Will Goodell Step In To Punish Adam Hayward?

December 17th, 2012

It’s easy to say what Greg Schiano did yesterday after the Bucs-Saints debacle, that Adam Hayward shoving and taunting assistant coach Bryan Cox before television cameras was a heat-of-the-moment case between friends that is now closed and behind the club.

Well, Joe doesn’t buy that, as Joe thinks committing a violent act against a coach — no matter how minor — is serious business. In fact, Joe thinks Hayward’s deed should merit an extreme punishment, especialy since it violated two of three Greg Schiano tenets: trust and belief. So the third tenet, accountability, needs to be delivered in a big way.

Joe believes Roger Goodell, who’s been known to be a Schiano-like micromanager when it comes to discipline across the NFL, is likely to get involved in Hayward’s case — either issuing a punishment or behind the scenes.

The more Joe thinks about what Hayward did, the more Joe can’t imagine it just gets swept under the rug. That can’t happen.

27 Responses to “Will Goodell Step In To Punish Adam Hayward?”

  1. OKC_RMC Says:

    Idk about this one, since I believe their both at fault here. If anything the Bucs should handle the situation internally.

  2. Macabee Says:

    If Schiano says it is a family matter and has been resolved, then I accept that. I may be mistaken, but when I first saw this, I honestly thought when Hayward grabbed Cox he was trying to keep him from getting an on-field penalty. When Cox resisted, it got a little ugly. No malice intended. Just an overheated moment that was unfortunately public.

  3. Meh Says:

    He needs to be cut. Soon.

  4. Reality Check Says:

    Get over it. Our backup linebacker turned starter by injury pushed a coach after being pushed by his coach during some kind of heated on the field exchange. This isn’t news no matter how hard you try to make it a story.

  5. OptimisTroll Says:

    I thought the same thing Macabee. To me, it looked like Heyward was keeping Cox from doing something foolish, and since Cox is a fiery guy, things got a bit out of hand.

  6. Red86 Says:

    Gee some are acting like coach Cox. Some seeing what you want to see instead of what actually happen. Here my question to you? So you saying that it’s alright for someone to push you? Hayward was trying to calm Cox down and guide him back to the sideline with not malice involved. Just liike someone trying to prevent a fight from breaking out. The TBA apply to the coaches too just as much as the players. Even coach Schiano said so.

  7. bucfanjeff Says:

    Once other players see that they can push back on coaches, the coaches lose all power and respectability. Regardless of why it happened, it did happen and Schiano needs to suspend him for 1 game. At the very least Dekoda Watson gets the starting gig for the last 2 games.

    The fact that he pushes the coach shows he has no respect for him.

  8. Joe Says:

    Thank you BucFanJeff.

  9. Paul Says:

    2010 Buccaneers Man of the Year.

  10. Joe Says:

    If this happened in a closed practice or the lockerroom, it’s an inhouse issue. If it’s caught on live television, it’s a public issue which demands a public rebuke/sentence.

  11. Eric Says:

    Blown way out of proportion. He was trying to keep Cox from drawing a penalty.

  12. Red86 Says:

    The same can be said about Cox not having respect for his players. These players are adult too. If you want a players to play their best, then the last thing you should do is disrespect them. It’s a heat of the moment. It’s overblown. And already settled.

  13. Miguel El Magnifico Says:

    Hug it out. I think it’s on both of them.

  14. Kennedy Says:

    Eric, blown out of proportion? Imagine if this happened to Schiano himself.

  15. Patrick Says:

    Time to cut the trash from the Raheem Morris era:

    EJ Biggers, Myron Lewis, Adam Hayward, Arrelious Benn (hasn’t done sh!t for us yet), anymore I haven’t mentioned?

    And wash your hands of Eric Wright already……..the first bad signing of the New Schiano Order.

    Get Biggers and Lewis out of Tampa and get some cornerbacks that actually plays at an NFL level. The fact that Dominick didn’t release their asses last offseason is reason enough to possibly have him fired!!

    Sign a quarterback in free agency/or draft one in the mid rounds to push Freeman, or to take his starting job. He doesn’t deserve to have the starting job secured the way he’s been playing.

