TAMPA, Fla. – The Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their victory on Wednesday with a boat parade amid persistent concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The parade started at around 1pm on the Hillsborough River near downtown Tampa. Thousands of fans decked out in Buccaneers gear lined the river on a sun-drenched day to cheer on stars like quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and many more.
After throwing two touchdown passes to Gronkowski in Super Bowl LV, Brady completed another pass on Wednesday, tossing the Lombardi trophy from his boat to another boat that had the tight end on board.
The team arrived by bus and boarded at least four boats.
Mayor Jane Castor reiterated that people attending the parade must wear masks outdoors and obey the rules of social distance.
It seemed that many adhered to the mask order, but many others did not. There were also dozens of people on private boats, kayaks, and other watercraft thronging the river to get a glimpse of the team. They were told to stay at least 15 meters from the boats with players.
After Tampa Bay’s victory 31-9 over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s title game, crowds gathered in the city’s entertainment districts. Many were seen maskless despite orders demanding them.
Brian Ford, the Buccaneers’ chief operating officer, said in a video announcement that fans must obey the rules as they celebrate the team’s victory.
“It’s essential that we do it the right way,” said Ford. “We want to do our part to ensure that this is done in a safe and responsible manner.”
Also Wednesday, the Republican government slammed Ron DeSantis at the news media when he suggested bias in coverage of the pandemic, particularly the Super Bowl in Tampa.
“You don’t really care if it’s a peaceful protest,” he said during a performance in the city of Venice, south of Tampa. ‘You don’t really care if you celebrate a Biden election. You only care if they’re people you don’t like. ‘
DeSantis attended the Super Bowl and was sometimes photographed without wearing a mask, despite the requirement to do so.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.