The One and Only Stevie Johnson Thread

[Trader]

He knows he will not be here next year. He is the type to take it as far as he can.

 

You have it right. I do not think that Johnson has any intention of being here next year and this was his boorish way of letting the world know it. Johnson is as good as gone. It also puts the Bills management of making a self absorbed malcontent their franchise player. Basicaly he put himself in a position to be un franchised.

[Sisyphean Bills]

You have it right. I do not think that Johnson has any intention of being here next year and this was his boorish way of letting the world know it. Johnson is as good as gone. It also puts the Bills management of making a self absorbed malcontent their franchise player. Basicaly he put himself in a position to be un franchised.

That could backfire. The Bills brass could decide to draft his replacement AND franchise tag (rent) him for a season. And, if he insists on keeping it up, cut him at some point.

[K-9]

If the game meant anything to the Bills my guess is SJ would have been back in the game after a series or two. But Chan was able to drive home his point without it effecting the Bills' season, so I'm glad he had the opportunity. Whether or not Chan "taught Stevie a lesson" is besides the point. Gailey did what his value system as HC dictates to him what he should do and I'm glad he did it.

 

I doubt SJ will be a changed man as a result. But Gailey won't either. That's the point.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[CodeMonkey]

No, but I do take a coach's opinion and NFL players opinion over some monkey.

A coach who is covering for his player in public (like any good coach would do) and a player who is an ass clown. Okie dokey.

[Heels20X6]

TO started WAY before his 30's. Ask the 49ers why they got rid of him.

 

And doing so made them the dynasty of the last 10 years...

[Kelly the Dog]

You have it right. I do not think that Johnson has any intention of being here next year and this was his boorish way of letting the world know it. Johnson is as good as gone. It also puts the Bills management of making a self absorbed malcontent their franchise player. Basicaly he put himself in a position to be un franchised.

IMO, that is a ridiculous read on it. Do you think other teams want an intentionally disruptive, coach defying "malcontent" as you call him? He is an UFA, he can go wherever he wants. He is also not at all a vindictive guy he's a prima donna. He may or may not have lost money from the stunt, but no way was it intentional to spit in the face of the Bills. He may be dumb at times but he is not anything like that. I think the Bills offer him the money and he stays.

[Wayne Cubed]

A coach who is covering for his player in public (like any good coach would do) and a player who is an ass clown. Okie dokey.

He is an ass clown because he is trying to have fun at a game that you watch for entertainment? Its not life and death over here. Its football.

[CodeMonkey]

He is an ass clown because he is trying to have fun at a game that you watch for entertainment? Its not life and death over here. Its football.

No. He is an ass clown because he continues to do stupid **** that he knows (or at least should know by this point) will hurt his team in the name of getting additional facetime on TV.

 

Of course it is not life or death, but he is getting paid good money, and wants to get paid a LOT more money, to help the team. Not hurt it.

 

Over an uptight a-hole? Every day and twice on Sunday.

Ouch that hurts. You got me there. Well played.

Edited January 2, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[major]

He is an ass clown because he is trying to have fun at a game that you watch for entertainment? Its not life and death over here. Its football.

 

Amen. It's only football. We watch it for entertainment and Steve J is entertaining. The NFL is the NO FUN LEAGUE for penalizing players for antics such as this. Stevie scores points and makes it fun to watch. Gailey made himself a further joke for benching him. Gailey will soon find himself out of a job anyway. It takes a lot of guts to bench a guy in the last game of a lost season (NOT).

[DrDawkinstein]

Yeah, our WRs gave up 49 points today

 

Im all for building the Defense. Heck, Im for spending every pick on Defense.

 

But given the choice between Justin Blackmon and an OLB, which 34OLB do you think is worth the #9 pick and would have as big of an impact as Blackmon?

 

Maybe Upshaw?

[HurlyBurly51]

Ouch that hurts. You got me there. Well played.

 

You wear it well.

[Wayne Cubed]

Im all for building the Defense. Heck, Im for spending every pick on Defense.

 

But given the choice between Justin Blackmon and an OLB, which 34OLB do you think is worth the #9 pick and would have as big of an impact as Blackmon?

