Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “Big-A”
November 10th, 2010“The Professor,” John Clayton, is shoving people aside on the Bucs bandwagon looking for a seat up front. Clayton dishes out his NFC South midseason report grades in the BSPN video and gives the Bucs the highest grade. Find out why and see if you agree.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Joe,
Not hearing any rumors or statements on ticket sales. Think we are close to being sold out?
November 10th, 2010 at 11:31 am
No.
As Joe has written before, the Bucs could be 8-0 and that won’t automatically mean people are working, people’s homes are no longer underwater and Bucs fans suddenly finding their checking accounts flush with cash
November 10th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Well said Joe…. Single income family here since my wife was laid off a year ago and her unemployment is a 1/4 of her former pay.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Atrain WD40:
It’s a pet peeve of Joe’s when people spout off: “You’re not a true Bucs fan unless you spend your mortgage on season tickets!” By that logic, you’re not a real Bucs fan unless you buy a luxury box.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:43 am
I’ve seen when you stood up for us Joe and I thank you…. my mortgage is 986, do you think they’d give me a luxury box for that? LOL
November 10th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Atrain WD40:
You are welcome. Joe has a mortgage too. As a result, Joe had to give up Bolts partial-season tickets and partially why he gave up Bucs season tickets.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:50 am
I’m pretty sure a playoff appearance along with a substantial free agent pick up would “improve folks’ economic plight” enough to fill the stadium next season. Things are bad, but there’s definitely more than 65000 residents throughout all of central Florida with plenty of scratch to watch some championship level football.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:54 am
@Joe
Very well said, Joe. My wife has been laid off so long she was able to go to school and learn a new trade (Medical Billing & Coding). She was offered a job just today…for only 4 weeks. She’s going to take it just so we can have a Christmas and pay some bills. I am recently disabled, and it’s hitting us hard. So if anyone needs design work, let me know!
ABOUT THE VIDEO
I think it’s great that Clayton is officially on the Bucs bandwagon. Too bad he doesn’t buy the tickets…he’s actually got the money! Lol.
On the Panthers…their problem is the coach refuses to put his job on the line and stick with Clausen for the remainder of the season. We went thru the same with Gruden…that “win now” attitude that stalled development.
On the Bucs…(oh wow, Joe…your Newegg add just caught my attention with something, lol)…if we could just stop the run and get a good pass rush going I think we could be ruthless on the field.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:56 am
notorious_BUC:
Well… the Bolts are having a riveting season thus far, played a strong team on a Tuesday night (nothing else on TV or going on) without any local TV coverage, and they barely broke 16k. Upper deck tickets for Bolts games at the Ice Palace are very reasonable BTW.
The Rays had to put guns to people’s heads to go to a game… until they gave away 20k free tickets, despite winning the AL East.
Just think James Carville. It’s not mirage.
November 10th, 2010 at 11:58 am
@notorious_BUC
Not necessarily. I live in Bradenton for example…and businesses are shutting down in droves. Real Estate when from $175,000 ofr a “handyman special” to $49,500.
People on unemployment are seeking work, but businesses are only offering temporary or part time positions…and none of it at competitive wages.
And if you work in IT Development…there is next to nothing available.
November 10th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
All we have to do is look at the unemployment rate. Thank God for stimulus.
November 10th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I appreciate all of the opposing viewpoints to my comments, and I will certainly not equate one’s love for a team with their game attendance record. I can personally relate to the hardship as I have had to move to Dallas (so fun needling Cowboy fans after the smack they talked all offseason) to find a suitable job opportunity. The future of the Bucs in Tampa is really my only concern. Jacksonville has seemingly stepped up to fill the place with the LA threat looming large.
I understand that the team leaving town isn’t a strong possibility, but it is one nonetheless. I’d be sick to my stomach to build a contender for the apathetic LA market.
November 10th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
notorious_BUC:
Are Cowboys fans as whacked out as Joe hears they are?
November 10th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Joe:
Absolutely. In the offseason, all you could hear was how the Superbowl was another home game (shades of our misguided dreams in 2000), and that they were winning 13 or 14 games without breaking a sweat. Things start going bad…blame Romo. Keep going bad…blame Wade. Now they’ve come to the root cause of the deterioration and are blaming…Jerry. Now, apathy just abounds. I still think there are enough pieces that Gru could come in with a good Defensive Coordinator and take the team on a championship run.
November 10th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Clayton is so right.
