Don't allow ur resentment to be misguided. Understand 2011 Bucs.

[Zsnore]

Understanding your 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Written by Nick Houllis | 31 July 2011

I've scanned through the hundreds of comments on facebook and twitter over the last couple of days, and have come to the conclusion that we have the least educated fan base we have ever had at any point of our existence as Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This makes no sense because we live in an age of Twitter and Facebook and tons of internet sites, fan should be MORE educated, not LESS so.

So in an effort to bring our fans up to speed, here is the 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan guide to what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are.

For starters, most of these comments are coming from some very young people. That means you werent around for the SuperBowl, nor were you even around for Cadillac Williams era. You certainly were NOT around for how our Superbowl era team was built, which is the most important lesson to be learned.

These Bucs fans want the Bucs to blow all of their money on three or 4 of the top named Free agents, somehow thinking that is going to translate into a Bucs Superbowl. Ask yourself these two questions-
1) Do the Washington Redskins spend a lot of money on Free Agency? Does it get them anywhere?
2) Do the Pittsburgh Steelers spend a lot of money on Free Agency? No. All they do is win superbowls.

Please read more...

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were purchased by the Glazers in 1995 and built a new stadium and new uniforms for the team to wear in 98 and 97 respectively. The team was build based on drafting good young players. John Lynch, Mike Alstott, Warren Sapp, Dave Moore, Derrick Brooks were all drafted BEFORE the team donned its pewter uniforms, and all but Alstott were drafted BEFORE Tony Dungy arrived.

The team started to have some success, but they didnt abandon their plan- They drafted DB Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly, Steve White, Warrick Dunn, Anthony McFarland, Martin Gramatica, and more. Then, after 4 years of toying with the playoffs and getting to the NFC Championship game, the Bucs started to pick up high stakes free agents. Once they figured out where their needs were that were NOT addressed via the draft. WR Keyshawn Johnson. QB Brad Johnson was added in 2001 along with Simeon Rice.

The Bucs laid a foundation on draft picks, and then added Big Name free agents when they realized where they needed them. The Blueprint for building a Tampa Bay Bucs superbowl team is still on the Glazers desk folks. They are doing it right now.

This is only year 3 of the Bucs rebuilding program. year one was a miserable 3-13, but year two was a nice refreshing 10-6. Not confuse a winning record with a SuperBowl team. the Bucs are NOT SuperBowl ready, or 16-0 ready. Your emotions will not turn into Bucs wins, only frustrations when they do not.
Last season, rookies like LeGarrette Blount, Mike Williams, Cody Grimm, Arrelious Benn, and Gerald McCoy all began developing into future stars for the Bucs. But for some reason, now fans want to change the recipie for success. They want big name free agents to come in. Where will you put these FA? On the defensive line? Do you realize if you bring in a FA DE, then either Da'quan Bowers or Adrian Clayborn will not develop? You develop by playing not riding the pine.

If we had signed a big time WR last year like everyone wanted, Mike Williams would be going into this year as a big Question mark "we dont know what this kid can do, he's unproven". Instead Williams developed into a serious WR threat in only one year. Every time you bring in a FA now, you will be pushing back the development of a future Bucs star player.

Had the Bucs brought in a FA Defensive Tackle in 1996, to "provide leadership", Warren Sapp would not have started, would not have developed, and turned INTO the leader he was.
You dont hire leaders, you CREATE them. McCoy is becoming a leader. It just happens, you cant plan it.

So please Bucs fans, dont try to win a Superbowl in 2011, it wont happen. Instead, be happy the Bucs are developing INTO a SuperBowl caliber team, one like the Indi Colts or Steelers, that every year is talked about as a Super Bowl capable team. That will only happen if you let the Bucs develop the team according to the recipie.


http://bucstop.com/2011-articles/july/understanding-your-2011-tampa-bay-buccaneers.html

[GameChanger]

While it is hard to compare two teams and identically remodel them to be a clone, I get what the writer is saying. We can never be the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is just one of those situations that you hope to emulate how they got to the Superbowl. It is mostly on the players but the Front Office is doing its best it can to get the right pieces there to make it much more likely of happening. This team is not proven yet and we have to be paitent. Good things take time. Everyone knows that when you build something from the ground up you feel much more accomplished and could end up being better for you. If you have the means and tools and the know how....would you build a house that fits exactly to how you want it and know you did a great job building it or do you just go out and pay someone else to do it for you and it end up being nothing like you expected?

