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Parade of champions Droves of fans flock to congratulate Super Bowl winnersPosted: Tuesday January 28, 2003 8:15 PMUpdated: Wednesday January 29, 2003 1:38 AM
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Warren Sapp blew kisses to the crowd, and head coach Jon Gruden received the key to the city as an estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of downtown Tampa on Tuesday to celebrate the Buccaneers' Super Bowl victory. Fans clad in the team's red and pewter colors waved banners and chanted "Defense!" and "Tampa Bay!" as the Buccaneers rode in convertibles and pickup tricks in a parade in their honor. "This is about you Tampa, I love you," running back Mike Alstott told the crowd. Tampa Mayor Dick Greco, flanked by mayors from Clearwater and St. Petersburg, presented Gruden the key to the city and said Tampa owed him "a million thanks." "There's a storm warning out there," Gruden said. "We've got a heck of a football team, and we're just getting started."
Tampa Bay won its first Super Bowl title Sunday, beating the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in San Diego. "I was raised in San Diego, but my hometown is Tampa," safety John Lynch said. "I've been here 10 years and I've waited a long time to do this, so help me out -- We're No. 1! We're No. 1!" Sapp added: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Some of the loudest cheers were for defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who received permission to speak to the San Francisco 49ers about their vacant head coaching job. Kiffin is the man responsible for building the Bucs into the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense, which dominated the Raiders. Fans chanted "Stay, Monte, stay!" as the 62-year-old Kiffin made his way to the front of the dais. He made no mention of plans for the future. "You're the greatest fans in the world," Kiffin said. "We love ya. Let's come back." Long-suffering Bucs supporters waited 27 years for a championship. The frustration turned into elation Monday as they rushed to stores across the region to buy anything commemorating the Super Bowl triumph. Many of the fans along the parade route were clothes emblazoned with the Super Bowl XXXVII logo. Alstott, a cigar clenched in his teeth, stopped for a moment as he walked the parade route slapping hands with happy fans. "Look at this," he said, gesturing up to people who waved from the top of a downtown parking garage. "It's better than anything ever. It's for the fans. Look at all this!" "Unbelievable," said receiver Joe Jurevicius, as he worked the other side of the street. "I'll never forget this as long as I live." Many schools closed early for the celebration. Fans screamed, waved signs and chanted as the coaches and players came into sight. Near the front, Gruden waved the Vince Lombardi Trophy high over his head. Riding alongside Gruden in the same convertible, Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer wondered if anyone was working in the region Tuesday afternoon. "Everyone's here at the parade," Glazer said. Fred Sanders, a longtime Bucs fan originally from Pahokee, flew down from Edison, N.J., just to witness the celebration. "It's been a long time coming," he said. "All my friends in New York can't ever tell me again that the Bucs never won a Super Bowl." Tania Stablein had dressed her tiny black poodle in a No. 99 Sapp jersey. "This is probably the best thing to happen to Tampa," she said. "Maybe now this will put us on the map as a real city." On Monday night, a crowd of about 65,000 filled chilly Raymond James Stadium with camera flashes and deafening noise as the Bucs arrived home from San Diego.
"It's our time," Duane Jones, 44, of Tampa, a 20-year fan of
the Bucs, said. "It's our season, and go champs!"
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Mike Alstott thanks the Tampa Bay fans and suggests a repeat victory next season. 
