Bucs Still Selling Jameis Winston’s Character?

June 8th, 2015

lovie and lichtJoe thinks there’s an unfair talking point spinning in various media circles.

Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com and NBC Sports, has repeatedly been saying on his radio and TV show that the Buccaneers intentionally are going overboard selling the work ethic and character of Jameis Winston, America’s Quarterback. Even a month after drafting him, Florio says, the Bucs haven’t let up.

Rick Stroud, the longtime Bucs beat writer for TampaBay.com, agreed with Florio on national radio Friday.

Stroud quipped that the Bucs revealed specifics on Jameis’ long office hours at One Buc Palace, a tip-off that the team is sending a message, too.

“They want everyone to know they have to push him out, that he’s there until 6 o’clock at night, which is about an 11- or 12-hour day in the offseason, which is a lot.” Stroud said.

Stroud added that type of chatter is a continuation of a sales job for Jameis that started several weeks before the NFL Draft.

Joe just can’t go there. Simply stated, Joe merely sees Bucs officials answering questions about Jameis, not going out of their way to prop up the rookie in an orchestrated fashion.

Joe’s not seeing features on Buccaneers.com about how Jameis spends his days, or any commentary that Jameis is doing anything out of the ordinary for a dedicated rookie. Heck, there hasn’t even been any chatter about how Jameis is transforming his body or spending personal time making extra throws, for example.

The Bucs are not engaged in some sort of propaganda war. Lovie Smith, by nature, is America’s most positive head coach. Just listen to the near nonsense the guy was spouting in November and December last year.

What you’re hearing about Jameis is a by-product of a glass-half-full leader. Nothing more.

19 Responses to “Bucs Still Selling Jameis Winston’s Character?”

  1. TampaTony Says:

    Rick Stroud is a idiot. Anything regarding Jameis that doesn’t fit into his preconceived notions he had he feels the need to be on the negative about.

    If Jameis wins in Tampa it will be funny to see how much he back-peddles on the crap he has been spewing for the better part of 6 months.

  2. daldevs Says:

    This sounds eerily similar to the creation of the perception of Jameis in college. The perception that he was super immature and always getting in trouble. When in fact reality was that because he was such a popular topic every sports media site or news outlet wrote story after story after story about the same few things over and over and over again.

    Now, and once again, Jameis is one of the most popular names in sports, so any new information about is getting reporting on over and over and over again.

    As Joe stated, Lovie answered that question once. His answer has been repeated hundreds of times. During rookie mini camp, Bell simply gave his impression of Jameis. His answer and description of Jameis has been repeated hundreds of times. So, essentially, Floria should be angry with his contemporaries.

  3. Strider #FamousJameis Says:

    You know what even IF the bucs were trying to sell Jameis character and work ethic he needs it I kno so many people that don’t live in FL but just hate Jameis. Message boards online constantly attacking him. Let the haters hate

  4. armchairGM Says:

    I watch Pro Football Talk almost every day and it is getting ridiculous how negative Florio is on a daily basis regarding the Bucs and their feelings about Jameis. Any report starts off with a condescending tone from Florio, they even blame the Bucs for a Jameis hype job when it was an instagram video taken by Jameis friend of him watching video. Probably going to leave that show alone till after the start of the season.

  5. JerseyBucsFan Says:

    those are the kind of things i want to hear from a number 1 pick whats wrong with telling the fans how his doing??

  6. Espo Says:

    So what if they are? Just as long as they’re not lying about it.

  7. CreamsicleBananaHammock Says:

    PFT is just a cog in the “Jameis gets clicks” machine with no concern over getting any facts right as long as it fits into their preconceived notions about the kid.

    case in point:

    “I advised them that there was another woman who received some counseling services from Florida State University as a result of an encounter with Mr. Winston that was of a sexual nature,” Cappleman told the Tribune. While Cappleman hasn’t personally spoken to the second victim, Cappleman said the second victim “doesn’t even consider herself a victim.”

