The Bucs lack of success over the past decade has been well documented in Tampa Bay. With an 11 year playoff drought, the Bucs have the current longest run in the NFC without a postseason appearance, and the second longest in the NFL behind the Browns 16.
In light of that, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio selected the Bucs sixth overall as the fanbase that is most deserving to have their team win a playoff game.
Florio, along with fellow host Chris Simms had a draft to pick the fan bases that most deserve a playoff win. The Bucs were selected after the Bengals, Browns, Bills, Raiders and Lions.
While the Bucs have the second longest absence from the playoffs, Florio pointed out that the Bucs do have that Super Bowl winning season of 2002, making it easier for fans to “check out” since they’ve experienced some success over the past 20 years.
All of the other teams on the list with exception of the Raiders have failed to see their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy in their franchise’s history.
Simms, who was drafted by the Bucs and played quarterback for five seasons in Tampa Bay, along with Florio both praised the Bucs for having a loyal and passionate fanbase. Florio also cited that the number of losing seasons, lack of team consistency, coaching turnover, and the fact that there’s plenty of other activities to do in Florida contributes to why fans would be more susceptible to lose interest.
“I just feel like they deserve something better than what they’ve gotten,” Florio said. “It’s been too much impatience from ownership when it comes to firing coaches, there hasn’t been that year to year consistency. They need to develop something, and they really are making an all in move, I don’t know if it’s going to work, but that fanbases deserves better than what it’s gotten.”
The all in move that Florio was referring to is the hiring of head coach Bruce Arians. You can watch the full segment from their show here.
From @PFT_Live, which fan bases most deserve a playoff win this year? https://t.co/6hz6LTNK9p
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 24, 2019