TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen after the team collapsed following a 9-3 start and failed to make the playoffs.

Gruden, who helped lead the Buccaneers to a victory over the Oakland Raiders in the 2003 Super Bowl, was Tampa Bay's coach for seven years before being dismissed Friday. Allen was general manager for the past five seasons.

"We will be forever grateful to Jon for bringing us the Super Bowl title, and we thank Bruce for his contributions to our franchise," Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement. "However after careful consideration, we feel that this decision is in the best interest of our organization moving forward."

A source close to Gruden said the coach was "blindsided" by the move, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported.

The Buccaneers were tied for first place in the NFC South heading into December, but finished with losses to Carolina and Atlanta on the road and San Diego and Oakland at home, where they had been 6-0. One more win would have landed an NFC wild-card berth.

The 9-7 record this season gave Gruden consecutive winning records for the first time since arriving in Tampa Bay, yet still left the Bucs out of the playoffs for the fourth time in six years.

The Glazer family fired Tony Dungy and used four high draft picks -- two No. 1s and two No. 2s -- and $8 million cash to pry Gruden away from the Raiders following the 2001 season. He led Tampa Bay to its only NFL title the following year, but the Bucs haven't won a playoff game since the Super Bowl appearance.

Gruden, who had three years remaining on a contract extension he received after winning the NFC South in 2007, leaves as the winningest coach in franchise history at 60-57, including the postseason.

But since going 15-4, including the Super Bowl, in his first season with the Bucs, Gruden went 45-53 and made quick exits from the playoffs after winning division titles in 2005 and 2007.

This season's collapse continued a trend of playing poorly late in the year. Since winning the Super Bowl, Tampa Bay is 9-17 in the month of December.

Tomlinson talks with Spanos amid speculation about RB's future

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The Chargers appear to be bracing their fans for the possibility that LaDainian Tomlinson's brilliant eight-year run with the team could be over.

According to the team's Web site, club president Dean Spanos called the star running back Thursday to discuss reports that the Chargers might part with Tomlinson, who has been slowed by injuries in the last two playoffs and will count $8.8 million against the salary cap next season.

"We talked about the situation, and I just tried to explain everything that must be considered," Spanos said in a story detailing the offseason decisions the team must make. "I told him we haven't even started our discussions and won't for a while, so don't jump to any conclusions. And I told him I would call him personally to make sure he's aware of everything that's going on."

Tomlinson, the NFL MVP in 2006, missed the Chargers' playoff loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday with a groin injury. That, coupled with the lowest rushing total of his career, has led to speculation that the team might try to trade or even release L.T.

Tomlinson, who turns 30 in June, is under contract through 2011. Slowed by toe and groin injuries, he gained a career-low 1,110 yards in 2008. Two seasons earlier, he set NFL records with 31 touchdowns -- including 28 rushing -- and 186 points.

The team declined to make Spanos available for further comment. Tomlinson didn't immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Six years ago, the Chargers were criticized for the way they got rid of star linebacker Junior Seau. Feeling Seau's play was in decline, the Chargers told him he was free to pursue a trade.

During a farewell news conference at the San Diego restaurant he owns, Seau said he had lobbied the team to release him so he could seek a free-agent deal. Describing himself as fired, unemployed and humbled, the 12-time Pro Bowl pick Seau was then traded to the Miami Dolphins.

In another unpopular move, the Chargers cut hard-hitting safety Rodney Harrison after the 2002 season because he had been slowed by an ankle injury. The Patriots signed Harrison as a free agent, and he ended up winning two Super Bowls with them.

Tomlinson hurt his groin in the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 28. He started the wild-card playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts but came out after scoring a touchdown early in the second quarter. The Chargers went on to beat the Colts 23-17 in overtime, carried by backup running back Darren Sproles' 328 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.

Tomlinson didn't suit up against Pittsburgh, which beat San Diego 35-24. The Steelers held Sproles, who'll become an unrestricted free agent, to 15 yards on 11 carries.

