Down Goes The Tampa Tribune
May 3rd, 2016
Roy Cummings, longtime Bucs beat writer of the now-defunct Tampa Tribune.
Whoa!
Joe doesn’t cover media business, but this bears a few words, and there are a few Bucs ties.
Today, the Tampa Bay Times announced it bought The Tampa Tribune and, as of tomorrow, Tribune newspaper subscribers will be delivered a copy of the Times. Ouch!
Joe has no knowledge of their status, but longtime Tribune Bucs beat writers Roy Cummings and eye-RAH! Kaufman, the Custodian of Canton, likely are out of a job.
Last year, the Lakeland Ledger ended its daily Bucs beat coverage when it let go of Rick Brown. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune also gave up when mighty Tom Balog was re-assigned. ESPN no longer has a Buccaneers beat writer. The Bradenton Herald and Orlando Sentinel gave up on the Bucs long ago for regular coverage. Pewter Report folded its print magazine and abandoned its subscription coverage.
The Tampa Bay sports landscape sure has changed over the past handful of years. We’re even down to just one sports radio station with local programming. Of course, that’s blowtorch WDAE-AM 620. (Listen to the JoeBucsFan.com Hour tomorrow at 5 p.m.)
But never fear, Bucs fans. JoeBucsFan.com is healthy and stronger than ever. Joe is still here working night and day, holidays and weekends, win or lose, beer or no beer, to serve the obsession of Buccaneers fans from Spring Hill to Fort Myers, and from Orlando to St. Pete Beach.
Joe hopes those who lost their jobs at the Tribune, where Joe was employed for many years, land on their feet.
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:27 pm
Thanks for all your hard work and all Bucs news joes. Keep it coming!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:29 pm
Joe, this is happening not only in the newspaper biz, but all across America in factories, stores, businesses. This is why so many people are supporting alternate Prez candidates. They want change. They see whats happening. People are either being replaced by profits or machines (technology) And there simply are not enough jobs for everybody. One day within the next 20 0r 30 yrs, theres gonna be another big movement in this country. And its gonna include a whole lotta people. A whole lot. Thank god for TV sports coverage though. Hell, most people right here in Tampa Bay area cannot afford to even go see a Bucs game!
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:30 pm
They’ll be hired soon enough
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:31 pm
This is the only place that Really covers the Bucs Anyway.
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:39 pm
Man, I used to work for the Tribune as a door to door salesman and then sales supervisor for the door to door kids when I was 19/20 years old before I moved to PA. We had some fun times back then. Wow, that was 20 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. Sad.
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Thanks for all the hard work gentlemen. Great coverage and entertainment
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Outstanding job Joe!!!
Joe’s really not celebrating anything here, but thanks for your many years of support.–Joe
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:55 pm
I’m also sorry for Roy and Ira. They’re good guys that hopefully planned ahead.
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:58 pm
What’s gonna happen to Ira Kaufman’s position as Tampa Bay’s only vote on the HoF committee?
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Let’s get Trump to help the Bucs. He will build a beautiful wall of an offensive line to protect Winston and Win Win Win!
Lol
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:00 pm
@Joe
“…to serve the obsession of Buccaneers fans from Spring Hill to Fort Myers, and from Orlando to St. Pete Beach.”
and to Costa Rica, Joe!
It is going to be a very good year for my Bucs!!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Losing your job is never fun and all those guys are great journalist.
Somewhere there is a type writer
Manufacturer scratching his head wondering what happened
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Unfortunately, this is the future of the newspaper business. It will be replaced by online service and sites like JoeBucsFan for specific sports news. Times never stand still….change is constant.When was the last time anyone of you used a dial-up telephone?
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:06 pm
JOE – “But never fear, Bucs fans. JoeBucsFan.com is healthy and stronger than ever.”
