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Fiasco

REACTION: Some fans cheer, while other fans gripe, but there's no mistaking the passionate reaction of Buccaneers fans.

[Times photo: Jamie Francis] "Parcells would have been short term and would have left us high and dry," said Rick Sapp, a bartender in St. Petersburg.

By MIKE BRASSFIELD
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 19, 2002

Taking a break from his pool game, Patrick Sullivan threw up his hands and rolled his eyes at the news that Bill Parcells won't be coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• What happened • Dungy talks to Carolina; Bucs return 'doubtful' • Shouldn't they have seen this coming? • Gimme Five • So who's next? • What they are saying about Parcells

"I wish Parcells was here right now. He would have been good for the Bucs," said Sullivan, 35, of Gulfport. "Tony Dungy was too soft. You need somebody who's going to throw a few chairs around."

Not everybody agreed.

"I'm extremely happy. Parcells would have been short term and would have left us high and dry," said St. Petersburg bartender Rick Sapp, 32, a Bucs season-ticket holder. "We need a coach who's going to be here over the long term."

The latest wrinkle in the Bucs' coaching debacle provoked passionate reactions and barroom debates all over the Tampa Bay area Friday night. Some fans griped and moaned while others rejoiced.

At Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill in St. Petersburg, a group of Bucs fans sat at a table and glumly shook their heads at the news.

"Parcells is 60. I think he's concluded that there are more important things than money -- unfortunately," said St. Pete Beach financial adviser Jeff Duart.

"I'm disappointed," said New York native Mike Perlin, a Seminole schoolteacher. "He's the best coach."

Clearwater teacher Roy Sachse asked the question that's on a lot of fans' minds: "Now what? Where do we go from here?"

John Lamerson, a St. Petersburg floor refinisher, wasn't surprised by the news because Parcells had flirted with the Bucs and turned them down once before, several years ago.

"He's unpredictable. That's twice he's put it right to us," said Lamerson, who would like to see Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin promoted to head coach.

Numerous fans criticized the Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers.

Pasco High School football coach Ricky Thomas thinks the Glazers got what was coming to them.

"It was a big mistake to get rid of Tony Dungy," Thomas said. "The grass is not always greener on the other side. Obviously they're businessmen and they're trying to make a little bit more money, but I think they got what they deserved when Parcells turned them down."

The Glazers and Parcells were no more popular at the Press Box, a sports bar on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

"They got rid of Dungy without a backup plan. I just don't understand," said Joe Carfano, 38, of Tampa.

"After what happened last time, they shouldn't have taken (Parcells) on his word. Dungy will be laughing all the way to Indianapolis," said Jason Wilson, 23, of Tampa.

Keith Eidson of Tampa, a Bucs season-ticket holder for more than 20 years, thinks the Glazers handled the Dungy firing poorly.

"When you have someone like Dungy, a real class act, and then the Glazers, it's really night and day," he said.

Matt Allegretti, 22, of Brandon, thought the Glazers shouldn't have fired Dungy without a clear backup plan.

"But maybe this is for the better," he said, "because Parcells would have come in and left things in shambles in a couple of years.

Allegretti said the Glazers are running out of options.

"They should have let Rich McKay handle more of this," he said. "But the Glazers wanted to handle it themselves. They obviously don't know anything about bringing in a new coach."

Disbelief was on the menu at Ker's WingHouse in Port Richey.

"I think it's pretty sad for Tampa Bay," said Ray Harget, 35, of Port Richey. "They got rid of a decent coach thinking they had a proven Super Bowl-winning coach, and now they don't have either one of them."

Said Justin Doughty, 26, of Port Richey: "I think the Glazers went out on a limb, and it has broken right out from under them."

- Staff writers Ernest Hooper and Jamal Thalji contributed to this report.

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