I am sure; he will be a free agent. We will see who is available. We want to get better at every position that we can and that is our jobs, that is the profession we are in. Despite what people think, I have a lot of respect for Jeff, and I am really proud of what he has done here in his two years here as a starter.”
(On the offensive line)
“I thought their pass protection, even though we gave up some sacks, I don’t think that statistics really show the entire magnitude of what our offensive line has done. We have had a lot of different fullbacks this year, a lot of different runners. We pass protected, our running blocking has been solid, I just think that we are pretty good up there and I think people in the league would agree with that.”
(On the coaching staff)
“I don’t know that. I don’t foresee a lot of changes. We will have to see whose contracts are up and do the best we can to move forward from there.”
(On a new secondary coach)
“I would say that is something that we haven’t talked about yet. We are going to see what Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris feels most comfortable doing as a coordinator. Some guys like to walk around and have a guy coach a position; he might want to coach the secondary. We are obviously going to meet extensively here in the next few days talking about it.”
(On the red zone offense)
“Well we got down there a lot, which was good. We got down there as much as anybody in the league. To break it down, we did better the last couple of weeks in the season, I think, finishing drives. Anytime that you get down inside the red zone you want touchdowns. We had some opportunities to score that we didn’t take advantage of. Some situations we strategically played for a field goal, or a couple situations we took a knee at the end of the game, but it wasn’t good enough. That is another area that you take responsibility for as a coach, I have to get better there.”
(On if the team reached its potential)
“We went 9-7 and I have a real strong belief that at the end of year, you are what you are. We didn’t play well enough the final month of the season. There were glimpses of very good solid football early. We won some games that no one thought we would win, up in Arrowhead, in Chicago. We pulled some games out of some tough situations; unfortunately we couldn’t do it at the end. I think a lot of guys did max out. I thought Antonio Bryant had an unbelievable season. We overcame out of injuries; Carnell Williams made an unbelievable return to football. Warrick Dunn had over 1,110 yards, all purpose yardage, returning to Tampa. Jeff Faine was a good addition. We just couldn’t sustain it long enough and that is my responsibility.”
(On the team’s draft last year)
“Dexter Jackson is just in his rookie year. It is a project to a degree as a receiver; it is going to take a little bit of time. I would hate to just slam the book on Dexter Jackson today. We have had some good picks; we have had some really good picks. We have had some picks that haven’t worked out, but I can’t name any team in football that has had every pick perform to great, high standards. We like Aqib Talib a lot now, a lot, and we really thing Jeremy Zuttah is going to be a heck of football player. Clifton Smith went to the Pro Bowl. Whether we drafted him or not, he is a rookie. There were some good additions from our young class, some of the other guys have to pick it up, but I don’t think you can say that guy’s careers are written yet, after one year.”
(On being 9-7)
“I hate not competing for championships, and we are not, so it is not a very good season, not good enough. Again, I feel like this football team, 16 games this team had a chance to win the game. They were tied or protecting a lead in the fourth quarter 16 weeks. I don’t remember once, feeling like we didn’t have a chance to win, I like that. But 9-7 doesn’t feel good when you are not in the tournament competing for a championship.”
(On how the team can improve)
“I try to be as creative as I can; I feel like we have had a very good coaching staff, we have to get better in all areas. I have to work a little harder I guess, do the best I can to be more organized, be more effective as a leader and as a football coach.”
(On the injuries)
“We had a lot of guys step up, 9-7 reflects that fact with the amount of injuries that we had. Our leading ball carrier was out; our leading receiver from a year ago didn’t play much this year. We lost a number of key guys, special teams, Maurice Stovall, Geno Hayes, Byron Storer, heck; we didn’t have a fullback for about seven weeks. A lot of guys stepped up. The salary cap, I am told is in great shape. We will be in a position to once again, be able to compete for just about anybody, I am confident we will do that.”
(On if the team should use all the cap space)
“I don’t know about that. You just don’t max out your cap unless you are logically going after somebody that you think is a fine football player that qualifies, or that has earned that right to seek those kinds of dollars. We will do the best we can to field the best roster.”
| |
|
|
-
I consider myself to be a patient man. I don't throw what I'm about to throw out right now without serious thought. So here we go. It's time the Glazer's give serious consideration to a coaching change. What we saw Sunday againt Oakland was simply ridiculous. The culmination of four straight losses, but the finale against the crappie Raiders rang the bell for me.
It was obvious the defense left the building four weeks ago with Monte's announcement he was headed up north. And it's become obvious the offense's inconsistencies directly reflect on the head coach.
