Controversy!
January 25th, 2015
Somehow, Bucs TE Kellen Winslow got called for pass interference on this touchdown play, which cost the Bucs a playoff berth and changed NFL history.
The NFL loves controversy. And controversy equals drama, and the NFL loves, loves, loves drama.
Fans slam their fists on bars and claim they hate drama, but no, fans love drama. Nothing gets eyeballs to the NFL like drama.
The ball-fondling in New England? Perfect timing. Perfect!
When you lead the national newscasts, when you are in the top news story rotation every day on Fox and CNN, that is priceless and the NFL beancounters are laughing themselves to sleep.
You watch, the Super Bowl will have record eyeballs. This ball pressure timing is so perfect, Joe’s inclined to believe it was a planted stunt by the NFL. Hell, even Saturday Night Live’s opening skit was about this issue.
However, controversial plays are another matter. Bucs fans surely can think of enough to have them crawl out of bed in the middle of the night to eat TUMS.
Multimedia guru Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com has some of the biggest controversial plays in Bucs history and among the eight he chose, he selected a play that cost the Bucs a playoff berth as No. 7. The Kellen Winslow non-interference penalty.
7. Flag Hurts Bucs Postseason Chances
The 2010 Buccaneers were 8-5 and trying to hang around in the NFC playoff hunt when the Detroit Lions came to town in Week 15. The two teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle that witnessed four lead changes and a fifth quarter of play before it was resolved.
The Lions were leading, 17-14, midway through the fourth quarter when the Bucs drove deep into Detroit territory. A Josh Freeman pass to Arrelious Benn made it first-and-goal at the one, but Washington’s defense held on a QB sneak and a run off left tackle by Earnest Graham. On third-and-12, the Bucs spread out the offense and isolated TE Kellen Winslow wide on the right side. Freeman encountered quick pressure in the backfield but was able to get off a hurried lob to the back right corner of the end zone, where TE Kellen Winslow and S C.C. Brown were engaged in hand-to-hand battle.
Winslow had come off the line and cut underneath Brown in the direction of the back corner, with no contact between the two at that point. Winslow then turned towards the backfield and slowed down, while Brown, with his back to the play, came up and made contact with the tight end. As the pass was in the air, Winslow struggled to break free and eventually did so just in time, separating from the defender to make an over-the-shoulder grab. An official positioned a few yards away in the corner of the end zone, looking directly at the conflict, signaled for the touchdown. However, another official from the middle of the end zone threw a flag, calling offensive pass interference on Winslow.
Joe remembers seeing that play live and there was no way it was offensive pass interference. That play took a touchdown off the board and the Bucs had to settle for a field goal. The game went into overtime and Tampa Bay lost.
At the end of the season, the Bucs lost a tiebreaker for the final wild card slot to the Packers, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
Fans can talk about the Hurt Emmanuel play all they want, but that did not take points off the board. And it surely never cost the Bucs a playoff appearance.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:04 am
Fans slam their fists on bars and claim they hate drama, but no, fans love drama.
May I respectfully disagree Joe. Can I rewrite that sentence with an edit?
Fans slam their fists on bars and claim they hate drama when it’s their favorite team, but fans love drama when it’s on somebody else’s team.
Since I loathe the Patriots I LOVE this drama and am glad that Belicheat’s name will forever be connected with yet another scandal.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:07 am
“Fans can talk about the Hurt Emmanuel play all they want, but that did not take points off the board. And it surely never cost the Bucs a playoff appearance.”
No Joe, but it did cost them a possible SB berth.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:14 am
Controversy fuels viewing and viewing fills the coffers…..an age old fact….that goes for Newspapers, Magazines, Television, Radio & Internet Blogs….
All you have to do is see the sales of the French Magazine, Charlie Hebdo to see this in action.
We have our own controversy going on with Winston/Mariota…….had it before with Glennon/McCown/Freeman…..had it with Johnny Football or not.
I’m not going to accuse Joe of fueling the controversy to bolster readership because I was scolded for that before & I agree with Joe that a winning Buc team would produce more reader opportunities….but I will stick with the lessons I learned when I was in the Media…..Controversy Sells!!!
January 25th, 2015 at 10:18 am
Now this is Revisionist History!!!
Win-slow could have been called for 25 push offs during that game. He was getting single coverage and it was like watching George Costanza during a Fire Alarm!!!
and the Bucs still have 2 games after this lost. The last game the saints bench all the starters as they could not improve their playoff slot!
January 25th, 2015 at 10:30 am
Since we can’t change the results, I like to remember the ones that made the Bucs, like Barbers interception in Philly for a TD, that was also a game changer. Not a game changer but entertaining was Blount jumping over the tackler or Sapp catching a TD pass and ME13 becoming a terror as a receiver with a bad play selection and QB plus VJax being VJax.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:32 am
Unfortunately…..many NFL games are so close that one bad call or one mistake can determine the outcome of the game.
Most will say “We should not put ourselves in a position where a bad call will hurt us…..it’s really not possible most of the time.
I think we need to permit coaches to use the challenge flag on anything…including pass interference calls if the want….the game is too important to let a bad call change the outcome….
