Bad Two Days For Tampa Bay Sports
December 21st, 2017
Where will he take his football executive talents?
Man, what a tough local sports week this has been, culminating in the other local football franchise shutting its doors.
Yes, it’s bye-bye for the Tampa Bay Storm. The Arena League team headed by Mr. Derrick Brooks for the past seven years folded up shop today.
The shrinking Arena League’s struggles have been well documented, so this was no giant surprise. But it was a well-run operation and Joe aches for Storm fans. Losing your team sucks. Joe still longs for Tampa Bay Mutiny games.
So Brooks now appears to be a football free agent, outside of his NFL appeals officer gig. Joe can already hear the Chucky-Brooks, Coach-GM speculation from some fans.
Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays traded a 10-year face of the franchise, Evan Longoria, because they wanted to save money. What a kick in the groin. Longoria was coming off a strong year and he can’t be replaced.
Dark days for tens of thousands of locals and Joe feels for all of you.
And the Bucs, if the Rams keep rolling, are on the verge of owning the longest playoff drought in the NFC.
Rough times.
December 21st, 2017 at 4:25 pm
Trade gmc like Longoria or the Bucs will soon close their doors too.
Brooks did such a good job with the storm that they went out of business.
December 21st, 2017 at 4:34 pm
Thanks for bringing up the kick in the groin that was Longoria getting traded.
I love baseball but that franchise is just pure torture to follow. Im done giving a rats azz about the players anymore. Every time I have a favorite player he gets traded away. I started really to appreciate having Longo commit to the team and he had a nice cheap deal so I figured he outdid never be traded and he was my favorite player……Then this.
They just don’t care about their fans too much to not give us any franchise players……..And they wonder why nobody goes to the games. They refuse to spend money so will the fans. Thinking about bailing on Opening Day.
December 21st, 2017 at 4:38 pm
Still impatiently waiting for the triumphant retirn of Joeraysfan.gong. Say it ain’t so, Joes’?!
December 21st, 2017 at 4:40 pm
I blame all the injuries on Monday on the red floppy hats they handed out at the game.
December 21st, 2017 at 4:47 pm
They can always move into the National Arena Football League. But I don’t know if that means no more playing at Amalie Arena, but they still can’t play ball this season. Just like the Rays, the Bucs’ ownership has been stingy with their money. Which is why we always have mediocre players, coaching, and a overall mediocre team. Rays and Bucs need to sell their teams for the better.
December 21st, 2017 at 5:04 pm
All I can say is Go Bolts!
December 21st, 2017 at 5:05 pm
Enjoy it while it lasts
December 21st, 2017 at 5:07 pm
BE THE THUNDER! GO BOLTS!!!
December 21st, 2017 at 5:08 pm
I say give brooks a scouting job and lets see where it goes from there….he’s a HOF…..glazers could use someone with his knowledge in the front office behind the scenes somewhere….h3ll lynch looks like he knows what he’s doing….GO BUCS!!!
December 21st, 2017 at 5:10 pm
Keep Brooks away from the Bucs!!
December 21st, 2017 at 5:10 pm
And what kind of MLB franchise doesn’t even know how to make a hotdog that tastes proper? It aren’t that hard.
December 21st, 2017 at 5:15 pm
The ex wife was an alcoholic-drug abuser who ran up the credit cards, was unfaithful and beat the kids…..would you like to marry her?
That’s what the trade GMC is asking of other teams….
So, either you are wrong and we would get a boat load for him…..or you are right and we’ll get nothing.
December 21st, 2017 at 5:35 pm
One man thrash and what not.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:09 pm
The Glazers are fools not to hire this man in some capacity. It is unfathomable the influence and credibility this man possess. Gold Jacket, Ring, and experience. Who else can even come close?
December 21st, 2017 at 6:19 pm
Brooks training is completed make him the GM ASAP!
December 21st, 2017 at 6:30 pm
13 other tens folded before the Storm this isn’t on DB! You name yourself after him and are clueless jock sniffer DB55..
December 21st, 2017 at 6:58 pm
You guys who want him scouting players obviously did not pay attention to the Tampa Bay Storm
December 21st, 2017 at 7:10 pm
Sad when a Hockey team in Florida is the States best franchise in the past Decade.
