Tampa Mayor Says Keep Sunday’s Game In Town
September 29th, 2022
The politicians are on board.
The hurricane is gone and the brutally ugly aftermath remains.
Tampa mayor Jane Castor says things are good enough in her city to play Sunday night’s Bucs-Chiefs game at The Licht House, rather than to relocate it to Minnesota.
Will the NFL listen?
Or will the NFL be more concerned with whatever Roger Goodell might perceive to be a bad look hosting a game two hours from where emergency crews are searching for dead bodies and digging out of historic wreckage?
Joe has no answers, but Joe does know the game potentially could be played in Tampa without fans, or with very few fans. Heck, the NFL has tons of experience with that following the COVID years.
Joe isn’t saying play without fans, only that it’s an easy option if the people in charge think hosting 70,000 fans is too great a challenge to staff with local cops and emergency personnel assisting in southwest Florida.
On another note: we're doing our best to keep the @Buccaneers game here Sunday. I have assured the @NFL that the only disturbance here Sunday is when the Bucs kick ass. 😉 pic.twitter.com/Mwp4EXPUlK
— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) September 29, 2022
September 29th, 2022 at 11:40 am
Just a horribly devastating hurricane for Florida. Not really that bad for most of Hillsborough County. Pretty sure, like Major Castor, that the game can be played here on Sunday night with all the fans in attendance.
Also, return to normalcy is a good thing for people. Best practice is to safely get back to normal functions. I see no reason that can’t be the case on Sunday night.
September 29th, 2022 at 11:43 am
I really liked the idea of KC coming back to their SB House of horrors and looking at the SB 55 championship reminders! That coupled with the energy should take our D to another level and be deja vu for KC…
September 29th, 2022 at 11:46 am
I can understand the NFL having a say so in where games are played….but what about the home team?
I would think it would be the Bucs who would determine if it’s a bad look….
Hey Roger……what kind of look is it for the Bucs to play a home game in Minn?
September 29th, 2022 at 11:54 am
The major is right. Should be able to play here on Sunday or Monday. Not without some logistical problems, but much better than other options.
September 29th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Keep the game in Tampa. No reason it needs to move.
September 29th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
Pretty sure that Goodell can’t overrule a team’s wishes on where they play their home game. If they can do it, they will, and Goodell can $uck it.
September 29th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
If local EMS are needed for actual EMS calls, why not bring in rent-a-cops and various stadium staffers from other areas of the country? If a staff shortage is all that’s stopping the game from being played in Tampa, that seems like something that can be remedied.
September 29th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Well I’m glad that the mayor and the rest of the people in these comments were obviously not very affected by the hurricane and that their power and all thier loved ones are safe and accounted for. It must be nice for them. But if I was sitting with no electric or roof or wondering if My missing family members are dead, I’d be pretty pissed off and so would any one of the people in these comments, if all the mayor was worried about was a football game. Just saying!! It kills me the level of selfishness in America that as long as it don’t affect me it’s business as usual!!
September 29th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
D-Rok
Good idea….if the Glazers can relocate the team, coaches, families & pets to Miami for a week…you would think to save 10s of millions they would staff RayJay.
This stuff about it being a bad look to play the game is BS…….the Buc & NFL could use the game to promote aid to the victims…..
September 29th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Joe, I made this exact point 2 days ago but you deleted my post. Why?
“Or will the NFL be more concerned with whatever Roger Goodell might perceive to be a bad look hosting a game two hours from where emergency crews are searching for dead bodies and digging out of historic wreckage?”
September 29th, 2022 at 12:57 pm
Yes, TBBF, great point – the NFL can use this to their advantage with positive marketing and highlighting the plight Floridians are currently facing.
How about a few commercials, sponsored by NFL, asking for aid for those afflicted? Seems like some good could come out of hosting the game at RayJay, but what do us “peons” know?
Prayers are certainly with all of Florida and may the recovery, remediation, and clean-up efforts go smooth.
September 29th, 2022 at 2:37 pm
I’m a cop from NC, just let me in the stadium and I’ll work security for free!
September 29th, 2022 at 3:07 pm
Judging from what the Mayor is saying it sounds like Tampa was spared from the worst part of the storm. Otherwise she wouldn’t want the game played there.
Here in Orlando we got lots of flooding, but not much wind damage in my area. My oldest son and his wife and the grandkids are here with us because his house is flooded. He has electricity but it’s a mess. I live 20 houses away, but no flooding, but I have no power. They have two big dogs that are hard to handle. And they will kill my cats if they got half a chance. It was pandemonium till we got the cats outside. Plus we have a good sized dog too. Nine people and three dogs …. Hew boy.
September 29th, 2022 at 3:16 pm
VERY MUCH so. Fort Myers and Cape Coral were damn near wiped off the map. Naples is all f’ed up. It’s very bad.
October 1st, 2022 at 5:21 am
Maybe for once, fans will be inspired to not act like selfish, drunken aholes at Ray Jay and not so many cops and paramedics will be required. Doubt it though….the allure of drinking all day and then continue drinking all night is just what people feel they need to do.