Arians Press Conference Today

[Buccabeer]

I have to admit I was a little shocked at BA's opening comments regarding Mike Edwards and AB. In short, he said their status with the team will be evaluated after the 3 game suspension. He also said he wasn't going to talk anymore about it and then a few clever questions later and he seemed quite pissed at the situation and noted "He hopes the league doesn't stop with them", which to me implies he knows they lied.

I can't support faking cards but they are needed on the team and would support keeping them on the team with some sort of additional disciplinary action. Hypocritical, maybe.....

[Xandtar]

He has to find a team-level punishment to avoid problems later. This isn't over, every employee in the league is going to be scrutinized now. Or so I believe.

The response from AB's camp basically saying la-dee-da, I was recovering from an injury anyway so go ahead screams I-don't-give-a-damn, and in the Covid world as it is you can think it but you can't post it.

[Dread]

I have to admit I was a little shocked at BA's opening comments regarding Mike Edwards and AB. In short, he said their status with the team will be evaluated after the 3 game suspension. He also said he wasn't going to talk anymore about it and then a few clever questions later and he seemed quite pissed at the situation and noted "He hopes the league doesn't stop with them", which to me implies he knows they lied.

I can't support faking cards but they are needed on the team and would support keeping them on the team with some sort of additional disciplinary action. Hypocritical, maybe.....

Of course BA knows they lied.

They are getting punished. The suspension is without pay, so 1/6th of their annual salary. Not to mention the public shame associated with being so selfish and lying.

What irks me is the NFL doesn't mandate you be vaccinated in order to play. So while I agree that some of the protocols are based on shaming players instead of "safety", at the end of the day it's just an added inconvenience.

Providing false documentation to your employer so you can skirt the protocols has to be made an example by the NFL and imo 3 games does that.

All that said I'd be shocked if both players weren't back in the lineup 3 weeks from now for the Carolina game.

Tom Brady is still our QB and we're trying win a championship here. No way the team is going to release AB unless Brady is cool with it, which he won't ne..

[ATrain]

He would be dumb to cut either. We're trying to win a SB here, not a Boy Scouts badge.

[nybf]

noted "He hopes the league doesn't stop with them", which to me implies he knows they lied.

Huh?

[uscbucsfan]

I have to admit I was a little shocked at BA's opening comments regarding Mike Edwards and AB. In short, he said their status with the team will be evaluated after the 3 game suspension. He also said he wasn't going to talk anymore about it and then a few clever questions later and he seemed quite pissed at the situation and noted "He hopes the league doesn't stop with them", which to me implies he knows they lied.

I can't support faking cards but they are needed on the team and would support keeping them on the team with some sort of additional disciplinary action. Hypocritical, maybe.....

Of course BA knows they lied.

They are getting punished. The suspension is without pay, so 1/6th of their annual salary. Not to mention the public shame associated with being so selfish and lying.

What irks me is the NFL doesn't mandate you be vaccinated in order to play. So while I agree that some of the protocols are based on shaming players instead of "safety", at the end of the day it's just an added inconvenience.

Providing false documentation to your employer so you can skirt the protocols has to be made an example by the NFL and imo 3 games does that.

All that said I'd be shocked if both players weren't back in the lineup 3 weeks from now for the Carolina game.

Tom Brady is still our QB and we're trying win a championship here. No way the team is going to release AB unless Brady is cool with it, which he won't ne..

Man, I couldn't agree more with your view on this situation.

[kaimaru]

Hold up, it sounds like some of you think AB is not vaccinated. That's not true. The story is he showed up at camp with a fake vax card, but decided to get it early into training camp.

Per ESPN: "The league's investigation found that Brown brought a fake vaccination card with him to training camp, but shortly after he arrived someone told him having one could get him in trouble, so he made the decision to get vaccinated, sources told Graziano."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/327 ... -violation

I think if he was unvaxxed maybe a month, that 3 months is ridiculous punishment. Mike Edwards is reported to be vaccinated too, but I didn't see when he got the shots.

Also, he was going to be out a minimum until the Saints game. He probably thought "well at WORST this is a one game suspension because I won't be playing the first two, and I might not even be ready for the Saints game" and decided it wasn't worth fighting.

[kaimaru]

He has to find a team-level punishment to avoid problems later. This isn't over, every employee in the league is going to be scrutinized now. Or so I believe.

