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It has been a topic of much discussion over the past week, often resulting in heated arguments with many former players, coaches and analysts taking both sides of the issues in great numbers. The issue is Greg Schiano and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming after the New York Giants when the game was essentially over and the Giants were taking a knee.
Tom Coughlin approached Schiano after the game on the field and had some choice words for him. The video of their exchange, recorded by JP Peterson of Tampa Bay Sports Central, has finally surfaced. While the words are bleeped out, you can still tell this is a profanity laced exchange, so watch at your own risk.
Click here to view the video.
Coughlin started the madness by yelling at Schiano: “What the the f*** is that all about? Trying to hurt the quarterback? That’s Bullsh**, that’s bullsh**.” Coughlin begins to walk away during the last few words of his sentiments, while Schiano tries to defend him self.
You cannot make out some of Schiano’s tempered explanation, but he essentially, and calmly, says “we were going for the ball.”
“Going for the ball?? You were trying to hurt the quarterback.” Coughlin responded. The final awesome response before both stormed off was “bologna” from coach Schiano.
If you had seen me on Twitter or read anything of mine earlier in the week, you would know that I thought this play was bush league, and that Schiano’s intentions were dirty and he was being a bum. Seeing this makes me back off a little from that opinion, but I still think the play was wrong and uncalled for.
His explanation of it just doesn’t make sense. He claims his players play hard to the final whistle, yet they did not go after a fumble after the first half when the Giants were kneeling. Why not go for the fumble then too? He also instructed his defense to let the Giants score at the end of the game, rather than going for a strip of Andre Brown. That, to me, makes the least amount of sense.
Yes, it is a smart move because the Giants could run down the clock and kick a field goal, but if you’re going to go after a fumble, why not do it when the Giants are actually running plays? Hell, in the same weekend the Arizona Cardinals were trying to run the ball to run out the clock and the New England Patriots caused a fumble, giving them a miraculous chance to win the game (that they then squandered).
If Schiano had come out and said “look, it was a desperate attempt to get the ball back and we weren’t trying to hurt anybody” I would probably not even be talking about it any more. But he tried to act tough and puff his chest out to the media, his team and the rest of the league. That’s not tough, that’s fake tough. He should know when to concede defeat, and his players clearly believe so as well.
He was trying to send a message to his team that he’ll never give up on a game, but it does not seem like that message went over well in the locker room.
Jeff is an NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Like Jeff’s Facebook Page here. Follow him on Twitter @Jeff_Shull
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