As a Buccaneers fan since 1979, I’ve seen plenty of good football—and plenty of bad football. I’ve attended more than 30 games in person, first traveling from Toronto, where I used to live, and now from Costa Rica.
When you attend a sporting event, you’re never guaranteed a win. That’s part of being a fan. But when you’re spending top dollar on flights, hotels, food, and game tickets, you should be able to expect one thing, maximum effort from the players.
Unlike the other major sports, the NFL regular season is only 17 games. Effort should never be in question.
I grew up watching the Buccaneers hold three full-contact practices a day during training camp. Today, the collective bargaining agreement rightly limits the amount of hitting to protect player safety. If players are taking fewer hits throughout the year, shouldn’t fans at least expect them to give everything they have on Sundays?
As the Bucs unraveled late last season, it was obvious to many fans that something wasn’t right. Then came the post-season revelation that one player had been loafing. That’s about as close as you can get to admitting they quit.
One player, who had just signed a lucrative contract extension, even admitted he was bored at times.
Surely the Glazer family heard those comments too. Yet the man responsible for the team’s culture, was brought back. Then we watched franchise icon leave for less money to join the 49ers.
Every May, when the schedule is released, I usually book my trip to Tampa without hesitation. This year is different. Spending more than $3,000 to watch a team whose head coach allowed that kind of culture to develop doesn’t feel like a good investment.
The word “loafing” has left a terrible taste in my mouth.
So I’m taking the Missouri approach to the 2026 Buccaneers:
Show Me!
Show me that the players care, show me that the coaches have fixed the culture, show me that maximum effort is once again the standard.
Until then, I’ll keep my wallet closed.
For more from Greg click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.
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