“BREAKING”: NFL suspends Mike Evans; continues investigation into Bruce Arians over the Buccaneers-Saints altercation
Yesterday was one heck of a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints. Not only did quarterback Tom Brady break his streak of losing to the Saints in the regular season since he joined the Bucs but he also continued his tradition of throwing the tablets on the sideline. However, the most memorable part of the game was not a play, it was an altercation.
Tom Brady went at New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and reportedly called him a “F*****g b***h” following which both the players nearly came to blows with one another. However, before Brady could get close to Lattimore, his teammates stepped in and took care of the issue for him. Wideout Mike Evans who has some history with Lattimore was the first to jump in and push the corner away, Leonard Fournette also got himself involved but did not really push or punch anyone.
The NFL is suspecting Bruce Arians had some role to play in this altercation:
The NFL was clearly not happy with this, Tom Brady and Lattimore were both ejected but the league wanted to go a step ahead, and the senior adviser to the GM who is Bruce Arians for the Bucs is also being looked into as a video of him talking in a rather angry manner surfaced. The league suspects Arians may have induced or encouraged the players to defend Tom and get involved in the fight.
The league office is working on solving this issue to the best of their abilities and Bruce Arians is now being looked into with a microscopic eye. If BA is found guilty or at least considered to have instigated his players to get involved in a fight, then his time on the sidelines will be over for the season as he is no longer a part of the coaching staff.
The NFL is not particularly kind when it comes to fights such as these and if a coach or a front office member is involved or suspected of instigating such a fight, then they will come down heavily on them as well. HC Bruce Arians was technically not involved in coaching the team last night, he may have given a point or two but he was just there on the sidelines to watch the game.
Will the NFL ban all non-coaching personnel from being on the sidelines? It seems doubtful but if Arians is let off scot-free then it could set a bad example across the league and the NFL would not be viewed as a dominant authority in that situation. If there is anything that the league loves and especially Commissioner Roger Goodell loves is the power that he has which he is likely to exercise yet again.
Wideout Mike Evans has already been suspended for a game but Bruce Arians is still being looked into. Mike Evans suspension was a cakewalk of a decision as the duo had rough encounters in the past. Bruce Arians could get off with a warning looking at the way things stand now.
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Sumedh Joshi
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