Ex-Packer Leroy Butler unhappy with Bucs over Mike Sherman snub

[SnakeLH2006]

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2012/01/28/ex-packer-leroy-butler-unhappy-with-bucs-over-mike-sherman-snub/
Ex-Packer Leroy Butler unhappy with Bucs over Mike Sherman snub

by Brian Biggane Leroy Butler is not happy with Warren Sapp. And he’s particularly not happy with the Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Bucs, whom he’s convinced allowed Sapp to influence their intention to hire Mike Sherman as head coach. Following that snub, Sherman joined his former assistant Joe Philbin in Miami Friday to become the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator.
We need some background here. Back in November 2002, Sapp and the Bucs were playing the Packers, at the time coached by Sherman, when Tampa Bay’s Brian Kelly intercepted a pass. Sapp, turning from defensive end to blocker, found offensive lineman Chad Clifton and blasted him, knocking him out of the game. After the game, Sherman confronted Sapp as the teams were leaving the field and accused him of a cheap shot, which set Sapp off. The two had to be separated and the confrontation received a lot of national attention.
Fast forward to earlier this month, when the Bucs were interviewing candidates for their coaching job that this week went to former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. Sapp stayed quiet for awhile, then weighed in with a tweet under his handle @QBKilla that read:
“Mark Dominik Hiring Your Agent’s Client (Mike Sherman) Is Not Da Way To Win Football Games!! #WhereTheyDoThatAt … 25-25 At Texas A&M?? … How Can a General Manager That Leaves Work Everyday At 4pm! Hire a Head Coach?? #HireAFriend”
Mark Dominik, of course, is the Bucs’ general manager. The tweet went out at about the same time Jason LaCanfora of NFL Network was reporting the Bucs appeared to be hours away from naming Sherman head coach.
In discussing Sherman Friday, Butler, the former Packers’ defensive back who is now a broadcaster in Green Bay, expressed disappointment with the turn of events, saying Sherman was right to defend Clifton at the time and shouldn’t be penalized for that now.
“He was always in his players’ corner,” Butler said. “It’s unfair for him not to a get head coaching job based on something that happened a long time ago.”
People should understand something about Sapp. On the NFL Network and on Showtime’s Inside the NFL, he’s cultivated a persona of a big, lovable teddy bear who just likes to have fun. The one time I interviewed him face to face, on Media Day prior to the New Orleans-Indianapolis Super Bowl at Sun Life Stadium a couple of years ago, he showed another side. If you questioned his opinions, or even asked followup questions, he turned aggressive and showed signs of being a bully. When I sought out colleagues from Tampa Bay and asked them about it they confirmed that’s the real Warren Sapp.
Should the Bucs have hired Sherman? The sense of the area media prior to last week’s East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg was that an experienced guy such as Sherman or even Marty Schottenheimer would be a good choice to steady the ship after the Bucs crashed and burned this season, losing their last 10 games. It got so bad at the end they were losing to Atlanta 42-0 at halftime of their finale.
Schiano was a hot name a few years ago, when the University of Miami wanted him for its head coaching vacancy, but has cooled since. He’s got a huge job ahead of him. Something tells me he won’t be calling Sapp if he needs advice.

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http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2008/0306/nfl_a_sapp_sherman_600.jpg

Lol. Shermy was merely 25-25 at Texas A&M...but Sapp has always been a punk.

[Patler]

If the Glazer family and/or their GM want to give importance to the opinion of a former star player about a coach whose team he played against, that is their right. Passing over Sherman, for whatever reason, is a decision, not a snub. Sherman had no right or entitlement to the job.

[Kiwon]

I must admit that Sapp is not bad as an analyst. He makes good points, even though his Sappisms and camera mugging takes away from what he's saying. But, apparently, the NFL Network loves him.

But he does have a bully act. This season, the host, Rich Eisen, made a joke at his expense and Sapp did his wide eyes and stone face act. Later he made a pointed joke back at Eisen escalating the tension. Obviously, Sapp's got that bully stuff down pat.

