Joe has written time and time again that, in the early years of the 21st Century with the economic structure of the NFL, sellouts and marginal ticket sales of a few thousand are virtually irrelevant given the river of revenue the NFL receives from TV contracts and countless other sources.

This doesn’t stop Bucs fans from grumbling about ticket sales at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway. For reasons that stump Joe continually, the Tampa Bay area sure gets an erection over attendance talk, a subject Joe finds painfully insipid.

A few vocal Bucs fans have pointed to the Bucs grabbing Jets star corner Darrelle Revis as a ploy to sell a few more tickets to Bucs games.

Asked about this today in Revis’ introduction as the newest Bucs player, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik flatly denied this. Dominik was adamant that selling tickets was never factored in when the Bucs were in negotiations with the Jets over Revis, or when the organization decided to pursue Revis.

“Winning sells tickets,” Dominik said.

Generally, that is true. But the American sports landscape has changed in recent years. There is way too much evidence that the growing trend is for fans to watch games on TV, not at a stadium.

Yes, winning sells tickets. But as we are in the second decade of a fresh century, Joe wonders just how much winning really results in rear ends in seats.

Revis met the media today and had a lot to say, but he didn’t want to talk about his health.  Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik also weighed in on all things Revis.

The Bucs’ $16 million man opened up to the local media this afternoon and told Bucs fans that he’s just an fancy accessory to a playoff team.

Revis was asked whether his acquisition would lead the Bucs to the playoffs. And Revis replied, “I think they were a playoff team even before me being a part of Buc Nation.”

It was an answer that backed up Revis’ earlier talking about how an attraction of the New Schiano Order was all the stud players already in place at various positions.

Revis was rather mellow but cocky throughout the news conference, talking about his greatness and saying coming to the Bucs was “a great move on my part.”

Revis made it clear he didn’t want to talk about his health, and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik grabbed the reigns at one point on a medical question. Dominik was quick to say he’s very sure Revis is healthy.

“We flew in our top doctors,” Dominik. “We feel very confident or we wouldn’t have done this.”

Greg Schiano said he’ll be working closely with Revis on developing a plan to best use him — on and off an island. “This isn’t a rookie out of college.” Schiano said.

Schiano also said the decision to bring in Revis was a joint move by he and Dominik. “We both felt strongly that this was the best thing for the football team, otherwise we wouldn’t have [brought the deal] to the Glazer family,” Schiano said.

Dominik said a big part of making the trade was the crapshoot nature of having the No. 13 overall pick in the NFL Draft versus an established All-Pro.

“It’s still a draft. … You win in this league with your starters and your stars,” Dominik said. “This was an opportunity to add an elite player at a position of much need for our team. … This is a known commodity that we strongly believe in, and that’s why we pulled the trigger.”

Warren Sapp says there’s a capital “I” in Revis, and No. 99 doesn’t like that for his beloved Bucs.

Speaking to eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, Sapp says Darrelle Revis isn’t bleeding pewter and red.

“He’s selfish and he’s never been a team player,” Sapp said. “We didn’t win the championship that way. Derrick Brooks and I always cared more about the team than ourselves.”

These are very harsh words from Sapp. Revis seems to have had thorough respect from his Jets teammates and coaches. Yeah, if Sapp is one of those guys that doesn’t believe in contract holdouts and business negotiation tactics, then Revis is sure to be on his crap list after two contract squabbles with the Jets.

And Mr. Sapp, didn’t Derrick Brooks pull a holdout stunt with two years remaining on his contract?

Joe’s not going to judge Revis on his business beefs with the Jets. The guy brings his A-game to the field and to the negotiating table. Joe’s ok with that.

Host Brian Custer, former Jets quarterback Ray Lucas and popular sports radio personality Adam Schein discuss the Bucs’ acquisition of star cornerback Darrelle Revis in this SNY video.

