____When your job is to highlight what is good about Tampa Bay, and you're offered a chance to sit down one-on-one with the man behind the biggest Buccaneers support system, you jump on it. The man in question is Jeffrey Neil Fox, the publisher of Pewter Report, who also runs PewterReport.com, BucGear.com, and the impressive "Buccaneers Heaven" fan store. He is an empowering figure, a charismatic character and, forgive the hackneyed phrase, completely down-to-earth.
____And a very, very busy man.
____After meeting at his store on Florida Avenue, he led me to the back, and after some introductions with a few of his associates, and after handling some business matters (after all, he had just got off the plane from covering Sunday's game), we finally sat down and just talked sports. As you will read, Mr. Fox did most the talking, which was absolutely fine by me.

Tampa's Homepage: Tell me about yourself, being a Bucs fan from the Tampa Bay area, and what got you started doing this.

Jeffrey Fox: Well, we own the "Pewter Report", which is the team newspaper for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which comes out 22 times a year --every single week during the season and every month during the off-season. We're coming into our seventeenth year of publishing we're the only publication that's dedicated to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their fans. When it comes to the fans --we're experts on the fans. We have a synergistic business revolving around the hometown team. Not only do we publish the team newspaper, we also have an online version as well, PewterReport.com, that's updated on a daily basis. People can even subscribe to a section on the site where they can get 300 unique insider information stories during the year and at the same time they can pull up PDF archives of the printed version.
Along with that we also own the "Buccaneer Heaven" authentic team merchandise store, where we have over 2,000 officially-licensed merchandise with the hot buccaneer logo on it, and we've been doing that for over a decade. We have the largest selection and collection of merchandise. And no matter how the team does, Buc fans want to look good. Bucs fans, you know, want to support the team. Sure the frenzy isn't there like when you're play-off contenders or NFC division champions or Super Bowl champions --which we were fortunate to have two years ago. Not only do we have a 6,000 square foot brick-and-mortar store, jam-packed with all the colorful merchandise under one roof-- it's also available in virtual reality at our e-commerce store, BucGear.com, which is a mirror of our storefront. We have costumers that order on our internet site from across the street to half-way around the world.
We specialize in the fans. You talk about fan-- what is "fan" short for? It's short for fanatical.

TH: Uh-hum.

JF: And there's a fanaticism going on for the hometown team. Especially now-- at one time when the Buccaneers team started in 1976 --I think they went 26 games without winning-- and at one time the worst teams in the history of mankind, and then they take that, and turn it around to become Super Bowl champions. Everybody's expectations went through the roof, and then the following year they had a losing season. This year they have their challenges. But, you know, as they stand, hope is still alive.

TH: Yes.

JF: Even the games we have lost there were a lot of positive things going on --I don't think the Buccaneers have laid down for anyone. Look at the red-hot Atlanta Falcons. They went back there with a goose egg --they weren't even able to score against the team.

TH: Can we talk about that a little bit?

JF: Sure.

TH: About the team's record right now. I understand Grammatica is just one example of some of the core Buccaneer players removed. Fans tend to follow players as well--

JF: Sure.

TH: --and a lot of those players from the Super Bowl era --the names you have all over your store-- are not here anymore. How does that effect the fan base?

JF: That's an interesting thing, because traditions are hard to start and hard to stop. You know, people have been following people like John Lynch and Warren Sapp since their rookie years and since they were in college. And they adopt them as one of their own. There's a point in time where every single player becomes a former player. Lee Roy Selmon's a former player --he's a Hall of Fame former player. And people are going to mourn; they're going to miss their players. But I tell you, when the new starts step up --when the Michael Claytons step up to the plate-- and people bond with them, they don't forget the old players but they do have to move on. And they still follow their favorite players in the other teams. I'm still following John Lynch's career in Denver and Warren Sapp in Oakland. And Grammatica is now reunited with his former coach, Coach Dungy. The days of the John Elway --starting and ending their career with the same team-- I'm not saying it's not going to happen, but with the salary cap and injuries... the salary cap creates a lot of the problems with the player going from one team to the other. I can tell you one thing: every single coach and every single player knows they're going to be introduced one day and that they're going to be... introduced on the way out as well. It's a part of the game.

TH: You mentioned Lee Roy Selmon --I noticed he's going to be here.

JF: Correct.

TH: Would you like to talk about what's coming up?

JF: Yeah, sure! Lee Roy Selmon's coming here from 12 to 2 o'clock this Saturday, December 18th at Buccaneer Heaven at 14823 North Florida Avenue. He's going to be signing autographs for $10 a piece to go to a charity of his. He's a legend of the past and he's actually a legend of the future. He lives in Tampa, a great athlete, a great citizen --they have a parkway named after him. He's an executive at the University of South Florida, where he was the former athletic director. He's "Mr. Buccaneer". It's a great time to meet with him and get his autograph on something. A great holiday gift to put on somebody's tree or a stocking stuffer is an autograph from Lee Roy Selmon. If you come into my house, one of the few things I have showcased right in my living room is an authentic Buccaneer logo with Lee Roy Selmon's signature in it.
Then on Tuesday we have Chris Simms coming in from 5:30 to & 7 o'clock. You talk about the future? He's a class act, great athlete, and we really haven't seen him play too much yet. I think we will. I'm very excited. Plus we're going to have some of the old logo merchandise that's really become a fashion.