The response from AB's camp basically saying la-dee-da, I was recovering from an injury anyway so go ahead screams I-don't-give-a-damn, and in the Covid world as it is you can think it but you can't post it.

Right, the NFL is going to go through every team and when they hit a starting quarterback what will they do? They will sweep this under the rug. They don't want to find a team with 10 violators.

[Primeminister]

Hold up, it sounds like some of you think AB is not vaccinated. That's not true. The story is he showed up at camp with a fake vax card, but decided to get it early into training camp.

Per ESPN: "The league's investigation found that Brown brought a fake vaccination card with him to training camp, but shortly after he arrived someone told him having one could get him in trouble, so he made the decision to get vaccinated, sources told Graziano."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/327 ... -violation

I think if he was unvaxxed maybe a month, that 3 months is ridiculous punishment. Mike Edwards is reported to be vaccinated too, but I didn't see when he got the shots.

Also, he was going to be out a minimum until the Saints game. He probably thought "well at WORST this is a one game suspension because I won't be playing the first two, and I might not even be ready for the Saints game" and decided it wasn't worth fighting.

I didn’t realize that AB was vaccinated after using the fake card. Good find.

[Tnbandwagoner]

I have to admit I was a little shocked at BA's opening comments regarding Mike Edwards and AB. In short, he said their status with the team will be evaluated after the 3 game suspension. He also said he wasn't going to talk anymore about it and then a few clever questions later and he seemed quite pissed at the situation and noted "He hopes the league doesn't stop with them", which to me implies he knows they lied.

I can't support faking cards but they are needed on the team and would support keeping them on the team with some sort of additional disciplinary action. Hypocritical, maybe.....

Of course BA knows they lied.

They are getting punished. The suspension is without pay, so 1/6th of their annual salary. Not to mention the public shame associated with being so selfish and lying.

What irks me is the NFL doesn't mandate you be vaccinated in order to play. So while I agree that some of the protocols are based on shaming players instead of "safety", at the end of the day it's just an added inconvenience.

Providing false documentation to your employer so you can skirt the protocols has to be made an example by the NFL and imo 3 games does that.

All that said I'd be shocked if both players weren't back in the lineup 3 weeks from now for the Carolina game.

Tom Brady is still our QB and we're trying win a championship here. No way the team is going to release AB unless Brady is cool with it, which he won't ne..

If Arians is dumb enough - which I don't think he is, hopefully - to release AB I hope the Glazers send him packing five minutes later. That would be the single most colossal instance of coaching malpractice and incompetence in the history of organized sports.

Three games' suspension reeks of Goodell not wanting his ol' buddy Brady who sued him to get #8. One game would be more than sufficient. But as far as Arians goes, keeping AB off the field for even a play beyond what the league does would be the height of foolishness.

[Tnbandwagoner]

Hold up, it sounds like some of you think AB is not vaccinated. That's not true. The story is he showed up at camp with a fake vax card, but decided to get it early into training camp.

Per ESPN: "The league's investigation found that Brown brought a fake vaccination card with him to training camp, but shortly after he arrived someone told him having one could get him in trouble, so he made the decision to get vaccinated, sources told Graziano."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/327 ... -violation

I think if he was unvaxxed maybe a month, that 3 months is ridiculous punishment. Mike Edwards is reported to be vaccinated too, but I didn't see when he got the shots.

Also, he was going to be out a minimum until the Saints game. He probably thought "well at WORST this is a one game suspension because I won't be playing the first two, and I might not even be ready for the Saints game" and decided it wasn't worth fighting.

So I just read this after making my previous post. Three games' suspension even in light of the fact AB is vaccinated is unconscionable and indefensible. Goodell is a piece of shit.

[13F11B]

He has to find a team-level punishment to avoid problems later. This isn't over, every employee in the league is going to be scrutinized now. Or so I believe.

The response from AB's camp basically saying la-dee-da, I was recovering from an injury anyway so go ahead screams I-don't-give-a-damn, and in the Covid world as it is you can think it but you can't post it.

Right, the NFL is going to go through every team and when they hit a starting quarterback what will they do? They will sweep this under the rug. They don't want to find a team with 10 violators.

