“I’m All On Board”
July 14th, 2020
So how will the Buccaneers locker room react to Donovan Smith’s very public declaration that he has no interest in being “a lab rat” for the NFL?
One player has responded in a big way.
Shaq Barrett hopped on NFL Network today and was asked about Smith’s recent comments that revolved around his concern about the safety of playing football amidst “The Sickness” with a baby on the way late this month.
“It’s most definitely understandable. I see exactly where he’s coming from,” Shaq said.
“We gotta figure out the testing process, and we gotta just see the protocols that are in place so he can assess the risk. With everything in place, is the risk going to be worth it or not? But I understand him 100 percent. I mean, this most definitely is the last thing you want to do is to come and infect anybody. … Me personally, I’m pretty sure we’re going to do it the best way possible and I’m going to take all the safety precautions that we have in place so I’m all on board.”
Joe understands Smith’s concerns, too, and Joe is confident Smith will play this season — even if he absorbs hundreds of thousands in fines and doesn’t show up until 10 days before the start of the season.
Shaq added that other than Smith he has not heard of any players considering possibly sitting out this season.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:13 pm
Much ado about nothing…
Slow news.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:31 pm
I’m a big Dsmith defender…usually. But come on bruh, you know what people say about you being lazy. And now you’re the only guy who wants to sit at home and eat Doritos?
Not ya best look.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:37 pm
According to the CBS Sports website, the NFL and the NFLPA have come to an agreement that would allow a ‘sit out’ option…Any player who has a pre-existing condition would be allowed to sit out. Players who have family members with pre-existing conditions would be allowed to sit out. Also, any player who has any concerns about playing during a pandemic would also be allowed to sit out.
If this report is accurate, any player that chooses to can sit out. Also, according to the report, no date has been agreed to for players to make their decision, and whether a team honors part, all or none of a player’s contract is unanswered.
On the contract issue, this seems to me like both sides playing ‘chicken’ as in who gives in first.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:46 pm
im sure smith plays byt wonder if he comes in totally out of shape with the lay off and his attitude ect
July 14th, 2020 at 7:49 pm
Robert James,
How would you be able to tell the difference?
July 14th, 2020 at 8:02 pm
I don’t understand how anyone could have a problem with him not feeling safe enough to play. There are more important things than money or football.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:03 pm
Smith is admittedly lazy and the “sickness” gave him a perfect excuse to loaf on his sofa and lobby for more guaranteed money (no escrow). More power to him, it’s a free country. No chance he passes on $14M though. And if he does it’s next man up! Smith runs FROM the Squatch, but usually gives up before the whistle blows!
July 14th, 2020 at 8:05 pm
I will be surprised if he is in shape. He comes across as a worried “Daddy” eating Twinkies and Ding Dongs. I still believe he is feeling the pressure that he has to protect TB’s blindside and is unsure he can do it. Yeah, yeah, I hear the critics saying that is stupid. Is it? Let’s wait and see. If he’s flabby and horribly out of shape then we’ll have our answer.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:08 pm
I understand wanting to be safe. But come on. If he sits I better not see pic of him in grocery store. Or outand about. Pretty sure these players dont stay in seclusion.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:08 pm
No play ..No pay
July 14th, 2020 at 8:09 pm
No play, no pay.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:12 pm
He has a new born on the way. I wouldnt risk it because there’s no guarantees that it can be prevented. Imagine him infecting his new born and it dying. Not worth it at all.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:22 pm
Someone told him not to worry about the 5-14 day test turn around time that he’s reading about because NFL will have the best test and dedicated labs that only do their results. Wealthy corporations and their important employees will be fine for the most part. It’s the rest of us who are on our own. Testing that taking as long as it currently is makes contact tracing impossible and the results useless in most cases. I don’t see anyway out of this mess in FL without another complete shutdown. I understand lots of people just can’t afford to do it. That’s why countries that have handled this so much better paid people to stay home.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:23 pm
It is up to him if he feels it will bee safe enough to play. He needs not justify anything to play for YOUR entertainment. No player does.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:23 pm
^be
July 14th, 2020 at 8:34 pm
Cobraboy Says:
July 14th, 2020 at 7:13 pm
Much ado about nothing…
Slow news.
________________________________________
Yup.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:39 pm
While I absolutely agree that Donovan has every right to do what he feels is best for his family, the fact that he brought up the money does make me wonder about his motives a bit.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:43 pm
He has always been lazy, in training, in camp, and on the field.
They should have traded this guy when they had a chance. This is the issue with JL he is no GM.
July 14th, 2020 at 9:28 pm
So far it has just been Donovan Smith admitting that he is torn because of the virus and a newborn.
