Freeman Is Praying For Talib
June 14th, 2011
The official endorsements of Aqib Talib’s return to the Bucs keep racking up. This time, it’s the most important player voice chiming in: Josh Freeman.
Freeman shared his love and respect for Talib in a chat with Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
“He’s been coming out and he looks great; he’s in great shape, and he’s in great spirits,’’ Freeman said of Talib, who faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an incident he was involved in earlier in the offseason in Texas.
“Obviously our prayers are with him with what he’s going through right now,’’ Freeman added. “ But he’s a hell of a football player so we hope to have him back and hope everything works out for him.
“But as for how he looks, he’s run some (passing) routes for us on offense, he’s played some defense for us and he’s really just been Aqib, that high-energy guy we all know.’’
Talib has another court date scheduled in Dallas County court this week, which means a deal could be struck at that time or the case will progress toward Talib entering a plea in the somewhat flimsy aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case against him.
Despite unsourced claims by the St. Pete Times to the contrary, Joe is certain the only thing that would prevent Talib’s return to the Bucs is being found guilty of a felony. In Joe’s opinion, that’s about as likely as the Bucs signing Tiki Barber.
June 14th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
What will the suspension implications will be if found NOT guilty???
June 14th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
In my book if you come to the defense of your mother and sister against someone beating a women and they have prevented you from calling 911 ,in Texas thats called hero.
June 14th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
SHOOT it would be a CRIME if we don’t resign him. His ball hawking skills are FELONIOUS. He’s had to BAIL OUT his team on more than one occasion. Don’t JUDGE him!
I think if found not guilty he gets 4-6 games.
June 14th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Patrick: Your book doesn’t count.
Talk to a few people who work in mental health counseling, and see if they agree with you that what Talib did was heroic.
It would appear that he learned NOTHING in the anger management and counseling he was given. If that is true, this will happen again.
June 14th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Also, LOL, Chris.
June 14th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
@ Chris
Nice post, I agree with you completely! It is nice to know that teamates would go to bat for Talib, obviously it would be a huge mistake to release a kid so dedicated to football. Free even said he is in great shape which speaks volumes to his off field work ethic. Shutdown corners are tough to come by, people talk about the Dline helping out the DBs but there are also coverage sacks. Talib’s excellent coverage skills might buy Clayborn or Bowers time to DESTROY other QBs (hopefully Matty Lice or Brees).
June 14th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Who keeps saying Talib is a shut down corner? Nobody in pro football! I guess if you are an undependable thug, you get a bunch dumb kids to hop on bandwagon. Fortunately, the Bucs are not enamored by the thug persona, and want professionals to play here. It will be addressed.
June 14th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
@Tim
I know for sure that Roddy White hopes youre right!
June 14th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Unless you believe that Tiki has a great chance of being a buc, your last statement is absurdity based on wishful thinking.
Talib was indicted for a felony which means that a prosecutor and grand jury. Yes, that standard is much lower than the standard applied by the jury, but it is an evidentiary hurdle that has been overcome. These prosecutors have a duty to bring charges with a reasonable basis, we have NO reason to think that Texas has acted other than appropriate with charging this perp.
June 14th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
“Who keeps saying Talib is a shut down corner? ”
———
You may have heard of him, his name is Ronde Barber.
June 14th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
I want what Freeman wants. He’s my Hero!
June 14th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
im so with you here joe. and then if he makes a ‘plea’ deal, i dont know how much the commish will be able to punish aqib since it happened during the lockout (i think it happened after the lockout started) and at least the NFLPA*’s position is that they wont be able to cast judgment on events that transpired during the lockout.
June 14th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
If the NFLPA negotiates discipline out of the Lockout time, Kenny Britt hit a Grand-slam, Superfecta and Powerball all with one swing.
June 14th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
tim who are your sources
June 14th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
@captainTim
Talib may not be a shut down corner like NA or Revis Island but he absolutely has the ability to take a wide receiver out of a game. Playmaking stud on the field, no doubt about it.
June 14th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
praying….more like paying…the franchise is paying a huge price for Azz Clown !
June 14th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
@ Capt Tim
I’m not a kid that jumps on “thugs” bandwagons. Last time I heard the word thug being cool was the late 90s. How does protecting your own sister from further punishment, after she tried to call 911 once already being a thug? Do you call him thug because of his color?
