It Is About The Fans
July 27th, 2018
Now has gold hair.
There is something different about Bucs tight end O.J. Howard this year. Joe suspects it will be the first thing fans notice once Howard takes off his helmet.
Howard has a new dome. It’s a gold ‘do for the Alabama product.
And fans are the reason he’s wearing gold hair.
Earlier this year, the Bucs held their annual fundraiser for research to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, “Cut for a Cure.” Select Bucs employees and players have their heads shaved to raise money. Often, children who have been afflicted with this disease do the shearing.
Howard volunteered to have his head shaved and it was one of the young barber-for-a-day technicians that painted Howard’s dome gold. The second-year linebacker liked it so much that after talking with Bucs officials, they decided to put up a poll on Buccaneers.com to see if fans liked it as well.
Some 91 percent voted for Howard to keep his gold hair, Howard told Joe yesterday. So after talking it over with his mother, Howard made the decision to keep it gold.
“It was something I wanted to do for the year,” Howard said. “I love the fans. I’m a big guy with the fans. I love the fans, so let’s give them what they want.”
One thing Bucs fans want are wins and especially stealing a win (or more) in the first three games of the season. To do that, backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will have to lead the way. So Joe asked Howard about working with Fitz.
“He is a veteran guy,” Howard said. “I think this is going to be his 14th season. He understands the game so well and he can coach you up on the mistakes you made so they won’t happen again.
“His ball-placement is amazing. It is awesome working with him because he is like another coach on the field.”
If the Bucs can somehow shock the world and win a couple of games with Fitz, maybe Howard’s gold noggin might just be a good luck charm.
July 27th, 2018 at 3:11 am
“I love the fans, so let’s give them what they want” we want W’S OJ… we don’t care if you come out like Dennis Rodman every Sunday, having a different color each week…. we want some mothereffin WWWWWWW’S
July 27th, 2018 at 3:55 am
Kwon’s hair is better.
July 27th, 2018 at 4:19 am
@OJ (about Fitz) … “He is a veteran guy,” Howard said. “I think this is going to be his 14th season. He understands the game so well and he can coach you up on the mistakes you made so they won’t happen again. His ball-placement is amazing. It is awesome working with him because he is like another coach on the field.”
I know this piece WASN’T about Jameis Winston, but it says a LOT about the guy taking his place. ‘Amazing ball-placement!’ ‘Like another coach on the field!’ Fitz may not have Jameis’ arm strength, but when the weapons he’s now working with every day use descriptors like OJ used then I get the feeling we’ll be OK. Sounds to me like Fitz provides the same experience & leadership to the offense in general that Logan Mankins provided to our young OLine back in 2015. Mankins’ leadership made a HUGE difference IMO. It’s all about TEAM, not all about Jameis.
July 27th, 2018 at 6:20 am
“His ball-placement is amazing. It is awesome working with him because he is like another coach on the field.”
Better than the Choir Boy? Of course what was I thinking, way better.
July 27th, 2018 at 6:29 am
OJ Howard is a solid citizen……we are lucky to have him….will be a huge Buc star for many years to come.
July 27th, 2018 at 6:29 am
Prediction –
He will be on the side curtain of the stadium next year. The kid is a freak and will continue to get better. His ceiling is in the dang clouds.
PLUS –
This is how you handle yourself as a young man ! Kudos to you OJ or as they used to say” way to go juice”.
July 27th, 2018 at 6:29 am
He plays linebacker now?! Talented indeed.
July 27th, 2018 at 7:07 am
“OJ has hall of fame talent and ability. Its a shame Klueless Koetter doesnt know how to use him correctly….isolating him alone vs any defender in the redzone is a complete mismatch but the Klueless apoligists keep saying Kobe doesnt know what im talikg about”
Kluless Kobe
July 27th, 2018 at 7:36 am
Since when does OJ Howard play LB? If he is I’m sure he will b a BEAST! Love u Joe’s!!
July 27th, 2018 at 8:09 am
He asked his momma if it was ok? How can you not root for him?
July 27th, 2018 at 8:12 am
Roll tide!!
