As you guys have seen by my lack of posting, I’ve been really out of it (actually working a bit) and my focus has been off. Apologies.
There’s one thing that gets me more than anything when it comes to the Buccaneers — it’s their need to be excessive with money and then jack up ticket prices to compensate.
Oh no, I’m not harping on the Glazer’s control of Manchester United right now (though I’m unaware of what the Glazers have been doing to the Manchester faithful besides contemplating how to destroy renovate Old Trafford…
I’m talking about the Glazer’s secrecy and extravagance in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers new practice facility. The Tampa Bay Business Journal has more:
Among the more significant changes were to the Bucs’ locker room, which was originally finished in black but was replaced with wood grain when someone remarked that it looked like it belonged to the Oakland Raiders.
Executive VP Ed Glazer’s private bathroom is being outfitted with enough marble that it will ultimately cost as much as most people’s cars.
…It’s always just those little things that hamper construction, isn’t it? I mean if it’s not a gold plated low-flow toilet, it has got to be contractors offering stone other than marble to finish your bathroom…
GM Bruce Allen and Head Coach Jon Gruden also will have second-story offices with a view of the practice fields and stadium, though the best corner office in the building is actually being reserved as a conference room for hosting NFL officials and other executives.
Gruden’s office, on the building’s other corner, is configured so that even his private shower has a view of the practice fields.
OK, that last one is just disturbing. But we all know Jon — football excessive to the very core. Understandable (for him) but just a little too much for the sane.
Of course, this new headquarters/training facility is just a bit of an upgrade from the Buccaneers current/soon-to-be-former facility. Nicknamed “the Woodshed”, One Buccaneer Place was outdated the day it opened in 1976 and has been derided by players and personel for the 3 decades the team has called it home. I’ll leave the stories about that alone for now… That could take up it’s own post (or entire blog — if only the facility was going to be around much longer).
No word yet how much the Bucs plan to raise ticket prices to underwrite the extra exuberance (or how they’ll justify it this time around).
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4 Comments until now
Cool work, John, and glad you’re a fellow Dem. Oh, do you know if Artyukhin has resigned with the Bolts? He’s on the teamsite roster, but haven’t seen anything about it in the news. Have been traveling out West and thus out of the sports loop of late.
Are you guys crazy, because you are not Floridians. If it wasn’t for the Buccaneers proving a viable sports market for even a losing team, the Lightning would never have been awarded a franchise. Our new football stadium is world-class, and it’s recognition for being so helps promote the Tampa Bay area; the facilities for the players should as well. The Lightning may well deserve similar consideration; I can guarantee one thing; their battle will easier due to the battles won by the Bucs now! And if you don’t believe for a second that the marketing guys behind the NHL don’t envy the success of the NFL Juggernaut, and strive for the same end; then you are living in a fantasy world.
And politics should never be a part of sports; these competitions speak to the most basic of needs of ant living organism, the need to adapt and survive. This need surpasses all others, and sports are inherently survive or perish. In the Tampa Bay area, 3 franchises might survive, 2 definitely will, and let’s not squabble! AArrgghhh!
Your entitled to your opinion, and don’t piss on ours in the process. How could you get so worked up over this to write two comments back to back?!