The word would come out of Bucs camp…an offensive lineman and linebacker got into a fight. Fans would get excited, its explained how that’s a sign of players with a lot of fight in them. And so the Bucs would get into a few more fights during camp..then put on their uniforms and play on sunday.
..and lose…in their ORANGE uniforms.
I cannot tell you how many times I heard this story played out in the days under coach Wyche or Perkins. The truth is, I hardly ever remember fights braking out in practice when the Pewter Uniforms came out, HC Tony Dungy did not allow fighting in practice.
A lot of fans are going to fall into that same thinking this year after reports new Bucs got into a scrimmage, but it wasn’t a factor in the Bucs turnaround in 1997, and it won’t be in 2014 either. Fighting is a lack of control, its a lack of discipline, and its no wonder that it didn’t happen under Dungy, as his teams were the opposite of the 2012 Greg Schiano’s batch, who pretty much did as they felt.
Not to say that Lovie Smith has lost control of his team, truth is they do have tremendous respect for the coach and their teammates. There is no doubt that winning days are ahead, it’s just a question of when.
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