“The Coney Island Thrasher”
January 4th, 2016
Touching and telling Josh Freeman locker room video emerges
Joe confesses to trotting out to a local sports bar to watch Josh Freeman start for the Colts yesterday in the team’s must-win game.
You can imagine the “you’re-an-idiot” look Joe got when asking the manager what TV had the Colts-Titans game on.
Needless to say, the answer was, “None.” But the manager accommodated Joe and all was good.
Freeman, the Bucs’ former franchise quarterback, hadn’t played a regular season game since 2013 and was signed off the street early last week. Freeman stunned the NFL by looking pretty good, significantly better than he did during the Dolphins’ preseason, where he was third-string QB before he was cut. The Colts even won the game, leaving Freeman with as many wins as Josh McCown had in Cleveland.
The Colts released the postgame locker room speech video from head coach Chuck Pagano. Those who have any warmth in their heart for Freeman absolutely have to watch this. Love from Pagano pours to Freeman, and his team gives him an ovation. Pagano refers to Freeman as “The Coney Island Thrasher,” in honor of playing for the Brooklyn Bolts in a garbage new football league in October.
Joe is confident Freeman did enough yesterday to land himself a backup job in the NFL next season. That would be quite a comeback story.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:05 am
I love Josh Freeman ! But not on the bucs lol
January 4th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Hope he does full time in the NFL from now on.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:19 am
I don’t have any clue what happened to Josh Freeman, and I promise you no one does except Josh, and even that is debatable. But I was so happy for Josh to have a good game like that, throwing that TD pass to fleener had me jumping to my feet. I instantly was thrown back to Freeman throwing to Kellen Winslow Jr in similar fashion!!
This should insure Free gets a shot on a team next year as a backup QB. The guy has not only played dozens of NFL games, he led the Bucs to last winning season, he was the franchise from 2009 to 2011……
So Im not going to blame Freeman, or blame Schiano…or blame all the coaches who coddled him and told him he was everything to their team.
But in the end, Josh Freeman has another shot in the NFL, and thats a great story for 2016.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:26 am
One thing that I liked about Freeman was his nice touch on the deep ball he for some reason used to make tough downfield throws with ease but miss easy routine passes.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Freeman’s issues started when they told him to stop running and become a “pocket passer.” His best season was when he was a threat to take off because defenders had to respect him, but in an effort to “save him” they kept him at home.
I get the impression that he’s just a softy like Mariotta.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:53 am
just don’t ever win a superbowl, josh.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:56 am
Freeman supporter since his Kansas days. Always will be rooting for this guy. Good job josh keep it going man
January 4th, 2016 at 11:04 am
Go Josh, go!! Maybe he can earn a starting gig at some point in the near future. Wouldn’t that be something
January 4th, 2016 at 11:27 am
BucTrooper you hit it on the head! They changed his style if play to accommodate their system . Josh was not soft he was a pretty tough runner as well as a pocket passer. I do fault the coaches because his wind up is the reason he sucked on short passes and they never fixed it. All these people who poor out hate at him for his last season here are ridiculous because Schiano was a vindictive so and so he just didn’t like Freeman. That’s why he drafted giraffe legs Glennon. Josh had his personality issues but he was a baller on the field. I’m glad he had a decent game.
January 4th, 2016 at 12:36 pm
David…and he went on ESPN and trashed your team on the way out. This guy will suck next year, that’s if he makes it through preseason cuts.
January 4th, 2016 at 2:43 pm
In addition to changing his style, he also lost a lot of weight one offseason. He looked like Tarzan (and played like Jane.)
January 4th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
Buc1987 Says:
January 4th, 2016 at 12:36 pm
David…and he went on ESPN and trashed your team on the way out. This guy will suck next year, that’s if he makes it through preseason cuts.
Fans come on here and trash their own team everyday. Why hold it against a player that has way more invested than any of us here on this site, or any fan for that matter. Most fans want to be able to say whatever they want about a player,a coach, an organization, whenever they want, but they want the players to stay “professional” when it’s their career that is at stake. SMH
January 4th, 2016 at 3:38 pm
87 trashes the bucs on a daily basis but gets butt hurt when someone else does. Lol
January 4th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Yes but I’m NOT getting paid 5 million a year to do so am I?
