Sometime Life pays back- Ask the Green Bay Packers!

Before Raymond James Stadium was built, the team enjoyed the comforts of Tampa Stadium, winning several games their before their adoring fans, and even celebrating a few division championships there. I’m talking about the Green Bay Packers of course, as Tampa Stadium became known as Lambueu South. Over 20,000 fans would make the trek every season to Tampa, as a small season ticket base from years and years of losing allowed Green Bay faithful to purchase complete vacation packages around the annual Green Bay at Tampa Bay scheduled event. In 1997, over 30,000 wore their cheeseheads and celbrated the Packers 3rd straight division championship in style, much to the ire of then Bucs QB Trent Dilfer. “It’s really embarrassing, to be quite honest with you,” Bucs quarterback Trent Dilfer said. “I don’t know whose fault it is and I’m not going to cast the blame on anybody. But it’s embarrassing. They’re celebrating an NFC Central championship at our place, and it’s loud and obnoxious and it’s like they’re playing at home. And that’s a frustrating thing.” Dilfer and the rest of Tampa Bay fans would not have to suffer much longer; because life has a way of getting even! Life, has paid back Buccaneer fans ever since that fateful day in 1997, when the Bucs, on the road to making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years themselves, lost another close game to the Packers. The Bucs had lost 10 of the last 11 games against the Packers, the lone win was the fantastic upset at Tampa Stadium in 1995 on TNT. That was also 5 of the last 6 at Tampa Stadium too! So much for home field advantage! But when the Bucs changed around their whole image with the purchase of the Tampa Bay franchise by the Glazer family, a new stadium was part of the deal, and Raymond James Stadium was part of life’s big time payback for Bucs fans! Because Brett Favre and the Green Packers have had nothing but nightmares at the RayJay since its inception! Starting with a Monday Night telecast; the Bucs first such appearance on ABC’s national spotlight in over 15 seasons, the Bucs have owned the Packers, and the cheseheads have been nowhere to be found for a couple of reasons;

• 1) The Glazers instituted some new rules for single ticket purchases, only people with home addresses in Florida could purchase tickets.
• 2) With the succesful seat deposit campaign, the stadium was completely sold out! There were no tickets for Packer Backers to purchase!

While we have seen opposing fans back at Raymond James recently, once the season ticket numbers swell back up to where they are supposed to be, that will mark the short lived end of opposing fans in our stadium. How drastic has the change been? Since that last win at Tampa Stadium in 1997, the Packers have found Raymond James to be a house of horrors; The Bucs have only lost ONCE in the last 8 games played at Raymond James. Even the 2009 Bucs got in on the action; recording the first win for Raheem Morris as Bucs Head Coach. Sometimes Life really does allow us to get even! A little synopsis of Bucs/Packers duels over the years…

1993- Lost 14-37

1994 Lost 19-34

1995 WON 13-10

1996 Lost 3-34

1997 Lost 6-17

1998 WON 24-22

1999 WON 29-10

2000 WON 20-15

2001 WON 14-10

2002 WON 21-7

2003 Lost 13-20

2008 WON 30-21

2009 WON 38-28