Family should always come first. Even, maybe, above the season Smith had to be dreaming about for his entire life. Being able to block for Tom Brady would be THE dream.
But I can understand. I know three people who caught the damned thing badly. It is possible that they will never be the same again. All three have continual breathing problems because of blood clots in their lungs.
I wish the virus was old news, it will not be until we have a vaccine. There does not appear to be a “herd immunity” with this sucker.
July 14th, 2020 at 10:04 pm
Play or no pay. Simple as that. His choice.
July 14th, 2020 at 10:25 pm
“Much ado about nothing…”
Is that not equal to denial? Or do you speak a different language Cobra?
July 14th, 2020 at 10:30 pm
BTW Cobra you are in good company with the refusal to accept reality.
During a Feb. 28, 2020, campaign rally in South Carolina, President Donald Trump likened the Democrats’ criticism of his administration’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak to their efforts to impeach him, saying “this is their new hoax.” During the speech he also seemed to downplay the severity of the outbreak, comparing it to the common flu.
Here’s something for you to deny…
Let’s begin with the situation in other countries. Here are new case totals from Monday for a few of our peer countries:
France: 580
UK: 564
Spain: 546
Germany: 365
Canada: 299
Japan: 259
Italy: 200
Australia: 158
South Korea: 52
And the United States? 55,300.
Now Cobra waste more of our time with your epidemiological background pointing out that our cases are because of more testing. Our deaths are because of false reporting. None of this is happening.
All those nurses and ER Docs with the haunted looks like I haven’t seen since I was in Vietnam are actually all well paid actors part of the conspiracy to deny Trump reelection.
July 14th, 2020 at 11:07 pm
To all tha got something to say about DS …get out there and suite up we need O/T’s not mouth pieces!!!
July 14th, 2020 at 11:23 pm
Looking more and more like there will be no fans in the stadiums this year. Philly just banned fans from all Eagles and Phillies home games until Feb 2021. Considering the state of covid in FL, it would be irresponsible to put fans in stadiums.
July 14th, 2020 at 11:52 pm
You guys are acting like he’s a all pro caliber tackle. The dude is very average at best. He’s gonna get TB-Tampa killed. Jason Gump signed him to big money just cover his a$$ so his pick doesn’t look bad
July 14th, 2020 at 11:53 pm
They basically got to live in a dorm for 4 months with nothing but football. How cool is that story in 20 years. 30 for 30: The 2020 Season. This is History. The sacrifice for team sports. It’s a chance to change a generation of kids that are worried about stats and themselves. It’s definitely a sacrifice for a family man. I get it. But to say we were a team that lived on a team first motto is a beautiful opportunity to me. We got Tom Brady, You gotta go for it when the opportunity comes. Once in a lifetime opportunity. Sacrifice!
July 15th, 2020 at 7:07 am
The chances of Smith and his family catching the virus are extremely low. If they he or his wife catch they would get over it in a week or so. Smith needs to turn of MSM.
July 15th, 2020 at 7:42 am
Just follow safety guidelines. What if all the health care workers, first responders and other vital workers decided to stay home?
July 15th, 2020 at 9:17 am
Yeah Seth how awesome would that be! D Smith won’t get to see his newborn for four months but hey there will be a 30 for 30 special about it one day. My hope is after 2020 is over we are never reminded of it again. I also hope we are never again reminded of the man on top if this dumpster fire! All you boys that support him will be able to thank him for no football in 2020 next time you are down at Maralago.
July 15th, 2020 at 10:01 am
Me again . So what name did you change from? And he nor any NFL player is VITAL. this is sports entertainment and not a necessary that the world can’t survive without.
MTM .. You have no knowledge if he would get it mild or not or his family. The 30 year old that went to the covid party though it was a hoax. Now he is dead. They have better treatments but it is NO GUARANTEE it will work for everyone.
July 15th, 2020 at 10:48 am
St. Pete- -Trying to talk logic to snake-head boy is truly “casting pearls before swine.”
MTM, you should apply at the White House. Maybe you could replace Fauci. Just show them your post and you are good to go.
July 15th, 2020 at 10:50 am
Stpetebucfan…, you realize we are testing at a much higher rate like a zenith ? Average age of positive tests is 31 years of age . Death rate dropping . Add in all the fraudulent accounting of the “ machine” …. please get a grip !
July 15th, 2020 at 11:15 am
@ Buc 50 …….. Dude are you from Seattle or San Fran ,,, NO ONE has a problem with him putting his family first …………. Just say I’m playing or not so the team can move on !!!! We have a problem with the pitty party and then trying to leverage money into the equation …………. I also hv a problem with people that twist things , most everyone on here would fully respect his decision to not play but it’s clearly more about the blah blah blah and playing the poor athlete victim !!! Play or don’t play respect your team, the fans and the organization, are you playing or not ???
