Rough Weekend For The Buccaneers’ Ticket Sales Department
April 29th, 2023
Joe always keeps it real with Bucs fans and always shares a strong feeling about the team.
The 2023 NFL Draft ended today and Tampa Bay is one boring football organization, relatively speaking. Not since 2014 have the Bucs been this much of a spring snooze.
Of course, Joe is always excited to live and breathe Buccaneers football, and thankfully tens of thousands of people come here daily to do the same thing. But beyond the serious fans (and even for some of them), the Bucs are one stale franchise right now.
Joe hasn’t seen this little national interest in the Bucs since perhaps the 2014 or 2018 season. Local interest is down, too; there is tangible and anecdotal evidence.
The Bucs used their first three draft picks this week on players in the trenches. That’s a Tampa Bay first since 1982. Drafting like that doesn’t get the masses fired up. And the later round picks are not exceptionally exciting.
Throw in spotlight averse Team Glazer and head coach Todd Bowles, who trends boring on most days, and it all makes for a flat team that lost big-name players over the past two offseasons.
General manager Jason Licht is fine in the public eye, but he’s not charismatic and is about to disappear from the limelight for several months. Licht even passed the baton to his right-hand man, John Spytek, for the closing draft press conference this evening.
Devin White wants to leave. Tristan Wirfs is a giant teddy bear of a personality. New offensive coordinator Dave Canales is little known, but he did prove to be a very engaging guest on the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
The Bucs’ big-name wide receivers are reserved dudes. Heck, they don’t even have nicknames. (Is there a good nickname on the Bucs besides backup running back “Sneak” Vaughn?)
Joe is starting to think Baker Mayfield being Baker Mayfield might be the best and only option to fire up Bucs fans before opening day. So Joe feels tonight for the season ticket sales folks who have to smile and dial on Monday morning to try to fill The Licht House for the 2023 season.
To clarify, Joe isn’t knocking anyone here. It’s not the front office’s job to care about anything other than building a winner, same for the head coach.
But along the way the business of Bucs football churns 24/7, and it’s not very exciting for a lot of fans right now.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
DIVA! DIVA! DIVA! DIVA!….
ef that a hole!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Get off my team drama queen!!! And I was one of the first pushing for us to draft your dumb self!!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Agreed.
Winning organizations build teams. Losers put marketing concerns first. Especially when drafting.
Best thing about this draft – not a single Gator, Seminole, Bull or Hurricane. Always seemed like appealing to the college homers was part of the calculation in the past.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
I think that I am going to re up on my season tickets. Who knows we could make the playoffs
April 29th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
GTFO!!!!!!!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!
Trade him Licht!!! Give the princess her wish!!!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:22 pm
If the want to get fans fired up, they could send Todd Bowles packing!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:25 pm
I am definitely reuping my season tickets can’t wait for the season to start go bucs.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
I am on year 26 with my season tickets, so the draft was not going to change anything for me. Still, I am really excited about Payne Durham. He ran a pretty pedestrian 40, but he has great size and excellent hands. Tight ends need to be able to catch, and that dude can catch. He seems to play faster than his time. Durham and Otten will really open things up for the offense.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:29 pm
$75M in dead cap space…
No more GOAT…
However – I really like the off season the Bucs have had so far – including the draft.
I am looking forward to see how things develop over the year or so.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:30 pm
yeah this is leading to a quarterback pick and new coach 2024
April 29th, 2023 at 6:32 pm
I just finished the John Spytek presser …. I had no idea he was part of the organization…. Extremely impressive individual, I hope he moves up in the organization and not out to greener pastures.
Very very impressive!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:34 pm
I dunno.
This seemed like a thin draft after the first 15-17 or so picks.
The Brady cap hangover doesn’t help.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:34 pm
The Bucs are obviously a couple of years away from having the chance to be a good team. They just need to get a great one in the draft next year.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
So basically we’re going to be the team that flies under the radar and surprises everybody?
That gets me excited.
Go Bucs!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:37 pm
To do what they have done with no money, not expecting this offense to be putting up 30 but or still not be dormant, but looking for a fast and physical defense, I don’t care if JTS gets 10 sacks, but colleectively we need the front seven to cause havoc.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:39 pm
It’s ok it’s smart to see what this team will be first. If it’s anything like the Lovie era post Brady then it’ll be a waste of money.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:40 pm
^this
Hey! It is what it is: Not necessarily bad. Lets not be spoiled. We were just treated to 3 years of Brady w a SB win. That’s hella achievement. If Licht
is smart (and he is) he’ll take a year to rebuild and then exactly what you said: Add a HC and star QB next year……and then hopefully we’ll be 12-5 type good w only 1 year in purgatory
April 29th, 2023 at 6:40 pm
did Devin White double down on wanting out since the draft. Everyone here acting like this is a new request. This happens all the time. I’m not hating on Devin trying to get paid. Let it play out first
April 29th, 2023 at 6:42 pm
But we got Ya Ya!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:43 pm
Personally, I felt the air go out of this franchise when #76 was shown the door 53 days ago.
