“A Terrible Idea”
August 26th, 2014
Not since the day Derrick Brooks was cut has there been so much Bucs fan buzzing — both good and bad buzz — like there was yesterday, when Tampa Bay faithful were ignited with the news sleazy Richie Incognito was in town for an interview at One Buc Palace.
Everything else — including startling news that offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford has a medical issue and his return is uncertain — was completely buried by the avalanche of Incognito chatter.
Talk about a slow news day!
Joe has made his views clear. So too has veteran Tampa Bay Times columnist Gary Shelton who documented what “a terrible idea” even thinking of signing Incognito is.
Look, this isn’t the only team in the NFL that needs guards. It is, however, the first one to reach out to Incognito. Here’s a question: Which player, exactly, would be a bad idea for the Bucs? Anyone? If the Bucs want an offensive guard in the worst way, well, they’ve discovered the way.
Think about it. Why would the Bucs make this move if not to see how close Incognito is to being ready to play? They certainly don’t need to ask him more questions about the bullying. They don’t need to swap chili recipes. Unless a team is serious about absorbing the heat, why bring in Incognito at all?
In a lot of ways, the question of why is equaled only by why now. The Bucs are the verge of their season, and only now is it clear how much the team has disregarded its guards. Davin Joseph was cut, and Jeremy Zuttah was traded, and it has been clear for a while that Carl Nicks would be unable to come back. So now, just before the games start to count, Incognito is a good idea?
The timing is very strange and frankly smacks of a panic move. For all the talk the Bucs organization spouts about wanting to be the pillar of community values and pride, signing Incognito just demonstrates how hollow if now shallow those words are.
Shelton sort of comes up with an ulterior motive as to why the Bucs are sinking in the muck that is Incognito: that it’s a very public ruse to the 49ers that if they don’t play ball and trade Alex Boone to the Bucs, the Bucs will just go ahead and sign Incognito.
Frankly, the Bucs have zero leverage. There are about 20 other teams hungry for guards but apparently are not as desperate as the Bucs. If Bucs general manager Jason Licht tried to strong-arm 49ers general manager Trent Baalke like that, Baalke just might send a new set of golf clubs to Licht and say, “Have fun with Richie.”
August 26th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Incognito is not only a bad character but not a good guard since his teams didn’t have winning records….according to Joe.
So, if Joe is right…..The Glazers, Licht, Lovie & Tedford & Warhop are complete idiots to bring in such a loser……according to Joe.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Whole lotta drama over a guy who isn’t on the team. *fart*
August 26th, 2014 at 10:09 am
Put it this way, the Bucs are gonna pay for any move they make or don’t make with getting a guard. Pay through the nose for Boone, pay through the backlash with the media with Incognito, or pay with the fans by doing nothing. No matter how it works out the Bucs our Bucs are gonna pay for their decision. What is the path of least resistance? Wins, identity, or reputation? Big decisions to come.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:10 am
media over analyzing over exaggerating over opinionated… welcome to that team Joe. Let’s all forget about your Johnny Football BS its almost hypocritical. He’s no saint either.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:12 am
Joe is like a pit bull. He doesn’t let go until he detaches the meat from the bone.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:17 am
What would be a shame is if the Bucs don’t sign him because of the media’s incomprehensible behavior that has been totally against the wishes of the majority. It shows how the media tries to control everything.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:19 am
Joe you complain about our guard situation every single day, yet you don’t want to sign Incognito or trade for Boone. What do you suppose we do as a solution? We can not go into the regular season with our current guards and I do believe Incognito can be kept under the radar for a season until a replacement can be made. Bill Belichick has a sign hanging on around the Pat’s facilities that read “Ignore the noise” which means don’t let media and fan pressure influence your decisions as a football team. There will be an evaluation process with Incognito who has been fully cooperating with the NFL to get reinstated. Ray Lewis helped cover up a murder and got another chance yet everyone in the media wants this guy to not ever play again.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:22 am
“Talk about a slow news day!”
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Joe, it is media types such as yourself, Shelton, Fennelly, et al who have made this a media event! Geez, he just came for a meeting and you guys all scramble to put pen to paper (or finger to computer) to try and seal club Incognito to death. His visit wasn’t near the big deal you guys have made it out to be.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:23 am
Samcro, you’re so wrong about Joe it’s beyond comical. Keep the insults coming. –Joe
August 26th, 2014 at 10:27 am
Hi Joe. We know you hate the Incognito idea. We get it buddy. I figured it out 8 Incognito articles ago. I agree with you but can we talk about guys that are on this team. Any update on Tedford’s condition?
August 26th, 2014 at 10:31 am
I think Rishaw Johnson could be sufficient eventually, but sign anyone who’s an upgrade….