Dat boy ain’t got no walking around sense !!!
July 15th, 2020 at 11:52 am
@stpetebucsfan: There is no aspect of my life in which “denial” exists.
I will compare my common sense, critical thinking skills, health care backgrouns and edumacation with anyone (two Master’s, both stat and strongly math based.) Especially with you and the other Panic Fear Porn afficianados.
I never said the virus is not bad. I don’t want it, I don’t want anyone to have it, but fact is the morbidity is very low, a click above the seasonal flu, and morbidity is dropping daily. The reality of this virus bears no resemblance to the hysteris from the early stages, yet the initial baloney set the stage especially with the Loyal Comraxdes of The Gloriuous Progressive Revolution.
Since The Joes kindly edited links out of a few of my posts, so you have missed some rather interesting facts (or you refused to read them because of your lame “shoot the messenger” hackery), such how a huge # of FL labs recently have submitted stats to the state health bureaucrats that 90-100% of ALL their tests are positive. A local news outlet did some actual real investigative journalism and found one of said centers, a credible large center in Orlando, said they reported a 9.4% positive test rate to the State Health gurus…who then put those same results on the official state website as 98% positive tests.
And that is just one center.
How does that happen? Explain to me, Loyal Comrade…
Additionally, I posted a link from the CDC which showed they changed the definition of a “case” a month or so ago to not just people who test positive, but ALL their contacts who have not been tested. These people are considered “probable”, and NOW are included as “cases ” even if asymptomatic and never tested.
Only a self-inflicted blind human would say there are no shenanigans being played with the numbers, and only a partisan hack would claim there is no political gamesmanship being played.
You may be a “smart” guy with super sensitive feels and good intentions…but just not smart enough to be immune from media manipulation and partisan hackery, and clearly not smart enough for clear, superior critical thinking skills.
Fact is, some make better serfs than Free Men. Enjoy your Fear Porn. Fap away.
July 15th, 2020 at 11:55 am
stpetebucsfan Says:
I speak the clear language of Realville, Loyal Comrade.
There is not much I fear.
We are different like that.
July 15th, 2020 at 1:18 pm
i find it funny how 2 ppl i know had scheduled a covid test but werent able to make it to the test but guess what?… they ended up receiving a notification that their test came back positive.
how do you receive a positive test when you didnt even take it?
things that make you go hmmm
July 15th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
What I don’t get is this….
Most of Florida has had mandatory masks in all public places for about 2 weeks now…..
How come the cases continue to come in around 10,000 a day…like every day?
Tells me so far that, the masks are useless….I’ll give it another week. See if the numbers come down. I doubt it though. Mask or no mask.
July 15th, 2020 at 1:36 pm
Oh and SPBF…
“this is their new hoax”
Pretty sure Trump was saying that the dems… by saying that he’s doing nothing about the virus (when he was) was their new hoax…..BUT take it how your liberal self wants to take it. Out of context as usual.
Why do you think the cases are so high despite all this mask wearing going on?
Why is the US filled with cases when other countries have so little? It MUST be Trump’s fault!
July 15th, 2020 at 2:00 pm
951- Nobody is buying that lie. Except for maybe you.
July 15th, 2020 at 2:11 pm
Glass
Ok, I’m lying. I really don’t know those people I talked about and I am spreading lies smh 🤦🏻♂️
July 15th, 2020 at 2:14 pm
Why do you think the cases are so high despite all this mask wearing going on?
Why is the US filled with cases when other countries have so little? It MUST be Trump’s fault!….1987
I dunno, smart guy. Why do we lead the world in cases/deaths? Why? Because we have a Democratic Party? Because of Hillary? Because of Fauci?
Because he didn’t get to build his wall?
What is the reason? We ALL know it couldn’t be the leadership of our nation’s response.
We could all drown in a sea of sick people and it would be ANY reason except the obvious one.
July 15th, 2020 at 2:20 pm
@bucsfaninoregon: if the EU reports cases/deaths as ONE COUNTRY, what do you think their numbers are compared to the US?
OR, if states were reporting numbers like each EU country, what would the list look like?
Try comparing applies with apples.
July 15th, 2020 at 2:33 pm
bucsfaninoregon Says:
One huge, massive reason is masks are ineffective.:
July 15th, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Read it again, Snakehead, that quote you attributed to me was from you buddy Buc1987.
The reason why masks are ineffective is that masks are only part of the solution. You can wear a mask all day except when you go into a bar and have a shot. Or, any place where you are in close proximity for an extended period of time with an infected person- -mask or not. The mask only “LESSENS” transmission, not “prohibits” transmission. I realize that these concepts are probably too subtle for you but try.
