San Diego readies for crowds

The city is not beset with Buccaneers fans yet, but locals are expecting them any day now.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 24, 2003

[Times photos: Steve Spears]

Melissa and Robert Shaw of Tampa (husband and wife) were heading to the NFL Experience on Thursday. Below, Melissa shows off her T-shirt.

SAN DIEGO -- Melissa Shaw proudly walked the streets of downtown Thursday afternoon wearing a T-shirt that left no doubt about where her loyalties lie.

It read: "Chucky's Gulf Coast Attack. There's a new game in town," complete with a pirate skull and crossbones and the slogan "Got Gruden?"

Shaw, along with husband Robert, his brother Bo Langford and their uncle, Tom Sehorne, were among a small number of Bucs fans taking in the sites Thursday afternoon in the Gaslamp section.

The Shaws have been in town since Tuesday, but so far Bucs fans are scarce on the streets. More are expected to arrive today.

"We rode the trolley from Old Town (the historic section of San Diego) to here and we didn't see one Bucs fan," said Robert Shaw, decked out in a Bucs jersey. "They're still in Tampa, but we think they will be coming (later Thursday) and today."

And the city is getting ready.

Dozens of police walked the streets Thursday, directing traffic and monitoring activities. Signs informing drivers that parking will be prohibited from 4 p.m. Thursday and throughout the weekend were being set out.

Many local shops have been transformed into NFL souvenir shops. The league is renting local businesses such as Divas on Fifth Avenue and San Diego Wigs to sell its officially licensed merchandise -- everything from leather jackets, T-shirts and mugs, to hats, pens and throw rugs.

Jerry Cohen

At one outdoor tent, about 20 fans stood in line waiting to buy souvenirs, but merchandisers said business hasn't been steady.

"It's starting to pick up, but it's a little slow right now," said Jerry Cohen, a proprietor of one souvenir venue.

The same could be said for ticket brokers, who could be found on nearly every other corner with signs reading, "I need tickets."

Bob Finnimore of Connecticut has been a broker for 25 years. Finnimore said he fears this Super Bowl is about to become a "disaster" for brokers because there is a glut of tickets on the market. He said some brokers were getting other brokers to bid for tickets on eBay to raise the prices.

Bob Finnemore

"Every NFL team gets 800 tickets and the players were holding on to them," Finnimore said. "But now they realize they need to sell. Think about the Cincinnati Bengals. Except for Takeo Spikes, the rest of those guys don't even know if they'll have jobs. They need to get rid of those tickets.

"This one (Super Bowl) has really shown me some greed," he said. "The highest I've seen so far is $3,500, but one guy even wanted $4,000. But the tickets are about to come down. If they go to $1,000, I'll be the happiest person in town."

The city is home to the Chargers, but it appears this week the residents have become Bucs fans.

"People here say the Raiders' fans are rude and they're all pulling for the Bucs," Melissa Shaw said.

"It's an Oakland state from what I understand, but the local people we've talked to seem to be solid Bucs," said Fred Keiber of Sebring. "There aren't many Bucs fans yet, but I think the charters are coming (Thursday) and today."

Sharon and Fred Keiber

Keiber and wife Sharon have been in town since Wednesday; they planned to attend the Super Bowl regardless of who was in it. But when the Bucs clinched the NFC championship on Sunday, the Keiber's invited their daughter and son to join them.

"Once the Bucs won, we said okay we're all coming," Sharon said as the two had lunch at Henry's Pub. "Our daughter is 22 and at her christening party she had a Bucs jersey. She still has that jersey."

And then there are the out-of-the-ordinary Bucs fans, like Spike Lundberg. The San Diego native sported a Bucs jersey in recognition of an old friend.

Spike Lundberg

"The main reason I'm going for the Bucs is that I went to high school with (Bucs running back) Mike Pittman," Lundberg said.