Bucs VP Explains TJ Rives Departure
September 11th, 2026
Joe loves fan passion.
Some Bucs fans are actually riveted by the process of hiring radio talent on a team broadcast.
Joe is not in that camp. Boring! If you get hired, it means somebody important likes you. If you don’t get hired, it means somebody didn’t like you enough. Simple as that.
However, Joe loves Bucs drama, so Joe wrote all about how 20-year Buccaneers Radio Network sideline guy TJ Rives was somewhat irritated by the Bucs not hiring him to replace legendary radio play-by-play man Gene Deckerhoff, after the iconic Buccaneers voice and ambassador retired after last season.
(Side note: Shame on Team Glazer for not already announcing Deckerhoff as a Buccaneers Ring of Honor inductee. The man is 81 years old, and he’s deserving. For what could Bucs owners possibly be waiting? Joe sure hopes Deckerhoff lives a healthy full year and is here to enjoy an induction in 2027, or if Team Glazer sees the light and puts him in this year.)
Rives had a lot to say after he stepped down following the hire of Tony Castricone to replace Deckerhoff. But there were no formal announcements or public comments on Rives by a Buccaneers official — until this week.
Speaking on the Salty Dogs podcast, Buccaneers vice president of broadcast operations Jeff Ryan addressed the team hiring Castricone — and not Rives — to call games.
Ryan painted a picture of Rives and Castricone being finalists in a somewhat close race. Rives not keeping his job as radio sideline reporter was Rives’ call, Ryan emphasized.
“TJ decided to leave on his own. That was not us,” Ryan said. “We — a little inside stuff — when I broke the news to TJ, it was, ‘I want you to know that we as an organization, the ownership group wants you back’ — and he elected to move on. And that was his prerogative. And it’s one of those things and I think, you know, there’s always gonna be a disagreement, a who’s what and where. That’s just the nature of the beast. It’s kinda like a [NFL] player. You know, they’ve been there a while, it’s all of this stuff.
“But at this stage of TJ’s career, he really wanted to pursue even more play-by-play stuff. And he felt that was best for him to do. And we wish him the best of luck. On our part, there’s no ill feelings.”
Ryan went on to say Rives was “totally” involved in the selection process for the radio play-by-play job. The Bucs, per Ryan, were simply looking for best person for the gig.
“When a role comes up, you have to just open it up. What else is out there? You know, what’s behind door No. 2. We ended up with Tom Brady because the organization decided to look behind door No. 2,” Ryan said.“So that was the premise. It was auditions. It wasn’t a willy-nilly thing; it wasn’t a haphazard decision. It took from February until the end of June to finally come to the conclusion we came with. There was a lot of thought. There’s a lot of stuff into it. And I can see how you might think that it was disrespectful to TJ, but he was in the loop all the way across the board.”
“In all fairness to everybody, it’s a sound, you know, you decide a sound. That’s what you’re looking for because it is radio,” Ryan said.
“… That’s what it is when you’re on the air or when you’re out in public; there are gonna be people who aren’t gonna be fans of yours or [are] fans of yours. And so we move on. It’s a new beginning. And listen, whoever was gonna replace Gene has a hard road ahead. It takes time. And that’s all. And that’s what happens. It just takes time … But I just wanna make it clear, the decision not to be here was TJ’s. And TJ was very professional throughout it.”
Joe hopes this saga is now put to bed. Rives didn’t get the job he thought he deserved and quit. That happens in many industries across the Tampa Bay area every day.
When it comes to Bucs football, however, everything gets magnified. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Kudos to Rives for having a following that cares. Joe has watched longtime Bucs writers and analysts disappear over the years and nobody seems to care.
September 11th, 2026 at 10:50 pm
Tough call but the Glazers wanted the new guy. I suspect, though, if someone like a Jenna Laine or another attractive lady was the sideline reporter, we might be looking at the Glazers going PC with a female hire which is what the UW Huskies did to replace Castricone. Good luck to TJ, he has been invoved in Tampa bay sports for well over 30 years now going back to his 820AM The Team days.
September 11th, 2026 at 10:59 pm
I was never a fan of Ted Knight, errrr I mean TJ. Not going to miss him in the least.
September 12th, 2026 at 12:33 am
Best of luck TJ! I enjoyed everything you did. Catching you on the sideline you always took the time to say hi.
September 12th, 2026 at 12:51 am
“…if someone like a Jenna Laine or another attractive lady was the sideline reporter, we might be looking at the Glazers going PC with a female hire…”
Hiring a female sideline reporter is not a PC move. News flash…women can do most of the jobs men do (most). And a female reporter is smart business. People pay more attention to a pleasant voice.
