Fan apathy evident as losing ways continue Joe Henderson, The Tampa Tribune, published 19 October 2009 It was a beautiful autumn Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium, perfect football weather for the game between the Bucs and Panthers. Nobody seemed to care, though. The attendance was announced at 62,422 - close enough to capacity that local TV got to carry the game - but ol' RayJay only had 42,847 of those seats actually filled, according to figures provided by the Tampa Sports Authority. That's a lot of tickets that were paid for and not used. Those who did come didn't get too worked up, even when Carolina drove 80 yards in the final eight minutes and scored the winning touchdown with 29 seconds to play. The booing that serenaded the Bucs as they walked off after the 28-21 loss was half-hearted at best. Put it this way: There was a lot more emotion in the Bucs' locker room than in the stands. Receiver Antonio Bryant's frustration bubbled up and over following a two-catch afternoon. Then again, Josh Johnson threw just 17 passes - three of them at his $9.8 million receiver. "I understand somewhat the process we're supposed to be going through," Bryant said. "We're trying to groom one of our quarterbacks, and there are a lot of growing pains we got to get through, but that's the frustrating part. Having the patience to deal with it. "It's also embarrassing, especially when you feel like you're in a position where you can't compete the way you want to compete. It's like you have your hands tied behind your back and you got to dodge the punches." Players see it. Fans see it, too. "We dictate that," safety Tanard Jackson said. "If we make plays and give the fans exactly what they want, I think they'll respond better. Until we get a win, I don't think they'll ever respond like we want them to respond." You expect a certain amount of anger with an 0-6 start - and a losing streak at 10 dating to last season - but even that can be a good thing because it shows people still care. It beats rampant apathy that goes well beyond a team struggling through a bad season. You could tell something like this was brewing toward the end of last season, even when the Bucs were 9-3 and seemingly headed to the playoffs. There was a noticeable lack of buzz. The Glazers certainly sensed it. Co-owner Bryan Glazer admitted earlier this year that the fans' attitude was a factor in the decision to fire Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen. The Bucs have done little since that clean-house day in January to win back any of the skeptics. The head coach they hired is still looking for his first win. They fired their offensive coordinator just before the first game. The franchise quarterback they drafted is still waiting to get into a game. The premier free-agent running back they signed carried one time for 2 yards Sunday. And the losses keep coming. Believe it or not, though, winning and losing really isn't the most important thing right now. It's on Raheem Morris to prove he can keep his team together in turbulent times and that won't be easy. Consider Bryant's remarks, for example. "At this point right now, I'm just going to do me. Control what I can control," he said. "That's going out there running the routes, trying to get open, being where I'm supposed to be, so that it shows up on film so the right people see it on film and hopefully something gets done about it." That's not exactly all-for-one, one-for-all now, is it? Fans pick up on this stuff. People know there isn't enough talent here. They understand that Friday's trade of Gaines Adams to Chicago for a second-round draft choice was a good thing, but it also signals that right now there is one less block to rebuild around. How can anyone get excited about the future when so many players who are here now won't be part of it? Like Antonio Bryant, fans control what they can control. They can control their emotions. They can control their wallets. They can control how they choose to spend their time. If you doubt that, just check it out when the Bucs play Green Bay here Nov. 8. I'm betting the crowd will be close to 50-50 between Bucs and Packers fans. As an organization, the Bucs have earned this. As they're learning, people may love football but they really can live without it.