The Price-Barron Altercation
June 18th, 2012
About 10 days ago Joe was told of Brian Price connecting with at least one punch to the head of Mark Barron after Barron verbally snapped at Price during a players meeting, shortly after Price returned to the Buccaneers following the accidental death of his sister.
Joe sniffed around about the story and was able to confirm that the core elements of what Joe was told about the altercation are accurate: Barron was seated in a seat that apparently was Price’s, Price says something like, “get up,” Barron says something along the lines of “F-you,” and Price proceeds to punch him in the head and Barron wasn’t seriously injured.
Frankly, Joe didn’t find the incident all that crazy and, since Joe didn’t have quotable sources or see what happened, Joe didn’t run with the story.
It seems clear that Barron is rather Warren Sapp–like with his rookie attitude and has an alpha-dog style among all his teammates, and he just caught Price on a horribly bad day. Given how early this was in the offseason, it’s even likely that Price didn’t know who Barron was and vice versa. It’s not like these guys are wearing game jerseys in meetings.
Joe brings this up now because former Bucs beat writer Charlie Campbell, now of WalterFootball.com, has penned a long story citing anonymous sources on the Price-Barron altercation. Frankly, Joe thinks Campbell went a little over the top with the alleged significance of what happened.
Across the NFL, there are veterans putting rookies in their place in locker rooms and on practice fields. No, Joe doesn’t condone teammates belting each other, but given Price’s personal situation at the time, Joe finds this all to be simply a heat-of-the-moment thing that got overheated because Price was grieving.
Price was given an excused absence for the Bucs’ mandatory minicamp last week, and all indications are that he’s simply out in California to be near his family — he’s reportedly adopting his late sister’s children — and train and get his head right out there before reporting for training camp.
Price’s long road back from a horrific injury has earned him the respect of fans, teammates and the Bucs organization. Joe doesn’t believe there’s some read-between-the-lines reason behind Price missing minicamp.
June 18th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Barron may be an Alpha Dog, but Price is a much bigger Alpha Dog.
I am sure they will put it behind them, if they haven’t already.
June 18th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
I like the attitude Barron showed. This team is in dire need of players that won’t back down from anything or anybody, other than Coach Schiano. Price might have done better by asking nicely. Price is a big boy, but Barron is a badass. I can’t wait to see him on the field. I just hope Goodell doesn’t take to much of his money for lighting up receivers.
June 18th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Well at least this shows we have some tough S.O.B’s on defense. Campbell also said that he was bloodied. He may have taken it to far from what joe heard.
June 18th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
Have to applaud your restraint and judgement Joe. Didn’t think you had it in you. … Agree BigMac, I like the new breed of Bucs.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
I see no problem with this. I’ve been around team sports all my life, basketball in particular, and this happens more frequently than people realize.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
This is probably just a camp dust-up. However, somebody ought to get to alpha-dog Barron and remind him that Price is from the Crenshaw District where they play for real. Price is hard scrabble and has seen it all. If I were Barron, I’d give this man wide berth!
June 18th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Schiano’s a macho Jersey Italian. This ain’t nothing he hasn’t seen a hundred times.
June 18th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Barron is the man! Hopefully we get to see what Price can do on the field this year at full strength. I’ve yet to see the value in either second rounder (Price and Benn) when there were complete studs still on the board.
June 19th, 2012 at 12:11 am
Brian Price needs to check himself. You have to earn your right to put rookies in their place. Price is not a vet, despite any personal trials he’s endured.
June 19th, 2012 at 12:29 am
Fired Greg Olsen,
first, its hard to check ones-self days after a family member dying. you are raw. most people understand that. grow up.
June 19th, 2012 at 1:09 am
Hey if Mark Barron can take multiple shots from that big dude, he’s pretty darn tough in my book, and he went back out and practiced. Maybe this has a little more to do with why Brian isn’t at OTAs. I do feel bad for Price, he has been very misfortunate but “pummeling” another teammate is never cool. Something tells me it wont take Barron very long to earn that respect and whatever seat he wants.
June 19th, 2012 at 1:59 am
I got nothing but love for Price. No matter what bad things we go through, it’s possible to overreact to simple obstacle. Barron seem cool too. It’s just handle wrongly. But, these things happen. Hope one or both are mature to apologize to each other and become friends.
June 19th, 2012 at 2:21 am
Price hasnt done anything he might as well be a rookie 2! I feel bad for the guy but he hasnt done anything…
June 19th, 2012 at 2:38 am
Just another football scrum. They happen all the time. Funny how when Talib does it ‘he is way out of line’ but when Price does it ‘everything is fine’.
June 19th, 2012 at 2:54 am
guys, he did days after his sister died. no slack for that? really?
June 19th, 2012 at 6:35 am
Unfortunately, this may have been Price’s last “hit” for the Bucs. This is a results orientated business, and he’s shown VERY little. I agree with other poster, that although {Price has deserves sympathy, he has no more “cache” than any other Buc.
June 19th, 2012 at 6:47 am
I like it. Barron has testicles that clank b/c a D-Lineman would toss him around like a rag doll and Price is putting the rookie in his place (or removing him in this case). Yeah…..Buddy
June 19th, 2012 at 7:00 am
Happens all the time.
Gerald would have said, “okay sir you can steal my seat just please don’t make physical contact me.”
Lol
June 19th, 2012 at 7:15 am
Lmao @thomas 2.2^^
June 19th, 2012 at 7:16 am
McCoy would be on Injured Reserve after throwing a couple punches….then Tweet “God told me that my latest string of injuries were meant to be. Time to head back to Los Angeles and take more acting classes”
June 19th, 2012 at 7:48 am
This is good stuff.
