Gov. Scott Indirectly Nixed Thursday Game
September 5th, 2017
Projected path of Hurricane Irma as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. (Graphic courtesy of NOAA.gov.)
It seems the Bucs and the Dolphins wanted to play their first regular season game Thursday night in Miami due to the threat of Hurricane Irma. But reason ruled the day.
Per Jeff Darlington of BSPN, the season opener was about to be moved to Thursday but Florida governor Rick Scott’s higher duty indirectly prevented that from becoming a reality.
@JeffDarlington: Dolphins and Bucs wanted to play Thursday in Miami, but governor declared Florida in state of emergency. Mayor declared “level 1 readiness.” … Police in “Alpha Bravo,” which means they’re under mandatory 12-hour shifts. As a result, team felt playing game is irresponsible, I’m told.
Yeah, this stinks, but let’s put things into perspective. Hurricane Irma is one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded and currently is barreling towards South Florida. A Category-5 hurricane could wipe whole communities off the map. See: Andrew, Hurricane.
The safety of hundreds of thousands is a bit more important than roughly 100 NFL players losing a bye week or getting inconvenienced by playing a game out of state.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Why would they cancel the game now, just wait until Thursday or Friday to cancel it. Lets see what happens but even the panicky Pete’s at the NHC don’t have this making landfall anywhere near Miami on the 5pm track, in fact it doesn’t have it making landfall at all in south Florida.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:27 pm
very sensible to not put aside hurricane readiness to attend or staff an NFL game, but a neutral site on thursday, friday, or even sunday would be the fairest. sunday would be hard for players leaving their families behind, but a thursday or friday night game in Atlanta or Carolina (both opening on the road) would involve people and communities far from the storm and give players time to go home and prepare. And you can bet the people in the stands would be rooting against the “road team” buccaneers
September 5th, 2017 at 5:28 pm
I still think it will be moved to a different location.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:29 pm
I agree….it takes a catastrophic event to keep me from watching my bucs games, but this weekend, I yhink everyone shoukd be worried about theyre homes, famiily and friends.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:35 pm
Irma, last Joe checked, is 200 miles wide. Even if the center of the cane hit Cuba, South Florida could expect 70+ MPH winds.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:35 pm
I love football as much as anyone, but at some point reason has to prevail. With a monster like Irma potentially striking South Florida this weekend, Joe hit the nail on the head: “The safety of hundreds of thousands is a bit more important than roughly 100 NFL players losing a bye week or inconvenienced by playing a game out of state.” Preparing for a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane is obviously more important than playing a game.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:38 pm
Prepare for what? Have any of you guys ever actually been through a hurricane or preparing for a hurricane? You don’t start boarding up your windows a week in advance. There’s nothing to “prepare” until you’re about 3 days out. Why exactly wouldn’t you wait until Thursday to see if this changes before cancelling anything? The computer models have been moving this storm from west to the east, then back and back, they literally don’t know if this will turn harmlessly out to sea or hit New Orleans. I guess New Orleans can’t be too safe – do they have a home game, well if so it’s time to cancel it because you can’t have people in a stadium 3 days before a hurricane may or may not hit…
September 5th, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Rod:
OK, so the models are unpredictable. If you are so confident the models are wrong, you willing to gamble the value of your house much less the safety of your family that Florida goes unscathed?
Would you feel better if the game goes on as scheduled and the teams and fans and cops and workers get trapped in a Cat-5 storm? Guess you would have had the Astros play at home in Houston last week when the city was being drowned?
NFL games are not as simple as rolling up in buses at a high school field and playing a game.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:45 pm
Joe – Those wind field stats are for open water, the moment you hit any land they go down dramatically. Anywho I’m not saying play it in a hurricane, I’m saying just wait to see if the thing is coming or not before cancelling it. If the storm keeps trending south, like the models are showing, it will end up over Cuba where it will be ripped apart. The NFL should have waited another day or two to find out if the computer models think that will happen, then if the models still show it coming near south Florida then of course you cancel it.
