Gerald McCoy Apologizes?
March 9th, 2011
Maybe realizing his words could have offended those indirectly paying his salary, Bucs defensive tackle took to Twitter to set things straight after word leaked about what GMC said to Rivals.com about Tampa Bay locals.
@GK_McCoy I want to say thanx to all the Buc nation who have supported me throughout this tough process of working to get back from my injury. Bucs fans!! Greatest fans in the NFL!!! Love you guys!! Thanx!!
Props to GMC. Hey, look, none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. Joe gives a nod of approval to GMC for recognizing that he may have blindsided those who want nothing more that to wrap their arms around the guy — figuratively, of course — and see him rack up double-digit sacks.
Oh, and a playoff berth would be nice too.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:06 am
I don’t buy it, that’s like the second verbal infraction from this guy. Look, McCoy better realiaze that Oklahoma is a distant memory and the Bucs organization is solely responsible for his lavish life. The Bucs fans can be somewhat hard to cope with sometimes but nothing justifies comparing a collegiate school to professional sports. For all we know there may not be an NFL season this year. So where is the relation? This is big business and college sports should be separated. GMC please stay off of twitter and just get healthy.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:09 am
GMC,
Shut up and play football. Get some sacks and focus
Agree with above…Twitter is not your friend.
March 9th, 2011 at 8:44 am
GMC is a fan of joe….
Joe, http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/18999/barber-brothers-together-in-tampa-bay
^thoughts?
March 9th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Sounds like he’s a pretty nice guy. By the way, Joe, I want to tell you that I love being able to talk Bucs during the offseason. I love your site and wish it many nice things in the future.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:01 am
I’m glad Joe saw GMC’s tweets from last night. GMC is a young guy who was being honest. I Didn’t see the huge deal to begin with. I’ll be willing to bet that McCoy will contribute more time and money to charities and events in the TB area then anyone posting on this site. I’m sure nobody will bitch about that.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Guy is honest. Some people can’t handle it. I’ve post this many times, but the Tampa Media ( mainly the radio shows) are the most uninformed and hateful I’ve ever heard in the many NFL cities I’ve visited. It’s pathetic and something I’m ashamed of, frankly.
But not JoeBuc. We all love JoeBucFan!
March 9th, 2011 at 9:23 am
MOBucs, do you still want to bet? I volunteer to help the community (on my own time) and donate to childrens hospitals and young children with life threatening illnesses. Not trying to brag but I guess I’m a little offended by your post. The amount percentage wise i donate to how much I make a month and volunteer I bet is comparable to a NFL player who has more time on there hands than a service member working 50+ hours a week.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:25 am
If I said that McCoy was the greatest defensive tackle in the NFL!!!! Would that be true?
He needs to give a little more serious apology to the Tampa fanbase.
Poor guy, he is gonna need to spend all offseason trying to make the fans forget about this one.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:37 am
Having lived in the Texas/Oklahoma area and also in Florida for years, I can say that what I think GMC should have said is that people in Florida aren’t as FRIENDLY as in Texas/Oklahoma. They may be just as nice once you get to know them, but in my experience, people on the street in Texas & Oklahoma will be courteous and friendly if you approach them out of the blue, whereas people in Florida generally tend to treat you as if you have a leprous lesion on your forehead if you attempt to disturb them.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:41 am
Sorry, but he trashed his fanbase in Tampa.
One sarcastic apolotweet is not gonna cut it.
Dude needs to spend all offseason winning the fanbase back over.
In fact, I can see Joe, every time he writes about McCoy, I can see him linking to the quip of Tampa not being so nice.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:52 am
I agree with teddy, I was born and raised right here in the Tampa bay area, and I have spent a great deal of time in Texas and Oklahoma. The friendliness factor is probably what he meant. He should have watched his words, but big deal. A few sacks will make everyone forget about it anyway. All players have to learn that the NFL is not college, you are no longer the “big man on campus”. In the pros you have to put up or shut up, you are no longer the biggest, fastest, strongest guy on the field. We all know Tampa is a much nicer place to pro athletes when they are producing and winning, so I am sure GMC will be fine. Like Joe said, most of us have already embraced him. Just not like Saturdays in college.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:54 am
I am seriously nearly sick of this Gerald McCoy “story” that’s only being posted on this site. Joe really seems to be hurt over this. He’s not “apologizing”…and he doesn’t need to “apologize.” He says nice things to Buc fans all of the time on twitter. I doubt he’s even heard of what this site is talking about…as no one seems to care except you (no other Buc site seems to be posting this).
First, he told the truth and said that the fans won’t be as great in the NFL as they were at OU. That’s completely true…especially in Tampa. And then when he was asked a question about Tampa, he gave his honest answer and said that he thought the people were nicer in Oklahoma. Okay…that’s his opinion and he’s probably not criticizing me or the people I know, because they all said that he was nice when they met him…and they weren’t rude or anything.
