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

[BleedBlackNGold]

There were around 25,000 seats available for the game in week 1. My friend thought he would be able to go and buy them from someone real cheap there and wasn't able to find anybody walking around selling tickets. He just went to will call and the cheapest tickets were something around $90. I wouldn't pay that much for nose bleeds.

 

[Mr.Blonde]

yeah i lived there the year after their super bowl win. It was buc crazy around there. Flags, bumper stickers, and jerseys everywhere. 7-9 the following year and everything disappeared. I wore my Saints hoodie, and people asked me why I would wear my gear when we were a 500 team. I told them I love my team no matter what the record is. I wear my gear after losses as well as victories. That's what a fan does. Of course that same year the Lighting won the Stanley Cup, and EVERYBODY was a hockey fan. I am indifferent towards the Bucs simply because of their fans. It's hard to hate a team that their own fans don't care about.

 

[Mr.Blonde]

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.

Raymond James is an excellent stadium. I love going for the bucs/saints game. Especially after the third quarter when it turns into a home game for us, because their fans book it to go do something else.

 

[PayOrPlay]

Not to mention some of the better cheerleaders in the league--wasted on an inattentive audience. For shame!

 

[Doobsdemons]

sad is a t rex whose arms are too short to hug