We shall see, but nothing we can do about it now.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:50 pm
If there is no chance of storm the next few days statistically – what is the manpower needed for? Is it in case of general panic / evacuations going on?
Better safe than sorry. I have family and friends all throughout the state and just hope this thing doesn’t hit too hard.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:52 pm
I think you guys forget , its gonna take a turn north at some point. Its just not safe. They think of travelling fans and everything not just the players.
September 5th, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Living in Wilmington NC, TBBF has seen many hurricanes. Scheduling a game on Thursday would have sent the wrong message to all in the potential path…very good call by your Governor.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:04 pm
This will cost the bucs a game by not having a bye.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:06 pm
@Rod … “Prepare for what? Have any of you guys ever actually been through a hurricane or preparing for a hurricane?” Seriously Rod? You live in Florida and you honestly wrote that? I’ve been through a number of pretty bad hurricanes and helped people recover from a number of others. And so have thousands and probably millions of other Floridians. Never heard a single person say after getting creamed by a hurricane “Gee I wish I hadn’t spent so much time preparing. I could’ve watched 2 or 3 more football games instead of wasting my time stocking up on supplies, checking my generator, etc, etc.”
September 5th, 2017 at 6:11 pm
I wish to offer the stadiums of Orlando, Camping world stadium in Orlando (old Citrus Bowl) and the UCF knights stadium. Both are suitable, more than enough Fins / Bucs fans to accommodate at either location.
Come on Goodell, make a few calls, it could happen.
Hell, move it to Raymond james, safety, safety.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:16 pm
@GhostofSchiano,
UCF just moved their Sat night game up to Friday night because of the storm. Not gonna play there on Saturday, certainly not on Sunday.
The whole state of FL is out of play for this weekend, unless the game was moved to Thurs or Fri. And at this point, Thursday definitely isn’t happening.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:22 pm
I am a Florida native . Born and raised on an east coast barrier island. I have certainly seen my fair share of hurricanes. It just seems that the PANIC level has elevated recently. It was not that we did not take hurricanes seriously, because we certainly did. It just seems that in this new instant media frenzy, that more people get totally freaked out. Almost to the point of hysteria. If you plan accordingly, every thing else is totally out of your control. I actually thought that we would never have another hurricane near me after I finally broke down and bought a generator. I bought it after Charlie, Francis and Jean left me with out power for about 3 weeks total. I have used it once for about 4 hours since. Anyway, good luck to all, but still way to early to be freaking out.
GO BUCS!!
September 5th, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Rod
Just think Houston. Governor made an earlier call than usual(from what i recall), based on the storm that just wrecked houston. Cant blame him. I know how these storms work. Miami might get 2 inches of rain in 2 days. Or get wiped out. Better safe.its a game. N u shouldnt care more than the players. Go bucs
September 5th, 2017 at 6:24 pm
I have never ever commented on a single forum for any Bucs site as I prefer to read and enjoy the different views of these posters. But saying that ….ROD MUNCH RULES HAS TO BE THE MOST MORONIC POSTER OF ALL TIME. I am a 29 year veteran Journeyman lineman for a power company in Florida and have worked every major storm since Hurricane Hugo in 1989…..You Mr. Munch are an IDIOT !!!
September 5th, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Mr. Munch,
Join Humanity.
A$$Hole
September 5th, 2017 at 6:36 pm
Joe,
Sometimes you post non-sense on this site that I scoff at. Other times, you post some good stuff.
This is good stuff (your reasoning why things are getting cancelled, why certain plans are being made, why people should be nervous, that fact the hurricane is 200 miles wide for crying out loud). This is what the emergency management officials are pounding, and its good information folks need to here. Keep up the good work!
Folks…keep checking your local NWS office, the Hurricane Center, and your local media (national media isn’t tuned to your concerns) as the hurricane nears are beloved state. Go Bucs and most importantly, stay safe.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:37 pm
hear* not here.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:38 pm
Probably gonna end up saying bye bye to our bye….