June 14th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Levanduski, that makes no sense. You’re trying to associate racism with the word thug. That’s just stupid. Do you know where the word came from?
thug/THəg/Noun
1. A violent person, esp. a criminal.
2. A member of a religious organization of robbers and assassins in India, suppressed by the British in the 1830s.
I have called him a thug numerous times through this ordeal, but I still want him on the team. I really think he is more of a dumbass than a thug. It’s that young punk, street mentality that has been around for the last 20 years +. Young punks pull guns because they’re too chicken$h!t to settle things like men. What Aqib has done repeatedly is just plain stupid, defending his sister my @$$. She wasn’t in eminent danger. I would call a person shooting at another person running away a wuss, BUT we haven’t seen any real evidence Aqib did this. Based on all of his previous thuggy acts, he is a troubled youth in need of guidance. I still want him on the team and please take that race card and stick it up your @$$. Culture of Corruption, Culture of Crime. Stop committing crimes, Stop making babies when you don’t have a job, Start raising your children, act like fathers, and get a job. That is how you stop stereotypes. If you act like a victim, you will become a victim. Poor me, I’ve been done wrong, I’ve been disenfranchised, no one will help me, poor me, where’s my unemployment check, wah, wah, wah, STFU.
June 14th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
@BigMacAttack,
I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but I love it when you go on rants, especially since we typically agree on everything.
June 14th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Thanks, my Hawaiian Buc Brother. And of course we don’t all agree on everything but the good good ol Captain isn’t a racist. It’s the typical lack of responsibility where some blame their problems on society or everyone but themselves. I have a ton of issues and they are ALL my fault, but occasionally I get a few things right and that what makes it worth it. Aloha.
June 14th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Yep, I completely disagree with Captain on Talib, but I don’t think he’s a racist by any means. Talib has earned the criticism he receives due to his past. Even though I want him on the team, i can see why others don’t.
June 15th, 2011 at 1:20 am
Thanks you two. And even when we don’t agree, I always respect your opinion.
As for The gallant Talib, mounted on his white charger, rushing to the aid of his endangered sister- who unknowingly dated a convicted Felon and Convicted Child molester( Gasp!)- lol, well that Lil fantasy is entirely a concoction of our own Lil patrick here.
The article posted here, said that Talib’s sister and said felon/child molester are in long term relationship. And that said felon/ Child molester is a frequent resident at Talib’s mother’s home- who, oddly for the Gallant Sir Talib Crowd- is also a convicted felon(gasp)- but that doesn’t stop any of them from toting firearms( illegal for Felons). Usually a condition of probation in a violent( Cabby smacking) crime requires you not to possess guns while on probation. Dont know if this applicable with Talib in this case. But it certainly does look a Lil different that Talib running to the defense of a helpless sister.
Ronde spoke highly of Talib. So I stopped the “run him outta town” campaign.
But this” Aqib the Elite” stuff is killing me. First of all, he gives away to many to touchdowns. Most importantly are the Two incidents a year he’s had since he came here. Even if he was the supreme CB the thug fans dream he is( and he ain’t!), he has shown repeatedly that he has no concern that his behavior hurts the team. YOU CAN NOT COUNT ON HIM. He will let you down when you need him most. Barber said Talib is the best CB he has ever played with. Ronde has never played with a Probowl CB. There are CBs out there, right now, who are 1) better than Talib 2) are free agents 3) Want to be here 4) have proven to be high character/ team leaders 5) and we can afford( easily)
If you want to be an apologist for Aqib, I will continue to listen to you. Which is good, because you’ll have plenty of practice making excuses for him, as he cost us games, and continues to embarrass the orgaization. I thought he had talent, and kept making excuses for him, as the list grew. Finally you have to ask yourself- are we here to Be Aqib’s press service, or are we trying to build a SuperBowl team? If we are, the distractions and instability he brings to the team- especially a young team!- might cost us the chance to get that next ring.
And he isn’t done yet.
June 15th, 2011 at 1:28 am
Not defending Talibs idiotic actions off the field, just his ability and talent as a corner. He won us more games than he lost us last year. Without him we allowed a 3rd string Lions quarterback to do his closest Peyton Manning impression and destroy our secondary. Aqib means a lot to the defense and if he doesn’t return to the squad next year we damn well better find a suitable replacement in free agency or the real Peyton Manning is going to have a field day against us.
June 15th, 2011 at 5:50 am
Capt.,
Really hard for me to argue against anything you said for Talib’s off the field problems. I don’t know him, but it sounds to me that he is okay most of the time, but when he gets angry he goes crazy. I guess I’m hoping that with age and maturity, he can calm that side of his personality. I don’t think that is unreasonable, but at the same time it is certainly not a given. This particular issue has 2 drastically different sides to the story, and my extreme bias chooses for me to believe the Talib side. We will never really know what happened, so all we can do is trust in the judicial system (nobody laugh).
As for his play on the field, I think he is on the cusp of being elite (like this coming year). I have a strong feeling he is going to have a unbelievable year this year, if there is a season and he is not suspended for a bunch of games. He has shown improvement each year, and I don’t think it’s going to stop. I’ve chosen to flip-flop on Ruud a little, due to all the experts saying how valuable he is (as you have correctly pointed out Captain). Well, the same is true of Talib. There have been countless CURRENT Bucs that swear by his talent, and they have said he is an extremely important piece to the puzzle. I trust their word, just as I trust the experts word on Ruud. I think you should do the same.
