Calling On Talib’s Teammates?
August 29th, 2011
Now that the next chapter of the Aqib Talib saga has begun, Bucs fans and players are left to pray that Talib can stay out of trouble indefinitely, or at least through the 2011 season.
But ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas wants more than prayer from Talib’s veteran teammates. In a blog post today, he calls on Bucs veterans to step up and counsel Talib.
They can be a bit more aggressive in taking an active role with Talib. He doesn’t have a lot of margin for error and the veterans on this team need to do their part in helping him. They need to reach out to Talib and do their best to make sure he stays focused. The situation with Talib is one where his veteran teammates can do a lot more good by being proactive and vocal. They need to provide strong support and not try to stay out of his way.
This is way too much for Joe’s taste and a bit off the wall.
First, how does Yasinskas know what Ronde Barber has said and done for Talib over the years?
In fact, Joe would prefer the veterans stay far away from Talib so they don’t risk setting him off for some reason. With serious trials for himself and his family looming, there’s no doubt Talib is under a lot of stress.
Talib has serious anger management issues. Joe doesn’t need a degree to make that call. And Joe hardly thinks the Bucs veterans are licensed shrinks who can get into Talib’s head enough to keep him out of trouble.
It’s safe to assume that would have already happened when Derrick Brooks was in the Bucs locker room and Talib walked in after his rookie symposium shenanigans. And 2009 veterans like Chris Hovan, Jeff Faine, Barber and others surely would have been successful, if they could have, after Talib attempted to club Donald Penn with his helmet that spring and subsequently bloodied Torrie Cox.
Talib needs professional help, and Joe sincerely hopes the Bucs are forcing him to get it. Considering all the medical staff associated with the team, and the fact that teams in many sports have hired sports shrinks, it would seem a given that Talib would be subject to time on the couch.
For Joe, Talib’s troubles are way beyond team captains giving him supportive pep talks.
August 29th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
NEWSFLASH FROM BSPN: Teammates should be supportive of fellow teammates.
Wow. Brilliant.
August 29th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
since we are hating on Yastankas and BSPN…I borrowed this from their fine reporting of the Bucs cuts…
“They also waived/injured guard Brandon Carter.”
so which is it…did they waive Brandon Carter or Injure him?
August 29th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
@Hfxbuc HAHA!!!! Nice one!
August 29th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
HFXBuc – What are you talking about???
The only guy on that team besides maybe Ronde Barber who needs to be involved with Talib’s off the field issues is Raheem Morris. He’s probably the one guy in the organization that Talib respects, looks up to and may listen to without a doubt. It is after all, “his dawg”. Watch the beginning of the Bucs/Fins game. At the very start Raheem goes over to Talib, who is sitting on the bench next to Geno, Talib stands up to greet Raheem, then they both sit down together. Raheem immediately gets up to leave as it looked liked somebody needed his attention. At that very moment you can see the love that Talib has for Raheem, in his eyes and his smile. Watch it for yourself, there’s no denying it.
August 29th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
@HFXbuc and Mauha Deeb
“‘Waived injured’ means the team is releasing the player but the player is injured. The team is responsible to pay the player until his injury has healed. This is usually done by reaching an agreement for a specific amount of money, called an injury settlement. Other teams are allowed to pick up players on the waived injured list but they are forewarned that the player is not in condition to play. Sometimes, if a player on the waived injured list is not selected by another team, the team will retain the player and place him on its injured reserve list.”
Mauha Deeb – your better than that
August 29th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Not sure what was morew funny, the HFXBucs joke, or fourfinger explaining what “waived / njured means. Thanks guys, this was funny stuff.
August 29th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
McBuc – How is HFXbuc’s joke funny? It makes no sense at all! So either it’s a really bad attempt at a joke, or he needs to be informed by someone. I wish when I read the explanation of waived/injured, it would have made me chuckle. I guess that’s your cup of tea (or really bad jokes…). I am glad you found the explanation of waived/injured funny though. Everybody needs to laugh!
