Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer says he's taking long-term view to owning, building

DANA POINT, Calif. — The lobby of the opulent St. Regis Monarch Resort and Spa provided a strange backdrop for Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer to defend the team's light-wallet approach to the off-season.

Sagging season ticket renewals, escalating salaries, an economic meltdown and suffocating debt from purchasing the Manchester United soccer club has fueled speculation that the Glazers are too cash-strapped to be big players in free agency, or that they might even be forced to sell their NFL team.

In his state-of-the-Bucs address at the league's annual meeting, Glazer said the team has returned to its philosophy of building through the draft, the only plan he feels leads to long-term sustainable success.

The following is a transcript of Glazer's interview Tuesday with the Times.

Can you address your ownership of the Manchester United soccer club and persistent speculation that the Bucs might be for sale?

"The only thing I would say about that is we're as committed to success in Tampa as we've always been. The losses still hurt today as much as they did from Day 1. The wins still feel as good as they did in the beginning and we're going to tirelessly work to build another championship team in Tampa.

"That hasn't changed, it won't change, we have a plan. We're going to be disciplined and we're going to be patient. We're going to stick to it and do what we think is in the best interest of long-term, sustainable success. I come back to the draft. You've got to succeed in the draft. Free agency is not going to solve all our problems. You have to always be in the position that once we've identified good players, that we're in a position not to lose those good players and that's the key. Winning in March in free agency, very rarely do you see those teams in the headlines in January. You have to be disciplined to resist what can lead you down a dark path.

So are Bucs fans wrong to get nervous about what they read with respect to Manchester U?

"Absolutely. We have a lot of other businesses, but they're not as high-profile. So it's not easy to make connections and draw lines and all that kind of stuff. We've brought championships to Tampa and we've had successes elsewhere. But one thing that drives us day in and day out is we have one Super Bowl ring but we've got many more fingers."

That said, December (when the Bucs ended the season with a four-game losing streak) must have been very difficult for you to say the least.

"When the season ended this year, usually it takes a little while to recover. It took a long while to recover this year. We were 9-3. We had everything in front of us, homefield advantage and a Super Bowl at home. Then we were up by 10 points with nine minutes to go (against Oakland in the finale). Those are tough pills to swallow but we're finally putting it in the rear view mirror and looking forward to next year. That is definitely a focus of ours. When we take a step back and we look at our franchise, that's something we had for many years. I think a little of that was lost. But the only way you get that is to be patient, draft, identify young players, watch them grow and people will go on the path with the player together. It's just a natural process and I know it's also our core belief in winning. I think they go hand in hand."

Talk about the decision to hire Mark Dominik as GM and Raheem Morris as coach. How have they done in their nearly 40 or so days?

"I think they've had to deal with some difficult situations which they didn't shy away from and a lot of people may have shied away from. Part of the thinking going into the situation was when you're hiring somebody, you never really know who you're hiring. These are two people we know. Mark has worked here for 14 years. We know Mark Dominik extremely well. We know the way he approaches things, the way he thinks about things, his work ethic. Raheem we've known for seven years.

While they're both young — and anybody who's young, there's going to be some new experiences along the way and learning along the way you may have a few bumps — but you're seeing the trend throughout the National Football League more to the younger guys. They're able to connect in some ways with players. But also, we were 9-7 last year. We weren't 2-14 or 4-12. And sometimes you also run the risk when you go too far outside and they come in, they don't quite look at the young players the way someone who has been around them the last few years look at them. And there's somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction to start changing things just for the sake of change. We just felt this was a good, happy medium and two very talented individuals that we had right here. So why go elsewhere when you have them right there?"

Did they show they had some thick skin by releasing (Derrick) Brooks and others?

"No question. When that discussion came up, I was impressed from the standpoint of them being subjective, taking a long-term view and following a plan in their mind that helped build this team. It doesn't happen overnight. To have long, sustained success, you have to have some patience, have a plan and be willing to take some lumps along the way. It may not have a positive effect that moment, but you can have good, long-term benefits and that's the way they're looking at it. Our core belief is you've got to be patient. You've got to draft well. It all starts there. If you don't draft well, you're just going to be piecing it together every year. If you look at the teams that have had success the last several years, Super Bowl teams, they aren't huge, splash free agency teams. They draft, develop and exercise patience."

There's a lot of focus on the $61 million salary cap room you had at the start of free agency. Why don't you spend to the cap?

"In simple terms, smart planning previously has allowed us to have the cap room. We have a much larger cap than any other team. I don't think people realize that. We've got about an extra $30 million that we have creatively carried forward year after year so if we needed to do something, it was there to do it. But more importantly, in simplest terms, we all have a plan and are going to sign the players we think can execute it over the long haul. If it means a lot of money and signing a free agent, that's fine. If it doesn't, if there's a few complimentary players we'll bring in and then focus on the draft, that's what we've done.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said the Bucs were one of two teams to approach him a about trading for Jay Cutler. Can you talk about that pursuit and is it ongoing?