The 2011 Bucs will be a fun exciting team to watch!

[blind melon]

It's good to see so many new fans here...

I'd suggest if you are a 'new' fan   take the time to  'learn' to be a fan - watch this place...   one learns quickly here.

[Zsnore]

I've lurked on this board, and the old TBBBoard for years before registering

[AKA T.Calvin]

this should be a sticky.

[Beatles123]

Gamechanger,  I caution you, you may see some REAL Negative Nancy's here, but most of us really do love this team and coach, even if some here think we have cheap owners and think Mark failed this FA, we still respect all he's done besides that. Don't let certain haters here speak for all of us and understand that some are just frustrated at the FA thing. You can't blame them, they just want the team to do well really. We still love our Bucs, our coach and our GM.

Enjoy your stay, and GO BUCS!!!

[NittanyBuc]

I made the same comparison to the Steeers yesterday. As fans, we can sometimes be short sighted and demand results now rather than later. Long term I'm liking what we're doing

[ufojoe]

So please Bucs fans, dont try to win a Superbowl in 2011, it wont happen.

One of the most ridiculous things I have ever read on a sports message board.

We have Freeman and a solid offense. The D is a work in progress and should improve as the rook DEs get game experience.

And if things fall right for us, we can get to the playoffs. And once there, anything can happen. And this is assuming we don't add FAs. If we DO add a nice player here or there,
we have an even better chance to make a nice playoff run, IMO.

BTW, the Redskins don't win because they have yet to find their franchise QB.

SB is not likely but it's definitely a possibility this year and every year we have Free.

[rocko23]

Great read and the truth truth!

[Boid Fink]

Bucs needed a CB, and most fans were clamoring for a CB...

Talib might be going to jail, or lost for a while...hell, he might not figure into long range plans anyway because he is about one of the dumbest dudes in the entire league.

Barber is on his last hurrah tour.

Lewis and Biggers and Mack and Gaitor are all question marks, and certainly not a secondary I am comfortable with going into this year...

Bucs needed a FA CB.  If Biggers and LEwis beat the signee out, then GOOD!  But it would have been prudent to assume that another vet CB would have made an impact.

Has nothing to do with signing a DE, or a WR, or a RB.  Which are the guys the article mentioned.

As for the Redskins, they had no plan to begin with.  Signing high profile guys with no foundation to do so was just stupid on Snyders part.

The Steelers draft well, we get this.  They also jettison players when they come asking for money.  I dig that.  But there is usually a proven guy to replace the guy they jettison.

Lewis and Biggers are far from being a 1-2 punch, IMO.

Talib is shaky because he is a moron.

[Zsnore]

So please Bucs fans, dont try to win a Superbowl in 2011, it wont happen.

One of the most ridiculous things I have ever read on a sports message board.

We have Freeman and a solid offense. The D is a work in progress and should improve as the rook DEs get game experience.

And if things fall right for us, we can get to the playoffs. And once there, anything can happen. And this is assuming we don't add FAs. If we DO add a nice player here or there,
we have an even better chance to make a nice playoff run, IMO.

BTW, the Redskins don't win because they have yet to find their franchise QB.

SB is not likely but it's definitely a possibility this year and every year we have Free.

