What is Going on in Tampa?

Posted by Iroquois Pilsken

PLS is exploding with content today. You're welcome (or I apologize).

I just noticed that Tampa Bay demoted DC Jim Bates and HC Raheem Morris will assume the DC duties. Tampa will return to the defense that bears its name.

Coach Morris and I have had our past tiffs. I could sort of live with the decision previously, in light of the fact I thought Josh Johnson should be given a shot. This one is unacceptable.

For those of you who are keeping score, Raheem Morris has now fired both his DC (listed above) and his previous offensive coordinator within three months of taking the job. This desperately smacks of something I call "not knowing what the hell is going on". First, even a football outsider like me knows that you only sacrifice coordinators in order to extend your own head coaching career. This doesn't really bode well for Morris' career as a Head Coach if he's already firing guys.

Second, it was obvious that Bates' defense (a more physical 4-3) was not going to work with the present personnel at the season's outset. I could live with the hiring if only to secure Bates and then bring in different personnel as the year played out, possibly getting a prime player at the top of the draft. But Raheem and GM Mark Dominik surely must have known that Morris' and Bates' defensive philosophies were at odds. Since these guys were hand-picked by the Dynamic Duo, it speaks poorly of the research that actually went into hiring these coordinators.

Lastly, the Raheem Morris shouting point, "Stay the Course" has actually turned into a more false rallying cry than "We want the ball and we're going to score!" What, exactly, does going back to the defense that couldn't stop the run at the end of last year do to correct the problem of being unable to stop the run this year? To clarify, Raheem Morris and Mark Dominik believe that staying the course means to start from a fresh, new direction, release your team's icon, and then give up when it sucks and go back to what we did before. As JoeBucsFan has so eloquently stated,

Joe hasn’t seen this much needless motion and misdirection since Chucky had a his offense shifting all over the place on every other play.

Full disclosure: I wanted Gruden gone. I thought he had run his course; the offense was erratic (as always) and the defense pretty much quit after Monte Kiffin had his bags packed for Tennessee. Sometimes, the devil you do know is better than the devil you don't.At this point, I'd rather see Isaiah Thomas coach the Bucs. At least we could then blame his incompetence on not knowing football because he was a basketball guy (of sorts).

The only thing Tampa might be able to do to win back fan support at this point is to give their franchise icon a chance to start the coaching climb. I firmly believe, and will stump for, Derrick Brooks' hiring in some capacity. He is a pretty intelligent guy who will some day make a fine DC/HC, if he so chooses. Let's give him the opportunity to start now, assuming he is the bigger person and forgives the organization that so swiftly showed him the door when he didn't fit the new scheme, only to abandon it midseason and return to the scheme in which he was fluent. Believe me, the fans would be more willing to give Brooks a chance than most, if not all, are giving to Morris.

No more excuses, Raheem. No more excuses, Dominik. This terrible administration and coaching job are now squarely on you chumps. You can try to wash the blood of change off of your hands now, but mere cries of, "Out, damn spot! Out, I say!" will prove much like Ms. Macbeth's attempts: fruitless and historically famous for not working.

Some Unsolicited Advice from Me to Bill Martin (or His Successor)

Posted by Iroquois Plisken

Well, I wish I could keep it a secret, but I'm afraid the metaphorical jungle cat is out of the bag. To whom the post is entitled: heed my advice. Take it down on some paper, print out this article, carve it in hieroglyphics, whatever. Record it in some form. Not only record it, but heed it. Pay attention to what is on the screen. Are you ready? Good.

Les Miles cannot coach. There, it's in the open.

In case you haven't seen it today, Less Wiles once again demonstrated his artful clock management with a 17 second burn in the 4th quarter. A little while ago, while Miles was winning the National Championship in 2007, everyone in Baton Rouge was willing to overlook his considerable list of boneheaded plays, citing that Miles was just a "risk taker" with "brass balls". Not all of his bad decisions resulted in losses, though, which is why he looked like a genius.

It's pretty easy to posit that the only reason that LSU won the 2007 BCS title was in spite, and not because, of The Hat. Nick Saban was (still is) a fantastic recruiter. Most of the key players on the LSU title team were Saban recruits: QB Matt Flynn, RB Jacob Hester, WR Early Doucet, DT Glenn Dorsey, LB Ali Highsmith, K Colt David. Miles also comes from a fertile recruiting area; he simply has to have a pulse and can pull the top Deep South talent and siphon some from TX and FL as well. Even his fanbase/radio announcers are turning on him, and when you lose your PBP guys, you know you've messed up.

Further, Miles was aided by an able staff of assistants. Jimbo Fisher, while not great, was at least adequate. Bo Pelini has proven to be a good and improving coach in Nebraska. He's made some (in my opinion) great hires in Gary Crowton and John Chavis. So, you really can't blame the underlings.

So AD Bill Martin (or whoever you hire to replace him, maybe this guy): If you want balls of steel, brains of mush, go ahead and hire Les Miles. He's probably lost his fan base and, from the disgruntled look of the normally cool Jordan Jefferson, perhaps his team too. If he isn't outright fired, I'm sure LSU fans will be more than willing to pay for his bus fare to any interview that he is granted/wants to take.

It's a shame, too. I really liked having it be a secret that Miles isn't a great coach.