Twitter can leave athletes in hot water and Mike Williams is learning that lesson the hard way. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver posted a cryptic tweet last week appearing to express his anger over ongoing negotiations for a contract extension with the team. Talks have stalled throughout the offseason, but Williams is back peddling claiming to be just fine with his status on the team.
The original tweet was posted in all caps saying, ""I FEEL LIKE MY FAMILY DON'T WANT ME. HAVENT I BEEN EVERYTHING YOU WANTED AND MORE WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR YALL...AND WE SAY FAMILY FIRST." Nothing says anger like 140 characters in all upper case letters. So naturally when the media saw the statement, speculation began to fuel that Williams was expressing frustration with the Buccaneers and head coach Greg Schiano who often uses the word "family" in practice to bring the team together.
So what do you do after getting in trouble for a tweet? Post another tweet to clarify yourself. Williams hoped back on social media to shut down reports that the original message had something to do with football. "These guys should stop this reading between the lines stuff if you really want to know...... I'M TALKING ABOUT ME AND MY BABY MOTHER AND HER FAMILY GOING THREW IT just ask and I will tell you what I'm talking about never once mention those words yall talking about I don't even know what's going on don't c how yall do. REMEMBER WHAT "ASSUME" MAKES LOL"
That should clear everything up. Williams has been patient with the Buccaneers for his contract extension as the team waited through free agency and the NFL Draft before striking up negotiations. Entering into the final year of his current contract, Williams has proved to be worth the money for the Buccaneers. In his first three seasons for the team, he caught 193 passes for 23 touchdowns on the inconsistent offense. He paired nicely with Vincent Jackson last season so it is hard to see why Tampa would risk losing him to the open market when Williams is essential to the growth of quarterback Josh Freeman.
Both Williams and quarterback Josh Freeman are awaiting new deals from Tampa Bay. The team is more prepared to offer Williams a deal before the season begins while they will likely make Freeman play out the final year of his rookie contract. If both players go unsigned through the 2013-14 season and both have strong seasons, Tampa Bay will be costing themselves more money or risk losing both on the open market.
