Worst Bucs Season - EVER

[JavaBuc]

I've been watching the Bucs since 1976.   Looking back on this season, I rate it as the worst Buc season ever.   Even worse than the 1976 season.   The 76 Bucs were expansion so they just plain didn't have the opportunity to compete.   I didn't fault them for that back then and actually enjoyed the season because we finally had a team.   

The only season that would be similarly crappy (for me) would be 1983 when the Bucs totally collapsed after the loss of Doug Williams.   85 and 86 were pathetic, but at least we had Steve Young back then and it seemed he would eventually lead us somewhere.   

Yeah, I know the team went 9-7 this year and that ranks as one of the top win productions in Buc history.  And there were some exciting times during the year.   But the feeling I have at the end of the year is the worst ever - that's why I rank it as the worst.

This 2008 team tanked even though it was starting old veteran players in an attempt to make the playoffs.   I don't see any real hope among the young players here to turn it around next year.   The players just are not there, and this team is going nowhere fast.   If anything, things will get worse before they get better - at least that's how I see it.  (Of course, it's just my opinion that this was the worst Buc season ever.  But the way they finished the season and the lack of young potential future stars locks it in as the worst for me.)

[jerseybucsfan]

Gotta agree, Java, that it'll get worse before it gets better. IMHO this team was set up to be better than last season and yet is a far greater disappointment.
Worst ever? Yeah 1983 was awful. I think the way 2000 and 2001 ended (particularly when we came back from four behind to get on the precipice of the 2 seed in the first year) was devastating. But then again the way 2003 began and how it ended (the two awful Carolina losses and then the Atlanta loss at home when McKay flew the coop to our archrival) was pretty godawful too.
Let's just say this season, with its meltdown, is on a very short list. But worst ever? Is it worse to be awful all year (ala the Williamson period) or this?

[NotDeadYet]

    Most disappointing? Yes. Worst ever? No. I didn't see the real early years, but I remember Leeman Bennett and Richard Williamson   

[JasonOfthetower]

Java, if you've been watching since 1976 you'd know this is hardly the worst season ever. I'd take this season over 2-14 and 3-13 any day of the week. Was it the most disappointing ever? Perhaps, the 1998 Bucs are right up there for disappointments, along with the 2000 and 2001 teams.

[CurtR1995]

2003 was the worst season ever in terms of expectations vs performance. 

That had the Colt game, the 3 blocked kicks game, the KJ Gruden kitten fight, Alstott and JJ getting hurt on the same play (injuries are no excuse man, but we have a lot of players who can't play, man) etc. 

[Rusty]

9-7, disappointing for sure, worst, no.

[JasonOfthetower]

Yeah, forgot about 2003...or is that I'm still trying to forget 2003 and the Colts game. ARGH! Thanks a lot Curt....thousands of dollars in counseling down the drain!

[JavaBuc]

I was more upset over the loss to the Cardinals in similar fashion during the Perkins years than I was with that Colts loss.   We were screwed by the refs in that Colts loss.   The Cardinals just whipped our butts in the last quarter of the game.

I have to say the last few games havent been that bad for me...  once I lost any expectation of winning, I found myself enjoying the games more, and not being so upset about every single play..  it felt better to be surprised when they did something good, than constantly pissed when they did something stupid...    I'd rather start the season 3-9  than at 9-3 season, only to piss it away down the stretch...    and is anyone else tired of gruden's canned answer  "I'm not making any excuses, I take full responsibility...   and then lead right into how many injuries we have on the team".  

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[JasonOfthetower]

I have to say the last few games havent been that bad for me...  once I lost any expectation of winning, I found myself enjoying the games more, and not being so upset about every single play..  it felt better to be surprised when they did something good, than constantly pissed when they did something stupid...    I'd rather start the season 3-9  than at 9-3 season, only to piss it away down the stretch...    and is anyone else tired of gruden's canned answer  "I'm not making any excuses, I take full responsibility...   and then lead right into how many injuries we have on the team".  

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I can agree with this somewhat...I mean, we still ended up the same way the Patriots did - out of the playoffs. I think its just the way we went out that has everyone so ticked off. Look at the Chargers, they were where no team wants to be, 4-8 and rallied to finish .500 and thanks to the Broncos doing a Bucs impression, got into the playoffs. Even if they hadn't made the playoffs, I think their fans would feel a lot better about finishing the season strong than collapsing down the stretch.

[MiltonMack21]

1988 was bad.. simply because of what it cost us in the long run. 1991 was abysmal... but I knew they were going stink then, too. But the last month of this season was awful.. total collapse left me feeling sick to my stomach.

[HughC]

In my opinion it is neither the worst season nor most disappointing; those are just immediate over reactions.  The Leeman Bennett and Richard Williamson seasons were worse, and obviously the first couple of seasons in franchise history were worse also.  As far as disappointing, how about those multiple seasons when the Bucs were predicted to go to the Super Bowl, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs?  Or prior to that, some of the Perkins and Wyche teams that appeared to have finally turned the corner and be headed towards a winning season, only to collapse down the stretch on the way to yet another year of double-digit losses.

Was this last month frustrating and disappointing?  Obviously.  But taking the homer glasses off, there is no way this team was objectively expected to be a super bowl contender before the season started.  Therefore, missing the playoffs by one game does not make this the worst Bucs season ever.

[Bucs Bowl]

Def the most disappointing season in terms of being 9-3 with a real chance to have a 1 or 2 seed then knowing ok we got a 5 or 6 seed in the bag just 1 more poss 2 wins.. Oh no ... then totaling tanking the rest of the year! I have seen them all and the 83 to 94 or 95 you pretty much knew they would suck! So those were bad just had no expectation to win during those decades! This year stings man... I was walking to my car from the stadium with my son and overheard a guy going "screw it I getting a dish with the nfl package and just staying home it will cost me less money".. and I thought jesus that may be a good idea! I can just buy a couple of games per year sit really anywhere except club and not pay nearly as much money as my yearly season ticket fee.. That's when I knew this season hurt me the worst of all of them due to where they were and how fast they fell!

[Badabing]

I have to say the last few games havent been that bad for me...  once I lost any expectation of winning, I found myself enjoying the games more, and not being so upset about every single play..  it felt better to be surprised when they did something good, than constantly pissed when they did something stupid...    I'd rather start the season 3-9 than at 9-3 season, only to piss it away down the stretch...    and is anyone else tired of gruden's canned answer  "I'm not making any excuses, I take full responsibility...   and then lead right into how many injuries we have on the team". 

 

Yeah I get real mad at him for the injury excuse.  I dont know what injuries he's speaking of.  The only game that could be chalked up to injuries is the ATL game.  I seriously doubt the outcomes change of the other games with Phillips or Graham aboard.  The offensive line couldn't run block for a 5-6 week span until yesterday.  Also, our run defense lost the games for us in virtually every other game.  He may have helped the Chargers game, but we were down by 10 pts late in the 4th until the pick 6.

[mrtks]

This year I lost hope and didn't find any joy in watching this team.