“You Didn’t Talk A Lot”

February 13th, 2024

Different team, different tone.

Maybe Joe has a weird sense of humor.

Baker Mayfield was all over the place in Las Vegas last week at the Super Bowl Media Center, and outside it too. If there was a radio show or TV network that had a set outside the media center, Mayfield found it.

On the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s show, Mayfield was pitching a paid campaign against false starts — and the solution was to buy a new car battery.

When Mayfield sat down with Kay Adams and foot-rubbing former Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski, the first comment Adams made was, “You didn’t talk much this year.”

Of course, quarterbacks in the NFL are required to talk at a weekly press conference and a postgame game presser. Joe suspects Adams got the idea Mayfield wasn’t talking because he didn’t have a certain Cleveland beat writer trying to bait him all the time.

Kay Adams: I give you a lot of credit. You like to speak your mind. It has to be a big discipline, mentally, not to do that. Was it difficult?

Baker Mayfield: Well, I think when I was speaking my mind in prior situations, it was a lot of negativity. Now, in Tampa when I got there, there was a lot of positivity. It wasn’t like I was refraining from saying anything. There has definitely been lessons along the way of when to say things publicly and what to say behind closed doors.

Mayfield’s answer pretty much confirmed Joe’s hunch. Mayfield had to deal with a longtime Browns beat guy, specifically, who was trying to bait Mayfield and the two didn’t get along.

Mayfield had been used to small-town college beats guys often being unaffiliated cheerleaders in Oklahoma. Then he goes to Cleveland and while the city’s media isn’t Philadelphia or New York or even Chicago, it isn’t soft either.

In Tampa, Mayfield dealt with few probing questions. And the Bucs (and Mayfield) had a quick start and a winning record. So that helped too.

Joe periodically reads and hears national analysts say Mayfield has matured. Perhaps. But Joe believes part of that perception is that he isn’t getting jousted all the time like he was by a specific person in Cleveland.

20 Responses to ““You Didn’t Talk A Lot””

  1. jehzsa Says:

    BM and DJT should have coffee regularly.

  2. Buckeyebuckchuck Says:

    Yeah there’s a Demand for that kind of stuff up in “the land”

  3. Jeffs grandpa Says:

    Yep Tony Grossi is a pos

  4. Marky Mark Says:

    Terry pluto? mary Kay? Who was it?

  5. Marky Mark Says:

    Ok yea, Tony Grossi. Did he not get fired from the Plain Dealer?

  6. Gipper Says:

    Tony Grossi is the writer and he is full of himself. Grossi is a legend in his own mind. Baker was more accommodating than he should have been with this complete zero. If Joe knows how we can get these comments supplied directly to Grossi please either forward or tell us how we can contact Grossi via email. Sure that Grossi likes his new look Browns better with their predator QB, DeShaun Watson. Tony wants to party with DeShaun.

  7. RustyRhinos Says:

    Hey Joe,

    “Well, I think when I was speaking my mind in prior situations, it was a lot of negativity. Now, in Tampa when I got there, there was a lot of positivity. It wasn’t like I was refraining from saying anything. There has definitely been lessons along the way of when to say things publicly and what to say behind closed doors”.

    “Mayfield’s answer pretty much confirmed Joe’s hunch. Mayfield had to deal with a longtime Browns beat guy, specifically, who was trying to bait Mayfield and the two didn’t get along.”

    Where can a guy get some of those read-between-the-lines glasses you are always wearing? Where in the Quote “answer” you gave did it mention any Browns beat writer? It did show me that Baker Mayfield has grown up since he was drafted in Cleveland. As should we all hope a #1 QB pick would. How much are those read-between-the-lines glasses? I need to get my wife and me a pair.

    GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!

  8. Lord Cornelius Says:

    It’s also not like he has the same pressure as when he was the #1 pick for the franchise. Guessing that was part of it

  9. Ramon Says:

    Ballerz HAS been SCREWED at every “PRIOR,” aside from The Rams, who he is now showing respect to by “referral (See OC hire) until he GOT HERE. It smells like fate that he finally…HE finally found a home- and Tampa BAE is a neat town; I sowed tf outta my Youth there on Folwer and Dale Mabry; it got WATER, too, beaches, sunshine, and more lightning and thunderstorms than most cities…I find thunder and lightning to be beautiful to watch. I’m Glad he finally found himself in a criminally underrated party town. Don’t forget, Sans, going all the way to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, the best Cuban Food in the Middle part of the state is found in the heart of Tampa.

  10. Boss Says:

    why would bake meet with Trump?

