Bucs-Falcons game is blacked out in Tampa (2 Viewers)

[robsmith32]

thisi s why, with D-TV, you make sure to give a zip, not within 150 mi from the team you want to watch... then no blackouts, the zip provided . doesn't have to match your address

 

[ClayT101]

look again. tampa is just west of orlando, and it's clearly in red (dallas-ind).

Your right, I thought Tampa was the blue area below it.

 

[Jetsfan115]

I'm not from Tampa, and I cannot say, but Florida has the 4th highest unemployment rate in the country at 11.9%.

IIRC, they had the second biggest housing price collapse after Nevada in percentage terms.

So both incomes and wealth are down a lot in the Sunshine State.

That said, they didn't have a hurricane destroy large swathes of their city, so I'm not sure that the economy is enough of an excuse.

Florida has 3-4 teams for football, plus the heat is a big draw there too. just saying. i really wish small market teams like the bucs would have better fan support

 

[SebaSaint]

Here's a fantastic article about it from Pat Y:

Winning isn't making a dent at Bucs' gate
December, 3, 2010
By Pat Yasinskas

TAMPA, Fla. -- Of all the people I know in the Tampa Bay area, a friend I’ll call “Dan’’ is the biggest sports fan.

Literally -- he’s 6-foot-7 and a former college basketball player. And figuratively -- he listens to sports-talk radio all day, reads the NFC South Blog and the rest of the sports internet world and still subscribes to two daily newspapers. He’s the only person I know under 50 who still subscribes to two daily newspapers.

He can name the full rosters of every pro sports team in Tampa Bay and every big football and basketball college program in the state of Florida. Heck, Dan even got emotional the other day when the Buccaneers cut Sabby Piscitelli.

So, when I talked to Dan the other night, I asked if he was going to Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. He said no and I asked him why.

“I can’t afford it,’’ Dan said. “I’ll listen to it on the radio.’’

Like a lot of people in Florida, Dan lost his job because of an economic downturn that has hit Florida especially hard. He used to make very good money. But, even in those days, he didn’t have season tickets and he went to games only on rare occasions.

But what if things were still good? Would Dan buy a ticket for Sunday?

“Nah,’’ he said. “Maybe if it were a playoff game.’’

Well, guess what? Sunday essentially is a playoff game for the Buccaneers. They’re 7-4 and they need a win against the Falcons to have any chance to win the NFC South. They need a win to remain firmly in the playoff picture.

Even without Dan, you’d think the Bucs would have no trouble selling out this game. The game has been “flexed’’ to the 4:15 p.m. time slot, the Bucs will be inducting former coach John McKay into the Ring of Honor and will be wearing their creamsicle-color throwback uniforms. The game is being played in one of the league’s nicest stadiums.

But selling out is not going to happen. It’s not even going to come close to happening. I talked to a team official the other day and he said the Bucs are guessing they’ll be lucky to sell 50,000 tickets and actually get 45,000 to show up at the stadium, which seats more than 65,000.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/16011/16011

This makes me appreciate New Orleans even more.

 

[Marlboro Man]

I'm not from Tampa, and I cannot say, but Florida has the 4th highest unemployment rate in the country at 11.9%.

IIRC, they had the second biggest housing price collapse after Nevada in percentage terms.

So both incomes and wealth are down a lot in the Sunshine State.

That said, they didn't have a hurricane destroy large swathes of their city, so I'm not sure that the economy is enough of an excuse.

I thought about moving there with my business 11 years ago but that state isn't very friendly toward small businesses and they probably have a democrat Gov. to boot like most states with terrible unemployment rates.

 

[REBEL_SOUL]

Didn't the Bucs have a season ticket waiting list 45k strong a couple years ago?

Yes! Back when they had Chuckie, Brooks, Lynch, Sapp, ect..

 

[Cuozzo67]

It's the retro uniforms they'll be wearing ... nobody wants to see the "pumpkin patch" jerseys.

 

[krushing]

I do completely understand why they haven't sold out season tickets. We went to a Tampa-saints game 4 years ago in September. It was 130 degrees in the stands. People were passing out. Worst football experience ever. That was my first and last time to go to a football game in Tampa. Also the stadium has nothing around it. It is stuck in the middle of no where. It would be much better if it were in walking distance of ibor city( their bourbon street).

