Aqib Talib, NFL Official Exchange Profanities
November 28th, 2010
It seems that the bitter loss to the Crows this evening may have gotten the best of Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib. It also got the best of a game official.
Per Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune, Twittering on the TBO Bucs Twitter feed, Talib and an NFL game official were seen cursing at each other.
Anwar: Bucs CB Aqib Talib and an NFL official just cursed each other outside the locker room
Now Joe understands how Talib could be upset and he should know better than to do this. But for an NFL official to engage in a cursing match with a player is unspeakable and simply unacceptable.
Joe suspects NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to come down on Talib for this but if he does, he should come down equally hard if not harder of the foul-mouthed official.
UPDATE: Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times also witnessed the exchange between Talib and an NFL game official and documented some of the content on his Twitter account, and per Stroud the incident nearly turned physical.
One official on Carl Cheffers crew told Talib in response, “You played like a p—-.” Talib then had to be held back by teammates.
Talib responded to the official’s comment by saying, “I’ll (hit) you in your b—- a– mouth.’ Talib would not talk to reporters Sunday
Joe’s sorry, but Goodell needs to reprimand this game official. There is no call – none! — for an official to call a player a “pr!ck.”
UPDATE II: Good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times also Twittered that the NFL game official in question mocked Talib.
Talib used foul language and official used very foul language too, saying “you played like —–” I cant use the word. They both used it tho
Again, Joe believes for an official to pull a stunt like this is beyond the pale.
UPDATE III: Joe texted some people he knows were at the scene and can confirm the profanity the NFL game official called Talib was in fact a vulgar reference to female genitalia.
November 28th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Hopefully he just gets a fine and it’s all over right there.
November 28th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Who cares if grown adults want to curse off camera?
November 28th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Not making excuses or anything but Morris is the head coach and he was going off about the bad call agianst Lewis, so How can anyone say anything to Talib when Morris did the same thing.
November 28th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Nicholas Carlson:
Joe, for one. Roger Goodell, for another.
NFL officials should never, ever do something like that. Walk away. They are supposed to be professionals.
This may have been off-camera but right in front of the eyes of the Tampa Bay press corps.
November 28th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Gotta learn to walk away………..
November 28th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Stupid move. I am sure it happens all the time and is just as uninteresting when it goes unseen.
Official and player should know better. So should all adults. We don’t. Hope Commissar Goodell leaves it alone.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Are you sure that’s not “p@ssy”?
November 28th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Were you able to confirm if it was pr!ck or pu55y that the official said?
November 28th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Blake/Grimey:
Didn’t think of the other word, but still, Joe finds this inexcusable coming from an official.
November 28th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
The only time an official should speak to a player is during the context of a football game. There’s no room for an official to comment on a player’s play on the field.
November 28th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Sure the official should not say anything to Talib. Having said that, this is ridiculous for Talib to let his temper get the best of him again. If it was another player I would defend the Bucs player all the way. But it’s Talib and he’s truly a walking suspension.
November 28th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Eric S:
Joe totally understands how an athlete, in the heat of the moment losing a close game when a team is in a playoff hunt would spout off to officials. This happens all the time. Heck, even Raheem was chasing the officials at the end of the first half.
But for a game official to call Talib what he did, that’s way, way, way out of bounds and it easily could have escalated into something much uglier, and nearly did per Stroud and Holder.
November 28th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Is this the same official that called the B.S. pass interference call at the end of the first half?
November 28th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
I hear what you are saying Joe. I just don’t think Talib should put himself in that position. I have noticed in the last few games that Talib has gotten in the face of officials. He walks a fine line between controlled aggression and being stupid. Yes I do think the official should be disciplined. The guy should just walk to the locker room.
November 28th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Joe,
I agree with you on this one. Referees hear crap from both teams throughout a game. It is their job not to escalate a situation. Talib was wrong, but the referee was really unprofessional and totally wrong.