Depends on if it is Aaron Rodgers or not. See what they did to Rodgers. No one told us he brought a fake vaccination card but the Packers did not enforce the protocols with him. So, either the Packers were complicit (suspend the coaching staff for three games - all of them - or Aaron Rodgers lied to them too. Suspend Aaron Rodgers for three games. I am sure at least a dozen more players likely did the same thing. I am sure the NFL does really want this going further but I am positive it will.

[mdb1958]

The more coverage you give it the more you are telling the NFL you welcome all that they do.

[13F11B]

The more coverage you give it the more you are telling the NFL you welcome all that they do.

Do you think the NFL reads this forum?

Cool. Hey Roger, you are a colossal ass munch and a trained chimp could have done your job better.

[Moozician]

I think that if AB was the only Buc involved, AB would drop him like a hot rock. But he cant do that with more than one Buc involved.

Also, it was stated that AB got his fake from another Buc, (yet unidentified). If they find out who that was...

[Primeminister]

I think that if AB was the only Buc involved, AB would drop him like a hot rock. But he cant do that with more than one Buc involved.

Also, it was stated that AB got his fake from another Buc, (yet unidentified). If they find out who that was...

I may turn out to be completely wrong, but I don’t believe Arians would ever drop AB for this while we are in a playoff run.

[King Bootz]

I think that if AB was the only Buc involved, AB would drop him like a hot rock. But he cant do that with more than one Buc involved.

Also, it was stated that AB got his fake from another Buc, (yet unidentified). If they find out who that was...

I may turn out to be completely wrong, but I don’t believe Arians would ever drop AB for this while we are in a playoff run.

And if we're being honest that's a shame. As fans we don't care obviously. But as a professional organization allowing a player to get off Scott-Free with forging a federal document is a terrible look.

[Primeminister]

I may turn out to be completely wrong, but I don’t believe Arians would ever drop AB for this while we are in a playoff run.

And if we're being honest that's a shame. As fans we don't care obviously. But as a professional organization allowing a player to get off Scott-Free with forging a federal document is a terrible look.

I don’t believe it is a shame. It is prudence according to their goals. If professional teams had goals of raising young minds or building humans of great character then it would be a shame. Their goals are transparent and simple: win and make money. We accept this truth when the offenses are less offensive to us: people are allowed to fuck up equal to their talent/level of importance. It’s an uncomfortable truth because we are told differently as children, but it’s the truth in nearly every field of society.

It is not a truth in personal relationships, but in any business that is the supreme truth.

[King Bootz]

And if we're being honest that's a shame. As fans we don't care obviously. But as a professional organization allowing a player to get off Scott-Free with forging a federal document is a terrible look.

I don’t believe it is a shame. It is prudence according to their goals. If professional teams had goals of raising young minds or building humans of great character then it would be a shame. Their goals are transparent and simple: win and make money. We accept this truth when the offenses are less offensive to us: people are allowed to fuck up equal to their talent/level of importance. It’s an uncomfortable truth because we are told differently as children, but it’s the truth in nearly every field of society.

It is not a truth in personal relationships, but in any business that is the supreme truth.

I doubt many organizations would turn a blind eye to their employees falsifying federal documents and getting caught. The fact that there is an admitted bias here, and that's by your own admission, is in fact a shame. If it's something that you as an organization wouldn't otherwise share publicly, like Leonard Fournette winning a Nickelodeon award or I don't know bragging about being the 1st team to be 100% fully vaccinated, then yes it is a shame. And there's no other way around that. It is what it is, but at the end of the day it's a shame.

It's not about raising young minds or building humans of great character. It's about having credibility. Don't pretend you don't know this. Go inside Raymond James Stadium and what do you see on each wall around the endzones? Players and coaches personal foundations and charities. Now you say this teams goal isn't raising young minds. Then why the hell do they pretend as if it is? Why then does this team and 31 others brag about their charitable efforts, humanitarian endeavors, etc if their ONLY objective is to win football games and championships? Why is that?

[Primeminister]

Rushing to the airport so I can only respond shortly.

