TAMPA (WFLA) – In front of a home crowd for the first time this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a thrilling game against the Los Angeles Chargers to improve their record to 3-1.
The team welcomed back some select season ticket holders with membership since at least 1998, so a crowd of fewer than 10,000 got to see Tom Brady lead the Bucs to the second-biggest comeback in team history after trailing 24-7 in the second quarter.
“Can you tell me the last time we were 3-1, leading the division, its unbelievable,” Keith Kunzig, better known as “Big Nasty,” News Channel 8’s Justin Schecker after the 38-31 win. “They spread everybody out, but you still had that intimate feel of game day and that’s what it’s about. You felt safe, they got a win.”
News Channel 8 broke the news to the two time Hall of Fame super fan that some fans would be able to take their seats two weeks earlier than expected after Gov. Ron DeSantis moved Florida into Phase 3 of reopening.
“After that first half, I got a little worried,” Big Nasty said. “But the GOAT (greatest of all-time) came through. Five touchdown passes, five touchdowns guys, five!”
That number of touchdowns was fitting for Mark Wright’s son who watched the game in his Brady jersey two days before his 5th birthday.
“Everybody was really respectful,” Wright said. “It was really nice. The fans were great, the staff was great and I commend the Bucs for letting people in the stadium. We felt safe the whole time.”
While many gameday traditions like sounding the cannons remain the same, several safety changes are noticeable inside the stadium.
Concession stands have gone cashless, fans must wear a face mask and up to six people can sit together in a pod in the socially distanced stadium.
The return of Bucs fans on a soggy Sunday afternoon came four days after about 16,000 Tampa Bay Lightning fans were allowed in for the Stanley Cup celebration.
Big Nasty said he can’t wait for the next home game against the Green Bay Packers in week six when the team plans to increase fan capacity to 25 percent.
“Bring on them Cheeseheads,” he said. “Melted cheddar baby, melted cheddar.”
The Buccaneers travel this week to Chicago for a Thursday night game against the Bears.
