Bucs Open Season On National TV Vs. Packers?
February 7th, 2011
Joe knows that Bucs fans in general bark at their bartender in frustration that the Bucs are never on national television.
Peter King suggests that may change quite quickly.
The veteran NFL scribe in his must-read Morning Morning Quarterback, offers up a list of three games King has “a hunch” will open the season on Thursday Night Football.
I think the best candidates to open the season on Sept. 8 (and I use that phrase advisedly, because I, like you, fear the season won’t start on time because of the labor saber-rattling) would be these: 1. New Orleans at Green Bay; 2. Tampa Bay at Green Bay; 3. Chicago at Green Bay. Just a hunch.
Well, this is more than a hunch coming from King. At worst, an educated hunch.
Aside from the Satanic Time-Warner, which denies innocent Americans the right to watch the NFL Network, who else employs King? NBC Universal.
Who broadcasts the opening game on Thursday night of each NFL season? NBC.
You don’t think King was having a cocktail this weekend by chance with NBC sports executive Dick Ebersol who maybe let it slip what game(s) he is lobbying NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell to televise?
Do the math.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Or maybe those are the teams that make sense? The Bears are obvious, the Saints would match up the last two SB winners, and the Bucs have a great rivalry with the Packers from days of old when we shared a division.
The only Other team I’d in there is the Vikings. Depending on what they do at QB this offseason, they might also be an entertaining opener.
February 7th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
JDouble:
For some reason Joe thought you were gone. Glad you’re still around.
February 7th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Well if we play the Pack on opening day, thats 1 more national televised games than we got this year.
February 7th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
would be great, but no way that happens.
February 7th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
It’ll be the Saints or Bears.
Is there anybody that thinks the Bucs would draw higher ratings than the Saints or Bears?
But, yeah, I’d bet we’ll be on national television more than once next year.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I think they’re goin with Da Bears.
If they did pick us though, along with the exposure, I’d be happy to play in Lambeau before the blizzards come.
February 7th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Ratings would be high no mtter what team..it is opening game so i don think ratings would come in play as much as you think…but i dont see it happening
February 7th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
I really could not care less if they show the Bucs on national TV…I just hope we get the home games on local TV. We will get exposer as the team proves itself, like the Dungy and early Gruden years. When we had had a defense that struck fear in offenses across the league, we had plenty of pro bowlers. We also had the A Train making highlight reels, and some of KeyShawn’s catches made the cut as welll. Another winning record and a playoff birth, and you guys will get all the bragging rights again.
February 7th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Please be the Saints. I’d much rather face the Packers during the SB hangover stages of the season not the banner celebration 😛
February 7th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
I’d rather not, especially if the game is in Green Bay. The Bucs didn’t get to play the Monday Night opener in 2003 at Raymond James. I could care less if the stadium was brand new in Philadelphia; it wasn’t fair to the Bucs. The only solace was the Bucs won that game in a shutout. I’m okay with playing the Bucs playing the Packers on Sunday or Monday night or whenever, just not on the opening Thursday night. I’ve never liked the Thursday night opener, anyway.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
“Aside from the Satanic Time-Warner…”
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL…… man.
But I agree that it is BS that cable doesn’t have the NFL Network.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
The Bucs have always matched up well with the Packers, but I agree that I wouldn’t want to do the opening night with the celebration etc. However, once the game starts, I don’t think that stuff matters, especially if we get momentum early. I agree they most likely put the Bears as the opponent.
February 7th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Isn’t the first game the one in London?
February 7th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
If we don’t get a national game, i’m sorry, but that’s bull crap. Year after year, I see perennial losers like the Redskins and the 49ers get games. Yet a 10-6 team that has a bright future, unlike the two joke franchises I just mentioned, might be lucky just to get one?
Maybe if we bring some big name, star free agents this year then that’ll generate some popularity around here.
We better get at least 2 national games this year. One on NBC sunday night football and one on MNF with Chucky.
February 7th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
As for the possible Thursday night game, if we were able to win that game, it would be huge for the Bucs. It would change everything for us; the national perception of the team and it would expose new stars like Blount, Freeman, Williams. But most importantly, it would be a victory against the defending super bowl champions!
February 7th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
have you guys not been watching espn? is it not apparent they really really like josh freeman 🙂 hes been all over the place on everyones show… i feel like the national media is falling in love with the young charismatic intense bucs team… i see minimum 4 nationally televised games this year…
February 8th, 2011 at 2:51 am
Hopefully Chucky will push ESPN to get us 1 or 2 MNF games!