  11. LANshark Says:

    IF you followed Baker in Cleveland – there were 2 writers specifically who clearly had it out for him – Tony Grossi, and Mary Kay Cabot (the gossip queen of ‘sportswriters’). Baker basically told Tony to stop asking stupid questions and would not give Mary Kay the time of day. So, they started a hatchet job about his “immaturity” and harping on the BS that happened around Ohio State in College, and other BS. Interesting that neither of them has had a bad word to say about DePervert Watson – says a bunch right there.

    Baker has grown up a bit, but not nearly as much.

  12. BillyBucco Says:

    It’s really easy to see the Baker fans who only joined this site when he came here.
    You guys immediately citing this guys name and calling him a POS give yourselves away.
    I need to start making a list because your Baker comments are obviously SKEWED and BIASED.
    Arguing with these posters is USELESS.
    Shame on me for taking the bait!!!!
    My dad had me in a TB onesie when I was 2.
    Born in 74 and on this site for over a decade.
    Im a Tampa Bay Bucs fan first and foremost.
    I lived through the Brady following and can easily survive the Baker Bois.
    For the right price I like Baker.
    For an absurd price he is not the guy.
    Part of me hopes ME13 does sign somewhere else so we can truly see what Baker is made of. That’s because the Baker LOVE is over the top.
    When did this site become FOLLOWERS of a person and NOT about the Tampa Bay Bucs?

  13. BakerBucs Says:

    Be happy Tampa has finely hit the big leagues in doesn’t matter if you been on this site for 10 years or 10 months u now have a much larger base be happy maybe we r also making this site relevant.im sure joe cud appreciate that

  14. BucU Says:

    The more the merrier folks!

  15. Roadsoda Says:

    “…the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s show…”

    Good Grief.

    Please dispense with the unnecessary leg-humping.
    Your aggrandizing detracts from your narrative.
    You can do better.

  16. Don'tBmad Says:

    Of course casual Buc fans don’t know….but TG and MK were due hard anti Baker from the start. Like idiot liberals who proclaimed Trump was a racist and got slapped down by facts….these two never wavered on their disdain for Baker. Turns out all the hate and vitriol was just as contrived as RussiaGate.

    Liberals are losers and liberal football fans are just as clueless.

  17. Please Says:

    And also he doesn’t have to live in Cleveland. That helps.

  18. garro Says:

    Remember when being a journalist was an honorable thing…

    Tom McEwen is rolling over in his grave as we speak. Didn’t realize how good we had it in Tampa till he hung em up. Not throwing any shade your way Joe.

    Go Bucs!

  19. BucaneroJim Says:

    BillyBucco…

    Totally agree with your post. Specifically, “I’m a Tampa Bay Bucs fan first and foremost. I lived through the Brady following and can easily survive the Baker Bois.” (sic).

    Cool, that you grew up as a Bucs. Like the onesie reference!

    I was born in ’58, my family came to the FL west coast in the 1860’s. My dad, at 30 years of age went to UF law school 1965-69. Only 200 students were in the law school, then. I grew up playing QB with a Spurrier jersey ( wish I still had it!)… and going to UF games. My dad’s first job out of school in 1970 was at a law firm in Jacksonville. There was this other attorney there, by the name of Hugh Culverhouse – you may have heard of him. Dad started his own law firm in O-ville in the early ’70’s. As I recall, he helped on with some legal work for a guy by the name of Mercury Morris. Prior to the Bucs in 1976, all real Floridians were fans of the Miami Dolphins – the only NFL FL team. Pretty dang good team in those days… and not too shabby recently. My bros and I went to UCF (or FL Tech), my wife and some friends to FSU, some of friends/family to UF and even Jax. I support all FL pro and college teams. I would like to see Trask succeed, because he is a Buc – not based on the UF period (the guy is from Texas, hee hee!). In later years, I used to watch UF games with my dad, just to hang out with him. He died in 2015 and I have not watched a UF game since – just too hard. Never saw a Trask game.

    The once migrated Brady fans here, had a big big right to be proud of the GOAT. I can respect that. How could one not respect that! Tom brought us a Lombardi trophy made of sterling silver – my opinion is, the new Baker bois are like carpet baggers trying to sell us a tin plated trophy. Really!… what snake oil salesmanship, comparing 2023 Baker to 2022 Brady (his worst and only losing year).

    As I have written before, I always liked Baker – he’s cool… maybe he will bust out with the right team. If he comes back in 2024, and then takes us to the Super Bowl, great. I support him as a Buc – just don’t tell us he is a $150,00 Mercedes and not a $39,000 VW. Maybe he is a $60-70,000 Audi for a couple years.

  20. BucaneroJim Says:

    Oh yeah, my wife wants to say Happy Valentine’s Day!…my cue to cook.