Anyway, OMG about Tedford being out indefinitely!!!
Joe, any idea if he’ll be back by week 1? This situation has the potential to be detrimental to our season.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:31 am
Drew Says
“Joe is like a pit bull.”
All the media will be like this. Ingognito would bring a lot of bad press…especially if he is signed and then gets into any trouble, on or off the field.
I mentioned last night, his play was slipping in Miami. In fact, I believe he was benched as a result (before the bullying thing started). People ARE kind of browsing over that. Would he really be an upgrade?
Well, he’s had plenty of time off, so I doubt he is in football shape. His play was so bad in Miami that they demoted him to second string.
Add the bad media that comes with him and it may not be worth signing him. Last night, I was in favor of doing it. Today, after considering? Not so much.
Last year, the media did more damage to this team than Schiano or anyone else. Do we really want Lovie to start off on their bad side?
August 26th, 2014 at 10:31 am
I was on the fence until Joe let on just how much the notion of the Bucs signing Richie gets under Joes craw…..I love these hissy fits Joe throws when he really feels he is right about a Buccaneer issue….I can’t wait to order my jersey once Richie is assigned his number !….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZIgYggfJos
August 26th, 2014 at 10:32 am
We need someone to protect our 35-year-old career journeyman/backup never-started-16-games-in-a-season, former High School Coach QB! Incognito is far from the worst offender playing in the NFL. If he can help and not hurt team chemistry, why not give him a chance? I’m sure our 35-year-old career journeyman/backup never-started-16-games-in-a-season, former High School Coach QB would appreciate staying upright in the pocket this year!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:35 am
Steve white and Gary Shelton have said it’s a bad idea ok Now I agree with you joe. Just cause you keep putting up stories of people saying it’s a bad idea isn’t going to change are minds. 90 people true bucs fan who want to see victories below each story thinks it is a good idea.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:36 am
Lovie and the coaching stuff will probably shrink under the pressure of the rabble rousing media blowhards who think they speak for Buc fans. Think again.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:39 am
@Joe, can you give is more info on Tedford please? You kinda control the direction of chatter with your blog post.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:39 am
While with the Buccaneers, the NFL cleared Incognito to play.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:39 am
Incognito has never been arrested since being in the NFL.
Akeem Spence has an Arrest
Da’Quan Bowers has an Arrest
2 WDAE Hosts have an Arrest
And the video of Mike Evans is more Offensive than Incognito Shirt off in the Bar Video. Evans Actually commits a crime.
Incognito is only accused of acting tough in the locker room and only by an NFL which was afraid of a lawsuit.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:40 am
And even though I don’t agree with Joe on this matter I’m not going to attack his opinion like a lot of you posters who seem just to comment to do as such. Honestly if you guys don’t ever like his opinions why come to the site? This specific Buc’s blog seems to be a bastion of drunk ill informed fans who think they could be GMs but really just spew opinions as matter of fact.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:40 am
Hey Gary Shelton… SHOVE IT!!!
I would rather have Incognito than Cousins worthless ass…
This is so ridiculous… Are we building a football team or a freaking choir?
August 26th, 2014 at 10:40 am
You know, the Bucs could have just brought him in as a favor to his agent to hopefully generate renewed interest.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:42 am
@jo_mama how about you actually read the full report before commenting. Because based on your opinion I’m betting you didn’t even read a quarter of it and probably haven’t read anything longer than a few pages in a couple of years.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:42 am
jo_mama Says
“Evans Actually commits a crime.”
BULLSPIT!!!!!!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:43 am
I’m sick of the faux outrage about what this guy did. I read the entire report on this whole saga and what I came out thinking is that while Incognito is a jerk, Martin was a big puss. While he is a jerk, he’s also a mean SOB and every locker room needs that guy. On top of that, Incognito was also just doing what the coaches instructed him to do, toughen Martin up. Also, after the incident took place, everyone in the Dolphins locker room stuck up for Incognito and not Martin. The bottom line is that while Incognito is a bully, jerk and mean SOB, Warren Sapp was the exact same guy, but everyone LOVES him.
Sign the guy to a 1 year “prove it” deal. If for some reason it doesn’t work out, no big deal. If it does work out you got a Pro-Bowl caliber guard and a meaner offensive line. Which would be a good move for this current GM & coach since they got rid of all our good guards.
Or just continue the faux outrage that the Gary Shelton’s and Mike Florio’s of the world continue to harp on and watch Josh McCown go down and stay down during the first few weeks of the season because our guards suck.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:44 am
Yeap…. SMOKE SCREEN!