January 25th, 2015 at 10:40 am
Sorry but the Emmanuel play changed a rule forever. One year later, that’s a catch and (pure homerism involved here) the Bucs of course score a TD and win. Goddamn that’s still the best performance any unit has ever given in my time watching football. 11 points to the greatest offense ever? Eff you Shaun King.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:44 am
bucrightoff Says:
January 25th, 2015 at 10:40 am
Sorry but the Emmanuel play changed a rule forever. One year later, that’s a catch and (pure homerism involved here) the Bucs of course score a TD and win. Goddamn that’s still the best performance any unit has ever given in my time watching football. 11 points to the greatest offense ever? Eff you Shaun King.
“Shaun King, one of two Buc Quarterbacks that lost a NFC Championship Game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points.”
January 25th, 2015 at 11:02 am
@Tampabaybucfan
If Shaun King deflated his football he would have had Three Superbowl Trophies. With his small hands and all!
January 25th, 2015 at 11:31 am
@The Buc Realist, “it was like watching George Costanza during a Fire Alarm”
LOL Thanks… Loved that episode..
January 25th, 2015 at 11:39 am
Freeman pass to Arrelious Benn made it first-and-goal at the one, but Washington’s defense held on a QB sneak and a run off left tackle by Earnest Graham
………………………………………………….
So this was a game where THREE teams were playing each other????
January 25th, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Off topic : NFL Network is showing our SB right now…
I’m about to cry again…any minute now.
January 25th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
The nfl execs were pleased that the Pack made the playoffs instead of the Bucs. If the Bucs made it there might as well be 5 teams in from the nfc. The Bucs are just so disgustingly irrelevant. I wish things were different for the team I love.
January 25th, 2015 at 12:25 pm
The BIGGEST controversy that accurately shows the deflated intelligence and common sense level of American society is “deflate gate.” SERIOUSLY!!?? The facts of how cold and hot temperatures affect air pressure are just not taught in school anymore?? Oh I forgot, American Idol and things of that nature are just sooo much more interesting…Not a fan of the Pats but when Bill Cowher comes out on national tv and states how his Steelers and a lot of other teams at the time were doing the exact same thing with taping opponents defensive signals, the “Bellicheat” label becomes off as old, worn out, and strictly used by those who just can’t get over their jealously of what may be the greatest HC and QB combo EVER….Oh and for those lacking what for me was a 5th grade education in temperatures and air pressure, BEHOLD!!! The SCIENCE behind ur lack of intelligence: https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/131228/d8f159cc-99db-47be-b8d1-128d64dde17/HeadSmartLabs_The_Science_Behind_DeflateGate.pdf
January 25th, 2015 at 1:32 pm
“May I respectfully disagree Joe. Can I rewrite that sentence with an edit?
Fans slam their fists on bars and claim they hate drama when it’s their favorite team, but fans love drama when it’s on somebody else’s team.”
EXACTLY!
I want the Bucs to be a well-oiled machine that wins games without off field B.S. getting in the way.
I want the Panthers, Falcons, and Saints to be swimming in drama. Because it hurts the team in question.
Which is why it’s always so disheartening to me to hear Joe pimp for Winston the same way he did for Manziel. It seems to me that what he really wants more than those guys at QB is drama to generate hits for the website. I don’t blame him one bit, it seems to be stirring things up and working, but one look at how Manziel’s worked out in Cleveland should tell you all you need to know about Joe’s latest big idea for the Bucs at QB.
January 25th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Rob…Winston has been my big idea for QB since 2013.
It’s going to be a dream come true.
January 25th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Who wants to come over to my house on draft day?
Free beer, free chips & dip….and free crab legs of course.
I’m going to have red and pewter streamers with a confetti drop from the ceiling when Winston’s name gets called.
I’m going to have a marine horn to let everyone in my neighborhood know that a historic event just took place.
Am I confident that they’ll take him? You bet your sweet ass I’m confident!
January 25th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
@ 87
It may be a dream come true for you, but it will be a horrible nightmare for the Bucs
January 25th, 2015 at 2:42 pm
Here’s your controversy that the Bucs don’t need any part of:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/24/jameis-winston-s-rape-accuser-tells-all-in-sundance-documentary-the-hunting-ground.html#
January 25th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
I’m actually doing all that I can to avoid this entire DeflateGate nonsense. With two weeks in-between games, it can be tough to avoid altogether, but I’m more than ready for the Superbowl to actually be played and for the offseason to begin.
As for the K2 pass interference call, I remember watching the game and being pretty bummed out that the Bucs were jobbed like that. Sure enough, that loss allowed the Packers to enter the postseason and they ended up winning the Super Bowl, so it’s a crazy what-if to imagine what would have happened if the Bucs got in the postseason in place of the Packers.
As for the Bucs/Rams NFC Championship game…The Bucs win that game if they have Brad Johnson instead of Shaun King, who was atrocious. While one guy rarely is responsible for a win or a loss, King was brutal that day. Remember, the Bucs defense gave up 9 points to the Greatest Show on Turf, with King giving the Rams 2 more with a safety. And speaking of the number 2, that’s how many interceptions King tossed to compliment his 0 TDs. 13/29 for 163 yards, sacked five times and a QB rating of 34.1, those numbers are McCown-esque.
