Fins and Bucs Fans Weigh In On Their Team's Reputations
TAMPA (CBSMiami) - For all the controversy off the field, you have to wonder how Dol-fans feel about their team being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
"I think Incognito should be on the field right now. I think it was a mistake to suspend him without getting all the facts," said Dan Branch, a Miami Dolphin Fan.
CBS4's David Sutta, who is in Tampa for Monday night's game, reported that both Dolphin and Bucs fans had opinions about the bullying scandal.
Hiriam Rodriguez is a Bucs fan. "It's the NFL locker room. These guys are getting paid to be aggressive and play football."
Fans appeared to have no issues with bullying or racial slurs in NFL locker room. If anything they expected it. What surprised them was Jonathon Martin's public departure.
"I'm sorry if somebody is doing something like that I would swing, hit back, do something. He's not like a small guy," Jason Smith a Bucs fan, told Sutta.
Even Richie Incognito's off the field antics had little effect on fans.
"You can go back through my life. I've done some bad stuff in my life," confessed Branch. "If you pulled it all together and took two or three things I did wrong when I was young then I would look like a bad person."
Fans insisted that it's all about winning. Miami Dolphins attendance has been dropping all season as the loss column fills up. Still it's not as bad as the Buccaneers whose attendance is nearing the worst in the NFL.
Which begs the question: If a Dol-fan and a Bucs fan were sitting next to each other. Which one would you feel worse for tonight?
"That's a close one. I would say right now the Bucs," said Bucs fan Amar Nayee.
"Dolphins had pretty close to a no win season so I feel pretty much worse for the Bucs fans right now," said Daniel Swift a Dol-fan.
Rodriguez was blunt. "We're 0 and 8. Who doesn't feel bad for that? Especially losing the games that we've lost. Pretty much both. It's bad on both sides."
"Well let's see," said Brian Smith a Dolphins supporter. "Ours has only been one weekend. And yours has been 8 losses?"
"Yeah well," replied Jason Smith.
David Sutta asked, "Who's counting?"
Jason: "Ours have been close and it's ok," said Jason Smith. "We can come back. There is always next year."
Sutta then said, "Every week they go through this."
"Just remember to thank a vet when you get out there," reminded Jason Smith.
