“He Said The Fans Won’t Be As Great”
March 8th, 2011Oklahoma defensive back Quinton Carter got plenty of attention at his pro day, and he shared some sage wisdom imparted to him by former teammate Gerald McCoy in the Rivals.com video below.
It seems McCoy thinks Bucs fans don’t hold a candle to Sooners faithful. Hearing of this, Joe almost slammed his beer and wanted No. 93 to leave town. But Joe’s going to remain calm — for now.
March 8th, 2011 at 9:41 pm
McCoy also told him that he will have to take a pay cut to come to Tampa.
GMC is lucky that he has even one fan after the way he played this year after being the #3 pick. Suh is going around thrilled to be a Lion even predicting that they will go 16-0. Meanwhile we are stuck with this overrated, under-performing, bust-in-waiting, abuse-tolerating . . . . I think I’m done.
Evidently, he also is not very bright to say this to a potential draftee being interviewed by everyone. However, he is right about one thing: the community cares little about this Rah-gime. I am hearing most people saying: Who cares if there is a lockout?
That would never have been the attitude 4-5 years ago. Even GMC feels it.
March 8th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
McCoy is right.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
PetePierson, is that you?
March 8th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
McCoy is right X2
March 8th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Did he even mention McCoy’s name? I was browsing another website as I listened, so I could have missed it.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
GMC is absolutely correct.He has only been here during the rebuilding process and the fan support has been pathetic.Hopefully this will start to change when the Bucs become a force and the economy improves.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Typical Thomas 2.2 post.
The truth is there are a lot of fair weather Buc Fans. We also have die hard Buc Fans, but there really aren’t that many. All colleges have their faithful that always love their teams. I don’t disagree with GMC either. As Buc Fans, we need more volume in the stadium and have to do a better job overall.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
You think McCoy, a kid who comes from OU where fans fill the stadium every week…where there’s a college atmosphere with fans around him every single day…thinks differently after coming to the NFL, where he’s not around Buc fans every day…where there’s a half empty stadium with opposing fans every week?
March 8th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Off topic but I just read that Tiki Barber is coming out of retirement and wants to play for the Bucs. Don’t know if this is old news, so I’m sorry if it is.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
College and Pro are two different entities. Of course College ball will always “out-fan” the NFL. College teams have built in fans with the current student body, the alumni, etc. They also have larger stadiums they pack with people because of rivalries the NFL can’t touch. Even a Cowboys/Redskins game or Broncos/Raiders game won’t have the draw of in-state rivals like Oklahoma/Oklahoma St, or Michigan/Michigan St. College conferences usually are localized to allow fans from opposing teams easier travel to the games as well. Fan base in college is completely different than fan base in the pros. I won’t hold it against McCoy for telling the truth. Playing for a team that has been rebuilding in a community that is heavily hit economically… looks like he understands “reality”. We don’t have a bunch of college kids showing up to support this pro team week in and week out like college teams do. Also, the ticket price for out of college adults with real responsibilities for a pro game vs a discounted ticket for a college student looking to have a good time and not much care other than that….
March 8th, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Probaly referring to all the empty seats, or that other team’s have more fans in the seats than the Bucs do, or the absolutely negative spin some of the uneducated media around here puts on everything, – yeah, I can see his point. Hopefully he’s s gets to see the support this team has earned soon. Otherwise, quess he’ll have to wait tilthe team moves to Los Angeles. . .
March 8th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
I mean be realistic, not a comment McCoy made publicly so it’s not like he meant for it to get out. And for any college player coming from a major program to an NFL team, there are some differences. For one, though it’s diminishing in the college level there is at least some civility on the part of the fans because it’s not a job yet for the players and you (are supposed to) understand they’re just kids. Not to mention the biggest NFL stadium is still smaller than most top-tier collegiate programs’ stadiums. Oklahoma’s seats 82k screaming Sooners fans. It would be kind of an adjustment coming from a career worth of sellouts in front of that fan base and going to an economically depressed market where the biggest attendance game of the season game with Steelers fans showed up to root for Pittsburgh in week 3. Not to mention now the fans are a lot more critical at this level. That would be an adjustment. If he said that to Jim Rome I’ll be angry. But I’m not going to fault a guy for what was in essence a private comment. He is human.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
JOE
“It seems McCoy thinks Bucs fans don’t hold a candle to Sooners faithful. Hearing of this, Joe almost slammed his beer and wanted No. 93 to leave town”
You might not like it but thats the truth. I’m as big a Buc fan as anyone, but somethings you have to admit. Our fan base isn’t the best and it certainly doesn’t compare to Oklahoma’s fan base. At the same time though, the Oklahoma Sonners have been around for over 100 years. 100 YEARS!
