Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer issued a statement Thursday denying a Tampa radio report that the team will be put up for sale.

According to The Business Insider, WDAE’s Dan Sileo reported that the Glazer family, who owns the Bucs, hasn’t put the team on the market yet, but he cited a Wall Street insider who claimed the family lost $400 million-plus indirectly to Bernie Madoff.

Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison earlier this year after he pleaded guilty to running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

“The report today by WDAE’s Dan Sileo about our family and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is 100 percent false,” Glazer said in a statement released by the Bucs. “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not, nor have they ever been for sale. In addition, our family or any of our related companies have never invested one penny with Bernie Madoff.  The report is baseless, irresponsible and slanderous. This type of behavior by Mr. Sileo and his company Clear Channel will be dealt with in the appropriate manner.”

It has been a tumultuous year for the Bucs, who fired their coach and general manager in January, released numerous veteran players during the offseason, then started this season 0-7. First-year coach Raheem Morris announced Wednesday that he will turn to rookie Josh Freeman, who will be the Bucs’ third starting QB of the season.

Posted in: News  | comments  |