THE TAILGATERS AREN'T HAPPY

One of the most entertaining things about attending an NFL or college football game is the tailgating. Plenty of food, beverage, and friends, usually beginning several hours before kickoff.

However, this NFL season is leaving many tailgaters at Raymond James Stadium with a bad taste in their mouths. That is because all of the Buccaneers' home games are 1:00 PM starts...not really conducive to prep times for food and real camaderie.

One of the main criteria in forming the season's schedule is how successful (read: winning record) a particular team is. The Bucs went 4-11 last season, so the feeling is that since higher television ratings go to later games, and more people want to watch the "elite" teams of the league, those teams which did poorly would have their home games early in the day.

Today's Tampa Tribune looks at the pain some fans are feeling.