January 25th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
87ForJameisNoMariota Says:
January 25th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Who wants to come over to my house on draft day?
————————————————————–
I would but I am afraid IF they do not pick winston you may break out a ozzie machine gun or somthing and go completly berserk.. 🙂
January 25th, 2015 at 3:11 pm
This theory that fans love drama is bull. Media guys LOVE drama because they get more excitement from it.
Ratings go up, not because fans love it, but because they are watching to see if it’s all about nothing or not.
And don’t try to sell me that the NFL loves the drama of bad ref calls.
January 25th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Looks like a media distraction to me,.. I suspect that this is preparation for one of those superbowls where it is clear that the league has a “favorite” and the calls will all go one direction. This is being done now, so that 31 out of 32 fans across the country will be on board with the league CHEATING with the calls. Just a guess based on what I am seeing in this once great nation with regards to media coverage, distractions, and Psyc-ops by the “decision makers”.
January 25th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
Thanks a lot Mrs Patrick.
I saw that yesterday actually.
Next!
January 25th, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Buc1987
You will be seeing a lot more of it as the Sundance showing was just a premier and it will be having it’s nationwide release soon It will get a lot of media attention and will be referenced in the civil suits as well
January 25th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
Bucs1987
I really do hate to destroy somebody’s man-crush and shatter their illusion, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. And I have faith that you, like Joe, will soon recover and find another object of your affection
January 25th, 2015 at 8:29 pm
Mr Pat….Joe’s got nothing on me when it comes Jameis.
I even have a gorgeous stitched FSU jersey, that I can’t wait to wear to Ray Jay at the home opener…after I buy my families season tickets of course.
Poor Patrick…you’re going to be spitting nails on draft day. Fuming mad!
January 25th, 2015 at 8:31 pm
Sundance films get national attention? When did this happen?
This film only proves she’s a money grabbing liar. I’m sure it will be used in his defense. That film is a dumb move.
January 25th, 2015 at 8:38 pm
8-5, man I’d do whatever I could to see 8-5 again.
Too bad with Lovie and his 1980 mentality of football 8-5 will never happen again
January 25th, 2015 at 8:49 pm
@87
You have your head so far up JaMarcus Winsron’s A$$ that it’s cutting off the air and blood circulation to your brain keeping you from seeing things clearly. So I will talk to you like you are a 14 year old drama queen girl.
Just because you want something to be so doesn’t mean that it is. History is history and you can’t change facts just because you want to.
Even if the Bucs decide to sacrafice the team’s integrity and dignity thinking they wil;l get more wins, you will be giddy like a small girl fot a while, but when things quickly fall apart and he flames out and becomes an afterthought, we will all be seeing your picture on the sides of milk jugs and sleeping on park benches. But don’t worry, maybe FSU will have another QB in the draft that year and you can have a new man-crush and be happy again. I have faith in you 87
January 25th, 2015 at 8:52 pm
If it was the Raiders or Buccaneers in the Patriots Shoes, I wonder would that have played well or been a nonstory? Also, 2012 matters, too, and I’d doubt had the Bucs been in the Pack’s Shoes they’d handle Philly in Phlux (My purposeful respelling of flux) or 2012, where it would have put New Orleans more out of business for good. Or, worse, not “finding wins” like the early days of the Sun Belt Conference and Middle Tennessee State still being anxious over not being appropriately honored that was 14 Years Ago.
January 25th, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Mr. Patrick…once again Ponder and Manuel sucked donkey b*lls compared to Winston while they played at FSU.
FSU won’t have another Winston for the next 10 years or so.
Talents like this only come around once and a while.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:03 pm
For the record the Bucs mean much more to me than FSU does. It’s not even close.
January 25th, 2015 at 10:17 pm
@87
Unfotunatley a giant headache and PR nightmare comes along with it. Innocent or guilty he will always have a huge black cloud over his head. And with him you never know when another black cloud will appear. This documentary that Winston fans are trying to dismiss is rapidly picking up steam, being picked up by all national media and will be shown in prime time on CNN sometime around the draft. I know the Glazers don’t want to hear “NO MEANS NO” chants every time they play on the road, or at home when he gets in trouble again by the same idiots that show up to Ray Jay with paper bags on their heads. The documentary is also going to be shown in Congress in support of some legislation thast some female Senators will be sponsoring. Beleive me, a religous family like the Glazers want nothing to do with that. Here’s from the LA Times from today. The NY Times ran something similar
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-sundance-hunting-ground-20150124-column.html
January 25th, 2015 at 10:40 pm
Im jus wondering how he went from talking about Detroit to Washington……..???
January 26th, 2015 at 8:19 am
Hey, 87…
Winston sucks. That is all. 😉
January 26th, 2015 at 8:20 am
BUT…if he ends up being picked, I will stop speaking against him and be supportive…until he screws up or is proven the bust I see coming a mile away.
January 26th, 2015 at 11:45 am
Buc realist you continue your long standing string of anti Buc feelings.
How about letting everyone know why it is you come out here and post.