….. and BTW, Durable Donnie was a helluva nickname.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
Fortifying the trenches is the right move. I would’ve traded Devin White and more to rebuild but this is a good start. Maybe they’ll surprise some people but I think they’ll be in prime position to draft a QB next year.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
Licht & Co I think had every intention to start with the offense in the 1st round to inject some MUCH needed “juice” into these Bucs! I think plans were altered on the fly cause of the Lions having a similar game plan. Detroit’s GM said right after his pick at #12 text flooded in saying good move cause teams were planning on moving up and Gibbs would not have been there at 18
April 29th, 2023 at 6:48 pm
Winning fixes everything. These kind of drafts build winners.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:48 pm
Todd Bowles is Lovie Smith 2.0
This team will probably feel similar to the Lovie days, unfortunately.
Devin White should’ve been traded for Trey Lance.
He’s a cancer at this point
April 29th, 2023 at 6:50 pm
Sad but true when Brady left so did the excitement. Todd Bowles is not only a perennial loser hes is completely boring and seems to think the offensive side of the ball is not his problem. He has no business as a head coach on any level.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Winning cures everything.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
Not quite. Lovie is a walking trainwreck. His defenses were rotten.
April 29th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
This year is going to be fun!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
Licht !!!!! Is garbage. Want to get some attention for the team, pull off a deal, that matters. How in the world do the eagles get Swift for a couple of draft picks, You can’t tell me the Bucs could not have offered more than the eagles, Lichtenstein keep making picks that don’t matter, You still don’t have a qb to carry this team ahead. Keep patting yourself on the back, Licht you suck at your job, time to admit that BA not you built that Super Bowl title not you. Heads up Brady’s not walking back through the door to clean up your mess.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:01 pm
In contrast, Joe, this fan has medium excitement for this season. A few FA additions, a solid draft, and I think this team may not be great this season, but maybe next.
Good, solid, logical draft. It may not equate to being competitive and winning this year, but some solid foundational pieces have been added to our roster.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:03 pm
Bobby STFU there’s a reason your not working in the NFL while Licht is. Why do you think BA and Brady came to Tampa… because of Licht
April 29th, 2023 at 7:03 pm
This will allow the Bucs to fly under the radar. The only thing that will hold the Bucs 2023 team back is Bowles IMO.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Yeah I’m not upset about this draft at all. We built up the trenches, got younger and faster on some important positions. I’m a Trask believer, and I like Baker Mayfield, so I’m looking forward to what will happen next year.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Joe,
Personality-wise, Todd Bowles is Lovie Smith 2.0
No passion, no fire in his belly, no excitement.
And that personality carries over to the players.
And for the record, I don’t think our D had been very good ever since that Rams playoff game where Bowles lost it for us and cost Brady another SB appearance.
Our D hasn’t passed the eye test since then, to me.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:26 pm
Winning sells tickets
April 29th, 2023 at 7:26 pm
They saw this coming and locked in those season ticket holders for 2 years last season. I went to upgrade my season tickets and not many options
April 29th, 2023 at 7:34 pm
Casual fans won’t e excited but most season ticket holders and real fans understand that the trenches are where you build a winning team long term!
April 29th, 2023 at 7:34 pm
Oh no we suck again.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:35 pm
Yeah, exactly, this is why the Bucs locked people into 2-year deals. Everyone knew this was coming once Brady left, and I have no issues with it. That was the price of winning a SB.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:36 pm
Winning sells
April 29th, 2023 at 7:38 pm
Any “fan” who is not fired up about what the Bucs got out of this draft with less than average positioning and resources – is not very football savvy.
We drafted 5 guys for the defense who all have very good speed and/or are ELITE athletes when it comes to quickness and explosiveness….
We got a tough, toothless mauler for the Oline. A big, tough Jesse James type looking TE late and a speedy WR who was ranked much higher than where he was drafted and will likely be our new returner….
Licht drafted for the trenches with all 3 higher picks and attempted to fill most major “needs” (save for OT) with solid prospects…. pretty much all of whom are outstanding ATHLETES.
Our Special Teams WILL be improving with this infusion of speed and talent!
What’s not to love about this draft?
April 29th, 2023 at 7:53 pm
Pickgrin – I really like this draft, but it’s not going to sell tickets. However these boring drafts are pay dividends down the road. You need them if you want to win at some point.
