N/S 2-0 Bucs vs Steelers game will be blacked out (1 Viewer)

[saburai]

It's sad when an NFL franchise can't get the fans involved when they're on a two-game winning streak, tied for the lead in their division, in the middle of a youth movement, and playing a winnable statement game against a hobbled, undefeated powerhouse.

Obviously, I want the Bucs to lose for our sake, but I'm still surprised how unengaged their fans are. It's puzzling.

Maybe we've been spoiled here in NOLA...

Oh well, makes it easier for the Steelers, I guess.

 

[Dibert]

More than half of the stadium will be Steelers fans.

 

[BucHater]

Yeah its sad, I live in tampon bay and they have the most fair weather fans. The team has been bad for a couple years and they all run and hide. Same with the Rays, they are in the hunt and only 12k show up for the games. Just plain bad fans in this area, then again I have met more people from New York that live here than people from here.

 

[dwid]

yeah they won 2 games but its obvious they aren't going far. They will wind up like the Broncos last year, great start, horrible finish. The Cleveland game was close and it was a fluke fumble that helped them win (yes fluke, the tight end knocked the ball out of his own back's hands) and Carolina just plain sucks. The economy is bad, most people aren't going to shell out money for a bad product.

Seriously, not every team has great fans like the Saints, so I think you are spoiled. We have some of the best fans in the league who remain faithful no matter what.

 

[Saint Kamara]

Tampa doesn't deserve any major sports franchise.

The Rays were playing the Red Sox about a month or so back and had less than 20,000 fans in the stands. It was the most important series of the entire season for the Rays up to that point.

 

[lvsaintsfan57]

Bucs fans are one of the better (albeit smaller) fan bases, they're not deluded into thinking they're actually a top tier team...

 

[jillimac]

More than half of the stadium will be Steelers fans.

Yeah, I do not think that the Bucs fans have bought in to this team yet. I heard a guy on the radio today say that until they play someone with a good QB, then he is not buying it. Pretty sad.

 

[NCSaint]

Sad is people dieing and starving in the world.

Folks deciding not to attend a football game is far from sad.

 

[ryder004]

ya it is sad our fans cant come to the games...but what can you do

 

[saburai]

Sad is people dieing and starving in the world.

Folks deciding not to attend a football game is far from sad.

People dying and starving is "tragic".

Taking time that could have been spent working at a food bank to put a post on a football website criticizing use of the word "sad" for talking about an empty football stadium is "sad".

 

[neworleanshoo]

The Rays are a game and a half behind in the AL East & they couldn't even sell out against the YANKEES last night. pathetic.

 

[S.O.S]

Not surprised. Tampa has one of the most uninvolved and fair weather fan bases that I've ever seen. I lived there for a bit when the Bucs were doing well, and still couldn't believe the total lack of interest, or complete fair weather aspect of the local populace.

 

[Paul]

To be fair, Florida has been hit hard by the economic down-turn.
Further - it's not just Tampa. I've heard that San Diego, along with other teams, both NFL and MLB, are experiencing problems selling out, even while winning. Just look at the games on TV -plenty of seats. I don't think that some of you understand the financial impact that the economy has had on people.

Groceries for a week, or a football game?
Mortgage, or baseball game(s)?

For a family of 4 to go to a Saints game, in upper Terrace seats, it costs $500 easily. That's a couple utility bills and groceries. Now, yes, Tampa and other areas do have some fairweather, uninterested fans for sure, but don't think that money doesn't have a lot to do with it. Many fans are opting to watch the games on their nice tee-vees, with DVR, eat their own food, use their restroom when they want to, etc, without fighting the crowds, paying for parking, concessions, and gas. Just a thought.

 

[NCSaint]

People dying and starving is "tragic".

Taking time that could have been spent working at a food bank to put a post on a football website criticizing use of the word "sad" for talking about an empty football stadium is "sad".

Thanks for the feeback. You made my day!

 

[saburai]

To be fair, Florida has been hit hard by the economic down-turn.
Further - it's not just Tampa. I've heard that San Diego, along with other teams, both NFL and MLB, are experiencing problems selling out, even while winning.

Gregg Easterbrook brings this topic up frequently. In essence, he says there's no reason the NFL should expect to continually attract fans in an ever-more-competitive entertainment market. Viewership is way up, as TV packages and quality makes that a more appealing option, but I suspect attendance is down and trending lower.

I also think Florida must be among the most football saturated markets. Jacksonville is removing (tarping over) seats at EverBank Field, then you've got the Bucs and Dolphins, plus UCF, USF, Florida State, Florida, Miami, etc.

I'm still surprised though, because Raymond James is regularly identified as one of the most enjoyable sports venues in football, AND the Steelers normally travel very reliably. Plus it's a huge game for a win-starved team.

So, while the phenomenon of black-outs isn't surprising on its own, this particular black-out did shock me.