Buccaneers winning, but fans lose as low attendance blacks out games

[Benchwarmer#1]

People can say whatever they want. The fact remains, MANY Snowbirds bring their team love with them, they don't magically convert.

So, take those 4 million people living in the area and split that nearly in half. 2 million roughly is left.

Then, take into account that half of those people (or more) don't have the money to spend. Its nearly 60 plus for one person including all cost besides amenities. Now we are left with one million that could possibly go.

After that, factor in the people who hate the glazers for being cheap, gruden getting canned, or star vets being shown the door ungraciously by a nobody HC. More than likely, that's a small percent. Five percent maybe? If so, five percent from a million is still alot...

Overall, we're talking about a fanbase that lost fans because of cheapness, losing, economy, and an unsupportive cast of snowbirds and fair weather fans that cannot, or will not go to games. Were talking maybe a little under a million that could go to games without excuse. If you told the nfl you wanted to make a team in a city that had a possible one million fans, they would laugh at you.

I'm not going to sit here and crunch the numbers, but its painfully obvious that the bucs team needs new followers, and the blackout rule keeps the team out of the spotlight and under the media's thumb. It's the perfect storm for the bucs imo.

[Bayfisher]

This team is 10,000 fans away from selling out consistently.  If the team continues to spend like they have this past year and the players give the same effort the fans will be back.  I applaud the fans that sent the message. It was the only thing that was going to change anything.   

[olafberserker]

Agree, they can kick their fans in the nads for several years, but finally spend some money, hire some competent coaches, and put a solid product on the field and the fans are supposed to come running back in that season.  Sounds like quite the dysfunctional relationship to me.

we've been over this to death, but oh well.  were fans kicked in the nads during raheems 10-6 season?  were they kicked in the nads when raheem and dominik decided to spend boatloads of money on quincy black and davin joseph?

also not sure what kind of "relationship" you expect with the owner.  theyve got a good product on the field.  if you need to wait a few years to get over some sort of pent up ownership hate, you might miss the good years.  dynasties dont come easy.

I've been over the "kicking in the nads" so to speak to death as well and it started before and lasted through the Raheem years (including our fun and fortunate 10-6 season).  Wait a few years?  we are half way through year 1.  Season ticket sales are the foundation for constant sell outs (see 12-13 straight years of sell outs by the way) and that isn't changing halfway through year one.   

there is no pent up ownership hate for me and I'm not missing anything by not being a season ticket holder this year.  I'm no less of a fan now than I was for the 15 or 16 years I was a season ticket holder and I'm enjoying the team just as much as I have enjoyed any of the last 35+ years (although I was pretty young those first couple years)

[olafberserker]

Raheem Morris wishes Bucs would have spent when he was there

There’s reason for Morris to feel bitter if he wanted to, as the moment he walked out the door the Bucs started spending serious cash on veteran free agents. On the day they dropped $140 million worth of contracts on Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks and Eric Wright, Morris sent a text to Bucs GM Mark Dominik.

“I gave him some nice choice words,” Morris said. “But he was great about it. He laughed. He said he knew he was going to get this phone message. …

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/29/raheem-morris-wishes-bucs-would-have-spent-when-he-was-there/

Dom should have responded "if only you held the guys accountable you may have stayed here to enjoy the FA signings"

+1 along with you are lucky to have ever been a HC so shut your trap

[olafberserker]

if you need to wait a few years to get over some sort of pent up ownership hate, you might miss the good years. 

^^ that

Cutting off one's nose to spite the face comes to mind!! Amazing that so many choose to dwell in the past!!

How is anyone cutting off their nose to spite their face?  If anything that is what the Glazers did when they told long time season ticket holders, let alone fans, that if they "didn't like having to sign a 3 year contract extension they can go to the end of the waiting list (cough, cough, wink,wink)" and jacked ticket prices up 30% in one offseason.

[olafberserker]

The Bucs are the fabric of the city and this has always been a football town.

this may be a football team, but the Bucs are no where near the fabric of the city.

[Hate]

if you need to wait a few years to get over some sort of pent up ownership hate, you might miss the good years. 

^^ that

Cutting off one's nose to spite the face comes to mind!! Amazing that so many choose to dwell in the past!!

How is anyone cutting off their nose to spite their face?  If anything that is what the Glazers did when they told long time season ticket holders, let alone fans, that if they "didn't like having to sign a 3 year contract extension they can go to the end of the waiting list (cough, cough, wink,wink)" and jacked ticket prices up 30% in one offseason.

The Glazers still made 10s of millions of dollars, while you're still griping about it. The business is theirs to run as they see fit and if someone chooses not to or can't afford to go, then they should accept it, deal with it, and enjoy their choppy internet feed.

FYI... i was never forced to sign any type of extension.

[BucBalla85]

I think fans will eventually come. If they keep playing like this it's gonna be a hard ticket to get.

[The Anti-Java]

I said this before and I will say it again.