Still no excuses tho!
September 5th, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Guys, the Governor declared a state of emergency for ALL 67 COUNTIES in Florida. This is a statewide effort likely to be a Federal disaster. The game is not being played this weekend in Florida–period. If it goes, it will be OUT OF STATE. At best, hope for CAR Sat or Sun, but consider the teams leaving their families, especially from South Florida on either day and returning (trying to) a day after…and maybe not being able to get back home for a couple of days, like to Tampa if the storm pushes north (which affects NEXT week home opener prep). And no, whether the storm goes up the East coast or heads into the Gulf, the airports in Central Florida will be closed starting early Sunday–bet on it. Pre- and post Sunday are critical times. I’ve lived all over, especially east and west coast of florida, and we had to evacuate our military aircraft…leaving family behind, as that was call of duty to save government assets. The NFL players need to be able to take care of their famiies–their call of duty is to their families. Their minds won’t be on the game anyway. So screw it. Play in Week 11. And BTW, do you think The King, Rog wants egg on his face? I hate the fact we probably won’t see it this weekend, but it makes sense.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:43 pm
From the National Hurricane Center, this is in their 5pm update under discussion…
“The chance of direct impacts from Irma beginning later this week
and this weekend from wind, storm surge, and rainfall continues to
increase in the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida Peninsula.
However, it is too soon to specify the timing and magnitude of these
impacts.”
The ***chance*** of an impact is increasing – BUT it’s too soon to know the timing or impact of anything. Also it says Florida Keys an peninsula because they don’t know if it will hit south Florida or not.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:44 pm
kevbeth5 – Serious question, what exactly is moronic about not panicking about a hurricane that may or may not hit next week and saying wait another 24-36 hours before you panic? Are you guys even reading what I’m writing?
September 5th, 2017 at 6:58 pm
let’s just try and get through this damn storm unscaved, if it doesn’t hit great, but if it hooks like the models all are in agreement about, then we are in a world of hurt, peoples lives number one are at risk, and then property damage, along with fema response afterward, the NFL will make this game up, somehow someway, they always do, hell they might give us an extra thanksgiving game, just be safe ya’ll and pray for the best, go bucs, irma sucks!!!!!!!!
September 5th, 2017 at 6:58 pm
I don’t care what they do, except don’t take the Bye week away from two potential playoff teams.
September 5th, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Mr. Munch …..your cavalier attitude of a now record breaking hurricane in our vicinity whether it hits us or not is beyond comprehension. I imagine you being a pencil pushing dweeb type that’s never seen or been near the devastation that happens with a storm is probably the reason why. Again……It’s a football GAME . I believe first responders or lineman like myself need this valuable time to prepare THEIR families for that possibility….whether real or not !!! Panicking …..absolutely not….preparing YES !!
September 5th, 2017 at 7:01 pm
At least we can pretend we have a good team for another week.
September 5th, 2017 at 7:01 pm
If UCF moved their game to Friday instead of Saturday then this game will not be played until the bye week. So both teams must play 16 straight weeks. It isn’t fair but that seems to be the way this is leaning. I wish they would play in Jacksonville or Orlando On Saturday or Sunday.
September 5th, 2017 at 7:07 pm
What happens when Hurrican Jose swoops in behind it in 7 days and knixs the home opener???
September 5th, 2017 at 7:09 pm
To all….I will go back to my anonymous life……lol….while not panicking I hope the Mr. Munches of this world can come back to all of us and say ” I told you so “…..but saying that . Let’s all pray for the ones that put their lives on the line if and when this Hurricane hits, whether it’s in Miami , Tampa bay or BFE. Ultimately it will effect someone. Remember it’s only a game, not life……….PEACE
September 5th, 2017 at 7:11 pm
Well said Sir!!
September 5th, 2017 at 7:16 pm
Rut Roh.
Hurricane Jose is right behind Irma.
