Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden have made it clear they don't care. They don't care about character. They don't care about loyalty.
Mostly, they don't care what you think.
Go ahead and raise your voice. Stomp your feet, send your e-mails, point your fingers in accusation. Guess what? Still don't care.
A new level of discipline has been established at One Buc Place and you can almost see the players stepping over it daily.
Domestic abuse is not a big deal. Drug violations are easily excused. And accusations of date rape? Well, that's just fodder for Allen's one-liners.
In recent days, Allen and Gruden have sent a message to both team and community that is unmistakable:
Talent outweighs trouble.
And the scale is not even close.
You saw it Monday when Allen came to the defense of Michael Pittman. This was after Pittman pleaded guilty to a felony following a domestic dispute. Which is after he had previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in another domestic disturbance. Which predated a no-contest plea in a misdemeanor battery case involving another woman.
You saw it again Tuesday when the Bucs signed Darrell Russell. This is after Russell served multiple league suspensions for drug use. Russell also once faced 25 felony charges for videotaping an alleged rape of a female acquaintance by two convicted felons, although prosecutors later said there was not enough evidence to go trial. In between, Russell managed to work in an arrest for suspicion of drunken driving.
You saw it - most brazenly - when Allen made light of Russell's role in the rape case by saying Bill Clinton had done far worse.
So this is what we have to look forward to?
Sex, drugs and Jackass humor?
Look, I understand we've moved past the days of athletes as golden boys. Ballplayers are pretty reflective of society, which means they sometimes drink too much, party too loudly and occasionally show up on criminal blotters.
Ours is not the first community to grapple with the issue of athletes committing undesirable acts. Most days, we're willing to pretend otherwise. We consider them high-spirited antics or misunderstandings. In some cases, we try not to consider them at all.
Then Allen and Gruden come along and give our consciences a jolt.
They've made it impossible to look the other way. Not when there's outrage in every direction. It isn't just Russell. It isn't just Pittman. It isn't just the release of a community activist, such as John Lynch.
It's all of those things, along with an attitude that suggests the paying customers are too stupid to recognize what's happening.
When Pittman was acquired from the Cardinals, Gruden said he deserved a second chance. When that chance led to another domestic assault charge, Gruden said he would wait until all the facts were in. Now that Pittman has pleaded guilty, is Gruden waiting for a note from the warden?
Now maybe you think Gruden is being unfairly portrayed when he is really just an old softy. A warm-hearted fellow willing to help troubled young men.
It's true, Gruden has not come across the crime that he does not think can be excused. Or the offender who can not be rehabilitated.
Unless, of course, you're talking about Keyshawn Johnson, who was fired at midseason for having a big mouth.
The problem is Gruden answers to no one. The Glazers will not knock on his door as long as there are deposit slips to be written. The fans will not sway him because he knows, ultimately, they care more about victories. And Allen is here to take the blame, not the lead.
This week has been a long time in the making. Practically since the day Rich McKay discovered an escape route to Atlanta.
McKay was the moral compass who would occasionally steer Gruden back toward decency. On his way out the door, McKay said he had grown weary of being the guy who had to constantly say "no."
Now there is no one left to say it.
The Bucs knew signing Russell would enrage some people. They just didn't care. Not even after Lynch. Not even after Pittman.
It wasn't so long ago that this community stood up to applaud and embrace the Buccaneers. There were tributes given and parades held. The Bucs were, and this is not an exaggeration, the pride of the area.
We offered our hearts, we gave them our money.
In return, they have broken into the liquor cabinet. They have left a mess over here and offended someone over there. At the sound of complaints, they have turned the stereo up a little louder.
They have made it clear, by their actions, that they don't care a bit about the team's reputation or the community's standards.
