The Fix Might Be In
May 22nd, 2018
Unfairly targeted.
If you haven’t smelled the stench that is the Jameis Winston investigation by the NFL yet, it just means you live in a biodome.
Yesterday, Joe brought word how 11 days ago, the Detroit News dropped a bombshell of a story that first-year Lions coach Matt Patricia was indicted in a sordid sexual assault case when Patricia was on college spring break in Texas in 1996. The NFL wrapped up a study of Patricia in a matter of days, including meeting with Patricia and the Lions.
The NFL apparently dug deep (sarcasm) and in 10 days found no reason to continue snooping into Patricia’s past, giving him a clean slate. Nothing further to see here folks, the NFL said. Move on.
OK, fine.
Yet America’s Quarterback still awaits the result of his investigation that launched in November because an Uber driver in Arizona claims she and Jameis had some sort of late-night hassle. The notorious Robert Darby, Eagles cornerback and a guy who always seems to be close to trouble but far away enough not to get pinched, later stated he was a witness and that nothing happened.
It is still an open investigation.
To make this feet-dragging by the NFL worse if not shady, earlier this year the estranged wife of Panthers general manager Marty Hurney claimed she was a victim of domestic violence. The NFL cleared Hurney in less than a month, even flying one of its top investigators, Lisa Friel, down to Charlotte to personally interview Hurney. The case, in the eyes of the NFL, was wrapped up in a snap.
Meanwhile, Jameis was picking out baby clothes and an engagement ring waiting for his investigation to proceed.
Jameis’ case? Eh, want to go fishing or just gawk at babes on the beach today? What Jameis investigation (sarcasm)?
It sure smells like the NFL simply doesn’t give a damn if it renders a decision on whether or not to suspend Jameis, possibly in the middle of the season, a decision that could doom a team’s season. At least the NFL had the common courtesy to suspend Ezekiel Elliott in the middle of training camp.
And apparently, the NFL doesn’t give a s(p)it that people’s jobs if not careers with the Bucs are on the line if the team doesn’t start winning. It is hard enough to win games in the NFL, much less without your franchise quarterback, much less in the toughest division in the NFL.
In the big picture? This sure looks like Roger Goodell’s goons are being incredibly irresponsible. It’s almost as if the NFL wants Jameis to be suspended in the middle of the season.
May 22nd, 2018 at 5:09 am
Somebody get a vet this horse is Dying
May 22nd, 2018 at 5:10 am
The bucs are irrelevant to nfl always have been and always will be. Small market team that has embarrassed the game for the better part of 42 years.
May 22nd, 2018 at 5:40 am
Go sign a backup whose name is not Fitzpatrick‼️
May 22nd, 2018 at 5:50 am
Kap it
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:05 am
The glaziers should take this to another level against the league
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:16 am
As I said 2x yesterday. This is now in the hands of the Glazers. Why the eff Luke they simply roll over on this? Just inform the league the investigation is over. No fault. Jameis plays. Have a nice day. Ps. THE OWNERS ARE THE BOSS!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:17 am
Roadwarrior…thank you!!! Joe, stop whining.
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:21 am
Nobody cares. That’s why. This is the only outlet talking about it and it’s old. Talk about it when there’s an outcome. If there’s one.
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:25 am
kalind gets it. the lions stepped up, in support of patricia. the bucs need to go to goodell and tell him whats the REAL issue here. and thats his hesitance/reluctance to exonerate an innocent man… for whatever reason. unacceptable. jameis had b. s. in college for 2 years, because of HATRED, and now they let this continue?? shameful of the league and the bucs to let this nonsense go..and RONALD DARBY, by ALL accounts, is a GREAT young man…and a super bowl and national champ!!! its guilt, without evidence, AND by innocent association now???
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:52 am
Call out that 3rd person to verify and its a done deal
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:59 am
This is definitely on the Glazers, you think Jerry or Kraft would put up with this. This is an inability to hold the league accountable when it comes to teams and players…, if there is nothing there, then say so, if it is, then act. My guess is nobody outside of Tampa and not a Bucs follower, this is extremely low on the radar if at all
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:14 am
Very wild speculation from everyone on this very avoidable situation!!!!!!!! No one is saying that from the long investigation and quiet lull is so that the investigated party can settle the situation to make it go away!!!!!! But no, Some blame the league as the Bad Guy!!!! Not the JW3 who should have avoided the whole situation, or reported it correctly right away!!! The King Goodell runs a tight ship and everyone knows it!!!!! All you have to do is stay out of the news for all the wrong reasons!!!!! Its So Simple!!!!!!!!!
