Greg Schiano Was In the Wrong Sunday, Which Is Disappointing

Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Joe Tufaro is the Senior Editor and lead writer for GMEN HQ, and he joined The Pewter Plank to discuss and give an opposing view point on the actions surrounding the end of Sunday’s game. With time expiring, and the Giants in victory formation, the Buccaneers bum rushed Eli Manning in an apparent attempt to cause a fumble. Not everyone feels it was a part of the game and everyone around the NFL is divided on whether it should have happened or not. Joe Tufaro weighs in with his opinion on the matter in thie Pewter Plank Special Report.

There are certain things in this world that really bug me, and pretending you are something you are not is one of them.  After yesterday’s game, a game in which the Buccaneers showed some fight, determination, and some promising things for the future, Greg Schiano all of a sudden became the “Babe in the Woods” at his press conference.  His statement of “I guess they don’t do those things that at this level, I don’t know” was disingenuous at best.  He was an assistant in the NFL for three seasons before he returned to college football.  Serving three years under Dave Wannstedt as a defensive assistant in Chicago.  He knows full well how things work up here.

Coach Schiano also stated that he worries about his team, and his team only.  I agree with that statement, and that’s where I think he made a big mistake.  In my opinion he has now put a target on the back of every one of his players.  In this league memories are long, and somewhere down the road when the Bucs are taking a knee, or are seemed to be comfortably in front, or behind, it will come back to bite one of his players.  That’s not taking the best interests of your team to heart.

The two opinions on the subject I agree with the most were Coach Mariucci, and Coach Billick. Mariucci took Schiano at his words that he didn’t know and basically said there is always some college coach that comes to the league that thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, and he is going to make the difference.  I would suggest this is not the way to go about it.  Coach Billick saw the hypocrisy between the statements about the health and safety of the players made every day by the players union, and the NFL, and this action.  How do players in the same union look to injure other guys?  Did the Bounty situation teach us nothing? That listening to your coaches with blinders on might not be the thing to do?  Why put your players in that situation?

I understand and appreciate it’s not in the rule book, and I do not expect nor would I ask for any action by the league.  I think Coach Schiano can teach toughness and relentlessness in a better way, and winning and losing with class is a trait he should try to acquire to pass on to his young, talented team.