June 15th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Hawaiian- your right, and I have. I supported Talib thru his other issues. I even took his side in arguments here on JoeBuc. But when is enough enough. I think the guy could become an elite corner- I really do. But for that to happen, he needs to spend his off seasons practicing and studying football. He spends every offseason huddled up with a legal team!!
After hearing about his family and upbringer, I feel bad for the guy. It’s tough to rise above that. Buuuuut- he has been given millions of dollars, and chances 98% percent of us DREAM of, to escape his past. He had to make an effort. He has not. I would love to think this is his last screw up. If I believed that, I’d be campaigning for him! But he hasn’t shown one iota of regret yet. He continues to make the same mistakes, only they are escalating in their degree of Violence. He is dangerous to himself and his team. We have an extraordinary talent who wants his job.
Now is the time. I too wish we could see Talib grow into the player he should be. Its not gonna happen. Contrary to what many think, I’m really sad for the young man- he’s ruining his life, and has so much potential.
But we can’t let him ruin the team. His choices should only affect his live, not 47 other guys who are trying to do the right thing in this community
June 15th, 2011 at 6:50 am
Matthew L- are you a minority? I didn’t think so. Well the good Captain is . So STFU!! The last thing any minority needs is a lily white ass, throwing the race card , just because his argument is Lame. Racism is a Lil bigger issue than having some lame guy waving the that flag, just to try and get leverage in a totally irrelevant argument. It’s spits in the eye of the people who have fought and died over this issue, to have you throw it out like that. You should be ashamed. The only interest you have is this argument. I doubt you have any deeper interest in minority rights. Go find a morale center, and leave fighting for equality to the people who have to- not guys like you, who only thriw it out there to look noble, when you are really trying to benefit from it. It’s just sad. Doesn’t anyone have any principles anymore?
June 15th, 2011 at 9:05 am
you are one of those new part time racist Capt.you love BARBER,BROOKS,BLOUNT,DUNGY,WINSLOW,and every other player that does not furk up!Like I said before Capt.is not a racist,just a guy that does not have the patience for the bull,but then again he was pretty hard against Sabby the goat so that maybe the reason Matthew said that
June 15th, 2011 at 10:01 am
M. Wesley- you HAD ta bring the goat , didn’t ya!!! Lol
June 15th, 2011 at 11:58 am
LOL…Captain Tim hates Sabby….BECAUSE HE IS WHITE!!!
HAHAHAHAHHAA
Reminds me of the old ‘White Shadow’ show with Ken Howard, always asking about everything that happens “Is it because I’m WHITE?”
On a serious note:
For all the hand wringing and calling Talib a ‘hero’ for protecting his sister…
How about having a conversation with her when there is NOT a violent crisis in play, and encouraging her to leave a dangerous relationship?
How about offering to move her OUT of that relationship, and relocate?
How about paying for her to go to counseling or a healthy relationships class?
How about NOT buying in to his mother’s violence problems.
How about thinking through his options, and asking the key question:
“Is this situation going to be helped by my presence? Can I control my temper if I go over there? Should I call 911 instead, and THEN go and tell the police what was said, and ask HOW I CAN HELP?”
THOSE are the things a person does when they start out healthy, or have learned something from the counseling and classes they have taken…The bad old world does NOT change, only WE change.
Again, I believe Talib has learned very little, and is LIKELY to have more problems. Can the Bucs afford that? If he worked for you, could you?
June 15th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
The Capt. Doesn’t hate anyone! I am tired of Talib screwing up, and making the team look bad. I was tired of Sabby, because he talked big, and played small. The Capt isn’t complicated at all. Life is about accountability. Everyone can Screwup once. That’s human. To keep doing is just stupidity and lack of responsibility! Color isn’t a factor. Neither is culture or religion. It’s about being a decent person who’s trying his best , or a ass who doesn’t care. I would rather have a good player , who is a decent person, than a very talented scumbag . It’s called having morales. I don’t apologize for that at all.
June 15th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Nor should you Captain…Keep on keepin’ on!
June 15th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Captain tim Brian kelley played in a pro bowl and so did donnie abraham i believe could be wrong. Who are your sources by the way answer my question
June 16th, 2011 at 6:42 am
Wrong again Jarrett- Kelly never received any kind of recognition, good CB( Better than Talib), but always hurt.
Abraham played in one Probowl, but wasn’t voted in, he was a coaches selection for an injured guy. Abraham was a very good CB, and a great Buc.
Neither were voted to the ProBowl. Talib hasn’t been either. And won’t be. Just a Lil above average.
June 16th, 2011 at 6:44 am
As for all the Player endorsements, it reminds me of an English saying- ” after his beheading, everyone rushes to the kings defense” lol, that one still cracks me up!