Keyshawn Says Bucs Fans Will Boo Him Intensely
December 4th, 2012
“Oh, God, yes. I bet you any amount of money the stadium erupts in boos when my name is called,” Keyshawn Johnson said last night.
The Bucs’ big 10-year Super Bowl anniversary celebration Sunday seems to be attracting all the big names, and the unexpected ones.
Chucky’s return was announced last week, and Chucky’s old pal, Keyshawn Johnson, has gotten a hall pass from his BSPN NFL analyst duties for the weekend to join the fun in Tampa.
In typical Meshawn fashion last night on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Johnson explained that “a lot of the guys are looking forward to me being there.”
However, Johnson knows Bucs fans will be against him when his name and number is called at halftime of the Bucs-Eagles game. “I’m expecting to get really loud boos,” Johnson said. “So I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be fun.”
Host TJ Rives followed up, “You think the Bucs fans are going to boo you?” And Johnson was clear the negative response to him will rock the house.
“Oh, God, yes. I bet you any amount of money the stadium erupts in boos when my name is called,” Johnson said. “And that’s ok, though. I had fun down there. Everybody has their own opinion about the way the marriage ended, but at the same time, hey, I won a Super Bowl down there. I still have really good friends down there and I’m excited to go.”
Joe agrees that Keyshawn will get his share of jeers, but it won’t be as significant as he thinks. It’s not like Johnson was a bust on the field, and Joe knows fans appreciate what he meant to the title run before Chucky sent him home with pay halfway through the 2003 season.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I dunno..I think he was a bust. could actually have been teh most overrated WR in league history. I think we got more out of Keenan McCardell that season than Meshean
December 4th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
The fact that he will revel in the boos at a ceremony commemorating a championship team just goes to show you the garbage attitude this guys has. I won’t be attending the game, but Bucs fans should greet his name with nothing but silence. That way he gets nothing out of it. Cheer for everyone else.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
It would be well deserved. Not to mention this is coming from the guy who is probably picking us to lose this week like he does every other week on his ESPN picks.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
He overestimates how much we care about him. The correct answer is not very much.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Please just cheer for the guy….his ego is 1% of Ian and Ron.<–smh
December 4th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Joe is right.
What will happen instead, is he won’t get an cheers. But instead, he will hear crickets and some isolated jeers.
Kind of like the nobody at the pep rally.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
For as much crap as Keyshawn gets, Keyshawn was really awesome to my three brothers and I. We were waiting outside the Old Bucs practice facility for a couple hours when Keyshawn walked out. He said, “Oh man, you caught me.” He ended up talking to us for about 10 minutes, gave us all autographs, and then left. Unlike Warrick Dunn who literally ran away (I kid you not) and Warren Sapp who unsurprisingly told my 8 year old brother to get lost, Keyshawn treated us like human beings. I appreciate Keyshawn and will be cheering for him at the game.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Yeah as other posters said, I highly doubt anyone would boo him. We are celebrating our lone super bowl win. No one is focusing on Keyshawn. In fact if he would just stop acting like an idiot he might have gotten a light applause. But now that he’s bringing attention to himself as usual, it will probably be silence.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@mikeck, why do you think McCardell was so productive that year? Because Keyshawn was typically drawing double teams. Then as teams split attention between McCardell and Johnson, Jurevicious became more productive.
I’m not a Keyshawn fan, and cannot at all condone his attitude, however he was a very good (not great) talent at WR, and an argument can be made, that if not for KJ, we may not have even made the Super Bowl that year. That offense didn’t have any stars, however everyone, including Keyshawn, carried their own weight and contributed to the overall success of the unit that year.
If the point is to celebrate the 2002 season and the Super Bowl victory, then Keyshawn should be cheered just as loud as any other offensive player (there are at least 4 defensive players who should be cheered more than any name on offense).
December 4th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
@hallofshmie i’ve had very similar experiences with Key, and Dunn, Dunn was an absolute a-hole when I met him, it surprises a lot of people when I say that. Key was super nice, at Pepin-Rood at UT he was like, “i’ll be back out” when the players, were heading in after practice, probably 45min later there were about 5 of us still, waiting, he didn’t spend much time with us but I ment a lot to me that he kept his word.