You ask:
“Now you say this teams goal isn't raising young minds. Then why the hell do they pretend as if it is? Why then does this team and 31 others brag about their charitable efforts, humanitarian endeavors, etc if their ONLY objective is to win football games and championships? Why is that?“

You know the answer to this: money. It’s the same goal. The same reason they pretend to care about military, breast cancer or any other social cause that’s good for business. This isn’t to say the individual players who do for the community don’t care. I’m speaking of the organization as an entity. If any of the things you named were to interfere with the real goal it would be ceased straightaway…with some PC appropriate given reasoning surely.

@King Bootz

[AJPG]

I hope nobody tells Bootz that there is no Santa Claus this close to Xmas. Or that Xmas is a pagan holiday for that matter. Or that JC wasn't born anywhere close to December 25th. But sure the NFL cares about more things than money.

[Four Verticals]

He has to find a team-level punishment to avoid problems later. This isn't over, every employee in the league is going to be scrutinized now. Or so I believe.

The response from AB's camp basically saying la-dee-da, I was recovering from an injury anyway so go ahead screams I-don't-give-a-damn, and in the Covid world as it is you can think it but you can't post it.

Right, the NFL is going to go through every team and when they hit a starting quarterback what will they do? They will sweep this under the rug. They don't want to find a team with 10 violators.

Exactly. The only reason this even became an issue is that someone went public with it.

[nybf]

I doubt many organizations would turn a blind eye to their employees falsifying federal documents and getting caught.

The Saints and bounty gate. Also helped cover up a child sex ring. The redskins with the whole mess the NFL covered up by forcing gruden out. Just 3 examples of 2 franchises doing far worse things than AB's fake vax card with nothing happening to the people who did it.

But hey, if you're so outraged, set the example. Walk away and stick with the 49ers.

[Dread]

I don’t believe it is a shame. It is prudence according to their goals. If professional teams had goals of raising young minds or building humans of great character then it would be a shame. Their goals are transparent and simple: win and make money. We accept this truth when the offenses are less offensive to us: people are allowed to fuck up equal to their talent/level of importance. It’s an uncomfortable truth because we are told differently as children, but it’s the truth in nearly every field of society.

It is not a truth in personal relationships, but in any business that is the supreme truth.

I doubt many organizations would turn a blind eye to their employees falsifying federal documents and getting caught. The fact that there is an admitted bias here, and that's by your own admission, is in fact a shame. If it's something that you as an organization wouldn't otherwise share publicly, like Leonard Fournette winning a Nickelodeon award or I don't know bragging about being the 1st team to be 100% fully vaccinated, then yes it is a shame. And there's no other way around that. It is what it is, but at the end of the day it's a shame.

It's not about raising young minds or building humans of great character. It's about having credibility. Don't pretend you don't know this. Go inside Raymond James Stadium and what do you see on each wall around the endzones? Players and coaches personal foundations and charities. Now you say this teams goal isn't raising young minds. Then why the hell do they pretend as if it is? Why then does this team and 31 others brag about their charitable efforts, humanitarian endeavors, etc if their ONLY objective is to win football games and championships? Why is that?

The priority is to win football games and championships, which this team is in prime position to do. Nobody is saying it's the "ONLY objective" and you arguing that is a strawman fallacy.

AB is getting punished by the NFL. He's suspended 3 games without pay and losing 1/6th of his salary (roughly $500k). Why is that not enough for you?

Why should the Bucs take additional action? Could you cite some other examples of when a player was suspended by the NFL only to have the team add more games to the punishment?

[Buc2]

Why should the Bucs take additional action? Could you cite some other examples of when a player was suspended by the NFL only to have the team add more games to the punishment?

I tried searching but was unable to find a single instance of an NFL team adding games to a league suspension or suspending a player that the league never suspended.

[Defense5599]

Of course BA knows they lied.

They are getting punished. The suspension is without pay, so 1/6th of their annual salary. Not to mention the public shame associated with being so selfish and lying.

What irks me is the NFL doesn't mandate you be vaccinated in order to play. So while I agree that some of the protocols are based on shaming players instead of "safety", at the end of the day it's just an added inconvenience.

Providing false documentation to your employer so you can skirt the protocols has to be made an example by the NFL and imo 3 games does that.

All that said I'd be shocked if both players weren't back in the lineup 3 weeks from now for the Carolina game.

Tom Brady is still our QB and we're trying win a championship here. No way the team is going to release AB unless Brady is cool with it, which he won't ne..

Man, I couldn't agree more with your view on this situation.