 

Maybe Upshaw?

Agreed. Blackmon is a Beast! He reminds me a lot of another Johnson. Andre that is. Big, physical and fast.

[Kelly the Dog]

This pretty much sums it up. Chan didn't think he would or should have been flagged either because he did the same thing last year and didnt get penalized. But he made the rule for the team and he couldn't go against his own word.

 

“What we said after we had an issue earlier in the season is if anybody got a penalty that hurt our football team for any type of demonstration that he would be out that game and we’d decide about the next game,” said Gailey. “So if I say that I’m going to do it. So he was out.”

 

Since he did not draw a penalty last year for his ‘Why So Serious?’ undershirt in Cincinnati, he thought he’d be safe with a similar display.

 

“I didn’t understand why I couldn’t go out there and do it a second time, but I got the penalty and coach made his decision and I had to ride with him,” said Johnson. “Coach said if something like this happens again and I get a penalty he’s going to have to do what he did today. I don’t lose any love for him. He was true to his word and he has to be.”

 

At the same time Gailey wasn’t thrilled with what appears to be an inconsistent letter of the law with respect to end zone displays.

 

“I’m disappointed,” he said. “What happens is it happened last year. He put a message on his shirt and showed his shirt and didn’t get a flag. And he does it this year and he gets flagged. Which one is it? It puts me in a bind because I made the statement and if I say it I’m going to do it. So I could not argue the gray area of that (rule). So yeah I’m disappointed. If it hurts the team, then I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.”

 

[Wayne Cubed]

This pretty much sums it up. Chan didn't think he would or should have been flagged either because he did the same thing last year and didnt get penalized. But he made the rule for the team and he couldn't go against his own word.

Gee i'm pretty sure I pointed out the inconsistencies of the rules earlier. At least the coach agreed.

[HurlyBurly51]

This pretty much sums it up. Chan didn't think he would or should have been flagged either because he did the same thing last year and didnt get penalized. But he made the rule for the team and he couldn't go against his own word.

 

No, no it was obvious and he knew full well and pre-meditated a way to hurt his team.

[BRH]

Oh good lord. "Me First" comes from the fact that Johnson pre-planned this childish stunt (again) knowing full well it would cost his team 15 yards and give the pats good field position and he simply didn't give a !@#$. He cared only about himself by his "look at me" bull ****, not his team. Get it?

Lighten up Francis. I'm on your side here. His celebration by definition merited a penalty; therefore it was a me-first celebration.

[HeHateMe]

they still lose this game with stevie playing.... he doesn't prevent 49 points from getting put up

[DrDawkinstein]

Gee i'm pretty sure I pointed out the inconsistencies of the rules earlier. At least the coach agreed.

 

Yeah, if that's the case then I was too harsh earlier with regards to what Stevie should have known.

 

However, I still stand by the point, if Stevie was tweeting he was planning on being fined, then he was already planning on doing something borderline, and he needs to quit that crap. It's a divisional game against the Pats. If you cant show up and just be a professional for a few hours, then what good are you? How about celebrating after a win is sealed?

 

You can question the rule, and the way the refs enforce it. But Stevie needs to just win some games before worrying about "having fun". Why cant winning be the fun part?

 

It's fun and entertainment for us fans. For the players, it's their job.

 

they still lose this game with stevie playing.... he doesn't prevent 49 points from getting put up

 

Maybe he does. Maybe he helps extend some drives and score some points to keep it more in the 35-35 range. Offenses help defenses, and vice versa, all the time.

Edited January 2, 2012 by DrDareustein

[Best Player Available]

And doing so made them the dynasty of the last 10 years...

Check your history book on the team........

 

Wondering, ever hear of a guy called Alex Smith?

[BRH]

I didnt see it yet but apparently Gailey had a simple rule. Any player that costs the team a penalty for excessive celebration gets benched. He had to go through with it. Stevie said after the game he understood it and took responsibility for it.

 

To me, because of exactly what he did, Gailey should have benched him only for a half. If he did something excessive, flaunting the rule, that would have been totally different. He clearly thought it would be ok, doing it last year and not getting any penalty. He knew he would get a fine by the league.

