Tampa's flag football team takes in the sights of Tokyo
By RICK STROUD
Published July 31, 2003
[Times photos: Toni L. Sandys]
Buccaneers flag football player Bryce Bonsack, left, and assistant coach Ben Zudell point out a KFC on their bus tour of Tokyo.
Flags4Kids Buccaneers flag football team members, from left, Alex Zudell, DJ Shields, Zachary Murphy and Brian Provencher exit the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.
TOKYO - Bryce Bonsack walked to the Sensoji Temple, dropped 100 yen into a wooden box, pulled out a bamboo stick and matched the corresponding number with the one printed on a drawer containing his fortune.
Bonsack, 14, hopes his future includes winning the Flag Football World Championship for his Tampa Bay team from Westchase.
The fourth annual event, played in conjunction with the American Bowl, is for ages 12-14 and features teams from 10 countries: Australia, Canada, South Korea, the Netherlands, Thailand, Austria, Japan, Mexico and Spain.
Representing the United States and known as the Buccaneers, the seven-member Tampa Bay team plays Austria early this morning.
Because there is no flag championship in the United States, the NFL granted Westchase an entry to coincide with the Bucs' appearance in the American Bowl on Saturday.
"It's a little intimidating," coach Ted Worsham said. "The league asked if we could field a team because they wanted one from Tampa Bay. ... How competitive can we be? I don't know. But they'll give everything they have.
"Now that we see the other teams ... we expected different sizes among the 10 teams. But the (Netherlands) crew looks like they shave three times a day."
On Wednesday, the teams spent the afternoon touring historic temples, palaces and business centers.
Although most of the city was destroyed by the Great Earthquake of 1923 and again by bombing in World WarII, it was rapidly restored both times.
Wednesday's tour of Tokyo was the first this week for the team representing the United States. They visit Tokyo Disney on Friday, and teams will put on an exhibition before Saturday's American Bowl.
On Tuesday night, tired from traveling, most U.S. players had trouble staying awake at dinner. Coaches got no response when they tried to wake them for a meeting and had to have security open doors to make sure they were sleeping soundly.
TURNING JAPANESE: Tokyo is a city of more than 12-million people, but there are scant traces of pollution of any kind, including noise.
The streets are immaculate and devoid of trash, the cabs are spotless and the people are polite.
With a country so crowded, space is at a premium. It makes New York seem like a sleepy, laid-back town.
People crowd the streets and subways, and everyone walks and works with a purpose. But Tokyo residents are almost eerily quiet.
