The British Can’t Handle The Truth?
October 20th, 2009
"Somebody thinks we're playoff contenders. Hahahaha."
There’s hype for a game, and then there’s all-out BS.
No, this is not a post about ESPN.
The Bucs are playing the Patriots in historic Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, and Wembley Stadium officials are hyping the event referring to the Bucs as a strong playoff contender.
The Buccaneers and Patriots have been two of the NFL’s most successful teams in recent years, combining to win four of the past seven Super Bowls. Both clubs are strong contenders for a return trip to the playoffs this season.
C’mon mates. The bloody game will be sold out. Do you really need to sell the Bucs as a shining example of championship-caliber American football?
That’s no way to get the game to catch on in Europe.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
As reported the game IS ALREADY sold out and has been (obviously before even the Brits realized how putrid the Bucs are) But I’m sure it’ll sell some merchandise and line the pockets of the Glazer’s even more… and who know’s when the Bucs are CONTENDERS again in say 2018 those folks’ll have their hats n shirts already.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
This will have been written before the beginning of the season and based on last seasons results we were contenders. 9-7 can be good enough for playoffs.
The vast majority of fans who will be at this game have a much better knowledge of the NFL then you guys will give us credit for so dont worry about them tricking us.
I am looking forward to seeing my beloved Bucs in person for the first time in my life even though we may get trounced worse than the Titans last week.
Alex
London, UK
October 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
If the game turns out anything like the Patriots – Titans games yesterday, they will surely see the truth about the Bucs for themselves.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Hey Joe,
Pat Kirwan on NFL Sirius Radio continues to hammer the Bucs today over the Gaines Adams trade, asserting that the 2nd Round pick they’ll get next year for Adams will cost MORE than what the team was on the hook for to pay Adams.
Meanwhile, he wonders whether the trade was made in order for the Bucs to reach the “floor” of the spending cap (ie., the mandatory least amount that teams are REQUIRED to spend) via the cap hit the team takes w/ the Adams deal.
Kirwan furthermore said he’s contacted two GMs to research whether they can find any other high draft pick that was traded away so early in his career that had the production Adams had last year (6.5 sacks, etc.) Kirwan says hasn’t heard back from either GM.
Finally, Kirwan says he’s confused by everything the Bucs owners have done lately and wonders that if it all means there’s a sale of the team in the works.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Tell the Brits to go to the bathroom/concession stand during the 3rd quarter and they’ll miss the worse of the Bucs play.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Keep in mind these are soccer fans here we’re trying to win over. The same fans who will wit for 90 minutes only to have their game end in a 0-0 tie (pardon me, that’s nil-nil). A 59-0 blowout will pretty much blow their minds.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
if they are prepping for a Sale which it has been looking like for the past 5 years. It is not good thing right now for Bucs fans. Los Angeles is on the market with big money and a new Stadium deal. Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be Los Angeles Buccaneers if not too careful.
would be huge pay-off for glazers but sucky for us fans.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
John, aren’t they locked into a stadium lease? I honestly don’t know.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Come on people get real, the jags would move way before the bucs ever would…This is a very financially successful franchise with strong set up fan base…To move to L.A. would be way too risky of a financial gamble…
If anything selling the team would be smarter.
Mr DeBartolo if your listening, umm…
October 20th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
That media spin is the same they’ve been pushing since at least June this year.
And indeed, many people going to the game are strong NFL fans, we have those in Europe too. I’m one of them, and a Bucs fan. But this matchup isn’t great to get the game sold in Europe. Blowout games aren’t a good way to sell this game (also the only game where I’ve seen controversy over running up the score) in Europe. The reason I started watching American Football is the suspense (that and the brutality): this game has some of the most suspenseful games I’ve ever seen, a close contest will get a lot more people interested than a blowout game. And the chances of this becoming a suspenseful game are really small. Of course, the people who chose this game for the London game didn’t know that the time.
My strategy for sunday’s game: get so hammered I won’t care that the Bucs are getting slammed.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:02 am
If you look more closely at the Wembley site, they talk about the upcoming super bowl being at RayJay, so it’s safe to assume that the article was written a little while ago. Not going to make the game any less painful to watch, but it at least excuses the post to some extent.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:26 am
THere’s no excuse. Wembley is the countyr’s premier venue. You’d think they could update their home page. Unless they don’t want to.