Brian Ford, the chief operating officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made a visit to the Pasco County Commission meeting on May 4, to thank the board for honoring the organization for being Super Bowl champions.
Commissioner Mike Moore read a resolution, which the board had approved at its April 20, meeting.
In part, the resolutions says: “During the 2020 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set franchise records for number of wins on the road, number of consecutive wins, points scored and touchdowns, and whereas the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were led by Coach Bruce Arians and record-setting performances” by quarterback Tom Brady and several other players.
The resolution also notes that “on Feb. 7, 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team to play in and win the Super Bowl, in their home stadium at Raymond James Stadium.”
The team defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, to become champions of Super Bowl 55.
In his response, Ford said, “The support that we have received during a very unprecedented season is just remarkable.
“I’ve told people across the country that we have the best fan base in all of sports.”
He noted that during the pandemic, the team was united, along with Coach Bruce Arians, and the Glazer family’s No. 1 priority was “the safety of our team, the players, the coaches and the public.”
“But at the end of the day, to be able to win a championship, like we did, in our hometown — the only thing that we missed was having the opportunity to have all of our fans there.”
Ford expressed the organization’s appreciation for the board’s recognition through the resolution, and also for its efforts to keep things open during the pandemic.
He concluded by saying: “We’ve all learned something from the past year and I think we can build on that,” and he reiterated that the “fan support” in the Tampa Bay community is second to none.
Published May 12, 2021
