Losing A Fanbase
February 20th, 2015
Florida DE Dante Fowler, a hometown guy, isn’t worked up about a chance to play for the Bucs.
Joe has repeatedly typed over the past few months that the Bucs at a crossroads. Tampa Bay could pick Jameis Winston, infuse massive buzz in the team and the community and set themselves up for playoff runs in the future.
Or, the Bucs could continue to fight the football gods and prove you can win without a quarterback. Good luck with that.
Years and years and years of losing and not winning a playoff game is starting to beat down locals. Last year, a Deadspin.com study and found the Bucs were among the bottom feeders in social media popularity. Lack of fans in seats reinforces that.
Dante Fowler is living proof. Having grown up in St. Petersburg, Fowler went to the University of Florida. If there was ever a player you would think would want to stay at home play, it would be Fowler.
Not so much.
Fowler was asked today at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Field in frozen Indianapolis by local Bucs beat writer Jenna Laine about playing for Tampa Bay. In short, Fowler shrugged and basically gave an answer that apathetic Bucs fans would give.
“Yeah I like the Bucs,” Fowler said with sort of a grimace. “But you know, the Bucs are the Bucs.”
Think about this: Some naive fans want the Bucs to trade down and continue to ignore the most important position in the game which is bordering on irresponsible.
Fowler, who plays a position the Bucs have been crying for since Simeon Rice was cut and let Michael Bennett walk away for no good reason, could, be there pick. Yet Fowler has no desire to play for them.
Why? Well, not winning a playoff game in 11 years and being in the division basement four straight seasons, and having an offense that would embarrass Leeman Bennett,might have something to do with that.
Fowler is proof of how this team has all but alienated an entire generation with woeful if not ungodly boring teams and losing football.
Jameis, if chosen, could help resolve these stains.
February 20th, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Fowler is a beast.
February 20th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Amen Joe. I am 42 and have been a Bucs fan since the beginning. If we don’t pick a QB with the 1st pick, I would just have to quit following the Bucs until this regime is gone…
February 20th, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Couldn’t have said it any better Joe.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:01 pm
I tried raising my brother a Bucs fan. He can’t stand watching a game because they suck so bad.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Lovie needs winston much worse than winston needs a dinosaur has been that never won anything coach like lovie. You don’t get a lifetime free pass for LOSING the super bowl nearly ten years ago. Lovie will screw both the draft and free agency up just like he did last year. All of you idiots who think Winston can’t change the biggest change needed is lovies pathetic and outdated philosophies. Tampa 2 is not dead but you can’t play NOT to lose and that is all Lovie knows how to do, is play NOT to lose. He is a Has been never was that needs to go back to the basement and take is house boy of the future glennon with him.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Don’t worry, Joe….we will either choose a QB @#1….or trade the pick and select another QB later in the draft to compete with Glennon.
My bet is we choose Mariota…and, you would have to agree that “Mariota or Winston, if chosen, would resolve these stains”
February 20th, 2015 at 2:04 pm
Been a season ticket holder for 10 years now. Tried and failed to give away club seat tix with parking – no takers. No hope for real change and sick of the lies from team management about where they’re at in the rebuilding process.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:04 pm
Thanks guys.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:09 pm
My mom is from Taiwan and barely knows jack about football. She walked by a few games this year and said “They bad.”
My gods, if she notices they were bad then yeah, things are BAD.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Everyone thinks that quarterbacks alone win games….funny to me all this hype and speculation. Explosive defensive game and an offensive line would benefit our team more than a MAYBE quarterback. Leonard Williams looks great.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Draft Mariota and groom him slowy behind Mike Glennon. After a year of grooming decide who’s the starter Glennon/Mariota, This is a win win. Draft Williams if you think he’s the next Warren Sapp. Trade out for more picks. But for God’s sake stay away from Winston.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
“Yeah I like the Bucs,” Fowler said with sort of a grimace. “But you know, the Bucs are the Bucs.”
What part of, “Yeah I like the Bucs” turned into “Yet Fowler has no desire to play for them.”. Did you forget to insert the quote saying that he did NOT want to play for them?
Could also be that since there are so many transplants in the bay area, that his family raised him with a bias towards another team.