My guess is, with Gruden already naming Raheem Morris to take over Monte, any coaching change up top is unlikely. What happened to this team this season showed it's age, and it's lack of depth. No question, that is a direct reflection on the GM and HC.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Sunday's loss was the lack of inspiration on the part of the players. The fact they had a "Philly-Dallas" viewing party scheduled after the game makes me think they had this game in the bag.
A number of hard decisions will have to be made over at One Buc. Losing to Oakland, at home, was unacceptable. In some NFL cities, a loss like this one would push the eject button for the reigning HC. We now wait and see what the Glazer's will do.
Tom Korun
|
-
Fernandez Becomes USF Basketball’s All-Time Winningest Coach
TAMPA, Fla. (December 28, 2008) – University of South Florida head women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez made history today becoming the school’s all-time winningest basketball coach – for both the men’s and women’s program – with the Bulls’ 110-51 win over Jackson State at the Sun Dome. Fernandez improved his career coaching record to 128-124 and in doing so surpassed former men’s coach Bobby Paschal who guided the men’s basketball team to 127 wins in 10 seasons (286 games).
In addition, USF (12-1) stretched their winning streak to eight games while also improving its record home winning streak to 12 games dating back to last season. The Bulls’ 12-1 start is the best in school history.
USF used its momentum coming off of a commanding 100-47 victory last Sunday over Southern University just before the Christmas break. The Bulls made no doubt that they were going to take control of the game and not let go as they proceeded to score a record 73 points in the first half while holding the Lady Tigers to just 22. USF’s first half total surpassed the previous record of 69 in a half originally set against Morris Brown on Nov. 3, 2001. The Green and Gold have scored 60 points in a half three time this season.
During the first half onslaught, the Bulls had two players – Jazmine Sepulveda and Janae Stokes – score 21 and 20 points respectively just shy of Jackson State’s 22-point total.
Sepulveda finished the game with a game-high 26 points along with four assists. She also grabbed three steals in the win. It was Sepulveda’s 10th game this season scoring in double figures out of 13 games on the year.
Stokes finished with just her 20 first half points on 7-12 shooting, including a blistering 6-10 from three-point range. She also came away with five rebounds and four assists.
Jessica Lawson posted just the Bulls’ second double-double of the year with 10 rebounds and career-high 16 points.
Defensively, Porche Grant was a factor on the glass nine rebounds, Dalembert finished with five and Brittany Denson had seven. The team also forced 27 turnovers on the afternoon leading to 41 points and had 14 steals.
For the Lady Tigers (3-7), Erlexis Cooper paced the way with 18 points, and Beatrice Banks added 11 points in the losing effort. Phenicia Taylor grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Up next for USF is a trip to New Orleans for its non-conference finale to take on Tulane on Dec 30 at 8 p.m. (EST)/7 p.m. CST. The Bulls will open BIG EAST play on Jan. 3 when they face Marquette in Milwaukee at 8 p.m. (EST/7 p.m. (CST)
USF Postgame Notes
- USF improves its record to 12-1 marking the best start in program history.
- The Bulls’ 110 points marks the fifth time this season that they have hit the century mark and the third time in the past four games … It is also the eighth time this season that they have held their opponents to fewer than 60 points.
- USF was 15-31 from three-point range in the win … The 15 trey’s made is tied for the fourth most made in Division I this season.
- USF won its third game of the season against the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) this season (3-0) and improve its all-time record against the conference to 6-0.
- USF finishes its non-conference home record 10-0.
- Ashley Sanders earned her sixth career start today against Jackson State.
- Allyson Speed scored a career-high nine points in the win.
Walk-ons Crystal Ayers and Erin Moody scored their first career baskets in a Bulls uniform each netting two points against Jackson State.
|
-
IOWA COACH KIRK FERENTZ
Opening statement:
“We’re thrilled to be here. It’s been an exciting trip for us already. It’s great to get outdoors, great to feel warm sun. We’re just excited to be in Tampa, this is just an outstanding event. The Outback people and Jim (McVay) and his staff do a great job. This is just one of the great bowl games to participate in, so we’re thrilled about that and awfully excited about the game too. We’ve played this game twice now, this is our third trip. Any time you line up against an excellent team from the SEC it’s quite a challenge and this is no different for us. South Carolina is an outstanding football team, they’re extremely well-coached and we know we have quite a challenge on our hands.”
