Bucs Should Be “Appointment Viewing”
October 7th, 2025
Brings fun to football.
The last time there was a TV series (not sports) where Joe had to be home at a certain time on a certain night and parked on his leather couch five minutes before the show started was when FOX aired “24.”
Like how the baseball stat geeks took a piece of Joe’s life away, so too did FOX when they deemed “24” too expensive to produce.
Nothing has replaced 24 on TV. Nothing. And honestly, aside from sports, Joe rarely watches broadcast TV any longer.
But Nick Shook of NFL.com said there is such a thing as appointment viewing on broadcast TV. And on YouTubeTV. And streaming. That would be the Bucs.
The Bucs were already a fun team to watch this year as Baker Mayfield found ways each week to pull victory out of the teeth of defeat. But Sunday in Seattle, Mayfield and Lavonte David and the Bucs put on a show with Seattle that captivated whoever was fortunate enough to watch the game.
Shook said as a result, NFL fans have to clear their schedules when the Bucs are on TV.
Buccaneers games should be appointment viewing for football fans going forward. They’re thrilling, the Bucs play football at a high level and they’re firmly in the race for the NFC crown. Sunday only strengthened this summary.
Sunday was riveting for several reasons. Mayfield balled out. Emeka Egbuka balled out. San Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba went toe to toe with Mayfield and Egbuka. There was even a car wreck element to the game as both defenses bent over possession after possession.
Joe even typed on Twitter in the fourth quarter the game was like a Big XII game between Mike Leach and Lincoln Riley.
Not only are the Bucs winning, they are entertaining as hell.
(Joe cannot tell you how many Seahawks fans and neutral NFL fans Joe came across traveling to and from and working in Seattle the past couple of days. Virtually all of them said something similar to the following: I love watching Baker Mayfield.
Even when Mayfield isn’t on the field, he provides some fun.