The Bucs have been around well, for just about 35 years. Big diffrence in history.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:56 pm
Betcha McCoy is a bit peeved at his buddy right about now.
But yeah, he’s right.
He’ll learn to keep his mouth shut eventually.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
He’s right X’s 10…College is insanely rabid…If you are in a top tier program you win just about every game every year…. what the hell does anyone have to be upset about? It’s all gravy it’s “WINNING”…
March 8th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I have to agree with him. The atmosphere hasn’t even been close to a big time college game. Sad but true. It could change though and soon if they keep winning.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Even in our best years, there is no way you could argue that our fans would be better than Oklahoma, or most any other big time college program. If you do, you’ve never been to a big time college game. Can you really argue that point??? It’s not like McCoy made this statement to the media anyway, so I fail to see how this could upset anyone (except for Thomas, who gets upset by the mere mention of GMC or Raheem).
March 8th, 2011 at 11:19 pm
I’m a pretty hardcore bucs fan. I go to great lengths to watch the game (if only I could afford 2 season tickets), I can list every player and most position coaches, and can usually rattle off stats for most of our best players. I follow the NFL much more closely than college too. I can typically talk intelligently about any team. But put the Bulls on TV and I’m much, much more emotionally invested in the game. It’s a college thing, I can’t really explain it.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
On McCoy’s interview on 2/28, he said that the people aren’t as nice down here….He’s pushing it now…..lol
March 8th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Perhaps it has a lot to do with Raheem Morris coaching the team? I mean how can fans get behind a rebuilding project with an inexperienced boob for a head coach?
March 8th, 2011 at 11:41 pm
Did anyone actually watch the video? He didn’t single out the Bucs, he said NFL fans in general aren’t as good as Sooners fans. I don’t think that’s out of line at all.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
@WeNeedDefense. Yeah, like the new Head Coach at Florida. What’s his name again?
March 9th, 2011 at 12:01 am
“I mean how can fans get behind a rebuilding project with an inexperienced boob for a head coach?”
————
You, my friend, are an idiot. Yeah, it’s really tough to get behind such young exciting talent as Freeman, Blount, and Williams. Your stupidity is a disgrace to the rest of the Buccaneer fans around the world.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:01 am
That soon to be bust should keep his mouth shut, but yeah no NFL fans compare to a good college fan base as he had.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:08 am
@Hawaiian Buc: I agree, WeNeedDefense is an idiot.
@burglife: Gerald McCoy will not be a bust…
March 9th, 2011 at 12:19 am
“…to the rest of the Buccaneer fans around the world”
According to McCoy and the empty stadium, DESPITE winning games, I’m sure the ‘rest of the Buccaneer fans around the world’ either A) Don’t exist or B) Don’t give a f—. 🙂
March 9th, 2011 at 12:26 am
About Tiki Barber, I don’t want this loser to play for the Bucs.
“SI.com reported Barber left his wife of 11 years, Ginny, for 23-year-old Traci Johnson, a former NBC intern. Ginny was eight months pregnant at the time. Soon after, NBC cited its morals clause and terminated Barber’s contract, which reportedly paid him more than $300,000 per year.
In June 2010, The New York Post reported Barber was broke and couldn’t pay his divorce settlement with his ex-wife.”
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81ea9545/article/tiki-barber-plans-comeback-but-it-wont-be-with-giants?module=HP_headlines
March 9th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Eric has changed his name to WeNeedDefense. Clearly.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:36 am
Gerald McCoy responded on twitter…
March 9th, 2011 at 12:37 am
About Tiki,
I doubt he is going to act like a bonehead around his twin brother, who is the definition of a class act. Believe it or not, those type of people act differently in front of their family members and Barber is having none of it.