November 28th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
This actually really is a big deal. This official can now never be trusted to fairly referee a Bucs game in the future. I won’t be surprised if he loses job. Im sure plenty of officials hate plenty of players but since this guy made his distaste for Aqib Talib public Goodell might take extreme action.
November 28th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Raheem and Talib were crying for 2 quarters and a halftime at the ref’s bad call.
I am pretty sure the ref got fed up with all the crying.
Raheem was crying before half time.
How much does a ref have to take?
Like coach like player.
November 29th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Go buc yourself moron!
November 29th, 2010 at 12:19 am
I think the ref was paid off by the Falcons a couple weeks ago for 4 games. They wanted guaranteed wins against the Bucs twice and the Ravens, and they wanted the Ravens to beat the Bucs. There was a bonus in it if they could get any player suspended. The ref knew time was running out for the bonus and tried to taunt Talib into a fight……
Just a thought….
November 29th, 2010 at 1:15 am
I think it shows that this ref was biased if he’s calling a player a p—y and mocking him. This isn’t just two adults. It’s a ref and he crossed a line.
November 29th, 2010 at 1:48 am
That call was one of the worst calls ever !!
Seriously ref don’t call that we probably win this game, and if the ref makes the right call in the Falcon vs Ravens game we are in a three way tie….
But what should we expect Super Bowl picks usually get more call then also rans…get use to it probably gonna see it 2 more times….
And Buc You – of course the team complained about that call it gave them a TD !!! They dot get that call we are down 10 – 3 and with our ability to shut teams down in the 2nd half we had a great chance at winning this game !
November 29th, 2010 at 3:30 am
F#CK THAT REF! All I gotta say.
November 29th, 2010 at 4:06 am
I wonder if that is the same official from the Falcons vs Ravens game that didn’t call the Offensive PI when Roddy White made that game winning TD.
November 29th, 2010 at 4:07 am
For an official to speak like that to a player is completely out of line. If the league is not going to hold these guys accountable for their horrible, and oft game changing calls, its about time a player steps up and says something about it. The call on Lewis as absolutely ridiculous, and had a profound affect on the game. Instead of a 4th and 4 they were essentially given a first and goal. I know alot of people like to jump on Aqib for his past, however in this case I feel that he was justified in spouting off the official. If nothing else it just showed his passion for the game and his support of his teammates. If a fine for Aqib comes out of this, then I expect the official to be fined equally as much, but let’s be honest, that will probably never happen with Goodell calling the shots.
November 29th, 2010 at 4:27 am
@Buc You,
I would love to know how you got inside information that Raheem was crying about the call for 2 quarters about the call. Were you in the locker room? He complained after it happened (at the end of the first half) and on the way to the locker room. That’s it. Where did you see him complaining any more than that? You didn’t, because he didn’t. Besides, that’s his job to support his players when a bad call has been made. As an athlete, you expect that from your coach. Obviously you never played sports, so you wouldn’t know any better (and no, band is not a sport).
And as always, you are missing the point. It’s not a matter of how much he has to take. The issue is that he called him a derogatory name, instead of walking away or calling security. He is a professional official, and he crossed the line. You think Talib and Morris are the only coaches that have ever complained that much to an official? Hell, Jon Gruden yelled more than that during pregame!
November 29th, 2010 at 11:48 am
The ref’s have bailed out the Falcons repeatedly in the last 3 (Bucs, Ravens and Packers) games.I have watched. Its getting ridiculous. So I can see where Talib is boiling. You play your ass off. And an obvious bad call right before the half. The NFL wants to see Atlanta win the NFC south. Its their turn.
November 29th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
I am a huge bucs fan but lets be real. Sure the call directly affected the outcome however the bucs defense let it affect them on the next play when the touchdown was thrown. Morris is a good coach but he should of used a timeout and got his defense set. As for the Ref there is no excuse. Talib however got punked all game by a gu who is not even a top receiver in the league. Mason is a good reciever but he is not elite. If Talib wants the recognition he needs to step up and shut guys like that down.