Baker Mayfield Has Lavonte David’s Back
February 5th, 2025
“Where’s Lavonte?”
Last week and over the weekend, Pro Bowl practices and games were held in Orlando. Joe’s sure many of you purposely missed it just like Joe.
(Joe sort of enjoyed the Pro Bowl when they allowed tackling. Whatever that abortion is they call “football” now is a disgrace to anyone who ever snapped on a chinstrap. For the record, the “other Joe” likes the new Pro Bowl and won a wager on Vita Vea’s team in the Tug of War.)
At those practices, Joe’s good friend Rock Riley, the local sports media celebrity, caught up with Baker Mayfield. There, Mayfield teed off on, yet again, Lavonte David not making the Pro Bowl.
That’s another reason Joe can no longer handle the Pro Bowl. If guys like David, a borderline Hall of Famer, isn’t deemed worthy of playing in it for years, then why should Joe pay any attention?
“It’s still a shame Lavonte David is not here,” Mayfield said. “Like every year. I dunno.”
Mayfield thought there were other Bucs worthy of being named to the Pro Bowl, but he didn’t elaborate.
“We had a ton of guys that deserved to be here,” Mayfield said. In a way, he sort of sighed and added, “That’s the way it goes.”
Then Mayfield added words that Joe hopes pay off in 2025.
“Hopefully [the Bucs players snubbed from the Pro Bowl] use it as motivation,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield did say he enjoyed himself in Orlando. Not so much because of the football, but Mayfield said what made the week was that he, Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Vita Vea, were all at the pool together with their families.
“You can’t beat that,” Mayfield said.
Team unity.
I asked Baker Mayfield if he thinks there will be more Bucs chosen to be in the Pro Bowl next year?
*He mentions 1 that should be in this year! pic.twitter.com/eUKxsWmc5L— rock riley (@realrockriley) February 2, 2025
February 5th, 2025 at 4:40 am
Ok
“Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Vita Vea, were all at the pool together with their families.”
Baker just grew a mile in my esteem file. That is what some of the other guys should listen to as well. We sometimes get guys who talk alot and say nothing worth hearing.
Go Bucs!
February 5th, 2025 at 5:31 am
Return the Pro Bowl to its former glory. Go back to Hawaii and play actual football. After the Super Bowl.
February 5th, 2025 at 6:03 am
Good for Baker! Love hearing about all their families enjoying time at the Pro Bowl. It was fun to watch the Pro Bowl this year and see four of our players in the mix.
February 5th, 2025 at 6:19 am
There’s a team leader. Class act.
February 5th, 2025 at 7:16 am
“Return the Pro Bowl to its former glory.”
Thanks but no thanks! What’s next a return of the College “All Stars” against the defending NFL Champs? Many of you young guys don’t even remember that annual joke!
How would a team or it’s fans feel if one or more of their STARS are lost to a major injury (knees) in a truly meaningless game.
I think they’ve found the perfect vehicle to reward the guys who make it with recognition and a “fun” weekend. Why endanger their bodies any more than necessary. At least if they get hurt now it’s a freak accident, if they truly played it’s a certainty that somebody would get hurt. Why? For a freaking all star game?
“Mayfield said what made the week was that he, Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Vita Vea, were all at the pool together with their families.”
That’s what the “weekend” is about and IMHO that’s a good thing!
February 5th, 2025 at 7:40 am
stpetebucsfan – So wonderful to hear what fun they had with their families sitting by the pool. That is what the Pro Bowl is about, families and fans. I enjoy watching the Pro Bowl every year. It did get a little punchy when several players jumped into the foam pit celebrating. One player got hit in the chest, but is okay. I think there were players that got hurt in the Pro Bowls years ago. Thinking Drew Brees did, but I could be wrong.
February 5th, 2025 at 7:57 am
That is exactly what would happen. Story would be b!tcHong about why one one of our star players was taken out in a meaningless game. Lost for the season . So yes go golfing or somethig.