Although, with that said, the Bucs took guys who are older and played a lot of snaps, so maybe I’m wrong and these guys play early and play well.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:54 pm
We have reverted to the tried-and-failed Bucs strategy of “hoping to get better,”
Rather than ACTUALLY getting better.
April 29th, 2023 at 7:58 pm
Why don’t you ask for a trade like diva DW?! 😂 as long as the content is coming they say right?!
To be fair to you and respected, you do keep it real and are for sure a passionate Bucs fan. You got that in spades
April 29th, 2023 at 8:01 pm
Joe you kinda nailed it. No explosive players drafted and unless you are a central bank insider, nobody’s got copious amounts of disposable income on a ho-hum team.
April 29th, 2023 at 8:01 pm
What are 2 big holes on the team before the draft?
QB? OT?
Did we address either of those?
April 29th, 2023 at 8:08 pm
I don’t see this Buc team making any playoffs this upcoming season. I see us as a 6 or 7 win team. I don’t have my hopes up in the slightest and neither should you.
April 29th, 2023 at 8:16 pm
Boring for the band wagon fans. Oh, They already left. Go Bucs!!!
April 29th, 2023 at 8:21 pm
TRASK WILL SAVE US
April 29th, 2023 at 8:26 pm
We have a soft schedule so we will win just enough to be out of the drake/Williams sweepstakes which sucks. But I have faith with a new head coach next year we are moving in the right direction. I see few, if any, supportive of Todd Toilet Bowles and hopefully Tampa realizes and comes to the same conclusion after this season. The guy like many posters on her stated has no fire and it truly does reflect with his players. I hate that a season will be wasted with him this year but hopefully somehow it results in us getting a top draft pick next year because next year’s class is loaded! This wasn’t the year to get a qb. Qbs defensive ends LBs and offensive lineman are loaded next year.
With that said I like this year’s draft and thought from where we were positioned we did very well.
April 29th, 2023 at 8:37 pm
i agree with the comment that said
if you wanted to fire bucs fans up, FIRE BOWLES
Not sure why he’s still the head coach, and with no franchise quarterback this seems like a WASTED YEAR.
ITS A BUCS LIFE.
April 29th, 2023 at 8:43 pm
I look forward to every season as I have since 76.
April 29th, 2023 at 8:55 pm
it’s called:
#ThePostBradyEffect
we are deflating from a 3 year whirlwind
April 29th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
This is precisely why they should have taken a swing at Levis at 19.
In this league today you have to have a good QB preferably on a rookie contract.
And we don’t have one. If he hits your golden for 10 years.
If he busts your out a rotational DL you have picked 3 of the 4 previous years.
April 29th, 2023 at 9:38 pm
The owners want to win. This is now quite apparent. Splash without substance is what Dumpsternik gave us.
Licht is the real deal, and will have us a stud HC for the 2024 season.
April 29th, 2023 at 9:39 pm
Any, ya never know……………nightlight on for Tom Brady……………
April 29th, 2023 at 9:42 pm
Everyone knew this year was coming with the end of the Brady era. Now we have to pay those bills we pushed out to win a Super Bowl. It was an amazing ride though wasn’t it. Can’t wait to see the next chapter. Go Bucs!
April 29th, 2023 at 10:08 pm
I don’t care if casual fans are excited about the Bucs. It doesn’t matter. I’d rather be rid of the bandwagon fans. The glazers aren’t losing money on an NFL team ever, and even with Tom the visiting fans showed out at RayJay.
April 29th, 2023 at 10:10 pm
I have a feeling they are going to win with defense and pound the rock on offense, somewhat reminiscent of the old Bucs teams.
April 29th, 2023 at 10:12 pm
Bucs Marketing Dept evidently didn’t need anything to sell until next spring, after suckering season ticket holders into 2023 tickets last off-season.
If they wanted to sell tickets, they’d have sent in the card for Levis at #19, ran with the 3 headed QB competition & added a rook signal caller to the off-season intrigue.
Instead, the FO went short armed DT / short armed Swing OL, workout warrior project reach at Edge-OLB on Day 1-2…And are now headed into UDFA no man’s land looking for camp arms, after watching every QB worth their salt coming off the boar before Bucs got back on the clock in the 5th rd…It’s Bucs life.
April 29th, 2023 at 11:01 pm
Personally I’m okay with this team. Either Bowles will prove he’s an NFL head coach doing it his way or it’ll be an epic collapse and a rebuild next year. But if they can find out we have a legit QB on the roster and we have a pass rush, another year of good but not great is okay, and can be entertaining.
Unless Philly can repeat their surprising success – and that’s certainly no lock – the NFC is wide open. Could be a fun race all season among a lot of mediocre NFC teams.
