Indianapolis Colts - Tampa Bay Buccaneers sells out, avoids blackout!

For the first time since the 2009 season the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have managed to sell out a home game. A home game against an 0-3 Indianapolis Colts team that is missing Peyton Manning. But the attraction of Monday Night Football is so great that the Bucs have sold out this game despite that. The Glazers had made a big push to sell out this game over the past days, giving away numerous tickets to companies, schools and others.

This means that for the first time in two years a Buccaneers home game will be televised in the Tampa Bay area. The Bucs have had their previous 10 regular season games blacked out locally, as well as their previous four preseason games. That streak finally comes to an end now that Monday Night Football and, ironically, Jon Gruden return to town. 

Hopefully this is a portent of things to come and we will see fewer blackouts in the future. It's unlikely any other home games will avoid a blackout this season, except for the Saturday Night game against the Dallas Cowboys on December 17. But if the Bucs have a successful season, they should be able to sell out more games in coming seasons. Until 2010 the Buccaneers had not had a single regular season home game in Raymond James Stadium blacked out. Maybe they can get back to that in 2012.