Twitter, and social media in general, has a way of creating conversations. Some are good, some are bad, but the ones that get going and really get traction are the ones that make you think.
Chris Burke, of The Athletic, posed this question on Wednesday morning out of nowhere and it has totally taken off.
What's the worst sporting event you've ever seen in person?
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) May 30, 2018
The tweet now has over 400 response and counting, and while reading some of them I laughed, I shook my head, and then I thought about what my answer would be, specifically for the Bucs.
Now, I’ve been to some bad Bucs games over the course of my 27 years of existing, but there is one that really sticks out to me as the worst thing I’ve ever seen in person.
It was 2009. I had just graduated high school and was in my first year of college at Southeastern University in Lakeland. A bunch of my friends and I were big Bucs fans and decided to go to a game that season. We chose the Jets game because, well, the tickets were the cheapest. We were first-year college kids, after all. At that point, the Bucs were 1-11 under head coach Raheem Morris. You could say that it wasn’t the best of times.
The final score of the game was 26-3 in favor of the Jets, and the stats were even worse than the scoreboard.
Quarterback Josh Freeman was the Bucs’ leading passer with 93 passing yards and three interceptions. Josh Freeman was also the team’s rushing leader with 21 yards on four carries. Cadillac Williams had 14 yards on 11 carries, and not a single Buccaneer had more than 30 yards receiving. Barrett Ruud and Tanard Jackson led the Bucs in tackles that day, and Matt McCoy was next on the stat sheet, and honestly I just thought that it was Gerald McCoy and they just messed his name up because that would be so a Buccaneers thing to do — Gerald McCoy wasn’t on the team yet.
Josh Freeman threw an interception on the first play of the game — the first play. I paid for these tickets? Seriously? The next seven, yes, seven drives for the Buccaneers ended in punts. Oh and, by the way, none of those seven drives had one first down attached to them. Not only was it seven straight punts, it was seven straight three-and-outs.
The team was so bad, and we knew they were going to be so bad. So much so that I even brought a giant sign that said “WE WANT DEZ BRYANT #1 PICK”. At the time, Dez was at Oklahoma State looking like the best wide receiver on the planet. The Bucs could have used him that day.
The day ended with Jets fans outnumbering Bucs fans as the clock hit zero and we had to listen to “J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!” on our way out after the most embarrassing football game I had ever seen then and still have ever seen to this day.
And to think I wasn’t even old enough to drink.
So, what’s the worst Bucs game you’ve ever seen in person?
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About the Author: Trevor Sikkema
ohhhhhhooohohho.
I was lucky enough to run in the 2014 Treasure Chest 5k on October 12, 2014. Right after the 5k, a matchup with the Ravens coming to town….
Joe Flacco and the Ravens scored on SIX STRAIGHT POSSESSIONS, taking a lead of 28-0, BEFORE THE END OF THE 1ST QUARTER, and taking a 38-0 lead, into halftime.
I am not one to leave games early. But I left at halftime.
Bucs lost 56-14.
In full agreement. The weather was as awful as the team was (90+ degrees, 90%+ humidity) and I was under the hammer of one of the worst colds I’ve ever had. I also left at halftime, and it’s the only time I’ve ever done that.
One of the most hellish experiences I can remember lol.
This is for sure the worst game I’ve ever watched, but I didn’t see this one in person
That was awful and That was just watching on TV!
Any game that Richard Williamson or Leemon Bennet coached. Those were my ‘fond” memories.
I agree. The were to many in the 70!s and 80’s too pick out just one. Trevor and the guys are lucky they are too youngto have gone through that torture.
I missed the Yuccs!
Most of the home games last few years! OMG there have been so many.
One that has to be too 5 suck ass games I guess was 3 years ago under Lovie we were in playoff contention and Playing the Saints at Home. I bought a suite for the game and spent lot money for my employees. We got killed from the get go and Winston was horrible that game for whatever reason. Rest of season we did nothing either.
I feel like before this year every time the Bucs had played the Saints in Tampa recently it was just complete heartbreak.
I can’t remember what record was for that Saints game but was decent when played Saints then ended up 6-10 I know.
