BUCPOWER.COM Every player, every game and every detail in Buccaneer history INTRODUCTION Planning a trip to Tampa to see the Buccaneers is so much more than just arranging your tickets to the game. Even the shortest of trips to see your heroes play is going to result in a few days in the Bay Area, and there is so much to see and do whilst you are there. Hopefully this guide will give you a few pointers to making your next trip even more enjoyable. SOME INITIAL THOUGHTS It’s hot in Florida. It’s a humidity thing that often can drive you into a shopping mall to cool down. You really notice it when you come out of a mall to your car. Just drink lots of liquid and I don’t mean trying to keep up with Phil Jones and Kevin Wheatley in a drinking contest (you won’t be able to anyway). I passed out one night on my first trip because I hadn’t drunk enough liquid when on the beach. When you collect your hire car from the airport, don’t fall into their trick of upgrading your car. You don’t need it. Even the smallest car you would get is the size of an Escort and all have air conditioning. This is how the staff make their money on commission. Just say no and laugh at the other tourists falling for the crap sales techniques because they’re tired from the flight. And in the words of Michael Caine from The Italian Job, “don’t forget, they drive on the wrong side of the road”! WHERE TO STAY The Radisson Bay Harbor Inn is where Phil, Kev and I stayed but it’s not the cheapest around. It’s worth booking your first night somewhere decent before you travel as the last thing you want to do when you arrive, is drive around looking for somewhere to stay, but there are some far cheaper places around if you are prepared to look. But you do get what you pay for. I personally always stay in Fort Myers, about 80 miles south of Tampa, on Estero Island actually. What a fantastic place it is. Not too many tourists, and NO theme parks, just empty white sandy beaches, good food, lots of fishing or golf and an easy drive into the city for gameday. Check out www.fortmyers.com for accommodation. You can fly into Fort Myers International via Atlanta, or pick up a car in Orlando, Miami or Tampa, but the driving is an absolute pleasure, especially through 'Alligator Alley' to Miami. But if you want wild women and song, it's not for you. Bob Bowdler A good place to stay in Tampa is the Days Inn in Dale Mabry. It is a good price and a short walk to the stadium. It has two pools and several restaurants. The rooms are basic and it is always full on game days. 813-877-6181 or www.daysinn.com. Ian Taylor The Quality Inn Suites off 30th Street. This is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. the staff are really friendly and the facilities are superb. Its not that expensive its $100 a night but you can sleep four in a room Two double beds though. Breakfast is included which is an excellent buffet and the best thing of all its free beer from 4-6pm! I stayed there a few years ago but I doubt it has changed very much. I didn't buy one drink there in the week I was there as the barman was a Bucs fan. It's also only a mile from Busch Gardens. Paul Greenfield GAME TICKETS Tickets for Bucs' home games are available for Bucs UK members only through the club. Details appear elsewhere on this site. THE DAY OF THE GAME Get to the stadium some three hours before game time and walk around savouring the atmosphere. It’s why you’re in Tampa remember! Pick up a GameDay magazine as a magazine prize for the club, but don’t buy any of the merchandise on the small stalls outside – it’s all crap. Take your seat at least an hour before kick-off and watch all the warm-ups. Take a radio to listen to the commentary as well, just as everyone does for the cricket over here too. It just adds to the experience. Parking is fairly – official sites are around $10-$15 but if you’ve got there early enough, it’s easy to find a good spot. Just don’t expect to get away for an hour afterwards. Listen in to the post-game shows on the radio – some of the callers are hilarious, particularly the guy from the UK they usually call for a comment! BUC PLAYERS AND RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM One Buc Place, the Bucs’ training complex, is totally off-limits to visitors. Take pictures from the outside, and if you get there around 4-5pm on a weekday afternoon, you’ve got a good chance of bumping into players walking to the car park opposite. There is security there, but if you explain you’re from the UK and that you’re only staying a few minutes, they probably won’t mind and will hang around for a chat while you do. If you are asked to leave, please do so straight away. Go down to Raymond James Stadium on a weekday morning. It’s usually open and if you can find a friendly security guard, they will let you out onto the field to take pictures and walk on the hallowed turf. There are no kinds of official tours round the stadium however at any time of the year. THE SPORTS MEDIA Listen to WDAE820 The Sports Animal as your radio station of choice all the time you are there. As well as hearing all the latest Bucs news, they will let you know of any player appearances at local restaurants or malls and you can get down there to meet them. There are two newspapers worth reading while you are there. The Tampa Tribune for Bucs' news and USA Today is perfect for news from around the rest of the world. None are more than 50 cents either and are available from vending machines on most street corners. There is also the St.Petersburg Times but it's nowhere near as good as the Tribune! BUCCANEER MERCHANDISE Most malls have department stores such as Dillards, Macy’s or K-Mart, sell Bucs shirts and general merchandise. Shop around, as you might find one particular store has a sale on. All the sports shops stock Buc shirts, but if you want a lesser player than the likes of Johnson, Alstott, and Brooks, you might have to look around. For those people staying in Clearwater Beach, there is a shop on the corner of the main street that does tons of sports merchandise especially the Bucs that is worth a look. SPORTS BOOKS The best bookshop that Phil and I have been able to find is Borders in Tampa. It's a standard Borders store, but the sports section is seriously extensive and covers all four major professional sports in Tampa. The recent success of the Buccaneers has led to a pair of books about Jon Gruden and a recent arrival by Brad Johnson. We are always looking to update this part of BUCPOWER.COM with suggestions and information If you would like to contribute, please contact us at the e-mail address shown on the front screen