Somebody needs to pull aside Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden and new general manager Bruce Allen and let them know they're not in Oakland anymore.
Gruden and Allen both came to the Bucs by way of the Oakland Raiders, whose owner, Al Davis, has long cultivated a reputation for collecting felons, thugs and miscreants that most other teams wouldn't touch. Now Gruden and Allen seem intent on turning Tampa Bay into Oakland east.
The newest Buc is defensive tackle Darrell Russell, a former Raider who has been suspended twice by the NFL for violations of the league's drug policies. While serving a one-year suspension, Russell was arrested on charges that he drugged a female acquaintance and videotaped her as she was sexually assaulted by two of his friends, both of whom had long criminal records. More than 25 felony counts against Russell and the two men eventually were dropped.
So how do the Bucs justify Russell's signing? "Bill Clinton did a lot worse things than Darrell Russell," said Allen, whose brother is a Republican U.S. senator from Virginia.
Does Allen think Clinton has done a lot worse things than Michael Pittman, too?
Pittman was signed in 2002 at Gruden's urging, even though the running back was on probation for two previous domestic violence incidents. When Pittman was arrested again last year, on charges that he rammed his Hummer into a car carrying his wife, their 2-year-old son and a babysitter, he stayed on the active roster. Gruden said he was waiting "until the legal system runs its course."
Now the legal system has run its course. Pittman pleaded guilty last week to a felony count of endangerment. He may go to jail for violating his probation. The league may suspend him. But the Bucs' coach and general manager still haven't said or done anything to punish him.
No one expects all football players to be Boy Scouts, but former coach Tony Dungy and general manager Rich McKay built the foundation for the Bucs' recent success by stressing character as much as talent. Players such as John Lynch and Derrick Brooks have contributed as much to this community as they have contributed to the team.
Gruden and Allen cut Lynch the other day, and they didn't even manage to give him proper thanks as they pushed him out the door. Brooks and the other remaining Bucs surely took note of the shabby treatment Lynch received. So did thousands of Bucs fans.
Davis' motto is "just win, baby" - implying that all sins will be forgiven if his Raiders succeed on the field. Gruden and Allen obviously learned well from Davis. But if the Bucs have another season as disappointing as last year's, the coach and general manager may find they don't have much goodwill to fall back on, in the locker room or in the community.
