Buccaneers Fans Negatively Review New Orleans Restaurant After Banning Mike Evans From Eating At Establishment Over Brawl
Mike Evans is not particularly well-liked in The Big Easy these days. The 29-year-old Buccaneers wide receiver has a history of confrontation while playing against his division rivals and Sunday was no exception.
Evans, who once rocked Marcus Lattimore's world while Jameis Winston was still in Tampa Bay, did it again over the weekend. It came after Tom Brady and the Saints cornerback got into it after the play and "retired" head coach Bruce Arians appeared to be an instigator. From there, a bench-clearing brawl ensued.
In the wake of the incident, Evans has been suspended one game by the NFL— though there are conspiracy theories as to why. Brady also does not agree with the ruling.
Mike Evans' Punishment Did Not End There
The next time that he is in New Orleans, he will not be able to enjoy some of the most delicious barbecue in the city. Evans has been banned from Blue Oak BBQ in Mid-City.
The ban came down Monday and was, obviously, in direct response to Evans blindsiding Lattimore.
While the harmless ban was a classic case of NFL fandom spilling out into everyday life, it was nothing more. It was a joke that the majority of people who will be eating at Blue Oak will love.
Bucs fans, on the other hand, did not think it was funny. They got VERY #MadOnline in the replies.
That is to be expected. The internet is a place where people can spar back and forth.
However, they took it a step (or a few steps) too far.
In response to Blue Oak's ban of Evans, Tampa Bay fans had a direct impact on the restaurant's business. They started to leave negative, one-star reviews for the establishment on both Yelp and Google.
Doing so, for those who don't know, hurt's the restaurant's standing when it comes to internet heirarchy. If you Google "best barbecue in New Orleans," Blue Oak may pop up near the top and you may choose to go there. It is well-reviewed by most prior patrons.
But as the negative reviews come in, it pushes Blue Oak further down the list. That may make it less likely that you go there or that you even see it as an option when you search.
Not cool, Buccaneers faithful. It was all in good fun and y'all went too far.