Blackout For Sunday
November 8th, 2012
Ironically, the slogan chosen by the Buccaneers for advertisements of Sunday’s Bucs-Chargers game is “Unplug The Chargers.” And that will be the case for legions of local Bucs fans, as this game is blacked out from local television.
Blah, blah, blah, Bucs fans didn’t buy 85 percent of the “non-premium” seats available at Raymond James Stadium. The presence of just about zero Chargers fans in the Tampa Bay area didn’t help, but Joe’s not going to run through the endless reasons/excuses tickets aren’t selling. It’s old news.
One reason/excuse is out the window, however. Nobody can call this Bucs offense, or this Bucs team, boring.
A quick look at Ticketmaster.com reveals $30 seats (including fees) are available.
November 8th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
until Obama starts just giving fans Buc’s tickets, games will likely be blacked out
November 8th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Timely!
November 8th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
It’s a spoiled and finicky fan base. I live in DC and I’m driving the 4+ hours next week to catch the team in Charlotte. It seems I see more Bucs fan at away games than I ever see in the stand at RJS.
November 8th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
There is absolutely no reason with today’s technology for the 72 hour deadline. The crowds have been there on game days all season.
Time for the feds to step in and abolish blackouts in taxpayer supported stadiums.
November 8th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Time to threaten the NFL’s Anti-Trust exemption again…
November 8th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Anti-Trust…….Glazer kids are just hurting themselves. We know how to watch it anyway.
November 8th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Glazers aren’t hurting themselves, they still get theirs…. The ones hurting are the Bucs fans in Tampa, this is a stupid and archaic rule but its still sad fans don’t buy enough tickets
November 8th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
These have to be the worst Fan’s in the NFL…At least among the very bad…
November 8th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
As exciting as the Bucs have played this season, the blackouts are clearly the results of a poor economy. Now, what’s really sad and shocking, is that half of America chose to put the same guy back in the Whitehouse. The Bucs will be the mirror image of what the Rays are going through. No longer can fans blame it on the Bucs lack of spending, and the Glazers new pledged commitment to win, instead blackouts will remain common for the next four years. This is a testimony that half of Americans are either masochist or are too stupid to know any better. Sad, very sad….
November 8th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
“Time for the feds to step in and abolish blackouts in taxpayer supported stadiums.”
Just what the founding fathers intended when they implemented the constitution.
November 8th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
optimistroll,
It shouldn’t be long. Gives away everything else, why not football tickets?
November 8th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Love to have the Bucs here in LA.
November 8th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@Miguel haha I was thinking the same exact thing. ‘Government should force you to do the things I want.’
November 8th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Whenever I start feeling spontaneous and having fun, my bank account quietly reminds me to calm the @#$% down!
November 8th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
If I had the money I would be there. I will be at the Eagles game as a friend got me tickets as a gift.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
If I had the money I would be there. I will be at the Eagles game as a friend got me tickets as a gift.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Yeah Blame it on Bush or Obama…..we have heard it all before. BLAH BLAH! Some of you poor losers need to get a grip.
Its kinda like blaming the BUCS for blackouts….its not their rules folks…those rules are from the 1973 NFL…the NFL will awaken soon enough and start realizing the the internet and forms of social media are a part of the entertainment business. The ONLY reason the NFL has not transitioned is they haven’t figured out how to maximize their profits with these forms of technology. I suspect in the very near future games will be available for purchase a-la-cart via your local provider.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I’ll be there. Bought the tickets with my Obamacare health insurance rebate! 🙂
November 8th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@BK — Games won’t be available ala carte as long as DirectV is dumping billions on the NFL for the rights.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
I know several people waiting to see if the game will be blacked out before buying tickets. As much as I hate the blackout rule for all the local fans…it seems to work to get people to the stadium. Bet it surpasses 85% by saturday, unfortunately it won’t matter!
November 8th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
I’ll be at the game…in Charlotte next week. Sorry guys local guys.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
Oh so Obama and the economy explains the attendance problems in Tampa. Yeah…Carolina cant sell out games because of the nations highest unemployment rate…oh wait theyve sold out 72 conecutive games with only two blackouts since 1996. Excuses
November 8th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Excuses. Truth is…a lot of fans that supported the teams have left the state. Now left with a lot of bellyaching whiners .
November 8th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Everyone b!tching like little girls is further proof of the nanny state this country has become. MeMeMeMeMe. Why can’t I watch the game for free? WWWAAAHHH!! If you want to watch the game, save up a few dollars and go to the friggin games instead of being a fraud like Pete Dutcher and trying to glaum off of other people’s hard-earned money and sit on your arses at home.
THe NFL is not a welfare state. Want to watch the game? Go to the game! Real simple.
November 8th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
@Jimmy – Considering the size of the NFL’s union, the health care mandates, and redistribution of wealth in the NFL, it is very much like a welfare state…. for multimillionaires lol
November 8th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Just flew in from Grand Cayman. I’m going to the game with some friends.
November 8th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Chris, I think it is silly to blame to President for poor NFL attendance, but just because the Panthers have been on tv 72 straight home games doesn’t mean that the game is sold out. Watch those games. The entire upper deck is always empty.
November 8th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
@ J 2.0, you are exactly right about Carolina. I have Direct TV NFL package and see a bunch of stadiums not “selling out”. Just because the game is on tv doesn’t mean a sell out. I saw the Cowboys at Carolina; I couldn’t believe how many empty seats there were in a close game in the 4th quarter. Miami, Washington, Cincy, Raiders, are just a few teams that don’t sell out regulary.
