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S.I. ROSENBAUMThere is a bit of grumbling, but most people at the Bucs game take the new security pat-down in stride.
TAMPA - Hips, belly, back.
Over and over, in the hot sun, the gloved hands of security personnel at Raymond James Stadium patted in the same pattern over the bodies of thousands of Buccaneers fans.
The fans, for their part, accepted the handling with good grace and only a little grumbling. Some muttered about civil rights; others questioned the effectiveness of the new procedure. Most just spread their arms and smiled.
Alyssa Katz, 38, of Tampa did a little shimmy as the security guard's hands prodded her.
"You've got to bring a little levity to the security issue," she said afterward.
Barbara Casey, spokeswoman for the Tampa Sports Authority, said the fans made the new security measure work by being prepared for the pat-down and showing up early at the stadium.
"The fans were great," she said. "But then, we knew they would be."
Everyone who entered the stadium got the pat-down: fans, members of the media, employees, even the players. Even Ralph Wilson, owner of the visiting Buffalo Bills, was patted down, Casey said.
Casey said Wilson didn't seem to mind.
Raymond James Stadium was the last of 32 NFL venues to accept the security measure, which the sports authority approved last week. The measure is meant to deter a terrorist attack at football games.
It's still unclear who will pay the $10,000 per game for the extra security personnel. The sports authority and the Buccaneers are each trying to stick the other with the bill.
On Sunday, patrons were patted down fully clothed and above the waist. While no arrests could be made if a fan were found to be carrying weapons or drugs, such items were subject to confiscation.
Casey said no property had been confiscated on Sunday.
"We didn't find anything we don't normally find," she said. That includes food and drink.
But she added that the pat-down wasn't meant to target people carrying small weapons or other contraband. "We're looking for somebody who has major explosives," she said.
As he waited in line, Emery Jewell, 79, of Tampa expressed doubts about the measure's effectiveness. "It's a ... joke," he said, pointing to the security guard. "See how he's doing it? If you have a gun, you're going to just put it in your pants."
Others were concerned about the sociological implications of the pat-down. "Ben Franklin says you lose your liberty one inch at a time," said John McMichen, 44, of Treasure Island. "We're conceding. What a wonderful thing for a terrorist to see, that we search one another to go to a football game now."
At least one person was surprised by the pat-down. "Oh, they're going to be touching me?" said Lori Harrison, 43, of Clearwater. "I'm not too keen on that. My body, that's my domain." She glowered at the pat-down line.
But for most, the pat-down was a nonissue.
Fans smiled and joked with the security workers, lifted their arms and removed their hats when told, and filed quickly through the security stations.
"I think it's a good thing," said Dan Spoone, 49, of Orlando. "We should be as secure as we can."
He added, "If they pat us down and we win, it's a good thing."
--S.I. Rosenbaum can be reached at srosenbaum@sptimes.com or by calling 813 661-2442.