I think the point he was getting at is that the expectations right now may be a little high. Yeah last year was great, and it spoiled us and got us excited. While I am not ruling out the possibility we won't go to the SB, I am not coming close to expecting it. After the "10 win" statement last year, and the way things played out it probably had players feeling a fair bit of irony/disappointment. If you listen to what the players/coaches are saying now, there either saying the goal is making the playoffs, some are saying Superbow. During Day-1 of camp Josh Freeman said his goal this year was to win every game 

[DailyRich]

I think it's entirely possible that we will be a better team this year but with a worse record than last year.  This isn't a team that is one or two free agents away from contending. and we shouldn't spend like we are.

[BucBalla85]

Bucs needed a CB, and most fans were clamoring for a CB...

Talib might be going to jail, or lost for a while...hell, he might not figure into long range plans anyway because he is about one of the dumbest dudes in the entire league.

Barber is on his last hurrah tour.

Lewis and Biggers and Mack and Gaitor are all question marks, and certainly not a secondary I am comfortable with going into this year...

Bucs needed a FA CB.  If Biggers and LEwis beat the signee out, then GOOD!  But it would have been prudent to assume that another vet CB would have made an impact.

Has nothing to do with signing a DE, or a WR, or a RB.  Which are the guys the article mentioned.

As for the Redskins, they had no plan to begin with.  Signing high profile guys with no foundation to do so was just stupid on Snyders part.

The Steelers draft well, we get this.  They also jettison players when they come asking for money.  I dig that.  But there is usually a proven guy to replace the guy they jettison.

Lewis and Biggers are far from being a 1-2 punch, IMO.

Talib is shaky because he is a moron.

The bucs didnt need a CB in the game vs the Saints. They seemed to shut down the once SB MVP pretty well.

[Zsnore]

Bucs needed a CB, and most fans were clamoring for a CB...

Talib might be going to jail, or lost for a while...hell, he might not figure into long range plans anyway because he is about one of the dumbest dudes in the entire league.

Barber is on his last hurrah tour.

Lewis and Biggers and Mack and Gaitor are all question marks, and certainly not a secondary I am comfortable with going into this year...

Bucs needed a FA CB.  If Biggers and LEwis beat the signee out, then GOOD!  But it would have been prudent to assume that another vet CB would have made an impact.

Has nothing to do with signing a DE, or a WR, or a RB.  Which are the guys the article mentioned.

As for the Redskins, they had no plan to begin with.  Signing high profile guys with no foundation to do so was just stupid on Snyders part.

The Steelers draft well, we get this.  They also jettison players when they come asking for money.  I dig that.  But there is usually a proven guy to replace the guy they jettison.

Lewis and Biggers are far from being a 1-2 punch, IMO.

Talib is shaky because he is a moron.

Ok, so we have a plan, and the plan is working.  Lets not criticize it every chance we get. Every time the FO, has done something/or not done something the past 3 years. Certain individuals are all too quick to put on there little GM hats, come onto the various BucMB's, and begin to discourage are fanbase from following the team. Even going as far as to wish for injury of players, and boycotting the purchasing of Buccaneer merchandise. Sure this little charade was largely ignored by me and others over the past few years. Well I am here now, win or lose, I won't throw unwarranted resentment around simply because the Bucs haven't met MY expectation. So if those self-serving **CENSORED**s feel the need to voice there trash of an opinion, and that the Bucs should make every move according to what they think its best. Then to be honest, they can go somewhere else.

[Madman]

Wow, is that supposed to be a fresh take? Has to be one of the most overused takes on this MB.

And it's wrong.

Sure good drafting is essential but the common denominator for winning teams is an elite QB - not avoiding free agents. Funny how the Steelers plan sucked when Bubby Brister and Slash were the QBs. It suddenly got great when Ben Rothlisberger becomes QB. Same with the Colts. The Redskins signing FA John Riggins turned out pretty well I'd say. How about Wilbur Marshall? Skins don't have a QB.

Then there's the Pats who will sign or trade to get anyone they think can improve their team. Of course they have Tom Brady.

There's more than one way to accumulate talent but the key ingredient is a great QB.

The Bucs plan is Freeman and thank god he's the real deal.

P.S. The Superbowl comment was ridiculous. Bucs should absolutely be shooting for the Superbowl every year.