Buccaneers vs Lions

Well unless you were under a rock OR maybe you just are not a football fan *gasp* you know that football season officially started last week. It was week 1 of NFL football and I was extra giddy because I was heading to Tampa to see my Buccaneers. No words can express how I feel whenever I see my Buccaneers. I'm a HUGE fan and am always all smiles when I know that I am going to Raymond James Stadium. Raymond James Stadium does not feel the same way about me tho :(

It never fails, every time I go to Raymond James something bad happens. This trip was no different. There was a huge accident in which 10+ people lost their lives on the main road leading from West Palm Beach to Tampa. We sat in traffic for a good 30 minutes before we were informed that the road would be closed for another 2 hours. It was time to insert plan B. I knew by going the other route that we would definitely miss out on tailgating but I didnt care ... just as long as we were there by kickoff I was good.

We werent. Even after going the long way to Tampa I was confident that we would make it. That was until we missed our exit and ended up in Pasco County. I've driven to Raymond James Stadium plenty of times and probably could drive there blind folded BUT on this particular day I miss my exit. That added another 20 minutes to the trip. Finally we get to the stadium and parking is gone. So another 5 minutes went into finding a parking spot. I guess good things come to those who are last because we ended up finding a FREE parking spot *booty pops* Gotta find the positives right?

By the time we actually made it IN the stadium it was the second quarter, the Bucs were losing and I was as excited as could be. We sat on the Lions side and I was amazed by how many Lions fans there were. Where did they come from? Did they drive down or do they reside in Tampa already?  I promise there were more Lions fans chanting than Tampa Bay fans. I was embarrassed. It got worse. In the 4th quarter Tampa Bay fans actually started boo'ing their own team. THEIR OWN TEAM!!!! What in the world. Now I will not sit on this blog and say that I was totally pleased with how Tampa played on Sunday because I wasnt. However I will NEVER boo MY Bucs...NEVER! That's MY team. What type of fan does that?

The "fans" also were yelling that the Bucs suck, Raheem(the coach) sucks and that THIS is why people dont buy tickets to see them. Really? First of all maybe I'm delusional but I never would say any of this...not about MY team. If they did really suck that is something that I would keep to myself. Even when my Bucs only won 3 games in an entire season I never uttered the words "they suck". What type of fans are these? I'm starting to think that Tampa Bay does not know the meaning of the word. Poor Bucs.

It wasnt all bad though. It was a perfect day for football. It was hot with a nice breeze. The 9/11 tribute was also very nice. I think I was in awe watching the military men parachute into the stadium. Days later I'm still looking at the picture and saying to myself "how awesome was that" . The late LeeRoy Selmon was represented well. When you didnt see light blue jerseys, you saw light orange ones bearing the infamous 63. I also got to see N. Suh and let me tell you this .... television does not do him justice. The dude is HUGE! I would be so scared to play against him. He looked like a giant while everyone else looked like midgets. That dude is the truth!

Despite two fights breaking out in the stands and my beloved Bucs losing, I still walked out of the stadium with a huge smile on my face. Something about Raymond James does that to me. If I would've been home I would've been highly upset about the lost. I would've been in a funky mood for the entire day but on that day I took the long walk back to my truck with the rest of the Buccaneers with a smile on my face and my head held high. I got to see my Buccaneers and even if we lost, seeing them made my day. Go BUCS!