Former Bucs and Eagles guard Ian Beckles told a story today of Jon Gruden, then a boy wonder Eagles offensive coordinator, sitting in a meeting room going wild on a chalkboard to make sure his Philly offense understood they were not to throw the ball in the direction of Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders.

Beckles’ point was that the arrival of Darrelle Revis means teams truly will have to gameplan for the Bucs’ defense again, and the Bucs, for the first time, have a shutdown cornerback that will make various phases of the defense more effective.

Delivering his takes on WDAE-AM 620 this morning, Beckles also chatted with former Bucs quarterback Shaun King on the Revis deal.

King, one of three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, agreed with Revis’ potential impact, but King said he’s confident Revis won’t get the Deion treatment out of the gate in the NFC South.

King said Revis coming off a knee injury combined with the elite level of quarterback play in the division will lead to the Bucs’ rivals testing Revis and making him prove himself.

Joe agrees with King on that point. Joe would actually be surprised if Drew Brees, in the Bucs’ home opener, didn’t go after Revis early. Hopefully, Revis proves he’s worth $1 million a game, or at least half that much.

So the Bucs filled a major hole in their roster, cornerback, with one of the game’s best, Darrelle Revis.

Bucs fans have been crying for Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, pleading, begging, for him to do something about one of the worst secondaries mankind ever laid eyes on.

So how did Dominik respond? He acquired arguably the best safety in the NFL in Dashon Goldson and followed that up with Revis. Not a bad one-two punch, eh?

So now, Bucs fans will understandably begin redirected their attention to inconsistent Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman. At times, Freeman makes one’s jaw drop with sick, sick throws, threading needles for six points. Other times, Freeman’s play results in facepalms across the Tampa Bay area.

Defensive holes have been filled, with more help to come via the draft. The offense, well, it will be healthy up front and Freeman has plenty of toys to play with, including two Pro Bowl skill position players and a third on the cusp.

The Bucs are on the verge of maybe playing a game or two in January. For the Bucs to take that next step, so too must Freeman.

Darrelle Revis was an outstanding player for us, for myself since I’ve been here as a head coach. He was tremendous. And as John talked about earlier, he gave everything he had to this organization, was a tremendous player. You go back, I don’t take back one word that I’ve ever said about Darrelle Revis. I believe that he is the best corner in football without question. — Jets head coach Rex Ryan after the trade of Darrelle Revis yesterday.

Do you have a criminal court date in Florida? Outstanding traffic tickets? Drug charges?

Have you lost your driving privileges after a DUI charge?

How could a criminal defense lawyer assist you or a family member?

Tampa Bay criminal defense lawyer Brett Metcalf works for clients across the greater Tampa Bay area and provides FREE, straight-forward consultations. Visit Metcalf Law below to learn about Brett Metcalf’s experience, or call Brett Metcalf now at 813-282-8600.

Darrelle Revis has sucked all the green blood from his veins and has moved all in as a Buccaneer Man spiritually and physically.

That’s the word this morning from olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, homeless-mistaken, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading Peter King, of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports fame.

In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, King writes of Greg Schiano and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik having secret meetings about the health risk associated with Revis before the duo got in front or Revis’ and demanded his devotion and a response.

So two Bucs doctors, including head team orthopedist John Zvijac and director of sports medicine Todd Toriscelli, pored over recent MRI results on Revis’ left knee, then met with and examined Revis. It went well, a source said, with the doctors satisfied the knee was making good progress. But there are no guarantees for corners coming back from ACL surgeries, and Dominik and Schiano couldn’t know unconditionally that Revis’ knee would recover to the level it was before he was injured last Sept. 23. Dominik, Schiano and the medical staff met for about 30 minutes without Revis, and then the coach and GM went into a private meeting. In that meeting, as Dominik told me Sunday night, “We decided there was not enough risk to not do it. At the end of the day, you trust your doctors to tell you as much as they can, but it’s a decision really that came down to me and Greg. We had to be comfortable with the risk, and I can tell you we are.”

