TAMPA - A diehard Bucs fan since the 1980s, Sheryl Hart didn't want to miss her team's first game since they became NFL champions in January.
But it wasn't going to be easy. Their preseason game Saturday in Tokyo against the New York Jets was televised live - at 5 a.m. Tampa Bay time.
Like the other 250 fans who packed the Press Box sports bar on N Dale Mabry Highway, Hart fended off the sandman long enough to enjoy the Bucs' 30-14 drubbing of the Jets.
"Oh God, I'm tired," said Hart, who was tucked in a blanket and had been awake the past 24 hours. "Once this game is over, I'm going straight to bed."
A popular sentiment among not just the fans, but the waiters and barkeeps, too.
"I'm exhausted," said server Tracy Fedorko, 29. "But I'm making really good tips, so I can stand it for another couple of hours."
The Bucs mean bucks for sports bars in the bay area.
Then again, kickoffs are usually at a more reasonable hour.
"We didn't know if anyone would come," said Andy Slater, manager of the Press Box. "It wasn't until Friday that everybody started calling us asking about the game. That's when we knew it was going to be crazy."
The Beef O'Brady's in St. Petersburg attracted 150 fans, which was as much the bar could hold, owner Aaron Carricato said.
"It was unbelievable," he said. "At 4:45 a.m., we had to turn people away."
Fans came in droves despite city ordinances that prohibited alcohol sales for most or all of the game.
In St. Petersburg, bars can't serve alcohol until 8 a.m.
In Tampa, spirits can flow an hour earlier.
For those who stayed in bed Saturday, here's what they missed at the Press Box:
5:05 a.m.: Kickoff.
5:10 a.m.: George Guito, 29, of South Tampa, stands in a corner of the bar with a buddy, sipping a Coke. "I'm impressed with the number of fans here. If I had known it was this many, I would have come earlier to get a good seat," he says.
5:21 a.m.: The Bucs intercept a pass, and the fans erupt. Mari Martinez, 41, claps alongside her brother Armando Reyes, 35, who is clutching a Chucky doll. "My endorphins are happy," Martinez proclaims.
5:50 a.m.: The Bucs settle for a field goal, pulling within a point of the Jets, who lead 7-6. "I came directly from work," says Lisa Casalino, 30, who works at the bar Coyote Ugly. "I feel good. I'm not tired at all."
6 a.m.: Bartenders Jennifer Braddock and Jay Rivera hustle to pour sodas, virgin Bloody Marys, water, orange juice and coffee. "Lots of coffee," Braddock says. "We've probably gone through 15 pots so far."
6:14 a.m.: The Bucs score a touchdown shortly before halftime, and the bar goes nuts. New Port Richey residents Emily Wagner, 18, and her brother Sean head for the exit. "I'm starting to hallucinate," Emily Wagner says. "Maybe that last touchdown happened, maybe it didn't. But I need to go home and get some sleep."
6:30 a.m.: The front two rows of tables chant: "We want beer!"
6:45 a.m.: Cooks Eric Goico and Paul Rideout estimate fans have consumed 30 dozen eggs, two whole hams, 40 pounds of bacon, 5 pounds of grits, 200 biscuits and two cases of home fries. Rideout gets ready to help behind the bar. "In 15 minutes, we start serving beer," Rideout says. "That's when my life becomes hell."
6:53 a.m.: Sunrise.
6:59 a.m.: Rivera pours his first pitcher of beer. "Now the fun begins," he says.
7:02 a.m.: The Bucs score again, now leading 20-7. The front two rows of tables chant: "Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay!"
7:08 a.m.: Beer is flowing. Rivera says he has poured 12 pitchers.
7:20 a.m.: Owner Walter Hill says he's convinced his bar will make money on the game. "I wasn't making any money off the buffet," Hill says. "But we're making up for that now by selling all these drinks. The best part about it is, a lot of these fans will come back tonight when they replay the game."
7:32 a.m.: Cigarette and coffee break for Fedorko. "I'm really regretting going out last night," she says. "That was really stupid."
7:45 a.m.: Game over. Bucs win 30-14. Within five minutes, the bar is empty. "I'm leaving," Hart says. "I'm glad I watched it. It's going to be a great season."
- Michael Van Sickler can be reached at 269-5312 or mvansickler@ sptimes.com.