It would also help if people really wore masks as opposed to flaunting their indifference to the concept like many on this site.
July 15th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
@Buc50 Says:
“I don’t understand how anyone could have a problem with him not feeling safe enough to play. There are more important things than money or football.”
————————————-
Is nothing u can understand, cause you understand only your narrative… that is the same as : no football, no sports, no schools, no work… until “we have a vaccine’… the vaccine may never come…like we dont have one for SARs, swine flu, AIDS…. and so many other stuff.. so we have to stop the life for years??!! or we stop it till November 4th, then who cares….
..and yes, he got choices… he can quit football, be unemployed, like millions of Americans, and start a business from home….tear up you contract… and you safe DS
July 15th, 2020 at 5:16 pm
I didn’t read all the post so I might be making the same point. We expect the bagger at the food store to show up because they’re essential. However, players that make 18 million a year thinks the risk is too high. I suggest that Donovan take a job at Publix for a reality check. So, risking your life for $10 an hour is required but risking your life for $18 million is option. An interesting world that we live in.
July 15th, 2020 at 5:29 pm
@ Loyal Comrade bucsfaninoregon:
You make a fine, compliany serf. The Overlords are pleased with your defense of the Glorious Progressive Revolution.
As a reward for your continued compliance, report to The People’s Collective Cooperative and Comrade Worker’s Union Hall for an extra ration of Free Cheese.
………………
If masks are effective, why not open everything up?
Have you read the various per-reviewed studies than show the total ineffectiveness of masks? I’d post a like but seems links don’t make the post-moderation.
Please, continue wearing your Suppression Muzzle and fap to Virus Fear Porn.
I will live like a Free Man.
BTW: I bet you look awesome in your ANTIFA costume burning down Portland…with the black mask.
July 15th, 2020 at 8:14 pm
Cobraboy Says:
“I will compare my common sense, critical thinking skills, health care backgrouns and edumacation with anyone (two Master’s, both stat and strongly math based.) Especially with you and the other Panic Fear Porn afficianados.”
.
.
I’m pretty sure St Pete has a strong social studies background.
July 15th, 2020 at 8:41 pm
bucsfaninoregon Says:
“Why do we lead the world in cases/deaths? Why? Because we have a Democratic Party? Because of Hillary? Because of Fauci?”
.
.
Just a few months before the Covid-19 outbreak, an exercise was held by world elites called Event 201, where they simulated a global pandemic of a coronavirus that transmitted from bats to humans. Taking place in October, the event was hosted by Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Bloomberg School Of Public Health, World Economic Forum, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The simulation analyzed the health impacts, as well as the economic, lifestyle, and trade fallout from the virus.
If you think I was just a coincidence that this “exercise” occurred days before the real thing kicked off, and everything which transpired in the “exercise” seems to have followed real events word-for-word, then you are a true idiot. Since I refuse to believe that you are this much of an idiot, then I am left with the conclusion that you are just a true believer in marxist progressivism, and are fully on board with whatever horrific plans that your masters have in store for the American people.
July 15th, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Bush’s Coke Spoon
Just looked up ‘Event 201’.
I had no idea that had occurred.
This is scarier than the Pandemic in my view.
Pretty damn bold.
July 15th, 2020 at 10:02 pm
There’s also video of Fauci saying that “the next administration” (which became Trump) would have to deal with a surprise viral outbreak. I believe it was at a CFR meeting. Imagine that! Quite the prognosticator, he is.
July 15th, 2020 at 11:07 pm
Careful!
You don’t want those nice men in white lab coats coming to visit you!
Although, they do have a reputation of administering some pretty good ‘chit’
July 16th, 2020 at 8:34 am
As a father, I understand the concern from Donovan. No one in their right mind will willingly put their family at risk.
I hope for football this season, but not at the cost of people getting sick or dying for my entertainment.
Shaq is optimistic and is realistic in his approach. Much unlike most of the internet.
July 16th, 2020 at 11:32 am
Earth to Coke/snake heads, people have been predicting a virus like this for decades! Yes, yes, yes it was a CO-INCIDENTAL!!!!
There have been simulations, war games, etc. regarding a virus outbreak off and on for years.
It takes a true conspiracy nut to attach this clearly Wuhan originated problem to Event 201. Sounds good on Faux News and whatever troll site Alex Jones is operation today.
Keep spouting BS about the situation in your face. Florida is roughly five times the population of Oregon. We had 282 new cases yesterday. Florida had 13,965!
We wear masks out here.
Yeah, let’s have a big Event 201 party!