Tampa Not A Total Negative
March 12th, 2019
A culture of losing hasn’t yet killed Tampa’s allure.
Whether we like to admit it or not, agents often heavily influence what city their free agent clients should choose when mapping out a strategy for their new team.
It’s not a whole lot different than the rest of us. For example, hate Chicago? Don’t apply or accept a job offer from a firm that requires you to live in the Second City.
Can’t handle humidity? The southeast and midwest may not be a good place to look for work. Don’t like taxes? Better stay away from the left coast. You get the drift.
(A pet peeve of Joe’s is when certain local personalities in electronic media constantly whine about Florida weather. If you hate the weather so friggin’ much, get the hell out! Joe’s favorite (ahem) is a local meteorologist who whines about the hot, humid summer weather here damn near daily from April to October. So let Joe get this straight: You got a degree in meteorology and you didn’t know that it gets hot and humid in Florida???)
So Robert Klemko of theMMQB.com decided to do a quick poll of NFL agents to see which cities/teams are the most desirable for free agents, and to determine and which cities will they only go to if they have no other reasonable offers (or a team hands them a check with enough zeros they can’t pass up).
Klemko says 15 NFL agents representing free agents participated in the poll.
The agents asked for anonymity to discuss players’ perceptions of NFL teams candidly. They listed a number of factors that make teams desirable or undesirable to their typical client. “There are so many factors to consider and every player is different,” one agent told me, “but typically we look at winning culture/tradition, opportunity [for playing time], income tax laws, market, area of the country, and sometimes weather.”
The Bucs, per Klemko, received two votes as a desired team to play for based on Klemko’s criteria. The Bucs also received one vote as an undesirable team.
Of the five most popular destinations, four cities are warm(er) weather franchises. Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Why would that be? An agent told Klemko that “weather and [sex]” are significant factors.
So do players want to play in Tampa? The jury is still out on that but based the very small sample size from an unscientific poll, Tampa Bay has a positive image among players.
March 12th, 2019 at 11:37 am
If they want to enjoy nice weather and get over payed? Yup
If looking for a championship ? Probably not.
March 12th, 2019 at 11:39 am
retirees and quitters come to tampa. champions go to major markets with a chance to compete…
March 12th, 2019 at 11:39 am
IMO 2 things are about to happen:
1. BA/Winston/Bowles works out. Defense improves to semi-respectable levels and the offense scores at a rate that matches our passing metrics for once (i.e. top 5 scoring team instead of Koetters decade long history of producing lots of yards that don’t match the scoring). 2019 = competitive team – maybe playoffs – but certainly a team that isn’t literally getting blown out by half time one in 4 contests as has been the case with our defense under the last few regimes. Then 2020 = defense truly rebuilt through another draft and we’re a legit contender with a young rebuilt defense and QB that will be here till 2030.
2. Winston fails which results in BA fails and we blow the whole f*cking thing up again. Youngry coaches and new QB. This is what I believe Realist is praying for, so that he can continue to call people sheep for years while the franchise wallows in sh1t. He’s already basically said Winston is not a franchise QB, and is talking sh1t about the staff before they’ve done anything, and will be working with a likely gutted lesser roster lol.
GO BUCS
March 12th, 2019 at 11:42 am
Hey Joe,
I don’t know what meteorologist your referring to, but as a meteorologist myself let me provide some perspective. You don’t really have as much freedom in choosing your place of living as a meteorologist. Universities crank out tons of meteorology degrees in a field that is getting smaller very fast thanks to advances in modeling and other parts of the field (similar to how print media is pretty much going away *cough* Tampa Bay Times *cough*) You pretty much go where you can get a job and take it from there (if you have a good paying job you ain’t really leaving, regardless of the weather).
As a born and raised Floridian myself, I had to take a job in Montana to start out my career. Granted I’m back in the Sunshine State at our Capital and am fortunate enough to still have a similar living as I had in Montana.
