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Sticking To Convictions

The Hot Corner

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: June 14, 2008

The moment of truth is upon you all, Tampa Bay Buccaneer loyalists.

This Saturday marks the annual Fan Fest extravaganza held at Raymond James Stadium for the community's weary, football famished souls and hawkish, beady-eyed autograph buzzards trying to catch a fleeting summertime glimpse of their gridiron idols. (Word has it, the Fest is directed toward kids as well.)

Beyond the ridiculousness of watching grown men shove aside youngsters for a signature, these events are still always days packed with fun and sun at the stadium while hanging with the Bucs.

This Saturday may have a different feel all together, though.

Coming off the heels of a record-setting turnout for the 2007 event and three straight attendance increases overall, fans are now faced with a conundrum if 2008 has hopes of being the biggest Fan Fest yet.

If you are a Bucs fan or even if you just pay attention to Bay Area sports in general, the epicenter of the disturbance rattling the framework of One Buc Place is no secret.

Sure the Jeff Garcia contract scuffle, recent Chris Simms callouts and yearly Jon Gruden yammerings are causing their typical stir, but all are mere tiffs compared to the nuclear fallout surrounding Jerramy Stevens' return.

(For background if you don't already know what the fuss is about, refer to Part One of a Seattle Times' four-part series that delves into Stevens' unflattering rap sheet.)

Those who listen to local sports talk radio have certainly heard the backlash.

One personality has gone on a crusade of sorts to oppose Stevens' re-hiring.

Virtually every host and the vast majority of callers have expressed their disgust with the tight ends' convicted and alleged behavior. Standing out among the former University of Washington star's charges is a 2000 rape allegation.

Stevens was never convicted and I don't care to go into detail on the actual claims. Check out the Seattle Times article for that.

Add to it the aggressive behavior assertions, hit-and-run incident, driving under the influence cases, etc., it is easy to see why he is being so adamantly vilified.

Personally, I try my darnedest not to judge people with whom I've never conversed and have only read one – albeit lengthy – article about. But I also think I know a lose-lose, P.R. nightmare when I see one.

This is one of those situations.

Tack on the fact that as of June 4 Stevens isn't even eligible to play the first two games of the season due to a DUI that put him in violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, and the situation just looks bleaker.

Even if Stevens – who racked up all of 18 receptions for the Bucs in 2007 – remains on the roster and busts out for a big year, this does not appear to be an odiferous, lingering stink that will just slowly disperse from Buccaneer fans' nostrils.

The fan base is already wavering in confidence with front-office decision making, and to go out on a limb to retain a lightning-rod persona with mediocre-at-best career stats seems to be abjectly incompetent.

I'm sure most have heard the current talk that this latest move solidifies the Bucs as a team all too willing to give questionable guys multiple chances.

This brings me back to good old Fan Fest.

If the public outrage that Stevens has sparked is in fact as real and widespread as it has been broadcasted, we should all see it begin to boil over this Saturday in the form of low attendance, public displays and boycotts – all that fun stuff.

Fans certainly don't have as much pull over their favorite sport's franchises as they sometimes think or wish they had, but this may be an instance where opinions can be heard loud and clear.

Unless Stevens simply goes out and burns another personal bridge himself, this may actually be a situation where it is all up to you, the fan.

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