Yes, JOE is going strong with that single advertiser JOE has. I guess mighty, mighty JOE is just being selective. Why make up stuff about Joe? Joe has several local advertisers, four are going on five years or more without stopping for a day. Joe delivers for advertisers, therefore the majority stay on or come back. In fact, Joe can’t wait to announce two new advertisers in the coming weeks. –Joe
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Joe…you were truthful up until the “no beer” part.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:12 pm
It absolutely boggles the mind how stupid management at news papers have been and continues to be. There is only ONE thing that they have over their competition online. Local coverage. How many times have you thought to yourself ” Hey, I wonder what’s going on with…..X” insert local topic here? Lo and behold you can’t find it anywhere. You literally have to get your local information from sites like this. If its not sports though …good luck with that. Amazing.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:15 pm
I know Joe. I apologize for that. Your post brought back memories. I remember talking trash on TBO’s blog and you came in and said “hey guys come check out our new page, JoeBucsFan.com. So there was handful of us started having awesome discussions with you about the team. And your writing was excellent. You busted your butts and deserve all the success you’ve enjoyed.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:28 pm
I’m just a subscriber of the Lakeland Ledger, I never read the Tampa Tribune or the Tampa Times. Go Bucs, Jason Licht for President.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:28 pm
I remember reading the Tribune in the 50’s and the 60’s at the dinning room table with my grandfather when I lived in Auburndale. It was a morning ritual before school. Today is a sad day.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:32 pm
As a Trib Alum, I warned a friend a month ago to expect this. Sadly it is a failed business model, get rid of the best writers, put content on line for free, put old news in print and expect companies to buy advertising
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:43 pm
SOO sorry for Roy and Ira. Hope they land on their feet.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:43 pm
When I was in high school I worked a short time assisting in the Tribune pressroom. I read that paper through the ’60’s. The Tribune was always Republican leaning politically while the Times was Democrat leaning. Just like today there not being a dimes worth of difference in the two supposed political sides, the Times now will reflect that merging of protecting the status quo. In my opinion a newspaper should allow public discourse by printing pages of opinions instead of a handful of carefully selected letters that don’t rock the boat of political correctness. It isn’t worth reading any longer.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:46 pm
I only remember seeing Tampa Tribune on the ground or by the door steps.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:53 pm
The cost of newsprint & delivery along with the older demographics of readers and the declining revenues from ad sales are forcing this all over the country….especially when their is a competitor.
There are too many immediate sources for news via TV & Internet…..
I used to subscribe years ago for sports scores & stock prices…..I can now get all that immediately.
JBF is a niche site that provides advertisers access to the exact audience it wants.
Support Joe’s advertisers…..that’s how you get JBF for free……
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:54 pm
Joe you’re the best! I really do appreciate your hard work and dedication for our beloved BUCS. Like you said, win our lose we’re in this forever, “it’s a Buccaneers Life”!
GO BUCS
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:56 pm
I guess this shouldn’t be surprising, but it is. My dad worked for the Tribune in the 70’s and early 80’s picking up the bundles at 0130-0200, and delivering the papers to Albertsons, 7-11s, and apartment complexes. When I got old enough I used to love helping him, and just see the city and the night people milling about. I loved it.
What a sad day.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:06 pm
TRUMP NATION BABY!
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:28 pm
Paper print is almost gone. So is a lot of things that we valued when we were kids.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:45 pm
Go Joes!
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:48 pm
@Joe if you ever get to that point, beers are on me
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:55 pm
Wow.
Roy and Ira…. Wonder where they end up.
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:20 pm
“Why make up stuff about Joe? Joe has several local advertisers, four are going on five years or more without stopping for a day. Joe delivers for advertisers, therefore the majority stay on or come back. In fact, Joe can’t wait to announce two new advertisers in the coming weeks. –Joe”
So where can all of these advertisers be found? I only saw one earlier today and now I can’t find any
Sir, Joe can’t speak to whatever mess that is your computer, but among Joe’s proud local advertisers seen on the site right now include: Hooters Calendar, Original Hooters, AffordableLegalFees.com, Dolman Law Group, Craters & Freighters Tampa, Ed Morse Automotive (seven dealership locations), Center For Men’s Health, among others, plus what’s seen on the Watch Parties page.–Joe
May 3rd, 2016 at 10:38 pm
Amazing some of the dunces coming out tonight.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:01 pm
Times has been far better at least since I’ve been old enough to form an opinion. Occasionally both are laying around at work and after flipping through each, I always come to the same conclusion.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:05 pm
Joe – get those guys to come here and do some stories. Also have you thought about getting people to cover the college sports?
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:05 pm
Slow play here tonight. Just like Golden State.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:09 pm
Hey, much love all the way from Cali on my part. Good year to be a bucs fan in Cali, going to 3 games this year. Arizona, San Fran and San Diego!!!
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:12 pm
Joe should have a rate the Buccaneers cheerleader squad of 2016. My pick is April hands down.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:19 pm
I’m glad Joe is here to stay Joe you rock !
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:25 pm
Leonard Scarnesi is an idiot. Just wanting to start trouble. He should buy some glasses and learn how to read.
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:33 pm
Why do you guys a pen name? Why not real names?
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:44 pm
Eric is my name
May 4th, 2016 at 1:00 am
Thanks for bringing us this great content.. I remember living in DC and living off of this page. Let me know if you have any fat people sized JoeBucsFan shirts!
