Monday Morning Cheerleader: Tiffany of the Buccaneers
By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire
Tampa Bay fell — hard — to New Orleans on Sunday, but this pom-pom prodigy has strong opinions about her coach, the Cowboys, Saints fans, and all those blacked-out games across the league
Six weeks in the books of a topsy-turvy NFL season, and already we’re seeing a few trends: The Browns are terrible (again). No team is unstoppable. And no one beats the Cowboys… at excessively celebrating. Also, Tampa Bay is good against bad teams and bad against good ones. That notion gathered steam yesterday, as the Bucs trailed the Saints 17-0 at halftime on the way to a 31-6 loss that was never really close.
Still, at 3-2, Tampa’s already equaled last year’s win total, and there’s belief on the sidelines in the (rather eye-catching) form of Bucs cheerleader Tiffany, who, much like LeBron James, didn’t waste time getting to the pros. “I made the team when I was a senior in high school,” the full-time dance instructor and performer recalls. “My school’s football players would say stuff about the Bucs, and I’d be like, ‘You’re just jealous I made it to the NFL before you!'”
ESQUIRE: The Saints have been up and down this season. Were you concerned going in that they might suddenly wake up and remember they’re the reigning Super Bowl champs?
TIFFANY: I always have faith in our team. I think everyone goes into the first play saying, “We’ve got this, we can do this.” And at the beginning, it looked fine, but then it got rough. You can’t give up. We were dancing harder as the game went on. Some of the Saints fans said, “You’re better than our cheerleaders!” So I think we succeeded.
ESQ: What was the biggest issue for the team yesterday?
TIF: It just felt like every time I turned around, a yellow flag was in the air. There was so much fighting, I asked one of the other girls, “Are we at a UFC match right now?” Also, the Saints had 212 yards rushing, and we only had 42. Our team is so young. I’ve watched them grow tremendously. I’ve cheered when we were pretty bad, and it’s impressive how we’re rebuilding.
ESQ: What was the biggest bright spot?
TIF: Josh Freeman was on point. He had 25 completions and a TD. He’s a great QB. I can’t imagine handling all that pressure at just 22. And good for him for sticking up for himself after that Malcolm Jenkins cheap shot. If you have anger, let it out on the field, not somewhere else.
ESQ: Ronde Barber, who we just realized is still playing, set an NFL record by starting his 172nd straight game at cornerback. What’s his secret… aside from not getting hurt?
TIF: I really don’t think age matters. If I can continue cheering and dancing till I’m in a wheelchair, I’ll do that. When Ronde comes off the field, the crowd roars. Everyone loves him. Why stop because of your age? If you can still do what you love to do, do it.
ESQ: What’s the vibe in Tampa about younger-than-Ronde coach Raheem Morris?
TIF: I’ve gotten mixed emotions from fans, but I personally think he’s a fabulous coach. He’s got a lot on his plate coaching such a young team. He says how it is and gets to the point, but he doesn’t disrespect the players. He knows what he’s doing.
ESQ: And you’ve gotta be happy to not be, say, the 1-4 Cowboys right now, right?
TIF: I’m very happy we’re not the Cowboys. I feel like Cowboys fans are all bandwagoners anyway. True NFL fans are around for the good and the bad. I’ve always loved the Bucs, and that will never change.
ESQ: You mean like how there are a couple more Saints fans now than there were a year ago?
TIF: That “Who Dat?” chant kills me. They were screaming it pretty loud yesterday. That’s always how it is during the fourth quarter. Whoever’s losing, those fans leave, and the winning fans come up to the front and yell.
ESQ: The NFL has already seen nine local blackouts this year, including yesterday’s game. Any ideas for improving attendance?
TIF: Well, you can’t see the game anywhere else! People are actually doing bus rides to Gainesville to watch the game. Maybe we should do a pep rally and sell tickets. And they should give more airtime to the cheerleaders, to show fans what they’re missing. Sometimes the cheerleaders do better than the teams. It’s funny, a lot of girls TiVo the game to see if any of us get on the screen, and it’s like, “Oh, that’s my arm!”
ESQ: You cheered at Wembley in London last year. Was the crowd pretty into it, or were they confused by all the helmets and the mysteriously shaped ball?
TIF: You’d be surprised. It was considered one of our home games, and it really felt like home. Everyone had a Bucs flag, and that stadium fits like 90,000. Your jaw dropped when you walked on the field. It was one of the coolest games I’ve ever cheered. The fans may not have always known what was going on, but they loved the Bucs after that game. We rode around in a little Bucs van, and people would honk and cheer.
ESQ: We hear you’ve never seen snow, but you’ve obviously seen plenty of sand. If a guy were to surprise you with a vacation, what sort of destination would make you cheer?
TIF: I love the beaches, tropical islands, rocking a bathing suit. But it’s true, I’ve never seen snow. When the ice cream man comes, I always order a snow cone. I can’t wait to see the real thing. I just want to make a snowman and a snow angel. When I do, I want to go big, so maybe an Alaskan cruise. Look out the window and see nothing but snow — maybe a little polar bear — that would be great!
