Emblematic of what has been a frustrating season, the Bucs failed spectacularly in their attempt at a trick play Sunday against the Bengals, with Giovani Bernard apparently unaware of his involvement in a fake punt that was dead on arrival.
Bernard’s fumble proved costly, giving Cincinnati (whom he played for from 2013-20) possession at Tampa Bay’s 16-yard-line. That opened the floodgates for the reigning AFC Champs, who responded with 31 unanswered points, serving the Bucs their third loss in four games.
Bernard, who has worked almost exclusively with the special teams unit since returning from an ankle injury that shelved him for the better part of two months, had an uncomfortable exchange with local reporters after the game, including Greg Auman, who covers the NFC South for Fox Sports.
For context, Bernard, who was packing up to leave when Auman finally approached him, scolded the media for ignoring him most of the season, only to immediately show up at his locker after a critical mistake. The clip, shared by Jenna Laine of ESPN, instantly went viral, garnering over eight million views on Twitter while sparking debate over locker-room etiquette and what level of obligation players have to entertain prodding questions from reporters looking to shed them in a negative light.
While it’s true Bernard is contractually mandated to address the media when active (those rules don’t apply to injured players), those who watched the video were critical of Auman’s condescending tone, coming off as entitled and unprofessional. Bernard seemed particularly bothered by his sarcastic quip, “What have you done for us to talk to you about all year,” visibly stunned by Auman’s bluntness.
The interaction was revisited on The Pat McAfee Show, drawing a response from Auman, who owned up to his mistake, apologizing for what was an embarrassing lapse in judgment. “I shouldn’t have said what I said,” Auman acknowledged, seeing, upon further reflection, how his comments could be perceived as hostile and combative. “I’ll apologize personally to Bernard the first chance I have.”
It will be interesting to see how Auman is treated in the Bucs’ locker room going forward, potentially creating an awkward dynamic for a struggling team that can’t afford any more distractions.
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