It sucks for people who can’t attend the games because they are so much fun to watch now.
November 8th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Let me put this subject away for the rest of the year. I was a season ticket holder since 2001. I had to stop in 2010. Because I was broke losing more than half my income in a economy that was getting worse by the month. This town is broke, which is based on the service industry. Service industry itself is funded by expendable cash, which apparently a lot of people in Tampa are short of. I can go to Bucs game of buy gas for the week and I have to buy gas.
Tampais not finicky, we supprted crap teams but people were working then and had money. I applaud the Glazers for the ticket prices and I think they have done enough but you can squeeze a nickel only so far. So since we now know the economy will be in the crapper for another 4 years can we dump this subject til then?
November 8th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
4 More years!!!
Well Alright!!!
Rock n Roll.
Seeya’s at the game.
Go Martinator!!!
November 8th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
I’ll be there and will be taking my 5-year-old daughter to her very first game. Watching it on TV is nice and all, but nothing beats the game day atmosphere – not even at a Bucs game. Go Bucs!
November 8th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
I’m going!!!!!!
November 8th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
@Phil
I do not agree…when there is billions more in $$$ to be made there is always a way. Every business man would agree 100%. Its in discussion at the moment. Its all about the BENJAMINS! This will be for DTV subscribers only but market pressures will change that in time as long as comcast and Vz PAY just like you saw with NFL network and red-zone.
DTV is already offering a deal a-la-cart to PAC-12 for college (the pac-12 rejected it…doh!) and I suspect by next season you will be able to purchase an team package for fav college team.
Quote from DTV on college a-la-cart:
“We just proposed a new solution where we could offer (the Pac-12 Networks) as a stand-alone channel before this Saturday’s games for anyone who might wish to subscribe to it and also proposed another where customers could buy future games on an on-demand basis until we get this worked out.
“Pac 12 rejected both without any consideration, demanding nothing less than a significant price and the express condition that all of our DIRECTV customers pay for this channel whether they are interested or not.”
November 8th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
You guys in Hillsborough county voted for Obama, expect the blackouts to continue until 2016. Real national unemployment rate is 14.1%. Not 7.9%. More people are struggling now than ever. Bad economy….means empty seats in the stadium. Welfare checks, 47 million on food stamps and more government dependency is not the recipe for economic growth in this country.
Sorry if i’m getting too political but the election outcome devastated me on Tuesday. The wrong man won. Obama’s philosophy: keep spending money. What happens when we need more? Just keep printing more and more.
Luckily, my Bucs are playing on Sunday so maybe the depression will go away if they win 🙂 Doug Martin = beast.
November 8th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Hope you Romney supporters don’t bring your bad luck to the Bucs this weekend.
November 8th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
obama 4 more year,ask trump to buy you tickets.
November 9th, 2012 at 12:02 am
Americans Buc fans & Joe himself discreetly blaming the president for poor attendance. What else?
Did he drink the last of your milk in the fridge?
This site has a cesspool of excuses from both sides of the aisle.
It’s a guilty pleasure to read these comments.
Thanks Bucs fans.
November 9th, 2012 at 3:15 am
@BKNY………….actually it’s Bush’s fault. Is that a better answer?
November 9th, 2012 at 8:09 am
@bkny.
You are so correct. Where did the great spine of this county go to that my grandpa gave his life for on Normandy beach in 1944. A real American and hero. Go big red 1.
I see a bunch of Whiney mitts on here.
November 9th, 2012 at 8:16 am
I can’t believe the right wing extremists here are blaming Obama for this! Then you wonder why Romney lost the election. Face it, this state simply BLOWS. We still don’t even know who won Florida! That Obama’s fault too, I suppose?
November 9th, 2012 at 10:32 am
I wish Obama all the best luck in the World. I pray that he leads us in the right direction to prosperity. I prayed for the same thing 4 years ago when he won.
My biggest fear is just what happens when we run out of OPM, other people’s money. Who pays then? We are just about there. Nevertheless, I still hope he can pull it off and do great things, but I won’t hold my breath.
Nothing would make me happier than if Obama could prove me wrong with everything I know about business and financial management, and convert me to a Democrat. The problem is when you look at everything our Founding Fathers wrote when they created this Nation, 99% of it is the polar opposite of Progressive Idealism.
I apologize to any here that I may have offended over the past politically. I hope and pray you guys are right and I am wrong and that everything works out for the best. And please don’t try to take our guns with this UN Arms Treaty. We are the most heavily armed Nation of People in the world.
Maybe if we could get the Islamic Radicals to start smoking weed, we could have a Big Chill. Let’s Smokem Peace Pipe.
Go World Peace!!!
November 9th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Now that Obama has won, I volunteer as a tribute to the Hunger Games!
December 3rd, 2012 at 8:53 pm
I read somewhere that as owners the Glazers can buy tickets at $4.00 a piece in order to lift the blackouts. When games are falling short of the total needed by about 7000 to 8000. Why don’t they just buy up those tickets? It seems to me it would make more sense as far as marketing the team. So that’s what 7000 X 4 = $28,000. That’s it. That’s all they would have to spend. Hell it must cost more than that for 1 billboard.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:53 am
Mark:
Because the Glazers are in business to sell tickets, not give them away.
How many grocery stores give away $50 gift certificates just to get people to buy bread?