Glazers Got Help From Fans Regarding Gruden Firing

Buccaneers executive vice president Bryan Glazer said today the the fans played an important role in their decision to fire head coach Jon Gruden on January 16th, following an epic collapse to end the season.

"Our fans are our stockholders. They're what we play for every week. They're the people in our stadium and who watch on TV," Glazer said during an impromptu interview at the media headquarters for the Super Bowl. "This is what it's all about – winning, and how they feel about the team. If they don't feel good at the team, something's wrong." He added, "Not to speak for the fans, but I think you all know the sense that was out there. It was time for a change."

So far, this change has been met with mostly positive responses, RB Earnest Graham's face reportedly lit up when asked about the coaching change. Quarterback Jeff Garcia admitted that being Jon Gruden's quarterback was difficult and that there were times the recently fired Bucs coach "rubbed me wrong."

The Buccaneers are am estimated $45Million under the salary cap and are commited to spending it to bring the team back to an elite level.