 

[wnelson]

No. Sunday Ticket does not show locally blacked out games. Here in Los Angeles, they treat the Chargers as a local team, so if their game is blacked out in San Diego it is also blacked out here in L.A., even on Sunday Ticket. It is most annoying.

that is ridiculous.

 

[longtime lurker]

The hell is up with people in Florida? Do they not like football? They have three teams and while one is threatening to move because of poor attendance, another can't even sell out a division rivalry when they're actually playing good football. I'm not sure how Miami's ticket sales are doing but I wouldn't be surprised if they're down too.

A ton of transplants to the areas....When I lived in Orlando and Jax, I was always amazed at the amount of NFL fans...there's a ton, but the loyalties are often to the teams and the Cities that they moved from.

That's one of the reasons that New Orleans is so special....the fans have been with the team for years. GB is the same kind of situation.

 

[Shiloh]

I thought about moving there with my business 11 years ago but that state isn't very friendly toward small businesses and they probably have a democrat Gov. to boot like most states with terrible unemployment rates.

Top Ten States for Unemployment
1. Nevada 14.2 - Republican Governor
2. Michigan 12.8 - Democratic Governor (Republican Incoming)
3. California 12.4 - Republican Governor
4. Florida 11.9 - Independent Governor (Republican Incoming)
5. Rhode Island 11.4 - Republican Governor
6. South Carolina 10.7 - Republican Governor
7. Oregon 10.5 - Democratic Governor
8. Kentucky 10.0 - Democratic Governor
9. Georgia 9.9 - Republican Governor
10. Indiana 9.9 - Republican Governor

 

[SaintsIn2009]

The hell is up with people in Florida? Do they not like football? They have three teams and while one is threatening to move because of poor attendance, another can't even sell out a division rivalry when they're actually playing good football. I'm not sure how Miami's ticket sales are doing but I wouldn't be surprised if they're down too.

I live in this area, and let me tell you, the economy here is absolutely horrible. Last I checked it was 3rd worst in the country. It has nothing to do with football or the record and how the fans feel. I speak to them daily and they are losing homes left and right. Heck, I see signs all over the place for 4 bedroom, 3 bath on 1.25 acres of land for 45K!! You can't give away homes here man, hell I haven't had a job for a year and a half in this **** hole! (thank God for the MGIBill) I know all about Katrina and how we sold out the dome but we got back on our feet relatively qucikly compared to this 3 year economic crisis we are in as a country and after that long people can't afford to go watch the Bucs anymore.

 

[Schilly]

In addition to the economy, many Floridians are transplants, and thus don't have allegiance to the local team.

This is spot on. I have lived in Tampa for several years and I've only come across a handful of people that grew up here. Area has expanded so much over the last 15 years that transplants outnumber locals more than 3 to 1. Drive around the neighborhoods and you will see flags from just about every NFL team. Economy doesn't help, but the ownership also sucks after buying the Machester soccer team...spending the lowest in the league when your franchise is worth in the top 10 (or 12 or something like that) is just pathetic.

The Rays is a whole different story. That stadium was built in just the dumbest place to ever put a team. Only within 30 miles of 16% of the population (according to a few news articles this past year). Even the 16% within that drive is mostly comprised of old folks (St. Pete is referred to as God's waiting room).

Its a shame because I actually like watching the Bucs games this year to scout the competition...especially when they play the clowns this week.

 

[Broad St. Saint]

I thought about moving there with my business 11 years ago but that state isn't very friendly toward small businesses and they probably have a democrat Gov. to boot like most states with terrible unemployment rates.

Florida hasn't elected a Democrat to the governor's mansion since the 1994 election, just before Jeb Bush. IIRC, it was Lawton Chiles and he was not exactly a liberal Democrat.

I agree with you though that there is a reason why, out of the 4 mega-populous states (CA, TX, NY & FL), Florida lags badly in term of business, esp. Fortune 500 HQs. Their tax and legal structure isn't as good for business as TX, their educational system is not as good for producing highly skilled workers as CA, and they can't attract the globe's most talented people the way NYC does.

 

[Vrill]

Look at the Tampa Bay Rays. They had one of the best records in Baseball this past season and they struggled to get 15k folks into that stadium on any given home game. There are talks of them moving elsewhere.

Tampa Bay is not a great sports city. Hell, the entire state of Florida isnt a great sports state IMO. A lot of folks there have no allegiance to those Florida teams. They go there to retire.

So this isnt surprising to me.

We are lucky our Saints still see near sell outs even during our lean years.