Grotesque Double Standard
August 29th, 2018
Blaming Jameis.
Joe read the following Monday night and initially was just going to let it go.
But sometimes, even if Joe is numb to a subject, it can be outrageous enough to get him worked up.
Joe was reading an article Monday evening that detailed how TV networks are going to cover college football this season. Joe’s a huge football honk of course, and when it comes to college football, Joe relishes Saturdays when he can start the day on his leather couch watching College Gameday, then the Big Ten Pam Ward game (also a good time to take a nap) or a Big XII game (that no-defense league is fun as hell to watch) followed by the usual top-shelf 4 p.m. and primetime games, and then finishing Saturdays in the wee hours of Sunday morning with the PAC-12 after-dark shootouts.
In the article typed by Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, Deitsch asked the vice president of college sports at BSPN, Lee Fitting, if the Urban Meyer scandal at Ohio State, where Meyer covered for a wife-beating assistant coach, and the nonsense at the University of Maryland where a player was worked to death, will hurt college football’s popularity.
Take a load at this Fitting’s response.
“I don’t think so,” said Lee Fitting, the vice president of college sports at ESPN and the point person for the company’s coverage of college football. “It has been brutal to watch, brutal to read about. It’s disgusting. It’s depressing. I just think at the end of the day people are still going to watch these games. I don’t want to say it is right or wrong. But — and I hate saying this and it is sad to say this — the sport has been through these rough patches whether it was Joe Paterno and Penn State, Baylor and Art Briles, the Jameis Winston stuff. It’s sad but the sport has been through this. For whatever reason, the sport continues to be very popular.”
For those who may not follow college football, the Paterno reference is the Jerry Sandusky reign of pedophilia. The former Penn State assistant coach abused boys on campus.
The Art Briles reference is to the former Baylor coach who did his best to hide a rash of rapes and/or sexual assaults by his players, trying to make the incidents vanish by sometimes strong-arming victims.
Mind you, Jameis was never charged for any felonies at Florida State, yet a guy in charge of college sports programming equates Jameis to a vile monster like Sandusky who is doing 30 to 60 years in the hole, or a shameless skunk like Briles who has been understandably blacklisted from football.
This, friends, is what folks outside of Florida, mostly in the northeast, think of Jameis.
The hypocrisy of Fitting knows no bounds. Consider during his tenure at BSPN, Fitting worked alongside Meyer (in a manner of speaking) for one year. Meyer was well-known at the time for running a penitentiary prep school in Gainesville before he mysteriously got sick.
Additionally, during Fitting’s time at BSPN, the four-letter employed Bob Knight as both a game analyst and studio commentator.
Joe loves Knight but he is far from an angel. Among his many acts of being a first-class lout, Knight choked one of his own players and had physical confrontations with Indiana University colleagues including shoving a coach against a TV. He also “attacked and knocked out” a sports information director and threatened a secretary in her 60s.
And Joe won’t even go into great detail how a former colleague of Fitting’s at the four-letter, Ray Lewis, stood in front of a judge and copped a plea in a double-murder trial.
And to offer further evidence of the double-talk by Fitting, Jameis hurt college football so badly while at Florida State? When Jameis and his Seminoles faced Oregon in the Rose Bowl for a national semifinal battle broadcast and produced by Fitting’s outfit, the game was one of the most-watched college football games in the past three decades.
And people wonder why, on the night he was drafted by the Bucs, Jameis wouldn’t let BSPN into his draft party.
August 29th, 2018 at 8:25 am
I doubt anyone that previously read this believed for one second Joe would let this one go.
August 29th, 2018 at 8:26 am
Fans can always explain how their guy did nothing or how it wasn’t really that bad. But the guy at the other school…. now that was bad. Urban will get the biggest ovation of his life when he returns home to coach, similar to ray rice when he served a 2 game suspension before the video came out. Ray Lewis wasn’t charged with a felony either and he is treated as a hero. Hard to see how anyone could support Ohio st and Maryland football until there is a regieme change… but of course their fans will be pointing the finger at someone else.
August 29th, 2018 at 8:34 am
Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t Sandusky already done 30 years “ in the hole”?
August 29th, 2018 at 8:39 am
Joe, not quite sure why you don’t get it with Jameis. It seems your only barometer regarding his conduct was whether or not he was charged with a crime. While I would agree that there was not enough evidence to convict JW of rape which is why charges were not brought, it certainly appeared like some bad stuff was going on.