July 27th, 2018 at 8:46 am
Man I hope they find a way to get this kid the ball. I’m waiting for Brate and OJ to be in 2 TE sets this year, talk about mismatches!
July 27th, 2018 at 8:53 am
LOL …………Linebacker.
You would think Last night was a Friday night Joe.
July 27th, 2018 at 8:57 am
Bucsfanman Says:
July 27th, 2018 at 8:46 am
Man I hope they find a way to get this kid the ball. I’m waiting for Brate and OJ to be in 2 TE sets this year, talk about mismatches!
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If Koetter can’t come up with the plays himself, he needs to take a look at some Kelce plays, Gronk plays, sheesh some dam OJ college plays!
July 27th, 2018 at 9:08 am
yall reading too much into OJ’s comments…lol…
what is he suppose to say, ” fitz old a$$ barley beat two lousy teams last year….fitz sucks…free jameis”….lol…
its obvious some of yall never played organized sports or been on a team….in public, you always have your team mates back…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
July 27th, 2018 at 9:08 am
I hope Fitz does great, I really really do, but the people acting like he is more accurate than Jameis or takes care of the ball better than Jameis are just insane. The guy has been in the league for 13 years and his Interception % is 3.4% which is higher than Jamies’s 2.8%, his completion % is 59.7% which is lower than Jameis’s 60.8% and his QB Rating is 79.9 which is lower than Jameis’s 87.2.
By each and every metric you can look at Jameis is better, Int% better, Comp% better, QB rating better I mean I guess nowadays it is ok for people to just say stuff regardless of the actual facts, right Pete?
July 27th, 2018 at 9:25 am
Well with OJ at LB I guess we wont miss beckwith as bad?
July 27th, 2018 at 9:32 am
he should be the # 2 with djax in the slot
July 27th, 2018 at 9:33 am
But…. But GM Joe said we needed to draft a DE instead – because we didn’t “need” another TE. Just think – Licht could have listened, channeled his inner DOM and drafted Taco Charlton….
July 27th, 2018 at 9:36 am
opps, had chris goodwin on the brain
July 27th, 2018 at 11:10 am
BucDan- Play-calling has been lacking IMO. How can you have so many dynamic weapons and not be able to score?! Our offense SHOULD be a nightmare, literally, for opposing teams. Last year, we were as predictable as the summer rain! It HAS to change!
If we can get the offense really rolling, man watch out!
July 27th, 2018 at 11:46 am
i want to win badly
July 27th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
@Joe pretty sure he is a second year tight end, not linebacker…
July 27th, 2018 at 8:40 pm
NDOG
I think we probably agree on our assessment of Fameis’ physical talent…it’s superior to Fitz. But stats are not your friend…for two years in a row with a decent team..the Jets at that time had a good defense…his int rate was well below 3% and actually matched Fameis career marks. Fitz has never had a group of targets like he and Fameis have. The big ? is whether the line can give Fitz or Fameis enough time…if they do either QB should succeed offensively.
There’s possibility and probability. My old man was a bookie so I truly get the difference between the two. But I’m not gambling on the Bucs…I’m just an ardent fan so I can consider possibilities and not be restricted to probabilities.
Rich Gannon was a mediocre journeyman hanging on as a THIRD stringer through much of his early career. He was getting beat out by people like Wade Wilson, Sean Salibury.
He went 11 forgettable seasons until Chucky discovered him in his 12th year.
Gannon was actually drafted by the Patriots who planned to use him at RB..he refused so they traded him to Minnesota.
I’m simply “suggesting” that Fitz could really blossom in this offense…and if ROJO is for real and the Oline works out…Fitz or Fameis could and should look very good. It’s possible that Fitz has a late career surge like Gannon…and I do not believe it’s all that improbable.
Here is another thought…that wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen.
We learned last year that Fameis is not bulletproof…wouldn’t it be awesome to have another QB who could replace him successfully when #3 gets hurt…or suspended?
Again can anybody tell me how long an NFL player gets suspended if they lay hands on an official. We almost got to find out last year!