Bucs Fans Spending Cash; Just Not On Tickets
September 6th, 2012
Joe has been writing this for some time. The NFL has all but confessed it to be true.
In what Joe believes is a cultural change among American sports fans, more and more fans prefer the at-home experience (giant HDTVs in Sensurround, multiple replays at various camera angles, DVR rewind, multiple games via NFL Sunday Ticket, cheaper beer/food) than the in-game experience.
The evidence is all over the place but for Bucs fans, Joe has stumbled upon the smoking gun.
Rick Brown of the Lakeland Ledger has unearthed an item that documents NFL gear sales and it appears Tampa Bay area residents are among the best in the NFL at buying swag.
According to Fanatics.com, NFL fans in Tampa rank in the Top 10 in the NFL when it comes to buying NFL merchandise.
Tampa ranks ninth on the list of U.S. cities purchasing NFL gear. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re buying Buc gear but at least they’re NFL fans. According to the list, which data was compiled after the NFL Draft through the NFL preseason, Houston was the top city buying NFL swag, followed by Jacksonville (huh?), New York, Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Chicago, San Antonio, then Tampa and Phoenix.
For Joe, this should end the debate as to why the Bucs aren’t moving tickets despite all the perks offered by Team Glazer this weekend. More and more fans believe what SiriusXM Radio college football personality Bill King always says.
“If I go to a game I miss too much.”
September 6th, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Yeah. They’re all northern schmuck transplants that buy philly, boston, new york, steeler, and packer gear to parade all around Tampa Bay with.
September 6th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
^^^^^^
September 6th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Im not from the Tampa area but I got to be honest. If any other team in the league spent the kind of money we did in the offseason and brought in the personnel we did and the fans still wouldn’t show up for the opening game celebrating one of the Bucs great 200th start, I would have a real problem with that fan base. It doesn’t make me feel good about the fan base at all. A little but of shame. Hopefully we start winning but I believe that even if you hate the owners or the gm, or the coach, you should at least support the players. When we do start winning I would almost rather the fans who didn’t support the bucs through thick and thin just stay home.
September 6th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
@Joe,
Just so happens you have touched on my field of expertise. Customer satisfaction through hi-tech applications.
September 6th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
The Glazers have done their part and the season ticket base (about 35,000 to 40,000) always does their part. The remaining fans choose other ways to spend their entertainment dollars and should (but certainly WILL) complain about blackouts. It is they themselves who are causing them by making other choices. We all know there are many who simply cannot afford to go but enough can that have made their choice.
I’m done even hearing about it because it really IS pitiful.
September 6th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
@JBrooks
Pete Dutcher buys tickets even though he can’t attend games.
Why don’t you buy some tickets every game and award them to deserving but unfortunate posters like BucoBruce who can’t work because of two knee operations. I think RustyRhino would like to go as well, but his hours were cut.
If all the wonderful out of state boosters would kick in some money to the JBF Relief Fund, maybe they can reach the 85% threshold. Come on man, you can do it!! I’ll pledge 1000 pesos.
September 6th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Somehow I doubt many people retire from Brandon or Palm Harbor to Cleveland Heights.
September 6th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
@ Miguel – Haha I don’t think im going to be paying for other random people to go to Bucs games. I work overseas and should be back in time to catch the back end of the season though.
September 6th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Would be funny if a bunch of no shows bought tickets though. A supposed sell out and half the seats are empty. Wouldn’t help the homefield advantage issue though.
September 6th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
I could care less.
Section 311 Row A.
September 6th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Make it loud USMC. You have to make up for those that aren’t going to show.
September 6th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
i could care less.
Living room middle cushion.
September 6th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
@buc the saint hahahahahahaha nice. Bar stool row 1 seat 4 lol
September 6th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Section 133 row g
September 6th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
I’m guessing it all comes down to simple math… a jersey is 100-250 plus a cap 25. A season ticket starts at least 3 times more (please don’t hate i’m not sure the exact price).
September 6th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
311 row G
September 6th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Section 120 Row N
September 7th, 2012 at 2:18 am
Watched ticket sales and glad I did. I didn’t waste my money on a ticket this week to help avoid a blackout.
Although, since I’m doing financially better this year, I might buy two tickets to some games and have someone take my son to the games.
Otherwise, I won’t give my tickets to other fans regardless of whether they get used or not. That would undermine the effort of getting other people to buy tickets.
But, again, this week I decided to watch the ticket sales and ended up saving some money.
September 7th, 2012 at 2:20 am
Oh yeah…also not streaming it. Going to listen to the radio…figure Gene is getting old so I want to hear him a few times this year…in case he kicks the bucket soon 😉
September 7th, 2012 at 4:27 am
Tampa is a sports town…. the problem is that it has never been a home team sports town.
When the Buc’s win, all is good.