Sapp, I’ve heard so many negative things about over the years since his playing days, but I met him at between his rookie and second year at an orlando cubs game of all places, I didn’t bug him for an autograph or anything, but he was totally cool, and talked to me quite a while.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Key grabbed a lot of balls and took some vicious hits while with us. I don’t care to meet or get autographs from our players. I want them to produce on the field. He did that. I will cheer loudly for him and the rest of our Super Bowl team when appropriate to do so at the game.
December 4th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
There’s no opinion involved: Chucky deactivated Keyshawn for conduct issues. They weighed his play versus the headache he created and they thought they were better off without him. Those are the facts and they are undisputed.
That being said, Keyshawn was a G.D. fearless receiver who went over the middle and took some vicious hits. I never saw him alligator-arm a pass.
I see alot of Key in Mike Williams and I won’t boo him. My favorite Key play from that season was the stop-and-go he ran against Atlanta on the road on the right sideline where he juked the defender out of his cleats and caught an uncontested pass all by himself and went about 60 yards down the sideline. We went to that game in ATL and he ran right by us.
December 4th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
The one I hate the worse from experieince and storisetc… is Sapp and would not even boo him. They are all welcome.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I will Cheer for him just like the rest of them. Of Course I will cheer loudest (whistle) for Brooks, Lynch, Sapp, Alstott & my boy Chucky. No way I’ll boo any player that brought us a Super Bowl. I would hope the Buc fans will show a little more class on Sunday.
Now Eagles’ fans, they’ll boo anybody, so be prepared for the Eggle boos.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Key helped the team reach the Superbowl and will be remembered for his efforts – he will be cheered.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Count me in as 3rd on a bad Dunn experience. I saw him in Atlanta awhile back and he was a complete dick to anyone who approached him.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
He’d never admit it, but Dunn would trade all 5 of his successful years in Atlanta to have been on that 2002 Tampa team.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Prove him wrong! We’re celebrating the greatest day in Buccaneers history together. I say embrace him as he’s one of the few dudes to bring hardware to Tampa Bay. Screw all the politics and name calling. Lets be classy for this one day and thank him for the good stuff he did for us that year!
December 4th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
BigMac
You spoke for me! Ditto!
December 4th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Hmm…Funny, I always get upset when I have to give out autograpghs and I give them out all the time and to lots of people, of course they are on the bottom of a check from my bank account.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Id say people are so enthused to embrace the winners very few boos will take place.
Keyshawn played well, and remember he was traded for Joey so we got great value in the deal that brought him here.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@mikeck, why do you think McCardell was so productive that year? Because Keyshawn was typically drawing double teams. Then as teams split attention between McCardell and Johnson, Jurevicious became more productive.
Well becuase as a season ticket holder I saw all of his home games. Which means I saw him drop numerous catcheable balls. I saw him run sloppy routes, I saw him fail to get seperation and I saw him quit when things weren’t going well.
Vincent jackson draws double teams and it hasnt stopped him from making plays. Besides, very few teams truly “double” anyone, they roll coverage to a problem receiver. I doubt anyone had to roll any covereage against keyshawn…ever
I only wanted him to actually catch the balls thrown at him.
December 4th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Do you think him and Gruden will even make eye contact?
What I’m anxious to see is how Simeon Rice and Gruden will greet each other!
December 4th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
I met Keyshawn at the Harbour Island gym once. Super nice guy actually.
What gets reported in the media about a guy is often totally overblown and made with folks with an ax to grind.
These guys won a Super Bowl together. All will be well.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
“I won a superbowl” — standard meshawn.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
I don’t know why Key thinks that. He was the one who pointed out to everyone what a two faced a-hole Gruden really was. He was nice to me when I met him. I gave him my ID outside a bar at channel side because he had a low cap on and was sitting outside the door so I thought he was checking IDs. He looked at it and then me and smiled like you know who I am, right?
December 4th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Stanglassman,
That’s a funny story.
Makes you wonder what he was doing there on the outside. At least you didn’t hand him your car keys to park your car.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Eric:
Joe would be shocked if Keyshawn is booed.
December 4th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
One of the best blocking recievers in buc history.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Keyshawn should not be booed. Anyone thinking of booeing keyshawn besides the eagle fans who’s heart he helped rip out that year should go back and watch film from that year and some of the great catches he made. He was a hugh part of our offense coming alive that year!!!
December 4th, 2012 at 10:11 pm
key was one of the best wr in bucs history.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
If we hit a huge bomb Reid will fire the DB’s coach mid game.
December 5th, 2012 at 3:28 am
I was also at that Atlanta game when he had that great touchdown. I think he actually had 2 that day.