“If You Don’t Want That, You Are Not A Buccaneer Fan”
June 3rd, 2019
Former Bucs guard hungry for Suh
Ah, the memories.
Yesterday in Clearwater there was a celebration of the life of the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, who recently lost his battle with brain cancer.
Joe’s most memorable line of Duemig’s was once in a discussion of former Bucs fullback Mike Alstott, “If you like football you like Mike Alstott, and if you don’t like football you are a dumbass!”
It seems one of Duemig’s former colleagues channeled his words.
In a recent edition of his podcast, “In the Trenches,” former Bucs offensive lineman and current popular local radio personality Ian Beckles basically said the same thing about new Bucs defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.
Beckles, a long-time and loud critic of former Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, was basking in GMC’s departure from the Bucs roster, a decade-long quest of Beckles. And Beckles stated Bucs fans should rejoice that Suh is replacing GMC.
“Suh is the type of guy you put on a defense and you are going to make them tougher,” Beckles said. “Immediately. So if you don’t want that, you are not a Buccaneer fan. If you want to stick with the nice guy, then go ahead. But what has it done?”
Joe doesn’t know if GMC is the reason Bucs corners gave up 12-yard cushions to wide receivers, couldn’t cover themselves with a bed sheet at night and pretended the ball was infected with the Ebola virus and thus didn’t want picks.
Was GMC the reason Brent Grimes didn’t want to cover Antonio Brown?
Was GMC the reason Kwon Alexander missed so many tackles?
Was GMC the reason Noah Spence had to buy tickets to a game, he was used so little?
Acting like a rabid mongrel on the field only goes so far. Look at all the woofing Alexander did. Where did that get the defense? There was no more nastier SOB in NFL history than Dick Butkus. He played in as many playoff games as Joe and Rachel Watson have.
Whatever happened to production, huh?
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:16 am
The production will improve with the new attitude and Suh and the new D helps that. Aggression begets aggression!
Que up the title track; “Hungry for you” – The Police; Album: Ghost in the Machine
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:16 am
I wasn’t a GMC hater…….but if cutting him will cause the haters to STFU…..I’m on board.
It’s time to support the players we have….until they are gone.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:20 am
The vitriol that some have over Gerald McCoy is really breathtaking at times. McCoy didn’t fail the Bucs. The Bucs failed him. Some guy on another Bucs discussion forum said that Ghost Johnson has been a solid and productive DE now that he’s playing next to Geno Atkins again. Last year he had 0.5 sacks. Another guy said that Paul Gruber should be inducted into the Ring of Honor before Gerald McCoy. He was oblivious to the fact that he was inducted seven years ago! People lose their minds over Gerald McCoy. He was a productive player who had to play under two inept GMs and four head coaches that will never have a head coaching job in the NFL again.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:23 am
The “you’re not a fan if” line.. ugh.
That is a pretty self important viewpoint
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:23 am
Also how awesome is it that Suh will be wearing number 93?
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:25 am
Beckles on the money here…currently listening to Ira on Sirius XM Radio…killing it…and not being a homer. Firm, Fair…and clutch per usual.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:25 am
suh = the hulk
gmc = batman
who do you want… ?
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:35 am
Smiling faces sometimes..they don’t tell the truth!
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:37 am
The one that is a master strategist and has beaten Superman in a fight.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:39 am
Joe
No doubt Butkus was a savage.
But I’ve been told plenty of times Doug Atkins was the man; many of men feared.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:50 am
IMO McCoy would have been a non polarizing fan favorite if he went to a good team / organization where he wasn’t asked to be the leader or face of the team at any point. Typically DTs aren’t put in that position but he also seemed to like that role and the attention, so it kind of goes both ways.
It was time for a change even if it’s not his fault really that the team has sucked in almost every facet around him for most his career. We need to shake up this locker room. We’ve sucked defensively every year he’s been here basically.. there is no reason to feel the need to hang onto anyone at this point.
I’m really looking forward to a healthy year 2 Vea + Suh + Nassib + White + a secondary that just got a huge injection of potential talent. There is definitely potential here. Even Gump has to accidentally have selected 2-3 good secondary players just going by law of averages lol
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:50 am
Did GMC as a leader demand accountability from his defensive teammates or just buy them ice cream?
Did GMC ever put a stop to Chris Baker’s shenanigans?
Did his pro bowl level of play ever elevate the play of those around him?