Bucs vs Broncos, 10/2/16. Took my girlfriend to her first Bucs game. Got absolutely drenched on the walk into the stadium, in a game in which we would never be competitive. Watched Jameis throw 2 picks to Talib in the 1st quarter. Sims ran 15 times for 28 yards, with a fumble lost after he got hit by… T.J. Ward. We knocked out future HoF QB Trevor Siemian, who lighting us up, but little did we know, that’s when the historic era of Paxton Lynch would begin. He lit us up the rest of the game. We left during a… Read more »
Daaaaamn
Ahhhh, I remember like it was yesterday. I was living in California in 2011 and someone knew I was a Bucs fan and offered me their tickets to see them vs the 49ers. Well I didn’t even get to park before I heard San Francisco had scored a td in the games first two minutes. The final score ended up 41-3. Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday…
The 2003 Monday Night Football Colts comeback victory over the Bucs 38-35. Terrible game. I will never forget it. The Bucs jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead which we ran up to 35-14 in the 4th quarter after Ronde Barber intercepted Peyton Manning and returned it for a TD. Don Meredith had started to sing “turn out the Lights”. Only to have Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison stage a come from behind highlight show to win 38-35 – all before a nationwide audience. Damn!!!!!!! lol.
I didn’t go to that one but I would have been devastated lol
Wouldn’t of happened if Brian Kelly got hurt!
I remember they were interviewing McCardell for Player of the game because he had 2 TDs that game and he stopped mid interview because he had to go back into the end of that game.
Was that the one with the bullsh*t “leaping” call that let them re-attempt their missed FG? If so, you just brought back a bunch of rage from that game.
You got it my friend! Vanderjagt missed the game-winning field goal from 39 yards. It would have been his first miss of the season in 13 attempts. The Bucs Simeon Rice was called for leaping and landing on a teammate and the Colts got another chance and he nailed it. Don’t make me remember anymore! lol.
Did not happen. We never played the Indianapolis Colts in 2003. We did not play the Colts that night. Never happened.
Vinnys Testaverde vs. Eagles in 1988. We were down 28 -0 Early in 2nd quarter. And the beer guy came by and I told him I never drank in less we were down 35-0. Five minutes later I bought a beer.
Hey 1991 we got killed 27-0 to the Packers and into 2011 we were destroyed by the Texans in games where the box did not even show up. Against the Tekke against the Texans, They’re opening play was a 70 yard touchdown bomb and it got worse from there
Thanks Johnathon Goodfellow. I was going to recount an old Bucs-Bears game from back in the 80s played in a driving rainstorm. My buddy and I went and sat behind the bench to heckle our own players until u mentioned the Ravens game. That was also the only game I left at halftime and should have been the end of that team playing a Cover 2 as a base defense. It wasn’t. Mason Foster had no idea where he was supposed to be in that formation and Flacco shredded us. Ugh. It was hideous to watch. No wonder so many… Read more »
Toss up between the redskins preseason game from 2016 where there was a mini monsoon going on, I had no poncho or umbrella and it was the most boring slog game ever. Or the 2nd Atlanta game from 2016, we got embarrassed on the field and my pops and I were surrounded by Failclown queers. My dad ended up getting way too drunk, which led to him getting into a heated screaming match and then we got kicked out. So yeah either one of those I would say. I’ve only been to a handful of games though. The best game… Read more »
I can’t remember what year it was but the Bucs were down 42-0 at half time to the Falcons in Atlanta. I wondered if anyone had been to that one as was going to mention it. My friend drove from Lakeland to Atlanta to see that game. God bless them.
That would be 2014. We were down 56-0 in the 4th quarter. I can’t imagine the sheer amount of salty bitterness I would feel If I had actually coughed up cash to go see that trash.
Trevor Sikkema do you still want Dez Bryant ???
Lol. I hear he’s available.
My wife and I were at the ’99 game @-- Raiders…wore my orange Nickerson jersey, so people could see I didn’t just jump on the bandwagon- got some credit from a few home fans for that… Aside from a few cold beers and meeting a cousin of Sapp, that outing was brutal (0-45!!). Oh, and got hit with some wet toilet paper while pissing in a stall
…no I didn’t smell it to identify the liquid .
… Absolutely we left early!!!
This is easy; pick any game played in 1976!
I’m with you there my friend.
Never been to a professional game of any kind…one of the disadvantages to living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where we have no pro teams. We used to have the Pro Bowl at least but even that’s gone now….
I should start a gofundme for flight and tickets to one of our west coast games this year lol
Being a lifetime Buc fan living in the Pacific NW and having never actually stepped foot in Florida, seeing my Bucs in person has been limited to the few times they’ve played in Seattle. One such time was the opening game in 2007. We lost 20-6 and it should have been much, much worse. Stupid penalty after stupid penalty called back the few positive plays we had. My father-in-law took me. Some drunk assholes showed up in the second quarter and proceeded to scream at me for the rest of the game because I was wearing my Ronde jersey. (“This… Read more »
Good luck with being surrounded by “home fans” at Ray Jay. One of my pet peeves.