Combine that with the other stupid stuff he did while at FSU and it speaks to the blind eye towards athletes on college campuses. He was a top prospect for a top program so we look the other way while he makes an ass of himself thus enabling him to continue.
This is why I am down on JW. He wore out his welcome at FSU and was give a huge 2nd chance by my next favorite team the Bucs. And yet again he embarrasses his team, coaches and supporters by behaving like an ass and then lying about it.
That is the Jameis mess and he earned it.
August 29th, 2018 at 8:46 am
Great article Joe, couldn’t agree more!
August 29th, 2018 at 8:54 am
While I support Jameis….I find it interesting the attempts to minimize his actions by comparing them to other’s behavior……we live in a world of double standards and hypocrisy…..you simply have to accept it…..call it out if you wish….then move on.
August 29th, 2018 at 8:58 am
more of the “they did this, so what our guy did doesn’t matter”
in before the Jdubya trolls come on here spouting the same nonsense.
guy has talent, but his talent is yet to outweigh his burden. if Fitz has a winning record he stays the teams QB. JW is a backup now girls. deal with it.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:00 am
And that is how the country sees JW. He is now in the big boy world and asked to play nice, gone Are the years of campus police and hush money.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:03 am
30 holes per year…..GO BUCS!
August 29th, 2018 at 9:04 am
JOE(S): Great post, just a head-shaker……Ohio State gave Urb a slap on the butt with a paint paddle……PFT made an interesting point about Jerry Richardson’s behavior with Panthers might be the tip of the iceberg in the NFL and that worse could come out with other owners…..these are different times and on the subject of Jameis, guy must simply understand life in the fishbowl, perhaps this woke him up — maybe.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:13 am
that’s why you should watch the SEC games and the SEC Network!!!!
best conference in college football and its always talking football!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
August 29th, 2018 at 9:21 am
Why are you surprised, in this soft PC world thst we live in the constitution is irrelevant, feelings are more important than integrity and perception has replaced innocent until proven guilty.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:22 am
Robert- There is some merit to your statement regarding talent vs burden. I have said this multiple times throughout this fiasco that Jameis still has to prove ON the field that he can be the franchise QB.
Others’ discretion have no bearing on Jameis’. It’s unfair to lump him in with Sandusky, and even Meyer in my opinion though. If that’s how he is viewed, then it is up to Jameis to dispel those beliefs and views. Way far worse has been done by others and forgiven.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:22 am
ESPN is hemorrhaging money from Disney, and relying on past egregious indiscretions to forecast future success is not going to help matters. Cords are being cut at an exponential rate, Mr Fitting, your product is barely viable for free on local ABC broadcasts, and it is relatively worthless when compared to paid subscription television. The ridiculous tv contracts coupled with declining viewership are a big contributor to the ridiculous year-after-year price increases at the Disney-owned theme parks. Someone has to bail out their failures.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:22 am
And now everyone who is a Bucs fan can understand why all of the FSU folks were so disgusted with ESPN and their coverage of Jameis. Is he perfect absolutely not, has he done stupid things, 100% yes, but is he in the same category as Sandusky or Briles, he isn’t even in the same neighborhood, but ESPN has, does and always will act like he is worse. And the answer is simple and clear they are in bed with the SEC and at the time had no deal with the ACC and Jameis/FSU threatened to put a end to their SEC loving dominance (and did by the way). They even made that one story up about him taking money, which by the way was never corrected or apologized for. So this is just par for the course.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:29 am
Robert and Godeep66 the best thing about this is time will tell, but the question is if (when) you are proven wrong, will you come on here and say you were wrong? I am betting you will go away and hide instead of face the music or better yet actually be happy that this young man turned his life around and our team is winning. But then again for you to be happy about our team winning it really has to be our team, which for the two of you might be a stretch, considering you both daily root against the most important player on our team.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:30 am
Spot on Joes. Someone in the national media needs to pick up on your take. The Jameis hate and comparing him to those people is preposterous.