December 21st, 2017 at 7:27 pm
The Rays promblem are the fans. Even after the World Series appearance and the exciting manner they went thru the playoffs still only 3000 fans would go to the park to see them play. Pretty pitiful. It’s a shame but everybody should have seen Longoria being traded. The Bucs fans aren’t too much better. Bucs have struggled for a while so fans won’t go watch but teams like the Browns who have been perennial losers since Jim Brown left have no problem filling the stands. Even when Seattle sucked for a while them fans still filled the stands no matter what. Tampa Bay fans are whiny and fickle.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:24 pm
The Rays have become a very good AAA team and very sad for the region. The Bucs should follow the concept that turned the Jaguars into a winning franchise. When the Jaguars hired Tom Coughlin as Vice President of football operations and he brought in a no-nonsence head coach they are winning with Blake Bortles and a domineering defense. I suggest bringing in Tony Dungy as Vice President of football operations and let him determine the head coaching issue for the Bucs and the future responsibilities of our General Manager. The Glazers cannot handle this franchise and the fans know it and the losing just continues.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:25 pm
The problem is not the fans, look at the TV ratings. The location is not good unless you live in Pinellas or cross the Skyway from Sarasota-Bradenton or Fort Myers. A stadium at the Fairgrounds at I-4/301, Vinik’s ConAgra depot site or Ybor would raise the population pool within a certain length drive and bump numbers up. Right now no one from the I-4 corridor, Temple Terrace/Carrolwood/Forest Hills, East Hillsborough or Pasco/Hernando want to drive all the way to the Trop on a weeknight to see a game. Find a optimum location, build a stadium and fans should come if the Rays field a competitive team. Unfortunately the Longo trade smells like a salary dump…
December 21st, 2017 at 9:38 pm
More on the trade. Why do the Rays trade for damaged goods?????? Last year they got burned in the Matt Duffy trade for Matt Moore. Hopefully Lucian Fox pans out but do not hold your breath! The Rays did not get burned like the Marlins and Giancarno but it was not a value deal for Tampa either, simply a salary dump with the Rays using the Yankmes and BoSox stocking the roster as an excuse to do a Miami. Watch Baltimore do the same for that matter….
Back when Andy Friedman ran the club you saw trades like Huff for Zobrist, Garza for Archer, Delmon Young for Jason Bartlett and Garza. Even the Price trade got Willy Adames and Smyly (who in turn got flipped for Seattle spare parts) though it seems like the Rays keep their young talent in the minors at least one season longer than anyone else but the A’s in order to keep the kids signed for longer such as Adames and Brent Honeywell….. Friedman got value for talent and the talent he got back was usually ready to contribute at the MLB level right away not in 5 years like Adames or Lucian Fox….. Even Chuck LaMar got Kazmir for Zamprano once upon a time….. Rays lost their edge when Friedman left. Silverman can’t pull off the masterfull deals. Its almost like the club is trying to leave for Charlotte or Montreal just like the A’s are set on going to Vegas by making the club the newest verssion of the Montreal Expos or the 2017 Marlins; a AAAA franchise that the big money teams can fleece for talent.
At least the Rays played 0.500 ball last year, it’d been nice if the Bucs were 8-8 this year but then Koetter would still have a job as would Mike Smith….
December 21st, 2017 at 9:58 pm
I don’t think Brooks would make a good GM. Decent..but not great. Same with Sapp. These guys were straight up..hard hittin BALLERS baby!! And I wish we had somebody like’em in our lineups. Thats right..Mike Johnson is an evangelist DEFENSIVE PREACHER!! I said it before Jameis. Het the Defense right first. Everything else will follow. And now? Even you offensive Buc geniusu’s SEE..WE… are the laughing Defensive stock of the entire NFl. Told yas..Didn’t Eye..Even fore it happennned. You guys thought..Build that offense. Well, Defenses win quicker. No you say..why we’s 4-12 for the yr. We’s OK!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 21st, 2017 at 10:02 pm
The Rowdies……are a kick in the grass
December 21st, 2017 at 10:11 pm
Mike Johnson, yeah not sure if Brooks could be a GM. He said he would bet the farm that the Bucs would WIN a playoff game this year on the radio with the Big Dog. Then again people laughed when the Niners hired Lynch as their GM and so far he has made a couple of smart moves; fleecing the Bears of some draft picks to swap 1st rounders and letting the Bears get their QB and acquiring his qb for a mere 2nd round pick, though it will be a high 2nd round pick. The niners are like the 1996 Bucs, horrible start but a strong finish, perhaps Lynch can build a winner; 2018 will tell.