September 12th, 2026 at 1:02 am
FortMyersDave.
Kinda of a little funny you brought up the Washington Huskies hire as somehow a PC hire. That lady was the sideline reporter for the Huskies for 23 years. Not sure how many years that TJ was the sideline supporter for the Bucs — but I guess if he got hired he would have been only hired because he was PC.
September 12th, 2026 at 4:45 am
Get Gene inducted immediately!
September 12th, 2026 at 5:30 am
Yeah Glazers, do the right thing. Induct Gene, he is a treasure!
September 12th, 2026 at 6:13 am
Hey Bonzai, newsflash, you just saying that hiring a woman is “smart business” is being PC as not being PC makes headlines for the wrong reasons. No offense but while Pam Ward and Beth Mowens might be talented, they are by no means better than some of the talent that was8 passed over to give them a spot on BSPN but having women talent in a male majority field is PC.Looking open minded and progressive in this day and age is basically being PC. Speaking of age, PC does go out the window with that. I think TJ is around 60 given that he came out of college in the late 80s. I doubt if there are many female sideline reporters who are that age (maybe Pam Oliver and Lisa Salters but that is rare) and networks usually find ways to put the ladies out to pasture way before the guys. This is when PC and business decisions do clash but do not be a fool, in this day and age being PC is part of the game with most hires. No way around it.
September 12th, 2026 at 6:13 am
Yes, put Gene in the ring next.
September 12th, 2026 at 6:53 am
Nice work Inspector Clouseau. Better keep your head on a swivel when you get home, Cato is always lurking!
September 12th, 2026 at 7:36 am
I moved away from Tampa in ’95, I remember TJ on 820 from back then (Along with Scot Brantley ) I don’t see how you chuck a guy with that much history with the team for a guy who’s trying to just learn their names
September 12th, 2026 at 7:54 am
Can we use AI for some good here? Stick Gene in a booth and also let AI hear all of his broadcasts for 30 years. AI Gene can be created and AI gene should call games live and be broadcast as alternative radio.
What a freakin’ great idea!–Joe
I bet a lot of us would listen to this over the new guy. Gene could live on and get paid in perpetuity while staying retired.
As great as Gene is do we really put the voice of the bucs in the ring of honor? I think that should be reserved for player coaches.
Why couldn’t they stick a golden microphone on one of the jumbo trons with his initials or in print it into the sails of the pirate ship. Im for something like that instead of in the ROH
September 12th, 2026 at 8:16 am
It’s sucks to lose out on something that you really wanted and thought you had proven yourself capable.
It not personal but I just never liked TJ’s radio persona and that goes back when he was first a part time radio show guy on local sports radio.
I don’t miss hearing his irritating voice and know it all personality.
That said I wish him the very best in his broadcasting career.
September 12th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Say what u will about Rives, but he did have a great radio voice, unlike those slaps on the 620 a.m radio show! You know the old adage, he has a face for radio, well Donovan has the voice for the newspaper. Every time the said the goofy ass line “sorry mom” me and all my coworkers in different trucks would change the channel, and now we dont listen at all
September 12th, 2026 at 9:18 am
They hired 2 guys with no Bucs History.. TJ I listened to since he was on the old Sports 840 or 870 station in the early 90s with Brantley, Duemig , etc….But always better to go with 2 guys from NY who will be pulling for NY teams…Def will only listen when I have to in Car.
September 12th, 2026 at 10:06 am
Not a big fan of the new play by play guy so far. Sounded stiffff when I was watching the Bucs vs Jets preseason game the Bucs radio broadcast and the jets were night and day difference. Hope he gets better.
September 12th, 2026 at 10:08 am
BLAH BLAH TJ BLAH BLAH TJ If you own something and you want someone different to do a job, it is your prerogative to do that, despite someone’s feeling of entitlement about a job, of whatever there thinking is.
I remember when Mark Champion left the Bucs to go do Detroit Lion games for the 1989 season. He was the main voice for a decade, from 1979 until 1988. I can still remember hearing Mark calling a play many times saying.. “and there goes the Franchise around the right side” referring to Doug Williams. At the Time it was like, he just walked off on the Bucs, not a good feeling at the time, but whatever. But that was his prerogative.
That’s when Gene and Jesse the Body Ventura and Al Keck got hired for the 1989 season, I was listening live in Orlando at the time of the first game with them announcing against Houston with Head Coach Jerry Glanville.
