Buccaneers Super Bowl Victory Boat Parade Draws Massive Crowds in Tampa Bay

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took to the water on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the victory over [...]

By John Newby

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took to the water on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. The team held a boat parade and showed off the Lombardi Trophy. A massive crowd of fans flocked to the waterfront and packed together to take part in the festivities.

Videos surfaced on Wednesday that showed the boats going down the Hillsborough River, which is along the downtown waterfront. Tom Brady turned heads with his $2 million boat while Rob Gronkowski partied with girlfriend Camille Kostek, though the majority of Twitter users opted to make comments about the everyday people cheering for the Buccaneers. There were several expressing concern about COVID-19 and the parade spreading the virus.

"Wow - So great to see that they have cured Covid in Tampa Bay. Not a mask to be seen," one person commented after seeing the video of the massive crowds. Several others weighed in with similar statements while criticizing the state of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to ESPN, the city of Tampa required that all fans attending the parade had to wear masks at the event, but Twitter users expressed the opinion that many did not follow the rules.

Another person weighed in on the parade and said that they root for the team on a regular basis. However, the Twitter user expressed disappointment about the team holding the parade instead of delaying it until more people have received the vaccine. "Most players were not wearing masks & Bucs didn't work with the city to prohibit the large crowds from forming," they wrote.

The fans watched the parade in a variety of ways. Many stood on the sidewalk and on bridges while cheering as loud as possible. Others rode in boats alongside the parade, staying a minimum of 50 feet away from the members of the team. Though they still played catch with wide receiver Mike Evans and some of the other players.

Brady said during an interview at the parade that a lot of people weren't working today. Mayor Jane Castor responded and said that a lot of people took the day off to see the veteran quarterback and the team celebrate the massive win over the Chiefs. The event was unique for Brady considering that it was his first boat parade. He had ridden on a Ducky boat in New England, but it traveled on the pavement during the winter in Foxborough.

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