When Will Team Glazer & Ronde Barber Get Political?
January 4th, 2019
If it wasn’t obvious last year when Ronde Barber didn’t make the final-15 cut to be presented for an enshrinement vote in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it should be obvious now as Barber missed the cut again today.
Making the finalists list is a highly political process — no surprise for a subjective vote by 48 panelists across the United States.
Joe believes it’s time for Team Glazer to embrace the politics and write a check to help make it happen for Barber.
Anything less says, ‘We don’t care enough.’
No, Joe isn’t suggesting wiring cash to voters, but Team Glazer should pay for Tampa Bay’s only Hall of Fame voter, JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman, to travel the country to lobby most of the 47-other voters face-to-face like only he can.
An iconic schmoozer, Kaufman making a short pitch for Barber over a sandwich at a playoff game or training camp practice or at league events, for example, would make a significant difference. Joe knows personally that Kaufman commands a lot of respect among Hall voters.
Joe is confident that’s what it will take to get Barber to the next level in the Hall process.
In fact, Joe advised Bucs management of this personally two years ago, but Joe’s words apparently weren’t taken seriously.
And here we are, a Bucs cornerback who truly had a historic career is being shortchanged by the Hall panel.
Some of this is on Barber, too, he has stated publicly that he doesn’t want to be a guy who campaigns for himself. Fair enough, but that doesn’t mean Barber shouldn’t be making an effort to be engaging voters personally.
A media member himself, was Barber shaking hands and hanging out at the spring NFL Owners Meetings last year in Orlando where many voters were assembled? Nope.
Is Barber, who travels to games every week as a FOX analyst, making an effort to say hello to Hall voters attending each game he calls? Nope. Is he having anyone work the voters for him in that way? Nope.
As the years march on, more and more quality Hall candidates like Barber will miss the cut. So the list of realistic potential Hall of Famers will grow, which means the political and subjective nature of the process will mushroom.
There’s even more the Bucs could do to help Barber, as well as John Lynch, a finalist again this year, and Simeon Rice, who tumbled from the semifinalist ranks this year.
Hopefully, the powers at One Buc Palace will make a coordinated and aggressive full-court press to help their Bucs legends get their due next year. Otherwise, a famous Todd Monken line might become appropriate.
January 4th, 2019 at 12:46 am
He will eventually get in, but here’s hoping he’s not voted in as a Senior (old-timer) candidate.
January 4th, 2019 at 1:11 am
HIS PLAY NOT HIS FANNY KISSING PERHAPS WILL GET HIM IN
January 4th, 2019 at 4:14 am
Ronde is definitely worthy of the honor. Just remember Harry Carson
January 4th, 2019 at 6:00 am
So the Joes and fans want Sapp Brooks Lynch Barber and Rice all in the Hall with only one Lombardi to show for their efforts?
I love my Bucs and those players but they all are not gonna get in and there is no shame in that. As Bucs fans we gotta be realistic and know how National writers view our team. No amount of Glazer money or Kaufman schmoozing is gonna flip the vote. We might see one more Buc make the Hall of Fame from that defense but 3 more is asking for a lot.
January 4th, 2019 at 6:21 am
Simeon Rice should be the no brainer. If Ira is such a influencer why can’t he get him in? I don’t think buying some plane tickets for Ira is the solution. i believe money spent of social marketing pinpointed toward each area voter may do the trick. Showing stats and creating a theme of why not?
January 4th, 2019 at 7:17 am
So Ira admits making the final list is VERY political??…. VERY interesting IMO. That is almost like admitting that Dungy got in due to politics. IMO he was an EXCELLENT regular season coach but really with both GREAT teams he had he only won 1 Super Bowl?? He had the most dominant defense for 10 years running with the Bucs then one of the BEST offenses with Indy and all you can do is win ONE??? Whatever Dungy apologists.
January 4th, 2019 at 7:33 am
Re reading this it almosts sounds like Joe is just begging the Glazers to send Ira on paid vacations during a too long boring off season
LOL!!! Not exactly a vacation for Ira to go to, say, the AFC Championship game in New England on a 2-day trip, or to Indy in the dead of winter to mingle at the Combine for a few days. Quite sure Ira would prefer playing tennis at Innisbrook and taking his wife to the beach.–Joe
January 4th, 2019 at 8:02 am
Ronde Barber threw all of his goodwill from Bucs fans out of the window bashing Jameis on Fox. In no way is Ronde a HOF. No Jameis Bashers allowed in the HOF.
January 4th, 2019 at 8:39 am
I agree with Loyaltotheend, sounds like your just helping your buddy out to travel the country. How about you fork out the cash yourself if you care so much?? Joe doesn’t care enough to cough up the $10,000 it might take. Mostly because Joe doesn’t have that kind of money. And again, the whole “vacation” concept for Ira is quite funny. –Joe
You make a ton of money blogging everyday right? Not sure what you consider a ton of money, but no, society wouldn’t consider Joe to be earning a lot of money. –Joe So you pay his way and if Barber gets in then send the bill to the glazers and see if they reimburse you. Otherwise, send this same letter to the Glazers directly and not post it on your website for more hits. Barber didn’t get in. People want to know why. Joe wrote about a big reason why. Joe has written 37,000 or so posts with opinions in nearly all of them. This is just another post flowing down the page. Joe really doesn’t care who likes it or not. –Joe
January 4th, 2019 at 9:04 am
relax….he’ll get in…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…#ADIOSDIRK!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
January 4th, 2019 at 11:17 am
45 interceptions. 25 sacks. 1028 tackles. 14 TDs. For a corner. And on a personal note, the greatest play in Buccaneer history was him with the pick 6 against the Eagles.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:30 am
Monte and Ronde.
Back when we shut people down.
Sigh.
January 4th, 2019 at 11:47 am
Barber,Lynch,Rice and Alstot deserve to be in the hall.
Did you naysayers really see them play??Heart and soul,all four!!!
GOOO BUCS!
January 4th, 2019 at 11:50 am
So you care enough to ask someone else to do it..Smart! A ton of money means enough to support you and your employees just by writing opinions on the internet about the worst NFL franchise ever. I think people know why he didn’t get in JOE.. He played for the BUCS! If he played for the high profile teams Cowboys, NE, etc.. he would be in.. Doesn’t take a Blogger to figure that out. And I think we all know you don’t care who likes it or not.
January 4th, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Ronde was one of only two dbs to be in the 40/20 club. 47 interceptions/ 28 sacks. Plus he had 14 tds. No DB in nfl history had more. He also burned down the Vet in the single greatest play in bucs history and the 6th greatest interception in nfl history. Ronde belongs in the hall right along side Woodson and Lott. If I was the Glazers I would be raising hell for both Rice and Barber. I hope Lynch gets in, but Barber and Rice were just as deserving.
January 5th, 2019 at 6:10 am
Ronde Barber doesn’t belong in the ring of honor. Jameis Bashing Ronde Barber.
January 5th, 2019 at 8:48 am
VFL98 has the most bizarre & weird takes in JBF history.
Um, bravo?
January 5th, 2019 at 3:38 pm
“…he doesn’t want to be a guy who campaigns for himself.”
I doubt anyone will be saying that about today’s players when it’s their turn 10-20 years from now.