by: Chris Elmore

To say we love the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be an understatement. From traveling around the country for games, going to the Hall of Fame every year for the festivities, attending the NFL Draft, Pro Bowls, then volunteering for the players charities and finally hosting Tampa Bay's only Hall of Fame tailgate, we go all in!

 As active members of the Tailgating Hall of Fame and Professional Football's Ultimate Fan Association, we are blessed to have great relationships with many wonderful fans from every team. It is more like a big family to us. When we go out of town for a game it's like a reunion. The difference in cultures around the league is always so much fun to experience and of course the food is our favorite!

 We are both season ticket holders, but like most die hard fans we have the dream of attending a game in every stadium in the league. Together we've been to seven stadiums so far, but many more individually. Every year we travel with our wives and groups of friends to away games to cheer on our squad. We even do an annual "guy's trip" to a new stadium every season. It has become a tradition for us and we have made so many great memories with some amazing fans! The warm welcome we receive in different cities always amazes us. Most of the time people are very nice and welcoming, the sportsmanship is admirable.

One of our favorite trips was to Minnesota. We were hosted by Sir Vi of the Viking World Order. He provided us with accommodations, transportation, tickets and a top notch tailgate. All of the VWO treated us better than we could ask for. The tailgate was so much fun, we actually didn't want to leave when it was time to go in!  The fans in Minnesota were pure class. Their new stadium is an awesome display of architecture. The atmosphere inside was electric. The noise was deafening, the beating of a massive drum, the sound of a Viking horn and chants of SKOL filled the building. It truly was a sight to see. I left feeling a bit jealous. We didn't win the game but we sure did make memories that far outweigh the pain of a loss.

In Green Bay, we got to sit front row behind the Bucs bench. Although the stadium is old, there is a certain nostalgia that comes when watching a game in Lambeau. It's not flashy like Minnesota but it is the home of football! We were fortunate enough to be hosted by The Owner, Mr. Steve Tate. He took us on a tour around the stadium and shared some of Lambeau's history with a group of us. The folks at the tailgate definitely knew how to throw one heck of a party and they treated us like one of their own.

Last year Matt and I were invited to Baltimore by Joe Carolin. He attended the WTB tailgate in Tampa when the Ravens were in town and decided that he wanted to show us how they do it in his city. Joe rolled out the red carpet for us. He put us up in a beautiful hotel in Fells Point, gave us two of his personal tickets sitting with him and treated us to an amazing tailgate with a spread of food that would blow your mind. Joe is an inspiration. This is the type of fellowship that unites people. His selflessness and generosity are admirable.

 Promoting the fellowship of fans and encouraging sportsmanship is part of the mission statement for the P.F.U.F.A. and a motto we live by. We pride ourselves on the fact that our tailgate in Tampa is a safe haven for fans from ANY team around the league. Our Krewe invites and hosts fans of the opposing team every week and sometimes even players families attend.

 Charity is also something we love and take very seriously. We volunteer every chance we get. We host events, make appearances at schools to encourage the youth, help feed families during the holidays, gather school supplies for the underprivileged children in our community and many more things to enrich lives and better our community. We also do what we call "Tailgating with a purpose". Every tailgate, our Krewe works tirelessly to raise money for a specific charity each week. Every dollar earned is donated.

 We are just a couple of passionate football fans who love to get a little crazy on Sundays! We look forward to meeting all of the wonderful people in football cities around the country. If you see these Tampa boys at your stadium, at your tailgate or just hanging around your city, come say hi and let's make some memories!