Buccaneers’ Most Hated Man Tournament: Round One, Game Two
The Buccaneers have a history with a lot of highs, and a lot of lows. There have been many players, coaches, and front office people that the fans hate. We continue now to choose the most hated.
Over the last forty seasons, the Buccaneers have given their fans a lot of memories that would be better considered as nightmares. Poor on-field performances, bad coaching, and much more. There have been some strong performances, even a Super Bowl win. But a still greater number of personalities that Bucs Nation hates to this day.
But who do fans hate the most? The “Bucs’ Most Hated Man” tournament continues.
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A couple of days ago, we ran our first battle, between Bo Jackson and Michael Johnson. That poll has now closed, and we will reveal the results at the end of the first round. Now we move on to game two, which is a battle of the coaches, or almost coaches, as the case may be.
In one corner, we have Bill Parcells! Here is a guy that is beloved in the New York/New Jersey area, but in Tampa Bay? Not so much. Some of you may remember what this guy did, but for any of our younger readers, or those who have forgotten, let’s go back there.
After the 1990 season, Bill announced what we all know to be his first retirement. He did have health concerns, so following the Giants’ second Super Bowl win, he stepped down as the coach. After a year away from the sidelines, his interest in coming back began. Hugh Culverhouse and the Bucs made a hard push to bring the “Tuna” in to resurrect the franchise, and they had a deal in place.
He bailed at the last minute, deciding the job wasn’t right or him, and the Buccaneers were left at the altar.
Not only did he do it once, he did it twice. In 2002, he again had a deal in place to replace Tony Dungy, but decided he couldn’t take the job, and informed the Glazers as much.
I wouldn’t swim in some Florida waters if I was the “Big Tuna”. Is he the most hated?
And in this corner, we have Lovie Smith! I think everyone who is reading this post knows that Smith deserves a spot in this tournament. He was a coach brought in to Tampa Bay with a lot of excitement. Who could blame anyone? He did consistently field strong teams in Chicago, including a trip to the Super Bowl. Not only that, he made that trip with Rex Grossman as his quarterback?
That says a lot for his ability, doesn’t it?
Well most of what he did in Chicago failed to translate into Tampa Bay language. In two seasons, the Bucs recorded eight wins under his charge. Not only did they lose, they gave all points all over the league. The team finished 25th in defense in 2014, and 26th in 2015, in terms of points allowed per game. That is not going to get it done, ever.
And, it certainly isn’t wasn’t what anyone was looking for from a defensive coach.
Some, admittedly, felt the firing was too early, and that Lovie deserved more time to work with Jameis Winston. Others are thrilled that Koetter is taking over, and firmly put Lovie Smith on this list.
Do you?
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There you have the players, time to decide. Who is more hated, Lovie Smith or Bill Parcells? You have 48 hours, make your voice heard and vote below: