Tampa Bay Fires Lovie Smith, Bucs Players Disapprove

Another NFL head coach gets the axe. Did the Bucs just mess up their mojo in Tampa Bay by firing Lovie Smith?

With rookie Quarterback Jameis Winston at the helm, the Bucs started showing signs of improvement this season. Unfortunately for Smith, his 8-24 record in his two year tenure wasn't enough for the ownership. With all the chaos in the NFL coaching circle, Tampa Bay decided to crank things up a notch.

Even coaches you assume are safe can get fired these days.

"After careful consideration, we informed Lovie that we have decided to make a change," Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement.  "I want to thank Lovie for his hard work and dedication to the Buccaneers during his time here. This decision was difficult on a variety of levels. I am disappointed that we were not more successful these past few seasons, but we are committed to doing what is necessary to give our fans the winning team they deserve."

The Bucs weren't exactly world-beaters this year, but they at least looked like they were headed in the right direction with the #1 draft pick figuring things out in his first year. Yanking a young leader's head coach away could have adverse effects, something that wasn't lost on the players.

Apparently, the Glazer family didn't care what their star player thought.

Star Linebacker, and heartbeat of the defense, Lavonte David took to Twitter, stating, "This is stupid...We can't even have a consistent coach, three coaches in five years...Outside looking in, y'all wouldn't understand how great of a coach/person he is."

David deleted his tweets later, but the power of the internet saves that stuff forever. Can you blame him for being a little upset?

Does this help or hurt the Saints? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.