Why Isn’t Tampa Bay Awash In Bucs Fever?
November 5th, 2010
The Bucs are 5-2. In many football crazy towns, this would be cause for shutting down businesses. This season in Tampa Bay, the Bucs’ winning ways have been met with yawning, skeptical raised eyebrows and blacked outgames.
In another rare video appearance by vaunted Tampa Tribune columnist Martin Fennelly, he and his colleague eye-RAH! Kaufman discuss in this TBO Bucs vlog why Bucsmania has not overtaken Tampa Bay.
November 5th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
When you see the Rays and Bucs and UF and FSU all struggling with attendance it seems pretty simple to:
years of stagnant incomes and high unemployment are the main reasons. I am lucky because I still have a good job but I did not renew my season tickets this year. Not because of the rebuilding era, I am actually optimistic and excited about that, but because I have had 1 raise in 4 years and things have looked bleak overall in the economy for a while.
November 5th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Did you notice Ira say, “If the Bucs win and have the best record in the NFC then maybe you and I will start to believe?”
November 5th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Yep. The Falcons game is do or die or the haters will keep writing the team off. Things do stink economically, but I can’t honestly believe there aren’t 65,000 people in Central Florida who can’t afford a ticket to watch an exciting young team.
November 5th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Our fanbase = Weak Sauce
November 5th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Meanwhile the Monster truck rally sells out every year
November 5th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I remember last year when I went to the Redskins VS Bucs game I was amazed by how many fans were there. I would say at least 40% of their stadium was filled up with Buc fans. It was a damn good feeling to see such support, I was so proud to be a Buc fan. When I read articles like this, it really makes my blood boil. I realize that times are hard and unemployment is 13%, so for the fans that can’t make it to the games I understand. However for the ones who can afford to go and can’t shame on you. I know some people personally who still live in Tampa, can afford to go, and yet still won’t do it. Some of us don’t have the luxury of being able to watch our favorite team live at their home stadium. Some of us don’t get to experience of having a majority of Buc fans around us because we have to be in the other teams stadium. Some of us don’t get to go to fan fest and training camps and get to meet the players and get signed jerseys and autographs. My point being, to all you so called fans who do not attend the games for any reason other than financial, shame on you. Stop taking your team for granted or you will find yourself wishing you could go to home game when(if) another city aquires them.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Spot on Sensible. I don’t really want other fans showing up after we beat Atlanta. Or period for that matter, We all know the economy is terrible but we all know more fans WOULD be in the stadiums if they weren’t holding a grudge against our Bucs because their absence effects our Bucs as a whole not just the Glazers pockets. Like Stylez said, don’t sweat em.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I am so tired of this story. Yes the economy sucks, and most people cant afford the $86 it takes for a GA ticket. But I know there are people who dont go because the national media havent bought into the Bucs, or hate the Glazers, or they are in the Gruden or Dungy camp and hate Raheem. Everything but the real reason, they are too lazy to get off the couch.
I could care less about how many people are there. We are there, and the 36k real fans who show up, make as much noise as a sell out crowd. Besides, the stadium hasnt been sold out by real Buc fans since the wild card game in 2005.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
WHAT??? You mean someone you know decides if they are going to a game on the advice of Trent Dilfer????
So do these same people wait on emails from Stuart Scott before deciding what shirt to wear in the morning???
Joe simply finds this too preposterous to fathom. Not buying.
And since you are basing the quality of a fan on their spending budget, there are only a couple of thousand “real fans,” those in the luxuries boxes.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Because you are a professional sports writer. Amateurs get interested in their previously losing teams when the Media starts covering them. After watching NFL Total Access, and seeing story upon story on Favre, Manning(s), McNabb, Romo, Cutler, even Jason Campbell, its nice to see your own QB (Freeman btw) covered more than one minute by the media.
This is a media driven society. As much as people watch TV and stay on the computer, they like it and their interest builds when their own team and QB is in the spotlight.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I am excited and dont give a damn about others who arent
November 5th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
BucFan South Tampa:
So you are telling Joe adults cannot think for themselves?
But seriously, you literally know someone that said, “I can’t go to the game because Trent Dilfer said the Bucs aren’t good…” or some such thing? Seriously???
And let’s be honest, what does it matter if there are 65 people in the stands or 65,000? The University of Miami, for example, plays before family and friends only and that school has had some of the most dominant teams in sports history. The Rays could barely draw flies two years ago and made it to the World Series. The Atlanta Braves can’t even sell out playoff games and that team has been solid for, what, 20 years?
The Marlins won two World Series and high schools in Texas draw more fans.
November 5th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Bingo!
November 5th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I am excited as hell, too, but I also remember being excited back in 1995 and having hometown apathy nearly drive the team out of town (to Baltimore). It was an awful time and the possibility of the sales tax vote failing had me agonizing over the thought of meaningless NFL seasons without the team I bonded with for the previous decades.
The crowds, while being small this year, have been some of the best as the noise I hear coming from my tv can attest. The fact is we need to get more folks on board, even if they’re more casual fans, to keep this team.
November 5th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I’m very excited about this team and I hate to say this but the head coach is well… to a lot of people toooooooo how shall I say this? Let’s just say the good ol’ boys don’t like the head coach and a lot of bucs fans are good ol’ boys if you know what I mean, stars and bars kind of folks….
November 5th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
There will never be bucsmania in Tampa Bay. Even when the Bucs won the Super Bowl there were still more fans of other teams than Tampa fans. Its a very simple formula
too many ancient retirees= not as many sports fans period as you would expect in a “large market”
too many transplants + NFL ticket= even many children who are born here are indoctrinated into rooting for teams in cities they may never set foot in.
At their peak the Bucs may be able to have a season ticket waiting list but no matter what this team will always have the smallest fanbase of any large market football team. Except maybe the Dolphins who have the same problems.
November 5th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
That being said
@javto24: +1
November 5th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I am all set to drive from Melbourne to go see them play Carolina if they beat the Falcs. GO BUCS!!!!!
November 5th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
@nick I don’t know how much tickets to a monster truck rally in Tampa are, here in Iowa it’s 10$ a ticket so if it’s the same down there then yeah I can see why it would sell out everytime.
November 5th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I wonder what Trey Wingo’s take on this is. Hmmm??????
November 5th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
What’s funny is that when the Rams came to town, our Parking Lot was packed, but the stadium was empty. LOL
Maybe the casual fans are learning where to park, or there is whole bunch of us traveling up from the south.
November 5th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I teach school and I see a lot more kids wearing Bucs gear the past few weeks. I usually wear my home (34 Grahm) or away jersey (25 Talib) on Fridays. Staff & kids comment, “Go Bucs”, so I see excitement at work.
I’m not going to games myself because I have to put that $$ elsewhere at this point (graduate school etc). It’s killing me listening to the games, but I do what I have to. I’m hoping to get out to one however. I’m a Buffalo transplant, but I have loved the Bucs and for about 13 years.
November 5th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I really do hope it’s not cause Rah’s our coach, that’s pathetic lololol
November 5th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
@ Rican, I don’t think so. I’d like to give the Tampa fan more credit than that.
November 5th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
i would hope so