Joel Glazer Talks “Special Responsibility,” Emotional Moments
April 2nd, 2025
It seems the Kleenex box in the Team Glazer luxury suite might need a refill.
No, the flu bug hasn’t hit and Team Glazer is not crying about the painful loss to the Commanders in January to end last season.
Per co-owner Joel Glazer speaking yesterday at the NFL owners meetings, ownership gets overwhelmed at times seeing how special plays and winning football makes Bucs fans happy and brings a community together.
“I will sit there, family members will sit there, on certain gameday when you see great things happen. And you know, you get almost teary-eyed because you just see how happy it makes everybody,” Glazer said.
“And the Buccaneers are such an important part of the community. So, being able to be a part of it, being able to be involved, being able to help led the team and guide it, it’s an honor. It’s a special responsibility. And it’s just so meaningful to us.”
Joe weeps nearly weekly in happiness that The Lost Decade of Buccaneers football appears farther and farther in the rear view mirror.
And Joe is glad Team Glazer realizes the Bucs are more than just a game for legions of fans, especially those that pay more than they can afford to attend games.
Joe followed up to ask Joel Glazer about the what might have been the tear-jerker moment of last season: Mike Evans hitting the 1,000-yard mark on the final play of the regular season to tie Jerry Rice’s record of 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000-yards or more.
“Teary-eyed. Even talking about it I’m getting teary-eyed,” Glazer said. (He did appear to come close to choking up.)
“Just to see the reaction — the crowd and the fans for a player — it just spoke volumes about Mike and how people feel about him, but [also] the connection between our fans and our team, our players. And that’s what it’s all about. You have to have the connection. Because you’re not always going to win a Super Bowl; you’re going to have ups and downs throughout a season. But when the fans appreciate the players and the players appreciate the fans, and as an organization we all work together. That’s the way it should be.”
A sound point in there from Glazer about connecting with fans. It’s why Joe lobbies so hard on these pages for Team Glazer to open more training camp practices to the unwashed masses (aka those without season tickets) and/or to increase attendance capacity at camp.
Tremendous connections are made by those who attend summer practices because they feel like they were part of the team’s development process and get up very close to players.
Regardless, Joe hopes Team Glazer gets a tear-jerker 2025 season from Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and more. The Bucs have a shot at something very special this year.
April 2nd, 2025 at 6:44 am
Thoughtful and Kind words from a man that loves his community and the team that he owns. Time to start planning the RayJay rebuild as this area deserves many more Superbowls. Trampa Bay has always been a player favorite city for visiting teams.
April 2nd, 2025 at 6:54 am
I’ll chime in quicker than it takes to click “close” on one of Joe’s ads.
Except for a couple of years after they bought the soccer team, they really have been great owners compared to a lot of other teams.
Glad to have them.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:00 am
Agreed – great owners. Anyone who lived through part or all of the Culverhouse years should know this. Anyone who lived through the very real threat of Peter Angelos buying and moving the team to Baltimore before the Glazers stepped in.
Two superbowl championships. Spending what it takes to when – when it makes sense to do so.
All of this.
I’m certain there will be one or two idiots on this thread who seem to have irrational hatred of the Glazer family.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:24 am
I wonder how thoughtful they were when they took down Gruden’s name off the ROH without any hesitation.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:33 am
If the Glazers really cares, they’d break the bank to add another legit Edge rusher.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:51 am
@BuckyBuc,
They were thoughtful when they removed Gruden’s name from the ROH. It was not a kneejerk reaction, as you seem to be implying.
And they were thoughtful again when they added him back into the ROH.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:56 am
“BuckyBuc Says:
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:24 am
I wonder how thoughtful they were when they took down Gruden’s name off the ROH without any hesitation.”
When someone you’re ‘honoring’ says they can (perform a sexual act), you expect them to just look away? Why should they?
It seems like Gruden and the Glazers mended fences – likely a heartfelt Gruden apology.
They were absolutely right to do it at the time – for this reason alone.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:56 am
“Jeff Says:
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:33 am
If the Glazers really cares, they’d break the bank to add another legit Edge rusher.”
Name one that won’t also cost considerable draft capital. THAT is the issue – not money.
April 2nd, 2025 at 8:07 am
TWO ERAS. TWO HISTORIES. TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLDS.
The Horrible CULVERHOUSE YEARS
20 years of Hugh Culverhouse running the show like a clown steering a sinking pirate ship! One winning season in 14 years after 1979. That’s ONE in FOURTEEN.
The Great GLAZER YEARS!
In 1995, Malcolm Glazer and his family took the wheel and said, “NO MORE!” No more cheapness. No more losing culture. No more being the punchline of the NFL. Good coaches. Two Super Bowls and 4 straight division titles. With New England and Kansas City to be one of three teams to do that since the 2000s began.
I love to hear the Joel Glazer perspective:
“Just to see the reaction — the crowd and the fans for a player — it just spoke volumes about Mike and how people feel about him, but [also] the connection between our fans and our team, our players…”
April 2nd, 2025 at 8:14 am
Just got back from the UK, and the Glazers could not be more reviled by Man U fans. They blame the Glazers for bringing this historic powerhouse to the basement of the league and initiating a “lost decade” upon them
April 2nd, 2025 at 8:17 am
I cry too.
Like when Baker trucked Wagner to get the first down.
Or when Chris Godwin almost lost his leg.
Or when Bucky was playing through extreme back pain. And he was getting crushed, but he kept getting up.
Or when Gholston makes big plays off the bench.
Or when you see Cade Otton take shot after shot and keep rocking.
Or when Lavonte is losing by 30 and he’s still making plays.
I love my Buccaneers. In a spiritual way.
They inspire me in my own life to “get back to work” like Godwin said.
Or to watch out for people like Evans and Godwin do for McMillan.
We are a really unique team. I am so proud to be a Bucs fan.
Imagine being a bears fan? With their ownership? Or the chargers?
The chargers once had Rivers, V-Jax, Darren Sproles and Tolbert on the same team!
And their greedy and evil ownership just let them leave.
Rivers would have won a Super Bowl if they had kept V-Jax, Sproles and Tolbert together.
Many owner are evil bastards.
I am touched that the Glazers feel deeply for our fans. It’s very kind of them.
April 2nd, 2025 at 8:46 am
I hope the Joes and Ira can pull Joel aside for a private conversation. Instead of softball public questions, maybe you can ask some sensitive questions privately. New stadium? Do the Glazers give a s*%^ about the NFLPA report? etc.
April 2nd, 2025 at 9:03 am
GO BUCS
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:15 am
Buccaneers fans have great ownership. If not for the Glazer family we would likely not even have a team. Fact. They handled the Gruden thing masterfully. Hopefully he has learned a lesson.
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:26 am
Just for the record, the Bucs also had a winning record in the strike shortened season, finishing as the cardiac Bucs by winning their last 3 to finish 5-4.
That’s when Doug Williams chased down the Bear who recovered his sack fumble on a gimpy leg, and the defense held. Doug then won the game for the Bucs.
To this day, one of the most amazing effort plays you’d ever see. Too bad Doug couldn’t play in today’s NFL.
April 3rd, 2025 at 1:49 am
Joel Glazer and his family are great people. And they know what they have in the brand and culture they are building here. Theres many owners out there that dont compare.