I disagree with parts of it. No employer should mandate ANY type of vaccination and if people don't want to get vaccinated, they have the right not to. Having to lie about it, IMO, is an alternative way of getting confrontational about it.

[King Bootz]

I doubt many organizations would turn a blind eye to their employees falsifying federal documents and getting caught.

The Saints and bounty gate. Also helped cover up a child sex ring. The redskins with the whole mess the NFL covered up by forcing gruden out. Just 3 examples of 2 franchises doing far worse things than AB's fake vax card with nothing happening to the people who did it.

But hey, if you're so outraged, set the example. Walk away and stick with the 49ers.

I stand corrected. Those are very good examples, especially a child sex ring being covered up. Shameful.

[uscbucsfan]

Man, I couldn't agree more with your view on this situation.

I disagree with parts of it. No employer should mandate ANY type of vaccination and if people don't want to get vaccinated, they have the right not to. Having to lie about it, IMO, is an alternative way of getting confrontational about it.

They weren't forced.

[Dread]

Man, I couldn't agree more with your view on this situation.

I disagree with parts of it. No employer should mandate ANY type of vaccination and if people don't want to get vaccinated, they have the right not to. Having to lie about it, IMO, is an alternative way of getting confrontational about it.

This is a bad take imo

NFL players aren't mandated (see Aaron Rodgers, Amari Cooper, etc). Unvaccinated players just have additional protocols (the fairness or efficacy of which are a separate issue).

NFL players don't have to lie about it. You're excusing what AB/Edwards did, which is intentionally lie to their employer and falsify their vaccine card just so they didn't have to be inconvenienced.

[Dread]

Why should the Bucs take additional action? Could you cite some other examples of when a player was suspended by the NFL only to have the team add more games to the punishment?

I tried searching but was unable to find a single instance of an NFL team adding games to a league suspension or suspending a player that the league never suspended.

I couldn't remember one either and the NFL has had alot of players do alot worse things than AB providing a false vaccine card. Which is why I felt it was an odd argument for Bootz to make for the Bucs to take additional action when there is no precedent for it.

I don't even know if the Bucs could do it without a grievance from the NFLPA, even if they wanted to. I mean the Bucs could release AB once his suspension is up. But I don't think anyone expects that to happen and I don't believe it would further help anyone or anything.

[Defense5599]

I disagree with parts of it. No employer should mandate ANY type of vaccination and if people don't want to get vaccinated, they have the right not to. Having to lie about it, IMO, is an alternative way of getting confrontational about it.

This is a bad take imo

NFL players aren't mandated (see Aaron Rodgers, Amari Cooper, etc). Unvaccinated players just have additional protocols (the fairness or efficacy of which are a separate issue).

NFL players don't have to lie about it. You're excusing what AB/Edwards did, which is intentionally lie to their employer and falsify their vaccine card just so they didn't have to be inconvenienced.

And no one should be inconvenienced because they aren't vaccinated.

[nybf]

FOH

[Kress]

I tried searching but was unable to find a single instance of an NFL team adding games to a league suspension or suspending a player that the league never suspended.

I couldn't remember one either and the NFL has had alot of players do alot worse things than AB providing a false vaccine card. Which is why I felt it was an odd argument for Bootz to make for the Bucs to take additional action when there is no precedent for it.

I don't even know if the Bucs could do it without a grievance from the NFLPA, even if they wanted to. I mean the Bucs could release AB once his suspension is up. But I don't think anyone expects that to happen and I don't believe it would further help anyone or anything.

The only additional action teams ever take is to just cut the guy. If that was going to happen, they would have done it already. There is no reason to have a guy sit out his entire suspension THEN cut him.

[Kress]

Heh - Maybe they'll go the old college route and tell AB he has to sit out the first half of his next game. Show how super-serious they are.

[Dread]

This is a bad take imo

NFL players aren't mandated (see Aaron Rodgers, Amari Cooper, etc). Unvaccinated players just have additional protocols (the fairness or efficacy of which are a separate issue).

NFL players don't have to lie about it. You're excusing what AB/Edwards did, which is intentionally lie to their employer and falsify their vaccine card just so they didn't have to be inconvenienced.

And no one should be inconvenienced because they aren't vaccinated.

You certainly have a right to that opinion. But that's not how the world works.