[vincesanity82]

Former Buccaneers and Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp is having a retirement party in Tampa this weekend to benefit the Tampa Children’s Cancer Center.
In promoting the event, he gave an interview to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times in which he had some interesting things to say about the coaches he had in Tampa Bay.
Asked about winning the Super Bowl in 2002, Jon Gruden’s first year as the Buccaneers’ coach, Sapp suggested that in reality, former Bucs coach Tony Dungy deserves more of the credit than Gruden.
“I always say this: The damn cake was already in the oven,” Sapp said. “It was just a matter of when it came out. All Jon had to do was put the icing on it.”

He also suggests that he didn’t much enjoy playing for longtime Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, saying that Kiffin is the main reason Sapp left Tampa Bay.
“Me and Monte had the rockiest relationship — a stepson-to-step*father relationship,” Sapp said. “It was always his defense, and he barked people out of the building. It was too much about him.”

ProFootballTalk.com - SAPP: GIVE DUNGY MORE CREDIT THAN GRUDEN

[Lefty Noob]

Sapp suggested that in reality, former Bucs coach Tony Dungy deserves more of the credit than Gruden.

I've been saying that for years, and I'm glad to see one of the former Bucs themselves coming out and saying it as well.
Dungy had all the pieces in place. That was his team who won the Super Bowl, not Grudens.

[legend]

But Gruden is the one that got it done, helped by the fact that he was playing his old team. No disputing Dungy as a great coach but I doubt he would have ever won it all in TB.

[Bette]

If you compare Dungy's team now to Gruden's, guess you'd have to say it was Dungy. I think Tampa has gone down hill.

[Lefty Noob]

That said, there's no denying that Gruden getting to play the Raiders and knowing all the calls didn't hurt matters. I guess we'll never know for sure. I mean, Dungy did have severals years and never got the job done. Who's to say it would've been different for him that time around.

[Bette]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

That said, there's no denying that Gruden getting to play the Raiders and knowing all the calls didn't hurt matters. I guess we'll never know for sure. I mean, Dungy did have severals years and never got the job done. Who's to say it would've been different for him that time around.

I'd say knowing the Raiders' calls was all the difference in the world.

[jaybird40206]

i understand that gruden knew most of the calls against the raiders in the 03 super bowl, but it still doesnt change the fact that dungy never got one in tampa and gruden did, and is still here building. if anything it was monte kiffins defense that should get the credit in my opinion. so many years of dominating on d, but could never pull the trigger on offense and get the job done. with all due respect to dungy, and i love him as much as anyone and hated to see him go, but it was time as his defense was getting older and still no offense was generated. dungy set this team up for success and gruden took them over the top with one of the best d coordinators ever. cant argue tampa 2. warren sapp on the other hand i have never been fond of. i used to work for a restaurant and he would come in alot. he was just as nasty off the field as he was on. great player, crappy person. how can u blame monte kiffin, when such stars as lynch, brooks, barber, kelly, and rice have blossomed from him. great guy and personality. point is dungy would have run into the same problem gruden had with aging stars and conflicting salaries and still woulda had no offense. i think both parties were fortunate with the outcome since both won a super bowl. think about it, dungy went to a powerhouse offense, and gruden came to a dominating defense. both coaches got the exact magic potion they needed and both teams benifited from the move. tampa would not have beaten philly in the conference championship without grudens offense. i was getting so sick of 9-6 games, as a fan i loved the move and i think everyone else did too. go into retirement sapp and shutup and show some respect, although u dont have it. my dream woulda been john gruden as offensive coordinator and tony dungy as head coach with monte kiffin as d coordinator. wow.

[Kiante']

Sapp is right. If Tampa didn't fire Dungy that season before they won the Super Bowl. That would have been Tony Dungy's first ring nstead of Gruden's. Dungy built that defense from the ground up with names of Ronde Baraber, John Lynch, Dexter Jackson, Derrick Brooks, Shelton Quarles, Brian Kelly, Warren Sapp, Anthony "Booger" Mcfarland, Simeon Rice, ect. The list goes on. I mean Warren Sapp gave Dungy so much credit... He tried to mail his Super Bowl ring to him and Dungy didn't accept it.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Kiante'

He tried to mail his Super Bowl ring to him and Dungy didn't accept it.

Fascinating, I'd never heard that before. Sapp must've really looked up to Tony then, eh? Wow, thanks for sharing!