August 29th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Maybe Faine will talk to Talib. Talib will punch his lights out and we’ll kill two birds with one stone.
August 29th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
I LOL’d Hexbuc.
August 29th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Four Fingered Fisherman:
Usually, in print, a “/” means OR.
So it would read “They also waived OR injured Brandon Carter”.
Your failure to get that amused me, too. It’s an either/or type of thing, I guess.
August 29th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Hope no one tells Zoolander!
August 29th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
“Bucs fans and players are left to pray that Talib can stay out of trouble ”
has he EVER BEEN out of…….
August 29th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
SkookumSmitty Says:
The / means many things and in this case not OR
It can be used for a strong joint between words or phrases. Or for abbreviations (i.e. S/E = single-engined, w/ or w/o). Or for a line break or new paragraph.
You wouldn’t say “single or engined”, “withor” or “withorout”. And in this case you don’t say “waived or injured”. It’s a joint/combination (this is an OR example) of the two and we all know that. Carter is both, not either or.
I said I’m glad you all thought it was humerous, as everybody needs to laugh. I just did not however. No biggie though!
August 29th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
I thought it was pretty self explanatory. But if it was meant to be a compliment, thanks for thinking I’m better than that lol
August 29th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
@ Mauha Deeb – It was a compliment to you actually. I like what you post for the most part. And I think HFXbuc trying to bash BSPN and Yasinskas for listing Waived/Injured the way everyone, including the NFL does is not that funny. There are many comical ways that would be better to bash them than that. I mean, what way should they have listed him. Seriously
August 29th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Oh, I don’t care about the bashing. I just like the idea of the joke.
August 29th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Word
I think the idea was pretty witty, but the attempt at a ‘bash,’ like he said, using the proper way to list waived/injured I didn’t find that humerous and he could have found better material. I thought his spelling of “Yastankas” was mildly funny though. Different strokes for different folks.
You are right though…I do like where his head is at and the ‘idea; of it. I can appreciate abstract thinking, whether I found the bashing or end result to be funny or not.
August 29th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
i’ll never get back these 5 minutes…
August 29th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I disagree with you, Joe. Talib may ned professional help, but he also needs to stay away from bad elements. Hanging more with teammates will help in that.
I know you have a hate on for Yasinskas, and most of the time with good reason, but in this one instance he is right.
Look at Mike Williams. Clearly Freeman spends a lot of time with the guy, even in the off season. Teammates can make a huge difference.
And here’s an idea…do a little research for a story…look into the results of bad players whose teams do not reach out to and bad players that have teammates consistantly reaching out.
I’d be curious on hte results, if you are willing to put the time in.
As to you others…
Way to hijack a post 😉
August 29th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
In this instance I don’t really think that Talib ‘needs’ professional help. As for veterans on the team: NEWSFLASH Talib IS a veteran on this young team!
The problem is that Talib PUT himself into a poor situation. In that neighborhood and with those people Talib’s reaction is actually normal.
Look Talib’s with the Bucs for the season – this incident is in the past; let’s move on shall we?
On another note: Does ANYONE know anything about Tanard Jackson? Is he coming back and if so when? Is Tanard in shape?
August 29th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
@HfxBuc – I enjoyed your sense of humor too!
August 29th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
you’re joking right?
August 29th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Joe here,
@PeteDutcher – You wrote: “And here’s an idea…do a little research for a story…look into the results of bad players whose teams do not reach out to and bad players that have teammates consistantly reaching out.”
That’s part of the point of this post, Pete. No reporter is going to know what really goes on behind closed doors, so there’s no point in Yasinskas commenting about what veterans are or aren’t doing, and the research you’ve suggested would reveal weak information since there’s no way to get it right.
August 30th, 2011 at 9:17 am
When do the math lessons start, guys? I forgot my notebook!
August 30th, 2011 at 10:32 am
“reach out”
What is this a cubscout field trip?
There is no reaching out in pro football!