After Dominik and Schiano decided, they met with Revis. The way the contract is structured — $13 million per year, with $1.5 million in annual roster bonuses and $1.5 million in annual offseason workout bonuses — the Bucs wanted Revis to know exactly what was expected in this rehab process. They wanted him to rehab in Tampa, and they wanted him to be a full-time offseason workout guy in Tampa.

“I’m all in,” Revis told them. “I’m a Buccaneer.”

Said Dominik: “You could see how excited he was. The look in his eyes was, ‘Coach, I will not let you down.’ ”

Revis’ reputation is one of being a tireless worker and a supreme leader who commands the respect of teammates. So Revis’ words and actions here don’t surprise Joe.

Perhaps the greatest upside is the no guaranteed money in Revis’ $96 million contract extension signed yesterday. If that doesn’t make money-loving Revis the ultimate Buccaneer Man, then nothing will.

In the wake of the trade for Darrelle Revis Sunday, and barring the Bucs trading up to the late first round to grab a corner (or perhaps drafting one in the second round), the Bucs starting cornerback opposite Revis will be one Eric Wright.

His life is about to change drastically, and it’s not because he took a massive pay cut.

With Revis patrolling one side of the field, quarterbacks are unlikely to test him often, unless they enjoy watching pick-sixes go the other way. So when opposing offenses are going to throw long on the Bucs, it’s a virtual certainty that teams will be targeting Wright, early and often, game after game, basically challenging Wright to make a play.

Wright is now in the crossroads of his career. By being a perpetual target by other quarterbacks, if he is up to the challenge he is looking at a big payday since he’s now on a one-year contract.

If Wright is roasted like a bratwurst on a tailgate grill week after week, he will be begging for work next year.

In the Canadian Football League.

Just from reaction yesterday afternoon and into the night, Bucs fans haven’t been this giddy since the Bucs traded for Chucky. Most love the news that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik nabbed Darrelle Revis for two draft picks and a non-guaranteed salary.

Joe talked to a few people yesterday with knowledge of how the trade went down and Joe will try to give a Cliff’s Notes version .

Revis has been on the Bucs’ radar for some time; the Bucs were keenly aware of when his contract would expire. Clearly, the horrific play of the Bucs corners last year, a near-NFL worst mark in league history for passing yards allowed, motivated the Bucs’ pursuit.

(As Joe suspected and wrote about many times, the Bucs were simply not enamored with the free agent crop of corners and thought they could do just as well if not better with corners drafted in the early rounds.)

The Bucs did their research on Revis, both watching every snap he took the past two years, and studying the person. Their research revealed that Revis, despite a potentially misleading money-grubbing image, was as good of a teammate and a person as he is a player.

When John Idzik became the Jets general manager this year, trade talks began percolating, but Idzik was trying to shake down the Bucs for two first round draft picks. Idzik would not budge and, for a while, the Bucs were wondering if they were being played. This information reinforces what Dominik said publicly on SiriusXM NFL Radio about a month ago when he stated he wasn’t sure if the Jets wanted to trade Revis.

(Joe also heard of rumors, uncorroborated, that the 49ers were desperately trying to get in the mix to acquire Revis, but simply could not afford him under their salary cap.)

Still, Idzik held firm. He still wanted two first-round picks and this ransom was too rich for the Bucs. At one point, the Bucs seriously thought about turning the page and making a play for Revis on the free agent market next winter. What spooked the suits at One Buc Palace with that scenario was the Bucs were fearful that some owner, for example, Daniel Snyder, could gut his roster and make a play for Revis for some obscene price.

Eventually, Idzik, sensing he could not get Dominik to budge, relented on his demands of two first round picks and asked for three draft picks, with one being a first round pick. Dominik balked.