September 5th, 2017 at 7:37 pm
Rod Muncher seems to enjoy abuse from anonymous strangers on the internet.
It’s kind of weird TBH.
September 5th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
At this point I’d rather the NFL just cancel the game all together and call it a draw. If they move it to a third party site, which seems likely, barely anyone would come since (I’d imagine) most fans from both sides are preparing for the hurricane. It looks to me like too much of a hassle to move the game and set up everything in 4 days and it’d be unfair to both teams to have them play the game during what is supposed to be both of their bye weeks and go 16 game straight without a game.
September 5th, 2017 at 7:47 pm
16 games straight without a break*
September 5th, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Thanks Wright! 🙂
September 5th, 2017 at 7:59 pm
I enjoy arguing with people who don’t know what they’re talking about – also I can’t stand panicky Pete’s – no one has yet to explain to me why I’m wrong to say wait until you’re 3-days out to make decisions – not 5 days out. That is based on this thing called history – and actually following this stuff my whole life and having been through it many times – and also it’s based on what is actually being said by the National Hurricane Center. The 5 day forecast was only put in place a few years ago and even then it was very much debated because the errors are so big. The anti-5 day crowd used the exact reaction of the people in here to explain why having a 5-day track is bad. The errors at 5 days is so large that’s it’s normally, well almost always, wrong. They might nail it this time – but it would be the first time I can ever recall that being the case when you’re talking about it making landfall. My cavalier attitude is just commonly referred to as not panicking and basing the not panicking on previous events AND. All the best information available. Again the NHC are the ones saying what I’m saying – they are saying they don’t know what, if any, impact it will have on Florida. You can read what they have to say themselves. By late Wednesday or early Thursday that’s when they will know a lot lot more which is the same thing I said.
September 5th, 2017 at 8:16 pm
We in Florida have just one advantage with our natural disasters…unlike California with unpredictable earthquakes….or Tornado Alley where storms can spring up in a very short time….hurricanes DO give us the time to prepare.
Dave Pear I suspect you grew up before Florida grew up. I no longer go to our Pinellas County Beaches because the barrier islands cannot handle even normal traffic. So let’s wait until 3 days before we think the storm will actually hit and then tell hundreds of thousands of households to board up, get their water and batteries oh and try to evacuate over highways that will certainly be jammed.
Do we suppose the police and other first responders simply wait until the storm hits and then show up? How about the Florida National Guard…they don’t know where they may be needed…but they still must be prepared.
It’s a freaking football game. Lives are now at stake. I sincerely hope this is a false alarm and the storm simply drifts west into the Gulf and hits some uninhabited land mass in Mexico. But in the meantime…better safe than sorry.
September 5th, 2017 at 8:29 pm
Courtney Fallon (NFL Network) reports the NFL is considering Philly and New Orleans and the decision will be made by noon tomorrow.
September 5th, 2017 at 8:31 pm
I have family and friend fleeing to Georgia…unbelievable. The news reports have all of Florida in a panic. Sure, board up windows. But stop freaking out.
Need water? Fill up empty jugs and pots instead of fighting crowds. It’s still early.
If you have lived in Florida for long, you know to avoid flood zones. I did. Sturdy place I live in too.
Can’t believe all the panicking going on. Chill people. Use your heads. Panick will do more damage than the storm.
September 5th, 2017 at 8:54 pm
I actually agree with Munch on this. Never understood the panic about these things and have been here my entire life. As Munch says, they will have a much better idea of what will happen on Friday. At that point you can make a decision as to what direction to go.
September 5th, 2017 at 8:57 pm
They both have same bye week so reschedule for that week makes sense and it’s not just players effected it’s families and people who work for the team in Miami especially.
September 5th, 2017 at 9:07 pm
BTW the latest 8pm computer models now have the storm turning north before ever hitting Florida and maybe going into the Carolinas.
Also when do we find out if the game is going to a neutral site or not? I’m assuming it will just take place during the bye week but the fact they didn’t say that up front makes me think they’re still considering relocating the game.
