Sunday, 4 p.m.
For the record, I like Gerald McCoy. I thought he gave more than that he got while he was in Tampa.
But McCoy is the latest in a series of athletes who wants to be honored for things that have nothing to do with his play.
McCoy was miffed that the Bucs immediately gave his jersey No. 93 to Ndamukong Suh, his replacement at defensive tackle. He found a slight in it, which kind of feeds the image of McCoy being overly impressed with being McCoy.
"When (Warren) Sapp left, John Lynch, (Derrick Brooks), Lee Roy Selmon, Ronde Barber, when all these guys left, nobody wore their number," McCoy said. "They didn't give their number away, and it was a sign of respect. Well, six Pro Bowls, All-Pro four times, this is Tampa Bay, and I'm one of the best players to ever play in the organization."
Okay, let's analyze. McCoy is nowhere near the player that Sapp, Brooks and Selmon were. Those guys are in the Hall of Fame. McCoy isn't, and with zero playoff games on his resume, he's not likely to be (a lot of players have made six Pro Bowls). Every player that McCoy listed, except for Selmon, won a Super Bowl. Lynch has been a regular finalist for the Hall. Barber made the best play in the history of the playoffs. And all of them made several playoffs.
The difference here, Gerald, is timing. The Bucs didn't sign another former Pro Bowler to take the place of Sapp, Brooks, Selmon, Brooks or Barber. If someone else had worn those jerseys, odds are no one would have noticed.
Here's a difference, too. McCoy made far, far more money than those five guys. Perhaps that's the number that should satisfy him.
-- Whenever I see a Rays' player get a hit these days, I wonder how it would play in Montreal.
-- Sorry, but the AAC won't be the same without UConn. Wait. Sadly, it will be.
-- DeSean Jackson has found his new reason to pout. He's actually paying attention to Skip Bayless, something most of us got over long ago.
-- Quick poll: Which Rays' pitcher do you trust the least: a) Diego Castillo; b) Jose Alvarado; c.) Chaz Roe; d.) Austin Pruitt; e.) Blake Snell.
-- Here's an idea. The Rays could find 20 cities and play four games each in them. The highest attendance gets the extra game.
-- Did you see the story about the Montana home that discovered a live black bear sleeping on a closet shelf. At first, I thought it was Tank Black, the ex-Chicago Bear, but this was even worse than Yogi.
-- Quick poll: Which Rays hitter do you least want to come up with the winning run on second base? a) Mike Zunino; b) Joey Wendle; c) Willy Adames; d) Travis d'Arnaud; e) Ben Grieve, who is rested and ready.
-- Here's an idea for a new Rays home: They could fluctuate between Moscow and Dubai. They'd draw about the same.
-- Now that UConn is leaving, the AAC is looking for a suitable replacement. How about Boca Ciega High?
-- It's sad the Mick Jagger can't get any Satisfaction, but he can get heart surgery.
-- Just asking: Could we have a little more objectivity on the Rays' broadcast? Winning one game in five really isn't a fiesta.
-- Yes, the Lightning had an impressive finish with the NHL Awards. Still, you cannot forget the Egg-on-Their-Faces Trophy.
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