"Anytime there's an opportunity to help the team, we're going to do it. Mark has done a good job at looking at all possibilities, whether it's a trade for Kellen Winslow, or another type of creative trade, complimentary free agency, he hasn't been closed-minded to anything. That's another area (where) I've been very impressed by Mark. His mind has not stopped thinking ways to improve this team."

Does he have enough help in the front office?

"He's got all the support that he has wanted up to this point. I'm sure over time we'll add people. But I think one of the things he wanted to do coming in was get his hands very dirty in everything, get a feel for everything, then after he got his feet wet, see what he needs.

What was the reason for the collapse and why did you make the changes at coach and general manager?

"Really, it wasn't just one thing. You kind of look at the totality of the situation, where the team was at, the makeup of our team, when you kind of have to make some of these decisions. When you put it all together, it just felt right to us that this was a natural time to make that change because a lot of player decisions were going to have to be made this offseason and directional decisions. Once you cross a certain line, things become a lot tougher to make those kinds of changes."

How much influence did you and your family have in releasing Derrick Brooks and others?

"It's the most difficult part of the National Football League, especially when you have great players, a person like Derrick Brooks, who has meant so much to our franchise and to our community and has been with us so long. Every year, you sit with the coaches, the general manager and the front office. In this case, with Raheem and Mark looking forward into the future and where they wanted to head and evaluating the whole situation, then bringing it up, they discussed it with us and their reasoning and thought process behind it. We wanted to be supportive. There's never a perfect time, never a great time. You try to think of the positives of a whole career, make the decisions and move on. You try to deal with it the best way you can.'

Was it a difficult day for you?

"Extremely difficult. Extremely difficult day. The next day was difficult. Because part of it also was Derrick is a person you can never replace. You don't try to replace him. You're not going to find the next Derrick Brooks. Also, Derrick is a connection also to a great period in this franchise's history. The less and less players you have from that era, kind of the sadder it is and the more removed you are and it becomes great memories.

You plan to unveil a Ring of Honor this year. Will you start by honoring players from the bygone era?

"No question. It's a Ring of Honor for the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's the way it'll be approached and all our great players will be recognized at some point."

Will you wear the orange throwback uniforms?

"This is the year. The throwbacks are coming out."

Is there a date set for that?

"After the schedule comes out, the date will be identified."

What's you position on an expanded regular season to 17 or 18 games.

"It has been talked about. I think there's a lot of merit to it … 17 versus 18, we're still doing analysis. We're open to either, but I think there's a lot of consensus around the fact that an expanded schedule makes a lot of sense."

Is working through the injuries the problem?

"You're more likely to have injury and it depends on how the final plan is presented."

Are you optimistic about getting a deal with the NFL Players' Union?

"I think we've got good people dealing with that issue and they're going to do what's in the best interest of the game. Whatever they decide, we'll be there to support."

These are tough times for everybody. How tough is it to be a pro sports team owner in this economy?

"We're in times that are unprecedented economically and I don't think there's anybody who doesn't feel it some way or another. Even sports. A lot of people always felt it would not be affected. There's no question that all sports are being affected by this. We have deep problems in this country economically, and all the money that has been spent in the past is not going to be spent and that involves sports."

Are you concerned about (TV) blackouts in 2009 (if games don't sell out)?

"Around the league, there's no question we are feeling the effect like a lot of other teams are feeling the effect. We're currently going through our renewal process, but we are definitely seeing people that are affected by this economy and having an effect on their ability to renew. And what we've done and will continue to do is kind of roll up our sleeves and figure out ways to be a little more creative to help people in these tough times. But we are seeing an effect and we'll know more as we get closer to July. But I think there are a lot of people being forced to sit on the sidelines because of the situation in the economy. I think it's too early to tell about (blackouts). We have great fans in Tampa, so whatever tickets aren't sold to season ticket holders, we'll work very hard to make sure the stadium is always full and the fans will be there."

You have competition for the sports dollar with the Tampa Bay Rays. Has that been a factor in your season ticket renewals?

"First of all, I love what the Rays have done. I believe fans like that better, drafting your own, developing your own, watching them grow up. It's your own. There's no substitute for that. Yeah, there's competition in the marketplace but I'm also a big believer that people want to see a winner. If they're winning, they're going to want to see the Rays. If we're winning, they'll come and see us. I think it's helping. I would never shy away from a challenge and I want nothing but success for the Rays because I think it adds excitement to the community and people are excited. That's good."

Your team had to terminate the jobs of at least 12 employees. In these tough economic times, how do you rationalize the NFL holding its annual meeting at the St. Regis Monarch Resort and Spa (at over $400 per night)?

"The one thing I do sense here is that there's a total sensitivity, meaning people understand what's going on in this world and are sensitive to it. You see most teams didn't raise season ticket prices this year. There's just a lot of discussion about how you help people through these tough times. There's always going to be the appearance of insensitivity with big salaries and backdrop and all that stuff looks like it lacks sensitivity. But I know, with all the discussions I've had, these are tough times and troublesome to a lot of people."