TAMPA, Fla. -- Just how much of an impact will Tom Brady have on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' attendance, which has been at or near the bottom of the league for the past several years?
Shortly after the news that Tampa was expected to land the future Hall of Fame quarterback, fans attempting to purchase season tickets from the link on the team's website received this message: "Due to demand, you may experience an extended wait time. Once you reach the front, you may begin to shop."
Fans told ESPN that they had 5,000 to 6,000 fans in front of them in line. When ESPN attempted to purchase tickets, the number was 5,371.
The Bucs averaged 51,898 fans in 2019 -- 30th in the league. In fact, in the past decade, the highest they've finished in attendance was 26th, which came when they averaged 61,560 fans in 2015.
"It's the most exciting thing to happen to this franchise since they won a Super Bowl 17 years ago," said Wolf Trelles-Heard, who had 6,792 people in front of him.
"Waited online for over an hour," Tim Halstead said. "There were 6,000 people in front of me. ... I'm beyond excited. We have a QB who knows how to win, with a head coach who knows how to win, with two of the best receivers in football. Most excited I've been since the early 2000 teams."
"First time in 16 years," Jason Rybak said. "I was on the waiting list for Bucs tickets, back when there was one, and life kind of got in the way. We would go to a few games here and there, but now that TB12 is coming, it was an easy sell to my die-hard Pats fan (soon to be converted) wife. ... [We're] going to be making the two-hour weekly drive from Bonita Springs just to see the Bucs."
Tim Daley didn't even wait for the news to break. He called at noon.
"Once Shaq [Barrett] and JPP came back, I was already considering, and when the Brady news was picking up steam, I couldn't resist the thought of getting to see a few games with my dad [and] Tom Freaking Brady as our QB next year," Daley said. "[My father] bought season tickets for us when they won the Super Bowl, and we actually went and attended the game in San Diego, so now that he's retired, it's my turn to return the favor."
Anthony Cali didn't wait, either.
"I had a hunch he was going to Tampa this a.m. and bought them at 12:30," Cali said.