The “Hard Knocks” Curse
February 24th, 2018
Total clown.
Yeah, some dinosaur-minded Bucs fans absolutely hated the Bucs on “Hard Knocks” because they are stuck in the 1950s where football training camps should be like Junction Boys and quarterbacks should only practice handing the ball off while training camp is held in a remote rural location where the only non-football things visiting are gators, armadillos, mosquitoes and the cast from “Deliverance.”
It is this same crowd that likes to push the notion that “Hard Knocks” is a distraction and woe to the team that “Hard Knocks” visits.
You know, the alleged “Hard Knocks” Curse?
Well, Dan Hanzus of NFL.com is a true believer in the “Hard Knocks” Curse and it has nothing to do with what the dinosaurs claim it to be.
No, Hanzus has evidence that those involved in “Hard Knocks” who mug for the cameras will be doomed to the NFL scrap heap, and the Bucs and Texans proved that this week.
Guys who got solid airtime on “Hard Knocks” last summer: Last summer, the Bucs and their roster of overgrown kids charmed the pants off premium cable subscribers. One dreadfully disappointing 5-11 season later, jeans and khakis have been recovered from the floor and many familiar faces are being sent away. Doug Martin got sent packing this week. Nick Folk, too. So did Chris Baker, the affable defensive tackle who nearly stole “Hard Knocks” MVP honors from Jameis Winston. Meanwhile, this week, the Texans said goodbye to Brian Cushing, the linebacker who did a credible Billy Zabka impression during the 2015 “Hard Knocks” season. I’m not saying there’s a “Final Destination”-like “Hard Knocks” curse going around, but let’s all just keep an eye on this situation.
Well, offsides-jumping, belly shirt-wearing, practice-hating, kicker-heckling, tree-grinding , non-contact-football-loving, chicken-wings-grilling, playing-time-squawking, TV-cooking-star, half-sack former Bucs defensive tackle Swaggy Baker may have been affable on TV but he proved both on “Hard Knocks” and on the field of play to be a complete and total buffoon.
Earlier this week, Pat Kirwan on SiriusXM NFL Radio, who was at Bucs training camp one day last August, noted how he was turned off seeing how many Bucs players hammed it up for the “Hard Knocks” cameras as opposed to previous years in different camps where Kirwan said players would totally ignore “Hard Knocks” cameras.
And when Kirwan mentioned this, the very first guy Joe thought of was Swaggy tonguing a palm tree.
Good riddance, clown. Hope you are happy you potentially cost yourself (and your family) something in the neighborhood of $10 million. Good luck next week to your agent, while at the combine, in his attempt to get an NFL general manager liquored up enough at St. Elmo to sign you to a fat contract like you just threw away.
Joe wants to use the word “fool” here but it doesn’t seem to apply. A fool forgets to put beer in the fridge or doesn’t change his oil enough in his rig. A guy who is so lazy it costs him nearly $10 million? “@sshat” seems more apt.
Maybe Swaggy should call Vince McMahon?
February 24th, 2018 at 11:29 am
Tmax says Chris Baker got released because the cancer93 couldn’t make him better. And because cancer loser is the sole reason the team has been losing since he has been hear. Captain cancer will soon be joining him. It’s the curse of the ice cream truck.
February 24th, 2018 at 11:35 am
When Joe can tell me how hard knocks helps a team on the field, then we can decide who the fool was!!!!!!!
I tried to warn all the sheep so long ago!!!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its another “Realist Repost”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Buc Realist Says:
April 10th, 2017 at 7:21 am
If the owners signed up the Bucs and are forcing it on them, then that is fine!! they can sell more jersey’s and the Buc fans out west will love it!!! But I will think of the year differently!!! My expectations for the team has changed!!!! The goal of going deep in the playoffs will change to “just being national recognized”!!!!!!
In other words I will give coaches and players a huge pass this year if we do the NFL’s longest commercial!!!!!!
I do not see how this helps the team on the field, and I do not see NFL’s best head coaches lining up to be on it!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
February 24th, 2018 at 11:36 am
Don’t worry for Swaggy. He’s certainly already earned more than ten million in his career. The next ten million was clown money not cash that he actually needed.
February 24th, 2018 at 11:41 am
It is very difficult to relate to the modern NFL player….Baker squandered a once in a lifetime earning and playing opportunity and embarrassed himself and shiiit all over his legacy as a professional football player….can’t imagine his financial planning is any better….morbidly obese and broke in 5 years
February 24th, 2018 at 11:41 am
Yeah. The scene where GMC runs around in his underwear rubbing his ni??Les in locker room to Oklahoma fight song was a sight to see. Only in Tampa
February 24th, 2018 at 11:54 am
where the only non-football things visiting are gators, armadillos, mosquitoes and the cast from “Deliverance.”
