TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa mayor and dedicated sports fan Jane Castor seems willing to do just about anything to secure a Super Bowl title in her city, jokingly telling ESPN she’ll even rename it to Tom Brady if he and the Buccaneers to win. Sunday.
“I told him we won’t be talking about changing the name of our town until he takes home that Lombardi trophy. So Tom and I will have that discussion in due course,” said Castor. “Yes, we will talk about that, we will change ‘Tampa’, as we become a title city, to ‘Tompa Bay’. We will have those discussions.”
Brady’s welcome to Tampa began when he was unceremoniously booted from a public park in April on stay-at-home orders. That prompted Castor to write Brady an open letter with a light-hearted apology for the misunderstanding, telling him, “Tom, it’s Tampa Bay. Not Tampa Brady. You win a Super Bowl and we discuss Tampa Brady. ”
Aside from the ‘renaming’ of the city, Castor did promise ways the city would honor Brady, saying, ‘We have a Tom Brady day without a doubt’.
Castor is also open to the idea of Buccaneers in linebacker Devin White – arguably their best performer in the post season – riding his horse Dream at Raymond James Stadium, which he is eager to do. He called riding his horse Daisy Mae around LSU’s Tiger Stadium “the best day of my life.”
“That’s definitely an option,” said Castor. “But it’s only going to happen one way, and that’s if I can ride a horse with Devin White. We can certainly do that. … I grew up with horses, so he and I can ride as well as lift that Lombardi. trophy on horseback together. “
The Tampa Sports Authority, which operates Raymond James Stadium, and the Buccaneers told ESPN they would be discussing internally the possibility of renting out a horse at the stadium. But even if it doesn’t, Castor, the former Tampa police chief, said she’d love to ride with White around town.
‘Are u kidding me? We’ll have a mounted patrol parade, ”said Castor. “I was just at the [Tampa] Convention center with our mounted patrol unit. Hell yes. I went horseback riding for the last time on Sunday, so I know the way with a horse. And I’ll find my way around that Lombard trophy! “
As for setting up the Super Bowl, Castor is pleased with the area’s compliance with its executive order for the wearing of masks in certain outdoor areas, including the nearly three-mile Riverwalk along the downtown Tampa waterfront. The existing Tampa mandates did not require outdoor masks.
“Those areas were defined by the idea that there would be large crowds who would not be able to distance themselves socially,” said Castor. “And so far we’ve seen great adherence to it.”
She also echoed what Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday when he told people to avoid Super Bowl parties and “just keep calm and cool it down.”
“We also join that mantra. We would like everyone to stay home and enjoy the Super Bowl excitement and the Buccaneers’ victory in the safety of your own home,” said Castor. “But we also realize that people are going to be very excited and that a lot of people are going to come out. That’s why we encourage wearing masks inside and out when you can’t keep a social distance.
“We want everyone to have a safe and healthy Super Bowl experience. Everyone who comes to visit the city, we want them to arrive healthy, we want them to leave healthy. The only people who will be disappointed are the KC fans. “