Jeff Faine = Captain Negative

February 17th, 2011

Joe’s had about enough of Jeff Faine spewing a bunch of garbage as the Bucs players union representative.

First he was slobbering a bunch of BS about health insurance (which he keeps doing) and now he’s going all negative on Josh Freeman’s goal of practicing as a team during a lockout. Per his recent interview with Rick Stroud of the St. Pete Times, Faine urinated on Freeman’s plans.

“You’re not going to see Josh Freeman and our receiving corps down at the University of Tampa soccer field,” Faine said. “They might go out there and run some routes and throw. But you’re talking about getting an entire receiving corps together being able to work against an entire defensive backs corps. It’s just not going to happen.”

Nice job, Faine. What the hell kind of captain are you? You think Freeman can’t pull it off?

Why is it so unreasonable to put a quarterback and four receivers and four defensive backs on a practice field?

Answer that, Mr. Notre Dame grad.

For Joe, Faine lost credibility when he rambled the union talking point about the hardship of players expecting babies during a lockout, which Joe has written about before. (Faine did it again with Stroud.)  These guys will simply excersize their federal government protected option of paying monthly for their health insurance policies already in place. Surely everyone can afford it, and the union can pay for those few who can’t.

Funny how Faine never mentions how much said players expecting babies will have to pay monthly for insurance.

Joe has no love for the owners in this labor mess, but Joe suspects they wouldn’t be so brazen to say Josh Freeman can’t organize 10 guys on a field. 

42 Responses to “Jeff Faine = Captain Negative”

  1. gotbbucs Says:

    Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out Faine.

  2. Jimmy Says:

    Jeremy Zuttah > Jeff Faine.

    C Ya Faine!

    Now go sell some more cheap-arse clothes to the street derelicts from your glorified Salvation Army of a store in Orlando, will ya?

  3. eric Says:

    This thing is gonna be ugly.

    When are scab tryouts?

  4. Gary Says:

    If Josh can’t get exactly that on the field to practice and I want to know the names of the WRs and DBs that didn’t come. Even Talib should be there if his rehab allows.

  5. oar Says:

    Like some of my exes, reality is a bitch sometimes!
    I think injuries will be thier concern. Remember how many injuries we’ve had during the non-contact OTAs?
    BTW I have read the owners have said, NO to scabs and there will be none!

  6. lightningbuc Says:

    I think what Faine was trying to say is “Ain’t no way my lazy ass is working out and/or practicing if I ain’t gettin’ paid”.

  7. aldo Says:

    and thats how jeff faine ends his tenure as a buccaneer, no let his ass finds a home anuwhere else!!!!

  8. oar Says:

    Joe
    “Why is it so unreasonable to put a quarterback and four receivers and four defensive backs on a practice field?”
    I thought you replyed to one poster’s question, you hadn’t heard about any defensive players getting together if the lockout occurs?

  9. HIRE GREG OLSON! Says:

    I think that Zuttah might be too valuable as the “super utility” guy for the O-line to get rid of Faine and make Zuttah the starter.

  10. eric Says:

    I hope to someday be involved in negotiations about dividing up nine billion in revenue.

    Some simple math.

    If the owers gave half of that to the players, leaving 4.5 billion for the owners, split among 32 teams thats around 130 million each, after player payroll expenses.

    No wonder they won’t open up the books.

  11. BigMacAttack Says:

    Well at least we aren’t stuck with Carson, T.O. & Chad. What a mess that turned out to be. And that Marvin Lewis is a real winner too. For that matter, there are a good amount of Coaches under water in the NFL. Raheem isn’t one of them. I wonder if Josh McDaniels is going to piss off Bradford and then ask Spags to trade him for…..say, Vince Young??? hahaha. Who says the Bucs have problems? AYFKM???

  12. Phil a '76 Buc Says:

    Faine should be concerned about health insurance, he seems to miss about half a season regularly. How about team spirit Faine.
    Be a team spirit guy or go to law school so you can have a career as a labor lawyer.
    If you don’t want to support Joah’e team first attitude then get YO FAT A$$ OUT A’
    HERE!