Let me ask this then. What do you think Gailey might have said to Stevie if SJ went to him before the game and said "coach, I want to flash my t-shirt after I score. That's cool, right? I mean, I only got fined for it last year."

 

More to the point, what do you think Stevie thought Chan would say?

[jester43]

But what makes the Lambeau leap not excessive, and a shirt statement excessive? I really would like a clear explanation here, and I don't think the league has one. If its a uniform violation, save it for the weekly fines. That is done all the time. If it's that the former is traditional and the latter isn't, well, Again, this reveals a poor rule.

it does seem like what gets penalized and what doesn't is really arbitrary. you see some really dumb **** go unpunished.

[BRH]

If the game meant anything to the Bills my guess is SJ would have been back in the game after a series or two.

I'm going to hope that if the game meant anything to the Bills SJ would have worn a plain white t-shirt.

[Kelly the Dog]

No, no it was obvious and he knew full well and pre-meditated a way to hurt his team.

I read the rules. There is really nothing in the rules that makes what he did a penalty. If you do something right in front of an NFL referee, he sees and knows you did it, and does not call a penalty, it's pretty safe to think it is not a penalty. There are a LOT of things players do in the endzones that do not get penalties but get fines from the league. This isn't really spoken about much but Johnson gets fined for pretty much every one he does. He got fined for the shirt last year, but it wasn't a penalty and the league never told him it was. He got fined for fake blowing off a cannon in the endzone against the Pats but it wasn't a penalty. That was not in any way a pre-meditated way to hurt the team. It was just pretty dumb.

[opfball91]

The things Stevie Johnson does, regardless of what the shirt says, what the celebration was, put his TEAM in danger of losing. I don't care how many TDs, receptions, yards, none of that matters. If you put yourself and your own stupid ego in front of the teams better interest, you're a selfish player and his past indicates he will always act this way. You'd think he would learn, after so many mistakes, but he doesn't. He made his bed, now sleep in it. I for one am damn happy we have a coach who isn't intimidated by his players. What Chan did today sent a message to his team that if you come to work everyday, ready to play, do your job in order for the TEAM to have the best chance of winning, you can play for us. Today, that strategy didn't work because of the lack of skill we have on our bench. But I think it set a precedent for the future. Stevie, either sign here or don't, I couldn't care less if you leave, but you can play for us if you want. Anyone who thinks this was a bad decision doesn't truly understand football, and how EVERY yard matters. Selfish players are the most frustrating thing to watch as a football fan and former player. He's got people busting their ass out there, and doing it quietly, because they want to win that bad. They don't care if they're on sportscenter, or if their stupid twitter gets noticed, all they care about is winning and THOSE players are the ones that win championships.

[G-Daddy]

So has Stevie tweeted anything yet about this Happy New Year incident??????

[DanInUticaTampa]

Let me ask this then. What do you think Gailey might have said to Stevie if SJ went to him before the game and said "coach, I want to flash my t-shirt after I score. That's cool, right? I mean, I only got fined for it last year."

 

More to the point, what do you think Stevie thought Chan would say?

 

Obviously Chan would have discouraged it. Even when stevie does his off field jokes, chan isn't even impressed. When stevie dressed up as chan for halloween, chan's response "I didn't see it. sounds like he has too much time on his hands."

 

Chan doesn't seem like the type of coach that would say "Sure, do something stupid and get a fine."

 

Not to mention Chan has said he had to talk to stevie after the whole "why so serious" issue. it would be reasonable to assume this wouldn't sit well with chan to begin with.

 

If chan told stevie it was ok to do that, then he benched him, then the whole team would be in an uproar and we would have heard about it. We probably would have heard it from stevie first, and for good reason.

Edited January 2, 2012 by DanInUticaTampa

[BRH]

it does seem like what gets penalized and what doesn't is really arbitrary. you see some really dumb **** go unpunished.

