Miko: Bring Back Ping-Pong
May 29th, 2018
A kind request from Miko.
As Joe discussed in a recent “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” there seems to be a subtle yet different vibe with the Bucs this year. Perhaps it is a sense of urgency?
It better be urgency because another losing season like the Bucs had last year, will mean several unemployed Bucs coaches on the street.
One item coveted by players in the locker room, but made fans go positively nuts was the ping-pong table. And it seems it is gone (for now), per the popular wife of Brent Grimes, Miko, so she Twittered today.
@iHeartMiko: Dear @Buccaneers… Kinda return the ping pong table and Robert McClain to the locker room. The energy isnt the same without those two.
Warmest regards… Brent Grimes and the rest of the secondary.
Now Joe understands this ping-pong table drove fans up a wall. There are not too many jobs where workers can kill an hour each day playing ping-pong. Joe gets it. But the ping-pong table wasn’t the problem.
Three guys who played a lot of ping-pong weren’t remotely the problem for the Bucs last year.
Justin Evans, Kendell Beckwith and Grimes played a lot of ping-pong. Damn near every day Joe was there. Joe never saw, for example, Swaggy Baker, Robert Ayers, Doug Martin or Will Gholston pick up a ping-pong paddle.
In fact, Joe rarely saw Swaggy in the locker room (the few very brief times he did show up, he would never talk), but Swaggy sure did like to hide out in the cafeteria.
So, no, the ping-pong table wasn’t the culprit. The ping-pong table wasn’t telling cornerbacks not named “Brent Grimes” to have plenty of safe space away from wide receivers — more than a hot chick does from Joe when he walks in a bar.
As far as Robert McClain goes, Joe has been pounding the keyboard for his return for months. Until proven otherwise, these defensive coaches cannot coach up young corners — they do, however, seem to do a fine job with veterans and McClain did not play horribly last year at all.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:36 pm
So there you go, quick and easy fix, get rid of the cafeteria.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:37 pm
These players don’t care about playing football. They’re here to collect their multimillion dollar check while loading around One Buc. After embarrassing losses, we could’ve won given an ounce of effort, we hear players laugh and joke around after such games. It’s a locker room distraction for crying out loud. Do you think the patriots have ping pong tables in their locker room?
May 29th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
We have a ping-pong table at my office. It also converts into a pool table. It is great to go have a couple games and take the mind off the work for a bit. I feel more energized and have a better attitude once I’ve smacked the little white ball around a bit.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
How did the Eagles ever beat the Belicheats with a ping-pong table of a distraction planted in the middle of their locker room?
Someone is gonna have to explain to Joe how a ping-pong table at One Buc Palace — where only a dozen at most of the 53 players used — is a distraction on gameday.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Miko isn’t in the locker room. Don’t care what she thinks.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:48 pm
Looks like Dirk is emulating coughlin and the jags. They got rid of the ping pong table and now they’re running sprints.
I’m sure there are a lot of ignorant, negative posts coming but this is a good look that our coach is willing to swallow his pride and adjust to what works for other teams.
Now cue the reality is a beotch aka Tmax loser who will somehow blame this on McCoy. What a joke u are.
May 29th, 2018 at 3:49 pm
If we are losing because guys are playing ping pong then, wild guess, they will continue losing without the table… just be a little more pi**ed off about it
May 29th, 2018 at 3:51 pm
Training camp will be a big time tell.
May 29th, 2018 at 4:09 pm
Please…..
May 29th, 2018 at 4:09 pm
All that pinging and ponging is better than tree humping.
May 29th, 2018 at 4:13 pm
I just watched a show a week ago about the atlanta falcons. The guy interviewing the players in the lockerroom was also playing ping pong with the players. Any poster who comes on here to bash the bucs for having a ping pong table when about 27 other clubs have ping pong tables is clueless. That is all
May 29th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
@superslacker
Yeah, it’s almost like she’s speaking for a player. Hmmm. I wonder who’s inner
personal messages she is passing on to the media??? Hmmm. Guess we’ll never know……
May 29th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
Some ppl will just complain about anything. Same as it ever was.
BTW lots of offices in tech, media, finance, art & design, etc. have ping pong tables or similar items in offices. If it had a negative effect on performance, they would not.
Like Joe said, didn’t seem to be a problem for the Eagles….
May 29th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Seems like a more serious environment they are trying to emphasize this year. Let’s see how it plays out.
May 29th, 2018 at 4:23 pm
JBF only has a half table “up against the wall”….Joe never loses…
May 29th, 2018 at 4:47 pm
Bucs sounds like the Kardashians of the NFL. I wish they cared about winning like they do that ping pong
May 29th, 2018 at 5:02 pm
she need to shut her pie hole, she already got him fired once.
May 29th, 2018 at 5:33 pm
At the end of the day, the eagles are Super Bowl champions, the bucs are not. The eagles don’t use that as a distraction because they take their jobs seriously. Almost every poster here hates baker for his lazy and carefree antics so I’m surprised everyone here is defending players using a ping pong table
May 29th, 2018 at 5:45 pm
@ bucsucc
Thats because you do not understand an nfl lockerroom. Win or lose, ping pong tables are a part of nfl locker rooms all over the league. Baker did not like to practice period and was called out by ROOKIES!!!!. That is different then players having down time in an 11 hour day and a couple of players want to pick up the paddles to play a couple of games. Some play each other right before leaving for the day. Whats the harm in that? Like many posters have stated, many of your civilian jobs have games around the office to break the mundane. Again, to bash the bucs because they have a ping pong table makes you look petty and validates you have exactly no idea how a nfl locker room works.