On what stands out about the South Carolina team:
“It’s no big surprise the passing game is strong and very effective. They’ve got a great corp of receivers; their tight ends are excellent in the passing game. They’ve played a couple quarterbacks, that adds a little bit of intrigue to the preparation. First and foremost, that’s what jumps out on that side of the football. Defensively, they played extremely well in both phases; run and pass. It’s kind of hard to figure out what you’re going to try to do. We anticipate them trying to stop the run, that’s usually where defense starts. They’ve done a good job there all season long. It’s going to be a challenge for us.”
On his team’s focus for the Outback Bowl compared with the 2002 Orange Bowl:
“I think it’s been okay. That really was more, I think, the result of the first time we were in that kind of territory. We were 1-10 our first year. It felt like it might as well been 0-11. So, a couple years later we were in a BCS game. It was just territory we had never been in. It’s just one of those things. It’s kind of like when we went to the Rose Bowl in ’81. We really didn’t know how to act. We were thrilled to just be there, but we didn’t know how to act, how to get ready. We paid the price in that game also. We’re hardly coming off a championship season this year but it was a good season. The focus, our whole demeanor is probably a little bit more even keel than in 2002. That was predictable, explainable, and just one of those things you’ve got to go through, live through those things and learn from them.”
On how he approaches practice for a bowl game:
“The first part of bowl preparation is really more like spring practice or the first part of pre-season for us. We just work on Iowa versus Iowa and hopefully get into game planning. I think the players run the risk of losing focus. Plus we’re trying to recruit. We’re not one of those schools that has everybody committed back in October. We actually have to go out and work in December. It’s just tough; it’s a little bit of a fire drill there. We didn’t start our preparation for the bowl game until pretty much the weekend before we came down here. It’s still relatively fresh for everybody and hopefully it’s enough.”
On how his team is responding to bowl preparation:
“The toughest part of preparation is the front end mainly because the game is so far away. I think that’s always hard for players. It’s a little bit like spring practice. The season is still months away and it’s always a challenge. I think the guys did a good job and we tried to explain to them what we were trying to get accomplished. We didn’t keep them out there a long time, but we’re just trying to keep a base because we do finish a little bit earlier than some other conferences.”
On the recruitment of running back Shonn Green:
“We’ve had some good players from south Jersey traditionally. We knew about Shonn through the process and we’re just fortunate he picked us. He wasn’t a seven-star recruit; we don’t get many of them. He was a good player out of high school and was a good player a couple of years ago, played excellent on special teams, but we had a guy, coincidentally from south Jersey, that led the Big 10 in rushing in 2005. That’s one reason Shawn wasn’t playing, but he’s done a great job.”
On how changes in South Carolina’s defense have impacted Iowa’s preparation:
“It’s been a cause of concern during the entire month. Trying to project what we might see is a little bit of a challenge. Certainly, as Steve mentioned, we’re a little bit like Alabama. We’re certainly not as good as Alabama, maybe a little like them, which is nice except they didn’t play Alabama so we don’t know how they would defend them. We’re playing a lot of fantasy football this month. At the end of the day they’ll have 11 guys out there. We’ll have to make plays in all areas of the game to have a chance to move the ball.”
On how the Hawkeyes rebounded in the second half of the season:
“I think they just stuck with it pretty simply. I’ve made this comment pretty much all through the season; we played hard enough to win football games all year, our effort level was pretty good, pretty consistent, but we didn’t play well enough. It’s usually as simple as that. The three games that we lost when we were 3-3, if you looked at the errors that we made, in the one game we turned it over five times and still had a chance to win on our last possession when we were down inside the 10 yard line. To be in that position with five turnovers expecting to win, you’re asking a lot. A lot of those things are predictable. The guys realized that we had a chance to have a good football team if they stuck with it and that’s what they did. They stayed positive; they kept playing hard and became a little bit more detailed, I think, in their preparation and their play.”
On the importance of Big 10 – SEC match-ups in bowl games:
“This is a traditional match-up, it’s the same thing with the Capital One Bowl. There are a lot of great conferences in the country. I think you can argue that both the SEC and Big 10 are widely acclaimed. Traditionally, I think both of these conferences have been excellent. People equate the Southeastern Conference with speed and talent. I think that’s fair. We’re a little more lethargic, I guess, in a lot of people’s minds. The traditions are there, the programs are outstanding. It’s just a nice way to finish the year, and we don’t overlap during the season frequently, and we don’t overlap in recruiting an awful lot either. It’s a good way to finish here, a good match-up, it gives everybody something to talk about going into it, talking out of it. It’s one of the great things about sports.”
