TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – It’s the sound of success on game day in Tampa – iconic and unforgettable.
When you’re at Raymond James Stadium, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers score a touchdown, you know what time it is.
“Fire the cannons,” said lifelong fan, Jaykob Hafer. He told 8 On Your Side. “When the Bucs are playing in Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium, fire the cannons!”
The firing of the cannons is a tradition in Tampa.
After all, when the players are Buccaneers, and the stadium has a pirate ship, it’s only natural for fans to hear the victory cry of cannons.
“That’s why we have the pirate ship. For a pirate ship not to fire the cannons, it defeats the purpose of being a Buccaneer,” Hayfer added. “You’ve got to hear the cannons.”
Some say it’s not game day without that sound.
In fact, one lifelong Bucs fan coined a new word to describe it.
“It’s unbuc-like,” he said.
But, is it also “unbowl-like,” as in Super Bowl, as in here at home on home turf?
The NFL is currently tackling the topic and is planning to make a tough decision on whether firing the cannons shows favoritism on Super Bowl Sunday?
Raymond James Stadium, on that day, is considered neutral territory. So, would the sound of cannons somehow help the home team or do damage by distracting the Kansas City Chiefs?
Bucs fans feel fired up about the question and doubled down on the answer.
“It’s after the touchdown, so it’s not going to distract the players,” said Samantha Massucci.
“We’re home, I believe that firing the cannons is part of us playing football here. It’s Tampa Bay Buccaneer football. Fire the cannons,” Hayfer telling 8 On Your Side, “It’s our staple piece.”
The NFL was still in discussions late Monday, according to a Buccaneers spokesperson.
For Tampa Bay fans, there’s only one way to celebrate the sweet sounds of success during this upcoming historical game day at Raymond James Stadium.
They want to hear that bass. That roaring boom. That sound, they say, that feels like home.
It’s history, fans claim, to hear the cannons in the house that Bucs built. A home team playing on home turf for the first time in the Super Bowl.
Folks around here say, it’s a pirate’s life, so preserve history. Raise the flags.
Fire the cannons, fans say. “It’s our time,” one person told us. “It’s our sound. We earned the right to hear it.”
An official announcement is expected later this week.