Yes, some really dumb **** goes unpunished, but the players know exactly where the line is. Go to the ground, get flagged. Use a prop, get flagged. Dunk the ball or jump in the stands, no flag. Run to the center of the field, no flag. Taunt in someone's face, flag. It's very simple even if the rules and exceptions are stupid. Kind of like in-the-crease. It was a monumentally stupid rule, but it was the !@#$ing rule and should have been called.

 

Sometimes guys will get away with doing stuff that should be flagged (though rarely are those the guys with a history of doing it). But you never see a guy get flagged for dunking or leaping. That's the point. They know what's legal and they do that instead of something that isn't.

[HurlyBurly51]

I read the rules. There is really nothing in the rules that makes what he did a penalty. If you do something right in front of an NFL referee, he sees and knows you did it, and does not call a penalty, it's pretty safe to think it is not a penalty. There are a LOT of things players do in the endzones that do not get penalties but get fines from the league. This isn't really spoken about much but Johnson gets fined for pretty much every one he does. He got fined for the shirt last year, but it wasn't a penalty and the league never told him it was. He got fined for fake blowing off a cannon in the endzone against the Pats but it wasn't a penalty. That was not in any way a pre-meditated way to hurt the team. It was just pretty dumb.

 

Thank you KTD, that was my point. Some are way too fast around here to pass judgment and make false assumptions. Not sure if they need surgery to remove the broom, but let the facts come out before making stupid statements about a player deliberately wanting to hurt his own team.

[BRH]

I read the rules. There is really nothing in the rules that makes what he did a penalty. If you do something right in front of an NFL referee, he sees and knows you did it, and does not call a penalty, it's pretty safe to think it is not a penalty. There are a LOT of things players do in the endzones that do not get penalties but get fines from the league. This isn't really spoken about much but Johnson gets fined for pretty much every one he does. He got fined for the shirt last year, but it wasn't a penalty and the league never told him it was. He got fined for fake blowing off a cannon in the endzone against the Pats but it wasn't a penalty. That was not in any way a pre-meditated way to hurt the team. It was just pretty dumb.

The Pats stunt last year may not have been CALLED a penalty, but it should have been, not because of the cannon but because he fell to the ground. That's why he got fined afterward. The shirt with a message on it? That's a prop, and is a penalty.

[Kelly the Dog]

Let me ask this then. What do you think Gailey might have said to Stevie if SJ went to him before the game and said "coach, I want to flash my t-shirt after I score. That's cool, right? I mean, I only got fined for it last year."

 

More to the point, what do you think Stevie thought Chan would say?

Personally, I think the Why So Serious thing was funny. It shouldnt be a penalty and wasn't. It's not necessary but it's harmless. He wrote Happy New Year. The guy LOVES attention, but that part of his personality is alse what makes him a big time player who makes spectacular catches and scores TDs. We ask these guys to turn on and off their personalities, and we have to, for certain things. He wasn't trying to defy anything, he wasn't trying to show anyone up. He wanted to be seen on national TV wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

 

It was selfish because it hurt the team and he paid a dear price. I think it's VERY reasonable for him to assume that is not going to draw a penalty. He was just wrong. I would not doubt if there is some grey area in league circles about this and they will come out after the year and say NO. YOU CANNOT WRITE ON JERSEYS and he will then know. By saying its okay once and not okay the second time, it's pretty confusing. Again, if you read the rules, there isn't anything he did that was against them.

[BRH]

And by the way, I agree that he was not trying to hurt the team. I just think that he was more concerned about doing something clever that would get him on tv than about whether it would hurt the team, and that is just as inexcusable to me.

[DrDawkinstein]

Thank you KTD, that was my point. Some are way too fast around here to pass judgment and make false assumptions. Not sure if they need surgery to remove the broom, but let the facts come out before making stupid statements about a player deliberately wanting to hurt his own team.

 

Whether the rule is vague or not, the fact Stevie tweeted about being fined before the game started clearly shows he wanted to push the rules for his own ambition. That isnt a team player, and guys like that regularly get bounced by teams like the Steelers, Packers, and Pats.

 

I think Stevie should be brought back, but he also needs to get his priorities straight.

[RkFast]

Million Dollar Body....ten cent head.