Anyways just a little perspective, thanks for the story. So many things these players can choose for their career, and as we know with them it’s not always about the $$$$ (but it usually is). Go Bucs
March 12th, 2019 at 11:44 am
Players generally want to play for winners and for teams that get national coverage. One season in New England starring in a Super Bowl can get former Bucs Aquib Talib and Darelle Revis paid while toiling in anonymity for a losing team can cost them salary and endorsements overall. Michael Bennett got less than 5 million coming from Tampa to Seattle then earned himself a hefty payday when he performed well for the Seahawks.
Several seasons in NE like with former Buc LaGarrette Blount and Buc draft pick that Licht traded to NE which became 17 million a year Trey Flowers also has worked out well for them in addition to the Super Bowls they’ve won.
You’d have to be pretty exclusively money-focused to want to go to a perpetually losing team with a bad fan base and worse ownership purely because of the weather and tax benefits as a professional athlete.
March 12th, 2019 at 11:55 am
Treat these agents to a Cuban from the West Tampa Sandwich Shop and watch their opinions change regarding Tampa….
You don’t know how really good Tampa is until you leave……
March 12th, 2019 at 12:01 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
March 12th, 2019 at 11:55 am
Treat these agents to a Cuban from the West Tampa Sandwich Shop and watch their opinions change regarding Tampa….
.
.
.
I miss The Silver Ring…..yum…and the place was special too
March 12th, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Miss me yet??? Says John Gruden to Bucs fans.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Whoops, sorry Tampabaybucfan, thought someone else wrote this. Good choice in Cubans! 🙂
March 12th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
The keys are the weather, lower cost of living, and no state income tax, but that applies to all of the Florida teams. A free agent (e.g., Ndamukong Suh) can play a few years at about 75% (if that), get paid, and move on to another winning team later in his career. The problem is that it is difficult to figure out free agents who want to come to Tampa to win versus those who want a: #PaidFloridaVacation
The Bucs have been the off-season Super Bowl champs six out of the last seven years. Let’s see what happens when the team is forced to build through the draft.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
Look at the bright side. If this team was a player or two away from being really good – IF – we would be losing players and unable to afford replacements and upgrades. As it is, we are a teardown. Lets embrace it and let the rebuilding begin.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:12 pm
Wright:
Fully understand. The same thing goes in sportswriting. Did time in Chicago and hated it. Also worked in the Kansas City area in a town that wasn’t exactly desireable. But, as you noted, had to pay dues. Offered a job in Florida and took a paycut to leave Chicago. Couldn’t load up the car fast enough. First month down here, was offered a job with the Chicago Tribune (that’s no lie). Turned it down (sort of regret it only to have had that on resume would have been cool). Had already decided quality of life was more important than career.
The meteorologist in question has been working here for years. Can’t tell Joe something in the United States hasn’t opened up where said meteorologist wouldn’t be suffering so from our climate.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:17 pm
Great post Joe. I loved Tampa growin up. But the pay after college was way low for my occupation. I was not gonna stay there and make 10 to 20 grand less. So..I moved. Either stay or get the F..out. Still luv my Bucs though.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:30 pm
The income tax thing isn’t as big as people make it out to be.
NFL players are given 16 paychecks throughout the year for each game.
Each game is taxed in the state/county/city it is played in.
So 8 of the Bucs games are taxed by GA/NC/LA, etc.
The no income tax thing is definitely a factor – just not as big as people make it out to be.
March 12th, 2019 at 12:49 pm
I love the fact that we have no cap space…it forces us to draft and develop players.
We actually have coaches who can do just that and it will pay off in the long run.
Do you think Brady or Rodgers could win with the worst D in the game and the worst rushing attack?
March 12th, 2019 at 12:52 pm
not sure bucs could compete at either the xfl or aaf level based on results and talent. out of the gate xfl and aaf franchises are more relevant and have more respect than bucs. if it was not for the leagues charity system of revenue sharing bucs would have folded decades ago
March 12th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
“Its very simple…
and its the only way…
BUILD THRU THE DRAFT…
WITH A EXPERIENCED COMPETENT GM”
Kobe Faker
March 12th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
@Lord C
You’re 100 percent right about that dingus Realist. Isn’t it hilarious how is still clinging to jockstrap of the repugnantly inept Mike Smith yet has the nerve to call out BA and his staff?