I’m glad Jameis didn’t allow BSPN into the draft party. Tom Jones is another on Jameis should completely ignore down the road.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:32 am
And by the way on the official Buccaneers Website the have the starters listed, you might want to checkout who is listed as the starting QB Robert:
https://www.buccaneers.com/team/depth-chart
August 29th, 2018 at 9:32 am
@ndog: He is who we thought would be. Trade him now since he had such a spectacular preseason. We may get some value for him now rather wait till the end of the season and get nothing
August 29th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Remember when Jameis did all this stuff in college but thing were different now because he matured ect ect… Now he’s in the nfl and struck a plea deal to be locked out of one buc place for 3 weeks but now things are different because he doesn’t drink anymore. Jameis is the reason Jamesis stays in the headlines. But hey, it wasn’t a felony and look at what these other people did. and like NDOG says… he was clearly only suspended because of the whole espn/ acc/ sec thing and he’s not as bad as what those other guys did. Just “stupid” things… not really really bad things.
August 29th, 2018 at 9:40 am
Godeep66
Trading the most important buc player of all time is asinine…..
you keep cheering for those underachieving has been choirboys who choked under dungy clown and won a pathetic 5 playoff games in thier entire careers….
August 29th, 2018 at 9:44 am
I’m hardly a JW sycophant blindly sending love to Jameis. I was very upset with his stupidity in Arizona….and I as much as anyone kept trying to chide people who kept trying to defend JW by comparing his “offenses” to other more heinous actions.
And I totally agree with TBBF that comparisons are stupid and IMHO the “whataboutism” in this country is ruining any attempts at civil, intelligent discourse. The issues…forget about them….what about Hillary…what about Obama.
But this is beyond the freaking pale!!! Fitting deserves a longer suspension than JW for spewing moronic crap.
Jaboobuc who doesn’t seem to be a giant fan of JW did encapsulate what I feel is the best description of JW’s activity.
“behaving like an ass and then lying about it.”
Behaving like an ass it not the same as decades of buggering little boys!
JW has behaved stupidly but he’s not a freaking pervert. He behaved like thousands of other spoiled, entitled athletes…disappointing but not anywhere in the same league as Sandusky or Briles.
Furthermore while I’ve chided those in the past who think BSPN and the rest of the nation’s media are against the Bucs and totally against JW…this is exhibit A in their argument.
Why did a guy talking about college football use two college examples and then throw in an NFL example that in no way compares to the two college guys. Seems like it had to be personal!
As the optimist I think if this story gets inside the Buc locker room it will be a good thing…players are going to rally behind JW and there is going to be a “fortress” mentality for this team. It’s us against the rest of the league and nation.
I feel for 87 this morning. This story drove ME nucking futs…I can only imagine how justifiably angry he is.
So guys…one example does not create a trend…but combined with some others I apologize to those who have been highlighting this kind of BIASED coverage.
I have no difficulty in admitting when I’m wrong and this is the final straw for me. Sorry guys I’ve been wrong about this. People are biased against JW!!!
August 29th, 2018 at 9:54 am
I think Joe gets his panties in a bunch anytime anyone has anything negative to say about Winston. I don’t believe the man’s point was to say that Jameis is as bad as those other people. The point of the article was that college football has been through its share of negative stories and continues its popularity. Ohio State is a joke I don’t understand the point of doing an investigation in the first place if you already know your not going to fire or punish Meyer reguardless of the findings. The guy can still coach up his team two out of the three games he’s he suspended for. Ohio State doesn’t care about domestic violence should be the point of the story.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:09 am
Miken- exactly and well said. JW chooses to keep himself in the headlines. I sincerely hope he gets his life together but anyone that doesn’t think this guy has earned the reputation of being a complete ass is just choosing to look the other way.
I can promise you this as someone with some connections within the FSU athletic department, they were happy to see him go. For all the talk in public about what a great guy he is, there is the behind the scenes pain in the ass.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:10 am
Great job Joe
August 29th, 2018 at 10:20 am
JabooBuc, baloney. Give examples. Blanket statements don’t cut it.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:24 am
“where Meyer covered for a wife-beating assistant coach”
I grew up in an abusive household after my father’s death and the arrival of an alcoholic stepfather, so I can tell you from experience, EVERYONE covers for abusers.
They may not realize it, but by ‘not getting involved’, it is covering for them. All it takes for bad men to succeed is for good people to do nothing. I remember even the cops did nothing.
I have a scar on my back from wear he tried to stab me with scissors. It got so bad that I learned to sleep with a led pipe to protect myself, and I STILL wake up at the slightest noise or change in the atmosphere of my home (such as the AC turning on).
In high school, whenever I saw bullying, I stepped in. I was afraid of no one, except my stepfather. I fought all the time and had a weekly visit with Dean Brown at Chamberlain High School in Tampa. He always had a Coke on his desk waiting for me. And I was always there for fighting. It didn’t matter if it was against one guy or eight guys. And outside my stepfather, I only ever lost a couple fights.
