NE area of the stadium, looking right down the goal line. I had nobody on either side of me for 7-8 seats and probably 2-3 rows in front. MANY people bolted at halftime. By the 3rd quarter, it was QUITE chilly up there. The 4th quarter??? As a Rams fan, I started not only feeling the chill but also a SICK uneasy feeling. It took me back, VIVIDLY, to being at "The Choke At Doak" in Tallahassee, in 1994, when my Brother and I saw the Gators blow a 31 to 3 lead with only 12:40 left in the game. It ended 31 to 31. I was seeing it AGAIN?? Except THIS was for a Divisional Playoff round!! After the Bucs tied it, the remaining Bucs fans came to life big time. I was so cold by then, I did not want to pace and make the cold breeze feel worse. I had to put on my Gators jacket over my Rams jersey. I just stood there trembling and feeling quite queasy. I was witnessing ANOTHER Tom Brady moment that I was gonna have to hear about ALLLLLLLL week.
When the Rams got the ball, Stafford almost fumbles. All I could see from my vantage was that sudden bolt by a few defenders that you see when a ball is loose. I went from queasy to a aching knot. But we got a reprieve!!! Now?? I'm digging in my head....Maybe we can just get a 1st down or two before O.T. AAAAAANYTHING to slow down the Bucs avalanche. The Stafford hits Kupp on that out pattern. I felt a very slight ease of my gut. But we had a LONG way to go. Gay had already come short on a FG. I'm thinking we HAVE to get inside the 35 yard range to be sure.
AND THEEEEEEEEEEN..........I see Stafford drop back. But just as he's about to throw and get CREAMED by a blitz, my vision catches Kupp. S.....O.....B!!! HE'S GOT A STEP AND BREAKING OPEN!!!!!! THEN...I see the pass is indeed headed to Kupp. I have said it 100 times on here. I went from sick, freezing and to stiff to move to jumping up and down so high, my ankles hurt from the impact. All I could get out was something like this......."COOO KU KU. KAAAA KAA......OMG!! OMG!!....Kuppppppp ppppppp..!!!!!!!! Wha????? At the game, that play lasted a solid minute, it seemed. I remember TRYING to grasp what happened as I saw Stafford HAULING A$$ down field. That clock was fading FAAAAST!!!!!! The snap of the kick.....I see the Buc with a HUUUUUGE jump and I got sick again (Did not know at the time just how off sides he was. From my vantage, I could not see how close it was to the upright. I just watched the Refs signal....."GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!" I was still freezing but I had to yank off my jacket to show THE 1973-99 Road jersey!!! I stood up there for a solid 10 minutes and just took it all in. I had the biggest grin on my face and damn near teared up when I thought back to my Dad surprising the hell out of me with tickets to my first Rams game in person. The 1984 game where Dickerson went off and Rams won 34 to 33. Before that Playoff game, I even ate lunch at the SAME Burger King where Dad and I ate in 1984. I thought of 1984 , looked up and just yelled "YEEEESSS!!!!!" and then I headed out, grinning all the way. The drive home, up I-75 to Ocala and HWY 301 from Ocala to Jacksonville was late but AWESOME!!!!!! Listened to that great Chiefs / Bills game. What a night!!!!
