Gruden press conference on tap

Coach Jon Gruden will have hold weekly press conference at 11 a.m. this morning. Check in for updates throughout the afternoon on Chris Simms' condition and the Bucs' plans to replace him after the potential season-ending injury. Simms ruptured his spleen Sunday against the Panthers and had it removed in an emergency surgery last night. He is in stable condition at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

Comments

[RICHIE RICARDO]

WISHING CHRIS A FAST RECOVERY. MIGHT BE BEST FOR HIM TO GIVE UP FOOTBALL, ENJOY HIS FAMILY AND SEEK OUT SOMETHING ELSE.
I AM A GRADKOWSKI FAN FROM DAY ONE. BUT TESTAVERDE IS MY FAVORITE. HE WOULD FIT IN AS A LEADER SO EASY. ALSO, WE COULD TRADE RATTAY & HILLIARD FOR BRIAN GRIESE. THEN THERE IS KING! NOW I THINK BRUCE WILL BE A WINNER IN N.O. GO-BUCS !!

you are an idiot

[John Eriksen]

Ashamed to be a “Bucs Fan”

I have been a Bucs fan since the day I was able to pick a favorite team. After attending the game yesterday like I do every other game I am ashamed to be called a Bucs fan. Not because of the team, but because of the people who call themselves bucs fans. It is a term that now holds shame for me. I listened to about 75% of a crowd boo a young qb that less than a year ago took a young offense on his back and carried them to the playoffs. The same player they cheered and gloated about now is the same player they booed and called for his blood. Blood which dripped into his stomach as he lead his team to a remarkable comeback. And still this was not good enough. I held my head in shame as I heard about 75% of Raymond James stadium cheer as Chris Simms was helped of the field and an unproven rookie quarterback ran in.

I am not blind I see the problems Chris Simms displayed over the first two weeks. But if you want to call yourself a fan you stick with your team in the good and bad. I sat and listened to a season ticket holder walk in, sit down in front of me and bash the team every chance he got then cheered when Simms did his thing.

I have heard others bash our fans calling them band wagon fans. And to a degree I agreed but not so much. I started to see where our fans stood after Brad Johnson led our team to a Super Bowl than demanded his replacement not long after. Brad Johnson was a quarterback who played with cracked ribs and was a true warrior for this team and our fans ran him out of town. And still I had faith in our fans. That faith has been totally drained after the Carolina game. I listened after two games every so called fan called for the dismissal of Chris Simms and it disgusted me then and it makes me sick now.

Chris Simms showed his strength and poise during his play yesterday and the way he has handled himself off the field as well. Bucs “fans” now will get their wish as our team leader now lays in a hospital bed recovering from an injury; that he played an entire game with. They will get rookie Gradkowski. As a fan I hope our new quarterback leads us to the promise land but that is a far stretch. Our so called fans will get what they called for and it won’t be pretty. The chances are pretty good we won’t get to see Chris Simms in a Buc uniform again and that stinks. I sure hope if he doesn’t come back to play for us he becomes the pro bowl QB I know he is. As much as I hope he comes back to this team and I know we don’t deserve him.

Today is a very sad day for me because I no longer want to be referred to as a Bucs fan. This will always be my team but I don’t ever want to be associated with the “Buc’s Fans” that have shown their true ugly face in the past few weeks. I will be at all the games pulling for my team but be disgraced by the most of the fans who sit around me.

Sincerely

John Eriksen