 

Players with ten cent heads win Championships.....NEVER.

 

Bye Stevie....dont forget to pack up your Sharpies and Twitter feed when you leave.

[DrDawkinstein]

And by the way, I agree that he was not trying to hurt the team. I just think that he was more concerned about doing something clever that would get him on tv than about whether it would hurt the team, and that is just as inexcusable to me.

 

This. Regardless of the details of the rules and penalties. This.

[Coach Tuesday]

Yes, some really dumb **** goes unpunished, but the players know exactly where the line is. Go to the ground, get flagged. Use a prop, get flagged. Dunk the ball or jump in the stands, no flag. Run to the center of the field, no flag. Taunt in someone's face, flag. It's very simple even if the rules and exceptions are stupid. Kind of like in-the-crease. It was a monumentally stupid rule, but it was the !@#$ing rule and should have been called.

 

Sometimes guys will get away with doing stuff that should be flagged (though rarely are those the guys with a history of doing it). But you never see a guy get flagged for dunking or leaping. That's the point. They know what's legal and they do that instead of something that isn't.

 

They showed Stevie talking to George Wilson after it happened, and it looked to me that Stevie mouthed something like, "I didn't think it would get called." Whethernhe should've known better is debatable, though. He was in no position to take the risk, especially after promising after the Jets game that it would never happen again.

 

From the Bills' perspective, it's not do much the act itself, it's the poor judgment. Are they really gonna hand a huge signing bonus to a guy with such poor judgment? The Kynch situation suggests that the answer is absolutely not.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Coach Tuesday

[BRH]

Personally, I think the Why So Serious thing was funny. It shouldnt be a penalty and wasn't. It's not necessary but it's harmless. He wrote Happy New Year. The guy LOVES attention, but that part of his personality is alse what makes him a big time player who makes spectacular catches and scores TDs. We ask these guys to turn on and off their personalities, and we have to, for certain things. He wasn't trying to defy anything, he wasn't trying to show anyone up. He wanted to be seen on national TV wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

 

It was selfish because it hurt the team and he paid a dear price. I think it's VERY reasonable for him to assume that is not going to draw a penalty. He was just wrong. I would not doubt if there is some grey area in league circles about this and they will come out after the year and say NO. YOU CANNOT WRITE ON JERSEYS and he will then know. By saying its okay once and not okay the second time, it's pretty confusing. Again, if you read the rules, there isn't anything he did that was against them.

I prefer to have people working for me whose first thought isn't "but the policy doesn't SAY I can't do that."

 

They showed Stevie talking to George Wilson after it happened, and it looked to me that Stevie mouthed one thing like, "I didn't think it would get called." Whethernhe should've known better is debatable, though. He was in no position to take the risk, especially after promising after the Jets game that it would never happen again.

A thousand times this.

[8-8 Forever?]

Douchebag. That is all.

 

Ocho Cinco without the game

[DanInUticaTampa]

Million Dollar Body....ten cent head.

 

Players with ten cent heads win Championships.....NEVER.

 

Bye Stevie....dont forget to pack up your Sharpies and Twitter feed when you leave.

 

You mean the WR who caught a winning TD pass in the superbowl who shot himself in the foot does not have a 10 cent head?

[jkrules]

Good players make good plays, can be inconsistent, get over 1,000 yards, and sometimes win games.

 

Great players make great plays, are consistent, get over 1,000 yards, and win games.

 

Stevie Johnson is a good player. You must ask yourself whether or not the Bills should pay a good player $7 mil a year.

 

The choice is clear for me- he is not a great player, hasn't proven himself worthy of $7.5 mil a year, and should walk. What he did today proves that he just doesn't get it- he thinks he's a star, but being a star isn't enough. When you cost your team games, you should be benched and you should lose out on big money.

 

Good for Chan Gailey.

 

+1 Well Said!

[RkFast]

You mean the WR who caught a winning TD pass in the superbowl who shot himself in the foot does not have a 10 cent head?

 

You mean the WR who got bounced from an elite franchise for being such a headcase and the Giants picked him up on a whim, then did two years in jail for that fiasco and is now pretty much a journeyman?