Newsgroup: it.sport.americani
Titolo: News from Tampa Bay

HONOLULU (AP) -- Mike Shula was fired as offensive coordinator of the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers in a move not supported by coach Tony Dungy, who said last
week that a change was not the answer to problems the team had moving the
ball last season.
The St. Petersburg Times reported in Thursday's editions that ownership made
the decision to not retain Shula, 34, who had served as offensive
coordinator since Dungy's arrival in 1996.
The Bucs ranked 30th in passing and 28th overall in offense in 1999, yet
still had the most successful season (12-6) in franchise history because of
a defense that was the key to the team's march to the NFC Championship game.
Tampa Bay failed to score a touchdown in an 11-6 loss to the eventual Super
Bowl champion St. Louis Rams in the title game, the fifth time they failed
to get into the end zone on offense last season.
The Times said Dungy informed Shula of his dismissal late Wednesday at the
hotel where the coach and his assistants gathered this week to direct the
NFC squad for Sunday's Pro Bowl.
Earlier in the day, Dungy told the newspaper in Hawaii that he wanted to
retain his entire staff for next season.
"That would be my hope, but it's out of my hands," the coach said. "Truly
out of my hands."
Dungy met with Shula in private following a conference call between the
coach, general manager Rich McKay and team vice presidents Brian and Joel
Glazer, sons of owner Malclom Glazer.
Shula, 34, is the son of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula. He was relieved of
his duties as quarterbacks coach before the 1999 season but continued to
serve as offensive coordinator.
A day after the NFC title game, Dungy said that the offense would be
modified during the offseason to fit the talents of rookie quarterback Shawn
King, who started the team's last seven games after injuries sidelined Trent
Dilfer and backup Eric Zeier.
But Dungy stressed that he didn't foresee firing Shula because changing
coaches wasn't necessarily the answer to moving the ball better. He pointed
out that the Bucs made it to the conference championship despite playing
down the stretch with their third-string quarterback and backups at both
tackles positions on the offensive line.
Shula had never been an offensive coordinator before coming to Tampa Bay as
part of Dungy's original staff. He is the first assistant from that group to
leave the team.
"I'm just not a big believer that because you change coaches, all of a
sudden everything's going to be great," Dungy said at the time.
"What we were doing and how we were trying to do it, I don't have a problem
with that. Had we not turned it over as much, I think we would have won two
or three more games. Mike doesn't carry the ball. Mike doesn't throw the
ball. Mike doesn't catch the ball."
Under Shula's direction, the Bucs never ranked higher than 22nd in total
offense. They were 30th in passing two of the past three seasons, including
1997 when the team went 10-6 and made the playoffs for the first time in 15
years.
Vincenzo Semeraro

moving the ball last season.
Era ora......
-- 
Giovanni (AKA John Hooks)
--------------------------------------------
Huddle Magazine
http://www.huddle.org
Vuoi saperne di piu' su Ispa??
http://members.xoom.it/ispa

supported by coach Tony Dungy
La decisione non sara' stata sostenuta da coach Dungy,
ma di sicuro e' stata accolta con gioia da tutti i tifosi dei
Bucs: e magari, l'anno prossimo, qualche partita la vincera'
anche l'attacco, e tutto il peso dell' "offense" dei Buccaneers
non sara' piu' solo sulle spalle di....Sapp & soci, come
- paradossalmente - è stato per tutta questa stagione!
GO BUCS!
Luka V