Are Bucs Fans To Blame For London Game?
August 22nd, 2011
The Bucs are playing in London for the second time in three years this season, once again against a high-profile, popular opponent.
Sadly, this move of another Bucs game to London has triggered ugly domestic disputes among Bucs fans. The sheer thought of yet another loss of a home game overseas, forced upon a kickball-loving, royals-obsessive public, has enraged many a Bucs fan.
ESPN blogger Pat Yasinskas sure seemed to hint in a recent NFC South mailbag that Bucs fans not buying tickets is the root cause of this move and that Team Glazer doesn’t want to be shamed with Bears fans filling The CITS.
Nate in Alaska asks why Tampa Bay keeps drawing games in London.
Pat Yasinskas: I think there are two reasons. First, the Glazer family has ties to the United Kingdom. The Glazers own soccer’s Manchester United and, although they might not be beloved by fans, bringing the Bucs to London might help their public profile. Second, the Bucs have been having trouble selling out Raymond James Stadium. If the game against Chicago was held in Tampa, the stadium might be loaded with Bears’ fans and that can be embarrassing. The game in London is pretty much a guaranteed sellout and the crowd won’t be rooting against the Bucs. I don’t think the NFL is forcing these games on the Bucs. I think there is a willingness by the team to go overseas.
Now Joe was under the impression — he could be offbase — that Team Glazer offered up the Bucs for another London game because the NFL was in a pinch thanks to the asinine lockout.
Joe understands that NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell wants to grow the game, meaning expose the NFL to markets yet untapped. Hence, games in London.
Obviously, Joe’s not a Park Avenue marketing maven, but Joe would think that, say, Mexico, despite it’s drug cartel-laden violence, would be a better market to tap into. Mexico is double the population of Great Britain and there seems to be a bigger pocket of NFL fans there.
At least if the Bucs played in, say, Cancun, it would be a nice, easy, quick vacation spot for Bucs fans and it’s doubtful you would hear many Bucs fans kavetch too much over this.
Who the hell wants to spend hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars to go to England in October? Brian Urlacher doesn’t.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:15 am
Funny how ticket selling wasn’t a problem until AFTER that first London game…
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:37 am
Naturally the 5-11 home record for the last two years would have no impact on attendance.
Its clearly the fans fault.
I am quite sure the Glazers arent soaking up any cash for the trip either. They only “offered up” a bucs home game because the NFlL was in a pinch, those swell guys.
50% off on the Shepherds pie!
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:49 am
Nobody’s going to go play in mexico where security is an issue.
The bears game was a definite for me, my good friend is a lifelong bears fan and we were going to go together. Unfortunately London is not in my budget. We had been planning to go to that game together since the list of opponents for this year first came out.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:50 am
Good point Eric about the home record and performance the last two years.
Even last year’s exaggerated 10-6, that the sheep argue as proof of something significant, had the second and third home games (Pittsburgh and New Orleans I Believe) as blowout embarrassments for the bucs. After you waste your money on those two debacles it is hard to justify throwing additional money away on such an unentertaining product.
That is what happened to thousands and thousands of us after Rah 2009. Too many people want to blame the fans and the economy when they should blame ownership and the coach (or lack thereof) of generating fan interest.
You can try to dress this thing up all you want, but you can’t fool the consumer as hard as some of you try, and the consumer realizes that last year was a fluke schedule.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:05 am
I blame goodell…the guy is watering down the league with his greed and global initiative.keep the games in America and let the guys tackle one another…next we will have 2hand touch football throughout europe…stupid!
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:28 am
Gotta admit…you have a good point there.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:30 am
btw…since London would be our homegame, does that mean last year all the home games were not blacked out? Because the London game sold out?
hehe
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:46 am
Ah, right in my complaint wheelhouse………..
This London “home” game REALLY sucks. We were lied to. The NFL and the Glazers assured us the last time we played a “home” game in LONDON those games would be rotated among all 32 teams and our next game over there would be an away game…….FAR away but an away game nonetheless.
Now this two years later?
I think season ticket holders are rightfully disappointed and the offer of a “discounted” game day concession stand food card was hardly a fair trade.