Back to Brooks even if he isn’t GM material the Bucs sure could use him in some capacity at One Buc and whoever said that Dungy would make a great president of operations has a good point. Look at how Coughlin turned the Jags around in less than a year. The Bucs need a guy like that to advise the Glazers and dictate direstion to the GM and head coach. A guy like Coughlin would have never tolerated the pampering Koetter gave Dougie Martin…
December 21st, 2017 at 10:58 pm
Anyone blaming Brooks for the Storm’s situation is ill-informed. The AFL had over 25 teams 10 years ago and one by one they dropped out. The Storm hung on for duration until they were one of 5 teams left.
December 21st, 2017 at 11:23 pm
Brooks cant run a mickey mouse arena team yet you want him to gm bucs… only Tampa fans think like that… you guys need to get over these has beens that underachieved… lifetime free passes are for winners not underachivers
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:20 am
Brooks never one a playoff game without Sapp…he only won 5 playoff games in his career.. obviously that is squarely on dungy the clown… boys and girls the goal is to win super bowls not just finish ahead of Cleveland
Living in a failed past is beyond stupid respect the super bowl team but let the underachieving has beens go
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:37 am
The AFL is obviously mismanaged when they lose the Preds before last season and now the Storm before this season. Two of the most storied franchises in the league
December 22nd, 2017 at 12:38 am
The AFL is obviously mismanaged when they lose the Preds before last season and now the Storm before this season. Two of the most storied franchises in the league
December 22nd, 2017 at 7:40 am
Racism has got to be a bi*ch to live with! …..T-Max!
December 22nd, 2017 at 8:03 am
[Not sure why you had to go there with the Glazer family but it was a fatal move. — Joe]
December 22nd, 2017 at 8:16 am
Bighog
Your the only racist that i have come accross at jbf… has nothing to do with color of skin had everything to do onfield resullts loser
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:53 am
Jameis Weinstein Says
“Just like the Rays, the Bucs’ ownership has been stingy with their money.”
That hasn’t been the case since the lockout ended. You are way behind the times.
December 22nd, 2017 at 9:57 am
Tmax you need to get over your one player never won anything by thermselves on an ultimate team sport. Warren Sapp never won anything without Derrick Brooks John Lynch Ronde Barber Simeon Rice Dwight Smith Brian Kelly or Jon Gruden. Sam Wyche did nothing but draft them Tony Dungy Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli are the ones who developed them into the players they became. Why is it the entire NFL community considers Brooks as one of the greatest WLBs ever but you consider him garbage or Dungy a very good coach but you consider him a buffoon? That’s a different universe you be living in son! The only thingI crabby agree with you on your take on Fameis Jameis Americas QB even though like you I believe he’ll be great one day but even the GOAT can’t win it all by himself!
December 22nd, 2017 at 11:13 am
CHUCKY AND BROOKS HUGGED AND CRIED IN THE SUPERBOWL FOR A REASON
I GAVE THE GLAZERS THE BILLION DOLLAR FIX MONTHS AGO….
BROOKS GM/ CHUCKY COACH/ SIGN EM BOTH FOR 10 YEARS AND COMMIT
FOR ALL THE 2YR FIRING FOLKS
A POSSIBLE 4 YRS SCORING LATE IN GAMES UNDER 20 POINT AVG
NO THANKS ….NOW THAT WILL BE A MISTAKE
December 22nd, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Interesting Hmmm….
December 22nd, 2017 at 3:56 pm
Rays fans who can’t show up to the Trop during the playoff years and WS are the reason why the team is in the shape it is. You have a cheap owner, but he’s not pumping boat loads of cash into a team when no one wants to come out to a game. It’s just over the bridge, heck Buc fans travel between Orlando and Tampa to watch the Bucs. The Trop sucks, the concessions suck, so it’s a little of both but don’t say nobody wants to drive to the Trop. If the Rays move to Tampa, I can guarantee the ballpark still won’t be packed. You have a team that was going to the WS and people couldn’t drive to the Trop? Weak. Even if the team moves to Tampa, it still takes time to build a fan base. Winning obviously helps, but it still takes time. The Rays have been in the Trop for years, you would have thought at least people would pack the Trop during the greatest years.
The owner is only willing to put 150 mill of his own money towards a new ballpark is pathetic. The fact that the Trop has been rent free all these years and he still can’t put out more than 150 mill is pathetic. He just wants to make money. But if people went to the games when we had a competitive team, maybe the city had a chance of twisting some arms.