Ian Beckles Wants Gerald McCoy In The Ring Of Honor; “Do Me A Favor And Don’t Put Words In My Mouth”
May 2nd, 2023
No fish story from Ian Beckles. He supports Gerald McCoy in the Ring of Honor.
Sometimes people say things so shocking, you almost fall out of your chair.
And that’s the reaction Joe had listening to former Bucs guard and popular sports personality Ian Beckles yesterday.
Beckles had been a fixture on local sports radio for 20-plus years (until just recently) after he retired from the NFL in 2000.
During his sports radio days, Beckles always seemed to have one Bucs player targeted to beat to a pulp, ripping the guy day in an day out. First it was Barrett Ruud. Then it was Gaines Adams. Then it was Gerald McCoy.
Joe isn’t sure how GMC irked Beckles so while being named to six Pro Bowls seasons other than perhaps the comparisons some made of him to Bucs legend Warren Sapp, Beckles’ good friend and former teammate.
GMC was no Sapp. No sir.
Beckles pulled no punches and called GMC soft. Called him overrated. All but called him a loser. Day after day.
Beckles was right about GMC in that Beckles always said Ndamukong Suh was a difference maker and GMC was not. Sure enough, Suh replaced GMC in 2019 and in less than two years, the Bucs defense was one of the best in the league and the Bucs were Super Bowl champs.
Beckles, on his podcast “In the Trenches” began his recent show by calling out GMC again saying, “If you can find one play Gerald McCoy made after he left the Bucs, I will eat my shorts.” (Grab a fork, Ian.)
Then Beckles addressed his decades-long diatribe against GMC and made a stunning declaration about the chatter that GMC may one day be inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
GMC announced his retirement last month.
“Do me a favor and don’t put words in my mouth,” Beckles began. “Know what you’ve never heard me say? I’ve never said Gerald McCoy is not good. Never. He was a good football player. Good to very good. And I’m going to go closer to good.
“Now ask me if he belongs in the Ring of Honor. One-hundred and ninety-five percent! What? It’s a f’ing Ring of Honor! OK? It’s about accolades. It’s about what kind of person you are.”
Joe had to pick himself up off the floor. Beckles defending GMC??? Joe never thought the day would come. Joe doesn’t recall ever hearing a sports radio host over the better part of a decade regularly destroy a player like Beckles slammed GMC.
And now, Beckles is making the case GMC belongs in the Ring of Honor.
“Put him in!” Beckles said. “He got accolades and he’s a good person off the field. He deserves to be in! He was in six Pro Bowls. He was a captain the whole time.
“Were [the Bucs] good [with GMC]? No, they sucked actually. But, the Ring of Honor? Yes, he should belong in there! One-hundred percent he belongs in there. Period.”
Joe has to give it up for Beckles. There were subjects in which Beckles was dead-on about GMC. The thing was, Joe thought Beckles had gone so overboard on GMC, Joe started to wonder if he was ginning up fake outrage.
For the mounds of dirt Beckles shoveled on GMC’s face over the years, that’s mighty big of him to (finally?) acknowledge GMC’s efforts for Tampa Bay during the Lost Decade.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:19 am
Why isn’t JAMES WILDER not in the RoH ????
McCoy … if you have to discuss if he belongs or not
He or anyone else does not.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:30 am
Yeah I totally agree! You can only do your part of the pieces wasn’t there that’s on management not him!
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:34 am
Then might as well be a participant Ring of Good/Honesty….. There’s was no HONOR in his time here. It’s about wins and losses.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:43 am
I didn’t know it was called the ring of participation- I thought honor was involved? James Wilder is 1,000 times more deserving
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:53 am
Coming from a guy that won 6 games a season at most his whole career
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:59 am
Wasn’t a fan…
Can’t put my finger on 1 reason why, but the entire fan base never truly embraced Gerald…
I think the injuries that ended his first 2 seasons soured alot of people; that and watching Suh (the guy everyone really wanted) rag doll and stomp on his ops while Gerald was smiling and politely helping his up off the ground didn’t help either…In hindsight, we we’re spoiled by Warren Sapp and held Gerald to want seemed to be unrealistic standards sometimes…
That being said, its not the HOF; it’s the Bucs ROH and he did do enough imo here to be honored in that fashion…I know I cussed you out a many of Sundays Gerald but Thanks for being a good ball player for my favorite team and an even better human being…
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:59 am
Can someone put together a McCoy highlight reel?
No? I didn’t think so.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:02 am
Ian beckles is a full time loser. If you’re gonna write about this dude I’ll stop reading. Stop giving him any time of day. Dude has a losing mentality and is so pessimistic.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:04 am
GMC is not worthy of the ROH. Putting him up will cheapen the whole thing
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:05 am
Guys, it’s not an “either/or” for GMC versus any other former Buc great. James Wilder also languished on some bad football teams. And to be fair, Wilder had some dubious stats mixed in with a couple of years of greatness. He was a “Top 10” rusher in ’84 and ’85 but also led the league in fumbles in consecutive seasons.
