Monday Morning Cheerleader: Cynthia of the Tampa Bay Bucs
By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire
We have to pat ourselves on the back. Somehow, we lined up a 13-week run of Monday Morning Cheerleader analysts from teams that still had some sort of playoff shot — teams that are also 10-3 in the game following our Q&A. Then we got to Week 14… and Tampa Bay. After logging three turnovers, eight punts, and 124 total yards in a 26-3 loss to the Jets on Sunday, the Pewter Pirates walked yet further down the plank to 1-12.
Hopeless? Not a word you’ll hear from cheerleader Cynthia. The tannest woman to ever come out of Rhode Island (her family later moved to Orlando), this recent University of South Florida grad is a cannonball of ambition, energy, and optimism. Hence her job as a contracting company’s project coordinator (“As a kid, I always dreamed of being a CEO”), considerable skills (“I use power tools, I paint like a champ, I’m a tournament bass fisherman, I love line dancing…”), and steadfast faith in the eventual success of her fellow Bucs rookies — coach Raheem Morris, GM Mark Dominik, and quarterback Josh Freeman. It’s that last trait we felt compelled to investigate.
ESQUIRE: What do you think was the biggest problem today?
CYNTHIA: Our players are young, working together, and growing as a unit. Our biggest focus is the future — building a team that goes to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. We have a great leadership staff, Raheem Morris is amazing, and we’re all working to grow and move forward.
ESQ: Okay. Last season, the Bucs were 9-3 before dropping their last four games, missing the playoffs, and dumping coach Jon Gruden, GM Bruce Allen, and quarterback Jeff Garcia — effectively hitting the reset button on a 9-7 team. Today, commentators were saying that perhaps there has been too much change.
CB: I always think change is good. The focus was to implement a new team and get it to where we want it to be. Mark Dominik knows a lot and Coach Morris does, too. Change is not a bad thing.
ESQ: The team’s only win, against the Packers in Week 9, came in those much-maligned Creamsicle uniforms. Do you think they should wear those more often?
CB: I absolutely had a blast in our throwback uniforms. We had a white top and orange skirt, huge ’70s-style poms, and big shoulder puffs. We felt fabulous, and the crowd loved it. It brought out all the true fans — they wore their colors and represented.
ESQ: Is it difficult to stay positive in a stadium where the booing sometimes kicks in before halftime?
CB: Honestly, the fans were screaming loud and cheering for the team, and they know what the whole plan is for the future. We’re excited. I’ve never heard booing. The stands are full of red shirts and people holding up signs and complimenting Josh Freeman. It’s tough to lose, but they know the wins will come.
ESQ: Think they’ll come next year? How much rope does Morris have?
CB: We’ve come very close in some games this year. We’re turning weaknesses into strengths and bringing back the Tampa 2 defense. Coach Morris has a great leadership mindset. I think the guys are listening to him. He’ll get us there.
ESQ: Which players have been the brightest spots this season?
CB: First and foremost, Freeman. He was our number-one draft pick, he’s young and fresh and open to learning. A lot of our players are young and learning and growing. No matter what happens, it’s a learning process.
ESQ: What’s been the most surprising thing about your rookie year?
CB: The atmosphere on the field. I went from dancing for sixty fans — my high school team wasn’t very good — to sixty thousand. Going to London, the photo shoots, the charity events, the amazing opportunities — it’s blown me away beyond all expectations.
ESQ: Has your family become Bucs fans?
CB: My family’s from Portugal, so they’re obsessed with the other football. I’ve played since I was little, and I love soccer, too. Ronaldo, he’s just something else. When he plays for Portugal, my parents go nuts. They watch every game. But now my family is nuts about the Bucs. They have Bucs posters and shirts and hats, and they go to every game and cheer for me and for the team.
ESQ: Where does defensive end Stylez G. White, who legally changed his name from Greg last year in honor of a character from Teen Wolf, fall on the Ochocinco scale of interesting name switches?
CB: Honestly, I think it’s crazy, but whatever floats your boat — whatever makes you love your name and enjoy it is fine with me.
ESQ: What would you say to fans thinking twice about renewing their season tickets?
CB: I would say that the Bucs are always fun and exciting and play hard. The same Bucs who have won championships are still on that field. We have ten draft picks coming this season, and everything is just going to build. We still want you to be there, to root us on and make noise when the defense is playing. That’s why the guys play football. They love the sport, and they’ll always be the Buccaneers.
