iPhone Users Can “Grunt” With Barrett Ruud
May 16th, 2011
Joe’s big on technology. Loves it in fact. But Joe has yet to hop on the iPhone tsunami.
One reason Joe has never done the iPhone is that it was until recently an exclusive AT&T product. Joe has Verizon, has had Verizon for many years and is so pleased with Verizon was never moved to switch.
The second reason Joe has not done an iPhone is that Joe loathes touchscreens. Joe needs a keyboard. Until or unless Steve Jobs capitulates and builds a keyboard for his iPhone, Joe will stick with his trusty Blackberry.
(Post intermission: Memo to Blackberry: What the f’ gives? You forced an upgrade to Joe’s Blackberry software and now you take away columns from the internet browser? Ridiculous! Now Joe has to screw around with the zoom feature whenever he has to launch his browser, which is terribly cumbersome. NEVER fix something that’s not broken you flippin’ Canucks.)
So since Joe is so anti-iPhone (for now), it appears Joe won’t get to communicate with Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Ruud.
Per eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, former Bucs Ryan Nece and Jeb Terry have developed an iPhone app which will allow fans to chat — in “real-time” — to various players who have signed up for this app, which includes Ruud.
“I’m not a Facebook guy or a Twitter guy, but I thought this was a cool idea,” Ruud said. “It’s kind of like leaving voicemails for anyone who wants to listen. During the football season, when fans are really focused, they can get direct feedback from players. It could be a mid-week quote on the upcoming game or a grunt Sunday night about the game that was just played.”
Fans can download the app to their iOS device of choice, pick the players they want to follow and subscribe to the program.
“You’ve got to have a catchy name,” Ruud said of Gridiron Grunts. “At the same time, you don’t want people to think you’re a Neanderthal. I’m OK with ‘grunt,’ because we’re talking about short, quick messages.”
Joe can only imagine the possibilities that fans would have to chat with Ruud, or as Nece’s company calls it, “grunt.”
Shoot, there may not be a more polarizing figure on the Bucs other than perhaps troubled Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib than Ruud. If anything, this device should sure be lively.
May 16th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Touchscreen is a gift from the Gods!
May 16th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
I got the app.
Who is AT25_PakinHEAT??
May 16th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
LOL!
May 16th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Brave of Ruud to do this, he knows there will be some criticism coming his way.
May 16th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
3rd person “Joe” overload in the first couple of paragraphs
May 16th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Ash:
That”s Joe! 🙂
May 16th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
The user in the photo has her hand and phone in the way…..
May 16th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
…and she’s making a GUN with her right hand.
She must be ‘grunting’ with AT25_PakinHEAT.
May 16th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
This sounds like a lot of fun. I hope they develop an app for the Android market soon.
Chris FWC, thats the funniest post I’ve read on here in a long time. Nice.
May 16th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Yeah I love that app. It’s called Twitter….
/smh
Oh and if you like Steve White’s blog, his tweets are just as great…
May 16th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Here you go, Joe.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/e66e/
May 16th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Touch screens are the best. Having to use an actual keyboard is just not growing with the times and just idiotic.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Come on Joe, its time to switch to the iPhone. It even changed the opinion of The King of All Media who until recently was a blackberry guy,
May 16th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Keyboards don’t crack and become useless. Technology doesn’t fix everything!
May 16th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Never had a touchscreen crack or become useless…. Ever!! I’m assuming u didn’t buy a good phone.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
don’t tell Ian Beckles about this
May 16th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
Mohak T:
Oh, Joe’s not an anti-Apple guy. Those are fine machines. Just that Joe needs a keyboard in his smartphone.
May 16th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
CaliBucFan:
Joe has seen those before but that’s an accessory. Joe needs a keyboard built into the phone like Blackberry has.
May 16th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Joe get one of those slide phones from Samsung… Epic 4G is like an iPhone AND a full slide keyboard.
May 16th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
WeNeDE, that’s what I have and it works great, for texting. But, I love the Ipad, it is phenomenal. I’m too much of a Clod to use the small touchscreen phones, and it does things when I put it in my pocket, along with my keys, etc. I guess because I’m an old fart, my close vision isn’t the greatest, and for all you young whippersnappers, your day will come too. I can still see a mile clearly, but haven’t seen the tip of my nose in about 5 years.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Says I can’t dowload the app unless I plug it into iTunes.
Major fail. Any app I got to go plug my iPad into my computer irritates me. Thus it doesn’t get downloaded. App design fail.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:29 pm
BigMacAttack- lol, riding that same bus!! But still love my IPhone, just end up playing trombone with it sometimes to find a focus point!
May 16th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR, THEN HARD KNOCKS NEXT YEAR! One step at a time
May 17th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Would rather Be gruntin with the lovely young lady in the photo, than any damn football player anyway!! If I wanna talk football, that’s what all you lovable knuckleheads are here for:) !!