Report: Schiano Didn’t Stick Up For Bryan Cox
December 18th, 2012
Just about every Bucs fan has seen the video by now, even if they didn’t see it live. Backup linebacker (now thrust into the starting position due to injuries) and special teams captain Adam Hayward got into a physical confrontation with front seven coach Bryan Cox in the debacle in New Orleans last Sunday.
Well, if Eric Edholm of ProFootballWeekly.com is to be believed, Bucs coach Greg Schiano is siding with Hayward on the incident.
First-year Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano apparently sided with the players in a sideline spat involving defensive assistant Bryan Cox in Sunday’s 41-0 loss to the Saints, a source told PFW.
Cox was seen during the TV broadcast being pushed by LB Adam Hayward in the second quarter, and LB Jacob Cutrera also was involved in restraining Cox. But Sources say that Schiano sided with the players and told Cox that he would not be back on the coaching staff if he repeated his behavior.
Cox was yelling at officials as Hayward pushed the coach back to the sideline. Schiano added Cox to his defensive staff in February.
Now Joe has no idea what prompted the incident. Coaches and players getting into it — verbally — is nothing new. Happens just about every game. Big deal. But when a player goes after a coach, Joe doesn’t care what the hell was said to provoke such a response. A player CANNOT physically get into it with a coach, under no circumstances.
If this happened in a closed practice or inside the locker room, no big deal. This happened in full view of a packed stadium, caught on TV. In other words, very public.
Thus, Joe demands a public penalty on Hayward. Even being benched for the first two series against the Rams is fine. The team has to do something publicly. This cannot be tolerated. From a “captain” no less!
The Bucs seem to be on the verge of imploding. Their first round draft pick, fourth-year quarterback has gone into hiding. The pass defense is just a rumor. A coward spouted off to Mike Florio about how bad the coaching staff is.
By not publicly rebuking a player for assaulting a coach, Schiano is risking a full blown mutiny on his hands. It’s getting ugly.
With the team on the verge of a meltdown, turning your back on physically assaulting a coach in public is akin to lighting a match in a room full of gasoline.
The last thing Schiano needs is to lose this team. It seems to Joe there’s a powder keg of unrest out there among the Bucs.
December 18th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
I’ll bet Bryan Cox has been in 100 fights worse than this and he probably doesn’t have an enemy in the world.
I also believe that Bryan Cox is the best coach on that sideline.
If the Little General is stupid enough to fire him that will destroy any remaining semblance of order in the locker room.
December 18th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Assuming Edholm is correct would I side with Joe or side with Schiano? On this one I will take the professional football coach. Who knows what the back story is? And honestly if I was Hayward I think I would have an issue with the term “physically assaulting”.
December 18th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
All i know…is our LineBackers are 100% better this year…..be careful Schiano
December 18th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
I could see Hayward was trying to restrain Cox, but he was maybe a little too strong with his push back. I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Joe. I strongly disagree with your perception of this occurrence and pleadings for discipline of Adam Hayward. Adam has been a model citizen on and off the field since he came to Tampa. I just don’t see it, Hayward getting out of line without good reason. it isn’t like he shoved a cop or a school teacher and Cox is big strong man. He didn’t phase Cox in the least bit either, while Cox was really peaved at the Zebras, go figure.
I think you need to get over it Joe. We have much larger fish to fry.
Don’t usually disagree with you guys, but this time I do. Do both of you agree on this issue?
December 18th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
It seems to me Joe is being dramatic…
December 18th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
I agree with you Joe, whatever Hayward was trying to do he got to physical with his coach and that should be an issue that demands discipline. Perhaps because we have nobody behind Hayward is why he is getting a pass???
December 18th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Big Mac,
I totally agree. This is much ado about nothing. God only knows what Cox did. He wasn’t exactly the most sane guy on the field when he played!
December 18th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
It seems like Cox pushed him first… not that it makes it right, but… that might be why.
December 18th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Freeman over 250 yards and 3 TDS and no INTs on Sunday, Doug Martin 100 yards and a TD, BUCS win 34-14 against the RAMS. Freeman will bounce back, and then all the “fair weather”, ‘Turn Coat” real bucs fan, will be back and happy again until the next loss and it will be: DRAFT Geno Smith (bad idea), NEW COACH (Worse idea), Hire Turner for OC (Dumb idea). Or could sign Vick and Draft Geno Smith, then take turns playing them and throw it VJAX everytime as this works on PS3, Could always hire Andy Reid as OC, Turner as QB coach (Replace his brother)……………………..and with Smith who is a first ballot hall of famer can’t miss prospect in the mold of RG3 and A.Luck and Vick to run wilcat stuff and deep balls, should go 16-0 and upset the 72 dolphins, its an easy fix to help a franchise just draft a new QB and start over, see D.Carr, J.Rusell, A.Smith, J.Harrington, T.Couch, M.Sanchez, M.Leinart etc etc.
December 18th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
A.Smith=Akili Smith for the record…..
December 18th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Too bad our team wasn’t this fired up on the field.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
no Geno!!!!!
