“They Want Some Of That Magic Dust”
May 19th, 2016
Are important people at One Buc Palace jealous of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success?
This notion was floated by none other than 25-year Tampa Bay sportswriter eye-RAH! Kaufman, the “Custodian of Canton.” He was a guest last night on WWBA-AM 820 and was asked whether the rampant buzz following the Lightning has the attention of power brokers with the Buccaneers and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kaufman implied the Rays have too much to worry about with their attendance and stadium situation to care. But the Bucs, Kaufman said, are watching and yearning.
“They want some of that magic dust,” Kaufman said of the Bucs.
Kaufman noted his research reveals Tampa Bay is the only NFC team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to finish in their division basement for five consecutive seasons. That fosters longing for what a quality Bucs team would inspire.
Of course, Joe and legions of fans remember how Bucs-crazy the Bay area was back in the late 1990s and through the first post-Super Bowl season.
Only sustained winning will bring back that kind of fever. The inspiring 10-win 2010 season sure didn’t.
May 19th, 2016 at 5:41 am
Yeah those bucs crazy bandwagoners are the ones who just had to join the waiting list to drive up ticket prices. The people actually going had to pay for it. Those chumps never went n now complain of ticket prices. It is your fault they went up in the first place dummy.
Heres the deal ppl. They need your support more when theyre losing…make some noise on defense. No pixie dust needed, just a winning team so they can jump back on the wagon. Go bucs
May 19th, 2016 at 5:52 am
Cellar dwellers for 5 consecutive seasons? Ira’s being kind. Bucs have come in last in our division 7 out of the last 10 years, and ended up next-to-last 2 other times. We’ve only won the division one time in the past 10 years … way back in 2007. Four different HCs (now on our 5th) with all the coaching staff changes that brings. Three different GMs. A handful of superstars each year surrounded by too much mediocrity. What could possibly have gone wrong? Hopefully lessons have been learned and we’ve now turned the corner.
May 19th, 2016 at 6:50 am
Joe says
“The inspiring 10-win 2010 season sure didn’t.”
Or as its otherwise called, “That year they finished 3rd in the division because the panthers tanked for Cam”!!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 7:03 am
CAUTION – if you have a weak constitution do NOT read.
Our Win/Loss Record is a whooping | 36-74 | 0.327
Since we fired the Best Darn Coach in Buccaneer History
– Jon Gruden FFCA
Hopefully this is year – that we turn it all around.
Go Bucs!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 7:07 am
I was like 11 or 12 when we finally won our first Super Bowl miss those years of dominant defense don’t miss our crappy offense or terrible quarterbacks
May 19th, 2016 at 7:14 am
I don’t know anything about hockey but I’ve had more fun at the last Bolts game I went to than any Bucs game since Gruden got fired
May 19th, 2016 at 7:16 am
@LuvmyBucs
What is more astounding???
The 74 losses or,
all the blowouts or,
Fans every offseason calling double-digit wins and playoff run during that time??
May 19th, 2016 at 7:58 am
We absolutely must start winning home games…..I don’t care what it takes….its a must…..and that comes from players passion like Jameis and Kwon…..hopefully Hargreaves brings more…
May 19th, 2016 at 8:06 am
@TBBF- There is nothing more disheartening than forking over a couple of Benjamins only to see the home team get rolled. That’s a big hurdle to climb. People are not going to be willing to shell out $$$ to see a bad product. You are so right, they have to start winning at home. That’s where it starts.
May 19th, 2016 at 8:32 am
It makes me sick to read numbers like that. And through all that they are still my favorite team to watch by a long shot. It’s been a long time ever coming bUT I finally think they are finally heading back to the glory days when there was a special vibe in the bay when it came to the Pewter pirates. They are loaded with young talent and most of all they have the best young QB in the league. And when u have that, u always have a shot. I think Mike Smith will finally get our defense back to being respectful and we already know what the offense is capable of if guys like V-Jax and ASJ can stay healthy. Btw I wouldn’t mind seeing the bucs go afterWR Andre Roberts who Washington just let go. He would be a great upgrade over often injured Murphy in the slot. Anyways this team is loaded with potential and seems we finally have a good coaching staff to go with all that young talent. There should be no reason why this team isn’t in the playoffs in 2 years,if not this year. I just expect a winning season, I don’t know if 10 wins is a real possibility with the brutal schedule this year. But u never know what teams are gonna look like or what kind of injury they sustain. To be real I expect 8 or wins this season but the following season we better be in the playoffs and possibly have double digit wins.
