Hayward “Unfairly Got Criticized,” Says Cox
June 14th, 2013
Joe’s used his share of Internet space criticizing Adam Hayward for shoving assistant coach Bryan Cox on the Bucs sidelines last December, a move that was picked up by TV cameras and the case was publicly dismissed by Greg Schiano.
For Joe, Hayward’s actions were thoroughly unacceptable. Hayward clearly was angered by Cox and shoved him. Imagine if he had shoved Schiano?
Early this week, Joe finally got a chance to ask Cox to explain what happened and what fans should know about the incident. Cox said it was blown out of proportion and is ancient history.
“Nobody really knows what happened,” Cox said of the heated sideline exchange with Hayward. “Adam and I have a really good relationship. That’s in the past. We moved on from it. He’s a really good guy and I think he unfairly got criticized for it.”
Cox is as straight a shooter as one could hope for in a coach, and Joe believes Cox. Joe still thinks it was a heinous act by Hayward, but Joe’s pleased to hear Cox is more mature than Joe and has moved on.
June 14th, 2013 at 8:25 am
It’s NFL football. Players without passion usually don’t get to play there.
June 14th, 2013 at 8:59 am
I thought I heard that Hayward was just trying to get Cox back on the sideline as Cox was arguing with a ref.
June 14th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Any of us getting physical with our bosses would bring a much different response…but the NFL is a physical business. Perhaps Schiano is used to that judging what the Rutgers basketball coach did to his players….so turn abouts fair play!!!
June 14th, 2013 at 9:29 am
If Jim is right, it’s a wholly different matter. Looking at the picture, it sure looks like Cox is focused on something going on on the field. In this case Hayward is trying to avoid a team penalty.
June 14th, 2013 at 9:50 am
I agree with Jim and TrueBlue. We don’t hear the verbal back and forth but with the way the events unfolded, I believe it went a little something like this:
Coach Cox: (to ref) ^&$* ^&%876 &%^#%^!!!!!!
Hayward: Chill Coach! Chill!
Coach Cox, coming onto the field: $*&^ ^& *^ %@#^ YOUR MOTHER!!!!
Hayward: COACH CHILL! We’re gonna get a penalty!!!! ( body block and push toward sideline)
Coach Cox: $ %^#45# %&* (as he goes back to sideline, forced by Hayward)
Hayward: Damn Coach you gotta chill out.
Schiano: Coach Cox $#^$ 3%^*$ ^&%! You could have got us a penalty!!!
Did I like it ? Hell no.
Did I respect Schiano and Coach Cox for saying it was nothing? Yup. I sure as hell am not on the sideline to know everything about their relationship.
June 14th, 2013 at 9:58 am
yup. That’s about how I seen it too BucDan. It look to me like Hayward was trying to get Cox to calm down and stay off the field, when Cox shoved Adam’s arm away, and moved forward onto the field, where Adam this time, pushed him back onto the sideline.
June 14th, 2013 at 9:59 am
Cox was heated and went out on the field to berate a ref. He was out of line. Hayward was trying to get him to calm down and go back to the sideline when Cox shoved Hayward to the side. Hayward immediately shoved him back. Perhaps when dealing with a man as large and angry as Cox, a solid shove is the only way to get him to snap out of it. Perhaps it was completely reflex by Hayward from being shoved first.
In any instance, it has been blown out of proportion (mainly by Joe, nobody else really cares) and if Heyward had just let Cox go after the ref without intervening…we might have ended up seeing Cox do something he would regret. Like touch a ref.
All in all I think it was a heated situation that could have gotten ugly but ended well.
June 14th, 2013 at 10:36 am
Well I remember Cox’s playing days well. He was no choir boy and had one of the more colorful personalities. It also believe Hayward was just trying to get him to sideline.
June 14th, 2013 at 11:47 am
seems like the only person who cares about it is Joe.
June 14th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Well Joe it is very adult of you to admit you were wrong…. oh wait you didn’t actually do that!
That’s OK, continue to side with the guy that flipped off a stadium on national TV. And keep dumping on a really good individual who was taking a leadership role and preventing a hot tempered coach from make a bad situation worse.
You should be proud dude.
June 14th, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Can’t believe Joe is still beating this dead horse. I actually respected Hayward more after that incident. It showed he was stand up, team-oriented guy. How he can be perceived as a villain from this is beyond me.
June 14th, 2013 at 3:39 pm
@Jim
That was the case, it’s just some people see what they *want
June 14th, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Just a point to add, the Saints were called hold holding on the play and if Cox kept yelling at the ref, there could have been offsetting penalties instead of 2nd & 18. Unfortunately, Gaitor got called for defensive holding on the next play and the 41-0 rout was well on it’s way before halftime.
June 14th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Imagine if he had shoved Gruden??
June 14th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Overblown primarily by JoeBucsFan.com incidentally, no where beat the drum of this fleeting moment more then here.
June 15th, 2013 at 12:39 am
I will just mention that the arguments being presented here have been presented to Joe MANY times…I know I myself have mentioned it twice that Hayward was simply trying to avoid a penalty. Whenever anyone mentions it, Joe just ignores it, waits a few weeks, and posts about how “heinous” it was again.
June 15th, 2013 at 4:51 am
This was a non-issue for me when it occurred and not worthy of rehashing now. Neither participant deserves having to respond. If this had been Blount shoving a coach it would have made national news.