Talib Fight Confirmed, Question Of Discipline Looms

Some of you expressed skepticism regarding Aaron Wilson’s report that Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib was involved in an OTA fight with tackle Donald Penn, which resulted in cornerback Torrie Cox receiving a facial laceration from Talib’s helmet. Well, if we’re wrong, then the St. Petersburg Times is making it up, too. The Times has the same story, with quotes from Penn that attempt to downplay the incident. “Everything is fine,’' Penn said. “Brothers fight all the time. It happens. . . . It wasn’t really a fight. It was a verbal fight. I don’t want it to be a bigger deal than it is. This stuff happens all the time, but you don’t hear about it in the media.’' But in this case the thing that makes it different is Talib. Despite having undeniable talent, he has been regarded as a loose cannon. He tested positive for marijuana three times in college, and there were rumors that Kansas coach Mark Mangino and his coaching staff were badmouthing Talib in the weeks leading up to the 2008 draft. Talib also fought at the rookie symposium with Corey “Back Like Cooked Crack” Boyd, and Talib was fined “heavily and repeatedly” last year for violating team rules. Said a league source last summer, “Trouble just follows Talib. . . . He can’t help himself, and it’s never his fault.” It remains to be seen what head coach Raheem Morris does about Talib, whom Morris called a “wild child” in 2008.