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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shifted their football practice to South Florida this week, a process that began Tuesday as the team watched the expected path of Hurricane Ian. The goal was to get coaches and players to focus on football, which was largely achieved by bringing their families along, but one can’t help but wonder what could happen in the Bay Area and other parts of Florida’s west coast.
“First of all, our thoughts and hearts go out to everyone in Tampa, we hope they recover well and don’t get hit too hard,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “The big thing is, what we do is really a little bit of entertainment for people who are going through a lot of tough things, and we hope to provide that. It’s bigger than the football team. Number one. Number two, just making sure. The families of the players are safe and the families of the coaches are safe. And all the staff are safe so they can focus on football. So we brought a lot of them down here. Anyone who wants to come can come family-wise and otherwise. Including pets. First we make sure those people are safe because you can’t focus on football without taking care of your family.
Of course, moving an NFL team suddenly to another city, to a different meeting place and to a different practice area is not easy, so it involves a variety of trucks, buses and chartered planes. Additionally, any players or coaches who chose to do so were allowed to drive to Miami, which helped with family and pet shelters. It happened fast, but linebacker Devin White said it went smoothly.
“It was a good process,” he said. “I think the team helped make it easier for us as far as getting down and being ahead of schedule, knowing what the plans are going to be, getting things for our family and for the pets or whatever it is. I think it’s been a really good transition, I don’t think anyone is out of luck.
Running back Leonard Fournette faced the Hurricanes before coming to Florida, and in 2016 He has flashbacks to when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area in 2005. He also thinks the Bucs made the right decision in relocating, and they did it well.
“I went through Katrina as a child and I know how difficult and difficult it is,” Fournette said. “I think the Bucs did a great job getting everybody out, making sure all the families were safe. I just know how it is, and I thank God that we got out there and I’m praying for the families in Tampa.”
The Buccaneers plan to go to West Virginia for the week, but they’ve got the logistics of keeping the whole family safe and better in nearby South Florida, which isn’t expected to be on Ian’s route. Meetings will be held at the team hotel and practices are scheduled at the Miami Dolphins facility, with the Dolphins currently in Cincinnati ahead of Thursday night’s game. Bowles and his staff strive for as casual an environment as possible.
“Preparation-wise, we’re still getting ready,” Bowles said. We’ve got practice this afternoon and we’re just trying to see what happens, as usual. [with the game]. We still have to wait until then from the league or where we will play. Hopefully it’s still Tampa. It is now. We are preparing to do this and will try to conduct business as usual. It’s a little different but everyone’s family is fine so hopefully we can focus.
“When you’re not in your building at home, things are a little different as far as meeting places and gatherings, and you’re traveling on buses to practice and do those things. Adjusting that part is like going to boot camp. But your whole family is with you, so you do double duty. Go out and make sure everyone, especially the little kids, is taken care of. So it’s going to change a little bit, but what we do from practice and game-plan position, that’s the same, different meeting places.
The Bucs generally practice early in the morning on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but this week the field session starts at 3:15 on Wednesday. Schedules for the next two days are close to normal. Bowles called it a “very different” week, but the Bucs know they’ll have to get a good job somehow this week against a challenging opponent on Sunday night. The Buccaneers are playing the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium, the site of the historic game.
While the Buccaneers have succeeded in Bowles’ attempt to keep things ‘business as usual’, it’s clear that this has been an unusual week for everyone. It may not be the best way to prepare for a game, but Fournette has at least one silver lining in this situation.
“It’s great to see a lot of our team’s families around with their kids and stuff, because you only get to meet them and see them when you’re on the job alone. As a dad, it’s great to see them first, to see them come. And talking to their kids and stuff like that, outside of football, these It shows that people are great fathers.
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