Are Fans Frustrated Enough To Turn On Freeman?
November 8th, 2009
Joe’s brought up the subject of Josh Freeman getting booed before. But as Freeman wets his pants prepares before his first start today, it’s worth another look.
Bucs fans have endured 11 consecutive losses. Ownership isn’t spending enough money on players. The head coach and general manager haven’t proven squat yet. Few players are shining on the field. And home games are typically soiled by thousands of fans for the opposition.
If all that doesn’t make for a testy fan base, Joe’s not sure what would.
And that brings Joe to 21-year-old Josh Freeman. How much time does he have before Bucs fans turn against him, assuming he struggles like most rookie quarterbacks do?
Joe believes Freeman gets a pass on Sunday, no matter what happens. And Freeman likely will be left alone if the Bucs win a couple of games.
But if the Bucs drop their next two, then the team is 0-9 and at home for New Orleans, a game that could see Freeman playing from behind early and throwing his share of interceptions.
Might the boos rain down on him that soon? Could he handle it?
Consider that Detroit Lions fans are already ripping Matthew Stafford a new one, so describes the Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee). And he’s actually won a game and had some strong peformances.
In case you missed it, Stafford, the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, was booed heavily as he completed 14 of 33 passes for 168 yards and threw one interception in the Lions’ 17-10 loss to the previously winless St. Louis Rams on Sunday at Ford Field.
Never mind that Stafford had missed the previous two games with a knee injury and fought like heck to get back into the lineup.
Never mind that in his two starts before the injury, Stafford posted respectable passer ratings of 87.8 and 89.6.
Never mind that Stafford led the Lions to a victory over the Washington Redskins on Sept. 27 – at home – to break the franchise’s 19-game losing streak.
It’s like Lions fans never learned anything from the tortured existences of previous would-be franchise quarterbacks such as Joey Harrington, Andre Ware and Chuck Long.
But they booed anyway – and then taunted Stafford as he stood on the sideline inside the “friendly” confines.
Joe thinks Bucs fans are, unfortunately, an angry lot that will go after Freeman if he struggles and the Bucs don’t win a couple of games.
Personally, Joe doesn’t think he could boo Freeman this year. It just doesn’t seem fair.
But if the Bucs are winless in late December and Freeman looks like a bust, Joe’s not sure he could refrain from booing anyone in the organization who isn’t female, half naked and dancing on the sidelines.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Joe, how can you even compare the Lions and the Bucs? Some perspective:
The Lions have not had a winning season in at least eight years, last doing so in the 2000-2001 season. They had three seasons of not winning a single road game, and from the evidence above, we know it has at least been eight years since they made the playoffs.
Meanwhile over the last decade and until this current season, the Bucs have made the playoffs numerous times, had several winning seasons, and even won a Superbowl.
I appreciate that you provide frequent content so I can get my Bucs fix several times throughout the day, but as objectively as I can, I have to argue that you’re being unduly negative here.
By making the connection to the Lions, which I have argued is without merit, you will only rile up the fans against Freeman. We should not, by any reasonable standard, make any comparisons with the Bucs and Lions, because there isn’t any.
Simply put, these teams’ recent history aren’t comparable!
November 8th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I turned on Josh Freeman after the 17th pick of the NFL draft.
November 8th, 2009 at 2:19 am
Your right in the past you can’t compair the two teams. This season which is the only one that matters now, gulp, the lions are better than the bucs
November 8th, 2009 at 5:38 am
Well we booed Leftwich but certainly there was a reason for that. Heck he was booed in the Miami Pre Season game.
I doubt Freeman will get booed directly, immediatley. Hey if Greg Olsen is calling the game and runs stupid plays, then boos should rain down. The whole Bucs organization needs to be booed. Hopefully Freeman understands this. If he reads JoeBucs or other sites he knows how little is expected of him.
I’m sure he has been booed before.
November 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I don’t think Joe is comparing the Bucs to the Lions. He was just making the point that if the #1 overall pick is already getting boos, it’s very likely Freeman is going to get boos when we continue to lose. This is a valid questions and I think he will get booed whole heartily!
November 8th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Joe, I agree with you. It will take as much time as the Bucs gave Freeman with the first team snaps in the Offseason. We have watched The Front office and Head coach run in circles since day 1. The fans are angry and half the stands will be for the other team, that will only be glad to help Boooo. If i was the coach I would just pump music into the quarterbacks headsets so he would not here anything. Or just tell Freeman that the fans like Barrett (overratted) Ruud
November 8th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Should be funny. I booed him since wee drafted Radio’s boy friend. Should have drafted defensive help. Speaking of booing is the idiot Leftwich still a captain? Oh how about Morris is he still head coach??? Radio tee hee
November 8th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I just went to the Bucs website and there is a photo there that looks perfect for Radio Raheem. Standing behind the Head coach of Countryside High . He looks like he might make a good candidate for an assitant coach there. No disrespect to their head coach if he doesn’t think he has the credetial, he does have a degree in phys ed.. Beat it Radio
November 8th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Did anyone see the Nebraska v Oklahoma game last night. Nebraska has a defense from hell. Not just Suh, but the whole line is stout. They a got a “Barrett Ruud Jr” line backer #33 who was all over the place. I don’t know about this poor excuse for a team and staff we have now, but if it was me, I’d hire Sean McDermott from the Eagles as HC and draft defense heavily. Kick that idiot Bates to the Curb. I’d also hire SGW94 as D line Coach. That man knows his $#!t. The great Buc teams were always built on defense. If the Bucs are to be a great team again, it will be built on DEFENSE. Allrighty then, my warrior face paint is on, my brown bag is in my pocket just in case and I’m heading up to RayJay or the “CITS” for the “$H!T$”. Go Bucs!!! Let the puppies breathe, yea baby!
November 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Joe, PLease get another pic of Freeman. That one just doesn’t instill confidence or prosperity for the future. He looks like a ‘deer in the headlights” and I’m sure we don’t want him that way on the field. Well, maybe we should waitn see it might be appropriate, but I hope not.