Winning Opportunity
June 3rd, 2020
One of the greatest kickers in NFL history was talking about one of his friends and ex-teammates today, Tom Brady, as well as about his former head coach, Bucco Bruce Arians.
Of course, Joe is referring to Adam Vinatieri, who just completed his 24th NFL season.
Vinatieri is a 47-year-old without a team right now, and he joined WEEI sports radio in Boston for a chat that included questions about Brady’s move to lead the bumbling Buccaneers.
First, Vinatieri was asked how Brady will fare in the “frat house” kind of atmosphere run by Arians. No, Vinatieri didn’t dispute the description.
“I was very fortunate to have [Arians] as my coach for a little while in Indy, and I really, really admire the guy,” Vinatieri said.
“… The thing that’s great about him is he has no fear. Like he’ll be the guy where they’ll be up by four points, and it’s 3rd-and-long and there’s a minute left on the clock. Normally, most guys hand the ball off, punt, and let your defense do it. Bruce is the guy that does a play-action pass and throws it for 25 yards down the field and gets a first down, then they kneel it out and it’s done.
“I say that because it happened. I was part of games, and I just shook my head going, ‘this guy is ballsy and he goes a hundred miles an hour.’ And I think Tom’s going to love it because I’m sure they gave Tom the keys to the car and said, ‘run this thing like you want to.'”
Vinatieri went on to praise the Bucs roster and said he really expects Tampa Bay to be at the very top of the NFL this season.
As for Brady moving to Tampa, Vinatieri said he’s confident Brady’s relocation was about winning.
“I know he was…he was wanting some weapons. He wanted to continue to do his thing, and I think he just kinda looked at it and said, ‘You know, if I’m gonna keep doing this I want to have the best opportunity to continue to win, and for some reason he didn’t think that was with the Patriots at this point,” Vinatieri said.
What about Vinatieri joining the Bucs for his 25th season?
The future Hall of Famer said he wants to play in 2020, but he doubts he’ll be fully healthy after knee surgery much before opening day. He added that he’s preparing as if he will play and invites teams to give him a call when he can get on the field.
June 3rd, 2020 at 5:51 pm
Vinatieri might become a midseason option if Gay fails to produce.
June 3rd, 2020 at 6:25 pm
Maybe he could be a coach for us?
June 3rd, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Perfect new slogan for the Bucs after Brady got handed the keys to the car
“DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!” Which he kinda did…
June 3rd, 2020 at 7:12 pm
One thing that pppI learned in driving school which is not mandatory anymore “DRIVE DEFENSIVELY”..there is a potential WRECK around every corner!!
June 3rd, 2020 at 7:29 pm
Sean Payton is watching his team fall apart.
This is why you should always follow the Belichick “were on to Cincinnati” philosophy
Please bring the winning Patriot way to Tampa Tom, as the Saints self destruct. LOVE IT.
June 3rd, 2020 at 7:34 pm
“Vinatieri might become a midseason option if Gay fails to produce.”
Agreed, do not trust Gay (yet) if he cant handle a meaningless week 17 game against the Falcons. The whole nation is watching the Bucs now and there will be pressure kicks each and every game.
Pressure kicks are why the Bucs have had a kicker bullpen rotation the last 5 years. They cant handle it.
June 3rd, 2020 at 8:10 pm
Hope Brady doesn’t step in the same poop Drew Brees stepped in.
June 3rd, 2020 at 8:31 pm
Where’s Cobraboy when you need him?
June 3rd, 2020 at 8:39 pm
Brees will be fine. What he said has nothing to do with race or anything to do with the social injustice of minorities. He simply doesn’t like kneeling for the American flag during the anthem.
Most of the country agrees with him.
I agree with him.
Basically there’s a better way to go about it so you don’t alienate people.
Kind of like right now. The peaceful protesters have it right.
The criminals looting, burning, vandalizing and harming their cities and citizens have it wrong.
They are just alienating people from their cause.
In theory anyway because I believe that the people doing that don’t have a cause. They don’t give a crap about the injustice that was done to George.
June 3rd, 2020 at 8:40 pm
Anyway, Back to football. I am getting tired of all the praise people are unloading on the Bucs. They did this two years ago to Cleveland.
Just stop it. Let them practice and let them play. The national spotlight is good for awards and recognition but it is a lot of added pressure
June 3rd, 2020 at 9:09 pm
Brees will get a pass but this is the problem with this hold country because when you don’t have the same problem of other people like black people have . Then you can be all in love about everything about this country . If white people feel the same way about black people like they feel about that flag then it will get better . Because it’s a lot of black people that fought in world war 2 that came home and got spit on and hated because of their skin color . While the enemy was treated better because they were white . I’m sorry white people but we as black people will never forget were we came from and we will never forget how we was treated then and right now. And I do appreciate some of yall has done and doing now . But I have never and probably never will feel the same way about the flag like some of yall do and yall have to respect that just like we respect yall opinions about the flag .
June 3rd, 2020 at 9:15 pm
Why would we sign Vinatieri? He was worse than Gay last year.
June 3rd, 2020 at 9:37 pm
Regardless, Tom Brady has been groomed in PR relations by the best of the best in Bill Belichick. The Bucs will not have any distractions going into the season while the Saints implode.
June 3rd, 2020 at 9:38 pm
^ For 20 years, I might add.
June 3rd, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Join the Bucs as a kicker? Nope. How bout as a kicking coach?
June 3rd, 2020 at 10:13 pm
AV as the kicking coach! I like it.
June 3rd, 2020 at 10:32 pm
Interesting all we hear about Arians is he takes risks but I don’t think the team did that in many games last year. Like that wretched giants game when we should have gone for the win and not those damn plays.
June 3rd, 2020 at 11:30 pm
Kneeling during the anthem is disrespecting the entire nation. Anyone who thinks it is alright needs to move out of the country.
Lots of ways to protest. That should not be one.
June 4th, 2020 at 3:09 am
As a a so called “white man” and a Vietnam war vet I don’t quite see the American flag the way some of y’all do. Afro-Americans have never had the same exact kinds of experiences and opportunities as the Euro-Americans have had in my lifetime.
Also for the past 50 years I have observed at many sporting events how a large percentage of Americans of all ethnicities don’t seem to remember the protocols regarding the American flag and the national anthem as taught in high school civics classes across the nation. So even those who profess such great reverence may well have “treated the symbols rudely” at times.
June 4th, 2020 at 3:16 am
A typo but I don’t really stutter. :->
June 4th, 2020 at 7:17 am
oh i guess my opinion don’t matter huh joe, won’t let me post!!! up your wazoo mofo and your stinking website biotch
June 4th, 2020 at 8:19 am
Jimbob
Thank you sir for your service. I am indebted to you and yours for the freedoms I enjoy.
“as taught in high school civics classes across the nation”
I’m afraid that these things are no longer taught in our public schools as a whole (some still do but most do not)
I agree with you that many who profess or try to show respect, fall flat for lack of understanding or education. I am sure many of us have seen the pickup truck with the flag flying out the back, often times with a southern battle flag right next to it, both of them tattered and torn from the wind.
I could go on a diatribe about my opinions of how and why our society is screwed up but few would (listen, care, understand, commiserate,) while many would attack. So….. I won’t
June 4th, 2020 at 9:52 am
Bonzai it’s not disrespect to the nation because we see it different from you . Being a black man in America is different from being a white man in America . And some of yall just don’t or never will understand because some of yall really don’t care . How about having the same passion for blacks and latinos that you have for the flag this country will be better .