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Fan Discontent Aided In Gruden's Firing

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2009

TAMPA - Fan discontent over the direction of the team was a factor in the recent firing of Jon Gruden as head coach of the Buccaneers, Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer said Monday.

"Our fans are our stockholders. They're what we play for every week. They're the people in our stadium and who watch on TV," Glazer said during an impromptu interview at the media headquarters for the Super Bowl. "This is what it's all about - winning, and how they feel about the team. If they don't feel good about the team, something's wrong."

He added, "Not to speak for the fans, but I think you all know the sense that was out there. It was time for a change."

Gruden was fired on Jan. 16, replaced as head coach by Raheem Morris following a 9-7 season. The Bucs lost four games in December to miss a playoff spot, becoming the first team in NFL history to start 9-3 and miss the postseason.

"It's a mix of a lot of things. We did take our time and talked to a lot of people, not only the players but the community - getting a feel for the team," Glazer said. "We had our opinions and we mixed them all together. We took our time in making the decision.

"I've had players be very, very positive about the change. I just ran into Earnest Graham at the NFL Experience Sunday. His face just lit up."

The Bucs are an estimated $45 million under the salary cap. Glazer said they're willing to spend what it takes to get the team back into the league's elite.

"It's no different than it has been in the past. We have a lot of money to spend and we'll spend it on players who are going to help our football team," he said. "That's the key thing. We want to have a winning team, but we want to build a winning football team. We want to build a team that can sustain success over the long term."

Reporter Joe Henderson can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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