TAMPA, Fla. -- He once tried to swipe Baltimore's NFL team, and he's determined to keep Baltimore from doing the same thing to him.
J. Leonard Levy, who has been involved in just about everything good to happen in this city's sports scene during the past 30 years, said he does not want to repeat the mistakes of Baltimore and St. Louis, cities that lost NFL franchises when their communities lost interest.
"We may end up losing them [Buccaneers], but it won't be because no one cares," Levy said.
The gregarious businessman, who rose from salesman to owner of Hillsboro Printing Co., chairs the Chamber of Commerce's Save the Bucs task force. Plaques on his office wall testify to his role in landing everything from two Super Bowls in Tampa to the expansion Bucs in 1974.
There's no plaque to designate it, but he also spoke with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, longtime owner of the Baltimore Colts, about moving the team to Tampa after a successful preseason game here in 1971.
Rosenbloom was interested in coming, but NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle said no, Levy said.
"We've learned that if these cities that had franchises are doing all this to get them they must be very valuable," he said.
He acknowledges that interest in the Bucs has fallen off in recent years, but attributes it to the team's awful record. Under the circumstances, drawing 44,000 fans to a game is remarkable, he said.
"Their record is the worst record of any pro sports team anywhere; what do you expect? Let me assure you, if this team were to go 8-8, we'd be doing 65,000," he said.
He has spoken with friends in the league, including owners, who have pledged their support, he said. "If it looks like it's going to move, we'll put the wheels in motion. They know this is a good NFL city," he said.