TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Thursday was a big night for sports in the Tampa Bay area.
The Tampa Bay Lightning faced the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Bolts lost to the Panthers by a final score of 5-3.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also acquired a first-round draft pick. They have seven total picks at No. 26 in the draft.
Graham Burton, a center from Duke University, was drafted by the Bucs in the first round.
Although the Volts were saddened by the loss, they said they were still proud of their team and would be rooting for them on Saturday.
There was an electric energy from the crowd before the Bolts game.
“We're back, baby, we're back!” The Tampa Bay Lightning are home, go Bolts! ” Amy Galasteguy said.
“We own Florida, we're ready to show we own Florida. We run it here in Tampa Bay!” a crowd of fans shouted.
Some fans said they had been rooting for the team for decades.
“I'm the number one fan and the loudest person every time I enter this arena,” Galasteguy said.
Fans were hoping that playing at home would help turn their luck around.
Another fan said, “We're at home now. We've lost twice in the first round, so we should be fine.”
“It's a great environment and a great community. Look around you! These are our people!” the group shouted.
At the same time, fans at Raymond James Stadium were preparing for the Bucks to acquire the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I think we're going to go after a defensive player, probably a defensive end or something like that,” Brandon Lee Wagner said before the team selected Barton. “It seems like a good pick. I'm confident that whoever is selected will be a good addition to the team if we make a good pick.”
“I think we were able to keep a lot of our key players, which is a good thing. If we build on that, I think we can do great things, like win the Super Bowl,” Arden Dittmar said.
The Bucks will have seven picks in the draft.
“I'm looking forward to it. It's a nice little preview before the season,” Wagner said.
“It's okay. It's one of those things where you have to take what you need and who's available. So I believe we can do well,” Dittmar said.
Both Bucks and Volts fans said rooting for their teams is a family tradition.
“I was rooting for the Lightning in diapers. I mean, it was a natural thing to do,” the fan said.
Some have passed it on to their grandchildren.
“It's amazing, all they have is hockey. They get jerseys for Christmas, and they know all the players' names, all the players' names, all the jersey numbers,” said a man watching the game. The person's grandmother said.
