Koetter Defends Jameis II
March 2nd, 2017
More reaction from Bucs coach.
Yes, it was high theater yesterday when Pro Football Hall of Fame selector and the mastermind of BalzerFootball.com, long-time NFL guy Howard Balzer, asked coach Dirk Koetter for his response to the hue and cry in the wake of America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, getting sidetracked and slipping with the tongue while speaking to an elementary school last week.
Of course, in one of the deadest February periods on the sports calendar, the reaction got loads of play across many local and national platforms, likely too much play.
Koetter, though measured, came out with a strong defense of Jameis during his press conference at the NFL combine in Indianapolis located at the Indiana Convention Center. Afterwards, Koetter spoke with a group of Tampa Bay reporters. The session was on the record but was not broadcast anywhere (with permission from the Bucs).
There, again, Koetter took to Jameis’ defense. Without the klieglights of NFL Network, FOX Sports, NBC Sports Network and BSPN in his face, Koetter may have been a bit stronger in his words and, while still measured, occasionally poked the table he sat at for effect.
It was clear Koetter was angered by the local and national freakout.
And Koetter, as Joe was told by Bucs types, very much wanted to get off his chest how unfair he thought the attacks on Jameis were, and how much he thinks of Jameis and wanted to defend him. Koetter was very eager to speak out knowing the platform that the combine provided him yesterday before hundreds of accredited reporters, sports TV networks and loads of national and local radio shows.
Below is Koetter’s full quote in the private session with four reporters from Tampa Bay, including Joe, speaking on the subject of Jameis being crucified over a slip of the tongue.
“Everybody makes up their own mind,” Koetter said. “I can’t nor will I ever try to tell people what they should or shouldn’t think. Based on everyone’s personal experiences, that is what you are going to think.
“My whole point is, Jameis tries to do the right thing every day. He made a mistake, OK. Well, you are not going to make mistakes – you know how you are not going to make mistakes? Don’t put yourself out there. Don’t put yourself out there, OK? Like, Jameis was brought here to get us in a Super Bowl and win it. Not to win the Oratory Award of Tampa Bay. Now, but that’s not him. He’s not going to do that. He wants to. He loves being around kids.
“He’s got a great message, an awesome message. Shoot, Jameis inspires me every day. Now I saw the video [of Jameis speaking to the youngsters]. And I know Jameis. I could tell on his face he got off track, he said the wrong thing. I’ve done it – I told Roy [Cummings] to shut up that day. I wish I could take that back! Really! I mean, you make mistakes. And, all you can do is [say], ‘I screwed up.’
“My only point is, just look around. Look around the sports world or the political world. People say stuff they wish they didn’t say. They made mistakes. You either own it or you just let it go.
“Yeah, [Jameis] made a mistake. And I just want to beat the bandwagon for, not that he didn’t make a mistake, but Jameis tries to do good every day. He is a sincere guy and he is as sincere and legitimate as anybody I have ever been around in that area.”
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:11 am
The media has blown this so far out of proportion it borders on ridiculous. Jameis made a mistake and he owned up to it. He’ll learn from it and move on. Time for everyone else to do the same.
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:11 am
I love having a coach that is as impassioned as Dirk is and how he has the players backs! Thanks coach!
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:12 am
Let it go already! I hate this everyone get a trophy mentality world we live in!!!!
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:34 am
Love this guy! Glad hes our coach
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:38 am
Snowflake media believe they are perfect
March 2nd, 2017 at 7:25 am
Total non-story! Only those who go out of their way to be offended by any and every little thing care. I wouldn’t even talk about it anymore if I were Koetter or Jameis. Time to concentrate on football!
March 2nd, 2017 at 7:30 am
Some folks get out of bed every day searching for something to be offended about.
Sad state of affairs.
March 2nd, 2017 at 7:42 am
Journalism and journalistic integrity has been extinct in America for decades.
Majority of the incompetent media are like that umpire or referee that thinks the game is about him or her…..
Don’t let losers in a dead industry get you Jameis you’ve done more good for Tampa in the last two years than all the dirt bag wanna be journalists have in decades. Used car salesman and mortgage brokers have ten times more credibility than a media loser like jones
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:06 am
This story is getting as old as the Glennon stories! Move on.
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:38 am
Come on tmaxcon, don’t beat around the bush, tell us how you really feel about the media. LOVE IT.
March 2nd, 2017 at 8:46 am
So much for drafting Mixon since the TB and national media is already on the witch hunt, but this does show that this team can handle it. They have even shown that they have Doug’s back (he still may get cut), but I do like how they don’t take a small sample, they look at the whole picture of a person
March 2nd, 2017 at 11:31 am
“Everybody makes up their own mind” – Dirk Koetter
“People hear how they want to hear it” – Buc1987
“Don’t put yourself out there. Don’t put yourself out there, OK?” – Koetter
“Just don’t try to help anymore kids Jameis.” – Buc1987
March 2nd, 2017 at 11:47 am
Tuck Fom Jones
March 2nd, 2017 at 12:01 pm
My God the mistakes I made when I was 23…
I wonder how much trouble Jones got in when he was 23!
March 2nd, 2017 at 2:38 pm
Jameis’ biggest sin was having this gaffe in February when there is absolutely nothing else going on in the league. If this happens during a more active part of the NFL media cycle and this molehill remains a molehill
March 2nd, 2017 at 2:41 pm
I agree with the mindset that people are just looking for reasons to be offended. What a weak minded, wuss of a society we have allowed to emerge. Americans are not tough anymore but just are cream puffs that get there feelings hurt every time they turn around. This was not even news worthy. Jameis did nothing wrong so lets just get over it. He was not trying to insinuate that females are not equal to males. People need to get a grip!
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:00 pm
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He did not “make a mistake” and I hate that everyone, Koetter included, allows the media to dictate the terms of a discussion … forget that! That is why I love guys like Richard Sherman, Charles Barkley … even Trump. They don’t let anyone dictate the terms of a discussion to them, they call it like they see and let everyone else deal with it.
The entire Bucs organization should have praised Jameis for “apologizing” BUT made it clear that he never needed to do so as he said nothing wrong, and that he did “apologize” just shows what a sincere young man he is and that his heart is in helping people all the time.
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March 2nd, 2017 at 6:31 pm
If I’m right Michael Westbrook told the media a couple days ago ” you all ni**@$ is crazy!” and walked out on them. Imagine Fameis saying that to the spineless bunch of slimy slugs. Been nice to see Kwon pimp smack Jones sayin I got my ni**@$ back.
March 3rd, 2017 at 5:05 am
I think the only mistake Jameis made is project his personal beliefs in the setting he was in. I think this is the way he was raised for men to be loud and speak out and women need to be more humble. I’m not saying women don’t have a voice but they have a position just like the man has a position. No one is the boss its just the position he was was trying to say. When a person gets married he has a 50% chance of divorce one reason apple b is because the conventional family has gone away men are not stepping up to the plate and women are trying to wear the pants and it is a fight for position in the home I agree with Jameis Winston when I back him up 100%