Heading into the offseason, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans probably had no idea that they would be in for one of the best free agency periods in the franchise's history. It all started when Tom Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the squad. Then, just this week, the team made a trade with the New England Patriots to acquire none other than Rob Gronkowski who has decided to come out of retirement.
Needless to say, fans are very excited about this, including Jane Castor who is the mayor of Tampa Bay. Today, she issued a letter on her Twitter account which is addressed to the two new faces of the franchise. As you can tell, Castor is over the moon about having this quarterback-tight end duo in her city.
"Thanks again for choosing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, in turn, our beloved city. This is a very exciting time and we look forward to welcoming you with (virtual) open arms. A proper Tampa welcome will have to wait for a while," Castor said in her letter.
Castor went on to address Gronk's partying ways and how she can't wait for him to experience the city's Gasparilla Pirate Invasion and Parade.
Clearly, Gronk and Brady are receiving a grand welcome and their chase for a Super Bowl will begin as of this Fall.
Tom Brady Reacts To His Recent Crime Spree
Tom Brady is already leaving his mark in Tampa Bay.
Tom Brady made a stunning revelation last month when he told the world that he would be leaving the New England Patriots after a 20-year relationship that saw him win six Super Bowls. Now, Brady is taking his talents to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who recently announced the acquisition of Rob Gronkowski.
Brady is enjoying his time in Tampa Bay so much, that he is already leaving his mark on the city in the form of a string of accidental crimes. It all started earlier this week when Brady was caught working out in an empty park that was closed due to the Coronavirus. His most recent crime was when he accidentally walked into someone else's home, thinking he was at his offensive coordinator's house.
As it turns out, Brady seems to have a sense of humor about it all, as he displayed in his most recent tweet.
You can't blame Brady too much for these events. I mean, after all, he's just excited about his new city and wants to explore everything Tampa Bay has to offer. Not to mention, it's easy to lose yourself when you're not familiar with any of your surroundings.
We're sure by May, Brady will have Tampa all figured out and his only crime will be missing a wide-open Gronkowski screen pass in a game against the Dolphins. Or something like that.
Tom Brady Accidentally Barges Into Wrong Home In Tampa Bay
Tom Brady has been having a tough time getting acclimated to Florida.
Oh, Florida, the home of alligators, weird crimes, and even weirder crimes. As it turns out, even their famous sports superstars aren’t exempt from the “Florida Man” antics. Yes, that’s right folks. Tom Brady, the latest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, can now put a successful breaking and entering attempt on his resume.
Of course, Brady didn’t actually mean to break into anyone’s home. It was simply an honest mistake. After all, Brady is getting up there in age. As the story goes, Brady meant to go to Buccaneer’s offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich’s home but accidentally barged through the next-door neighbor’s unlocked door.
The neighbor in question, David Kramer, spoke to TMZ about the situation and as he explains, Brady couldn’t have been more apologetic.
“I literally was just sitting here and I watch this tall guy just walk into my house,” Kramer said “He didn’t even look at me. He just like dropped his duffel bags down on the floor and just kind of like looked up at me and I’ll never forget the look on his face.
“He was like, ‘I am so sorry! I am so sorry! Grabs his bags and just is gone. I don’t think I’ve seen someone leave a house faster!”
Earlier this week, Brady was told by authorities to stop practicing in a Tampa park as he was disobeying the Coronavirus-imposed stay at home order. Needless to say, one month into his tenure with the Buccaneers and he’s already breaking the rules. A fine start indeed.
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Tom Brady Disobeys Social Distancing By Practicing At Florida Park
Tom Brady decided to find an empty park and work out although he just so happened to be disobeying the law.
Tom Brady hasn't even been in Tampa Bay for a month and he is already catching the eye of local authorities. Of course, it's not like Brady did anything exceptionally bad although perhaps you can say his recent actions were in poor judgment considering everything that has been going on in the world over the past few weeks.
