Tough One To Have Blacked Out
December 26th, 2010
So how many new bandwagon Bucs fans — and Josh Freeman, Geno Hayes and LeGarrette Blount fans — would there be right now if the thumping of the Seahawks was on local television today?
It’s too painful for Joe to speculate.
Man, this was a real lost opportunity to get the whole Bay area fired up.
Joe completely respects the business side of Team Glazer opting not to purchase gobs of unsold tickets to put games on television this year, as they did last year. Fans have to buy the freakin’ tickets. Yes, the economy is rough — but improving — though Joe saw the cheap tickets for every day last week.
The official attendance for the final home game today was 46,576. Looking around the stadium, there were plenty of no-shows from that number.
Joe wonders whether Team Glazer is regretting not putting this one out for the masses to soak in. And they have to be wondering what it’s going to take to fill the building.
Some bigger names on next year’s home schedule, like Chicago and Indianapolis, and the Cowboys, Giants or Eagles from the NFC East, should help quite a bit.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
The Scedule is going to be a real ball buster believe me the N.F.L. hates the Buccaneers 3 games in eleven days back in 2008 was it. I see New Engalnd on the scedule Indy a trip out west. Buffalo, Philly, and possibly Dallas.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Joe,
I know of a person who was the biggest Bucs fan I ever met. They went to all the games, had 3 sets of season tickets when they were in high demand and they even went to the Super Bowl when the Bucs beat the Raiders. Her and her husband immediately bought Super Bowl tickets to the game as soon as they could, once the Bucs beat the Eagles.
Anyway, as the economy changed, they had to move out west. They were able to let 2 of the 3 sets of tickest go, all except for the club seats. Those club seats, $150 a piece, $300+ total (not counting all other expenses per game) were not allowed to be given back. Why? Because the Glazers made them sign a 10 year contract. When that family tried to explain that they moved out west and didn’t even live in Tampa anymore, a move they had to make due to the company moving out that way, the ticket office said that they were in a contract and wouldn’t be allowed to get out of it, but that they would perhaps work things out. Well, the working things out didn’t happen and those long time Buc fans were sent to the collection agency.
And this it what the Glazers did to thousands of ticket holders who didn’t honor their ridiculous contract for those club seats. Sent them to the debt collectors.
While out of state, as the season was several games into the season, the Glazers finally accepted $50 per seat, per game as a reduction in price, BUT, would not do it for the remaining seasons of the contract. So come next Feb the Glazers will hit them up again for full price. Is there no hardship to get out of the contract especially when fans, long time true fans who used to spend real money (club seat money) on tickets?
So, I wonder:
1) How many fans have the Glazers foreclosed on their club seats?
2) Could this be a cause of the no shows despite some tickets that appear purchased?
3) How does this affect the many die hard Buc fans that have had to default on their poorly designed contracts by the Buccaneer organization for tickets?
December 27th, 2010 at 12:24 am
The CBA is more important
December 27th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Joe here,
@guest#27 – Fans going to collection agencies for defaulting on ticket contracts is happening in most NFL cities. There have been numerous stories written. …The Glazers didn’t “make” anyone sign a ticket contract. These people looked at their lives and assets and made huge commitments. Maybe they’re easy to feel sorry for. Maybe not. Every case is different.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:55 am
its called Living above their means. I have a lot of friends who did it, I didnt and still have money to spend to go to games.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:57 am
“These people looked at their lives and assets and made huge commitments.”
Exactly, then the a lot of people’s assets (real estate) plummeted in value. Reality has changed. Forget that one set of tickets and that family who holds them for a minute. What about the larger problem at stake with the Glazers fanbase that has been sent to the cleaners over these obsolete contracts? What about the new ticket holders who can buy club seats WITHOUT a freakin contract?
Pretty f— up if you ask me.
The Glazers want these fans to eat it or go in default on those tickets. And mind you, the club seat fanbase pays a good chunck for those seats.
In today’s economy, those seats are not even close to being worth what is being charged.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:59 am
They had to MOVE.
They can afford the tickets if they lived here.
But since the tickets are worthless, they can’t sell them anywhere. They have to eat it for the length of the obsolete contract. and the Glazers have done nothing to solve these issues but ruin people’s credit on a contract that only made sense pre-real estate crash.
December 27th, 2010 at 1:09 am
Joe here,
@Guest#27 – Understood that they moved, but they assumed that risk when they bought in. The tickets are not worthless, just not worth what they paid. . Have they posted their season tix at a discount on varous reselling sites and on message boards? Or via the league’s ticket exchange? Sold them to tour groups? Pitched them to companies that might want to use them (again at a discount) for giveaways?
THe reality that has changed is not the Glazers’ reality. These people made a deal, one that was a luxury purchase that came with risk.
It sucks, but Joe doesn’t fault the Glazers in this case.
December 27th, 2010 at 1:55 am
The Glazers would’ve been smart to buy up the tickets for this game. First of all, they most certainly can afford it.
Second of all and most importantly, it for sure would’ve gotten more fan support and more tickets sold for next year. Seeing Blount bust off those amazing runs and Josh Freeman’s fantastic 5 TD performance would’ve gotten people excited!
It’s interesting how they bought EVERY home game last year in a horrible season but they didn’t buy up even ONE this year during a successful season. Not one. When people aren’t able to do a basic thing such as watch their team on tv, don’t expect attendance to improve. The economy isn’t going to be good again for a long time, so they need to figure out ways to get people in the stadium. Or else blackouts will be in Tampa for the next couple of years.
It would’ve been a smart move for the Glazers to do this. Oh well, they better open their wallets this offseason and be open to bringing some big name FA stars to Tampa. That’ll be the key to getting more fans confident about the team and what they can do in the future.
Making the playoffs would help also.
December 27th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Regardless of who’s at fault, I would not be surprised at all if thousands of those tickets are in default, and the seats are empty. Many people’s lives have changed to living off of strictly income with no credit at all. Millions of Americans are going through this. What this means is that things that were easily purchased with credit are now not even considered due to the credit crunch. And this is all because the assets owned have plummeted in value. Regardless of the wins, affordable ticket prices are not the only problem when you have owners forcing serious fans into default after things have changed so much.
So what do you think would happen if these fans contracts were dissolved?
Is this what the Glazers don’t want? They would rather FORCE old fans to pay rather than let newer fans take their place? are they afraid it would hurt the attendance? Times sure have changed, I will say that.
December 27th, 2010 at 3:34 am
forget about bandwagon, Im a fan since years, but Im in Europe with a crappy computer, so watching a Bucs game every week means 20 minutes of frustration trying to find a working stream with our game, not some random other one, with audio, without staggering, or losing connection every second minute, and if Im lucky, I manage to find one right after the first quarter has finished.
the last couple of years Ihad have hot enough of it, I lose my patience after the first 10-12 games.
so no, I havent seen this one either…
but thanks for god, i have dozens of chances to watch the patriots, the colts, the cowboys, the vikes or the pack, cause they are on television every goddamn week.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
NFL Rewind is fantastic. I watched all the plays from snap… took less than an hour… and it was in high definition.
I also watched all f Tim Tebows plays, just his passes. It was great. All you have to do is search for a player and all of his plays are filtered for you.
Search for Blount and you end up with a highlight reel.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Buc You:
Joe finds NFL Rewind to be FAR better than the Red Zone. Just don’t get the Red Zone. Bounces all over the place. Drives me crazy. Joe guesses it’s great for fantasy football types. For people like Joe who just want to watch a game, it’s irritating.