This was a real stretch unless you omitted some important quotes, Joe.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Your dead wrong joe. How many women bucs fans will there be if they draft the rapist? Or what about fathers with daughter? People don’t like him look at the nfl website they did a pole who you wanna see at the combine out of 5 players he was 4. Wanna guess who was 1 by a long shot yea Mariota. Outside FSU country people hate him
February 20th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
I am getting the sense from today’s articles that nervousness is setting in for Joe & some of the Winston supporters……just an observation….perhaps a bit of anxiety about the choice.
I still have confidence that we will draft a QB…..but, it could be a surprise….Hundley, Petty…for example, if a trade down happens. Sure, it wouldn’t be like the top two but it would create at least a QB controversy to have a high pick rookie QB added to the mix…..that might assuage the fanbase somewhat…..but not me…I want one of the two….sort of like Joe….but in reverse order from Joe.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Hey Hawk, Joe was standing five feet from him. You?
February 20th, 2015 at 2:16 pm
agree with BARRY although i’m not anti- winston
February 20th, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Weakness in the shoulder? Interesting….
February 20th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Winston is not the only QB in the draft, Joe!
February 20th, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Based on that, do you think that increases or decreases the chances that Winston will throw?
February 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Potential Franchise QB’s don’t always generate enthusiasm…winning is the only thing that does that for the long haul. Phillip Rivers, franchise QB, Chargers fan enthusiasm not so good; Jay Cutler…he certainly was hyped as a franchise guy before landing with the Bears. Plenty of examples…winning 6-3 or 36-33 doesn’t really matter, just win some damn guys and become relevant again!
February 20th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Don’t want to draft Fowler with that attitude. No thank-you.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
^^^ some damn GAMES…auto spell got me
February 20th, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Marcus, if chosen, could help resolve these stains.
I’m a little worried about this news regarding Winston’s shoulder.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
This idea that Jamis will save the Bucs is only opinion. No one really knows if he will be a bust, or a great QB. If the, ” BUCS ARE THE BUCS”, why would Jamis want to come here either? That point could go for any player at the draft.
I would hate to be the GM or head coach that must pick someone.
Either way the chance of failure seems greater than the possibility of getting the no# 1 pick right.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:35 pm
I can name you 11 people right now that I know that say if the Bucs draft Winston they will not renew their season tickets, so you can bet that there are thousands more. If the Bucs want to lose half of their remaining fanbase they should just draft Winston. I’m sure that the Bucs are smart enough to know that the future success of their franchise does not depend on the FSU folks
February 20th, 2015 at 2:42 pm
Well you also have 3 teams in Florida maybe he just prefers another team.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:43 pm
LOL Joe talks about being “naive” when last year he was fist in line for the Johnny Football fan club…Sorry to say it looks like you’d follow anyone with a Heisman trophy attached to their name.
February 20th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
OMG these comments keep getting crazier, so if the Bucs draft Winston Bucs#1 knows 11 people who say they won’t renew tickets. So with your backwards thinking, there has to be thousands more thinking the same way. Where do you people come from?
February 20th, 2015 at 2:47 pm
“Bottom feeders, apathetic fans, year after year after year, embarrass Leman Bennett, the Bucs are the Bucs.” Somehow it’s just wrong. Go Bucs…..
February 20th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
I wish them well, really do. Will watch games every now and then but dont expect anything to change. I hope Im wrong, but been fooled too many times.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:00 pm
@Justin
And the year before that it was Morris Claiborne..smh
February 20th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
@FloridaGirl you weren’t really trying. I would take your club level seats for any game any time. I love my Bucs though it all! I’m not fair weather fan!
February 20th, 2015 at 3:06 pm
I’ve been saying this for weeks. Don’t nobody wanna play in Tampa that why we have to over pay every time.
The bucs are the bucs translate to the bucs suck, ain’t nobody got time for that.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
ChargedCBH
You can try to discredit it all you want, but it is what it is
February 20th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Nick O’Leary remind me of Chris Cooley. Would make a nice H-Back/F-Back in Dirk Koetter’s version of Air Coryell.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Well said Joe.
I’m thinking you will be happy with the end result of this #1 pick.