LMAO! you gotta love a good “Deliverance” quote.
February 24th, 2018 at 12:00 pm
There are no such thing as curses. Hard Knocks had nothing to do with the losing season…injuries did.
If anything, HK revealed who Swaggy really was. He should have been cut that week.
February 24th, 2018 at 12:15 pm
BB said:
If anything, HK revealed who Swaggy really was. He should have been cut that week.
I must admit you were right all along @ Saggy…I was hopeful but he was immediately ( if not sooner ) proven to be an arse…and a lazy one at that. He may have played himself out of the league with a 1 year vet minimum contract at best.
February 24th, 2018 at 12:15 pm
The Hard Knock curse don’t exists. This is the reality, why teams get pick for Hard Knocks.
Teams are exempt from being forced to participate in three circumstances: (1) they have appeared in the past ten years, (2) they have a first-year head coach, or (3) they reached the playoffs in either of the two preceding seasons.
There is no Hard Knock curse, the fact is that the teams picked for hard Knocks already stunk.
Only the suc teams get picked for Hard Knocks
February 24th, 2018 at 12:28 pm
Safe bet.
February 24th, 2018 at 12:35 pm
We were all like – “yea – but he’s known for bringing it on Sundays…”
Not so much was the reality. Adios Fatman.
February 24th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Who the hell seriously talks about “curses”… This isn’t magic or something.
Despite Joe’s continued denial of reality, it’s very clear that Hard Knocks was a part of the hype machine that sunk the Bucs. These guys were not prepared mentally. Despite Coach Koetter’s warnings that they hadn’t accomplished anything yet, it appears, and it’s been confirmed in some player interviews, that some guys were playing to the cameras and the team was buying the hype. This “dinosaur” saw it coming and was proven right. There’s a reason why there are zero coaches or GMs who want their team to be on Hard Knocks.
February 24th, 2018 at 1:37 pm
The cast from Deliverance nice touch lmao
February 24th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Man Ira had it right. It must be so rewarding to have that source play out the way it did, no if only Jason Licht would hire Ira as assistant to the GM, we would see some real change! 🙂
When’s Ira’s free agency favorites coming out??
February 24th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
Stuck in the 50s? How about stick to traning, studying the game, practicing, working out and team chemistry! You’re a bunch of punk-ass clowns who thinks everything needs to be on TV and everyone needs to like everything and everyone needs to get a trophy! this team will never get a trophy again with your mentality Joe! You damn millennials that’s what football is Tumbleweed of fire s***
February 24th, 2018 at 2:35 pm
I was against us being on Hard Knocks from the jump. To much of a distraction for a team still trying to figure things out. And it proved to be right.
February 24th, 2018 at 4:04 pm
They got intoxicated by the “success” of their 9-7 season and reading their press clippings.
Oh yeah, that and they also didn’t have a single pass-rushing DE or a credible DC.
February 24th, 2018 at 4:11 pm
If your team is so mentally weak that they can allow a TV show to make them lose they are phonies anyways. They would wind up getting exposed one way or the other with or without a TV show. And that’s a fact Jack!
February 24th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
I still want to know if we offered the best offer for Calais Campbell? So terribly stupid to sit back and watch this d line get abused last year.
We need a pass rush and if Licht does not address it in FA, he won’t make it past this year.
February 24th, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Steve K asked:
I still want to know if we offered the best offer for Calais Campbell? So terribly stupid to sit back and watch this d line get abused last year.
Great question…I wonder the same. Denver was in the mix as well…I believe Campbell is from that area. Elway has been known to be shrewd with contracts.
February 24th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
If I remember Blowout cancer93 was one of the biggest darlings of Hard Knocks, when’s his time up?
February 24th, 2018 at 8:17 pm
Hard Knocks is food gold: Worthless and just as difficult to mine as real gold. Ironically perfect for the way the Glazers run the Bucs!
February 24th, 2018 at 11:01 pm
*fools
February 24th, 2018 at 11:57 pm
Guys..I’m truly happy. WHY? Because this is Sh.it or get off the pot for Koetter and his mentor Smitty. They..have to win this upcoming season. The crockpot is on baby! I’ve always said Koetter was a real wrong selection for our bucs. I said it from the beginning..right here with Joe. NOW..we shall see. Batter up Koetter. time to produce or..go fishing! Go BUCS..for Koetters sake!
February 25th, 2018 at 7:54 am
Teams with mature players who are not attention-starved could handle Hard Knocks…the 2017 Bucs were not that. Obviously there were other reasons and excuses why they were such an unmitigated dumpster fire this year…but that sure did not help