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Bucs' fans deserve straight answers

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 8, 2009

It's appropriate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are donning their old orange and white colors for today's "throwback" game against Green Bay at Raymond James Stadium. In many respects, this year's team resembles the "Yucks" of old.

At 0-7, the Bucs are the only National Football League team without a win this fall. Dating to last season, the squad has lost 11 straight.

They've repeatedly changed quarterbacks and kickers, and seem directionless. Dropped passes, missed tackles and a confused offense are common.

But the Glazer family, which has owned the team for more than 12 years and helped bring Tampa its only Super Bowl title, should address more than the bad play on the field. They need to face up to fans, who are losing faith in them.

Many fans question whether the family's ownership of the Manchester United soccer club has taken precedence over the Bucs and wonder whether the football team's profits are being used to help pay off the family's debt on Man U, among other concerns.

The questions are fair. Reliable media organizations have reported the Bucs are from $23 million to nearly $30 million under the NFL's $127 million salary limit, the most room in the 32-team league. How do the Bucs expect to field a competitive team when they're so far under the cap?

The other day, Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer, in a rare public reaction, blasted a WDAE 620 AM talk show host's report that the family was among the victims of Bernie Madoff, mired in debt and even considering bankruptcy protection. The host, Dan Sileo, suggested the Bucs might be for sale.

Glazer said the report was "100 percent false" and "slanderous." But while also denying the team is for sale, Glazer did nothing to address fans' concerns.

It's time the owners did.

This community, after all, built the Glazers a new stadium, using funds from a half-cent sales tax voters passed, and fans have repeatedly packed the facility.

But fan loyalty is being tested. It should trouble the Glazers that the true attendance for the Oct. 18 home game against Carolina was only 42,847 - not the announced crowd of 62,422.

Knowledgeable fans knew this would be a rebuilding year, with a new, first-year head coach, among other challenges, but had no idea it would turn out to be such a debacle.

While ridding the team of popular veterans, the Bucs did little on the free agency market to fill key positions. This team, it's clear, is far weaker than the one that collapsed at the end of last season to miss the playoffs, leading to the firing of head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen. Fans deserve an explanation for the poor showing.

The Glazers should follow the lead of the owner of the Cleveland Browns, who are 1-7. Last week, owner Randy Lerner met with two fans who have been encouraging others to protest the poor season by leaving their seats empty for the kickoff of the team's next home game. Thousands of Browns fans even walked out during the second half of a loss to Green Bay at home.

True, Lerner's hand was forced by fan protests. But it still was refreshing to see an owner take the time to meet with unhappy paying customers.

The Glazers also should reach out to fans. It could create goodwill, which the team desperately needs.

The Glazers know what it takes to win. They've done it before. Now they should detail how they plan to make the Bucs contenders again and answer questions about Manchester United. Tampa Bay fans, who also have an investment in the Bucs, deserve it.

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