May 29th, 2018 at 5:52 pm
If McClain was that valuable, how come no one has picked him up? I’m sure it isn’t that he’s mulling over offers or seeing where he fits!
May 29th, 2018 at 5:54 pm
I personally believe a chess table would be a real good idea. Opens the mind and tends to make one see things from a different perspective. Plus ping pong.
May 29th, 2018 at 5:56 pm
@webster
Comparing apples to oranges. Having a 9-5 office job is completely different than having an nfl job. Work, study film, and exercise. Everything else is a distraction. The jaguars dumped the ping pong table and it took them to the afc championship game. Even Telvin Smith agreed with Tom coughlin’s locker room philosophy. I believe a well respected coach over someone who claims to understand the locker room culture as if they’re some nfl player
May 29th, 2018 at 6:07 pm
There is no way in heck that the ping pong table did anything but provide a little entertainment when the players had a little time to kill. The bigger question mark is McClain and whether or not he should be brought back. Considering how decimated and poorly our secondary has been the last few years, I say yes.
May 29th, 2018 at 6:19 pm
Many UFC Training Centers have Ping Pong Tables, and few NFL Players can approach, let alone equal, the physical conditioning of a UFC Fighter.
Ping Pong is an excellent game that improves eye/hand coordination.
May 29th, 2018 at 6:42 pm
LOL…swaggy and the cafeteria….his best friend
May 29th, 2018 at 6:52 pm
McClain would be one of the few “FAs” it would make any sense for the Bucs to sign at this point. A vet min salary of about $750k is workable – even though the Bucs are super tight on cap space – over in fact as it sits currently.
McClain has 7 years of NFL experience, has started 32 games in his career, knows the system from having been here last year and he played reasonably well in spot duty for the Bucs in 2017.
The real question though is – do the Bucs have room for him?
Grimes, Hargreaves, Ryan Smith, Stewart and Davis
There’s 5 that are for sure making the final 53. Some teams only keep 5 CBs – but the Bucs will keep 6 – so there’s one more spot available.
Josh Robinson would be a hard guy to let go of because of his special teams abilities. There’s also Javien Elliott who they’ve liked the whole time since bringing him in year before last. Not sure of Elliott’s Practice Squad eligibility at this point.
I don’t think there’s a spot for McClain unless they keep 7 CBs which ain’t happening with all the great depth they want to hang onto at LBer.
And Robert probably and rightfully wants at least some type of guarantee in order to sign at this point – even on a vet min contract.
We bypassed all available FA CBs besides Grimes and drafted 2 CBs high in the draft this year for a reason.
The youth movement is afoot!
May 29th, 2018 at 7:22 pm
I just have never liked this woman. Never have..never will.
May 29th, 2018 at 7:28 pm
We got one here at work. Great stress reliever at break or lunch time. Back to work feeling re-charged. Definitely bring it back. IMO improves performance.
May 29th, 2018 at 7:40 pm
This is in the same realm of all these sports goons blaming players for issues regarding playing video games. Give me a break. It’s one thing if they’re missing practice or staying up all night playing them. But maybe they would rather players be out drinking and partying at the clubs? Let them play some ping pong if they want.
I’m still scratching my head about Bobby McClain. Last year I think he was our next best cornerback under Grimes. And he would play multiple positions! Well! And when it’s a position of so much need… I don’t think you can make an argument about not having room for him when he was cut at the beginning of the year. Not to mention adding rookies, and injuries that can happen leading up to the regular season.
May 29th, 2018 at 8:00 pm
I have no problem with a ping pong table in the locker room. However, because she wants it I feel like they shouldn’t have it. Is that passive aggressive enough for you?
May 29th, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Like any of us here knows how an NFL locker room environment works.
May 29th, 2018 at 9:02 pm
McClain is caught in the numbers game. Robinson is very valuable on special teams and IMO has the last cb position locked up. An injury to one of top 3 and I could see McClain signed as he is vet familiar to our scheme.. As for ping pong table. PING PONG!?!?, YOUR TALKING TO ME ABOUT PING PONG!?!?! ( in my Allen Iverson voice )
May 29th, 2018 at 9:11 pm
What the he!! is wrong with you people? Miko could school every one of you fools. She’s the one who needs to be on staff. And she’s right about both things needed in the locker room. Love you Miko! ❤️
May 29th, 2018 at 9:29 pm
miko knows more football then some of the men on this site .
May 29th, 2018 at 10:53 pm
Nothing wrong with some ping pong or McClain for depth and competition
#trustinmiko
#noexcuses
#exceptforlackofpingpong
May 30th, 2018 at 12:46 am
ping pong tables are a popular strawman in losing locker rooms. the simple truth is, you either have a group of men on the team responsible enough to know when it’s time to put in work and when it’s okay to play or you don’t. It’s not like those slackers can’t just fire up their phone or tablet and waste time on that if he’s determined to not use his time at work wisely
you’re better off keeping the table there. if a guy sucks on the field and rules the ping pong table, he’s working on the wrong skill. The bums should go, not the table. if a guy takes care of business on the field, don’t punish him because you can’t weed the slackers out of your locker room
May 30th, 2018 at 9:20 am
Someone needs to send a big banner or 2 for the team to put up over the locker room door. . . . if only we had a really good mantra like “Pound That Rock”
hmmmmmmm
#noexcuses