However, generally, Sapp is good on TV. That said, I will never forgive him for the cheap shot on Clifton and then intentionally not apologizing for it. He wears it as a badge of honor that the NFL put in a rule specifically because of his action. At the time, all the formers players on TV were down on Sherman for confronting Sapp. Some of them were even making a racial thing out of it.

However, Sherman earned my respect for standing up for Clifton directly to the opposing player rather than doing it at a podium in a press conference. Sapp was griping about the possible Sherman hiring behind the scenes but if an owner pays that much attention to a former player's tweet then Sherman's better off in not working with those kind of people. That's my take.

[pbmax]

Unfortunately, the only thing missing here is the part where Sapp objected to Sherman because of the Clifton debacle. From this article, it just looks like LeRoy is trying to get his name in the news.

[Kiwon]

Unfortunately, the only thing missing here is the part where Sapp objected to Sherman because of the Clifton debacle. From this article, it just looks like LeRoy is trying to get his name in the news.

It was obvious by the reactions of the NFL Network crew regarding the Sherman story that Sapp was complaining to them about it and was not in favor of his hiring.

[pbmax]

It was obvious by the reactions of the NFL Network crew regarding the Sherman story that Sapp was complaining to them about it and was not in favor of his hiring.

Well, that might make him consistent, but it still doesn't provide any support of LeRoy's charge.

[Pugger]

When team execs start listening to the Butlers and Sapps of the world they're not long for their jobs either.

[mraynrand]

It was obvious by the reactions of the NFL Network crew regarding the Sherman story that Sapp was complaining to them about it and was not in favor of his hiring.


What you did was wrong!

[swede]

http://i00.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/387/324/374/374324387_272.jpg

[Gunakor]

Mike Sherman was great at putting together a gameplan. But he was a horrible gameday coach. Absolutely atrocious, both at the NFL level and at the NCAA level. I have to believe that played at least as much a part in this decision as Sapp's tweet, if not moreso.

Sherman is now an OC working with familiar company. That's where he belongs. He wasn't destined to become an NFL head coach again anyway.

[smuggler]

Yeah, Sapp scarred his image with a lot of people with the Clifton hit. But, he's probably right that it wasn't in Tampa's best interests to hire Sherman.

Then again, Sherman was always a better coach than GM, so...

[Pugger]

Mike Sherman was great at putting together a gameplan. But he was a horrible gameday coach. Absolutely atrocious, both at the NFL level and at the NCAA level. I have to believe that played at least as much a part in this decision as Sapp's tweet, if not moreso.

Sherman is now an OC working with familiar company. That's where he belongs. He wasn't destined to become an NFL head coach again anyway.

this

[ND72]

Mike Sherman was great at putting together a gameplan. But he was a horrible gameday coach. Absolutely atrocious, both at the NFL level and at the NCAA level. I have to believe that played at least as much a part in this decision as Sapp's tweet, if not moreso.

Sherman is now an OC working with familiar company. That's where he belongs. He wasn't destined to become an NFL head coach again anyway.

actually liked sherman before he became GM. after getting the GM hat, sundays were tough on him. He was obviously missing his planning time. Miami will be interesting with Philbin/Sherman running the Offense. They need a new QB, and I really think Flynn would be a hit there, coming in and having an idea of what Philbin wants. Sherman likes the power run game though, which does NOT fit Reggie Bush, and Reggie actually played well this year!

[Smidgeon]

actually liked sherman before he became GM. after getting the GM hat, sundays were tough on him. He was obviously missing his planning time. Miami will be interesting with Philbin/Sherman running the Offense. They need a new QB, and I really think Flynn would be a hit there, coming in and having an idea of what Philbin wants. Sherman likes the power run game though, which does NOT fit Reggie Bush, and Reggie actually played well this year!

Right, but Sherman was also good with a screen game, so he could boost Reggie there. It will be interesting to watch. I'm not sure I've ever been as interested in what another team's going to do than I currently am with Miami.

[smuggler]

Matt Moore might be a medium-term solution for the 'Phins. Between he and Henne, there should be enough there to get something done.