Marketing Disrespect?
April 7th, 2024
A sentence from the Tampa Bay general manager last month has turned into an effort to sell Bucs tickets.
The Buccaneers are promoting a digital advertisement showing Lavonte David, Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield Jr. together in a mix of game-action images with the tag line, “One Of The Greatest Free Agency Hauls Ever … “
It’s followed by a call-to-action button to “Join The Krewe,” which means cut Team Glazer a check for season tickets.
Delivery of that “haul” line publicly by Bucs GM Jason Licht was fueled by the Bucs’ altered DNA. From top to bottom, the team is bitter because the national media disrespects the quality of the roster and staff.
“This is one of the greatest free agency hauls ever, but it’s our own guys,” Licht said during a One Buc Palace news conference in mid-March. “We’ve got some Hall of Famers in here – Lavonte [David and] Mike. It’s been incredible. I think it’s time that the national media realizes that we have some great players. They already know, but now they really know. It’s a great time for us.”
And now it’s a marketing slogan.
Not even five years ago, team officials around the NFL liked to say they didn’t want to be busy players in free agency because that meant they had deficiencies and the front office probably had failures to correct. Now the emphasis has sort of flipped. Teams are actively selling re-signed players and the effort and management it took to make that happen.
That’s awesome, but most casual fans and many hardcores don’t view that as improvement or even as free agency.
So that’s a tough point on which to generate excitement that turns into ticket sales.
Joe would focus more on telling fans how seeing a Bucs game is watching history every week with Evans and David and Tristan Wirfs on the field. Yeah, that’s right, Wirfs. He’s a popular dude and without question he’s the greatest offensive lineman in team history.
April 7th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
It’s a Bucs Life. lol.
April 7th, 2024 at 1:13 pm
Who cares. Let the media and marketing departments drone on about whatever they want. I’m pumped for the draft with the best GM in franchise history ready to crush it, leading into an “off-season” of this team coming together to be even better this year. LFG.
April 7th, 2024 at 1:31 pm
This clown considers tagging Winfield some kind of achievement- what a stretch-
really milking it.
April 7th, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Crowing about no respect is whining. Respect is earned on the field.
GO EARN IT BUCS!!!
April 7th, 2024 at 1:49 pm
Gruber doesn’t get mentioned because he played for such horrible teams. If he weren’t injured for the 1999 Rams NFC Championship, Bucs win and go to the SB.
April 7th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
My relationship with football like loving a destructive, ex-girlfriend with a substance abuse problem. I can’t shake her because she is so smoking hot and adventurous in the sack. This is what it feels like to pop for over priced tickets and way over priced luke warm beer. I. Just. Can’t. Help. Myself.
April 7th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Evans and bake may sell tickets…….but
I want the team to win. Till then…
April 7th, 2024 at 2:42 pm
From the guys that brought you “Siege the Day”…..
🤦♂️
April 7th, 2024 at 3:19 pm
Seeing AW31 and cringing because he’s the best safety in the league and will command 18-19 million a year. How do the Bucs keep him Wirfs and CG? One of those three will be gone and it won’t be Wirfs.
April 7th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
The Bucs are one great edge rusher away from winning a whole lot of games. Move up in round one and then… still won’t get any respect but will be in the hunt for sure.
April 7th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
Weird. In one article it seems Licht and the team embrace being underdogs, yet in other articles they are angry and feel disrespected. Which one is it?
And yes, the tagline is a tough sell and even comes across as desperate. We were a .500 squad in the worst division last year. Trying so hard to sell this “historic free agent haul” is just cringey. Licht is coming across as a squeaky wheel.
April 7th, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Just imagine IF Evans, David, and Mayfield were gone… It would’ve been so terrible!!!
April 7th, 2024 at 7:15 pm
Licht is pulling this off in spite of his head coach’s proclivity for helping players to regress.
April 7th, 2024 at 8:15 pm
Market what you have. The Bucs will as they should play up the defending champs of the NFC South. Many well respected prognosticators kinda know what’s actually going on. They see a dreadfully weak division that the Bucs have been the best of. They have won with mediocre play right around 500 results. The best of the worst in downtrodden division. I don’t think there is an opponents defensive coordinator that will lose sleep game planning against our offense and Baker Mayfield. I’m hopeful for much improvement. My opinion is this Bucs roster is not anything close to a Super Bowl caliber team. A work in progress and I’m pleased the Bucs have Jason Licht at the helm.
April 7th, 2024 at 8:55 pm
Wirfs is better than Paul Gruber?
April 7th, 2024 at 9:23 pm
No Dave pear
If the refs didn’t blow a call in ’99 then we would be going to the SB
BERT CAUGHT THAT DAMN FOOTBALL BY KING !
April 7th, 2024 at 11:05 pm
Yes, that Bert emanual catch that wasn’t. It’s going down in buc lore. The man upstairs who was jerry markbrite, called down to the head ref on the field and told him that catch wasnt a catch. This was brfore they had officially gone to the man upstairs. The bucs were the guiny pig. John madden who announced with Pat Summeral, live said; ‘i don’t know what they could possibly be looking at, as that was a catch’.
As for bucs wanting to sell more tickets…..
The market is the market. Drop the prices, serve colder and not too pricey beer, and fill that sucker up. If it were me, I’d also accept cash as a payment. For. tickets. Most people still work for cash you know. Thats huge in my book. I go to the track, and i pay cash. No bitcoin there… yet.
April 8th, 2024 at 12:55 pm
For those saying, shut up and stop whining about being disrespected, blah blah blah – being an underdog is a great thing BUT they need to stand up and say something because LVD and ME13 are going to be up for the Hall of Fame and most of their career they’ve gotten no national recognition. LVD should have multiple pro bowls. Unfortunately, that recognition matters when it comes to that
April 8th, 2024 at 9:30 pm
Who cares if he’s doing it to sell tickets we got the players we needed without resigning those players that’s a bust and yes they are the best players
April 10th, 2024 at 5:25 am
I’m completely used to being disrespected as a lifetime Bucs fan. It kinda fuels me because Tampa Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the country, that’s why people vacation here and the snowbirds come and have homes here. Our sports teams are very competitive and it’s not unusual to have our Bucs Rays and Lightning in the playoffs. So for the media and football world to ignore us I say we will see you in the playoffs. It’s a Salt Life for me.