Ahoy, Me Hearties! Yo Ho!

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International "Talk Like a Pirate Day" is the perfect day for sharing the adventure of my 37th birthday. Having been reared in the Greater Tampa Bay Area, I am a long-suffering Buccaneers fan. You may know of the loveable losers - some of us call them the "Yucks" for their tendency to dwell in the cellar of the NFL - or, perhaps you remember the unfortunate branding of their early identity: a very clearly gay buccaneer "Bruce" outfitted in creamsicle and white. Absolutely yucky! Anywhoo, in a very clear case of the "clothes make the man" the Buccaneers - yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - actually won the Super Bowl four years ago after changing their entire identity: pewter and red uniforms, a menacing pirate logo and a fancy, shmancy new stadium in which to destroy those who dared to field a team.

When the Bucs started winning, all of Tampa Bay - and her natives - rejoiced, and they actually started going to games. All except me. I was living in the ATL by then. So, for my birthday this year, my love took me to my very first game at Raymond James Stadium. It was the home opener for the 2007 season and, in a stroke of positive universal energy, the Buccaneers played like defending Super Bowl Champions and beat the New Orleans Saints (and their Heisman-Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush...) by 17 points!

It made me think of the song that the Morning Zoo on the old Q-105 wrote for the Yucks of old..."Hey hey hey, we're the Buccaneers!...Ho ho ho we're the Buccaneers! Offense, Defense, now we're here to say, Make the Saints walk the plank and throw 'em in Tampa Bay! Hey!"

These are the pictures from our really fun day at RayJay...

These pirates were on-hand for a corporate party on the pirate ship in the north end zone. They were very kind to pose for a birthday picture with a 37-year-old pregnant girl drinking an O'Douls. Not quite the grog to which all worthy pirates are accustomed, but a refreshing, festive beverage nonetheless!

The pirate ship is super cool...there is a cannon that fires whenever the Bucs enter the "red zone" and whenever they score. We heard that cannon a LOT on Sunday, and the BEST part was that it was fired for FOUR touchdowns. Peegie took the picture at right while the sun was obscured by a cloud. I think the background makes the ship look even more menacing. Just before this picture was snapped, the cannon fired at a moment when we were not watching the action on the field, and not expecting the boom...pretty funny involuntary reaction from Peegie.

At right is a close-up shot of the figurehead...I couldn't help but wonder if Blackbeard is a football fan...

One of the coolest things about Raymond James Stadium is the fan-friendly atmosphere. Fans are allowed to wander freely along the main perimeter of the field on the second level of the stadium. Peegie and I spent the second half of the game taking in the action from "50-yard line seats." We also visited the south endzone just in time to see a Buccaneer touchdown. The photograph at left was taken just after the Bucs scored their fourth touchdown. And, for good measure, our signature ending.

Comments

LMP said…
Goodness my friends do pregnancy so gracefully! You look beautiful knocked up!
September 24, 2007 at 7:55 AM
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