Happy Birthday To Ira Kaufman, The Sage!
August 11th, 2026
Ira Kaufman is older than Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Gates and Larry Bird, but he’s a big kid at heart — and still hungry to cover the Buccaneers and inform the “Buc faithful,” as Ira calls them.
Joe’s giving a standing ovation to the iconic JoeBucsFan.com columnist, podcast legend and serial schmoozer, the Sage of Tampa Bay Sports. Happy birthday, Ira!
Joe’s not making a big fuss over Ira’s birthday because his big 2026 celebration will be in September, marking the 50th anniversary of his stunning career in sports media. (Joe’s working a few special happenings for that.)
Ira’s first official NFL beat was covering the New York Giants in 1979. He moved on to Tampa in 1985, where he’s become an institution.
Ira’s secret is golf, tennis, chasing his beloved dog Cosmo and limiting his tater tot intake to a small handful in one sitting.
The Sage recently entered his Year 11 at JoeBucsFan.com. What a trooper! Joe looks forward to Ira contributing here for a long, long time, and to continuing on as a Pro Football Hall of Fame selector. The Hall desperately needs Ira’s wisdom — not only from his 50-plus years of perspective, but Ira has been in his Hall of Fame role for 20-plus years. Joe expects Kaufman will respect the Hall enough — and the Tampa Bay area — to retain his seat.
You can send Ira birthday love in the comments below, or hit him up on Twitter @ikaufman76.
Lastly, the Tampa Bay Times bought The Tampa Tribune 10 years ago and made the bonehead move of kicking Ira to the curb in a matter of minutes. That’s on par with cutting Darrelle Revis in his prime.
Ira needling Ronald Jones in 2019.
August 11th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Happy Birthday, Sage! 🎉
Here’s to another lap around the sun—and many more blessings along the way. 🥂☀️
August 11th, 2026 at 9:51 am
Happy Birthday Ira!!!!
is that a Bethune Cookman wildcat hat Sage is rockin!!!!!…Hail Wildcats!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
August 11th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Happy Birthday Sage!
You are doing great for your age – breathing and everything!!
August 11th, 2026 at 9:59 am
Happy Birthday my friend. Keep up the great work and may you have an awesome day.
August 11th, 2026 at 10:15 am
Ira looks great for 80 years old!!!!!!!
August 11th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Happy birthday Ira!
August 11th, 2026 at 10:18 am
Where’s the mustache picture?
August 11th, 2026 at 10:22 am
You share a Birthday with Hulk Hogan.
Happy birthday, Brother!
August 11th, 2026 at 10:55 am
Happy Birthday, Ira! We better get at least another decade outta you!
August 11th, 2026 at 10:59 am
Happy Birthday, Sage. Keep up the always great work!
August 11th, 2026 at 11:04 am
Happy “your day” Ira…..Here’s a toast of a nice cold one to you for many more!
August 11th, 2026 at 11:13 am
Ira, happy birthday 🎂 old man!!
August 11th, 2026 at 11:20 am
Happy happy!!
August 11th, 2026 at 11:34 am
Many, many years ago, I unknowingly had the privilege to get into it with Ira over his criticism of our HS football team. Ira and I shook hands at the end of that season and I always appreciated his professionalism ever since for letting a punk high school kid take shots and a respectful dialogue. Happy Birthday Ira.
August 11th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Happy Birthday Ira
August 11th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
“Sage” LOL
After listening to the pod, he’s gotta earn that nickname
Happy Birthday though
August 11th, 2026 at 12:14 pm
Happy Birthday Ira!! …. all the way from New York!! It’s great to know that you are a Leo ( as I am) and you keep the fire and energy going 24/7!!! You should have your name in our beloved Bucs, Ring of Honor!!! You’re the best!!! -Dean “Bucs Fan 4 Life!!”
August 11th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
“Fire The Cannons & Fire Todd Says:
August 11th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
“Sage” LOL
After listening to the pod, he’s gotta earn that nickname
Happy Birthday though”
What a worthless Piece of Sh/+ you are, go the eff away Troll
YOU THE MAN SAGE
August 11th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
HAPPY Birthday Ira!!!
