Bucs host playoff drive-thru pep rally
Buccaneers’ fans lined up overnight to get free Bucs swag and get pumped up for Monday night’s playoff game during a drive-thru pep rally at Raymond James Stadium. Kellie Cowan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. – Wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of Bucs fans who lined up overnight to get their hands on team swag ahead of Monday night’s playoff game.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted a giveaway and drive-thru pep rally at Raymond James Stadium on Friday morning.
Gates opened at 5:30 a.m., but faithful fans lined up hours earlier to raise the flags for the back-to-back NFC champions.
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The drive-thru pep rally got Bucs fans into the playoff season spirit.
The pre-game party included Bucs swag giveaways, live entertainment, and appearances from the Bucs Cheerleaders and Captain Fear.
The party went until 10 a.m.
Excitement for Monday’s game has spread far beyond Tampa Bay.
Jens Ellermann made the trip all the way from Germany and waited in line for free swag Friday.
“I love the Bucs so much that I have to come to this playoff game, especially because it’s the Eagles game,” Ellermann told FOX 13.
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It’s not just out-of-town Bucs fans coming to Tampa for the game: Fans of that other team are coming, too.
“A lot of calls we’re getting from Eagle fans. As the fans know — they were here earlier this year — so some know the route. We’re also finding that the weather being what it is in the Northeast is also having an impact,” Bob Morrison, executive director of the Hillsborough County Hotel & Motel Association, said.
Members of the Hillsborough County Hotel & Motel Association collect roughly 92% of the county’s room revenue, according to Morrison.
The Bucs gave away free swag on Friday morning.
“We’re anticipating that someone’s coming down, they’re probably going to say, well, you know, it’s cold. It’s snowing. Florida, it looks like it might be a nice place to be. It’s MLK Jr. weekend as well,” Morrison said.
The fact that the playoff game is Monday night at primetime is encouraging even more extended stays, Morrison adds.
“Now it means that you can’t fly in for the weekend and fly out on Sunday night to get back to work,” Morrison said.
Last year, the Bucs hosted a playoff game against the Cowboys on January 16, 2023. According to Visit Tampa Bay, there was a 39% increase in Hillsborough County hotel occupancy on January 16, 2023 compared to the same day in 2022. This increase would include NFL fans attending the 2023 playoff game.