Go King Goodell, and thank you for cleaning up the sport!!!!!!!!!!
and GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:15 am
I’m not advocating for this because he would (probably) make us less likely to win games, but it would be a total F-you to the NFL if the Bucs went out and signed Kap to “lead the team” during what seems like Jameis’ inevitable suspension at this point.
I cant see this system of discipline surviving the next CBA negotiations.
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:23 am
It’s just like the Mueller investigation they have no evidence but why bring it to a close so everyone can move on.
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:25 am
@pete mitchell
how would that show up the league???? The Bucs would lost a huge portion of their fan base and the phony frivolous law suit would instantly go away!!!!!! You might as well have said that NFL GM Licht to burn down One Buc Place and have the league office as the principal beneficiary for the insurance policy!!!!!!!!!!
Terrible take!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:32 am
This is going nowhere and will die a slow death….
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:37 am
Is it possible that the league doesn’t want to tuch this issue at all? Maybe, and since it’s a PR league, they think that since there are no charges and nobody cares about it they can just make it go away?
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:43 am
Hey Realist, Mitchell’s post is weak, but you’ve no room to comment. You’ve posted the same nonsense for 3 days. We get it. You like to go against the grain. It makes you feel special. Don’t worry. No one is gonna out do your ignorance towards this subject. Your stupidity stands alone. Kudo’s.
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:55 am
I really want to support you guys and use your website for my Bucs news, but I find it hard sometimes to do so. Articles like these that are pointless are honestly just a waste of my time to click on. I have tried to be a faithful listener to your podcast but I honestly find myself annoyed listening to you harp on Doug Martin over and over non stop and now “The Bucs can’t develop cornerbacks”. We get the point already. Please in the future consider having a limit on how many times you mention something over and over because you guys are starting to sound more and more like “The evil Bucs media”.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:03 am
@gilhealy
You the real MVP.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:28 am
I can guess why Joe is publishing these articles, and it is not beating a dead horse.
Look, the media can serve a powerful purpose by applying pressure in order to make things happen. Sometimes that’s a bad thing, sometimes a good thing.
In this case, I think it’s a good thing.
And it is not a dead horse…not until the investigation is over. Some of you might be tired of hearing about it…I sure am…but until a decision is made, it will be and should be talked about. That’s just how things work.
The owners cannot do anything. Jerry Jones tried, and it cost him big time. The Glazers should keep their nose out of it or the team will pay a steeper price. Same with the coaches and staff.
In cases like this, it is the media that has to apply pressure, because the NFL cannot punish them for it.
I don’t blame Jameis either. If he was in the back seat, he probably would not have even seen or known if the front passenger did something.
AND…revealing who that front passenger was? Not so simple, because if it was a player, that will likely be the person in trouble. So you are asking he and Darby to snitch.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:38 am
Realist/ exclamationpointist, signing Kaep would be a dig at the league because, he has been black-balled. The “fans” that would be lost by a Kaep signing would eventually return, especially when the Bucs resume winning. In the interim, those “fans” would likely be replenished by Kaep supporters; ie: the ENTIRE black community. Has anyone ever given that a thought?
Also, folks would be offended by Kaep’s employment because of his past kneeling (which, he did to bring attention to social injustices) yet, they openly support Jameis in spite of his many immature and even lude actions, real or imagined? These folks are either comfortable with that double standard or are oblivious to it.
Reminder: EVERYONE knelt! Your racist president was the catalyst for that when he called the players everything just short of the “N” word which, is what he really wanted to say.
Now, here is my dig: Bring in JoFro, we might not notice the difference.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:44 am
BringBucsBack, while I agree that Trump was the catalyst, taking a ‘dig’ at the league would be a colossally huge mistake. We want a decision, yes, but we don’t want to be made an example of.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:52 am
For all of you guys saying the NFL wants this to die and does not want to exonerate Jameis due to today’s “climate”, well here is something to think about… They just exonerated Matt Patricia in less than 2 weeks and the dude in the Panthers front office in one month. They are already ruling on these things. This is simply a double standard against the players, IMO.
