Posted by Rich DeLeo
on 11/19/2003, 11:07 am
Board Administrator
Finally, someone has the fortitute to take a stance against a spoiled athlete who causes more trouble than he is worth. In a move that caught a lot of the football world off guard, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday said goodbye to Keyshawn (throw me the damn ball) Johnson, citing that he had become a distraction. NO KIDDING!!! Bucs GM Rich McKay said that it came down to a matter of Johnson not showing up for team functions, or mandatory workouts on the field that prompted this decision. Throw in the fact that Johnson made no secret of his dislike of head coach Jon Gruden, and his often publicized screaming at the coach on the sidelines during games, made it impossible for the team to continue to let this guy play. Hopefully, this will send a message to other guys in the NFL and other pro sports, that you are not bigger than the game. There are some other loudmouths around the NFL who had better sit up and take notice of this move, that they can be the next to go. Gruden stated yesterday that this was not in any way a personal decision, but it had to do with team morale, and the fact that the constant distrctions may have indirectly led to this team going 4-6 for the season. The real impact of this move will be felt in the final 6 weeks of the season. What if the Bucs win their last 6 games to finish 10-6? Or what if they continue to slide? Then who do you blame? Johnson was a troublemaker in New York when he played for the Jets, he screamed louldy for a trade, and was dealt to Tampa. Now he has worn out his welcome there, and yet he still fails to see that he is the problem. Although in an interview with ESPN, Johnson says that he doesn't know why the team decided to cut him at this point in the season. If he doesn't know the reason why, then this guy should seek out some counseling, because he definitely needs help. Keyshawn Johnson is all about him, plain and simple. He doesn't care about the team, because if he did, he wouldn't have been singled out for his infamous comment that he made when he was with the Jets. Remember, "just throw me the damn ball". Well the times I watched highlights or actual games, many times he was thrown the ball, and many times he didn't catch the damn thing. Why would you keep throwing the ball to a guy who keeps dropping it? In 10 games, this guy had 3 touchdowns, and averaged 4.5 catches for 60 yards per game. Not very impressive. So when he didn't get the ball, poor Keyshawn went to the media to plead his case about not getting the ball enough. Quite frankly, he only wanted to draw more attention to himself. Football is clearly a team game, if Keyshawn wants to be an individual, then he should take up bowling, golf or tennis. Those sports may be better suited for his individual needs. I pity the next team that gives this guy another opportunity to show us that he only cares about himself. He will do nothing but disrupt that team as well!
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