Owners, coaches, GM and basically everybody knows that if they don’t pick a QB with #1 pick and 2 great prospects to choose from – that 90% of the fanbase as well as all local media will just go absolutely ballistic. And then that anger will quickly turn to apathy and the result will be a 1/2 full Den of Depression all of next year costing the owners tens of Million$.
The hope instilled by a legit potential franchise QB is literally the glue that is holding this mess together right now. If you take that away – there is very little for most fans to be interested in or look forward to regarding this team.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:32 pm
Winston would a stain that can’t be removed if he were drafted here.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Thanks Pick.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:43 pm
I promise you all that the cry babies that throw a tantrum fit over the Bucs drafting Winston and drop their season tickets will come crawling back like it never happened when they start winning. These people are just looking for any excuse to not renew their tickets because they are truly fair weather fans.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
LOL. Much could be said about the Gators as well. Where does he think he was playing for in the SEC that took a drubbing last,year in the bowls, U of A.
With an arrogant attitude like that based on hubris, he is in for a rude awakening in the NFL. This guy sounds like a front running player. As long as his team is winning, he’ll stick around, but when,the going gets tough, he’s looking for an exit door.
Share a foxhole with this guy and you will have plenty of room cause when the bullets start flying, he’s bugging out.
Really poor example to use, Joe, in your never ending percent of pushing Winston down everyone’s throat.
February 20th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
Bucs#1 Says:
February 20th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
ChargedCBH
You can try to discredit it all you want, but it is what it is
PLEASE keep this post, so when opening day happens this year, you might realize that sometimes it’s best to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak and erase all doubt.
So your little 11 friends represent thousands of people. JOE TAKE DOWN THE COMMENT SECTION PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
February 20th, 2015 at 3:52 pm
1. Why would he endear himself to a particular team in public, get him in the team interviews and see what he says, he knows there are other teams that will likely draft him.
2. For those who would not renew if Jameis is drafted, I know plenty who are in the local area are saying they would come back to the Bucs, jerseys on order, but if they don’t draft a QB (any QB, many I know are saying they are out.
3. Let’s go get Jameis, and a Miami player or two and win some games, Canes make better pros than college players for some reason
February 20th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
This article is so silly it’s laughable.
First off, the same buzz you want here is the same buzz you were talking about last year when you wants the Bucs to draft Manzell. Now the only buzz you hear is the Browns GM apologiZing to the,fans for drafting Manzlll. Some buzz.
Secondly, drafting Winston May create some buzz and all some season tickets, but if he starts and loses 6 straight that buzz will become a raucous clamor and those bandwagon fans will be gone faster than when they arrived.
Joe, the more I think about your love of Manzell last year and your continuous disregard that Arroyo was the major reason for the entire Bucs inept offense, the less inclined I am to believe you hold some wonderful insight to Winston’s abilities.
In fact, I am beginning to like Mariota more and more.
February 20th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
WS99, it is so obvious that you are a troll and the fan of another team. Why do you even come out here. You must live a very sad and pathetic life if posting your drivell brings some sort of joy to your empty existence.
I mean really, you are a very pathetic person. No kidding.
February 20th, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Joe I can’t believe you actually think this kid will be a good NFL quarterback. He will never make it in the NFL he is lazy and he makes HORRIBLE decisions on and off the field. If the Bucs take him #1 overall it will be one of the biggest mistakes in franchise history
February 20th, 2015 at 10:53 pm
You are absolutely right, Joe. YOU were there and gave us the quote. AGAIN, where is the quote saying he did NOT want to play for the Bucs, or was it ‘off the record’ in case they draft him?
I ‘get’ that he may not think much of the Bucs, but to say (or even imply) that he “has no desire to play for them”, is stupid.
February 21st, 2015 at 4:00 am
We need new fans just as much as we need a new QB! Stop fooling yourself with the threat of not renewing your season tickets, no one cares about you including the Bucs! I wish we could trade fans like players, or tell em your contract is up, try your hand in fan free agency.. The Bucs will be dominant again and you fake ass fans can watch it on TV! Damn! #draftwinston
February 21st, 2015 at 8:55 am
When I said, “I ‘get’ that he may not think much of the Bucs, but to say (or even imply) that he “has no desire to play for them”, is stupid.”, I meant “stupid” for Fowler to say or imply. Joe is just being… Joe. :^)