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:56 am
NFL trying to let this Winston “investigation” die a slow, hopefully forgotten death (ala the “Freeman investigation”) because it never had any merit and they never had anywhere to go with it from day 1 – but obviously don’t really want to admit that.
“But these pesky Joes just won’t shut up about it and let it die the quiet death we intended” King Rodger was allegedly overheard to say recently.
Can’t say I blame Joe. This “story” IS off season GOLD for media outlets being starved by the natural off-season lack of actual football news.
Stay tuned folks….. The titillating James Winston Uber crotch grabbing investigation stemming from a TMZ type “report” regarding a non-formal allegation 26 months ago – is becoming a more riveting situation by the minute….
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:01 am
This investigation exists on this board
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:01 am
For everyone saying “The Glazers need to call out the league…….”
Okay, the Glazers get in front of a mic on ESPN and NFL Net and read your dumb speech about how the league is dragging its feet and how other investigations moved faster and why is it taking so long and this and that and blah blah blah… basically embarrassing the league, the commissioner, and the investigatory process.
So the investigators then investigate and don’t appreciate getting called out and give the big middle finger to the Bucs (because F Tampa Bay. No one buys their jerseys. They’re never in any commercials. They have no marketable players. They suck on national TV. Hell, they don’t even have a 4pm game this year. They haven’t been to the playoffs since Bush was president) and give JW an 8 game suspension because of past allegations and a reminder to STFU when dealing with the NFL. There. That’s what you get for poking the bear.
Get this through your heads, Bucs Fans – and this is a cold hard reality. No one cares about us down here in the Swamps of Florida. The Bucs are the wallpaper of the NFL. We are insignificant to the league. Our national news coverage is measured in seconds. The Bucs have been on the cover of SI ( a weekly publication) 11 times (and one of them was just Warren Sapp’s helmet as he tackled Steve Young). The Bucs are the team that the NFL will use to make an example of so they can let the Tom Brady’s off the hook later on down the road.
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:16 am
There is no investigation. Stop posting this crap, Joe…
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:25 am
So who’s “Deepthroat” in this investigation?
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:31 am
Sheesh..give me a break. Nothing happened beyond a strategic hand placement. Big freaking deal.
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:35 am
Unfortunately, Jameis has not been able to keep the football. He is a good player, but turnovers will sink a ship.
He has a checkered past. This was a possibility since before we drafted him.
#FreeTheAmishRifle
GO BUCS!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 9:59 am
The fix was in when Bucs drafted him knowing the kind of human being they were getting.
How bout the not headbutt linebackers
How bout he not push over a super bowl winning Bucs veteran in Shelton Quarles
How bout he not get his best WR suspended by needlessly provoking a DB for the opposing team
How bout he not tell girls to be silent
How bout he not ride (allegedly) with Darby after all the trouble in the past
How bout he not demonstrate signs of a narcissistic sociopath?
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:12 am
I’ve said it a dozen times, Goodell doesn’t like Winston! He told Winston before the draft “don’t show up”! Goodell is going to suspend Winston in training camp and it doesn’t matter if he is guilty or not guilty! I don’t know what perception Goodell has of Winston, my perception of Goodell is he doesn’t care for Winston to be in the league and wants him out of it!
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:31 am
Seems like as fans we could do something to petitiion the league to take action one way or another. I mean in the court of law citizens are entitled to a speedy trial and this is far from that but at least should be a guideline how people are supposed to be treated innocent or guilty.
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:31 am
Or perhaps they aren’t addressing it, because it isn’t anything to be investigated…. a lame ass claim what, like a year after it supposedly happened.
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:34 am
PETE MITCHELL & BRINGBUCSBACK
I AGREE!!!!!
that would be a great move by the glazers!!!!!…..bucs against the world attitude!!!!!….kap would give everything he has and the players would rally around him…..
that’ll be a great way to sell out rayjay…..
we sign kap and start winning, we’ll kill two birds with one stone…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:50 am
They are down to one Jameis mistake…failure to report the incident as required by the CBA.
Big deal. An administrative error. Censure Jameis and let it go.