I’m glad football is back, excited for the Buccaneers chances this season and beyond. But this London “home” game remains infuriating to most fans, a PITA to the players and a living lie we have to deal with.
Dig Joe, dig…….is this going to be a regular deal for Tampa fans? Losing a game every other year? Sure hope not.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:49 am
Umm, he’s exactly right. If the Bucs were packing our stadium, no chance we’d be going to London. The fact of the matter is the Bucs probably make an extra few million a year when they go there.
Would it be worth it if we had a packed house? Doubt it.
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:14 am
“kickball-loving, royals-obsessive public”
If you go to Buckingham Palace Joe, you will find the only Brits there are the ones selling overpriced merchandise to royals-obsessive American tourists….
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 am
Yea Joe, Mexico would be a great place to pitch the NFL. Remember the AZ game in Mexico, and how it sold out? No reason the NFL can’t go to the EU and Mexico both. It’s about $$, it’s a business and it’s supposed to be. The euro is far stronger than the dollar, the peso, or the yen. The rule changes, the EU games–complain if you like. You’re still on a NFL based website. Your mouth says no but your wallet says yes. 9.2 billion dollars generated with the other 4/5ths of the world’s population still available to market to. The NBA’s big mistake was being part of the Olympics & having to share their revenue with another market. Think big. Think football vs. futbol. Sorry purists I am only the messenger, but this is where that train is heading. 10 years of labor peace is a mighty stable platform from which to grow your market. Why do you think the players wanted compensation based on projected growth? The CBA was all about the fans, but not just the one’s that speak English–well, you know…American English.
August 22nd, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Unentertaining Thomas? IMO last years team was one of the most enjoyable to watch in the las 15 years.
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Last years team was the most fun I’ve had watching a Bucs team. Down to the wire, last second victories!
But if Tampa won’t support the team, they are gonna take advantage of places that will. We gotta go to the games. More importantly, local business has to get involved. We need some cooperate help.
Tampa us getting a black eye nationally with the blackouts, and lack of support for area teams. Corporations like to take clients to local games. They have a lot to lose if these teams start to fail, or worse yet – move. Would impact local industry. Would change national opinion of the area- from rising metropolitan area, to area in regression. Not where other corporations wanna invest. Need some heavy hitters to step up!
August 22nd, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Are Bucs Fans To Blame For London Game?
Yesssssss
I’m all in favor of going to Cancun though
August 22nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
I’m trying to get a few guys together to fly to London the night before, then fly out after the game. That would be sweet! But gotta make sure schedule and money allow. Any of you guys gonna make the trip?
August 22nd, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Cancun sounds good Too, although Mexico has just about turned lawless. Wonder if I could fly with my Pistolas?
August 22nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Id love to go to London Captain Tim.
I hear the Glazer Boys are beloved over there.
August 22nd, 2011 at 4:45 pm
Capt Tim do you have friends?
August 22nd, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Sorry I just think meeting ppl online is kinda weird. I know its an acceptable form of networking.
August 22nd, 2011 at 5:44 pm
Espo- I was talking about the guys I “work” with, or old friends. I wasn’t actually talking about the guys here- although I think that’s a cool idea, actually!
August 22nd, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Buncha the JoeBuc regulars, having a pint at the pub before the game ! Sounds cool!
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Ok my apologies.
First round on me. Just kidding. Sadly I’ll be missing out on that one.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Trust me, you don’t want to go to Mexico. It’s a warzone down there!
August 31st, 2011 at 12:14 pm
I follow the Premier League, and the Glazers are not beloved over there.
I was at the Bucs vs. Patriots game in London back in 2009, and the majority of the crowd was not rooting for the Bucs just because they were named the home team or that the Glazers owned them. More people were cheering for just when either team made a great play or for the Patriots.
I wouldn’t be surprised if again more people were cheering for when either team makes great plays, because this is their chance to see American football played in person, or more for the Bears, just because they’ve been a higher profile team for a lot longer. I’d be there again cheering for the Bucs, but I can’t make it this time around, and it’s not that expensive for me, since I have family over there I can stay with. And, a lot of people over there do follow our football, they just also follow their football. And that’s what I do, too.