Where did his leadership on d ever lead the team or unit? If your leaders are soft your team is soft
Time for a change, GMC was good but not good enough to make this defense respectable
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:51 am
Joe … I much prefer your take on why our defense stunk it up as opposed to Beckles. There are LOTS of different factors that go into creating a great defense, and for Beckles to lift up Suh & denigrate McCoy does an injustice to both players. Suh … and ANY Bucs player … will only be as good as the system they play in, the players that surround them, the coaching that they get, the field leadership that springs forward, etc.
Beckles should know that better than any of the local media hosts, since he played on SEVEN straight losing teams here in Tampa. Interestingly, he lasted ONE year playing for Tony Dungy (Tony’s only losing year here) before he was replaced by Jorge Diaz at RG. After that, the Bucs didn’t have another losing season until 2004. Obviously replacing Beckles was the key … just like he’s presupposing that replacing GMC with Suh will automatically toughen up the defense. And BTW, Beckles losing streak continued with his 2 yrs in Philly, so obviously he was the catalyst.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:57 am
Fat Albert was the man until he got here. Suh is nothing until he shows he is not here to collect a check like about 99% of the rest of them have been.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:58 am
What production? All of those tackles… Oh wait…. How about all those huge strip sack fumbles….. Oh wait… How about all those goal line stands where he split the line and blew up the play… Oh wait… Or how about that time Cam Newton tried to jump over the goal line and McCoy said not today… Oh wait… Or how about that time in training camp when a member of his line kept slacking off and harrasing our kicker… Oh wait…
You mean all that production?????
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:24 am
Wait a minute. Are we talking about fans? Real fans? Sheep?
You guys are confusing me.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:24 am
The fascination with McCoy is mind-boggling. Was he a good player, yes. But great players make those around them better and do not accept losing. Period. He was never able to do that and never seemed too fazed by losing. In my honest opinion, I think we got a very similar (as far as work ethic and determination) player in Suh, we just saved 4 million. He also is not a consistent winner, and he wont make those around him better. He will also take some plays off here and there, just like McCoy. The main difference is, #1 McCoy essentially refused to play 3-4. Suh has done it, and done it successfully. #2 when in the right state of mind, Suh has taken over games and different moments in his career. As a long time and huge bucs fan, I can never remember watching and game and thinking that about McCoy. #3 history proves Suh the healthier option.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:27 am
Adam and D-Rome
I’ll take a pissed off wolverine over your picks.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:37 am
All things equal on paper between McCoy and Suh, Suh gives you an edge in the mental aspect of sports. He and JPP have an element of “dog” to them that teammates appreciate. McCoy didn’t have that edge to him….and also started to sound a tad diva..ish with his insistence of only playing 3 technique. Suh comes in….will line up anywhere and has confidence he’ll still deliver.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:41 am
I’ll bet Suh isn’t big on sideline dancing when they’re down by two scores.
Life has never been easy on a boy named Suh.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:46 am
I don’t give a damn about mr nice guy on the field especially defense. I want them to slam somebody!
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:51 am
Was GMC the reason why he only had 17 tackles the entire season?
Was GMC the reason why he had only one pass deflection all season?
Was GMC the reason why we were overpaying at the tune of $13,000,000.00?
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:57 am
It’s about PRODUCTION, period. What good is toughness if you don’t produce? Remember, we had that in Robert Ayers!
I think Suh is a better player and will produce and I’m on board with it.
June 3rd, 2019 at 12:10 pm
GMC was nice to the media ((Really? Hardly always so. And that’s ok.–Joe)) and always willing to talk so of course the Joes and media in this town will give him the benefit of the doubt
June 3rd, 2019 at 12:20 pm
Maze. Very Awesome.
June 3rd, 2019 at 12:23 pm
I was at the event for Steve and it was awesome…… thought Ian would have been there.
ON the subject of Suh vs GMC, the TAPE will always tell the story! I will support WHATEVER works!!
June 3rd, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Nah, McIceCream was the reason teams would run up the gut and gash us for 1st downs after 1st down and touchdowns at will.
No goal line stands, no third and short stops, no way to get off the field. But yea start fitting him for a gold jacket please. 🙄
June 3rd, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Thank you joe love this article. To put the blame solely on one person when it is a team sport is just idiotic an uneducated at best. I’m glad we got suh he’s cheaper an nastier he will help change the culture but gmc was still a good player on a very bad team
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Ndog couldn’t have said it better. Been a Bucs fan since 76′ and I can’t remember a more overrated player than GMC. Never made a game altering plan in all his years as a buc. Yes the DBs were awful but so was the pass rush and tackling. GMC NEVER made anyone around him better.
