These Tampa Bay Buccaneer rookies were in for a bout of sticker shock when their dinner bill arrived – racking up whopping $26,357.

The new offensive linemen were having dinner with teammates at fine dining chain, Ruth’s Chris Steak House. After they had finished, the staff brought out the bill for the newbies to pay, which is when things went awry.

The receipt was so long the paper had to be bent to fit inside the check folder. The detailed items list included a $10,000 shot of cognac, a birthday dessert, an anniversary dessert and a free child’s ice cream.

Here's a better shot of that Bucs offensive line rookie dinner tab. $10,000 in cognac, $3,450 in red wine at @RuthsChris ... pic.twitter.com/7tYn1uqd1f

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 17, 2017

Though the rookies shouldn't have been too shocked. The dinner, and it's subsequent bill, is all part of a longstanding hazing tradition in the NFL.

Fortunately for the new linemen, the bill was part of an elaborate prank staged by their teammates. According to the Bleacher Report, the veteran Buccaneer’s had the steakhouse make a fake bill to present to the rookies after dinner had ended.

Donovan Smith, offensive tackle, posted the lengthy bill in an Instagram story with “rest in peace” printed beneath the total amount. Reporter Greg Auman took the photo and posted it on his Twitter where followers were quick to call foul on the outrageous and eclectic receipt.

Once the fun and games were over, the actual bill was delivered, clocking in at a modest $3,000 that veteran players split among themselves.

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That's funny

Final bill was only $3000? A little low IMO. I've been to company dinners where a department has racked up a higher bill than that.

quote:

Originally posted by Chach:
Final bill was only $3000? A little low IMO. I've been to company dinners where a department has racked up a higher bill than that.

It didn't say how many in the party, but there are only a couple of rookie o linemen in camp. I'd be surprised if there were more than a dozen.

Have you ever seen those guys eat?

My sons and I were guests at a Charger training camp, back in the Fouts Air Coryell Charlie Joiner days, including dinner. There were no or very few 300+ lb guys back then. They could eat!

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Have you ever seen those guys eat?

My sons and I were guests at a Charger training camp, back in the Fouts Air Coryell Charlie Joiner days, including dinner. There were no or very few 300+ lb guys back then. They could eat!

Louie Kelcher, Billy Shields and Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson


Sounds good natured and the moral of the story is the veterans split it amongst themselves and didn't saddle the rookies. You hear similar stories and you can tell which teams have shitty leadership when rookies are paying exorbitant bills in similar stunts, and none of the veterans step-in and say I'll pick that up.

Air Coryell and Fouts. They were great. Did they even have running backs on that team?

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog7972:
Air Coryell and Fouts. They were great. Did they even have running backs on that team?

Chuck Muncie...when he wasn't buying blow and passing out in frat houses around SDSU

This is pretty common in the NHL. Most teams do a "rookie dinner" where the entire team goes to a nice restaurant and the bill gets handed to the rookies. It's not a joke, they're paying.

In the 70s:

"Shortly before Thanksgiving, one of the older players on the Minnesota Vikings approached Chuck Foreman. "Rookie," he said, "be sure to get your free turkey." "What free turkey?" the rookie running back asked. The older player told him about a supermarket where it was traditional for members of the Vikings to receive a free turkey. Other rookies also were told about it."

That was a gag played on the rookies, of course. The rookies were stiffed when they tried to collect.

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
This is pretty common in the NHL. Most teams do a "rookie dinner" where the entire team goes to a nice restaurant and the bill gets handed to the rookies. It's not a joke, they're paying.

They sound like Good Fellas to do that.

Carson Wentz bought every offensive lineman (including backups) a $2k Beretta shotgun with their numbers engraved on them for Christmas. He was the number two pick last year, so the $24k probably wasn't that big of a deal.

I'd feel bad for rookies who weren't a top ten pick who actually had to pay a bill like that. I've heard it happen in the past.

Meanwhile, in much of the rest of the world ...

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
This is pretty common in the NHL. Most teams do a "rookie dinner" where the entire team goes to a nice restaurant and the bill gets handed to the rookies. It's not a joke, they're paying.

They sound like Good Fellas to do that.

My buddy played college ball at Texas A&M, and he became friends there with an o-lineman who made the NFL. The Falcons o-line had a dinner and as a rookie his buddy got stuck with the bill. I guess it was a right of passage for making the team.

quote:

Originally posted by Chach:
Final bill was only $3000? A little low IMO. I've been to company dinners where a department has racked up a higher bill than that.

Yup, I asked my direct to find a "nice" place on the water north of Miami...but "not expensive".

$2200 later....for 10 and I was a bit miff'ed, especially when a few decided to FB photos....

quote:

Originally posted by dewhorse:

quote:

Originally posted by Chach:
Final bill was only $3000? A little low IMO. I've been to company dinners where a department has racked up a higher bill than that.

Yup, I asked my direct to find a "nice" place on the water north of Miami...but "not expensive".

$2200 later....for 10 and I was a bit miff'ed, especially when a few decided to FB photos....

What's a "direct?" Autocorrect for Director maybe?

'Direct report'

quote:

Originally posted by SigJacket:
'Direct report'

Ok, what is a "direct report?"

I have seen these terms before.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

quote:

Originally posted by SigJacket:
'Direct report'

Ok, what is a "direct report?"

I have seen these terms before.

Someone he writes an annual employee performance review on maybe?

I think if my boss asked me to pick a restaurant, I'd pick a good one that I wouldn't be able to afford myself. When else would I be able to eat there with someone else paying the bill?

quote:

Final bill was only $3000?

My wife worked for NFL Properties back in the 70's and 80's. We would take out clients to dinner during the Super Bowl week. They would have been happy if we kept it to only 3K. One of the often used was the forge in Miami. Bottles of DP flowed like water and wines could easily run several hundred and up for a bottle.

I'd have to guess that the company credit card didn't have a limit.

quote:

Originally posted by Paten:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:

quote:

Originally posted by SigJacket:
'Direct report'

Ok, what is a "direct report?"

I have seen these terms before.

Someone he writes an annual employee performance review on maybe?

Ok, I typo'd my question. It's a term I've not heard used before. Maybe it's been 30 years since I held a job. I don't recall having annual employee performance reviews since fitness reports in the Navy.

I guess maybe its like the mafia where there is a boss, an underboss and capos. A capo had crews of earners that worked for him, and paid up to the crew leader who paid up to his capo who paid up to the boss, a sign of respect.