It looks like Gruden is falling all over himself to attract some/any interest.

[DonkeyHunter]

The Raiders were horrible before Gruden got there.   They were Super Bowl caliber when he left and actually made the Super Bowl that year.   If that isn't the "verge of a hump" then nothing is.

I guess Bill Callahan did what Jon Gruden couldn't. Get Oakland over the hump. Sound familiar?

[BucBalla85]

The Raiders were horrible before Gruden got there.   They were Super Bowl caliber when he left and actually made the Super Bowl that year.   If that isn't the "verge of a hump" then nothing is.

Al Davis built that team and several other coaches taught the QB how to play. It sure as hell wasn't Gruden.

I dont know. I hate to agree with Jman here but I think he does deserve credit for that team. He was the clear leader of that team and lucky for us they unluckily lost that AFC championship game that led to us trading for him. Without the addition of Gruden for our offense, I dont think we win the super bowl. Our defense did most of the work but Gruden came in and finished the job. For that I will always have respect for the man. After that left a bunch to be desired. Im sure even Java can admit to that.

[1sparkybuc]

Kiffin ran the Defense. Gruden gave them Oakland's playbook. Gruden and the Bucs were lucky they didn't have to face some other team. Without that advantage the outcome might have been very different. Java will never admit anything when it comes to Gruden. Mediocre was fine with him back then. Now all he does is complain.

[DonkeyHunter]

Gruden = Overrrated

[BucBalla85]

Agree about the Super Bowl game being easy because of Grudens past with the Raiders but I do think our offense put us over the top in philly and the whole 02 season. Without the offense we were no different than Dungys teams prior.

As for Java, hes just pissed his favorite coach got fired and still hasnt gotten over it. It would be nice if he didnt take it out on the rest of the message board but thats not who he is and the people who pay any attention have to suffer for it. Maybe one will give soon. It looks like the board is giving less and less a **CENSORED** what he has to say and thats good because for me the more annoying thing was fans on here paying attention to the attention whore. It looks like people are learning.

[jerseybucsfan]

Kiffin ran the Defense. Gruden gave them Oakland's playbook. Gruden and the Bucs were lucky they didn't have to face some other team. Without that advantage the outcome might have been very different. Java will never admit anything when it comes to Gruden. Mediocre was fine with him back then. Now all he does is complain.

So why did Kiffin allow us to give up 31 points in a humiliating blowout loss to Philly in 2001? Why did the Bucs improve by 84 points in points allowed in Gruden's first season here? Why is it the Bucs never allowed fewer than 235 before that year?
Your revisionism is clever. But at the time the Bucs won, they were the best team and Gruden had a lot o do with that on both sides of the ball. None of your hatred can change that.

[JavaRay]

The Raiders were horrible before Gruden got there.   They were Super Bowl caliber when he left and actually made the Super Bowl that year.   If that isn't the "verge of a hump" then nothing is.

I guess Bill Callahan did what Jon Gruden couldn't. Get Oakland over the hump. Sound familiar?

Actually, Callahan couldn't get that team over the hump.   they lost the Super Bowl.   Had Gruden stayed in Oakland in 2002, I have no doubt at all that the Raiders would have won the Super Bowl that year over the Eagles.   The Raiders had been built by then and Gruden's system was in place to go to the Super Bowl.   The only man who could have stopped them from winning it was Gruden.   Unfortunately for the Raiders, Gruden was there to stop them.

[DonkeyHunter]

The Raiders were horrible before Gruden got there.   They were Super Bowl caliber when he left and actually made the Super Bowl that year.   If that isn't the "verge of a hump" then nothing is.

I guess Bill Callahan did what Jon Gruden couldn't. Get Oakland over the hump. Sound familiar?

Actually, Callahan couldn't get that team over the hump.   they lost the Super Bowl.   Had Gruden stayed in Oakland in 2002, I have no doubt at all that the Raiders would have won the Super Bowl that year over the Eagles.   The Raiders had been built by then and Gruden's system was in place to go to the Super Bowl.   The only man who could have stopped them from winning it was Gruden.   Unfortunately for the Raiders, Gruden was there to stop them.

Callahan got the Raiders further than Gruden did. Sorry.

[JavaRay]

Sorry, but that team was primed to go to the Super Bowl that year no matter what.   Callahan used Gruden's same system.   He didn't change a thing.   That's why Gruden whipped his ass in the Super Bowl.    Had he changed the system, he wouldn't have made it anyway.   He was like coach Red Beaulieu in the movie the Waterboy where he stole the green playbook but couldn't think of any plays himself.   

[1sparkybuc]

Kiffin ran the Defense. Gruden gave them Oakland's playbook. Gruden and the Bucs were lucky they didn't have to face some other team. Without that advantage the outcome might have been very different. Java will never admit anything when it comes to Gruden. Mediocre was fine with him back then. Now all he does is complain.

So why did Kiffin allow us to give up 31 points in a humiliating blowout loss to Philly in 2001? Why did the Bucs improve by 84 points in points allowed in Gruden's first season here? Why is it the Bucs never allowed fewer than 235 before that year?
Your revisionism is clever. But at the time the Bucs won, they were the best team and Gruden had a lot o do with that on both sides of the ball. None of your hatred can change that.

I give Gruden all the credit in the world as far as the offense goes in 2002, and all of the blame for the rest of his tenure. He did nothing for that Defense until they faced the Raiders  I've always believed McKay had something to do with Dunne preceding him to Atlanta and everything to do with leaving the Bucs in cap hell, but Allen fixed the cap and Gruden still left the team in shambles. There was nothing left to build on. The man wasted six years. As bad as Raheem was as a HC and a leader, at least he gave Schiano a few pieces of a foundation to build on. Hatred is too strong a word, I'll save that for some of my most deserving relatives, but I do resent people who who are allowed to be so inept for so long. The one thing I respect him for, he doesn't take potshots at the franchise. I'm sure some of that has to do with the paychecks he received for just going away. He does have more class than some of the "fans" on this board. He's just wrong. Many of them are just liars, and they enjoy it.

[jerseybucsfan]

11 and 5 and a division title is hardly a waste of time. And before we talk about losing the Washington playoff game, remember how many egregious calls were missed against us in that game. Two very questionable games in terms of officiating that year, that game and the Super Bowl. And if 11 wins is no big deal, note that Dungy only reached that level once here. In fact those are the three highest win totals in franchise history.

[JavaRay]

2005 was the best season to be a Buc fan since the Super Bowl year.  That was a fun year.   

[lyronmewis]

2005 was the best season to be a Buc fan since the Super Bowl year.  That was a fun year.

I'd rank it:

2010
2005
2007
2008
2012

[JavaRay]

Who did they beat in 2010 that made that season fun?   They beat a bunch of loser teams.   I don't get excited about beating teams with losing records who don't even have their starting QB.

[The Anti-Java]

I wish he would get a job somewhere, so I don't have to listen to him on MNF anymore.