    See what they did there? IN THE EXACT SAME SENTENCE where they are reporting that this woman isn’t a “victim,” they refer to her as a victim not once…..but twice. It’s sick

    Jameis gets clicks. Reporting anything negative, even if it’s not true, about Jameis gets clicks.

  8. Michael G Says:

    I think they are going overboard, but he IS the #1 draft pick and their job is to sell tickets and convince naysayers like myself that they made the right choice. I don’t have a problem with the spin…it makes good business sense and helps instill even more confidence in Jaboo. It must be working because I am coming around on the kid and as a season ticket holder since 1979, I guess I realize I don’t have much of a choice.

  9. rayjay1122 Says:

    If the statements are true, then who cares how much the Bucs PR department shares the information with the public. Stroud should be embarrassed that a seasoned journalist as himself, cannot come up with a more interesting and or informative story. Besides, that entire column is opinion based rather than factual. I mean who determines what going overboard is anyways? Florio, Stroud or some other journalist? Is there a defining threshold on what going overboard is? Silly season continues!!!

  10. Luther Says:

    Florio has been one of the harshest critics of Winston. He seems to take the negative at every chance he gets. I like to visit his site but I visit a lot less due to how he bangs on Winston and hypes Mariota.

  11. road warrior Says:

    That’s what the media gets paid for to create controversy. To see how many ways that they can spin a story. So that they can keep people watching and reading. It also seems that the media likes to focus on the negative more than anything else. Joe I’m not putting you in this category. It”s getting very hard to have much respect for some of these media outlets. Instead of just making $hit up they need to start doing some real research into things. If the guy is that dedicated then we should here about it. We’ve would surly have to listen to these bone heads at nauseam if it was something negative.

    GO JAMEIS GO BUCS

  12. Joe Says:

    warrior:

    Joe has written probably hundreds of articles about Winston and his dedication to his craft. Feel free to use the free archives search and type in “Jameis Watch.”

  13. Buc Neckid Says:

    What i see this as is that the BUCS are just touting their Number 1 draft pick.
    Their Number One draft pick of the team that was dead last in the league last year.
    Their Number One draft pick of the team that was losing its fan base.
    This is just off-season PR
    And all the Comparisons by Florio et.al to any event in Winston’s past is just trying to sell newspapers/subscriptions/web-hits.

  14. bucs4lyfe Says:

    sales job? you report what your seeing just like you did when he was in rookie minicamp and ota’s so was that a sales job also? a sales job in the nfl is trying to get someone to buy into something much more skeptical like josh mccown being the unquestioned starting quarterback

  15. road warrior Says:

    Joe i have read most everything you have written about Jameis and enjoy it very much. why to stay positive bro. I have read plenty of post of people who are annoyed by it. I’m not one of them. keep up the good work.

  16. Clodhopper Says:

    Florio works for NBC. nuff said. If there is a bigger example of lying drivel, I’ve yet to find it. NBC and BSPN get none of my eyeballs or ears.

  17. pick6 Says:

    certain people have a narrative to complete. they will not accept that they are wrong about the kid if it comes to that – instead they will hold the opinion above that the bucs are “selling” and “changing” him and then at some point down the line they will declare that he “now gets it” and has “turned his life around”. for some, the idea that JW was perhaps an okay kid from the start is no longer open for consideration

  18. T-BAY FAN 4 LIFE Says:

    They can say whatever they want to. The only thing that matters is getting WINS anything short of WINS will be Failure. We the fans don’t care about the B.S. and all of the smoke screens. We just want our Bucs to get out there and Ball. GO BUCS

  19. bucrage Says:

    What in god’s name is going on with calling Winston Americas qb? Do you realize how totally moronic that is? It smacks of the ultimate jock sniffer trying to be cute but instead it’s just sickening. Seriously, can you just wait until Winston does something on the field?