There were two groups of fans when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Jameis Winston in 2015. Those who celebrated and those who mourned. After three years of play and two public falls from grace, it appears one side is inching closer to be vindicated.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has been accused of essentially what boils down to sexual assault. The unwanted sexual physical contact of another human being.
Whether or not he did it is not confirmed for or against. In this country, all citizens are considered innocent until proven in a court of law.
In the National Football League, there is no court of law. There is the court of Roger Goodell, and his overwhelming tenets are to ‘protect the shield’. From all enemies, internal and external.
If the NFL has any evidence pointing to the accusations against Winston being true, then he likely identifies the Bucs quarterback as an enemy of the internal kind.
It’s easier for him to deal with those types as he has full control. He dictates the punishment, and receives the appeal should there be one. Brilliant. Allowing the man who handed down the decision to then reconsider the decision and decide if it was the right decision. I don’t know about you, but I tend to agree with me. I bet Roger does too.
Anyway, CBA talk can be saved for a later date. Today, we’re talking about the life and times of Jameis Winston. The life will hopefully be long and filled with wedded bliss and the joys of parenthood. His times, at least in Tampa, may be running out.
Recently, on the Rich Eisen show, Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud joined Mr. Eisen to discuss what was and is happening pertaining to Winston’s allegations and presumed punishment.
In his comments, he stated the following when asked about the possibility of the team moving on from Winston,
"“I think it’s reasonable to say that he’s playing for his career in Tampa.”"
He said more of course, but this is the part I want to focus on today. Is Winston’s career, at least as far as the Bucs may be concerned, at risk? Yes. Undoubtedly.
The franchise was a loser in 2015 when they drafted him first overall in 2015. They won six games with Winston that first year. Then nine in the next. And then five with a combination of him and Ryan Fitzpatrick playing quarterback.
Sprinkled in there was the incident involving comments made towards female children during a school visit. Comments I still say where taken out of context and made into more than it needed to be, but nonetheless, they’re there.
Then came word of the Uber allegations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ franchise quarterback immediately denied all wrong doing and said he had no fear of a suspension from the NFL.
Well, now there’s word of what he was unafraid of happening. And a convicted rapist providing eye witness testimony. How? Because he was with him the night it happened. Then there’s Ronald Darby, who stood up for Winston, just to be outed as a liar from clashing accounts of the evening.
It’s not good. None of it. And like Rick Stroud said, it’s entirely possible Winston is playing whatever portion of the 2018 season for all the chips. Literally.
Bottom line is, you can’t have this drama and these allegations surrounding you and not win. You just can’t.