September 5th, 2017 at 9:19 pm
The media is whipping everyone into a panic. Gas stations are already running out of gas. People are buying ice because the stores are out of water.
I mean at this rate we will be talking about cannibalism by Friday.
September 5th, 2017 at 9:27 pm
Bonzai and Dave
Hopefully you are correct but you realize what is at stake right. Again I’ve seen official plans if a Cat 5 ever came up Tampa Bay. Shore Acres will not simply be flooded as occured in Houston…swaths of that fill dirt will literally disappear.
We’ve so overbuilt our barrier islands in Pinellas that the carnage will be massive and any evacuation from those beaches would take days to complete.
Oh and the very best hospital in all of Tampa Bay….TGH sits on Davis Island. Imagine what a storm surge would do to them…to the residents of Davis and Harbor Island.
I get that the odds are in our favor. But it’s like walking across a 2X4…piece of cake eh…unless it’s ten stories above the ground. The odds may still be in our favor but a loss is catostrophic and it doesn’t cost that much too prepare. Again better safe than sorry. Ask folks in Port Charlotte or in our Panhandle. My wife had friends in dentistry who lost entire offices in the Panhandle.
If I told you that you have a 5 in six chance of nothing happening you’d feel pretty comfortable…unless you were playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun. Odd are in your favor but do you really want to pull that trigger?
September 5th, 2017 at 9:29 pm
Good friggin’ gawdalmighty, it’s a HURRICANE, people. The Bucs and Miami are big boys; they can survive a 16-game schedule w/out a bye. I followed football when they did not have Bye weeks. Give me a break. Irma is going to be Andrew’s nasty, big and meaner than snot baby sister. You bet your arse long time Floridians are getting ready. Panic? I don’t think so. Common sense–yeah!!
September 5th, 2017 at 9:46 pm
@Rod
I just read that there will be an announcement tomorrow. The sites being considered are Pittsburgh or Philli
September 5th, 2017 at 9:49 pm
The latest models are starting to trend back to the east now. We will see if they continue to show that in the next few runs. That could be very good news for the west coast.
September 5th, 2017 at 10:00 pm
one reason for early warning in this case,only one way out of the keys.If mthey
wait till the last minute there will be a huge traffic jam.
September 5th, 2017 at 10:17 pm
I concur with Rod.
So I guess ef me too!
I have 4 16ounce bottles of water in my fridge. THAT’S IT!
Weather forecasters have every geeked up again Rod just like they’ve been doing for the 30 years I’ve lived in Florida. No bottled water or sand bags to be found. Do I care? Am I worried? What for? I’ll check back in 2 days and wonder if I should worry or not.
Rod you’re right. It’s too dayum early.
September 5th, 2017 at 10:19 pm
Sorry but that’s how I roll with these spag models this early.
September 5th, 2017 at 10:39 pm
Lol with the skip bayless comment!!!!
September 5th, 2017 at 11:20 pm
Irma is going to take a northern turn and bust our asses in NC
September 5th, 2017 at 11:28 pm
Mike – Interesting… considering Pittsburgh? Really? Wow. Philly would be awesome since the Bucs own that city – since Ronde got in their head the championship game I think the Bucs have destroyed them everytime they played there.
September 5th, 2017 at 11:33 pm
Buc1987 – Exactly, glad to see this place isn’t completely flooded with the we’re all gonna die bunch. The hurricane very well might hit Miami, it might very well hit Tampa, but it also might hit Carolina or New Orleans or head harmlessly out to sea. 5 days out we just don’t know.
Also the NHC dropped this nugget in their notes for 11pm, “Some of the dynamical models have shifted northward a bit from the previous cycle, with the normally reliable GFS looking like a northeast outlier. The official track forecast leans toward the ECMWF solution.”
That is what they say when the models are shifting back and forth and they really have no idea where it’s going, they just go with what is the most stable. In other words check back with us in a couple of days and we’ll let you know what’s up.