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Smackdown: Biggest Trash Talker

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 14, 2007

Smackdown Results: Offense 1, Defense 1

There is a little known verse in the Bible where David slew Goliath, who was ranked No. 1 in the Philistine poll. It's where David recorded the first documented trash talk.

''You ain't laughing at my rocks now are you?''

Trash talk continues to be a part of sports. Thankfully, cutting off the losers' head and bringing it into Jerusalem has become archaic. And, Tiger Woods taunting Phil Mickelson with the choke sign might not be acceptable on the golf course. But taunting your opponent in football is more a part of the game than getting beat up by Philadelphia Eagles fans - and there is no telling what the men might do.

This week's Smackdown features left guard Anthony Davis vs. linebacker Cato June to determine who is the Bucs' biggest trash talker or Mouth of The South.

Anthony Davis, Left Guard

If there is anyone who seems ready for an appearance on HBO's ''Def Comedy Jam,'' it would have to be Anthony Davis.

''I do talk a lot. Yeah, I can't argue that,'' Davis said. ''It's all in fun.''

There is fun, but then there is enjoyment. His favorite whipping boy on the team is left tackle Donald Penn, who is like the neighborhood's big teddy bear, but impossible to resist picking on.

''He calls me bad bodied. He talks about how long my face is. There are a lot of things he's called me, but it's all fun,'' Penn said. ''I call him Uncle Phil [from ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''] and we call him a manatee because he's so big on the field. We talk about the hot dogs he's got on the back of his neck.''

Davis, a fourth-year veteran, answers those comebacks better than Chris Rock ripping apart a drunk heckler with a Southern accent.

''A.D. talks all the time,'' fullback Michael Pittman said. ''He thinks he's good at everything. He thinks he's the best freestyle rapper out there. The best pool player. The best basketball player. But he's a great guy to be around.''

The great guy admits he is an even better trash talker. Although Davis shied away from giving specific examples of his talents, his on-the-field humor is used to motivate himself and others. Annoying his opponents does not hurt either.

''They [opponents] are doing the same thing, too,'' Davis said. ''If I pancake somebody, I want to let them know how I feel about it. It is all in fun. Our job is in a competitive nature and obviously you have to be playing good to talk good.''

Cato June, Linebacker

The first glimpse of June's bravado occurred during training camp when he popped receiver Chas Gessner during a ''soft'' 11-on-11 drill. He then completed the hit with a few words not found in Tony Robbins' motivational book.

Gessner responded by throwing the ball at June, who laughed at him.

''He will always make a joke about something, or get into some manufactured argument he knows he's going to win,'' fellow linebacker Derrick Brooks said. ''He's always talking about something, but to me it's normal communication.''

June never hesitates to communicate his thoughts. He prefers the ''say it now and clean it up later'' method of expressing his views.

''I talk about whatever is on my mind,'' June said. ''It can be during timeouts. It can come in the first quarter. It might come after what somebody said. Whenever. There is no set time. It's more fun for me than anyone else.''

Actually, June's motor mouth is a constant source of amusement for his teammates – more so when they aren't the recipients.

''He's a competitor and he's not going to let anyone get the best of him. He's the man. That's the way he feels and that's the mentality you have to have,'' strong safety Jermaine Phillips said. ''He talks, but Michigan [where he played in college] is down right now and that talk has kind of simmered. He's still a talker though.''

And like Davis, June loves to trash talk with his teammates.

June, a free agent who helped the Colts win the Super Bowl last February, has an ongoing battle with fellow 6-footer Michael Pittman to determine who is the biggest short person, which neither will give up.

''When he first got here, he didn't say too much, but now he's a big trash-talker,'' Pittman said. ''He thinks he's better than everybody in everything, too. He swears he's taller than me when he's not taller than me, but it's all fun and games.''

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