The reason he gives us an A is that we are ahead of where we should be, as a rebuilding franchise.
While I commonly admit that I am a pewter glasses wearing, red kool aid drinking homer, I didn’t envision us being 5-3 at the halfway point. I thought we’d go 8-8, at best. We still may do just that, but we have a legitimate shot at 10 wins and a playoff appearance.
Dominik and Raheem get an A from this fan, too!
November 10th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Safety- lol and well said. Raheem has not only proven his skill as a coach, but I really love his energy and honest, approach. Listen to him is like listening to one of your football buddies- if he was a football genius. Dominick has proven extraordinary at finding talent on other peoples practice squad! They both get A+
November 10th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
nB said : “Things are bad, but there’s definitely more than 65000 residents throughout all of central Florida with plenty of scratch to watch some championship level football.”
championship level football?????????
LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!
November 10th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
I just went on Tickmaster for the Carolina game. There is only about 3,000 tickets left for sale on there. May be close…..
November 10th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
WOW! An A!
Sorry but that’s grading on a CURVE.
Now don’t get me wrong. I think the Bucs are waaaayyyyy ahead of where I invisioned them. But an A?
Especially when you give the team that just beat you a B?
I guess Mr. Claytona & I can agree about the Carolina kitties with an F.
November 10th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Answer me this – How can Clayton give the Falcons a B when:
1. The are leading the NFC South
2. They beat the Bucs whom he game a grade of A?
November 10th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Don’t hold your breath.
Unless Joe’s being hung out to dry, a well-placed birdie has told Joe the crowd shouldn’t be that much different than the crowd at the Rams game.
November 10th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
1. They barely succeeded in accomplishing that goal.
2. The Bucs stood a very strong chance of winning that game…the Falcons had to rely on a running game to do the most damage, and the Bucs did not lose heart. Once again they came from behind to almost win.
If you are a Falcons fan, there is no way to convince you at all.
If you are just sarcastic, the thing you need to remember is that the Bucs were predicted to have as few as 2 wins this year. After the mess Raheem, Dominick and company made last year, it seemed a realistic outcome to many (not me).
Everyone suspected the Falcons would be good. The Bucs have overcome expectations.
And people are realizing that if the Bucs are this good when they are rebuilding…they are going to be the dominant team in the NFL once the rebuilding is complete.
When Morris became head coach, he said he wanted a “smash mouth, voilent” football team. Last year, while trying to switch to a more Steelers style of play, they failed.
This year, the signs of their goal are just starting to blosum (sp)
November 10th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
@3,000 tickets
That doesn’t seem like very many to me. You would think the Glazers would pony up between them and the sponsors. Especially with a game we are 96% likely to win.
@Joe
Are we supposed to wear the Orange this year? If so, do you know when?
November 10th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Dixie Chicks.
Two things:
1) If there were only 3,000 tickets, you don’t think the Bucs would have said, “Hey, there’s a good shot at a sellout… ?”
2) Remember when Ticketmaster was telling people how the Steelers game was going to sell out? Don’t rely on Ticketmaster’s figures.
Again, unless Joe is being hung out to dry — and he doesn’t believe he is — Joe’s being told a far different story than that figure from Ticketmaster.
November 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Pete,
The throwback game is on Dec 5th against Atlanta. We are also inducting McKay onto the Ring of Honor.
Word on the street is that this game or the Bucs/Skins game may be flexed on Sunday Night Football.
November 10th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
No way NBC replaces Pittsburgh-Baltimore with Atlanta-Bucs.
Even though the Cowboys stink out loud, they still draw eyeballs. Philly-Dallas, as much as it pains Joe to write this, is guarenteed ratings. If NBC was going to flex any game that week, it would likely be Dolphins-Jets.
November 10th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Buc You:
I don’t know about you but I could certainly see a chance at a Super Bowl run NEXT season with the addition of a few key pieces. I’m therefore hoping for continued momentum this year, a productive offseason, and a return to contention in 2011 (assuming there is a season).
November 10th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Interesting comments. Here are some “rules” concerning SNF.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/492722-sunday-night-football-flex-scheduling-watch-week-5
November 10th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
@3000 tickets
Even if there were 500 tickets, the Glazers won’t buy them. THEY NEED ALL THE LEVERAGE THEY CAN GET going into the CBA negotiations. What better evidence than all 8 games not being sold out despite being a division contender… record-wise at least.