After the Broncos game, the Chargers announced that Tomlinson had a strained groin. Reports surfaced the day of the playoff game against the Colts that Tomlinson had a detached tendon that connects one of his groin muscles to his pubic bone.

Four days later, Tomlinson confirmed that he had a detached tendon and practically scoffed at the team's public diagnosis.

"If it was a strain, I'd be able to play with it, trust me," Tomlinson said. "A lot of guys have strains."

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith was livid that the severity of Tomlinson's injury was revealed and called out the player's camp.

One year ago, Tomlinson missed most of the AFC Championship Game at New England with a sprained ligament in his left knee. He stood glumly on the sidelines huddled in a parka, wearing his helmet with a tinted visor. Some people criticized Tomlinson's toughness, but the Chargers themselves had provided an overly optimistic update on his injury, announcing in the press box early in the second quarter that the running back had a "sore knee" and that he "can return."

Perhaps wanting to keep up some gamesmanship, the Chargers never updated that report, even though Tomlinson and coach Norv Turner later said they knew by early in the second quarter that the running back wouldn't return.

"It's obvious that I couldn't play," Tomlinson said afterward. "If I could have played, I would have been in there."

Tomlinson's agent, Tom Condon, has declined comment.

Condon clients -- notably coach Marty Schottenheimer, linebacker Donnie Edwards and quarterback Eli Manning -- have been at odds with Smith in the past.

Schottenheimer was fired as San Diego's coach in February 2007 because of what Spanos called a "dysfunctional situation" with Smith. Edwards, who led the Chargers in tackles for five straight seasons, fell into disfavor with Smith, apparently for asking one time too many for a contract extension, and was allowed to leave as an unrestricted free agent following the 2006 season.

Three days before the 2004 draft, Smith revealed that Archie Manning, through Condon, didn't want his son, Eli, to be taken by the Chargers with the No. 1 overall pick. Smith picked Manning anyway, then dealt him to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers and a haul of picks that he used to select kicker Nate Kaeding in that draft and star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman in the first round of the 2005 draft.

Eli Manning was MVP of the Giants' Super Bowl upset of the Patriots last season.

After the 2005 season, Smith chose to keep Rivers over Drew Brees, another Condon client.

xbay wrote:Looks like LT is the new Shaun Alexander. His body is taking its toll, as we have seen the past two years with his production dropping after his MVP season. His numbers are respectable, but if you actually watch the games, he's always playing injured not being able to get his cutbacks. You had to see it coming because he is a RB and was the focal point of the Chargers offense. Still, cutting him would put them in a hole. Sproles and Bennett replacing him sounds terrible(no disrespect to either).

TMC wrote:

xbay wrote:Looks like LT is the new Shaun Alexander. His body is taking its toll, as we have seen the past two years with his production dropping after his MVP season. His numbers are respectable, but if you actually watch the games, he's always playing injured not being able to get his cutbacks. You had to see it coming because he is a RB and was the focal point of the Chargers offense. Still, cutting him would put them in a hole. Sproles and Bennett replacing him sounds terrible(no disrespect to either).

I think LT just needs to take some time off to get healthy again. This was a tough year for him, but I'm sure he can still be a top 5 RB next year.

Sproles is a good one, but he's not gonna be able to be a feature back. As for Bennet... the BUCS cut him, for god's sake. That should be a good hint of what he can do.

San Diego should wait, at least, one more year to even consider cutting/trading LT. It's just too early.

Captain_Jack wrote:Wow, bad no call to end the game.

I can't say I blame McNabb completely. He didn't play great, but the defense gave up 32 points, that's bad.

Mr. Crackerz wrote:

Captain_Jack wrote:Wow, bad no call to end the game.

I can't say I blame McNabb completely. He didn't play great, but the defense gave up 32 points, that's bad.

its a call that no official will call though. Its one of those, 'just let them play' situations. Plus, they've missed a lot of contact calls earlier too.

Mr. Crackerz wrote:its a call that no official will call though. Its one of those, 'just let them play' situations.