I report this email as I received it. I’m leaving the fan’s name off because she asked me to, for fear of more harassment. I’ll comment at the end. It is slightly edited for length.

I AM A GREEN BAY Packers fan (I believe it is genetic when born in WI.) but live in the Tampa Bay area.  Just wanted to comment on events that happened to me and my Mom who I came down for the game Sunday.  We went to the game early and walked around the staduim and had a great time talking with some Buc fans and Packer fans.  Were treated great by the staff at the stadium, even security, then we took are seats.  Everything was fine until the Packers scored, then the first rude fan yelled at two young girls in Packer shirts and said “don’t even think about cheering or I will go ballistic on every Packer fan” and then turned to us and said that included us.

Couldn’t believe it so when the Packers had a good play I cheered and then a woman two rows behind yelled at me “sit down this is our stadium and you don’t have the right to cheer here.” I told her that we paid $200 for the seats and I would cheer if I wanted. It was okay for a bit but started again when we had a good play and they both were yelling and that is when I went to a police officer and said “this is crazy.” It wasn’t just our area because we saw and undercover cop pull a Bucs fan up to where a uniformed cop was because he was relentless with some p\Packer fans in front of him, crazy to me really.

That would be the end of the story and believe me I was shocked by how rude people fan be but I do have to point out that there were many fans around us that also were upset about the way we were treated.  Some even offering to take him out!!  I have to say that the nice fans made the second half much better and it got to the point where we were all acknowleging each other for good plays.  Don’t get me wrong I am sure there are some bad apples in WI but usually it is all fun at the game.

I can’t say right now that I will ever go to another game , especially a Bucs-Packers game. The sad thing is I really like the Bucs. I hope they have a great year but being born and raised in WI I still have to cheer for my team too.

MY RESPONSE: Fans like the ones our Packers friend referred to ruin it for everybody. Good grief, people, if you could only understand how juvenile that behavior is. Makes we wonder if you have a brain larger than a turnip, to be honest.

It’s a freakin’ football game! Raymond James Stadium is NOT your house. Fans of opposing teams are NOT the enemy. It’s embarrassing and cements the image of our ‘burg as redneck junction when something like this goes on. This is on the heels of complaints by Kansas fans about their treatment at a recent USF game. I don’t want to hear how obnoxious fans are from Philly, or Boston, or New York, or Green Bay. That doesn’t excuse a thing. It’s a damn game but people act like it’s war.

Pathetic.