Give me a break. The thinking of some of you knuckleheads is preposterous.
Ya not what, he not only trashed the team, but told many lies in the process as well.
January 4th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Awe, freefree had a few good passes yesterday. Did they show how he was pulled in the middle of a red zone series because he was horrible, and in comes lindley and boom, td. And they won by 6….yeah I watched a little too just out of boredom. If pagano hadn’t made that decision they would’ve lost and he probably wouldn’t be talked about much, if any at all. That’s the kind of decisions good coaches make sometimes.
January 4th, 2016 at 3:54 pm
I paid my $1,300 for season tickets to see Josh Freeman play and not quit on the team. Did I get what I paid for? Nope. Josh Freeman can take that $1,300 out of his sock and give me a refund if he likes. He probably owns a pair of shorts worth $1,300, so spare me your nonsense…please.
January 4th, 2016 at 5:41 pm
Glad Josh had a good game. Still think he got Schiano’d. I hope he gets another chance on a team that will support him. I don’t live in Tampa area anymore but was at RayJay in Sept. 2013. I went to Indy to watch my BUCS play this year and almost went back last week to watch Josh. Coulda shoulda woulda….
Water under the causeway but wish him well.
January 4th, 2016 at 10:07 pm
Buc1987 Says:
January 4th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Yes but I’m NOT getting paid 5 million a year to do so am I?
Give me a break. The thinking of some of you knuckleheads is preposterous.
Ya not what, he not only trashed the team, but told many lies in the process as well.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………Typical fan that brings salaries into the mix. Like that really has any impact on locker room conflicts…talk about a knuckleheaded mentality. The Josh/Schiano thing had nothing to do with money…it had more to do with a college coach that didn’t know how to manage men. (see Chip Kelly)
January 4th, 2016 at 10:15 pm
BTW, the polls are in and the room has already identified where the majority of the nonsense comes from. Spending $1300 on tix while constantly criticizing a team that you clearly have no regard for makes you the undisputed leader of “WTF” crew.
January 5th, 2016 at 1:24 am
Freeman was a fantastic talent, who ran into a controlling bully who was threatened by any player being a true leader on the team. Many of the players loved him. I loved him as a fan.
When Raheem put his belief and full support behind him, he blossomed.
I recall V-Jax whom we all respect putting his full belief and career on the line to come sign here for the 555 deal. He had Free’s back.
Then he was thrown into a nightmare situation between feuding coach and GM on MNF in Minnesota with Set up to fail.
Finally, he was written off, victim of a pack/herd mentality of the national sports media machine a bunch of mindless Neanderthals.
Josh is not perfect but he’s also not even close to the piece of garbage he’s been labeled as. He’s a true talent with huge upside. He needs to ditch his father as his agent because it’s too close to home.
It’s great to see him smiling and appreciated by decent people this past week, not the cowardly dumpster fires of our franchise and Minnesota back then.
p.s. I’ve seen it all since 86 and I’m spot on with this commentary. Take it to the bank.
January 5th, 2016 at 10:31 am
Freeman played OK, a nice thrown for his TD but he looked a little sloppy on his pick (although it was early so may have been rusty). I wouldn’t say he looked good, but after the last couple of years he’s had I wouldn’t expect much more.
Also was he pulled because he was struggling or just because they intentionally taught Lindley the two-minute offense and concentrated on the standard offense with Freeman?
I agree with Mike, he seems like a nice guy who may have been a bit naive/immature, was seen as a weak link by an asshole coach because of it and didn’t know how to deal with it.
Anyway I’m a Dolphins fan just here to see what the hell Pagano meant by Coney Island Thrasher, but it was nice to see a decent guy given a little love and a reason to smile after getting a rough ride.
January 6th, 2016 at 1:00 am
Trubucfan22 Says: “87 trashes the bucs on a daily basis” Never said better. That is all we do here!