Changes Coming To Bucs Preseason Telecasts
June 1st, 2013
It appears Ronde Barber may replace John Lynch as TV color analyst for Bucs preseason broadcasts this summer, likely to be televised on WFLA-TV Channel 8.
Joe did some digging last night and, while chasing one story, stumbled upon another.
It all started when Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune Twittered that the Bucs are in negotiations with Ronde Barber to be the color analyst of Bucs preseason TV broadcasts.
@RCummingsTBO: Nothing official yet but there’s a good chance Ronde Barber will be the color analyst on Bucs preseason broadcasts this year
That started Joe working the phones, and as a result, Joe learned through three independent sources, two in the local television industry, that the Bucs’ preseason games are expected to be broadcast by WFLA-TV Channel 8, moving from WTSP-TV Channel 10, which had the local preseason rights the past two seasons.
Bucs safety John Lynch, per Joe’s sources, will not return as the Bucs color analyst for preseason TV games and will be succeeded by Barber. Lynch, who resides in Denver, grew weary of traveling four consecutive weeks 3/4 across the country each August . Now a regular-season game analyst for FOX, Lynch didn’t need the practice and certainly didn’t need the extra income, Joe was told.
Joe also learned the Bucs and WFLA have signed a TV contract but a third party — presumable the NFL? — has to rubber stamp the contract.
What is unknown is how many times games will be televised and how blackouts will be handled. Ch. 10 had broadcast some games multiple times on tape-delay when home games were not allowed to be broadcast live by NFL blackout rules.
June 1st, 2013 at 7:47 am
This is really good for Barber. The best way to get your feet wet is to cover the team you know the best. Great for Barber and Bucs fans I would say.
June 1st, 2013 at 8:20 am
Even though I really liked John Lynch as a color analyst for our Bucs, I also feel it will be a smooth transition having Barber in that role, he’s very articulate(not a race comment, so don’t go there), Ronde has always been a well spoken individual, and there’s no question he knows the game as well as anybody in the business, I’m just glad that he is ours and that we get to watch him grow into a new role as a color analyst and Fox contributor, I couldn’t be more proud for #20, I can’t wait to see what happens in year 5 of his retirement!!
June 1st, 2013 at 8:25 am
Happy for Barber!
Joe, are there any reasons for concern with the network change?
June 1st, 2013 at 9:09 am
It must have been a potential race comment in your mind being that for whatever reason you had to preface your comment by stating as such which is unnecessary. Who equates articulate with race anyway? I’m guessing the person that brought up the dumbass logic in the first place..Irony amuses me.
June 1st, 2013 at 9:35 am
Good trade Lynch for Barber. Barber has the most recent insight on our beloved team, so he has that going for him, and Lynch has,,,well, Lynch has an unmatched set of ears and that has always freaked me out. Come on Man!! Lynch, you say you got all this dough? Get a matching set of ears man!
June 1st, 2013 at 10:44 am
Imagine of Shaun King were a color analyst?
That is the difference between a professional: Lynch, Barber, Brooks vs an angry nobody, that of Shaun King.
June 1st, 2013 at 11:28 am
Not too many people would turn off in the second half. 🙂
Is that why Shaun King works for NBC?
June 1st, 2013 at 11:55 am
No, Joe, that’s why I personally do not watch NBC sporting events.
June 1st, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Meh I’d take Lynch over Barber anyday.
June 1st, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Remember when Lynch says things about the Bucs, even when they are in dire straights, he always remains even keel so not to cause a controversy.
King does not have that capacity to separate his bias towards the Bucs organization (Dom and the owners). He proves that every time he talks about the Bucs to this very day.
King was hurt when Dungy replaced him with Brad Johnson, who ACTUALLY did lead the Bucs to the NFC Championshup game (see 49 win with 28 points in the first half), then the points he put up against Philly. Johnson actually threw for TDs in those games.
So King went on to be a back-up and was cut because he was not any good. He had a chance to stick it to the Bucs much like Steve Young, Doug Williams, and even Trent Dilfer… you know, the Dilfer who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens?
You would be better off groveling back to Steve White and getting his fantastic commentary than posting Kings sorry and biased coverage. All you get is complaints from your readers about him.
Do you not remember the day after Raheem was fired and King went on a 45 minute rant about why the Bucs fired him? He actually thought Raheem was a good coach. And deep down he didn’t, he was just being BIASED. He was so mad that the Rockstar wasn’t fired that he cried about it, in a monologue… didn’t even want the other radio host talk… begged for 30 minutes of just himself to talk and took 45.
Shaun King turned himself into the biggest joke in Tampa. And he didn’t even have to. I always thought King was a good guy as well as many other Buc fans… until he started talking in the media. He did it all to himself. No fan hated King from my recollection. But now, King has turned himself into a lightening rod of disgust among Buc fans.
I guess he just wanted to be a villan afterall.
June 1st, 2013 at 12:18 pm
@Tampa2…Of course you have to preface everything by saying it’s not a race comment. In this day and age…are you kidding me?? If you vote against Obama, you’re a racist. If you think someone should have to get position in life by merit and not affirmative action..you’re a racist. If you mention that Barber is very articulate someone is bound to come back with..”Really??! So Black people generally ‘aren’t ‘ articulate right?? Racist!” If you think marriage should be between a man and a women you’re a bigot. Don’t act stupid. You know why Bucfever40 said what he said. Political Correctness is a disease that’s epidemic.
June 1st, 2013 at 12:41 pm
I dont know why it bothers me but Lynch living in Denver long after he retired really sucks. He should be a member of our community.
June 1st, 2013 at 1:37 pm
@Couch
I lived in both Denver and Tampa, and although the Bay area is home, I would move back to Denver in a heartbeat.
Even though there arent any beaches, youve got camping in the Rockies (I saw the freakin Milky Way up there!), snowboarding, ski resorts, and theres less crime and its a lot cleaner. The only downside is their watered down beer (cause of the altitude). But damn, I love that city.
June 2nd, 2013 at 6:26 am
Looking forward to hearing Ronde’s remarks and insight. It would be difficult to understand what the pride of Gibbs High was saying with all of the chewing and potato chip bag rustling. It’s not that Mr. King doesn’t know what he’s talking about on a national scale (hence his NBC gig). Here in Tampa Bay we hear and read his comments reflecting his obvious grudge every week. After a while the always negative perspective loses credibility.
June 2nd, 2013 at 3:52 pm
bobby AMEN