BUCS’ TRUEBLOOD: REFS HAVE ATTITUDE PROBLEMS

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Jeremy Trueblood has drawn quite a few fines in his three-year career. He might be on his way to another one, for publicly criticizing league officials. In an interview with the Tampa Tribune, Trueblood said of NFL referees, “There’s no winning with those guys and I understand that, but those guys have attitude problems. I don’t, but they do.” Trueblood, who was fined $15,000 last year for impermissible contact with a game official, also said fines don’t bother him nearly as much as 15-yard penalties. According to Trueblood, since the fines are withheld from his paychecks, he doesn’t give them much thought. “The money, and this is probably not the most correct way to look at it, I never see it because it’s taken out of my check,” Trueblood said. “I basically don’t see it, so I don’t pay too much attention to it. Believe me, I’m not making enough money to do that, but it makes me feel better in the back of my head.” Perhaps the league office will decide to take enough out of Trueblood’s check that he does pay attention to it.