SOUTH CAROLINA COACH STEVE SPURRIER
Opening statement:
“We’re obviously thrilled to be here in Tampa at the Outback Bowl. We had a good year, we didn’t finish as strong as we would have liked. Seven and five turned out to be a pretty good record this year. We beat some good teams and our guys played pretty well most of the year. Not our best towards the end, but overall it was a good year for South Carolina. We look forward to playing Iowa. Kirk and his guys do a super job. They’ve been to a whole bunch of bowl games over the years, a solid program up there at Iowa. We’re looking forward to a heck of a game here on January 1st.”
On what SEC team compares to Iowa:
“I guess you could say maybe Alabama plays a little bit like Iowa. Alabama is a run the ball and throw the ball combination team. But obviously Iowa runs the ball about as well as anybody in the country this year, with Shonn Greene being the second leading rusher and winner of the Doak Walker award as the best running back in the country. We didn’t have any runners do that. We’ll certainly be tested against trying to stop Shonn Greene.”
On the team’s Tampa accommodations:
“The facilities, the hotel, the Harbour Island Westin is magnificent, one of the tops in the country without a doubt. Even Jefferson High School, they’ve got that fixed up very nicely, the grass is good over there. We’ve got wonderful facilities here. Our wives and our children and our grandkids are having a big time here. It’s a nice treat for both teams to be able to be here.”
On Iowa running back Shonn Greene:
“I think he’s definitely an NFL type back because he’s big. He can run over people, he can block linebackers. He can do about all they’re looking for.”
On the SEC this season:
“I think the last couple years, prior to this year, the SEC went about bragging how our conference is the best in the country and all that. And we did have a lot of statistics to back it up, the size of our stadiums are the largest in the country, so we have more fans at our games. We sent more players to the NFL combine, more were drafted, all of that kind of stuff. Of course national championships were won by LSU and Florida. We had a good time there to promote SEC football. But realistically, this year Alabama and Florida were definitely our two big teams. I really think overall we were down a little bit this year. The SEC wasn’t quite what we had been the past two or three years. We did not fill our bowl spots, I think only eight out of 12 qualified for bowl games. We were a little bit down this year, but hopefully we’ll be back up there next year. We’ll be a little quiet this year unless one of our teams wins the national championship.”
On whether the styles of the SEC and Big 10 fit the stereotypes of speed versus strength:
“It don’t know if it’s the styles of the conferences or sort of just teams. Purdue, they throw the ball all over the place up there. Northwestern has been very good. I think you coach to whatever your talent is, both places, and go from there. The Big 10 has speed also. They get that reputation that the SEC is faster than the Big 10; that’s not necessarily so. In 1999 we played Michigan State in the Citrus Bowl and we had a sprinter named John Capel that ran the Olympic 200 meters, and he got loose on the kickoff and they had a guy that ran him down. Of course, that was Plaxico Burress. Speed is everywhere, not just in the south.”
On his plan to use one quarterback in the Outback Bowl:
“We try to figure to go with one and hopefully he (Stephen Garcia) can go the distance. That’s been our plan. We wish we had one that was clearly our best player, and let him go play. I think all coaches would love to have that. They’re pretty even talent-wise, and the team is struggling, you’ve got to keep trying new guys. Just like you would try a new left guard or receiver, you’ve got to try a different quarterback at times.”
On Stephen Garcia’s health for the Outback Bowl:
“We’re going to give him every opportunity to play as long as he can. He sprained his ankle, so Chris Smelley is ready to play also. A lot can happen out there. You always have to have two ready to play. If Stephen is playing well and doing okay, we’ll let him go.”
On the decision to start Stephen Garcia in the Outback Bowl:
“After our last game we sort of announced that Stephen was going to get a chance in the bowl game and we’ve been trying to coach him up for about a month now. He actually does seem to appear he knows a lot more about what we’re trying to do. He seems to look like he’s capable. When the live action starts that’s when we’ll find out, when they start rushing and all that stuff happens. To have three weeks taking a whole bunch of snaps has got to help anybody out there.”
On playing Iowa in the Outback Bowl after both teams missed bowls last season:
“I guess that is a little ironic both of us were 6-6. It’s sort of unusual, but that’s the way it worked out. We qualified but didn’t get in. One thing we did this year is when we got our sixth win we said that’s good; we didn’t take it for granted. When we got our seventh we said that’s good too because we learned last year six wasn’t quite good enough. We appreciated our victories a little bit more and maybe last year taught us that.”
|
|
|