  13. Camby Says:

    Faine has to take a pro union stance on that question. The guys practicing as a team during the lockout may be a good idea, but it may give a message that they are eager to make a deal. Perhaps the players do this anyway, and I doubt Faine would stop them, but right now the players don’t want to give the owners any more leverage than they already have.

  14. Dylan Says:

    Cya faine, ya injury prone was at $. Zuttah did just fine. Dont think faine would be missed to much. Dont need people like that in the locker room when he is supposably a leader and captain.

  15. Derf Says:

    It’s called public relations guys.

    If the Bucs practice on their own as a fan it would put LOTS of pressure on the owners to cave and build support for the players.

    Comments like Faine’s make fans dislike the GREEDY RICH PLAYERS and support the owners case.

  16. No Koolaid Says:

    Easy. They won’t show because they aren’t getting paid. Not everyone is making the millions that Freeman is, nor do they have the job security that he does.

  17. Guest#27 Says:

    Faine is right.

    How is Freeman gonna reach Aqib Talib, T-Jax, Barber, and injured Grimm?

    That D-Back unit is about as selfish as they come… minus Grimm. But he is injured anyway.

    Faine is 100% right. With no NFL level DBs, no real work can be achieved.

  18. Guest#27 Says:

    And, just as Koolaid said, they don’t want to risk injury so they wouldn’t even play full speed if they did show.

  19. Jrock Says:

    Faine’s statement grinds my gears as a fan, but when you look through the eyes of a Players Union rep, representing the Bucs, its the right call to make.

    Still, i don’t know if the players union cuts Faine a check. I do know that the Buc’s do, though, and after throwing his own teammates under the bus I hope those checks stop coming.

  20. admin Says:

    Joe here,

    Guest#27 — This is 2011. It’s not hard to reach teammates and get stuff scheduled. If it’s late April and Freeman has Williams, Stroughter, Parker and Briscoe there (other WRs are free agents), for example, and Barber, Lewis, Biggers and Mack come out to cover them, that’s a solid practice. (Didn’t factor in Talib since he was on IR).

    Somehow Faine thinks that’s ludicrous. The guy’s comments about Freeman and this are sickening.

  21. oar Says:

    For those getting sick, I have a bucket!

  22. MichiganBucsFan Says:

    and now I hate Jeff Faine

  23. Ash Says:

    A lockout during the off season may be a good thing for Tanard. If there wasn’t a lockout he couldn’t go to the facility and practice with the guys. But no one can stop him from going to these off site practice sessions.

  24. Joe Says:

    Ash:

    Actually, the lockout is terrible for Jackson.

    With no labor agreement in place, it also means no testing of banned substances.

    Fox watching the hen house.

  25. RustyRhino Says:

    Hmmm
    if I am a good/oft-injured player making the most $ at my position, or I was. Which side of this issue would I be on? Owners or Players?
    Who signs my game checks, again? I just have it direct deposited and don’t recall the person who signs it…

    Come on.

    Faine better hope that Zuttah is not out there working with the QB & WR with some DB’s on the other side. Working on the shotgun snap.
    If he is and gets that down, it’s bye bye Faine….
    And Mr. Faine do not forget to Take your comments to some other team.
    Thanks

  26. Ash Says:

    “no testing of banned substances” They dont test for rec drugs in the offseason with or without a CBA. A large amount of pros smoke pot. Its just he was idiot and got caught several times.

  27. atrain300 Says:

    major loss of respect for (former Buc hopefully) Jeff Faine. Putting down a young leader of your team who is trying to better himself and his teammates is ridiculous.

  28. tha truth is... Says:

    f^#k Faine. Vastly overpaid and throughly underplayed. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s faked and/or prolonged injuries in tha past.