There are some really craptastic teams in the league that sell out EVERY game.

[olafberserker]

if you need to wait a few years to get over some sort of pent up ownership hate, you might miss the good years. 

^^ that

Cutting off one's nose to spite the face comes to mind!! Amazing that so many choose to dwell in the past!!

How is anyone cutting off their nose to spite their face?  If anything that is what the Glazers did when they told long time season ticket holders, let alone fans, that if they "didn't like having to sign a 3 year contract extension they can go to the end of the waiting list (cough, cough, wink,wink)" and jacked ticket prices up 30% in one offseason.

The Glazers still made 10s of millions of dollars, while you're still griping about it. The business is theirs to run as they see fit and if someone chooses not to or can't afford to go, then they should accept it, deal with it, and enjoy their choppy internet feed.

FYI... i was never forced to sign any type of extension.

You're one of the ones "griping" regularly about the fan base not selling out games.  I just respond to the b$ comments made by the complainers.  I've never complained once about a blackout


and you may not have, but I personally know 2 1/2 to 3 dozen people that were given that ultimatum.  You are the only person that I know of that wasn't.  Could have been any number of reasons why, maybe it goes by the amount of kool-aid consumed.    I know I'm not making shizz up though.

on a side a note, I always find it funny when it's a business when the owners make their decisions, but fans are "fairweather" or just "bad fans" when they make theirs.  Quite the double standard.

[olafberserker]

I said this before and I will say it again.

There are some really craptastic teams in the league that sell out EVERY game.

perhaps all the complainers should move there

[Hate]

I said this before and I will say it again.

There are some really craptastic teams in the league that sell out EVERY game.

Agreed.... and i think it'd be kool to see Ray Jay filled with our fans in 2 wks....not dirty birds.

[Bucpride5]

I hear a lot of excuses, but see little fan passion when it comes to attending games.

My seats are $30 each, I pay on amonthly payment, and I NEVER, NEVER sit in my seat. So I guess I should thank the fans who'd rather watch a choppy interent feed than attend games so I can sit in the 200 section and stretch out.

[fanofkit]

I still think the economy has a lot to do with it.

Many of my Buc fan friends claim they would go, especially now, but can't spare the funds.

Such a bull crap excuse. Really is. Your telling me your friend can't cut $30 somewhere else in his budget to be able to get to a game?

It costs literally 2-3 times that amount to get into a Giants game. They have no problem selling out. Trust me friend NY isn't doing anyone any favors, they take more money from their tax paying residents at every turn.

Bottom line is this. If you're broke, you're broke. If you aren't completely broke you go to the game if you're a fan. Florida's economy crashed before NY and is recovering before NY. I'd eat hotdogs all week if I could see a buc game for $30.

Ticket sales are plaguing much of the NFL. some owners are just more commited to avoiding the embarassment for the area and themselves. If you have the tim, you should read the following from a Jets fan web site ( I have incuded the address) 

There is a report that the New York Jets have approximately 12,000 unsold tickets for the upcoming Monday Night clash against the Houston Texans. Personally, I think this is going to be more like when The Boz took on Bo Jackson on the goal line, but that's not the point.
I assume the team is going to buy any unsold seats to avoid a blackout, as they've done in the past. However, there is going to be a certain point where Woody Johnson simply won't keep buying tickets, and we might be facing a blackout. In addition, the more unsold games, the more likely he pressures Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum to start Tim Tebow, if only for purely publicity purposes.
I've said my thoughts on the subject before, and it was met with some serious controversy. The obvious response is, "If the team doesn't want blackouts, then put a serviceable team on the field." It's a good retort. I will say, to those of you that do not want to see Tebow under any circumstances, and I know there are many of you, the more blackouts, the more likely we are to see him. What are your thoughts on the team facing blackouts?
Personally, let's hope the night is darkest just before the dawn.

http://www.ganggreennation.com/2012/10/7/3468276/are-the-new-york-jets-facing-blackouts

Yes folks, this the New York Jets.  Comming off of back to back AFC Championship appearances, in the richest and largest market in the nation.  The Jets with all of their history and tradition playing in a brand spanking new stadium with Baby Jesus on the bench.

[Bayfisher]

Whether they’re winning or losing, the Bills have had difficulty selling out home games in December since Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was leading the team to four consecutive AFC titles in the early 1990s.

Buffalo sold out only about 55 percent of its games in the 1990s. And the figures haven’t been much better since. That was indicative last year, when the Bills final three homes games — all in December — were blacked out on local television because they failed to sell out.

The bitter cold and harsh conditions have been blamed for the poor turnouts.

It’s a concern that’s led the Bills and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer to question why the NFL would continue scheduling so many games in Buffalo this late in the season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/bills-reach-home-stretch-of-schedule-wondering-if-fans-will-show-up-to-support-losing-team/2012/11/13/3ee3ce58-2df5-11e2-b631-2aad9d9c73ac_story.html