Makes for easy storytelling by the media. From Freeman to Schiano to Incognito…. Easy writing before the last game of preseason. The Tampa media says Hallelujah!!!
All is good…
August 26th, 2014 at 10:46 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
jo_mama like many posters on this sight warp the truth to add substance to their argument. This guy probably still thinks Glennon is the better option at QB right now despite how obviously McCown is outperforming him in every way.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:46 am
jo_momma: Great points. I didn’t even think about that. This guy has never even been in trouble with the law but we have other guys on the roster who are picking fights at night clubs.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:47 am
jo_mama Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:39 am
Incognito has never been arrested since being in the NFL.
2 WDAE Hosts have an Arrest
_______________________
LMAO!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:48 am
“lightningbuc Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:47 am
jo_mama Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:39 am
Incognito has never been arrested since being in the NFL.
2 WDAE Hosts have an Arrest
_______________________
LMAO!”
Ouch!!
August 26th, 2014 at 10:49 am
@JS Incognito sexually assaulted a female on a golf course, just because he paid for it to go away doesn’t make it any more legal.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:53 am
I’m for signing the guy but everyone needs to stop downplaying what he did in Miami. What he did is inexcusable and he surely has personal issues but I believe he is seeking treatment as requested by the NFL and has the ability to change now.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:55 am
It’s not that surprising that they’d talk to the guy, just to see whether he’s an option. The Bucs will pay through the nose for Boone, so before they make that move or take the substantial risk of not making any moves, they have to know that this joker isn’t worth the trouble.
Certainly, there are worse people playing in the NFL today. While I’d love for the Bucs to be totally pure and reject those who aren’t, that’s not going to happen. Despite the talk around here, Williams, for instance, was ejected for salary reasons almost certainly, not for character.
Also, while Incognito is clearly a buffoon and an ass, it’s a little hard to unravel how bad he is from all of the media on him. Accepting everything as painted, I wouldn’t let him near the team, but is all of that true? That’s probably why Lovie et al. want to meet with him–to gauge the situation directly before making any other moves.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:56 am
I bet you probably think that someone that’s released from prison should be shunned from society and never allowed to have a job again. Because people are incapable of change.
Lovie said in his presser that they have been looking in to this for a long time so there’s nothing saying that they haven’t been weighing this since the beginning of training camp.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:58 am
Incognito will be cheap with something to prove. Booner will get a rich deal and then has no incentive to play at a high level anymore. Frankly it’s much stupider to trade for Boone than signing Incognito, by a fairly wide margin.
August 26th, 2014 at 10:59 am
You guys be careful the hypocritical joe’s delete anything
You say about wdae that they deem wrong. I got deleted yesterday
Joe delete inaccuracies posted about lots of entities and people. In the real world, Joe is responsible for the content posted here, not the anonymous commenter. –Joe
August 26th, 2014 at 11:02 am
BuccaneerBonzai Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:42 am
jo_mama Says
“Evans Actually commits a crime.”
BULLSPIT!!!!!!
_________________________________
7 seconds into the video a Police Officer puts his hand on Mike Evans 3 seconds later he shoves the Police Officer off. That’s assault. It may be border line. But in the Eyes of the Law that’s still assault.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:03 am
whocares92 Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:49 am
@JS Incognito sexually assaulted a female on a golf course, just because he paid for it to go away doesn’t make it any more legal.
____________________________________________
Girls get paid off all the time for from Pro Ball players. Does not mean a crime was committed.
If you put your hands on a stripper when they have a no touch policy. You just committed sexual assault.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:06 am
whocares92 Says:
August 26th, 2014 at 10:42 am
@jo_mama how about you actually read the full report before commenting. Because based on your opinion I’m betting you didn’t even read a quarter of it and probably haven’t read anything longer than a few pages in a couple of years.
____________________________
Have you read all 1000 texts. I have. They read like 2 Friends talking smack to each other.
They read like to friends making daily plans to go out and bang girls together.
They are tamer than texts I send out on a daily basis.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:06 am
The bottom line is the majority of Bucs fans (by the poll) want him on the team, so why would we care what anybody else thinks including news hacks?
August 26th, 2014 at 11:06 am
now you are deleting post that don’t conform to your warped holier than thou commentary. pretty pathetic
Sorry, Joe suspects if you ran SamcroBucsFan.com, that you wouldn’t tolerate comments featuring lies about you. In the United States, the law doesn’t tolerate malicious attacks on businesses, and Joe’s not a fan of that here, either. –Joe
August 26th, 2014 at 11:10 am
whocares92: yeah I’m pretty sure we have had guys come through that locker room that have done way worse. The guy is definitely a jerk but slapping a chick on the ass does not warrant not signing him. Hell, it’s not like he knocked out his wife and dragged her out of an elevator.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:12 am
Man I don’t remember the outrage being like this when Chuckie brought Jeremy Stevens here who was accused of RAPING a chick and had DUI issues. This faux outrage over bullying is going to far.
