Bucs Could Play Annually In London
October 12th, 2011
Bucs fans were no less than outraged when Team Glazer, in an effort to be loyal to the shield, offered, in the throes of the asinine lockout, a second Bucs game to be played in London in three years.
And the NFL owners rewarded Team Glazer and Bucs fans by slapping them in the face Tuesday, awarding the Bidwill clan of all people a Super Bowl and not the Tampa Bay area.
Also at the NFL owners meetings, the NFL announced it will play at least one game a year in London for the next five seasons.
It seems ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas believes the Bucs could be an annual fixture in London, meaning the Bucs would have but seven regular season home games a year. In the NFL’s statement about continuing to play in London, it cited a benefit for a team “to return” annually.
The Buccaneers could be playing an annual “home’’ game in London? Well, it’s logical in a lot of ways. Look back at that “return’’ word again. The Bucs are about to become the only team to return to London since the NFL started playing regular-season games there.
The Bucs already have had a strong fan club in the U.K. for years. The owners of the Bucs (the Glazer family) also own the Manchester United soccer team.
There’s also the matter of attendance in Tampa Bay. Prior to last week’s sellout of a “Monday Night Football’’ game against Indianapolis, the Bucs had not sold out their previous 10 regular-season home games. When accepting the trip to London this year, the Bucs said part of their reasoning was done with the local economy in mind. Team officials said one less game at Raymond James Stadium would cut the cost of paying for season tickets.
Yasinskas later points out it’s illogical to believe teams with no problem selling tickets would be so willing to give up a precious home game and all its revenue to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to a foreign land to play before an indifferent crowd of kickball hooligans.
October 12th, 2011 at 8:05 am
So the Bucs are moving to London?
October 12th, 2011 at 8:32 am
As a 20 year season ticket holder, if the Glazers do it, I’m out.
October 12th, 2011 at 9:23 am
But this London game was supposed to be all about our fans.
I am quite sure I read that somewhere. Right here if I recall.
I also heard the ticket sales are very slow for this years London fiasco, even with the huge Bucs fan base there.
October 12th, 2011 at 9:25 am
Might as well move the team to L.A. if this is the route they’re headed.
I don’t get it. They build arguably the best practice facility in the NFL, they’re hitting homeruns in the draft. Then they fail to add any depth to their team whatsoever in the largest free agency pool in the NFL’s history, they take a NFC rivarly game out of Tampa, and we’re front runners to lose a home game every year.
Great recipe for getting fans back in the stands guys. I think i’ll stick with the Lightning when or if that goes down.
October 12th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Heres an easy problem to stop the “move”. SELL OUT THE FREAKING STADIUM. You people whine and complain about the blackouts, but wont go to the game. You cant have it both ways. Tampa fans are THE worst fans out there
October 12th, 2011 at 10:13 am
The D….you hit the nail on the head my friend. These fair weather Tampa fans just do not understand the business side of football. The players certainly do as evidenced by the lockout. Fans just want everything their way. I look at Detroit after all the miserable seasons they’ve had and I saw their fans at that sold out stadium and I thought…”Now THAT’s a fan base!” We have a 10-6 team last year and our fans seem disappointed that we didn’t fall apart since they were predicting we would. It won’t be long before these teams move on to better cities. Can’t say I blame them. The Rays win and the Bucs win and they still can’t seem to develop a fan base.
October 12th, 2011 at 10:18 am
Jrock…easy now…I am not sure if I would call last off season the deepest in NFL history, but whatever, it does not matter. Niether the NFL or the Bucs have made this claim, just some yahoo trying to read between the lines. This is all just some dude creating a story. He tries to say that by using the word “return” that it is tied to the Bucs because they are the only team to play 2 games in London. Now, the league always speaks of itself as one, so when they say the NFL plans to “return” to London for the next 5 years they mean the NFL. Don’t let these guys get you all worked up with sensationlism. It is bloody rubish!
October 12th, 2011 at 10:18 am
The bucs win like the Rays?
Hardly so, not since the new regime anyhow.
The real facts are the owners have insulted and alienated the fan base that provided many consecutive sell outs at the stadium. Not to mention PSL and a spiffy stadium and practice facility (which they apparently don’t like to use).
If they make a comittment to the team, fans will also. This aint it!
October 12th, 2011 at 10:37 am
@Eric
Speaking as someone who has bought multiple tickets WITHOUT attending any games due to distance and health issues, I have not once been offended by the Glazers. I support the team financially, even though I cannot attend. And I don’t buy those tickets pre-owned…I buy them new from ticket master so they help toward sellouts. I can’t afford a season ticket, but I do what I can when I can, sometimes at an inconvenience.
Don’t lump me into your little club. I think only you and a few people feel the same way. It’s clear that many more feel positive about the team and it’s ownership.
@Joe | On topic…
With a home game being played over there, how does it affect the pricing of season tickets? With one less home game is that deducted from the cost?
October 12th, 2011 at 10:54 am
@Pete,
Very commendable sacrifice sir.
However, I must respectfully disagree with your conclusions. Lots more believe as I do, than don’t.
The stands tell that story clearly.
BTW I go to games every year. Will be present Sunday actually. Since 76 I have always attended at least one home game, and been to every home playoff game in bucs history.
I simply refuse to buy the BS from the Glazer Boys.
October 12th, 2011 at 10:56 am
For all those who said “its the economy, dummy”, this should be of no surprise. This move would take away one game a season, but it also makes season tickets that much cheaper. Perhaps this will lead to more sell outs at home? Of course, the back fire will come from the angry children about losing one game, who will then quit going just for spite.
This would be a positive move for the team. It solidifies the Buccaneers staying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by expanding the fan base beyond the small constraints of the Tampa Bay market increasing possible revenue(Tampa Bay area alone just isn’t getting it done). If fans overseas know and support the “Tampa Bay Buccaneers”, why would the NFL move them? I don’t believe they would. The foreign revenue could make up for the lack of revenue coming from home.
By using the Bucs as an exploratory guinea pig(who already have the biggest UK fan club), they could drum up support for the NFL then move a different team to the UK, thus creating a rivalry from those who supported the Bucs and those who will support the new homeland team. Eventually the support for the foreign Bucs will fade, and new teams would be added over seas, but in the meantime the Bucs would stay here.
To me that is far better than a possible complete move to L.A.
October 12th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Lower tickets prices here in tampa,san diego,oakland,cincinnata,buffalo,etc,What up with the vikings looked on stub hub you can get tickets for 7 dollars a ticket,why not here.How come all my nfl jersey and hats are made in another country.So much more the nfl,nba,mlb can do for our country its very sad.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
oh i forgot jags,and dolphins are having problems to.Rename the stadium to a company that will support the bucs,make all nfl products here in the usa and lower ticket prices and parking prices