I remember hearing them and was I tripping because Jesse the Body Ventura was doing color commentary for the Bucs lol
Who knows how it will be now over the next couple years, most likely the New Announcer will be fine and maybe 20 years from now people will look at him the same kind of way. Gene was an institution with the Bucs and FL St also, but he did not start until the 14th season for the franchise, and it worked out great.
GO BUCS!!!
September 12th, 2026 at 10:15 am
TJ said he was lead to believe he would get the Job that is why in the past he turned down ESPN and other network gigs he now has. He will be on ESPN today doing a game.. I think people forget TJ has done play by play for over 20 years.
September 12th, 2026 at 10:30 am
TJ was the right man for the job IMHO. Just like Liam Cohen was the right man for the head coaching job two years ago and just like John Harbaugh was the right man for the head coaching job last year. This new radio guy is just another in a long list of bad hires by the Glazers over the years. Did they get a few right like JL, BA, Dungy and Chucky, yes, but more bad then good.
September 12th, 2026 at 10:31 am
@itzok,
Why don’t we clone Liam Coen’s playbook and mind while we’re at it? Come on, some things could use less digital over reaching, and I’m an IT guy. Let’s just put ourselves out to pasture and all take cyanide since AI is capable of everything. AI is going to be so destructive, most people don’t even realize it.
Why do humans age and not live infinitely? To give the next generation a shot of thinking and doing differently.
September 12th, 2026 at 11:03 am
I will miss TJ as he was a great reporter with so much history with the Bucs .
September 12th, 2026 at 11:28 am
Tony is just another play-by-play guy. There is nothing, nothing distinctive about his voice nor his play calling. He is very generic. TJ knew this team inside and out and would have done a great job. At least his voice was distinctive.
September 12th, 2026 at 11:32 am
I’m sure TJ is a nice guy but I think the Bucs made the right call on this one. TJ sounded like a guy trying too hard to make ‘the radio guy’ voice. He always sounded fake and contrived. Maybe it was real but I found it forced and kinda annoying. No ill will I wish him the best.
September 12th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
Never a Rives fan. But I don’t blame him for leaving.
The new guy — so far — seems to have a great radio voice but is otherwise an empty suit. His interviews were horrendous. And I get you can’t learn 50 years of history in a few months, but at least have the highlights.
September 12th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
I don’t care about any of this. TJ would’ve been fine. This new guy will be fine.
I do remember back in ’95 or ’96 TJ lived on a billboard until…something. I can’t remember what. Until Tampa voted for the new stadium? Until Sam Wyche was fired?
The Bucs probably made the right call, but I appreciate TJ’s passion.
September 12th, 2026 at 2:15 pm
I wouldn’t be able to pick out Rives in a lineup.
September 12th, 2026 at 2:34 pm
I dont care either. Like Andy Hardy and Chris whatever..I thought were awful
I look forward to not hearing any more. Kidos for the bucs for playing it so we could get someone better
September 12th, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Never much of a fan of Rives, wasn’t bad or anything, but never seemed like a fit as the next play by play guy.
As for Castricone, after a bit of a shaky start in the first preseason game, I though he sounded a lot better in the 3rd preseason game. He still has a very bland, generic voice that sounds like any of 200 radio play by play guys in college, but he seemed a lot more confident in that 3rd preseason game, seemed like he knew the players better, so that was encouraging.
Neither would ever replace Gene with his unique voice and ability to make things seem big time – and it’s disappointing to lose some of the last southern character that the team has left, but I’m not at all down on Castricone from what I heard so far.
September 12th, 2026 at 4:48 pm
Listening to the new guy he is no strong distinctive tenor like Gene Dekerhoff but neither was TJ Rivas. My dad always told me, don’t quit your old job until your first day on the new job. Companies don’t give you two week’s notice before they fire you.
September 12th, 2026 at 5:24 pm
New guy has a VERY unremarkable voice and NO knowledge of Buc history. Ryan’s a clown– just like when he was running the sports radio programming before this gig with the Bucs. They must’ve saved a BUNCH of money getting Tony fresh from a so-so college program from out west. HAD to be a cost-saving move–no other way to justify it…
September 12th, 2026 at 6:58 pm
I was never really a TJ Reeves fan, aside from the sideline reporting in small doses. I could never listen to the weekly recap shows he hosted. The best way I can describe his delivery is that it always felt like he was talking slowly and over-explaining everything, almost like he was explaining it to someone who couldn’t understand basic concepts.
September 12th, 2026 at 8:55 pm
I wasn’t a fan of TJ’s work when subbed for the legend.