New Bucs sideline reporter.

After a three-game trial during the worthless preseason, the Buccaneers Radio Network has found a new sideline reporter.

Gone is T.J. Rives, who decided to make a clean break from the Bucs after he was not chosen to succeed Gene Deckerhoff as the voice of the Bucs.

Rives had been the sideline reporter on Buccaneers Radio Network broadcasts for roughly two decades. So this job opening was rare.

Yesterday when Joe opened the weekly in-season game release email from the Bucs, Joe noticed the listing of the stars of the Buccaneers Radio Network: play-by-play man Tony Castricone, analyst Dave Moore, and sideline reporter Jay Recher.

Later in the day, Joe noticed Recher’s announcement on Instagram making the move official, though Joe suspects the game release was the official word.

Recher is a former host on WDAE-AM 620 and was often paired with former Bucs guard Ian Beckles. In recent years, Recher has mostly worked to build up his weekday Tampa Bay sports podcast.

Now, he’s the new sideline voice of the Bucs.

During the worthless preseason, Recher worked a half of each game as a live tryout. It seems he impressed the Bucs enough to get hired.

Recher is a really, really cool guy and one of the nicest dudes around — despite his weird proclivity with shoes. Dude must have a separate closet loaded with just shoes.

Recher is also a dapper man, always the best-dressed of anyone in the Bucs’ press box.

Recher might want to dial back the threads if he’s going to have to brave the elements both in Florida on home games and winters when traveling.

Kudos on the new gig, Jay! Look forward to seeing you in the locker room.

(Recher used to needle the Joe typing this here post, that Joe was a football fan, not a sports fan. Recher wasn’t too far off base. Joe used to love all sports but you know what, the older you get, the less time you have for all sports and the less tolerant of nonsense you get. So, yeah, Joe swore off the non-basketball association long ago and, recently, sadly, baseball, which honestly depresses Joe. The only thing Joe pays attention to anymore is football and college basketball and maybe a little bit of hockey.)

With Recher now working the sidelines instead of being in the press box, Ira can now enjoy his pregame meals without Recher bothering him about shoes and Phil Esposito. 🙂

Good luck Jay!