Goodell Credits McCoy For Draft-Hug Silliness
June 4th, 2012
Anyone watching the NFL Draft has noticed the rather romantic embraces many draft picks give Roger Goodell, and how the commishioner can’t seem to get a enough touching.
Perhaps this relatively new phenomenon is just a ratings ploy by Goodell, an effort to get people talking and watching after a name is called, versus running to the fridge for more beer or heading out to take the dog for a quick squirt.
Regardless, Goodell was asked about the intimate hugs last week by Sports Business Daily during an interesting and wide-sweeping interview. He credited Gerald McCoy for getting the ball rolling in 2010.
Q: What’s up with the NFL draft hugs? They’re getting uncomfortably long.
Goodell: It’s funny. I meet with all the draft-eligible players the day before. They always ask: what’s that moment like? These kids have been dreaming about this and working towards this. This is their moment. They’ve finally made it into the NFL. There was no surprise for Andrew [Luck]. He knew the Colts were taking him but when he walked out on the stage it was that moment of achievement and triumph. For me, to be part of that, is a cool thing. But these guys, they wrap you up. The first guys that did it to me was Gerald McCoy a few years ago. He hit me so hard I thought I was going off the stage.
Joe certainly hopes this is not how McCoy is remembered when the annals of Bucs history are written.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:02 am
Hardest hit he’s made as a pro…ziiinnnggg
June 4th, 2012 at 10:23 am
If I was a top 3 pick in the last year of the insane rookie contracts, I’d be a giddy Dini too!
June 4th, 2012 at 10:31 am
nice one, Nick…. I was thinking the same thing.
Little known fact, after her wrapped up Goodell, he was fined $25000.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:37 am
McCoy hasn’t wrapped his arms around anybody since.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:39 am
No mercy, no mercy at all !!
June 4th, 2012 at 10:42 am
I am a very emotional, touchy feely type person myself. In my family growing up, men hugged men, and it was OK to display emotion.
One day, I made the mistake of Hugging my future brother in Law at a family picnic.
His Body went absolutely rigid, and he told me never to do that again!
Whatever ?
I can relate to McCoy being excited. In fact, I always wondered during the draft, how players refrained from hugging the Commish ?
Put a few million bucks in my pocket, there is no telling what I might do.
I like seeing the hugging myself.
It seems only fitting that Goodell, who has made rules to take the emotion out of Football, gets emotion he does not care for!
I watched him squirm once when a player kissed him.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:47 am
@nick hahahaha unfortunatley its probably true.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:53 am
OT: Doug Martin signs 5 year deal
June 4th, 2012 at 11:16 am
LOL, @ Nick.
Sad but true, Gerald needs to “hug it out” in the weightroom. 16 games + this year, no excuses.
No more movie time until you provide GAME TIME!
June 4th, 2012 at 11:20 am
I would like to see him hit a qb like that 16 or 17 times this year.
June 4th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Nick and Adam – that was too easy, unfortunately true.
That thrill about getting paid that McCoy exhibited when drafted, then to be just handed the “future of the franchise” label before strapping on a helmet pre-destined this underwhelming failure for a bad NFL start.
Hopefully, Schiano can turn him aroun 180 degrees.
Gerald was disappointing in College after being the most highly recruited high school player. Yes, he was an All-American who was able to get into the backfield in College (usually by timing the snap) and beating guards from Texa Tech and Rice and Iowa State, but his productivity in terms of sacks, TFL’s and impact plays never met expectations.
I predicted it would be the same at the NFL. McCoy is just a gap jumper who is prone to disappearing if the offense varies its snap counts and traps and schemes him.
June 4th, 2012 at 11:42 am
Best wrap up McCoy’s had since coming into the league. Keep the great stories coming Joe. Freeman must improve and McCoy hugging it out.
June 4th, 2012 at 11:49 am
That hit on the Commissioner is what the Bucs based his contract negotiations on. Sad.
June 4th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
I heard he could bench press the commisioner 3 times.
June 4th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Thomas, the difference between you and I is i make a quick jab at him. You decide to write a thesis on why he stinks. You would be a terrible comedian. You take way to long to get to the punch line
June 4th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Of all the things people hate on Goodell, this certainly isn’t one of them. These young men work extremely hard to get to this point. It’s nice to see the emotion coming from these guys in such a huge moment in theirs and their families lives. You just hope that they work hard once they sign those huge contracts and become productive members of society.
June 4th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Nick:
You are correct, I have always been a bad joke teller for the reason you state.
June 4th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Yes Thomas, McCoy was a disappointment in college. So much so he went #3 in the draft….. yep…everyone saw him as a disappointment. Why is it sooooo easy to make you look like a complete imbecile???? I almost feel guilty when a guy like you is so defenseless.
June 4th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I had noticed that but didnt have no reason to really mention it,and still dont….but did.