Congratulating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for winning Super Bowl XXXVII.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

I think, what is a relatively somber time in Washington as we debate issues about national defense and having a strong and smart defense, that it is appropriate that we take time to honor another collection of heroes whom I am terribly proud to speak on behalf of today.

As a lifelong resident of Tampa, and now a representative of the Tampa Bay area, as all of us will be that speak today, along with some other Floridians, I take tremendous pride in offering this resolution, with others, not to celebrate just a victory, because that is not exactly what happened on Sunday. The Bucs did not just win, I think they won with class and they won with style. It is not just about winning, it is about how you win, and the Bucs won the right way.

As a resident of the community, I am so terribly proud of each of these individuals, the attention that has come to them and will continue to come to them, about the personal sacrifices they have made to play their hearts out on the field, the terrific contributions they are making to our community as leaders, particularly with young people, and all kinds of scholarships and charities that I do not have time to talk about today. It just makes me very proud and really speaks to why these people are leaders on the field and off the field.

The other important thing that has happened in my community, that my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam), alluded to, is the tremendous solidarity this team has brought. It has brought together people of all walks of life, an important lesson for Congress to learn, about how you can get people to overlook differences of all kinds that we can imagine to focus simply on the goal, and celebrating victory that has been many, many years in the coming.

I would like to share a few facts about the history of the team for those people that are just beginning to pay attention to this truly amazing story about the Bucs' victory. Since 1976, when the Bucs started as an expansion team, the Tampa Bay area has embraced this team and cherished and supported the team through some very tough times. In the first season, the Bucs went 0 and 26. The former coach, John McKay, was asked after one game what he thought of the team's execution, and his response was, he was all for execution.

There were bright spots in those earlier years as well. Hall of Fame defensive lineman and current University of South Florida athletic director Lee Roy Selmon and the 1980 NFC championship team were a stellar performance for the Bucs, although the Bucs lost that game barely.

When Rich McKay, a former high school classmate of mine, took over the general manager position, and Tony Dungy, who is just a wonderful person and terrific coach, hit the field, things began to turn around. The owner of the team, Malchom Glazer, began to invest the money in the team that needed to be invested from the beginning. As a result, in the 6 years after that, the Bucs made the playoffs 5 times. They reached the NFC championship game in 2000 and became league leaders in Pro Bowl appearances over that time and began to build this incredible, strong and smart defense.

John Gruden, who has been mentioned, is a story that speaks for himself. He is a wonderful coach. He showed true genius on the field. The defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffen, showed how to play defensive football in ways that will be a model for years to come.

The game is over now. No matter what happens next, the Bucs will always be remembered as the winners of Super Bowl XXXVII. Nothing can ever take that away from them. I want to congratulate not just the team and the coaches, but all the players and coaches that came before them and laid the foundation that we are celebrating today, as well as all the players and fans that have really sacrificed to support this team.

I want to finally close by urging my colleagues to support the resolution, and I want to especially urge the Members of Congress in the Oakland area to support this resolution. I know it was tough to lose to the Bucs, but, clearly, the Bucs demonstrated they were entitled to this.

A lot of people talk about the west coast and the Bay area as a very important part of the country. That has been true for a long time. The San Francisco, Oakland, Silicon Valley area is what we all think of nationally when we think of the Bay area in the west coast. But, guess what? The Bucs have helped us remember that part of the future of this country is another west coast, another bay area, and it is the Tampa Bay area. It is the west coast of Florida, as these terrific Members of Congress will speak to here today, all of whom are really overshadowed and humbled to be in the company of a wonderful group of players and competitors and citizens of Florida.

So, Mr. Speaker, I again would urge adoption of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 31) congratulating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for winning Super Bowl XXXVII.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great day in the State of Florida. The jubilation, the celebration is still going on in the streets of Tampa and in large cities and small towns all over the Sunshine State as we rejoice in the victory of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl XXXVII, a decisive win, the second highest number of points scored in any Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers brought forth a talented offense and a legendary defense with undoubtedly several future Hall of Famers.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if we did not begin by recognizing the man who brought us to the top of that mountain, the youngest coach to ever coach a winning team in the Super Bowl, Jon Gruden, who built on the foundation laid by Tony Dungy and brought spirit, hope and promise to that team by repeating the same mantra: pound the rock, pound the rock, keep pounding away at the opportunities, keep pounding away at the other team's offense, seize the moments and capitalize on the other team's mistakes and weaknesses.

Those outstanding players who were there to back him up, under the visionary leadership of the owners, the Glazer family, were able to capitalize on an opportunity to bring the Tampa Bay area their first Super Bowl championship.

Mr. Speaker, the community spirit that was there, the fans who have suffered through a number of seasons of poor performances, of missed opportunities, they were well rewarded last Sunday afternoon in San Diego. Those fans who have scrimped and saved to purchase season tickets, they have endured a series of coaches, a series of top-notch draft opportunities. They have endured heart-breaking losses in the final seconds, and frankly, embarrassing losses at the beginning of the game for seasons on end. Their determination, their patience paid off; and so this victory, while it is incredibly sweet for the team, it is very altogether fitting and proper for the owners, the real victory is for the fans who have done so much and given so much to keep that team spirit alive, and the Tampa Bay area is, therefore, rewarded with this Super Bowl championship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and senior member of the Florida delegation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Palm Beach, Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. BrownWaite).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).

(Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous amount of pride from the Florida delegation in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We certainly are grateful to Tampa's hometown Congressman, the gentleman from downtown Tampa, Florida (Mr. Davis), for introducing this resolution. He serves with a great deal of class, just as the Buccaneers were victorious with class, and the fans have celebrated with class.

This team gives back to the community, and the community is rightfully joyful in this celebration today. All of us are so proud of the work the Glazer family and Coach Gruden has done, and so I urge adoption of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I having no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Florida in consideration of this resolution, Mr. Speaker. Since the first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, football has become one of America's favorite pastimes. As a matter of fact, it is so popular and so etched in the minds and hearts of Americans, until many people stop whatever they are doing when it comes time for the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers' magical season began at the Magic Kingdom, as the bucks held training camp at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. It ended on Sunday with the Bucs defeating the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII for the franchise's first world championship.

Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden's, masterful coaching throughout the 2002 playoffs paid off in the Super Bowl as the Bucs always seemed to make the right call at the right time.

Facing the league's most potent offense in the first-ever Super Bowl match-up of the league's top-rated offense and defense, the Bucs surrendered just 269 yards, only 78 by the time Tampa Bay had built a 34-3 lead. The Bucs controlled the clock for over 37 of the 60 game minutes.

Joining the 1985 Bears as the only team in National Football League history to lead the National Football League in yards allowed, points allowed and interceptions in the same season, the Bucs racked up five interceptions and five sacks in stifling the Raiders' quarterback Rich Gannon.

The Buccaneers more than deserved the warm welcome when they returned home to a packed Raymond James Stadium on Monday night and victory parade through the town on Tuesday.

During the parade, thousands of fans lined the street and screamed their approval as the players drove by in convertibles and pickup trucks.

The Bucs were equally grateful. Manager Rich McKay said, ``We have heard a lot about the Eagles fans and we have heard a lot about the Raiders fans. We have heard a lot about all these fans, but I think we all know who the best fans in the United States of America are, and they are the Buccaneers fans.''

The Bucs and their fans were simply happy that the Bucs have become the world champs by a margin of 48 to 21, no less for the first time in the franchise's 27-year history.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis) honoring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis), my colleague and classmate, who is the originator of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am sure that people throughout all America join with our colleagues from Florida in paying tribute to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I join with them in their enthusiasm, and urge swift passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time, and of course I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis).

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Bucs and all who live in Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, and all the environs. As a fan of the Dolphins, and coming from southeast Florida, many of us obviously wished the Dolphins great success, the last team in Florida to win a Super Bowl until this outstanding victory of our west coast compatriots.

Governor Gray Davis will have to pay up the debt to our own Governor, Jeb Bush, so we are excited that we had two victories over this past weekend. But the thrill of competition and the teamwork that took place was evidenced in that outstanding, incredible, incredible victory.

I want to commend both gentlemen that serve us in Congress representing the west coast of Florida for their leadership on this resolution and for their taking time to honor the skills of the athlete. I think the gentleman from Tampa, Florida (Mr. Davis), spoke eloquently about the members of the team who give back to their community outside of their professional sports endeavors; that actually mentor the kids; that work in the educational environment; help in inner-city schools, and do things that display the kind of character we hope all professional athletes will emulate.

Oftentimes role models for young kids who are struggling to find a role model to look up to are those that make a lot of money and drive fancy cars. Many on the team take time out of their own lives and professional endeavors to help those children. So this is not only a victory for a team on the field, it is a victory for the kids off the field.

So as Tampa Bay will continue to celebrate this outstanding achievement of a phenomenal team, we in

southeast Florida are all proud Tampa Bay Buccaneers, too. Mr. Glazer is a resident of Palm Beach, so we kind of share the opportunity to have the owner of the team in our county, but we also have a chance now as all Floridians to articulate the kind of excitement we felt that night when the time ran out on the clock and we, in fact, had another Super Bowl championship to put in the case of history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my strong support for this resolution and salute the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for winning Super Bowl 37.

The Buccaneers have proven themselves through the years. From their humbling 0-26 start in 1976 and winless first season and a half, the Bucs have evolved into a force with which to be reckoned--the Champions of Super Bowl 37.

As a Bucs season ticket-holder and longtime resident of the Tampa Bay area, I am proud to have witnessed the years of change and hard work that culminated in Sunday's triumph over the Oakland Raiders.

Former Coach Tony Dungy deserves much of the credit for this victory. He changed the character of the team by instilling in them a focus on community, character, and leadership. His hard work, and that of many other coaches, players and team staff, created the solid foundation upon which today's Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers stand.

The youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl, Jon Gruden has built upon that foundation and continued the legacy of hard work and responsibility. I commend him for leading the Bucs to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance and victory. The Buccaneers paid a hefty price for Coach Gruden, but it was a price well worth paying, because football's ultimate treasure, the Lombardi Trophy, is where it belongs--in Tampa Bay.

Certainly, no congratulatory speech would be complete without honoring the players themselves. Coming into the game as the underdogs, the Buccaneers stayed the course and fought hard to secure their championship. An outstanding defensive effort prevented the Raiders from gaining momentum. Tampa's defense returned three of a Super Bowl record five interceptions for touchdowns, dashing any hopes Oakland may have had in winning the title of World Football Champions.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent part of the Tampa Bay area and to be here today to offer my congratulations to Coach Gruden and the players. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring the Buccaneers for their hard work and their well-deserved Super Bowl title.