Central Floridians yearning for a football fix now have an option at Disney's Wide World of Sports, site of training camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Generally, there will be a morning practice and an afternoon session daily through mid-August.
Bonus: It's free. Even the parking.
To be honest, this is for the die-hard and hardy fans. As you may have noticed, it's hot outside. There's some shade to be had on the two fields, located just beyond the complex's gymnasium known as the Milk House. There's also bleachers and some chair-back seats.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the experience Friday, which was mainly passing routes. You are close enough to hear the hut-huts of quarterbacks (Jason Jeff Garcia, gruff and gravely). And when action run towards the sidelines, there's a bit of a rush.
There were hundreds of fans milling about. Mostly quiet but applauding impressive catches or letting out AWWWWS after near-catches. There are guys mouthing off about games 10 years ago and about the future ("I say we're making a playoff run this year," said one to no one in particular. "But I say that every year.").
A few tips and pix after the jump.