Greg Schiano's fall from grace continues to get steeper and steeper. First the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach dealt with preseason drama with former quarterback Josh Freeman. Schiano was accused of tampering with the captain's vote and leaking confidential drug information to create a smear campaign against the starter. After several players have spoken out against the coach, fans are not crying to have Schiano fired.
When fans arrive for the Thursday night game against Tampa Bay and Carolina, they will be greeted with "Fire Schiano" billboards. The radio station 102.5 the Bone purchased several billboards calling for the firing of the head coach after an 0-6 start. If Schiano did not think he was on the hot seat, the firey background on the billboard should make the message clear. At least for the head coach he does not have fans attacking his house. Maybe he and Matt Schaub can pair up for protection?
Things continue to get worse for Schiano. A former Tampa Bay player spoke with Mike Silver of NFL.com and said playing for the head coach is "like being in Cuba." He notes things are much worse than the media is letting on which is hard to believe, but apparently is true. This is not the first time Schiano's coaching style has come under fire. Several players have spoken up saying his coaching styles have lost the locker room.
Schiano has 11 defeats in the last 12 games. That stat alone makes his future extremely uncertain. Barring any shocking surprises, the Buccaneers are set up to earn the No. 1 overall draft pick and likely start rebuilding once again. According to Silver, Schiano has alienated and lost the locker room. Former defensive end Michael Bennett notes that the coach's tactics during games were dirty and players were forced to do things against the rules.
"I think he just wants to flex his power," Bennett says. "He has small (man's) syndrome. I still talk to guys who are there, and trust me, there's not much respect for him in that locker room."
Schiano continues to put a positive spin on the season. Recently he told the NFL Network that the team will win their fair share of games this season. He stresses the talent on the Buccaneers and asks that fans just be patience. Well Schiano, it appears patience is wearing thin.