Casting a Shadow by Portraying a Light?

Tony Dungy: football coach, Christian, charitable man, and now…author. Dungy’s book, released today, gives a glimpse into his final season with the Buccaneers, but I must beg the question; does it cast the Glazer family as villains rather than concerned business men?

In the book he talks about how in his tenure the owners had flown with the team every game until that final Philadelphia playoff game, and how he was reassured before the season started that winning the Super Bowl wouldn’t be the only way to save his job, and finally how it was a “30 second meeting in which he was told he was fired.” Dungy is a respected man, who earned his accolades, but by painting the picture that the Glazers lied to Tony, isn’t that something Tony doesn’t stand for?

I’m hopeful Dungy points out that the Glazers were dealing with their product and had to do what they felt was best; I’m sure it was nothing personal, and again I’m sure Dungy wouldn’t make the owners come off as the second coming of Michael Myers, but I guess we’ll just have to see.

Another interesting note from his book:

Dungy wrote that in his first draft with the Bucs in 1996, the Bucs were focused on landing Texas A&M running back Leeland McElroy. They thought they had made a deal to move up with the Jets.

But the Jets took another player and the Bucs watched McElroy go to the Cardinals.

"We were disappointed and frustrated, but we had only two picks in which to gather ourselves and decide whom we wanted next," Dungy wrote. "We had been so focused on McElroy, that we needed time to turn our attention to others - time we didn't have. Even though we needed a great, game-changing back, we decided our best option was to make do with the next player on our board - a battering-ram, short-yardage running back."

Mike Alstott.

"Of course, after the pick, we knew we would have to meet with the media and say how thrilled we were to have Mike. But as we gave our separate interviews, I know we were all extremely disappointed at how close we had been to getting McElroy. Years later, we came out looking like geniuses for having picked Alstott.

"He went on to become the second-leading rusher in Buccaneers history and to score almost twice as many touchdowns as any other player in the history of the franchise. I'm a firm believer that the Lord sometimes has to short-circuit even our best plans for our benefit."

Rich McKay at works folk...smoke and mirrors I say.