Less May Be More With Bucs Training Camp
July 1st, 2010
Now Joe likely had the same reaction as most Bucs fans when he read that the Bucs will only — tentatively — hold seven practices open to the public during training camp which gets underway later this month (hard to believe it’s July).
But once Joe started peeling back the onion skins, he noticed there are actually some good things about the seven public practices.
Last year, Joe remembers going to a steamy Saturday morning practice. The stands, naturally, were full of thousands of fans. Problem was the Bucs were practicing special teams. The drills mostly consisted of a punter catching a ball from some mechanical apparatus, then punting the ball to a return man who never returned the ball. He just caught it.
Who the hell wants to watch a punter?
These drills took place at the far southeastern corner of One Buc Palace, far away from the vast majority of fans. Most of those same fans were begging, pleading for something, anything, to happen near them.
They left wanting.
That will not happen this year.
All of the practices open to the public will be full pads. This did not happen last year; it was pretty much luck of the draw. Also, all of the same practices will be held at Field No. 3, which is closest to the stands along the west sidelines.
So fans will be assured to see some hitting. In short, there may be scrimmages as well. That’s what fans want to see.
Still, with seven practices at One Buc Palace, Bucs fans have it better than most NFL fans.
Joe recently read about the Kansas City Chiefs and the city of St. Joseph, Mo. touting how Missouri Western State College is opening a new practice facility this summer for the Chiefs new local training camp site, after the team trained in Wisconsin for 14 years.
St. Joseph is a far northern suburb of Kansas City. If one pushes it, a fan might be able to make it after a 40-minute interstate drive from Arrowhead Stadium (ignoring speed limits of course). This would be like the Bucs holding training camp in Bartow. (Joe knows: He once was a beat writer covering the Kansas City Royals).
Shoot, we all know how the south Tampa crowd cries as if they just learned they are to face an IRS audit the way they whine about driving 20 minutes to the Fruitdome in St. Petersburg.
The Bears and the Giants, for example, hold their training camps hours away from their home facility. The Cowboys train halfway across the country.
It also appears the Bucs will have sort of a second fanfest Aug. 7 with a Saturday night practice at the CITS. Last year, the Bucs held a similar practice, and it was pretty much a pep rally. This year there will even be fireworks for kids, and the kids at heart.
So, yeah, at first it was depressing that only seven practices — for now — will be open to the public. But it seems the practices will deliver fans more bang for their… Buc.
July 1st, 2010 at 7:07 am
Those will be the last fireworks this team gives us all season….that I can assure you…
July 1st, 2010 at 7:10 am
@Radio Mushmouth
Hopefully not dude
July 1st, 2010 at 8:10 am
As promised…
Good Post 🙂
July 1st, 2010 at 8:24 am
Anyone know if the other teams are restricting fan access to training camp?
July 1st, 2010 at 9:01 am
The only thing remotely nice about training camp last year were the high end portable bathrooms provided. Everything else was terrible. Disney provided a great experience for the fans, but one Buc Place fell way short of my expectations anyway. The biggest complaint would have to be the set up. In Orlando you could easily move from field to field, but here you were expected to stay in your seats even though the practice was 300 yards away. There are other things they could improve on, but this would be my biggest complaint.
July 1st, 2010 at 9:10 am
Good try Joe, but the Glazers are just CHEAP! 🙂
July 1st, 2010 at 9:29 am
I actually don’t think it would cost any extra to open it up or not. Once they’ve put everything up (bleachers, bathrooms), it’s just there. So you can’t really say it’s being cheap. I’m like Joe and would rather watch the “good” practices than have a special teams unit out working near me while our new receivers make awesome grabs on a field I can’t even see.
July 1st, 2010 at 9:43 am
KC:
It costs. They have to hire people to park, people to take tickets, people to clean up the trash, the time it takes to clean up the trash, security, extra cops (which isn’t cheap — the city of Tampa just doesn’t tell officers to show up. These guys are being paid overtime).
July 1st, 2010 at 10:24 am
As much as I like going to training camp, I think it is a good thing that there is less access. This might just mean that the Bucs are doing some “game-time” situations and don’t want to give away their plays.
July 1st, 2010 at 10:37 am
Same old Mushmouth.Some things never change.At least you’re not still bitchen about the complete waste of a second round pick.
July 1st, 2010 at 11:30 am
That is a good point, i went to one practice last year and they directed me to sit in the bleachers oposite where the damn practice took place.
Ended up sweating my butt off to watch kickers and the pre-practice warm up.
July 1st, 2010 at 2:06 pm
lol… sounds like bad timing to me Eric.
Check the schedule – look for pads and full on (not Special Teams)
I’ve never been told where to sit at a TC practice.
July 1st, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Happened to Joe last year as well.
July 1st, 2010 at 2:43 pm
What’s up with the uniforms in that picture? Is that just the training camp uni or did I miss the news about revamped jerseys?
July 1st, 2010 at 4:54 pm
No it wasn’t bad timing; there was a full practice going on, but all I could see was a kicker who isn’t even on the team anymore. Also; yes they want you to stay in the area you are in and not move into other area’s of the practice. I was there sweating my A$$ off twice with the exact same results. Not a good way to promote season ticket sales!
The night practice wasn’t quite as bad, but the event police were out in force being rude as ever. Nice PR move; can’t wait to see what they have planned for this year.
July 1st, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Bob,
Who says I’m not still bitchin about that ??