If you view his stats outside of those years above, they were a little underwhelming.
Both are deserving IMO. Wilder should go in 1st though.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:18 am
Beckles is the ultimate self promoter in that the only time in the last ten years he’s spoken is to spout some absurd take on something Bucs related.
Why?
So that he can try desperately to remain in the public spotlight. He is an honor-less fool and the only reason he is saying this is for the same self promoting headlines. Please Joe stop letting this dude play you.
He showed me his true colors years ago. I lost all respect for the man at that point.
If you want opinions about whether McCoy belongs or not …Ask his teammates, coaches and staff. Not this Jackass!
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:21 am
Wilder, Dunn, Nickerson, Cadillac Williams and Brady deserve to be in the ROH before the Ice Cream man. I rather see the real #93 SUH in.
One more Brad Culppeper!
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:21 am
There’s a whole list of folks that should be ahead of GMC:
For starters,
James Wilder
Simeon Rice
Dexter Jackson (superbowl mvp)
Lavonte David (as soon as he retires)
Warrick Dunn
Brad Johnson
Tom Brady
Rob Gronkowski
Mike Evans (as soon as he retires)
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:23 am
It all comes down to how stringent the criteria is for each team’s ring of honor. With us having 14 people currently in, with a team that has under 50 seasons, I would say our level of pickiness is probably medium.
With that in mind, should a player with the following accolades get in?
– He one of the top faces of the franchise for almost a decade
– 6 consecutive Pro Bowls
– Team captain for 6 years
– During most of his time here, he was the biggest promoter of the team’s biggest charity cause, Bucs Vision Mobile
– Every training camp practice I went to, he wouldn’t leave until every last fan waiting had an autograph, even sitting in the bleachers because he knew he’d be there forever. Sometimes he looked crazy exhausted and drained, but he kept signing
Whether or not all that is worthy of being in the ring is different for each team. The fact that Paul Gruber is in the Bucs ring keeps the door open for someone like McCoy.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:31 am
Ah hell…….. let’s put Durable Donnie in the ROH while we’re doing all this feel good BS.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:33 am
The disdain some of you have for GMC can be placed in the “It’s not that serious” bin
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:33 am
Lamarcus – If it’s all about wins and losses, let’s take Lee Roy Selmon out of the ROH then. Guy was on a bunch of losing teams, never won anything either.
…Do you see how ridiculous that sounds?
Bucmini
You all need to stop. He was a great player who played with below average edge rushers most of his career. Below average rest of the defense really (honestly, who even good did he play with besides LVD. Brent Grimes? Adrian Clayborne?) . And awful, awful, coaching. I don’t know if Schiano, Lovie, or Mike Smith was worse but that’s where he wasted his career.
He played hard through injuries and gave the city his best for 9 years, and people get upset because he helped QBs off the ground after hitting them, as though that had any impact on the game whatsoever.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:33 am
There are many Bucs who should be inducted looooong before McCoy.
Just say no…
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:37 am
How about the real Batman gets in?
Richard “Batman” Wood.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:48 am
Who is Gerald McCoy?
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:58 am
Nickerson should be next! He single handedly changed the losing culture of this team. Put Gruden back in and stay out of the political B.S. ! He took us to the Super Bowl when others failed. There are at least 10 others before we even consider thinking about McCoy.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:58 am
Of course he should be in the ROH……you can’t find a more supportive ex-buc…….can’t blame all the losing on GMC any more than LVD & anyone else on those teams.
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:01 am
BTW almost one third of our ring of honor is made up of non players.
WTF
Not saying that they are not deserving but come on folks.
Bell, Wilder, Brad Johnson, Dunn, Nickerson, and yes… Gerald
Maybe Mark Cotney and Batman Wood as well. Great PLAYERS!
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:19 am
I still think the guy’s a media creation, those were bad teams the booth crew needed someone to say nice things about. Yeah dude got awards and stuff but we got to watch years of teams running right at him for big gains. If you need to cover that decade in the ring of honor (and you don’t) put in David.
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:33 am
There shouldn’t be a ring of honor if Wilder isn’t in it. He’s still the top RB in franchise history, he still has one of the greatest single seasons in NFL history where he set a then record with 407 carries and then added on 85 receptions for a, still record, 492 total touches. The dude was a rock. That team went 6-10 with him doing this… he was the entire offense… they would have went 0-16 if he weren’t there.
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:55 am
Brandon is Correct!! Wilder deserves it along with GMC
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:57 am
SOMEDAY …GET IN LINE
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:58 am
Put James Wilder in.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:03 am
I agree that a fair number of former Bucs should go up on the RoH before GMC. But he definitely should go up. And I’ll just add that if “it’s [really] about wins and losses,” then some of those former Bucs still waiting that we love wouldn’t ever go up on the Ring, and we’d have to take some names, like Paul Gruber, down.