And even with my stepfather, once I was big enough, the moment he tried to take a swing at me, I taught him a lesson in a fight that ended with me dislocating his arm (he came at me with a weapon…again).
Thankfully, I did not fall into being an abuser myself when I became a husband and father, but everything he did, I do not do. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t use drugs (including pot). Anything that causes a person to lose full control, I do not do.
But when I was a kid, no one lifted a hand. So speaking as the victim of abuse, punishing a school because a staff member was abusive and other staff members said nothing? Stupid. That school is not responsible.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:30 am
Jameis did bring this on himself true but the outright hate comes from those with their own agendas. It’s understandable to doubt him because we have still been losing at times because of his unnecessary turnovers, but what about the games when he didn’t but was almost perfect and we still lost. What about the fact every season he had gotten better in most categories? What do you say to that? There are people who still put all the losses on him even though this is a team sport, agendas again. We live in a country where we all believe in a 2nd even 3rd chance but 4 or 5 people up here who absolutely refuse to give him any chance because of their agendas, but that’s ok because as long as some people up here remember them they’ll always get trashed up here like the trash they are.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:39 am
Winston didnt negotiate 3 games he was told take that or they would ruin his career. What was said to happen that uber did not happen that way. Has anyone seen the official letter from NFL stated why he was suspended. The NFL and Bucs knows he actually didn’t commit rape at FSU they did their homework. But the league knows the perception of Winston to the public so they did what was the best PR move for them.
August 29th, 2018 at 10:52 am
poor Jameis ..I guess he’s just misunderstood
August 29th, 2018 at 11:12 am
Jameis put himself in multiple situations that have tarnished his image. Arguing about what degree it should be tarnished is a fool’s errand.
I support him
And hope he really has matured.
But he will never wipe away the past, nor should he be able to.
August 29th, 2018 at 11:15 am
Jay – You are pretty close to the truth there I believe.
August 29th, 2018 at 11:20 am
@Bonzai
Wow! I feel your pain. I too grew up in an abusive household. But it was my real father and as long as I kept my mouth shut he never disciplined me.
I recall at the age of 6 or 7…my father beating my mother’s head against the wall. I wasn’t certain he wasn’t killing her but in fear for my life I hid under the bed…like a coward! Yeah when you’re six or seven perhaps cowardice is not the issue but is sure FELT like I was a coward.
Just like you I had some demons. So I spent roughly the first 30 years of my life trying to prove I wasn’t really a coward. I rode a bull in a rodeo…or rather was quickly thrown off of one…LOL…I skydived…the largest attempt was volunteering to go to Vietnam while I was stationed in Thailand and didn’t really have to go. Sometimes I realize it’s amazing that I am still alive!!! Because of my self motivation…patriotism was second in that decision…I still have survivor’s guilt and get emotional every time I visit the “Black Wall” in DC.
I have too many friends who never made it back.
I know like me you write Bonzai….I have a short story called “The Coward’s Club” about that night under the bed and the other challenges of growing up in a house where your old man beats on your mom.
Because I know how his life can affect you I am genuinely happy that you were able to gain control of your life. Congratulations!
I believe all’s well that ends well and thank heavens for both of our stories.
There are many more where it didn’t really work out.
August 29th, 2018 at 11:22 am
NDOG and 87 and Pickgrin and any others I may be leaving out.
My apology for not recognizing that there is a bias against JW upthread was directed in particular at you three. You guys were right and I was wrong.
JW has acted like an spoiled rotten prima donna at times…but a lot of the criticism is over the top.
August 29th, 2018 at 11:46 am
Wow. I took a month of travel to Europe and boy I have been missing out on a lot with you JameisNOT losers. I dealt with you last year and you blasted me relentlessly. AND I was right all the time. You now take the same abuse out on others that do not agree with your views. But after reviewing a few of these posts I can see that many of the JameisNOT supporters come from abusive households and they no other way to act. Stop bullying and wise up guys. JameisNOT is a BAD DUDE off the field AND a mediocre NFL QB….ranked 24th in the league.
August 29th, 2018 at 11:51 am
stpete, Bonzai- We grew up in a vastly different era IMO. I share in some of your memories. If you would’ve met the Fanman prior to the Marine Corps, you would not even recognize the man.