As the story goes, Brady was working out all by himself in an empty park in Tampa Bay. Due to the Coronavirus, all of the parks are closed down which means there are authorities patrolling the area. An officer approached Brady without realizing it was him. It was once the officer got closer that he realized he was talking to one of the greatest football players ever. After being asked to leave the park, the City of Tampa Bay acknowledged the incident on social media
"Sorry @TomBrady! Our @tampaparksrec team can’t wait to welcome you and our entire community back with even bigger smiles -- until then, stay safe and stay home as much as you can to help flatten the curve," the city wrote.
Many were upset with the city's actions although it's important to remember that we are living through a pandemic and we can't be too cautious. Not to mention, Brady is living in Derek Jeter's old house and we can imagine there is plenty of room there for him to train. At this point, the park is just unnecessary.
Robert Kraft Takes Out Full-Page Ad Thanking "GOAT" Tom Brady
Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization took out a full-page ad thanking Tom Brady in the Tampa Bay Times.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has taken out a full-page ad in Sunday's edition of the Tampa Bay Times to thank Tom Brady for his time as the Patriots' quarterback, according to ESPN.
Jim Rogash / Getty Images
"For 20 amazing years, you gave us everything you had," the ad reads. "When you arrived as a sixth-round pick -- and the best selection this franchise has ever made -- no one imagined all you'd accomplish or how much you'd soon mean to an entire region."
Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL draft and went on to win six Super Bowl rings.
"Your passion for the game, competitiveness, and constant pursuit of excellence resulted in an unprecedented six Super Bowl victories, nine conference championships, and 17 division titles," the ad continues. "You’re now recognized as the greatest of all time for what you’ve accomplished on the field, but you’re an even better person."
Earlier this week, after months of rumors and hinting, Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He joins Tamps Bay as a 42-year-old quarterback entering his 21st season in the NFL. His statistics have yet to slow down, recording 24 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions in 2019.
"Take care of him. You got a great one," the message concludes.
Jameis Winston Says Goodbye To Buccaneers Fans On Social Media
Jameis Winston says his goodbyes to Tampa Bay fans after moving on from the Buccaneers in free agency.
With the arrival of Tom Brady, Jameis Winston's time as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has come to an end. The free-agent said goodbye to Floridian fans on social media, Saturday.
Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images
"It's been a great 5 seasons as a Buccaneer. All love and respect. I love Tampa and I look forward to seeing y'all again in February. #SBLV #2020Vision #Dreamforever," Winston wrote on Twitter.
While his former teammates have, arguably, the greatest quarterback in NFL history to look forward to, they've made it clear Winston's absence will be felt.
"Battling with Jameis the last two years has been some of the most fun I've had playing football," center Ryan Jensen told ESPN. "Not only did we become teammates but also good friends over the last two years. This business is always tough and just that -- a business. I'm excited to see where Jameis lands. With that, I'm excited to go to battle with Tom and excited to see what he will bring to the organization."
On March 20, Tom Brady signed his highly anticipated contract to join the Buccaneers and officially leave the New England Patriots, the team that he spent his entire career thus far playing for.
Winston has still not signed with another team.
Ricky Walker Throws Punch & Becomes First Player Ejected From XFL
Ricky Walker has made XFL history.
Tampa Bay Vipers' defensive tackle Ricky Walker was ejected from his first XFL game, which was against the New York Guardians.
During the second quarter with 2:38 seconds left in the half, down 0-14, Walker threw a punch at Guardians center Ian Silberman and was subsequently ejected. Check out a clip of the interaction in the tweet above.
The XFL began its first season since 2001, Saturday. The league is run by WWE owner Vince McMahon and originally acted similarly to the WWE with an emphasis on entertainment. This time around, however, the league will be run as a more efficient version of the NFL, with fewer penalties, fewer time stoppages and more. The XFL describes it as "evolving things just a bit. Less stall, more ball is how we describe it: a fast-paced game with fewer play stoppages. We’ve made timing changes, common-sense rules changes, and created five gameplay innovations that will raise the excitement level and minimize the downtime."
There will be a 10-week season with an additional 2-week playoff schedule. The XFL website describes the schedule saying "Our season lasts just 79 days and will be a non-stop sprint from the first kick to the last down."
Check out more information about the XFL here.
