The 2009 season brought out the memories for Bucs fans as the old Bucco Bruce uniforms were brought out (and still havn’t really put them away!) and Tampa Bay celebrated its past; 30 years past that is. The Bucs remembered their 1979 season when the franchise had its first ever playoff season, and some of us Bucs historians also celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the Bucs 2nd appearance in the championship game; ironically also against the Rams! Yes in many ways the 1999 season was just as special as the one 20 years prior to that.
1979 was as improbably as you could imagine; a team that was 0-26 two years later was in the NFC’s greatest game. But 1999 you could say may have been even more less likely, given the Bucs 14 straight double digit losing seasons, and a 3-4 record with not a QB in sight. Yet Trent Dilfer did enough that year to get the Bucs to the big dance, and you could thank it all on behalf of Tony Dungy.
Some would say the Bucs left their hearts on the field in St. Louis after that 11-6 loss to the Rams. They wouldn’t return to a championship game again for their beleaguered coach, who among great controversy would be fired only two years after that great defensive effort.
By now you’ve probably heard all the rumors, of how Dungy was wronged by being fired via Email by spineless Glazers. That simply was never true; he was called to Rich McKay’s home and informed he was being replaced then. The sad part of the whole business was that he had no warning it was coming. He asked at the beginning of the season if he had to win the Super Bowl to save his job, the answer was no.
Football is a business, we have all seen the hard luck evidence of that: Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, John Lynch to name a few. Tony was no different.
So when we play football this year, and we hear about the throw back weekend and other memorable stuff, I hope someone in the national or local media makes the mention out loud for everyone to hear.
One of the men who helped turn it all around was let go, perhaps prematurely, definitely before he was finished accomplishing his goals for the team and its players.
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