The Bucs Aren’t Leaving
March 24th, 2013
Now Joe has been harsh on certain media types who have a naive notion that the Bucs will move to Los Angles, London, Bangkok, wherever, because there are often a good handful of unsold tickets at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
People, especially those who should know better, peddling this premise just demonstrates to Joe that said people have done little to no research or refuse to.
Now on the other hand, on the rare times (generally once a year) that Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer speaks, Joe has to give credit to eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune for getting Glazer on the record to dispel this myth that the Bucs are looking to leave the Tampa Bay area.
Q: If attendance doesn’t improve, would you consider relocating the franchise?
A: That’s not even an issue. We have worked as hard as anybody to get tickets sold. It’s tough circumstances in Florida. The economy’s not great and it’s a changing world. We have to adapt to that changing world. I think we saw progress last year and fans are enthusiastic about the upcoming season.
EXACTLY! Glazer just reinforces what Joe has written time and time again.
We are changing as an American sports culture. More and more people are choosing to enjoy the at-home experience than to go through all the costly hassle of dust-choked parking lots in the broiling sun, insane prices for beer, and limited replays with not always a great seat.
Roger Goodell has been talking about this for roughly three years. Shoot, just this past season, the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers had their worst attendance in over a decade. The Steelers! You know, Pittsburgh, Football Town USA?
And no, the financial effects are barely a blip. Just on revenue from national TV and radio broadcast rights alone, per Forbes.com, the Bucs and every NFL team will receive $200 million annually starting in 2014. This is before one ticket is sold, one beer is poured, one car is parked, one corporate ad is sold, one TV ad is sold, before one red cent is collected from digital and mobile revenue, and not even counting the river of cash flowing in from NFL Network.
Read the lease the Bucs have with the Tampa Sports Authority — it is public record — and you can see why the notion of the Bucs leaving is comical.
With all the revenue NFL teams have at their disposal, a couple of thousands seats short of a sellout is, in the big picture, irrelevant.
The Bucs are going nowhere, folks.
March 24th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Good! I don’t ever want them to leave!
I, like the Glazers, just want them to stop sucking!
They have some great players, how damn hard is it to find a few good Cbs?? And build a D-line
March 24th, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Of course not!!! Can you imagine the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Bucs? After all….they have the Yankees!!!
March 24th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
LOL@TBBF
Great article. I never knew very much of the facts presented. I like it.
March 24th, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Well I guess that settles it the Glazers wont move the Bucs? Seriously people the Glazers are millionare business men do you really think they are going to open there booj of plans to us Fans. I never want the BUCS to leave but im not putting any stock in what they say.
March 24th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
They need to sell the team, before they think about leaving!!
March 24th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
Does it really matter if they leave though? If nobody is going to the games couldn’t the local fans just as easily pull for the same team if it has packed up and moved to wherever? You’d still be getting the same Bucs experience that you have now just without the same traffic congestion on DMH on Sunday afternoons when you’re on yourway to watch three game at a bar or a buddy’s house instead of going to the game
March 24th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
But it does beg the question of what their motivation is to field a winning team when all teams equally share such a massive amount of revenue.
March 24th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
The bucs could go… who know what there really thinking.. Plus there billionairs. If u wanna help spend money… Im a single dad who make 50000 a year and I budget half a season ticket package.. Very easy term and so little payments… If there leave it wont be b4 they do everything they can to stay! Tampa fan since birth 1983 go BUCS..
March 24th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
The Glazers spent a huge fortune to hire Jon Gruden. They have fired Dungy, Gruden,Allen, McKay, and Morris. All guys they seemed to genuinely like. They are very competitive, and have short hooks on guys that doesn’t produce. If the team sucks this year- Dom is gone, and Schiano is sweating.
The Glazers aren’t the problem.
At this point, after 3 years of bad secondary play, that has gone unaddressed- I am left with conclusion.
Dom doesn’t know the difference between a safety and a Cornerback.
We have been dying for CBs- need 4 of ’em. And he keeps targeting Safeties
It’s the only answer, however unlikely, that makes sense!!
March 24th, 2013 at 4:11 pm
They aren’t going anywhere. They really have a sweet deal with Tampa. With the new CBA, you will see all teams make an effort to field a more competitive team, but also because each team is forced to spend a minimum every year their will most likely be more parity making it difficult to make post season. In the future, building team dynasties will be harder to do. It will come down to who has the best drafts, the best QB’s, and who can manage to covet the most talent,spending the same amount as everyone else. Each teams success will rely on the Owners, GM’s and talent scouts more than ever.
March 24th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
with that kind od money why not buy all extra tickets on wednesdays and let the games be on TV
March 24th, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Bob:
Got a better one for you. Why doesn’t the local FOX affiliate buy up tickets which is what happens in other cities? That has never happened here once!
But Joe knows why the local FOX affiliate won’t do that. It’s not a money-making proposition, i.e. they can’t sell the ads. There is little corporate support in this market for local teams. The Rays have been screaming this for years.
March 24th, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Kind of puts Bennett decision in more perspective
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000153219/article/seahawks-michael-bennett-reportedly-has-torn-rotator-cuff?campaign=Twitter_atl
March 24th, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Joe, do you have a link to the Bucs lease with the Tampa Sports Authority that you reference in your article? Thanks in advance.
March 24th, 2013 at 6:34 pm
I remember reading that 1 Buc Palace was paid for out of the Glazers pocket with no help from the tax payers. It would be expensive to rebuild that facility in another town.
March 24th, 2013 at 8:49 pm
also if I’m not mistaken they always sell out the cheap seats, so if they want a full stadium it’s easy to do, just lower the price of mid-range tickets.
March 24th, 2013 at 10:03 pm
I honestly think if u want to sell out the stadium, you need to make season tickets something “special.” Season tickets aren’t a big deal when there are tickets to be had. You need to give STH access. You need to give them things regular fans don’t get.
March 24th, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Right on Adam!
March 24th, 2013 at 11:37 pm
Blake:
Can’t find a link for the lease but if you email the Tampa Sports Authority they will send you a copy. It’s public record.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Whose to saying moving the team, the attendance would be any better.