February 5th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Robert Edwards. Career ruined at the Pro Bowl running in sand.
I went to a Pro Bowl once. Nothing to see.
Send the players on a trip. That’s fine. But stupid crap like trivia contests or tug of war is just stupid.
February 5th, 2025 at 9:02 am
The old format always bothered me. The best players go. That means you depend them during the season. So why take a chance and getting them injured for a meaningless game? The new format is fine and the players really seem to be having fun. I like to see all the smiles and joking around with each other.
February 5th, 2025 at 10:02 am
Even as a young kid, Joe remembered that game for being a sad exhibition. The rookies tried. The champs mostly played camp meat.
February 5th, 2025 at 11:34 am
I like the skill tests so I enjoy the Pro Bowls. It looked like the players were having a great time, too. Lots of trash talk and smiles and camaraderie. It seems like a great reward for the players that were voted in.
February 5th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Who cares if one team or the other wins a tug of was. People with an irrational hatred of one league or the other might. I’m with this Joe.
February 5th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
It’s harmless fun. The probowl ‘game’ was unwatchable for years. This is at least somewhat entertaining and – guess what – they truly seem to enjoy it. Shows a human side to these guys.
How many pro bowlers would bail on it if there was the actual risk of a real tackle football game? Lots of business decisions then….
Besides – most of you lose your minds if someone gets hurt in a meaningless preseason game. An injury in a ‘real pro bowl game’ would be 10x worse.
February 5th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
StormyInFL Says:
February 5th, 2025 at 3:28 pm
It’s harmless fun. The probowl ‘game’ was unwatchable for years. This is at least somewhat entertaining
———–
Ratings for this years “pro-bowl” were down another 1-million, to just 4.7-million, which was already down another 1-million from 2022 when they last had tackle football.
The fact you’re OK with the push for NFL players doing powder puff football says you’re the type of ‘guy’ the NFL wants as a viewer, someone who is fine with replacing the current game with the ‘Olympic’ flag football they are pushing.
February 5th, 2025 at 8:35 pm
Baker binding with his mates and calling out the fraud that omits LVD every year.
What a dude. Love having him a Buc.
February 5th, 2025 at 11:59 pm
They’ll never change it. Firstly, they don’t want to give up a weekend (and unless they return to the 2002 season model of no break between conference championships and the Super Bowl, there will be a week between. Secondly, placing it before the Super Bowl only drives up interest for fanbases of teams who get late additions, like we did with Evans and Baker.
It drums up more interest for more fans on an NFL bye week, while limiting opportunity for injury. Spectacle or not, it’s the right way to play the game.
Besides, the weaker the spectacle they make of it, the more serious HOF voters will pay attention to All Pro nods, which are much less political.
February 6th, 2025 at 4:28 am
The collage all star game was one I would rather see, and used to enjoy. This joke of a poorly voted on “Pro Bowl”/excuse for commercial revenue.
This is football Not trivial pursuit or playground Tug of war. If you are not gonna play real football please do all real football fans a favor and just do away with it altogether. And before someone says it.
No… Flag Football is intramural college boy crap. Not real football. Obvious who actually played the game here.
Geez!
Go Bucs!
February 6th, 2025 at 4:30 am
BTW We in Tampa have fielded teams who could not beat the college all stars!
Go Bucs!
February 6th, 2025 at 6:42 am
Rod
“The fact you’re OK with the push for NFL players doing powder puff football says you’re the type of ‘guy’ the NFL wants as a viewer, someone who is fine with replacing the current game with the ‘Olympic’ flag football they are pushing.”
That is a true leap and I believe you’ve just dropped into the chasm.
This may be hard but…two things can be true at the same time.
There are many fans like me who believe the exhibition games were a waste and while I accept an 18 game schedule the reality is that it means heading down the stretch some teams are going to be decimated by injury affecting the competition.
Bottom line I’d rather watch your kind of “manly” football during the season when it counts. Why put bodies and health on the line for “exhibitions”?