Price has the right to be rough and hardened right now. Tragic family loss can temporarily enhance attitude problems.
Let’s all hope he is healthy and ready to kick some butt this year.
L
June 19th, 2012 at 8:05 am
I think most of you are dead wrong on Price.. First the dude came off major surgery that nobody has ever had and he was making some plays last year. Granted not a lot but enough to see this guy is tough sob himself and if healthy this year he will be our best D lineman.. Mark the tape. if you’ve ever heard a an interview with guy you will be an instant fan. I’m not sure how the recent tragedy will affect him but I’m sure once he channels that and refocus’s to football, he will be a beast. I have no doubt about this dude..
June 19th, 2012 at 8:09 am
I kinda feel bad for Barron in that no one informed the rookie that he was sitting in BPs seat… Even if they were “setting him up” for a confrontation as a prank, BP shouldnt have to deal with that kinda stuff so close to his tragedy… He DID try and participate after all… Learn, Grow, Move on.
June 19th, 2012 at 8:14 am
Joe, by mentioning that he was “Sapp-like” were you referring to the same type of incident that occurred on a plane between Sapp and another certain player?
June 19th, 2012 at 8:27 am
Only question I have is… Who ended up sitting in the seat?
June 19th, 2012 at 9:21 am
It’s hard to judge this situation without being there. Barron obviously wasn’t hurt and wasn’t backing down either. As for Price, he’s been through a lot, but so have many others and tragedy is not a pass to act like a dick and punch someone in the face. But maybe Price did ask nicely before he was more abrupt, and maybe we’re only getting a partial story here, because if Price was being cool and Barron was being a dick, then he probably got what he deserved, but I still like the fire in his belly.
June 19th, 2012 at 9:26 am
This is the same Walterfootball website that graded the Bucs a C for the signings of Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks, right? The same webiste who justified that grade by claiming because the Bucs had a poor record last year, the big money free agents signed by Tampa were only in it for the money and would be on the decline straight away?
And now that very same website is taking a mini-camp story and blowing it out of proportion? Color me surprised.
Look, I know one of their head writers used to be associated with Pewter Report and regularly promotes the website on Walterfootball, but man what is up with that site over the last few months taking such a negative slant against the Bucs…
June 19th, 2012 at 9:28 am
This doesn’t bother me at all. Those things will happen, do all the time.
Barron will soon be a leader on this team. Sure hope Price can get healthy and show what he can do at 100%.
Can’t WAIT!!!
June 19th, 2012 at 9:45 am
Just wait until Price comes back weighing 550 lbs and sits in those chairs without checking first his rear view mirror. Barron will rue the day that he hijacked Price’s chairs.
There’s a new day coming in Tampa Bay! Hey, hey hey!!!
June 19th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Macabee is correct, Price is from LA, and they don’t play out there.
While I admire Barron for standing up to Price, he is lucky he wasn’t hurt.
June 19th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Good. I like a nasty D!
June 19th, 2012 at 10:59 am
the lesson here is don’t F with Brian Price…at leasts he didn’t hit Barron with a helmet like Talib did, although Talib was swinging on Penn…
June 19th, 2012 at 11:43 am
The L.A. tough guy moniker is a bunch of crap. Any coward can run around and shoot unarmed citizens like gang thugs do in L.A.
It makes them a lot of things, especially stupid, but I wouldn’t call that tough. Tough is being able to suck it up, toe the line and do the right thing.
The hard thing and the right thing are usually the same thing.
June 19th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I bet Mo Claiborne would have moved. Glad we took the badass. Bet that seat is open when Price gets back.
June 19th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Brain Price is a Tough Guy …It would be stupid to question that or challenge him.
June 19th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Hope Barron keeps the seat. You want to be a tough guy then prove it on the field Brian. Hitting a DB 100 lbs lighter than you doesn’t show me anything.
June 19th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
bigmack said it best……further more, just cause price is 300lbs and from LA doesn ‘t make him a bad ass. they bigger they are the harder they fall, and big boys have glass jaws 2.
June 19th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
What is Charlie Campbell’s beef with the Bucs? He must have screwed something up while he was with PR. He’s a d-bag.
June 19th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Get out of my seat rookie!
June 19th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
There NFl insiders who think the Bucs erred with the Barron selection. This could be evidence that he is yet another rotten apple. Oh and if he is soooooo fast, why didn’t he avoid the b#tt kicking?
June 19th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
If Barron said something like that out of the blue it would be unlike him. He always seemed very reserved at UA and was a team player on some great D’s. I’m guessing guys are hot, tired, stressed, and they just had enough of each other.
June 19th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Give price a break, for the love of God.
He is going through an immense amount of hurt and pain, both physically and mentally.
Give the man a pass for this instance.
I am glad to see our high round defensive draft picks are chomping at the bit, and arguing over seating in a meeting.
This is way cooler than hearing about GMC “learning to properly tackle”, and “the Dini tweets again”.
I am a huge Price and Barron fan, they will put this past them.
June 19th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
One last thing for Price, Barron and the rest of the team is:
You don’t command respect, you earn it.
June 19th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Wow, some of you folks have no clue what tough is. Because he is from Cali means nothing, he wouldn’t have smarted off to another 300 pounder, that is obvious.
Barron wasn’t doing anything except showing he isn’t a punk, no matter who the other guy was. Mark is not a trash talker, he is actually the opposite, very quite and humble off the field, he just isn’t a b!tch.
get out of my seat rookie……says the other rookie.
June 20th, 2012 at 3:18 am
Price has lost two brothers to gun shots and just got back from his sisters accidental death. He is in the process of adopting his deceased sisters children right now while dealing with minicamp.
The guy is having a bad month, cut him some slack.