  16. SilenceTheCritics Says:

    @ Joe

    Completely disagree. A simple shove does not demand a thing to anyone outside of the organization. Now if they happened to get into an outright brawl on the field. Absolutely. Does it look bad on the organization? Sort of. Not really to me. But Your making this into something its not. Anytime you get passionate mean with fiery tempers together that are frustrated, sh!t happens. When you get into a fight with your wife… would it be fair for an outside to come to your door demanding to know what happened? same thing.

  17. Eric Says:

    It was in the second quarter and we were only down ten, and a coach is running on the field, which can cause a penalty. Not the right way to handle it, but I can understand why Adam did it.

    Has Adam ever caused an ounce of trouble since he has been here?

    On the other hand, Cox is a known mental case.

  18. guns4roses Says:

    From what I saw on TV, I felt that Heyward was trying to shepherd Cox back to the sideline to keep Cox from drawing a penalty. My impression was that Cox was the one out of line, not Heyward.

  19. ctord Says:

    agree Joe. I saw some posts last night about this and the more I got to thinking about it the more I have come to the conclusion that if Hayward is not cut, then coach has lost a ton of credit. He talks a great game but the rubber has just met the road.

  20. GenocideD Says:

    Schiano needs to tell Cox to keep his ass of the field. Adam shouldn’t have put his hands on Cox but I don’t think anyone on the team or coaching staff thinks he did this out of disrespect. That’s the key. Let’s not blow this out of proportion. Adam’s a good kid, has a great attitude and is someone we want on this team as a backup.

  21. Joe Says:

    These players are adult too.

    Respect is earned, not given.

    Bucs defense — the guys on the field — coughed up 41 points.

  22. Joe Says:

    Silence:

    But Your making this into something its not.

    A shouting match is one thing (remember Chucky vs. Meshawn?). No problem. For a “captain,” much less a backup linebacker, to lay hands on an assistant coach and shove him, way, way, way out of line.

    Unless the hammer comes down on Hayward, sets a horrible example.

  23. SilenceTheCritics Says:

    I agree Hayward should be disciplined for that action but that should be done in house. Maybe a fine or something but to outright cut the guy who has been a hard worker and valueable to this team as a back up is a bit harsh.

  24. Daniel Says:

    Joe why do you keeping mentioning adams shove but say nothing about cox pushing adam first? To me thats settimg a bad message to the team by punishing the player but not the coach also to me your saying its ok to put your hands on a player and its not they both are wrong

    Simple, Cox was yelling at an official, which is part of the game. Hayward tried to push him back and Cox shoved him off. Then Hayward paused and then shoved Cox with two hands before they went back and forth. Call Joe old school, but coaches need to be given respect, and part of that respect is letting a coach do his thing and never putting your hands on him. –Joe

  25. ctord Says:

    for all of those who think this is not a big deal. go ahead and shove your boss and see what happens. Sorry a fine will not cut it. def miss the next game if not the rest of the season.

  26. Back The Buc Up Says:

    Not sure if Hayward knows who is coach really is. Cox used to go off on people. I remember him fighting someone from the Raiders back when he was a Dolphin. On a field of huge angry men, he was not the guy to mess with. As far as the shoving goes, it did look like Hayward was trying to calm Cox down, but Hayward should not have shoved his coach. That being said, these are grown men that were in the heat of a game, emotions were running high. Things can sometimes get heated. Especially when you are getting your a$$ handed to you by the Saints. Hell, I was mad enough to fight on Sunday. I just would not pick a fight with Bryan Cox. I think it should be handled internally.

  27. Red86 Says:

    That funny. You talk about repsect is earn not given. Tell me when you first meet a new person. Do you punch them? Beat them down? Cuss them out? That’s statement is nothing but a worthless talking point compared to the Golden Rule you and other uses. Treating other as you wish to be treated is basically saying, give respect to get respect and vice versa. If you push someon, then most likely a push or an altercation is going to happen… duh!!

    The point is this. Cox started the incident. Period. Would it been any different if Schiano tried to guide Cox back instead when Schiano has multiple responsiblities? Who knows. The point I’m making is that it’s a great thing Hayward tried to do. He was compose and aware that we can’t afford a penalty to make things worst. Cox wasn’t composed and aware of the situation.

    All the focus is on Hayward. But none every thought that Cox couldn’t hurt his on player or cause an injury all because he wouldn’t get back on the side line.

    @ctord: If I want to push my boss like what happen on the field, then I would have to wait for them to push me first. That call seeing how thing really happen. Harward has no history of doing things like the way you and joe protraying this incident.