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'Good' just isn't enough

Norv Turner's firing in Washington reminds Bucs' Tony Dungy of how costly high expectations can be.

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By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 5, 2000

TAMPA -- His team was picked by many to win the Super Bowl this season. The owner sank millions of dollars in getting Pro Bowl players to push it over the top. But after digging a hole, it might have to win all three of its remaining games just to earn a spot in the post-season.

Fans who thought his team would take the next step hoped it wouldn't be off a cliff.

But a news conference was called Monday and the coach opened with some conciliatory statements.

"Well, I guess, number one, I'm happy to just have a job today," Bucs coach Tony Dungy said. "You never know these days."

Of course, Dungy is not on the hot seat in Tampa Bay. But he opened his weekly news conference following Sunday's 27-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys with a not-so-veiled reference to the firing of Washington Redskins coach Norv Turner on Monday.

"You never know what's going to happen," Dungy said. "It's not amazing to me, but it's interesting that you have a team in playoff contention with a coach stepping down (the Lions' Bobby Ross) and another in playoff contention in which the coach gets let go. I guess it just says that winning is not the big thing any more, but how you win. Maybe we do need to throw more and get more style points."

Although the Bucs have won five of their past six games and are fifth in the race for six playoff spots, Dungy is peppered with questions about his team's unproductive passing game.

Tampa Bay's net passing yardage has been 60 at Chicago, 66 versus the Bills and 51 Sunday against the Cowboys.

A year ago, despite coming within four minutes of representing the NFC in the Super Bowl, the Bucs fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula. Dungy was asked Monday if he would expect the organization to push for more changes.

"It's hard to say. There's a lot of pressure to win now," he said. "I guess everyone feels like winning is important and they have a lot of the answers. I guess you just have to be ready for change.

"But you don't know how people are going to respond. I imagine the guys in Washington are going to come out and play well, but it's tough when you make changes in midstream. Change is not always the most efficient thing to do.

"I think it's just premature to think we have to make changes because we're not in the position we thought we'd be in or whatever. I do wonder sometimes about the change. Last year, Ray Rhodes was 8-8 and missed the playoffs on the last day. It does speak to where the league is."

Despite his objection to Turner's firing, Dungy is rooting for Redskins assistant Terry Robiskie, who was named the Redskins interim coach. Robiskie becomes only the fifth African-American head coach in NFL history.

"It is good to see Terry get a chance," Dungy said. "I'm sure he wouldn't relish the chance this way. No one looks forward to it happening this way. But I think Terry will do a great job. If it had to be someone, I'm glad it's Terry."

Coaching in the NFL is not as enjoyable as it was several years ago, Dungy said.

"I haven't been in it that long to know how much fun it was 20 years ago," he said. "It is less fun. More things you have to do. The thing that's changed is that players change so much, with free agency. You don't have the same group of guys for eight or nine years, so you're constantly trying to find that mix and chemistry of a team. I think winning is still as important as it's always been. I think there was a lot of pressure to win even years ago, but I don't think everybody has the same idea of what it takes to win. And maybe what it takes to win is different now, with some of the changes made in the system."

Perhaps the culprit is free agency, which allows teams to acquire high-priced, recognizable talent to fill holes. Dungy said that system only increases the impatience of fans and owners.

"People have a misconception that there's a window of opportunity, that we paid this much money and got these guys and so we can only win this year, or we have the next year to win, and if we don't, we have to make some changes," he said. "I don't think that's necessarily the case, but I think a lot of people are feeling that way. And who knows what team we're going to have or what players we're going to have three years from now?

"People, fans, everybody have jumped on that idea where we might lose this guy next year, or these guys in two years, so we need to win, we got to get it done. I think Minnesota is a great example that that's not the case. No way they can win without Jeff George and Randall Cunningham."

The Bucs invested heavily this season in three Pro Bowl free agents: receiver Keyshawn Johnson, guard Randall McDaniel and center Jeff Christy. But those acquisitions have produced the 27th-ranked offense in the NFL.

So is the window of opportunity closing soon for Dungy and the Bucs?

"I hope not," Dungy said. "The window of opportunity is small for these 53 guys here right now, but hopefully that window is going to be there for a long time."

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