By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, March 21, 2011
NEW ORLEANS — On the far side of the lockout, he can see success. Once the negotiations are done, he can see touchdowns and playoffs and Super Bowls.
Like a lot of fans, he can picture the Tampa Bay Bucs growing into something special.
Then again, Joel Glazer is a little different than most fans. So happens, his family owns the team.
Glazer sat on a small couch against the wall in Teddy's Cafe at the Roosevelt hotel Monday, grinning and giddy as he talked about the future. You have never seen him so effusive over a football team. For that matter, Glazer admits he has never been this effusive over a football team.
"Absolutely not, and we've had some good football teams," Glazer said. "I am so excited. People who know me say I light up like a Christmas tree when I talk about this team.
"I go into that locker room, and I've been in a Super Bowl championship locker and look in those players' eyes. Now I see a lot of young eyes with the 'it' factor. The building blocks are starting to develop that something special is in our locker room."
Even here, even at the owners' meetings where the lockout dominates most of the conversation, Glazer does not hide his enthusiasm. Why would he? This time last year, his team had won three games, and it had jettisoned two coordinators that season, and it seemed very far from relevancy.
This year? Well, it has been a good year for the Glazers. The decision to stick with Raheem Morris as head coach made them look patient. The decision to develop a young quarterback made them look smart. The success of so many young players last year made them look as if they had foresight. The 10 victories made them look like a team on the rise.
Is this validation, Glazer was asked.
"No, not really," he said. "We knew. In the world today, the way the media is, you're going to have to endure a lot. The question is, can you endure it? Most people don't take the long-term view. The media is more of a short-term reactionary view.
"As a team, as an organization, we said, 'Listen, it's going to be a rough ride in the beginning, but we're behind you. Don't worry about what people are saying. We have a plan. This will work out.' "
Last year, it did.
Ah, but what about this year? And can anyone get this lockout out of the way of it?
"Obviously, it's not ideal," Glazer said. "But we're optimistic. We have good people working on this, and we believe we'll have football in the fall. If it affects the offseason, okay, but it isn't going to affect the long-term goals. This is about building a team that can compete for the next five, six, seven or eight years.
"This is not just a young team that made progress. This is a franchise and a team that is built to compete now, that can do some real damage, and it's only going to get better. There is no question this team is built to last."
For a guy who doesn't talk very often, Glazer has a gift for it. He chatted away, talking about his quarterback, his coach, his general manager, his team's fans.
For instance:
• On the possibility of being the team selected for the Hard Knocks show on HBO: "They talk to a lot of different teams at this time of year. They're narrowing it down. We're listening, we're listening. I don't know if we would do it or not. I think we have a good story to tell based on a lot of the characters and on Raheem. I think people could get a closer look at us.
"There are a lot of pros and cons. I think it would be fun as long as you knew what you were getting into."
• On the blackout rule: "It's been something that's been in the NFL for a long time that has served a purpose. If you look over the last 15 years, last year was very different than the other 14 for us. I don't like to overreact to one year. In January, February and March, new sales have been the best they've been in years. Renewals have been extremely strong. We've sold thousands.
"I think if we do our job, on the field and off of it, blackouts will take care of themselves, and we won't even be talking about if it's right or if it's wrong."
• On what might have happened if the Bucs had qualified for last year's playoffs:
"I think we would have done some serious damage. The injuries were a factor; that's the only thing I say to myself. But if we hadn't had injuries, it might have been a Cinderella story."
• On re-signing Barrett Ruud and Davin Joseph: "That's really up to Mark (Dominik, the general manager) and Raheem. Whatever they feel is necessary is what we'll do. But they've been a key part of the Bucs, and that's important."
• On Dominik having only one more year on his contract and Morris having two. "Mark has done a tremendous job. Raheem has done a tremendous job. What people forget is that Mark has been part of the Bucs for 15 years and Raheem for eight or nine.
"It's interesting people ask this question. It's not an issue, not a concern, not a thought. It's more a concern of the big picture. It'll be taken care of at the right time. They've done a great job."
Glazer says he sees the same enthusiasm he has for the team in the faces of the team's fans. That hasn't always been the case in recent seasons.
"I think you always have to win the fans over," he said. "But we have great fans. What happened with the economy the last few years can't be overstated. Of the 32 teams in the NFL, we had the second greatest unemployment.
"We needed to connect with the fans. We needed to put together a team the fans could grow with. We need a team the fans could fall in love with. I sense that excitement coming back. The numbness that was there for several years is starting to thaw."
Give them enough victories, give them enough success, and fans will get even more fired up.
Who knows? Soon, they might be as excited as the owner.