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:19 pm
No but GMC was the reason we constantly got gashed for rushing yards year after year. We never had a top 10 rushing defense with torn-bicep Gerald McCoy. The guy should have been a pass rushing specialist but in any event. Gerald gave this team an excuse to be soft. Suh does not. Was Gerald all of the problems of the defense, hell no but when your defense is soft up the middle, well its soft plain and simple.
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:28 pm
No one Gerald has played next to on the line has gotten 20.5. Suh has.
Check Donald’s stats before Suh played in LA last season. Not the same. We’ll see how many sacks Donald gets in 2019 with no Suh.
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:33 pm
It seems to me to be a case of both the team (coaches front office ect.) and McBatgirl not putting the best foot forward. No cohesion between the d line and secondary oh well looks like Suh will get to shine in a new Scheme. McBatgirl could try to the same with Crows if he signs today we will see.
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:51 pm
This is complete and total nonsense but that’s what you do so well
Take a wild stab who may have been the nicest to Joe? Alterraun Verner. Feel free to find a story where Joe wrote Verner is a good player.
Another player who was overly cooperative with Joe? Doug Martin. You likely know what Joe wrote about him.
Have any other BS lines to hatch?
June 3rd, 2019 at 1:57 pm
So Suh plays with a generational player and now all of Donald’s success was because of Suh? lol. No one that Suh has played with has had that kind of output. Based on that, everyone Suh played with while on the Lions and Dolphins should have had huge years, but they didn’t.
June 3rd, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Ian (The Older I Get, The Better I Was) Beckles, on his absolute best day, could not have handled Gerald McCoy so F him. Richard Wood was the Batman from Gotham City. Did that make him a puss? It’s been said before, call McCoy Geraldine to his face Posers. He did what he could on the Titanic, even if it was re-arranging the deck chairs.
June 3rd, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Suh in 9 yrs has 56 career sacks, Donald has 59.5 in 5 yrs.
June 3rd, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Now, J.J. Watt had 74.5 in 5 yrs. so, technically, Aaron Donald doesn’t even measure up.
June 3rd, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Joe please explain to me what GMC has done the past 3 years … explain to me how he was a difference maker on the field the past 5 years … explain to me how he made the Bucs defense scary… explain to me the defense rank the past 5 years with McCoy in it … and his average sacks/tfl/ and game changing plays the past 5 years and don’t give me that pro bowl BS
June 3rd, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Tell me what makes GMC such a stud… give me your beat excuse for GMC being a difference maker to any team
June 3rd, 2019 at 3:54 pm
isn’t Butkus in the Hall of Fame? 🤔🤷🏾♂️
June 3rd, 2019 at 3:56 pm
One man is the cause for our miserable failures over the last few yrs…
GMC Aye? What a pityful fan base we have. Well he’s gone now. So who..is the next scapegoat for losing? I know, how about the fan base?
June 3rd, 2019 at 5:53 pm
Just saw Suh’s pic w/the Buc uni…. Wearing 93… It’s weird…. But I like it.
June 3rd, 2019 at 7:23 pm
McCoy is gone. Bye and good luck Mr McCoy. But hes not a Buc anymore so I could care less about him now. Happy to hear the coaches can evaluate talent. Shed the fat. Know what I mean? 😉
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:06 pm
Whoa. Is that a new Rachel Watson picture? I haven’t seen that one before.
June 3rd, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Football fans are just used to NFL players being jerks and thugs. They criticize the players (which they should) for beating up their wives, whipping their kids with tree branches, doing drugs, beating up cabbies and stealing things. But when there is one who is a genuinely nice guy, they still hate them. People, get real.
June 3rd, 2019 at 11:22 pm
If there is not significant improvement elsewhere on the D Line, Suh is gonna get double teamed like McCoy did. As soon as he doesn’t put up the kind of numbers people expect, they’re gonna be on here calling for him to be cut, just like they did GMC. If the personal foul penalties start piling up, the criticism will intensify. Then, they’re gonna talk about how stupid Licht is for making the deal. I hope this does NOT happen, but wouldn’t be surprised at all if it does.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:22 am
Rachel Watson is glorious and if you don’t believe that your not a Buc Fan