April 29th, 2023 at 11:02 pm
I’m good with this draft and how Licht played it. I think the top 3 pics are either going to be superstars or busts, no in between. I like he got a couple Freaks but I wouldn’t have passed on Hooker in the second round. He’s got the “It factor” and we need a QB. I’m not complaining though, I like speed and athleticism. Toof Hurts could be a good one. Who’s going to play tackle opposite Wirfs?
April 29th, 2023 at 11:04 pm
Todd Bowles sucks!!
April 29th, 2023 at 11:14 pm
Nassib has a classic nickname
April 29th, 2023 at 11:19 pm
Rough Weekend For JoeBucsFan.com might be a better title. Seems you will have to actually get creative or possibly have to work a little harder now there is no preconceived national narrative associated with the team?
I actually think this is an exciting time to be a Buccaneer and a Buc Fan. Hell what do we have to lose this season? Sure there is no crutch for the Bucs to stand on with Brady gone. This just means it time for a new chapter and new heroes.
Bring It On!
April 30th, 2023 at 12:07 am
Win and the fans will come. Speed kills and Bowles is looking for tough, fast guys who love football.
April 30th, 2023 at 12:39 am
Drafting flashy luxury picks, for a 5-12 team, makes no sense. This is the start of the rebuild, and you start a rebuild in the trenches – and by getting guys that take a while to develop, like edge rushers and even TEs. Next year you’ll have a new coach, he can pick the QB that’s going to match his scheme.
April 30th, 2023 at 12:44 am
Go Bucs Says:
Bobby STFU there’s a reason your not working in the NFL while Licht is. Why do you think BA and Brady came to Tampa… because of Licht.
WOW because of Licht huh? Bucs fans are the dumbest fans in the world of sports.
April 30th, 2023 at 6:19 am
Umm
Quote from Al Davis seems appropriate here.
“Just win baby!”
April 30th, 2023 at 6:28 am
Funny to me that we had packed houses for crap teams in the mid seventies.
Fan base has changed. We sat in those steaming aluminum benches and loved our Buc football regardless of star power names. Now you gotta have mega dollars just to get a cheap seat and they are worried about ticket sales after pricing the average real fan out of the stadium!
Sad really
April 30th, 2023 at 6:38 am
Contrary to the Bowles haters, I expect this team to have a winning season and another NFC South crown, and Coach Bowles ain’t goin’ nowhere. It was “flashy” having Coach Arians and the GOAT but that was always going to be a short term proposition. Licht and Bowles are building a long term success here in Tampa. The draft was solid as well as free agency.
It can be extremely “exciting” when teams go all out with crazy dumb moves, but that only buys short term success (see Rams) or outright failure that gets you picking in the top 5 (see Panthers).
I’d far more prefer a sort of steady-Eddie boring approach to football that excites nobody but surprises everybody with lots of wins (see Eagles). Most prognosticators and “experts” had Philly finishing no better than 16th best, out of the playoffs, and their very boring quarterback Jalen Hurts benched within the first month of the 2022 season. Worked out a little differently, huh? Those poor Eagles fans were sure some bored fans, huh?
April 30th, 2023 at 7:24 am
Goofarmer. Brady ain’t coming back you still waiting for your daddy?? Todd Bowles was the DC that helped us win the super bowl Joe but I guess you forgot about that. Remember the NFC championship game when Brady threw 3 picks in second half it was the defense that won that game. BL and Todd Bowles were scapegoats because of Brady’s bad play on the field last year . The defense was good last year we just had a washed up quarterback that was throwing the ball in the dirt and he was changing the game plan the day before the game and Joe you know it because it’s been well documented but you will never admit it because it’s Brady !! Lol 🤣
April 30th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Nice troll job to get everyone fired up and reply JBF….LOL
April 30th, 2023 at 7:52 am
And where they were picking from I think they did pretty well, especially the receiver from Nebraska, surprised he was still there that late.
April 30th, 2023 at 8:31 am
only time I need this team to entertain me is for 3 hours on Sundays.
April 30th, 2023 at 8:33 am
I will not be a season ticket holder this year, I just did a huge backyard renovation even included pool bar. The last 3 years were really fun to be apart of. I will attend a couple games however. I look forward to the 24 season however.
April 30th, 2023 at 9:38 am
As everyone could see by the numbers of Cowboy, Panther, Saints fan in our stands, if you want to go to a game there will be a ticket available. No need to buy the package!! And remember we are a small sports market. Tampa Bay area media brings no excitment/meaningful conversation to the scene. No talk radio on sports like your bigger markets have. So there is little info getting out and discussed or challenged other than Joe.
May 1st, 2023 at 5:11 pm
Been a Bucs fan for decades and I’m kind of happy we got Baker. He’s not TB12 but he is a competitor and with a new OC who knows maybe we can move the ball a little better this season. Fire the cannons