  29. gitarlvr Says:

    Methinks Jeff Faine is a LOT more concerned these days about his business responsibilities with the players union and his own personal businesses than he is with being an elite center on the field. Its time for Zuttah to start and the Bucs to draft another center somewhere in the mid rounds.

  30. Dave Says:

    I think Freeman will get some guys together, but not to the extent of a full fledged practice.
    Maybe Faine worded it badly, who knows.
    I do agree that getting alot of the defense together could be an issue. Talib and Grimm and McCoy, and Black are rehabbing.

    Jones, Asante, Lewis, Biggers and some of the other LBs SHOULD see the benefit of doing it though. Sure, they don’t have Freeman’s $$$, but trying to get better is only going to help you get that $$$down the road. Just look at what the extra workd did for Mike Williams.

    This would be a great opportunity for TJax to get some work and prove to his teammates that he plans to come back with his head in the game. Without a CBA, they can not legally ban him fro participating in something like this.

  31. Guest#27 Says:

    “…and Barber, Lewis, Biggers and Mack come out to cover them, that’s a solid practice.”

    The point is, and this is what Faine was talking about, those guys wouldn’t come out. He’s right. He is right.

  32. admin Says:

    Joe here,

    @Guest#27 — Really? And how are you so sure they won’t come out.

  33. K1ngAdroc Says:

    Jeff Faine is saying that it will be much more difficult for Free to have organization with the other players and solid quality reps / rehab at a different facility. He didn’t say it exactly as you would have liked.

    Jeff Faine is a leader on and off the field. Stop the hater bandwagon Joe, it sounds a bit personal!

  34. Derf Says:

    Getting paid or not – if these players are TRUE professionals they’ll get their asses out there and practice TOGETHER.

    Or maybe they liked being a 3-13 team?

  35. K1ngAdroc Says:

    sweet, now this story is picked up on PFT…. the only coverage we get is sh*t

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/17/lockout-will-create-tension-among-teammates-over-offseason-workouts/

    the don’t cover us hiring new coaches for our D-line but the pick this story up… nice

  36. chicken Says:

    Fayne just went from a semi-favorite player to a complete douche. Change is happening with these Buccaneers and Josh is leading the way. I commend him on his leadership skills and to all that are not on board, walk the plank. Josh is the captain and he is looking for some leaders.

  37. Capt.Tim Says:

    While Faine has to spout the union lines, he can’t do it to that level- of sounding as if he’s ridiculing his Qb and team mate.
    I like Faine, but think he’s about done. Starting to fall apart physically( I know the feeling, buddy!). The team’s center of the future is Ted Larsen. He is a center. Typical of NFL to let a center get reps at guard, then move him to Center. I think he’s gonna be a great one!! Zuttah played great , but is too versatile to play one spot.

  38. Pruritis Ani Says:

    Once these guys start missing a few paychecks, they’ll cave.

  39. espo Says:

    I usually defend Faine’s roster spot. Reading this however, coupled with Zuttah’s workhorse success, I think some change might be in line.

  40. pick6 Says:

    it would be a mistake to anoint zuttah the starter – they did it at guard and were forced to get keydrick vincent at the last minute. if faine is not going to be part of the final 53, he should at least take the mike clayton route out of town and sweat through training camp and offer competition first. traditionally, the bucs have only had one NFL player worthy of the name backing up all 3 interior line positions. it would be nice to have the depth to avoid that trap for next year, itll be harder without faine

    honestly, as a union mouthpiece, you also don’t know if he’s saying it to downplay players’ individual preparation. if you imply that every team is essentially getting worse due to lack of organized practices, it applies time pressure to the owners. if you give the impression that it will be easy and enjoyable for players to stay on top of their games during a lockout, owners have less incentive for a quick resolution because teams can pick up where they left off

  41. drdneast Says:

    Not having health insurance never stopped Cromartie from making babies.

  42. drdneast Says:

    Millionaires haggling and arguing with billionaires over money.
    I would say I would just watch amatuer college football but my two favorite teams are USC and Auburn.