Barberx2 4 2011
March 9th, 2011 at 12:43 am
Barber left his wife of 11 years, Ginny, for 23-year-old Traci Johnson, a former NBC intern. Ginny was eight months pregnant at the time.
IT DOES NOT GET WORSE THAN THAT.
And he was fired from NBC as a result.
If Raheem even asks to sign him, then he should be immediately removed as the head coach.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:48 am
Why on Earth would McCoy think Tampa fans are great? Every game was blacked out and if you read the posts on any Bucs fansite it’s filled with idiots spewing hate. The Tampa bay fanbase was absolutely horrible last year. We had such an amazing young team and we couldn’t even support them. McCoy is right. I’m sure Sooner fans gave him 1000x the love.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:52 am
I agree JDouble. Those idiots wouldn’t respect the Bucs if we won the next 10 Super Bowls…
March 9th, 2011 at 1:05 am
Last comment tonight, but, if the Bucs slide next season assuming there is one despite the Glazers pushing for a lockout, and McCoy keeps this crap up, and Ruud walks this year, and Raheem embarrasses himself again (given), then this Buccaneer team could very well fall back into the despair of the old Orange and White creamsicles of a shell they once were.
Bucs fans should know that this can happen again. This team could easily lose all it’s players due to the ownership’s cheapness to resign their own, and drafting cancer’s like McCoy and Talib and perhaps signing Tiki despite his severe moral issues.
Just sayin.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:04 am
If I could tell GMC one thing it would be that we may be fewer in numbers, but we got your back. We’ll be there through thick and thin, and quality is better than quantity.
Oh, and don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:13 am
Thanks for the tip Hunter.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:17 am
CharlieB:
People have a different reaction to college football, mainly, because they have a piece of their blood if not wallet invested.
When people pull for their college teams, it’s like going in the way back machine to a simpler time when the biggest concern is where you were going to get drunk and if you would hit on a blonde or brunette.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:27 am
…. where you were going to get drunk and if you would hit on a bong or a brunette.
March 9th, 2011 at 3:57 am
I’m with those who think McCoy was right Joe. I have only been a fan since ’89 but in the last 20 years I have been regularly infuriated by the so called “fans” spouting negative crap on fan sites and in public about my beloved Bucs. Now I’m not a “drink the coolaid” type, and I relize that the road has been a veritable roller coaster ride over the years, but the Buccaneers are our team, and the “fans” toss them to the curb every time things get rough! I know that not all the fans in Tampa are like that but it is pretty sad that the Steelers have an easier time filling our home stadium than we do. “Hang this coach!”, “Fire that player!”, “Burn the owners in effigy!”. That’s all I see in these threads. Not just your site but all the sites. Let’s be real fans and stand behind our team in good times and bad, and lets change McCoys mind about us. JMHO
March 9th, 2011 at 5:58 am
Great post BuccoBill. You are 100% correct.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Tampa has the worst fanbase in any city other than Memphis.
March 9th, 2011 at 10:09 am
I love when people, who have absolutly no knowledge of a sport call someone employeed at the highest level of said sport a boob. Hey, weenydefense how many professional teams have you coached, how bout college, highschool??? Yeah didn’t think so. Being critical of specific decisions is one thing, attacking with broad strokes with no facts shows an out and out bias. I’m sorry for whatever Rah did to you, but it doesn’t change that he did an excellent job coaching a young inexperianced team.
March 9th, 2011 at 10:47 am
“Tampa has the worst fanbase in any city other than Memphis.”
Really?
I guess you forgot about Oakland, San Diego, Houston, Miami, Phoenix, Jacksonville (the ones who sell out games by covering the unpurchased seats with tarps.), Cincinati, Cleveland, and Buffalo.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
A lot of so called fans in this area were awful quick to turn on Dungy and Gru IMO.
But overall, what other area had to endure the wretched history of the Bucs. I think the local fans ought to get some kudos for that.