So, who’s gonna be first to tell him? I’ll wait.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:05 am
Iron-Wombat Says:
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:19 am
I still think the guy’s a media creation, those were bad teams the booth crew needed someone to say nice things about. Yeah dude got awards and stuff but we got to watch years of teams running right at him for big gains. If you need to cover that decade in the ring of honor (and you don’t) put in David.
6 straight Pro Bowls which are voted on by players coaches and FANS. Not sure you qualify for that last one. Only one All Pro 1st team all conference selection. Writers vote
Try again 🙂
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:12 am
What about Rickey Bell, gave his all.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:16 am
Joe, thanks for detailing Beckles’ absolute trashing of GMC. Hard to imagine Beckles ever endorsing GMC for anything. So odd to hear him say “Don’t put words in my mouth,” when those words spewed from him every day.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:20 am
Davenport Says:
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:04 am
GMC is not worthy of the ROH. Putting him up will cheapen the whole thing
Its alreadybeen cheapened.
Leave Sapp in but remove Gruden?
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:24 am
Bucc my life
No it’s not ridiculous. Selmon is an exception….. Not the norm! That was franchise first draft pick and he was one of the best in NFL history
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:54 am
I nearly fell out my chair when I read this article on Beckles saying such things. McCoy belongs in the Ring of Honor one day, just not soon.
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:00 am
I’d rather see a caricature of Batman in the Ring of Honor
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:31 am
StonedBuc: Ian beckles is a full time loser. If you’re gonna write about this dude I’ll stop reading. Stop giving him any time of day. Dude has a losing mentality and is so pessimistic.
————————-
Spot on. Spot on.
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:34 am
He was home in Carolina. Let him be in the Kitty Oven, or whatever they call it.
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:38 am
Bucs fans may not to trilled to hear it but he does deserve to be in the ring of honor. If Ian, one of his harshest critics, thinks so that should tell you something.
May 2nd, 2023 at 12:15 pm
McCoy was a good guy and a decent player. What I remember most is when we needed something in the fourth quarter to go out way he was absent in the stat sheet. I guess he was just spent in the fourth. That is what always has stuck with me.
May 2nd, 2023 at 12:38 pm
They had a plaque in the bowels of the Ole Sombrero ( a lame version of a RoH)
I could have sworn Ricky Bell was on there, there were only a few and the plaque was only because of public outcry for such a thing.
I know I went to see it one time and it was a real thing.
May 2nd, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Easy for him to say it now instead of when he was playing. GMC doesn’t belong in the Ring more than some others. He was a very good player but that’s it. Borderline at best
May 2nd, 2023 at 1:09 pm
I hear people say this all the time. OK, where was Lavonte David during that era? Where were his INTs or strip fumbles in the 4th quarter? The entire defense during the GMC era was bad.
May 2nd, 2023 at 2:07 pm
EVERYONE needs to go n read ARIANS4PRES comment. Hits the mail right on the head. Great comment sir.
May 2nd, 2023 at 3:03 pm
“The entire defense during the GMC era was bad.”
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Who did GMC ever have playing next to him as a defensive end or pass rusher? He had Michael Bennet for 1 year… and the defense was actually pretty good that year!
May 2nd, 2023 at 3:26 pm
There’s a lot of deserving names.
May 2nd, 2023 at 5:39 pm
“Beckles had been a fixture on local sports radio for 20-plus years”
Are you kidding me? 20-years? Wow, I’ve never heard his stupid show, just his terrible hottakes. And to think, now he’s not on the air (I also didn’t know that) and never got a chance to hear him. How sad.
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:05 pm
I have been a season-ticket holder since 2005. I cannot for the life of me remember a single game where Gerald McCoy took over the game, put the defense on his back, and won the game for the Buccaneers. Not a single game. I can think of four or five Warren Sapp games, and I can even think of a couple of Suh’s games in the short time here. GMC played mediocre until the end of the season where he’d rack up 3-4 sacks at the end to make his football card look respectable. Last I checked, the ring of honor is not for “nice guys.”
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:18 pm
He had JPP next to him in 2018. He sucked and drove JPP nuts. There was an article about JPP losing it because softie tapped out of a close game in the 4th quarter when they needed a stop. Seems like that was referenced on JBF.
No to the ROH but yes to cub scout leader of the year. Great guy. Overrated football player.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:10 pm
MCCoy Really
Suh was better when he was here at the end of his career than MCCoy his whole career
Mc Softie No Way
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:12 pm
Yes. Like Paul Gruber in his day, you can’t choose how good the team is around you when you strap on the helmet. He gave what he had to the Bucs and was a quality player for years when much of the team stunk.
May 3rd, 2023 at 1:11 am
Nope! He’s the leader of losing football!!! WTF? Great guy, loved him on hard knocks, but did NOT change Bucs football for the better. Absolutely NOT!!!