YaYa Diaby Admits Outside Noise Got To Bucs Early In The Season
December 22nd, 2024
Fighting rat poison.
There are very specific times when Joe and the local pen and mic club are granted access to the Bucs’ locker room on select weekdays.
That time is usually around 1 p.m., give or take a few minutes for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Inside the locker room, two TVs are right in the middle facing the lockers of the offensive line, the cornerbacks, the running backs and the defensive linemen.
Often one TV is on NFL Network but not always (if there is a college basketball game on, that will be piped in). Sometimes the same TV will be tuned to a rebroadcast of a hollering show, “Last Take” or “Stay in Bed.” But usually, it’s NFL Network.
Always, “The Pat McAfee Show” is on one of the two TVs.
Sometimes, a player or two will watch but very few. If players have downtime between practice and meetings or weight room sessions or massages, they are almost universally at their lockers on their phones.
But if there is a Bucs subject on a TV or a Bucs player is on the McAfee show (Joe recalls Tristan Wirfs and Baker Mayfield making live, separate appearances ), that certainly gets the locker room’s attention.
So to say the Bucs don’t notice the outside noise of the sports world is, well, sort of wishful thinking.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles last week flatly stated it’s all white noise.
“We didn’t listen when we were losing,” Bowles said. “We’re not listening now that we’re winning, so that’s not going to be a big deal.”
Well, it seems the team was listening to the outside noise, or paying closer attention to what was on the two TVs when the Bucs were winning early in the season.
And all the praise heaped on the Bucs — what Nick Saban derisively refers to as “rat poison” — got in the players’ heads. That’s what Bucs outside linebacker YaYa Diaby told Joe last week.
Joe asked Diaby if he’s noticed that the national hollering shows and talking heads have really jumped on the Bucs’ bandwagon in the wake of the Bucs’ curb-stomping of the Chargers.
Diaby dismissed that because he didn’t want a repeat.
“They did the same thing at the beginning of the season and we let that get to us,” Diaby said of all the praise the hollering shows gave the Bucs after they beat the Lions in their own Michigan den.
“So this time around, we have to keep our composure. Stay on task. Keep doing what we have been doing and focus on ourselves.”
After the Bucs began buying the hype, along came the arse-kicking by the Broncos to set the Bucs straight.
If that result wasn’t enough to grab their attention, Lavonte David made sure the point was driven home when he ripped his teammates a new poop chute after that loss.
“We started off real good,” Diaby said of buying the national hype. “Then we got to Denver and we let one get away.
“So we have to focus on the main thing. Finish [the season] the way we want it to finish.”
Diaby told Joe that Bucs veterans are on the young guys’ cases regularly to stay focused and ignore the white noise.
“All the veteran guys,” Diaby said, are preaching focus. “Baker, Lavonte, all of the guys. They [tell] us to stay on task, focus on us.”
Have Diaby and his young teammates learned? Joe asked him about the Chargers game, and Diaby only politely mentioned the win.
“Great win, great win, great win,” Diaby said.
And then he clammed up.
“It’s behind us,” Diaby said. “Time to move on. Off to the next.
“Still have three important games we have to finish and put ourselves into the best position and go to the playoffs.”
So, Joe asked Diaby if he was on to Dallas. He gave Joe a simple one-word answer.
“Yup.”
December 22nd, 2024 at 3:44 am
I think bucs players were reading joebucsfan the week that they were preparing for the Broncos, specifically the article titled “Laughing at Bo Nix”, that’s why they took them for granted.
December 22nd, 2024 at 5:09 am
EA, good catch!
December 22nd, 2024 at 6:08 am
They are Cowboy READY!
December 22nd, 2024 at 7:28 am
“rat poison” apt description.
December 22nd, 2024 at 7:53 am
While not happy it happened, in an odd way it makes me feel good they acknowledge it. Part of being the 2nd youngest team in the league is learning lessons.
Tonight we will find out how much they learned
December 22nd, 2024 at 7:55 am
It’s amazing that they keep believing they’re all that because of the media stories. It happens every time. They play for the Bucs. It’s never easy.
December 22nd, 2024 at 8:17 am
Did you ask him what happened to sacking the quarterback this year?
December 22nd, 2024 at 8:41 am
Tykee has been a surprisingly important player to the defense. He was very hurt going into the Chargers game, but he gutted it out. Hopefully he’s healthy tonight and will get back to making some big plays. The last I checked, he was tied with LVD in takeaways.
December 22nd, 2024 at 9:06 am
Great story I know we have one of the youngest teams in the NFL, but such a fantastic blend vets from superbowl we going to put up 50 tonight
December 22nd, 2024 at 9:17 am
LVD is a future HOFamer, a team captain, and highly respected by the whole team. He doesn’t blow his own horn. He speaks up, everyone listens.
December 22nd, 2024 at 9:27 am
They did the same exact thing last year after a 3-1 start. You’d think they would’ve carried that lesson forward.
December 22nd, 2024 at 9:48 am
We will all know in about 14 hours if they are listening to the white noise or not.
December 22nd, 2024 at 10:16 am
After the Detroit game? lol all it takes is going 2-0 to think you’re on the way to the Super Bowl damn. Oh well hopefully they are playing pissed off
December 22nd, 2024 at 10:42 am
If there is another prime time loss after a week of hype, Bowles needs to make a statement with a bat to those 2 TVs
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:12 am
Cool article, nice work Joe.
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:15 am
The “Opinions” and “Hype” that the players and coaches are exposed to on TV obviously have the same effect as propaganda. That is an issue for the head coach to prevent.
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:29 am
The TVs need to permanently show this years Broncos game.
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:30 am
It wasn’t anything the media did, it was lousy defense. You can blame it on injuries if you want to, but other teams have injuries, too. The difference is the other teams didn’t get ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED by Kirk Freaking Cousins like the Bucs did.
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:37 am
Thank you!
December 22nd, 2024 at 11:42 am
@Citrus County
100% agree and ya know if you’re starting to believe the hype Bucs wouldn’t playing even harder make more sense
December 22nd, 2024 at 12:22 pm
They know us…haha, its all good….Jason and I (and LUV) been partners for the last 5-7 years now….and its a good thing. It keeps working 🙂