March 12th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
LC
think #1 is a real possibility…..
REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 12th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
AwShbucs Says:
March 12th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
@Lord C
You’re 100 percent right about that dingus Realist. Isn’t it hilarious how is still clinging to jockstrap of the repugnantly inept Mike Smith yet has the nerve to call out BA and his staff?
ba and his staff have WON nothing in Tampa and most likely will not… you fools giving a staff with ZERO wins credit for anything is laughable at best. you do realize you have to earn respect on the field… every year same thing from the delusional optimists “we finally have really coaches” yet every year coaches retire on the job and turn in a basement title and you people look stupid as hell yet I am the bad guy because I see things clearly!
March 12th, 2019 at 1:26 pm
Split time between NYC and Tampa and Tampa is fun it’s just not great smoldering heat 11 months a year. No public transportation low paying jobs and the food isn’t all that great
March 12th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
Yeah we can certainly draw conclusions from THREE votes…
I understand why you hate stats, Joe, you don’t understand them.
March 12th, 2019 at 2:24 pm
Weather and sex?
That’s classic…. 🙂
They have sex everywhere, no?
March 12th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
With the new indoor practice facility you’d think that would be more attractive to players and agents.
March 12th, 2019 at 3:30 pm
In addition to Florida there’s also no state income tax in Washington (Seahawks) Texas (Cowboys/Texans) and Nevada (soon to be Raiders).
I’ve lived in 3 of the 4 states. Vegas weather is similar to Tampa in it’s sunny/mild winters and hot summers (subtract the humidity and add 20 degrees).To the people who think that humidity is the worst part of the heat, I encourage you to spend a summer in Vegas where you will feel like someone is constantly blowing a blow dryer on you day and night
March 12th, 2019 at 4:06 pm
In 2019, Tampa is in the bottom 8 of the 32 places players want to play. The Glazers culture of losing and non-competitiveness plus Winston’s bad/weird behavior has damaged this franchise more than most will ever know.
Who thinks or has confidence Winston will win a SB in his career after seeing the first 4? Very few people.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:29 pm
Also of the top 25 markets in the US Tampa has the worst median income of any top 25 market. Meaning less disposable income to buy tickets jerseys etc etc
It’s why I’ve always stated this market can’t support 3 pro teams
March 12th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
@donuts, as the old saying goes “The fish rots from the head.” Since Malcom’s stroke the Glazer Babies have shown to be some of the most incompetent owners in sports. While you might compare them to Jimmy Haslam of the Browns or James Dolan of the Knicks, people at least go to Browns/Knicks games.
If this was the English Football League the Bucs would’ve been relegated a long time ago.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
There is no easy fix for this team. The fans will suffer for many more years largely because of Jason Licht’s mistakes.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:57 pm
This should be a prime place to play. The stench of a decade of losing will do that. The Glazers are a joke around the league. Don’t expect that to change.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:59 pm
@Tom S.
I hear ya about Vegas. I’ll never forget getting off the plane for my first visit (in the summer) and I thought I may have stepped in front of a running jet engine.
I grew up in Cincinnati..actually across the river in Ky. I went to my nephew’s wedding a few years ago and it was so hot the parking lots burnt your feet. Still like Cincy but it’s weather is as bad as ours for 9 months a year….4.5 months as hot and 4.5 months cloudy dreary with large doses of snow and ice. They do have spring and fall however and some people need that.
March 12th, 2019 at 6:00 pm
LOL Buffalo and Detroit signed a bunch of guys, we’ve had zero issue signing free agents the last 5-6 years when they offered real money. Have we offered anyone and real cash? Did we offer Hump and Kwon anywhere even close to what they signed for?
March 12th, 2019 at 6:27 pm
Troll infestation
March 12th, 2019 at 8:52 pm
Yeah it’s as bad as hell down here and the Bucs suck regularly.
March 12th, 2019 at 10:24 pm
“An agent told Klemko that “weather and [sex]” are significant factors.”
I’m pretty sure Tampa has at least as many Tit(an)y bars as Atlanta.
Ack. I tried to play off your joke earlier about the Titans nickname. It didn’t roll off the tongue right.