The Stevens outrage was there at the time. –Joe
August 26th, 2014 at 11:13 am
@Jo_mama the texts are a small sample size of the harassment. There were many other incidents not recorded in text. And if that’s how you talk to your friends or other fully grown adults that’s strange because most people don’t joke around about raping their friend’s family or physically assaulting each other.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:16 am
” They certainly don’t need to ask him more questions about the bullying. ”
Sorry, but I’d say they have a lot to ask him about, starting with ‘ can you control yourself’ and ‘ do you even feel you need to’ ? And ending with ‘ what kind of shape are you in’ ? In my mind the above statement is moronic, and reflective of the punitive attitude this country has against anyone who gets caught doing anything ‘wrong’. It’s OK to lie, cheat, ang steal, as long as you don’t get caught. Whatever happened to the Christian principle of redemption & forgiveness? And, of course ‘ let he who is without sin cast the first stone’. Incognito is an asshole, a jerk, and a bully…so what, he met his employer’s requirements to return to work. Who , the hell, are any of us, including Shelton, to say he should never work again?
August 26th, 2014 at 11:16 am
@JS and I agree his past shouldn’t keep us from signing him but don’t act like he’s getting a bad reputation for no reason. The guy clearly has mental issues as he’s admitted himself, but now that he can deal with them I don’t think they’ll be such a distraction now.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:21 am
Do you know why Joe ran that poll yesterday? To see where the heart of the Buc fan is. Joe knows that 80% of us wants Ingognito to be signed. Joe is the master of controversy, and knows how to get under a Buc fan’s skin. All he is doing is using this situation to generate hits to this site. Weather Joe thinks it’s a good, or bad idea, to sign Incognito is irrelevant.
Nice try, but Joe’s been anti-Incognito on these pages for weeks. Feel free to search “human debris” in the archives.–Joe
August 26th, 2014 at 11:38 am
Three teams expressed interest in Incognito in recent weeks (aside from the Bucs), but his lack of clearance kept offers from materializing.
Retweeted by Rick Stroud
August 26th, 2014 at 11:56 am
Joe: I disagree about the outrage over Stevens. It was talked about a bit but it never reached this level that Incognito is receiving. I’m talking now locally and with the national media. Incognito has gotten it WAY worse. What Stevens is accused of doing is way worse than Incognito horsing around with the guys in the locker room and being a jackass. The outrage that Incognito is receiving in comparison is ridiculous. When he’s been accused of rape, assault or murder, get back to me. Being a jerk, bully and all around goofball does not warrant this outrage.
August 26th, 2014 at 11:57 am
whocares92: I’ve said from the get go that the guy is a jerk. He gets his reputation honestly but the outrage over this is perplexing.
August 26th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
@ joe’s what i posted yesterday about ron and ian
Was simply my opinion, last i checked we still live in america
It didn’t deserve deletion
August 26th, 2014 at 12:02 pm
@Joe
HaHa! But I’m still not buying it!
August 26th, 2014 at 12:11 pm
His team mates supported him during the so called scandal, his coaches looked at him as the go to tough guy and his peers voted him to the pro bowl.
Bullying is wrong for kids but olineman are supposed to be bullys. Its fairly obvious that J. Martin needed to be tougher and instead of getting tougher he sued the guy… wow. I would bet that if this incident had not occured Incognito would still be with the Dolphins and J Martin would still be off the team. This is stupid. Just get the best 5 olineman out there and hit someone.
August 26th, 2014 at 12:11 pm
CobraBoy: Well said.
August 26th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Look I’m really on the fence about Incognito to Tampa because we all witnessed how the media can ruin the season for fans with speculative stories (sometimes even peddling complete BS as fact like Schiano or coaches leaking Freeman’s medical records), but if the NFL wants to give a guy who kills dogs, a guy who beats women, or guys with multiple substance abuse problems more chances then Incognito deserves the same. If his play slips cut him, if his off field behavior slips cut him.
August 26th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Let me get this straight. The best thing you can say about Ray Lewis is his homies knifed two guys to death while Lewis was part of the encounter and then Lewis committed multiple counts of obstruction of justice by destroying evidence and coaching witnesses, but that guy not only still can play in the NFL but is a media go to guy after his playing career.
Ingocnito used harsh language that if were outlawed the NFL would be a two-team league with Tim Tebow one of the quarterbacks and signing him to play guard is beyond the pale.
Get a grip.