Graham Barton Loves His Sponge Bath
June 7th, 2024
Ten — yes, 10 — Buccaneers spring practices are in the books.
Media got to watch three of them.
Joe mentions that to alert the masses that anyone reported to be shining in the spring during underwear football sessions may only be earning that love on days open to the media invasion. So a guy killing it in front of reporters could have jelly hands and clunky feet when outside eyes aren’t on him.
Buccaneers rookie center Graham Barton has been an attendee at all the voluntary practices, Joe’s been told. And Joe has heard nothing but good things — even though linemen aren’t allowed to touch anyone.
In fact, the Bucs are so excited about Barton, their Round 1 pick, they already posted a Mic’d up feature on him at the team website.
Joe watched it and learned that Barton is being coached up to make an “imprint” on the turf with his feet. It’s a nice way to remember to move with authority.
The majority of the video, however, was about Barton talking about the searing Tampa heat. He’s obviously not used to it and chatted about finding good sunscreen and about how much he loved his on-field sponge bath (neck up, you degenerates).
“That’s incredible. Mental reset,” Barton said of his bath.
Ironically, was Barton was being bathed as 85 year old senior offensive assistant coach Tom Moore was walking behind him on the sun-drenched field. Moore, wearing his trademark long pants and long sleeves, had no interest in being washed.
Joe wonders if Moore has grandchildren older than Barton.
June 7th, 2024 at 7:03 pm
You think THIS is hot? Wait until training camp! You haven’t felt anything yet homes!
June 7th, 2024 at 7:23 pm
Big question is – Who is starting at Left Guard?
– Bredeson
– Opeta
– Klein
– Hainsey
If Barton is 100% starting at Center and Cody is our RG – who is our starting LG?
June 7th, 2024 at 7:27 pm
The heat is already in his head!
Wait under he is playing in the bottom of the pit known as the RayJay in September…. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
June 7th, 2024 at 7:42 pm
It ain’t gonna get any nicer, young man. July, August and September are the worst. You learn to deal with it, but you never get used to it.
June 7th, 2024 at 7:43 pm
On the other hand, December is beautiful.
June 7th, 2024 at 8:14 pm
Marine Buc: My early guess would be Sua Opeta. I’d imagine that Bredeson and/or Klein might get some work at Center, to give them a chance to beat out Hainsey as the backup C. I don’t see Hainsey beating out the other guys at Guard, if he’s even tried at G.
June 7th, 2024 at 8:29 pm
You know the other players are going to start calling him SpongeBart now.
June 7th, 2024 at 8:31 pm
Hopefully he proves himself spongeworthy.
June 7th, 2024 at 8:57 pm
I loved my sponge bath from Rachel Watson (back in the day, many moons ago)
June 7th, 2024 at 9:02 pm
He also said he was tired. He said the sun made him tired. I wonder if he can hold up as our center.
June 7th, 2024 at 9:31 pm
Home of the Spongers
June 7th, 2024 at 10:35 pm
I can’t imagine how incredibly hot it must be
Gotta be tough lol
Go Bucs!
June 7th, 2024 at 10:56 pm
Adjustment period. Hell get use to it. It will take sometime. There’s nothing like September games at Ray Jay. Those September games are something else. 🔥
June 7th, 2024 at 11:27 pm
Dude is getting a lot of subtle hype – if he plays to 70% of the expectations building around him as a rookie, he’ll still be better than Matador Hainsey or Matador Mauch or Matador Stinnie.
June 8th, 2024 at 4:44 am
Wow Joe
Could have gone another 60 years without the mental image that headline gave me…
Go Bucs!
June 8th, 2024 at 4:52 am
Tom Moore at 85 telling Barton …suck it up Rookie! Wanted desparately to use a different word there…LOL
Go Bucs!
June 8th, 2024 at 5:07 am
I really like and respect Graham. Optimistically, he will get used to the heat and sun, but it is brutal. He grew up near Nashville and then college football in NC. Playing outside in Florida’s hot temps is absolutely different weather.
During the games they will have cold air blowing on them on the bench, and they do have hybrid fiberglass heating and cooling benches. Iced towels along with the cooling tents. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate again. The NFL will have emergency essentials and trainings in place when players may have heat exhaustion along with other problems that could come up and need assistance quickly. It will be okay.
Huge kudos to 85 year old Tom Moore. Wow, I give him so much credit being out in that hot sun and heat. He is a true legend!
June 8th, 2024 at 7:52 am
News flash, just as hot now as in July August and Sept. It’s statement that’s simple, anything outside is difficult, now add a helmet, layers of shirts and gloves and tape and you’re cutting off your cooling mechanism. You never get used to it you deal with it, some days better than others and that is what he should have in his head.
June 8th, 2024 at 8:46 am
The heat takes some getting used to. Grew up in Tampa. Two a days at Jefferson HS. Brutal, but bearable. Joined the USMC and was sent to Washington State for 6 years. Took leave and came home to help my dad’s fence business. Putting up fences in August…I thought I was going to die! Haha
June 8th, 2024 at 10:57 am
The Tarpon Springs Spongers High School Football team would probably love to have him out there. He’d get brand new dead spongebobs for his trial by heat.
June 8th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Its 82 in my home right now. I have a fan on, about 5 ft away from me, and im very comfortable. We dont have AC where I work in the shop cutting steel. Only the office peeps enjoy that luxury. We have fans but still, since im acclimating as the temp goes up, im ok so far. Ive yet to turn on my AC at home. Im shaded a little, so that helps. The guys that work around me say they cant stand their place getting below 70….and thats why they sweat so much at work just standing there talking lol. I rarely break a sweat when im lifting heavy scraps of steel into the scrap bin.
You gotta get acclimated which means 80-85 in your home with a fan on.
June 8th, 2024 at 3:43 pm
Some days the heat has been more like that in the Southwest than Florida. The players will be ready to play in it after July and August. Some of us old ones are very careful about time in the heat. Even sitting in RayJay in September can be a bit hazardous. Not speaking for Moore, though. LOL
June 9th, 2024 at 7:25 pm
Agree with others it’s just apart of being a flawda boy! It never gets easier but that’s what makes a nice cold shower that much more refreshing 🙂