Empty Stadium Won’t Bother White
May 22nd, 2020
Will ball with or without fans.
This is the strangest NFL offseason Joe has ever seen, and no it has nothing to do with who the Bucs added to the roster.
And Joe can only hope we never, ever see anything like this again.
OTAs and minicamp were wiped out thanks to The Sickness. And there is a very real possibility games could be played in empty stadiums this fall.
Yesterday when Bucs linebacker Devin White did a Zoom conference call with the local pen and mic club, he was asked what it will be like playing before those raucous, alcohol-infused Cajuns at Death Valley and then playing in New Orleans to start the 2020 season possibly in a giant empty tin can.
White said he would miss the fans, no matter where he plays, but he’s getting paid to play football at a high level, fans or no fans.
“I would say the thing about me — don’t get me wrong, I love the fans, the fans get us going — but at the end of the day I am a football player,” White said. “I love playing football. So I don’t need all the hullabaloo to make me go out and make a play. I thrive off my own mindset.
“I just want to be dominant. I just want to have fun. Football is fun. I think I thrive off myself. I don’t think that will be a problem to play.
“When you have a crowd with a great energy, it doesn’t make you play better. The only thing that will make you play better is to have that mindset that you will dominate the person in front of you.”
This sort of reminded Joe of interviewing linebacker E.J. Junior. The Alabama product once played for the Bucs, but earlier in his career he was one of the better defenders in the league. When Joe spoke with him, he was in his sixth year with the Cardinals.
(Joe covered the old St. Louis Cardinals training camp in college.)
Joe asked Junior something about fans. Junior, who played for Bear Bryant in college, said when he was on the field, he was mentally locked in during plays and never heard the fans just before the snap, and while the play was in progress.
That seems to be what White suggests. He’s so mentally locked in and self-driven to produce at a high level, that he has everything else zoned out.
Joe wonders without fans, if games are played in empty stadiums, if those giant network dish mics you see on the sidelines are going to pick up quality cussing that will broadcast live over the public’s airwaves?
That would be cool.
May 22nd, 2020 at 8:14 am
I think there will be some fans. Virus recoverers ought to be allowed. Plus a few others. Surely some in the seats. Maybe 25%?
May 22nd, 2020 at 8:16 am
Oh Joe if the season’s played with limited, or no fans I’m really looking forward to the sounds of the game. They’re going to have to either have a quick trigger on the bleep button, or move to HBO. Basketball will be fun also.
May 22nd, 2020 at 8:28 am
It will bother me
May 22nd, 2020 at 8:55 am
And there is a very real possibility that games could be played in empty stadiums this fall.
That’s right, keep serving up the kool aid
May 22nd, 2020 at 9:43 am
If any team is prepared for playing in front of no fans……. it’s the Bucs!
We’ve been training for this for a decade.
We got this!!
May 22nd, 2020 at 10:48 am
He says”I just want to dominate the person the person in front of me” perfect answer
May 22nd, 2020 at 11:06 am
Gonna be really bummed missing the Vegas game if it’s empty seats. Might have to find an nfl logo wind breaker and get a clipboard to watch this game live
May 22nd, 2020 at 11:22 am
You guys are missing the key point focusing about no fans due to the virus. What about the players and support staff??? Are they immune due to Presidential pardon? So they are quarantined during the season. What about their families? For the player whose wife is delivering their first child. Break the quarantine then resume with the team? Or, are the families quarantined also? Answer those questions before wondering about the empty stands effect.
Or, you can just keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
May 22nd, 2020 at 12:48 pm
Agreed, should the games be played without fans a benefit would be hearing player chatter. This goes for all sports. Silver linings are in all clouds, just need to look (listen) for them.
May 22nd, 2020 at 1:28 pm
Thank goodness there’s a state like Oregon to house such geniuses.
May 22nd, 2020 at 3:30 pm
Need to just move all the teams to fl…and just take turns playing the games have 4 games a day at each fl stadium.
May 22nd, 2020 at 6:18 pm
Joe says: Joe wonders without fans, if games are played in empty stadiums, if those giant network dish mics you see on the sidelines are going to pick up quality cussing that will broadcast live over the public’s airwaves?
That would be cool.
Yes TF it would be cool Joe 💯🤷♂️😂