It’s Jameis’ Town
December 8th, 2015
A mom and her little boy walk up to the Den of Depression for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.
Joe isn’t about to suggest he knows America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caler Jameis Winston.
Oh, Jameis knows who Joe is and chats with Joe (very briefly) from time to time at One Buc Palace, or after a game, but that’s far from knowing the guy.
There was, however, something Joe took from seeing Jameis in person at Florida State’s pro day last winter. And that was this guy had raw magnetism, a type of personality Joe has read about Magic Johnson having.
The fact Jameis’ Bucs teammates, some grizzled NFL veterans, would run through a wall for him reinforces Joe’s initial impression. The dude is magnetic.
Joe had a hunch that if Jameis became successful with the Bucs, then this community, the Tampa Bay area, would go wild over him and he could be the first true national star in Bucs history.
(Yes, Joe worships Derrick Brooks, but he wasn’t a national star, though close. Quarterbacks always trump linebackers. Always have; always will. Mike Alstott could have been but his personality borders on shy. Keyshawn Johnson was close, but again, he wasn’t a quarterback. Chucky was [is?], but he was a coach.)
It seems this budding stardom for Jameis has begun, certainly in the Tampa Bay community. In this video, the NFL Network’s Maoist Michael Silver tags along as Jameis speaks to the Brooks Debartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa. Naturally, Jameis is with Brooks, but who else is Jameis rubbing elbows with? Heavy-hitter, former 49ers owner and Tampa resident, Eddie Debartolo. Pretty cool company, huh?
As for Jameis’ national stardom? Well, Joe has noticed kids go wild for Jameis. In Indianapolis, Joe was in the postgame locker room and left to head upstairs and start pounding on his laptop.
Jameis was leaving the locker room at the same time. In the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium was a group of about 40 or 50 children who shrieked when they saw Jameis walking their way. “JAMEIS… JAMEIS!” As someone mentioned to Joe at the time, this is in Indiana, not Florida.
A subdued Jameis (remember: Bucs had just lost) spent as much time as he could with the kids — the team bus to the airport was waiting — who looked to be around six- or seven-years old, signing autographs and chatting with them.
If guys like Debartolo are hanging with Jameis, then you can sense that this guy’s stardom is about to take off. He only needs to continue growing as a quarterback.
Also helps if the Bucs keep winning.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:02 am
Joe!
In the name of JAMEIS CAN YOU BAPTIZE THE STADIUM WITH A NEW NAME!?
The “D of D” is old news. It no longer makes sense to Bucs fans. We have won 2 out of 3 games this year.
Unless you are writing bs to us and really feel that way while in there. I am hoping you are a Bucs fan and not a RAMS fan…
In Winston, Martin, Koetter, Lovie and Licht I TRUST!!!
December 8th, 2015 at 11:07 am
^^ Raymond Jameis Stadium
December 8th, 2015 at 11:15 am
Gotta have a winning record at home first.
The home record of the Bucs has been downright horrid the past three years. Don’t blame Joe.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:17 am
Over the course of the team’s history, or this season?
December 8th, 2015 at 11:22 am
^ Team History would be kind of harsh… the Bucs don’t have the greatest of legacies, lol.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:24 am
That’s what I thought as well. If it was for the entire history, I was ready to buckle up for it to hold on to that moniker for probably the rest of my life and my kids’ lives.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:27 am
Our Bucs have been cellar dwellers for quite some time. A lot of us kinda got use to it. We watched Sundays games..needing healthy doses of Libations just to get thru 4 qtrs. Now we watch with anticipation and hope. That’s good enough for me. Jameis has brought a much needed spirit to our Buc nation. I see nothing but clear horizons and winning in our future. Its about time!
December 8th, 2015 at 11:32 am
I’m thinking ‘The House that Jameis Rebuilt’, or maybe ‘Jaboo Wins Stadium’…
December 8th, 2015 at 11:32 am
Joe – Do you have a replacement name for the stadium in the back pocket for when they return to prominence?
December 8th, 2015 at 11:33 am
This team turning around is about more than just Jameis doing well. I say we call it the Licht House.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:40 am
I am personally in favor of “The Den of Mild Depression”
December 8th, 2015 at 11:43 am
Thats such a great story Joe. Dont want to count these chickens before they hatch, but if No. 3 finds himself in the playoffs, then you can bank he (and the Bucs) will have a national following. Hopefully by then we will have more than a 10 sec clip in the post game highlights on NFL Network.
December 8th, 2015 at 11:50 am
The Licht House, huh?
That’s clever.
One more draft like the last and I’d say “Do It!”
December 8th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
“Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.”
December 8th, 2015 at 1:35 pm
Raymond Jameis stadium is really clever!
December 8th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
I think the Joes may have hit their heads and forgotten about Big #99. The QBKilla was a true national star; his head-to-head battles with Brett Favre when both players and teams were in their primes were nothing short of amazing.
December 8th, 2015 at 2:44 pm
“Quarterbacks always trump linebackers. Always have; always will.”
You don’t have to be a quarterback to be a national star. JJ Watt is a national star. He even has as many funny TV commercials as Peyton Manning!
December 8th, 2015 at 9:42 pm
Buctrooper that nane was da bomb! Made me laugh!