Next time on as the Buc turns…
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been more like a soap opera this year than an NFL team, lead by their tyrant-like coach Greg Shiano. Now in the newest episode, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy tells a radio station how he was yelled at by coaches for helping an opposing player up after a play.
“I had my D-line coaches get on to me the other day,” McCoy said. “Well, not get on to me, try to get on to me. There’s no way they’re going to get on to me for this. They got upset with my because I helped somebody up [in the game.] So what! I don’t care. Kiss my butt. Listen, if I want to help somebody, I’m going help somebody up. Because right on the next play I’m going to knock him down again. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.
“That doesn’t change how hard I play. As long as in between the whistles. I’m not helping anybody up, it doesn’t matter. So what if I help them off the ground? ‘Good job; we’re out here competing. But as soon as they snap the ball, I’m going to kill you again.’
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Everybody’s not like that. If you don’t want to be like that, keep it to yourself. I don’t care. I don’t go tell them, ‘Hey, you’re not doing this. You’re not doing that.’ I don’t care. Everybody does what they do. If I help somebody up, get over it. Get over it.”
I’m not quite sure what point coaches Bryan Cox and Randy Melvin were trying to prove. Many of the guys may be opponents on the field, but friends off of it, and helping a player up has no affect on play. Having not won a game all season you’d think the coaching staff would have better things to worry about, but then again maybe that’s why the team is in such shambles.