You are right on that, scubog
Yeah, I’ve read about that many times. That is irritating even way the hell up here in Washington state.
Sitting through the back to back playoff losses in Philly by a combined 52-12 was no fun. Sub zero temps, urine in the aisles and disgusting Philly fans peeing in sinks. Afterward to celebrate they set a car on fire. Surreal.
That question of “What’s the worst Bucs game you ever saw live?” sure had me digging into the bowels of my nearly depleted memory banks. Having never missed a Bucs home game or even a single play, I sure have a lot of files in my brain to go through. It’s over 400 games to consider. As my friend Horse noted…..”any 1976 game” is an easy answer. Certainly the games cited by my fellow posters are worthy. There have been some that caused great disappointment when, as the saying goes, we “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory”. I don’t… Read more »
The only game ive been too was a Bucs Win! 2017 game against the Jets. My first bucs game ever and Jamies is out due to injury and Mike Evans was suspended. It was a field goal fest for most of the game. Brent Grimes got a nice interception, Godwin had some nice catches, and i think it was Bernard Reedy almost ran a punt back to the house. We held them without touchdown for about 58 minutes then they scored a long bomb TD. I think the final score was 15-10. When everyone was walking out bucs fans were… Read more »
Jonathan…I was in an Airport when that Bucs/ Ravens game was on. Thought I would check out the game to kill some time in O’Hare, and got the score. Wow…what an A kicking.
Tbat was a bad one. Ive been to the majority of the Bucs games ever played in both stadiums. For me its easily the Bucs playoff loss to the Giants. I believe it was their last playoff appearance. Wow that was one dissapointing game. The best Ive been to was the season opener i think in 96?? Bucs and Sapp throttled the mighty 9ers. Wow what a game that was. Sapp took over that one. Whats the best youve been to Trev?
Worst game that I saw at RJS was the 2010 Steelers game. The Steelers didn’t even need Big Ben that day. Charlie Batch threw 3 TD passes and the only TD pass Josh Freeman threw was a 79 yard INT to Brett Keisel. I was in line for beer in the 3rd quarter and looked around and I was the only Bucs fan in line. Towards the end of the 4th I saw some girl at the end of our row that was wearing Florida Gator flip flops and a Steelers jersey. I proceeded to tell her that she ought… Read more »
September 27, 2009 vs. the Giants. I’m from Ohio and I’m a diehard Bucs fan. We were on vacation in FL. The crowd was more blue than anything, and the NY vibe was in full force. Obnoxious was an understatement. Two fights broke out around us. I didn’t care though, I was just happy to be at RJ.
So if I’m remembering correctly, 1993, still the old NFC Central. We play Minnesota in Randy Moss’ rookie year….he embarrassed us and starts patenting his clown out of the box celebration that Mikr Evans goes into mimic…
Mac I was at that 2003 Colts game. Lol. It did suck and I was actually detained not arrested todards end of game. Lol. Too long a story. I have been arrested and not a criminal. Lol.
My best and worst Bucs game was in 98. I believe vs the Giants and I THINK we won.. Yeah first game, fake id so I don’t remember a lot of the unimportant parts like team names.. After the game I saw a Giants(?) fan throw flattened beer cans like a frisbee and hit a girl in the head who proceeded to tumble down the steps of Ray Jay so I, wanting to do my civic duty went and found the girl hit and bring her back to tell on the a-hole they caught for throwing it. My civic duty… Read more »
Meant never arrested Lol.
The worst game I saw in person was the 45-24 loss in Atlanta on January 1, 2012. It was 42-0 in the middle of the second quarter when Atlanta called off the dogs. Final score does not do the game justice. Turner was on track for 400 yards rushing when they pulled him from the game. Worst home game for me was the Ravens 27-0 shutout in 2006. The Bucs seemed to have no hope in moving the ball as every pass by Chris Simms was batted at the line of scrimmage.
I couldn’t agree more with the first poster in this segment. That loss to the Ravens was absolutely awful. I left early too. But I’ve been a season-ticket holder for a long time and the one game that sticks in my mind was in 2000. The New York Jets were coming to town. We had seen the team build and build and build and get better through that period of time. The Bucs lost at the end of the game and I was really really pissed off. I remember going back to my motorhome and breaking every piece of plastic… Read more »
Worst live sporting event I ever saw was my first live Bucs game in San Francisco before they left Candlestick park in 2011 or 2012. We got beat down 45-3, I was surrounded by 9er fans including my friend, and he was in my face the entire game.