The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed to Super Bowl LV in two weeks, where they’ll be the first team to ever play a Super Bowl at their home stadium.
It wasn’t a comfortable win, though; a great first half from Tom Brady concluded in what amounted to a Hail Mary touchdown, but Brady then threw interceptions on three consecutive drives in the second half to keep things close for Green Bay. One person riding every wave along with Tampa: Bucs superfan Dick Vitale, who live-tweeted the entire game from his living room, complete with awkward selfies and a prominent Pepto bottle.
A curated selection:
Oh baby my bride of 49 yrs knows I will be a nervous wreck during BUCS – Packers game. #awesomebaby https://t.co/BmFIAv9ISD
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Great drive baby @TomBrady to @MikeEvans13_ TD baby @Buccaneers 7- @packers 0
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Every time Rodgers & @packers get the ball I need some Pepto Bismol ! pic.twitter.com/5wnfAkCgcO
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Dick may have been shooting for meme status with the Pepto bottle, and he just might end up succeeding. It stuck around for the rest of the game, though for a while it looked like it wouldn’t be necessary:
FIELD GOAL / forget about it baby / @Tombrady GOAT delivers a magical throw for a TD baby 21-10 @Buccaneers over @Packers / lots odd football & RESPECT for @AaronRodgers12
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Are u serious Baby ? Wow 28 @Buccaneers @Packers 10 / oh baby move that clock move that clock ! 28 more minutes of @NFL football Lots of time left.
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
The @packers r so explosive @Buccaneers need to raise their game on D 28-17 Bucs !
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
At times, Vitale came close to haiku:
I can’t take it / my stomach is rumbling / Lorraine get me that Pepto Baby. pic.twitter.com/4WEPvPKDSx
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Uncle Mo is now on the side of @packers as they battle back from 18 down & now trail 28-23to @Buccaneers going to last 15 . AT STAKE SUPER BOWL IN TAMPA /Let’s go BUCS / raise your game NOW!
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
The @Buccaneers lead 31-23 with 4:42 left / what tension . R you serious ? I want that Super Bowl Baby for my Bucs ! Defense baby must rise ! pic.twitter.com/78JF7Hq2yi
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Dickie V put his analyst hat on and offered some critical words for Matt LaFleur’s decision to kick a field goal down eight with 2:05 remaining, too:
Wow shocked they kicked FF now 31-26 Bucs / I can’t believe they went FG . Up to @Buccaneers offense to keep the ball with 2 min left
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
If @packers lose no one to blame but themselves for kicking the FG rather than go for the TD / said it when it happened on twitter .
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
(Hard to argue with him on that one.)
And then, finally, it was over, with Tampa Bay heading home for the Super Bowl. Vitale, appropriately and predictably, lost his mind:
SUPER BOWL BABY ! @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/GTHcSfsaAU
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 24, 2021
Honestly, there’s something fairly pure about Vitale sitting in his living room going crazy over a Tampa Bay game. He’s 81, and while hopefully he takes all kinds of precautions if he does decide to go to the game itself in a few weeks, it’s hard not to appreciate his enthusiasm right now. (Unless we find out he has a sponsorship deal with Pepto-Bismol, but even then we’d probably forgive him.)
Enjoy the win, Dick.
