Happy Birthday, Ira Kaufman!
August 11th, 2025
“Work with me here, Baker. C’mon.”
A standing ovation is in order for JoeBucsFan.com columnist and radio/podcast legend Ira Kaufman. Happy birthday, Ira!
The Sage of Tampa Bay Sports is older than Doug Williams and it’s believed he’s younger than Marv Levy.
It’s also Ira’s 50th anniversary season as a sports journalist. Like the Bucs, Ira kicked off his career in September of 1976. His first NFL beat was the New York Giants in 1979. He landed in Tampa in 1985, more specifically a Pinellas County apartment complex with loud neighbors prone to lewd acts.
Ira’s secret is golf, tennis, speed walking on buffet lines, and juking old women in Publix aisles. He’s also been known to walk his beloved dog Cosmo like a proud dad.
You may see Ira driving to and from One Buc Palace today in his luxurious Ford Escape from Bill Currie Ford — cherry red.
It’s hard to believe Ira just entered his 10th year at JoeBucsFan.com. What a beast. Joe hopes Ira keeps working until the Bucs and/or Team Glazer make the bold and correct move to put Ira in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor.
C’mon, Team Glazer. Will there ever be another Ira? Not a chance.
You can send Ira birthday love in the comments below, or hit him up on Twitter @ikaufman76.
Joe still can’t believe the Tampa Bay Times bought The Tampa Tribune nine years ago and made the bonehead move of kicking Ira to the curb in a matter of minutes. That’s on par with cutting Darrelle Revis in his prime.
Ira in the grill of safeties coach Nick Rapone at Bucs training camp 2022.