Carl Nicks And The Baseball Bat
July 28th, 2014
Who else but the bounty-loving Saints would hand out baseball bats in the locker room? That’s about as surprising as Josh Freeman oversleeping.
But those baseball bats are a memory of the Carl Nicks that Bucs fans saw little of after he signed a massive free agent contract in 2012.
Remembering the greatness of Nicks is what Joe and Bucs linebacker Jonathan Casillas chatted about last week. Nicks and Casillas are friends and were teammates for three seasons in New Orleans and won a Super Bowl ring together.
Casillas shared how Nicks was a standout for his on-field violence.
“One thing nobody really knows, besides the guys in New Orleans. Every week, after a win, they used to give out a bat for the big hit, like a game-changing type hit. A baseball bat,” Casillas said. “Just to signify somebody exerting their will on somebody else. And it would be nearly all defensive guys, myself, [Jonathan] Vilma, [Darren] Sharper, [Roman] Harper. But every week, though, Carl Nicks would a contender for the bat. He was probably the only offensive guy there that would be in the mix.
“But that was him, though, every game he was aggressive, technically sound. He was a mountain of a man but a lot quicker than people thought. But what you rarely get from offensive players, he was violent. Not saying all offensive linemen aren’t violent, but people don’t play like Carl Nicks did. That’s why they signed him here for so much money, and that’s why we wanted him back here so badly.”
Joe wanted to learn more about this baseball bat.
“It was [current Saints special teams coordinator] Greg McMahon. He gave out that bat, man,” Casillas said. “You wanted to get it. It signified you were a bad ass. That’s what it was about, you know what I’m saying. That’s what Carl Nicks was. Carl Nicks was a bad ass. Defensive guys, we wanted no part of him, and it was like that around the league.”
Unfortunately, Bucs fans saw little of the bat-worthy nicks, who was never the same after a major toe-foot injury early in the 2012 season. It was a bad break for evicted regime, but that’s football.
As for the baseball bats, well, Joe wonders whether they’re still being handed out in New Orleans.
July 28th, 2014 at 7:15 am
After all the checks written to Nicks for basically going fishing, the ownership has to feel like Nicks hit them with a baseball bat!
July 28th, 2014 at 7:16 am
I got all giddy after he stuck Vince Wilfork’s face in the dirt for a preseason goal line TD run. Oh what could have been…
July 28th, 2014 at 7:23 am
I cannot remember 1 play from nicks, its been a 3 year saga and all I have seen of him on the sideline with the goofy hat. After 1 week the only thing that will bring up the memory of Nick’s will be when the Bucs waste money. I can hear hit now, ” at least they did not waste a nick’s amount on that guy.”
July 28th, 2014 at 7:25 am
Short memory. Nicks was an animal blocking for Doug Martin.
July 28th, 2014 at 7:29 am
@ keith
what game was that???
July 28th, 2014 at 8:03 am
Can we begin to get over Nicks?……Bennett?……LGB?……Talib?…..Freeman?
How ’bout the Bo Jackson draft pick?….I’m waiting for someoneat. to bitch about that. Nicks is gone…..we could wrap all these articles into one great big goodbye piece instead of dribbling theim out daily!!!!
Here’s an idea. If you don’t want to read about Nicks, then read one of the other dozen posts on the home page, or just don’t read it.–Joe
July 28th, 2014 at 8:22 am
TBF..”Can we begin to get over Nicks?……Bennett?……LGB?……Talib?…..Freeman?
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I understand the sentiment rather well but there there is an abundance of material. Thanks Dom.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:28 am
I was over nicks when he went on IR 2 yrs. ago.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:30 am
How about we rehash the Alvin Harper signing? Or maybe Bert Emanuel or Kenyatta Walker?
July 28th, 2014 at 8:39 am
@tampabaybucfan – not getting what you expected you’d get from your subscription to this site? Plenty of others. Go check them out.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:44 am
Joe
Here is a thought, convert one of the DL that may not make it because of depth at the position to an OG, he would be pissed off and maybe block like it plus think of all the comments on this one.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:46 am
“Here’s an idea. If you don’t want to read about Nicks, then read one of the other dozen posts on the home page, or just don’t read it.–Joe”
Like a good JBF, I read all of your articles (whether I like them or not)…..just suggesting some could be combined.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:47 am
Should have given Nicks the Golden Bullet Award for finishing the dreaded and unneccessary 110×16 gauntlets despite blowing up his foot half way through.
They shoot horses, don’t they?
July 28th, 2014 at 11:15 am
One thing that keeps popping up about Carl is how he took the money and really didn’t earn it.
Does anybody really think that Carl WANTED to be injured?! Or contract MRSA?!
It’s a shame, yes, but don’t make this out like he intended to have a flesh eating virus go to work on his already injured big toe.
Best of luck Carl!
July 28th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Good to See Darren Sharper but is bat to good use.
July 28th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
we have seen our share of free agents get the big contract and then fade into irrelevance, but i strongly believe if it were up to carl he would rather be dominating in training camp today than contemplating what meaningful things he will spend the next 50+ years of his life doing. had he stayed healthy, i think we would look at him as the same sort of hard worker, star performer and leader that vincent jackson has become since signing day, but it just wasn’t to be
July 28th, 2014 at 5:31 pm
Casillias was usually a candidate for the bat? He barely played in New Orleans.