May 19th, 2016 at 8:41 am
Not a hockey guy but the game day/night experience the Lightning creates is amazing, they do a lot for their fans, took in a game in the Chase Club and it doesn’t get any better than that for any sport……
Lightning know how to market and how to properly take care of their fans, the Bucs should follow Atlanta’s lead and make the concession prices more affordable….!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 8:52 am
@Tom Edrington
Tell the truth, you just liked the air conditioning!!!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 8:54 am
speaking of “They Want Some Of That Magic Dust”!!!
Where is an article of what Jfro-6pak is doing to make his 6th comeback!!!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 9:13 am
The Lightning look just ordinary now. I’ll be surprised if they win another game in these playoffs. The Bucs leave them in the dust for fan support even with their ongoing futility. Hockey? Please, a snore fest.
May 19th, 2016 at 9:18 am
That pic up top looks like a disfigured Kiwi fruit.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:21 am
I don’t get why all of my friends that live in the downtown area go to all the hockey games and party for the alway games, while completely neglecting the Bucs. They have even turned down my offer of free tickets (great seats)!? We are not from Canada. My head doesn’t flap up and down when I talk. We don’t call each other “Buddy”, “Guy” or “friend” all day. WTF are people caring about hockey then?
May 19th, 2016 at 11:23 am
@Fsuking- Not for nothing, but have you ever been to a hockey game live? Hockey playoffs? If not, dude you are missing out. I’m football through and through but there is no experience like a hockey game live.
Nice South Park reference by the way!
May 19th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
The Lightning have been peppered with shots on goal the past two games, outshot like ridiculous numbers. Good goaltending have kept those games from beng complete blowouts. I expect the same bombardment from the Pens the next go round.
May 19th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
This is the year the Bucs win back respectability and that “relevance” that Lovie found so elusive.
Jason Licht is doing a fantastic job of building this team and bringing in talented players. We have our QB and he’s going to be one of the best in the league for many years. The Bucs are being built to last and will likely be legit Super Bowl contenders for quite some time to come starting in 2017.
The “magic dust” is on its way and it has nothing to do with Winslow Jr’s notorious briefcase nor Freewee’s exit from the league.
May 19th, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Yeah let’s pile on the Lightning now that they’ve run into a great team. The only made the final four.
Are we going to be disappointed with the Bucs if they make it to the Conference finals this year?
This all gets back to ownership!!! Ira did an analsysis several years ago comparing the horrid franchises like the Browns and Bucs to find out the common denominator. it’s always comes down to ownership.
Either you have a Kraft in NE or a Snyder in DC. Jeff Vinik is the best owner in all of professional sports right now. Unlike Goldman Sachs banker Stu Goldberg who is in it for the Benjamins and would move the team to Brooklyn in a heartbeat if MLB allowed him…Vinik has moved his entire family to Tampa Bay.
He”s involved in many charities and the redevelopment of the downtown/channelside area.
We are lucky…certainly as Lightning fans…but also as residents of Tampa Bay to have Jeff Vinik.
May 19th, 2016 at 3:01 pm
The football craze in TB was amazing under Dungy.
Then Gruden showed up. He was able to win for one year with Dungy’s team, then he destroyed what should have been a dynasty because he needed to show everyone he could win with that Gruden offense, which consisted of 35-year old offensive linemen coming off injuries and 32-year old running backs coming off injuries. Gruden just needed to show everyone that the SB win wasn’t because of Dungy, it was because he was a coaching GOD and he would make that offense the best in the league.
May 19th, 2016 at 3:44 pm
@StPeteBucsFan- DING, DING, DING! You’re the big winner!
Buc fans, if you want to blame someone for our woes over the years, just look up at the top. A culture starts at the top. Look at the storied franchises like Pittsburgh and the like. Common denominator: good ownership.
Bad coaches, bad GMs, losing cultures, those are a symptom of poor ownership.
Well put StPete!
May 19th, 2016 at 3:50 pm
@Rod- Come on man. Lets not start this conversation again. Both Dungy AND Gruden deserve all the accolades for each of their achievements. Don’t do this thing where we knock the only coach to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He deserves recognition.
I’m not going to do the point/counter-point with you. You know that he deserves recognition and it takes nothing away from Dungy’s legacy.