Finally last week, Joe learned that roughly four days ago, the Bucs, in so many words, told Idzik the deal was off the table if it couldn’t be completed by Tuesday (tomorrow), and they would then focus all energies on this week’s draft and the coming season.

This poker move apparently worked as Idzik began loosening his demands until the two sides finally consummated the deal Sunday.

Raise your hand if you remember the Bucs’ opening day nickel cornerback last season.

That would be Brandon McDonald, who was cut by the Bucs after the 2012 preseason, re-signed, and later cut again in November in favor of LeQuan Lewis, who was a member of Greg Schiano’s not-so-fearsome foursome, “E.J., Leonard, Danny and LeQuan.” And oh by the way, Lewis was released a couple of months ago.

The point is the Bucs went into opening day last season, opening day, thin at cornerback. That really can’t happen again. They must learn from last year’s painful rollout of the worst secondary in Buccaneers history.

The New Schiano Order and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik have made it clear they want Ronde Barber on the roster. And Barber has made it clear his decision is up in the air.

Well, in Joe’s mind the game has now changed. The Bucs have Darrelle Revis recovering from major knee surgery and no first-round draft pick, so in Joe’s mind it’s got to be an absolute priority to get Barber committed before this week’s NFL draft.

If the Bucs really want Barber (And they should; the guy still makes plays), they must pursue him all out immediately. Pay Barber more money, if necessary. Take Revis to his house for a meet and greet tomorrow. Get on your knees and beg. Promise Barber a spot in the Ring of Honor this year. Let him pick the room temperature in defensive backs meetings. Joe doesn’t care what it takes.

Joe’s learned the lesson of Brandon McDonald. Barber’s a lot better than McDonald, and the Bucs should be moving desperately to secure his services.

The staff of 37 at the JoeBucsFanTV network studios were very busy this evening.

In this latest segment, draft guru Justin “The Commish” Pawlowski takes a break from his usual draft genius and dives into the Darrelle Revis trade and what it means on the field for Tampa Bay.

For reasons Joe cannot quite comprehend, there are a number of Bucs fans who are head-over-heels in love with slot receiver Tavon Austin worse than Joe lusts over Rachel Watson.

These fans banged the drum and came up with just about every illogical reason to draft Austin, mainly because there was no logical reason for the Bucs to draft Austin.

Well, this pipedream is now all but dead.

With the Bucs’ depth on the defensive line thinner than toilet paper, with the Bucs likely looking for another cornerback, with the Bucs likely adding a linebacker to a unit with little to no depth and, more importantly, with no first round pick (for the time being), it is almost as unlikely for Austin to wind up with the Bucs as Joe is to find Rachel at his front door this evening.

The best condolences Joe offers to the Austin faction is, of course, to have a few drinks.

The remote chances the Bucs would draft a slot receiver at No. 13 went poof the moment Darrelle Revis signed his new contract with the Bucs.

Bucs special teams coach Dave Wannstedt, who was Darrelle Revis’ college coach at Pittsburgh, played a key role in the Bucs’ decision to land the star Jets cornerback.

As Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik likes to say, he and his staff did their due diligence in acquiring Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis. “Due diligence” meaning research.

It just happened that someone who knows Revis better than most people just happens to have an office at One Buc Palace. That’s special teams coach Dave Wannstedt.

You see, Wannstedt was Revis’ coach at Pittsburgh. Wannstedt had known Revis for years, knew him as a high school kid, knew his family, spent time in Revis’ boyhood home, and helped transform Revis from a young man into an adult.

Wannstedt, Joe learned today, just raved about Revis the person, not just Revis the player. Partially armed with this information from Wannstedt, it convinced the Bucs to put on a full-court press to obtain Revis.

Interesting, in-depth video out of New York here on the Darrelle Revis trade.

There’s no real way to pick a winner in the Revis deal, though former Jets quarterback Ray Lucas explains here why the Bucs fleeced the Jets and scored the best defensive player in the NFL.