TH: Yeah?

JF: We were able to get a bunch of old logo mini helmets. And believe me, that's a great collectable --to have an original logo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed by Lee Roy Selmon --Hall of Famer-- for $10. That's unheard of in the industry.

TH: A couple things. One, how would you feel about the position, the title, of "Buc's Number-One Fan"?

JF: You know...

TH: Come on...

JF: I'm humble. My true feelings, when it comes to being a fan of anything, is that everyone has equal access. That fact that I go to the games and report on them, or on the field taking pictures, and spend most of my waking activity... and dreaming about the Bucs doesn't make me any better a fan--

TH: Not better, but--

JF: --then somebody who just comes in and adopts the team. I just feel that everyone has equal access. There's two sides. Sure, there's the "X" and the "O's", and the game itself, but then there's the lead up the the games, the tailgating, the coaching, the road trips. I've taken road trips --I run into a lot Buccaneer fans on road trips in New Orleans and San Diego and the streets of Atlanta and Carolina.
I look at myself as a leader in the fan culture, I publish the team newspaper, I've covered the team since they've started. And with the merchandise --especially during that Super Bowl run-- there were lines out the door for three hours. I have to be humble. There are some really die-hard fans who are very dedicated...

TH: And by fan being "fanatical"...

JF: Yeah. They support their team no matter what. Are they disappointed when the team loses? Sure they are. But believe me, they look to the next week for the franchise to turn things around. Let's face it, anything short of winning is failure. Success is never certain, failure is never final. Just because the team didn't win yesterday, doesn't mean they're not going to win --this could be the start of their next run. Look at Atlanta, look at their record last year and how they finished. I think were out three games and then started their run.
I'm dedicated to the fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have gotten a chance to meet them locally, and throughout every state in the Union...

TH: That must be great, when you travel to the away games and see Bucs fans.

JF: Exactly. We have international subscribers. A lot of military. It's a lot of fun --a lot of camaraderie and common interest. Since I've been doing this a long time, I've made a lot of life-long friends; we have something in common. I enjoy it. It was nice that we went to the mountaintop and won the Super Bowl --it's disappointing that they've fell from grace somewhat, but I'm looking for them to turn it around.

TH: Do you have any message to new residents of Tampa Bay?

JF: You have to become a fan on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you can, you have to at least go to Raymond James Stadium once in your life --it's one of the ultimate football productions I've ever been to. I've been to almost every single football stadium on Earth, and Raymond James is by far one of the best productions. And on the field --but I'm talking about the ship and the pirates, the raising the flags and the Jumbotron... it's just an excellent facility. And it's a hometown team. A pilot flies into Tampa, and as they get to the international airport they tip their wings and say "On our right is Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers". It's fun.
A lot of people move here because of Raymond James and the Buccaneers, or the Devil Rays or the University of South Florida --they've put Tampa on the map. That's a great umbilical cord or life-support system. It increases the quality of life in Tampa.

TH: As you alluded, the Buccaneers aren't the only winning team in Tampa.

JF: No...

TH: And not the only title holders.

JF: It's the only NFL team. NFL is still the number-one pastime in the history of mankind. I can't think of a bigger event in the creation of Earth then the Super Bowl, can you? I'm not overdoing it. And the Buccaneers were fortunate to make it there, they were fortunate to win, and they brought back the Vince Lombardi trophy to the fans of the Tampa Bay area. If you're a resident of Tampa you have equal access to that enjoyment, and shame on you if you don't enjoy it... there's a lot of fun to be had.

TH: You've got the Lightning as well...

JF: Uh-hum...

TH: You've got the Storm.

JF: The Lightning are the Stanley Cup Champions.

TH: Exactly. Despite the... I don't want to say shortcomings... but after the Super Bowl, even though the Bucs haven't retained that same level of success, and looking at the the past five years, this is a good time to be a Tampa Bay sports fan. Period.

JF: Oh yeah. I think the Tampa Bay area is rapidly becoming the apex of sports in the Southeast.

TH: Especially Florida sports.

JF: Definitely Florida sports. Look at the University of South Florida, what a powerhouse they're going to become: joining the Big East, playing in Raymond James Stadium, playing teams in huge television markets. Actually, we're opening up "Bulls Heaven".

TH: Oh? That's wonderful.

JF: You're one of the first people I can announce that to.

TH: Would you like to announce it to the world?

JF: Sure! Announce it to the world, definitely. We're getting ready; we have to start ordering and we're very excited about it.
I'm an alumni of the University of South Florida. You know, they've just joined the Big East. I'm a big supporter of the foundation and it's only going to go up. They have 18 different sports and over 200,000 alumni, including myself. They're playing Florida A&M next year at Raymond James Stadium and I guarantee they'll be 50,000 people in the stands.

TH: Great. I would like to come visit you again during the play-offs, whether we get there or not, and maybe post-season and pre-season.

JF: Okay, you're welcome to come here.

TH: Thank you.

-D.M.

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