You’ve got to learn that a 23 year old kid who has lived in Tampa for less than a year probably DOES think that the place where he went to college and lived just a year earlier has nicer people. With time, he’ll probably think differently, as he’s not attached (emotionally) to the Tampa Bay area right now. Again, that will come with time. He lived in Oklahoma for years. All of his closest friends at his age are probably either there right now or from there.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Give me a break, people. What he said was absolutely 100% true. Where he’s from is a different cultrue from Tampa. People living on the same block look out for one another. They have block cookouts and more. If a neighbor is working on his roof, another neighbor offers to help.
GMC did not say that Tampa wasn’t nice…he said the people in OK are nicer.
News flash, everyone…Tampa folks are not the nicest people in the world. There is always some place nicer. In fact, this very thread proves it…look how quickly some of your turned on GMC over a sentence that was not even insulting if you think it through.
AND, you people act like it’s against the law to have pride in the place you hail from.
I could name 2 dozen places where the people are nicer than in Tampa, and I lived there over 30 years.
March 9th, 2011 at 9:59 am
@rahrah
Well said. Better than me actually.
March 9th, 2011 at 10:03 am
Hey, Joe…
…years ago there was a team, I THINK the Browns…who went door-to-door inviting people to the games.
I heard the story during the hall of fame induction last year (I think) and really admired it.
Question: Do you think doing something like that…the Bucs players just randomly going to neighborhoods as a group and spending time talking with kids, inviting parents to games and such…do you think that would help get tickets sold in the long run?
March 9th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Pete
Do you know how many out-of-state people now live in Tampa?
Myself, I was hatched and raised here, almost 5 decades ago. And, I think the real Tampa/Floridians are much nicer!
Now about McCoy, yes he has the right to say what he feels and there will always be someone to take it the wrong way! The problem, is our new split-second techno-society, is making people not think before speaking or sometimes not even thinking for themselves! Is there really a need for the immediate informing of someone’s minute-by-minute life from twitter?
The years passed, mankind became stupider at a frightening rate. Some had high hopes the genetic engineering would correct this trend in evolution, but sadly the greatest minds and resources where focused on conquering hair loss and prolonging erections.
March 9th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Hey Oar, it COULD be worse – imagine going to a dyslexic physician who was focused on wanting to prolong hair loss and conquering erections!!!!
I agree with you that TWITTER is just a waste of time. Frankly when I read what that GMC said people in OU were nicer than Tampa I thought – yeah and what’s new? People in Tampa are nicer than people in Miami or NYC.
Can anyone say making a mountain out of a mole hill?
March 9th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Derf
Lol! That sounds like Winston Baldry’s doctor?
March 9th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Play in Philly for year then get back to me.
But kidding aside, the young man was probably a bit home sick. No biggie.
March 9th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Agreed with RahRah and Pete.
@WeNeedDefense GMC Has nothing more to prove or say, get off your high horse.
March 9th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Non-issue! All is forgotten GMC. No need to apologize big guy! Never sacrifice your honest nature to please a few very sensitive people.
March 9th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
So if Barrett Ruud said that people in Nebraska are much more nicer than fans in Tampa would have been a non-story too right?
March 9th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
To me McCoy sounds great and honest and blunt. That seems to be his only fault.
Saying people don’t seem as “nice” as in OK… big deal.
I take it as this; naivety.
IN college, star players are coddled and can hardly do any wrong to their fans. IN the NFL, they demand more and in this town, as well as all other NFL towns, fans are vocal about any shortcoming they may perceive.
I simply think he wasn’t used to that.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
WeNeedDefense…
Yes that’s what I’m saying! But McCoy said nothing about the fans being nicer in OK, he said “people” in general. He has praised the fanbase in TB since he was drafted. I follow him on twitter and he never has a negative thing to say about anybody. He is very religious and is already very involved in benefits and charities. Seems like the kind of player this team should build around.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Can anyone seriously argue that almost ANY NFL city’s fans are as rabid and passionate as a college football powerhouse’s fans?
While I think it was a little un-diplomatic, he spoke the truth.
I think the mistake was forgetting that now, ANYTHING he says will be scrutinized, picked over, and repeated ad nauseum. I am glad someone has his ear to tell him it was time to make a positive statement to the fans. Says good things about his character, AND the team leadership.
March 9th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Amar…
Didn’t see your post earlier. Anybody who donates their time and/or money to better their community deserves praise. You should be proud if your selfless contributions. This whole “story” is rediculous to me. McCoy has done all the right things since being drafted. Considering all the crappy characters in the NFL, jumping all over him for one honest opinion (which really wasn’t all that insulting to me or most other posters on here) is so small.
March 9th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
He can call us all pricks if he gets some sacks and shuts down the run………………………..
March 10th, 2011 at 12:41 am
Amar:
Not sure what you are getting at with that link you posted. First, it had nothing to do with GMC. Second, Joe only tries to read the work of respected journalists.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:41 am
If such a thing happened, it would be a story.