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Thursday, 7 January 2016

Bucaneers Fire Lovie Smith

Jameis Winston had a strong rookie season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tripled their victory total from the previous year. Still, it wasn’t enough to save coach Lovie Smith’s job.

Smith was fired on Wednesday night after going 6-10 this season, and running up a record of 8-24 overall in two years leading a team that has missed the playoffs eight consecutive years.

The late-night announcement came as a surprise because Smith’s job was not considered to be in danger after the Bucs improved from a slow start to briefly contend for a wild-card berth with a rookie quarterback starting every game.

“This decision was difficult on a variety of levels,” Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement. “I am disappointed that we were not more successful these past few seasons, but we are committed to doing what is necessary to give our fans the winning team they deserve.”

General manager Jason Licht will oversee the search for a new coach.

Smith led the Chicago Bears to the NFC title in 2006, when they lost to Indianapolis in the Super Bowl. He was 84-66 in nine seasons with Chicago.

The Bucs showed some improvement this season with Winston joining Andrew Luck and Cam Newton as the only players since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger to throw for 4,000 yards as rookies. But they lost five of their last six games, including the final four to finish last in the NFC South for the fifth straight season.

“I don’t think any of us would say that we’ve met our expectations. We had high hopes when I took over the franchise. You just can’t build a program overnight,” Smith said earlier this week, reflecting on the progress the team made over two seasons under his guidance.

“You’d like to have a quick fix, but that just wasn’t part of the process. When you get to 6-6 in a season, it makes you think that maybe you’re a little bit further along and we can get it done. But in the end, we weren’t quite there. ‘We’re not where we want to be and eventually, we’re going to get there.”

For the first time, the Bucs ranked in the top 10 in total offense and defense. But finishing No5 offensively and No10 defensively was deceptive. The Bucs struggled to get the ball into the end zone, ranking 20th in points. They were 26th in scoring defense, allowing 24 or more 10 times.

The shortcomings on defence were especially frustrating because that’s been Smith’s area of expertise as a coach. He took over play-calling responsibilities from defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier this season, but an inconsistent pass rush and constant shuffling of personnel in a leaky secondary contributed to a lack of success.

Nevertheless, Smith reiterated his belief that the team is headed in the right direction. “Our football team isn’t a finished product yet, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re in pretty good shape going forward with [Winston] leading us, on and off the field,” Smith said.

Now the Bucs will move ahead without Smith, the team’s third coach since Jon Gruden was fired after the 2008 season. Gruden led Tampa Bay to its only Super Bowl win; none of his successors had an overall winning record in Tampa.

Tampa Bay cornerback Johnthan Banks was sitting courtside Wednesday night at alma mater Mississippi State’s home basketball game against Texas A&M when he learned Smith had been fired. Banks starred at his phone for a few minutes before abruptly walking out of the gym. “I’m just not ready to talk about it,” Banks said.

Saturday, 27 July 2013

Rays Run Riot at Yankees

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Up by nine runs in the late innings, the Tampa Bay Rays wound up needing their closer to finish off this latest victory.

"It's not always an oil painting," manager Joe Maddon observed.

Masterpiece or not, here's a portrait of a winning team: From last place a month ago to now leading the tough AL East.

Jeremy Hellickson retired Yankees newcomer Alfonso Soriano with the bases loaded to preserve an early lead and the streaking Rays tagged CC Sabathia once again, beating New York 10-6 Friday night.

The Rays have won 20 of 23 and took sole possession of the division lead for the first time since June 10, 2012. Recently seven games behind, Tampa Bay moved a half-game ahead of Boston.

"Of course there's gratification in it, but there's no complacency," Maddon said. "It's always good to validate what you're doing."

Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar and Evan Longoria doubled during a six-run burst in the second inning, and James Loney later homered and drove in four runs as the Rays got way ahead in the seventh.

"We were playing such a great game tonight. Not a good game, a great game," Maddon said. "Unfortunately, we let them up a little."

"You don't want an under-duress moment after you're up 10-1 and have to sweat one out," he said. "That's not cool."

Well supported all season, Hellickson (10-3) won his sixth straight decision. Fernando Rodney, the Rays' fourth pitcher in a three-run ninth, got the last out for his 25th save.

"It's not hard to win games when I'm getting eight, nine, 10 runs a game," Hellickson said.

Trying to add power, the Yankees acquired Soriano from the Chicago Cubs before the game, trading a minor league pitcher to get the seven-time All-Star and lots of cash to cover much of his contract.

Soriano got his chance to make a sudden impact, batting with the bases loaded, two outs in the third and the Yankees trailing 6-1. With Tampa Bay's infield overshifted to the left side, he ran the count full before lofting a routine fly to right that ended the inning.

The 37-year-old Soriano, who began his career with the Yankees in 1999 and drew a big ovation in his return, went 0 for 5, scored once and drove in a run. He got an RBI with a bases-loaded force out in the ninth.

"It's a good day for me today to have a chance to put on the uniform again," he said.

"I hope we have a better chance tomorrow," he said. "It's a tough day tonight."

Soriano did more on defense, catching a fly to start the game, making a throw that helped nail a runner and running down a foul ball.

Hellickson gave up one run and four hits in six innings, retiring his last nine batters and sending the Yankees to their seventh loss in 10 games. He also flashed a fast glove, snaring Ichiro Suzuki's liner right in front of his face.

Sabathia (9-9) was booed early and was hit hard for the third straight start, allowing 22 runs over 14 innings in that span. He got a true Bronx cheer when he struck out Loney while escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third.

Sabathia joined Chien-Ming Wang as the only Yankees pitchers since 1935 to allow at least seven runs in three straight starts.

"I feel like throughout my career I've been able to kind of avoid and pitch out of the big innings. Here lately I haven't been able to make a pitch," he said.

"We're right in the middle of this thing and if I can help us out, I feel like we would be doing a lot better. But getting no help from me is making it tough," he said.

The Rays have been particularly prickly for Sabathia. He is just 4-11 in 23 starts against them, including four this season, since joining the Yankees.

A two-out walk to eighth-place hitter Jose Lobaton set up Sam Fuld's RBI single in the second and Desmond Jennings followed with a bunt single that catcher Austin Romine threw away for another run. Longoria delivered a two-run double and scored on Wil Myers' single.

Loney had an RBI single in the fifth and hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Adam Warren.