I say that to say this: It’s easy for some to point the finger and cast blame without perspective. There are few easy choices in life and ethics can ride a razor thin line sometimes. I wonder if things would’ve been the same back when we were kids with today’s standards? Think of all that we see now that you NEVER would have even heard of then!
August 29th, 2018 at 11:54 am
People need to stop equating “immature” acts with “criminal” acts. Jameis has done a lot of immature things he is not a criminal. He is a young man who cannot handle his liquor. I;m sure none of you have ever done anything questionable while being intoxicated. No way, you’re perfect. The one criminal investigation in which he was accused he was cleared, no evidence means cleared. He was investigated several times by several sources and they all came to the same conclusion. Let’s not forget that. That uber driver incident is speculation all we know is that Jameis was in the car inebriated, doesn’t mean he did anything wrong. I am with Joe on this equating Jameis to clowns like these is sickening. He was never found guilty of any criminal act and the NFL investigations are a joke I don’t listen to anything they say they make decisions based on their image not fact. Stop treating a immature person to a sick criminals. I find it odd that Jameis was not the first athlete accused of sexual assault, but people try and act like he is. Everytime something happens anywhere Jameis name is brought up. They don’t want this guy to win.
August 29th, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Well said Buc_The_World
Separated paragraphs would be easier to read though – instead of one big lump of sentences.
Not trying to be critical – Just sayin.
What you wrote was pretty much right on target.
August 29th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
stpetebucsfan and Bucsfanman
I also took a lot of risks as an adult. A LOT. I tried to enter the military but was denied twice (I won’t even go into the stupid reason), so I found other ways to put myself into danger. For example, when Gorbachev was kidnapped, I was there in the Soviet Union doing missions work and was trapped there. I did a lot of risky activities. I street witnessed in the roughest neighborhoods and was attacked by up to eight guys at a time for it. I’ve had drug dealers put guns to my forehead and pull the trigger (misfire). I have been shot at by hand guns, rifles and assault weapons, chased by soldiers in Europe, and all sorts of things I was stupid to get involved in.
It wasn’t until I finally decided it was time to settle down that all that stuff stopped. Made a list of exgirlfriends, picked which one I thought a marriage would succeed with and called her up to get together to propose. Was married a month later and have been married for 24+ years now.
August 29th, 2018 at 12:10 pm
ndog
put a stop to SEC dominance?……that’s the joke of the day!!!!!….
2 SEC teams just played for the natty!!!!!!…..acc will never have that…..
thanks for the laugh!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
August 29th, 2018 at 12:22 pm
And that’s why you named yourself “Bonzai”!!!!!!!! LOL!
August 29th, 2018 at 12:43 pm
Bucsfanman
So very true it is a different time. During my childhood there were NO shelters or assistance for battered women.
My mother escaped on several occasions…once she found us a nice house in a much poorer neighborhood but even her female friends chastised her for taking “the kids” from the wealth of my bookie father.
As Bonzai pointed out everybody was an enabler then even friends. And I was raised Catholic during a time when priests would counsel battered women to stick it out because of their marriage vows.
Ugly time for sure. And Bucfansman love your comment about perspective.
I enjoyed an exciting broadcast career and a good education literally because my father won a poker game and moved us from the hood to a classy neighborhood were education was highly valued.
August 29th, 2018 at 1:03 pm
“People need to stop equating “immature” acts with “criminal” acts. Jameis has done a lot of immature things he is not a criminal. ”
He’s human garbage. Sorry.
August 29th, 2018 at 4:01 pm
JabooBuc, what’s the “behind the scenes pain in the ass” mean? Give specifics. Not heresay, or crap we’ve been fed by the media. What’ya got? Any first hand knowledge, or what you’ve heard?
August 29th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Jamies vs the world!
August 29th, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Gilhealy- sorry, but not going to out a trusted friend in the FSU athletic department because you don’t buy it. Just use common sense man. He had a myriad of issues in addition to the rape case.
As a grad, I’m happy he helped bring a championship to FSU. But it was time for him to go.
August 29th, 2018 at 6:16 pm
Finally I agree with T-Max
August 30th, 2018 at 7:57 am
“What folks outside of Florida think of Jameis, mostly in the Northeast”??? Northeast Florida….Southwest Florida. Northeast?? Northeast Pinellas, southeast Hillsboro, northwest Pasco, southeast Pinellas……Joe, buddy….remove the blinders and deal with the reality of what huge swaths of fans think about Winston.