Tampa Bay Area Jacked Up!
(January 21, 2003)

"To be in the Super Bowl is something that hopefully the city of Tampa is jacked up about." - Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden after the team's 27-10 victory in the NFC Championship Game

Don't worry coach, the Tampa Bay area is plenty jacked up. Following the biggest victory in the history of Tampa Bay sports, and perhaps the biggest thing to hit this area period, fans are in a frenzy. For long suffering Bucs fans, it may be hard to believe that the words Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Super Bowl are being used in the same sentence. It is going to a wild week.

When Philadelphia went up 7-0 in the first minute of the NFC Conference Championship Game, Buccaneers fans must have had flashbacks to previous playoffs. They answered with a field goal, but a field goal is not a touchdown. Joe Jurevicius became a part of Tampa Bay folklore with a 71 yard catch and run setting up a Mike Alstott touchdown. The Eagles tied it, then a Brad Johnson to Keyshawn Johnson TD play put the Bucs up 17-10 at the half. Another Martin Gramatica field goal made it 20-10 after three quarters. Philadelphia was driving, and the game was still in doubt, before Rhode Barber returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown and cliched a berth in Super Bowl XXVII.

The Tampa Bay area has been, and continues to be, jacked up since Barber reached the end zone. Thousands of fans took to the streets. Horns honking, fireworks going off, Bucs flags waving and even tears of joy. Believe it, the Bucs are Super Bowl bound.

Tens of thousands of fans waited at Raymond James Stadium for the team to return. The temperatures were near freezing and the Bucs did not get back until almost two o'clock in the morning, but the fans waited. They waited to share just a few moments with the team. They waited to see Jon Gruden take to the makeshift stage with the George S. Halas trophy held high. Thousand more were watching on television. The game itself was the highest rated television program in the area's history.

A couple thousand fans were at the stadium Friday to send the team off in style. Thousands were there again Monday afternoon to see the team off to San Diego. Surely, thousands will greet the team when it returns next week.

Buccaneers merchandise has been, to use the old cliche, flying off the shelves. People are waiting in line for hours just to buy a NFC Championship hat or shirt. Deliveries are consumed by fans are soon as they arrive in stores. Anything with Bucs on it, and especially if it says NFC Champions, will not last long in the stores.

Tampa Bay area jacked up, you bet. It is going to be a wild week leading up to the Super Bowl. Let yourself imagine what things will be like here next week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002 NFC Champions, just had to say it one more time.