The owners need this ammo so to get a better deal against the players union.
November 10th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
@Sunday Night Game
Week 14 (Dec. 12):
Tentative game: Philadelphia at Dallas
That’s the only game that I see moving… maybe the Bengals game.
But I don’t see Tampa getting any of those.
November 10th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
@Pete
1. I’m NOT a Falcons fan
2. I WASN’T being sarcastic
I agree with most of what you wrote. The Bucs HAVE exceeded my expectations (and many others as well)
As a former teacher when it comes to handing out grades I was a really PIA and I HATED sliding scales, mainly because it’s done due to social promotion rather than actual achievement.
Look the Bucs have one of the WORST defense’s when it comes to stopping the run and they get an A?
Call me crazy but I’d give the Bucs a B- grade, Falcons a B, Saints a B- and Kitties F-
November 10th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
@notorious – SUPERBOWL run next year? You ARE kidding right?
Geez – it’s that unbridled silliness that defies logic that drives Captain Timmy to drink.
November 10th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
With regards to blackouts – Buc You is right on. The owners NEED to have these blackouts when they go into their negotiations with the players union.
I can see Joel Glazer now, “we were a PLAYOFF bound team and we STILL couldn’t sell out the stadium. You need to conceed to our demands or we’ll go broke and have to rely on Mann U soley for our sports income!” Waaa Waaa
November 10th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Except there may be no real negotiations. The Players union is voting to disband the union. This would block the lockout and force the NFL to develop a completely new CBA from scratch (basically). At least this is how I understood it recently.
And the disbanding of the union is an all but done deal…players on most teams have already approved it…only like 5 teams left to get votes from as of last week.
November 10th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
buc you did you almost call us a contender?com on….
November 10th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Dear Santa,
When I awake on Christmas, please make my checking account flush with cash. And please send Mrs. Santa’s sister down the chimney.
Thank you
November 10th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
BigMacAttack- MRS SANTA’S SISTER?!? That’s the stockings you picked ta stuff?!? Wow- you are a naughty,decadent boy,BMA! Ya think ya know a guy, then POW! Just don’t tell us who yer Halloween wish was! Brrrr, lol
November 10th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
@mike
record-wise at least
We are still mathematically in it.
November 10th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
@Pete
If the Players Union disbanded, and the NFL developed a CBA with no union rep, then that’s basically giving the NFL, influenced by the owners, a means to get what they want with no push back. Or rather, letting them just screw the players.
How will that even work? Who is advising these players? So it prevents a lockout BUT the owners get what they want. Who will be there to represent the players???
November 10th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
So let me ask this of the Mighty Joe (1 and 2):
What grade would YOU guys give the Bucs?
November 10th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Hey Pete, the Player’s aren’t disbanding their union:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans players have voted unanimously to give the NFL Players Association the option of decertifying in the event of a lockout next year.
More than half the teams in the NFL have approved the course of action for the union.
The Titans became the latest to vote Tuesday.
Decertification would give the union a chance to sue under antitrust laws if there is a lockout. Without decertification, the union would have to wait six months to file a suit after the collective bargaining agreement expired.
This is the last year of the league’s collective bargaining agreement, and NFL owners are expected to lock out players if no new deal is reached, possibly as soon as March.
November 10th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Joe here,
@Mr. Lucky – This Joe doesn’t do grades, especially at half a season. Sorry. Just think they’re boring and pretty meaningless. Fun to read somebody else’s sometimes. So if they get an A, does that mean they get knocked down to a D if they lose to Carolina? Maybe at the end of the season.
November 10th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
The grading seems to be a “prediction to production” grade. The Bucs were predicted to be pretty bad, and they’re playing A+ ball compared to that prediction. The Falcons and Saints were predicted to do pretty well, and they’re doing pretty well. Falcons are doing better than the Saints at this point, compared to predictions, as they’ve beaten the Saints. The Saints lost to Cleveland and Arizona, far below predictions. I’d say the Saints are a C at best. Falcons B+. Bucs A+. Panthers F.
November 10th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
The Bucs get an A because of the Raheem factor.
A charitable factor it is. But everyone wants to come out in the media and jump on his bandwagon. They have no choice else be called a racist.
November 10th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
THANK YOU JOE! Mid-season grades don’t mean SQUAT!
Ask the 2008 Bucs and Jon Gruden when they were 9-3.
THAT’S MY POINT!