December 18th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
here we go again. from snitching on RAH last year, to snitching on the suspended Talib supporting his team at the stadium instead of being at home, to snitching on Warren Sapp with his super bowl ring, you have now turned into being the blogging equivalent of the commentator “JOE BUCK”, the sissified “i apologize you had to see this on our airwaves” when Randy Moss fake mooned the green bay crowd. i never realized it until now. you are actually the testosterone-lacking, crying for penalties, longing for fines, wishing for suspensions JOEBUCKfans… you just conveniently left the “k” out so we souldn’t know. Listen, another thing, Evan Longoria just perhaps got the greatest news in his life, he’s becoming a father. and you still saw it fit to label him “dirtbag” for perhaps the most positive thing ever reported on the guy? you joebuck… errrr… joebuc clowns need to check yourselves.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Isn’t it possible that Cox was way out of line with the officials and was about to get penalized by the officials when Hayward stepped in to keep Cox on the sideline and from getting penalized?
I’m not worried about it in the least, Cox was always an extremely fiery emotional guy as a player that did and said tons of idiotic but passionate things on or off the field… it is entirely probable that Cox needed the proverbially slap in the face to get himself together.
December 18th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
@DRE-DAY — First off, that was Rick Stroud of the then St. Pete Times that reported Talib was at the stadium in a luxury box when he was suspended from the team.
Second, Evan Longoria’s real nickname is “Dirtbag” going back to his college days. Feel free to look it up.
Third, Joe’s very happy Sapp found his ring, which is a Buccaneer treasure. And Sapp’s bankruptcy was settled, so there’s no chance he could get in trouble.
Fourth, Raheem snitched on himself on the Bay area’s most popular radio show.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
Brandon, I agree and that’s how I saw it. It looked like Hayward was showing the leadership a Captain should, just maybe a little too strong. Cox looked really mad and not at Hayward.
I sure wish Josh Freeman would have shown that same level of fighting spirit. This is just no way for the team to fill up the stadium with performances like Sunday in Nola.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
I agree. Joe is totally over reacting here… And I also get the feeling that he tries to get people into trouble too often… (Raheem, Sapp, Talib,…)
Hayward is a good person.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Man I sure miss my Lightning. I need a Stamkos fix bad.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Dr. Dre,
Longoria is called dirtbag because the college he played for, Long Beach State’s nickname is “the dirtbags.” Joe didn’t give him that moniker. You’re an assclown!
December 18th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Joe always has good intentions. Lets agree to disagree but not go there, guys. I still love Joe.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Seems like he CAN and he DID joe haha. If it was that serious we would have seen consequences by now or atleast heard about it more. Sorry joe but I call Mularkey on this one. I have to say I agree with BigMac 100%
December 18th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
The video makes a whole lot more sense now. I kept wondering why Cox didn’t seem to be looking at Hayward. It’s because Cox was yelling at officials.
Joe – I disagree with your assessment Cox needs to be punished. This seems like a non-issue. Hayward wasn’t going after Cox (initially), he was protecting him and both coach and player got too pushy.
December 18th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Hayward is a good man. I originally assumed Cox was going off the handle and Hayward, though out of line, was regulating.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
These players are babies and back stabbers. Like Michael Clayton mouthing off about chucky. Might not have had the Rah fiasco if that didn’t happen.
I also found it distasteful when after rah was fired that players suddenly went after him.
U play a kids game u ingrates. The coach is the one who drafted or signed u into your rediculously high salaries.
December 18th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Or even getting ejected if he was reacting that way to get Cox back on the sideline. But who cares. Coach said it has been taken care of. Get over it. Like anyone else in America who saw the game even remembers it unless someone stirs the pot.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Joe,
How do you not see what’s going on in the vid? Cox is yelling on to the field, Hayward was trying to clam him down and Cox pushed his arms out of the way. That’s when Hayward pushes Cox back.
It’s a case of someone trying to clam another person down. The person who’s upset takes it to far with the person trying to help him and then getting into with with that party…
December 18th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
OMG< this is such a NON-story. Move along…nothing to see here. Sorry Joe. I'm usually on your side with things but this is ridiculous.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Who gave him this scoop anyway I wonder? The same unnamed source who said “Can we send these coaches back to college”?
December 18th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
[This was not from Joe, but an impostor who has been booted for using Joe’s name in vain. — Joe]
December 18th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
Agree with those who said it is a non issue – if you only saw what was on television, you might think that the player was wrong. It’s kind of like the player who gets hit illegally and fignts back getting the penalty. Focus, Joe, on more important issues, like which players and coaches won’t be here next.
December 19th, 2012 at 12:32 am
Joe,
None of those head coaches would ever put hands on a player like that. I fully understand why he pushed back. It doesn’t look good for both men, but to say the player needs to be punished and not the coach is wrong. Both or nothing… The team thinks nothing.
Also would just like say I love the site… Great Bucs info!
December 19th, 2012 at 1:16 am
ADAM HAYWARD DID COACH COX AND HIS FAMILY A
FAVOR THAT COACH COX CAN ONLY HOPE HE HAS THE ABILITY TO REPAY 1DAY.
December 19th, 2012 at 3:33 am
Joe, seriously? Take a chill pill dude. You over react more than my 16 year old daughter. WOW, JUST WOW