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:52 am
buctrooper
glazers need to do just that!!!!…..at least show the players that the owners have their backs and this type of stuff wont be tolerated…..
so the league says screw you bucs and suspends Winston for 6games…..ok fine….we sign kap!!!!….you say nobody watches the bucs or cares about the bucs, well they’ll start watching then…..
folks that support kap will watch the bucs….folks that don’t support kap will watch…..folks will root for us to win or lose…..simple as that…..
imo, the only downside is if we’re 5-1 or 6-0 or 4-2 when Winston comes back, then what?….do we roll with kap…or let Winston take over…..
either way, glazers need to step up, and if the nfl says screw you then we screw them…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 10:58 am
Goodell likely knows he cant do anything to Jameis but wants to keep his foot on his neck for awhile so he doesn’t do anything else and gets the message.
That failure to report is weak, not clear what Jameis was even told by Uber about the incident when they suspended his account.
Has anyone been suspended for failing to report an “incident” for which they received no punishment? I coun’t find where it has ever happened.
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:23 am
The NFL never had an investigation into Josh Freeman. The *NFLPA* threatened an investigation into Schiano claiming he leaked Freeman’s medical records (it was actually Freeman’s agent). D. Smith huffed and puffed and talked tough but it was all show.
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:27 am
The case will be dropped today at the owners meeting
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:30 am
Joe, I don’t think the NFL has a clue…so they are trying to stay out of the picture. You keep it fresh..not the NFL. Stop writing about it and it will go away.
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:31 am
“Not the JW3 who should have avoided the whole situation, or reported it correctly right away!”
If no one groped this driver and she made this up – how was he to avoid it? If the accuser’s story is that she was only in the car with Winston; but it is proven that multiple passengers were in the car – how was he to avoid someone lying and making up this accusation? He denied it with Uber immediately.
The only issue is it seems is he didn’t report the incident to the league right away. But it wasn’t any official legal accusation. The personal conduct policy is a bit vague in terms of things you have to report and reading over it now I’m not sure how you classify an event like this. He should have reported it regardless though
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:43 am
Obviously Joe, this proves what everyone but Joe has been saying since 2015. Hes not Americas quarterback! Interesting timing on the engagement to. Why would a girl marry a man with multiple sexual assault accusations? Oh yeah, the big ring and the financial security.
May 22nd, 2018 at 12:25 pm
There are numerous open investigations around the league that have been “open” as long or longer. Sometimes, the prudent thing by the media is to leave it alone and let it pass. Perhaps the NFL can’t find anything to suspend him on but knows if they release it during a slow news cycle (now) then the media will go insane because of Jameis’ past.
But if the media challenges Roger D like with what happened with Zeke and Brady – Jameis will absolutely get the max number of games. is that the hope with the incessant brow beating of NFL headquarters?
May 22nd, 2018 at 12:36 pm
greg
they have been together since HS….obviously, she knows the “real” jameis….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 12:38 pm
lol roadwarrior!
May 22nd, 2018 at 2:20 pm
Hahahahahaha you guys actually think Kaep can still win games.
May 22nd, 2018 at 2:22 pm
If 3 did it wow did he cost himself some $$$$
May 22nd, 2018 at 3:59 pm
kaep>glennon
kaep>tannehill
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 5:22 pm
@Roadwarrior: Great line! A perfect summary of this whole story.
May 22nd, 2018 at 6:49 pm
Big Ben got married after his sexual assault he was was charged for it and no one ever says anything about it. He had 2 and a 1years time and they let him move on with his life. So let Winston n any one else move on especially if he was not charged for nothing.
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:37 pm
Wow!!! League rumors that a 15 yard penalty for players that kneel!!!! commie kapernick and the rest of those SOB’s are done!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 7:55 pm
I think this issue is already over in the eyes of the NFL. They just are making a final public decision since as of now there is no real evidence and it’s the Uber drivers word against Winston and his friends. The NFL is hoping that this just fades away quietly and that people stop bringing it up
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:24 pm
Bucrealist so who cares kap still made a change, cause now the NFL will donate to the same cause he kneel for so you right good job kap!!!!!!! N all the rest of the players who saw a problem that’s wrong n this country, people like you are what’s wrong with this country !!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2018 at 8:27 pm
USFBUC: I agree. Stop bringing it up.
May 23rd, 2018 at 1:27 am
Yeah Joe the fix is in. There’s a personal vendetta against jw3 and the sorry ass Bucs. It’s one big plot against jw3 becuz he’s soooo great at the qb position that they gotta figure out a way to stop his meteoric rise in the NFL