May 4th, 2016 at 1:00 am
JOE, if that’s your real name lol, you took the red pill, and looked how far the rabbit hole goes, so mad respect, I have only recently found your site, probably around the combine, bleacher report sent a link, and I followed, not once, but a few times, next thing I know, I’m casually looking to see what’s going on here, to my surprise, it’s the 1st place I hit in the morning, and last place I visit at night, being a Bucs fan in Gainesville, I’ve got no one to talk Bucs with, it’s Gator country, which is fine but I feel my passion and knowledge of the NFL is wasted, and talking to myself gets pretty boring, my hot fiancée actually tries to humor me, and actually watched the draft with me, bless her soul, I know I’m lucky, but to have an outlet to express my views is priceless so thank you and your 5+ sponsors, anyone else talking sh7t bout your site can go join the Lovie family in Illinowhere, they are not Buccaneer fans, and no need for you to even comment about those trolling fools, they can go BUC themselves lol
May 4th, 2016 at 2:04 am
BuccanEric I was possibly one of those kids back in Junior year of high school I believe…it was my very first job in fact if I recall correctly (around ’92). Really sad to see the Trib go. Don’t forget Martin Fanelly also Joe. Not a beat writer but has had some great Bucs articles over the years
May 4th, 2016 at 3:01 am
Roy and Ira are great, hope to see them bounce back. Also enjoy Greg Auman, he is great on twitter.
Dislike Rick Stroud though, he should move on to a TV network in my opinion.
May 4th, 2016 at 3:54 am
The internet is squeezing the press, which is a shame because I love to read the paper when I can. Staring at a screen, or holding a tablet/phone is just not the same as holding a newspaper in your hand.
May 4th, 2016 at 5:57 am
PRBucFan Says:
They’ll be hired soon enough
——————————–
oh really, where? newsprint is in its final deaththrows…
May 4th, 2016 at 8:18 am
The Times has bought the Tribune before. When I was in my teens, they did it. Frankly, I had that they did not own it already.
When they bought it before, it was distributed as the “Times Tribune”.
I guess they sold it again later.
Frankly, I’m hoping this means an improvement in quality in the sports section, because I am sick of “inside sources” being used to justify lies.
May 4th, 2016 at 8:23 am
James Walker Says
“The internet is squeezing the press, which is a shame because I love to read the paper when I can. Staring at a screen, or holding a tablet/phone is just not the same as holding a newspaper in your hand.”
The world is changing. As an author, I can tell you all printed media is suffering. Those that adjust and evolve will survive it. The Tampa Tribune did not evolve with the times, so they are gone.
I see the same thing with novelists and publishers. There are still both that refuse to publish eBooks. There are readers that refuse to use eReaders. But both are greatly outnumbered. The publishers need to adjust or shut down…eventually.
eReaders are great because you can invert colors to read white text on a black background at night, so as to reduce eye strain. No reading light required. And hte screens are like paper books in the light.
May 4th, 2016 at 8:25 am
Really, newspapers are missing a huge opportunity in not changing. For the first time ever, a newspaper can be nationally and internationally distributed with nearly no overhead (other than paying writers).
May 4th, 2016 at 8:25 am
RIP; The Tampa Tribune…. I am positive that Tom McEwan probably uttered a few choice words from beyond the grave. Sad day in Tampa Bay for all of us who grew up reading “Hey Tom” and got used to seeing Lamar Sparkman’s Buc Bomber on a football Sunday! The days of print journalism are just about through. Good that we have JoeBucsFan around!
May 4th, 2016 at 8:56 am
@Joe
What’s worse is, the online services that are replacing home town newspapers are literally just aggregators, hell, even my corner of the interwebs has stated that’s what we are becoming…
May 4th, 2016 at 9:59 am
bad news for them…great news for places like joe, pr, bn, etc.
May 4th, 2016 at 10:01 am
Deleting comments….really….
May 4th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
@Bonzai I thought when the Tampa Tribune bought the Tampa Times, they still had in small print Tampa Times on the front of the Tribune. I don’t think there is any relationship between the Tampa Times and the Tampabay Times (until now)
If I’m wrong, please correct me
May 4th, 2016 at 12:59 pm
I don’t believe the Tribune ever bought or owned the Times. In the past the Tribune did have another paper in the afternoon.
May 4th, 2016 at 5:16 pm
Either the times bought the tribune or it was reversed. I was in Tampa the whole time, and lived through it. I may have it backwards, but a purchase WAS made.