His love for sports doesn’t stop with the pro’s. I have been fortunate to talk to him at other locals sports in the area. Love that he is rocking the PHSC Bobcat hat. Enjoy your day Ira, may there be many more to follow.
August 11th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Happy birthday Ira. Time to start hitting the gym and start to build some muscle tone and work on some flexibility. It doesn’t get easier. We need you around a while longer. Go Bucs.
August 11th, 2026 at 1:56 pm
Happy Birthday Ira! It’s always good to hear from “irate Ira, bourbon-swilling Joe, and another-Evans-story Joe”. Keep up the great work guys ,and Ira,- keep the Joes in line! 🙂
August 11th, 2026 at 2:09 pm
Why would Ira give up the Hall of Fame? Don’t they meet once a year?
The Hall proved in their last vote that they need guys like Ira who didn’t punish Belichick because they have out of control egos. The Hall of Fame was tarnished by that nonsense.
Ira, feel good about representing Tampa and the shlubs around town that listen to you every week.
August 11th, 2026 at 2:17 pm
Happy Birthday, Sage! 🎉
Be safe!
Go Bucs!
August 11th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Happy Birthday, Ira!!
August 11th, 2026 at 2:35 pm
Happy Birthday to The Sage of Tampa Bay! Can’t believe it’s been 11 years! Mr. Kaufman has been an excellent addition to the JBF team! I personal look forward to his column each week. Great read filled with years of insight.
August 11th, 2026 at 3:10 pm
Happy birthday sage. I hope you and Cosmo enjoy some good food today.
August 11th, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Happy birthday Ira! I will give you the same “present” (aka annoying advice?) I give to all my aging friends: join a gym!! You don’t need to go more than twice a week, and only need to do 1 (ONE!!) exercise: leg presses. Leg strength is directly tied to balance. Tennis and golf do not build muscle or stave off sarcopenia (please look it up!), leg pressing does! Here’s what I suggest:
Join a gym close to you. Make sure it has leg press machines that don’t require loading. You want the ones that just require moving a pin in and out of the weight stack.
Go twice a week. For example, Mon & Thursday, Tuesday & Friday. Whatever works for you. Try to keep 48 hours between workouts for recovery.
KEEP A WORKOUT LOG!!!
Watch the Planet Fitness Leg Press video on YouTube. It’s less than a minute long.
When you get to the gym, do 2-3 warmup sets, increasing the weight with each set. Then, do 2 working sets. Shoot for 10-16 reps on your work sets. You want to push yourself so you’re close to failure on your last rep. Failure is GOOD! If you can do 16, add more weight. If you can’t do 10, use less weight. 4-5 sets. In and out in 30 minutes or less.
You’ll feel the results almost immediately. My parents did when they started lifting in their mid 80s (It took me 20 years to convince them to go to the gym!). Within a couple of weeks they were telling me that they were amazed at how strong they felt.
If you want to do more, you can add in a seated bench press and a chest supported row on day 1’s workout and a seated overhead press, and a seated lat pull down on day 2.
You will spend no more than 1/2 hour at the gym once you get the hang of things. 45 minutes, tops if you do 3 exercises.
August 11th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Happy BDay Ira. Enjoy it and have the best yr of your life. Thanks for your professionalism and hard work. it’s greatly enjoyed and appreciated. You are 1 of a kind…in the good way!
August 11th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Philly guy; acting classless? No that never happens smh all things Philly are TRASH
August 11th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
Happy Birthday Ira!
August 11th, 2026 at 4:11 pm
Happy Birthday to you!!!! Go ahead cheat on your diet and pick up a dozen cocunut donuts!!!! Enjoy! Happy birthday and many more!
August 11th, 2026 at 5:57 pm
Yankee Buc.
August 11th, 2026 at 7:29 pm
Happy Birthday Sage!!
August 11th, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Happy Birthday Sage!
August 11th, 2026 at 10:17 pm
Happy Birthday, Ira. Been a fan from afar, since you were a paper beat writer. Lots of good memories from reading your work. Keep working it Ira. Hope you habe a great Birthday.
GO!!!!! IRA!!!!!
GO!!!!! BUCS!!!!!!