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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fans get up-close look Saturday at FanFest at Raymond James Stadium

 
Quarterback Josh Free­man signs autographs after practice recently.
Quarterback Josh Free­man signs autographs after practice recently.
Published Aug. 4, 2012

Training camp

Where: One Buc Place, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, just east of Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Admission: Free

Et cetera: All practices are weather permitting and subject to change. For updates, go to buccaneers.com.

Schedules

Public practices

Tonight: 6:30 to 9 *

Monday: 8:45 to 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday: 8:45 to 11:30 a.m.

* Intrasquad scrimmage at Raymond James Stadium; free parking, autograph sessions, $1 hot dogs and soft drinks, and fireworks. Gates open at 4.

Preseason games

Aug. 10: at Dolphins, 7:30, Ch. 10

Aug. 17: Titans, 7:30, Ch. 10 *

Aug. 24: Patriots, 7:30, Ch. 10 *

Aug. 29: at Redskins, 7:30, Ch. 10

* Subject to blackout

Bucs interact with fans today

Bucs coach Greg Schiano has made connecting with fans a priority. That interaction will be ramped up today during the team's FanFest and night practice at Raymond James Stadium.

Gates open at 4 p.m., and players will sign autographs until 6. Practice is from 6:30 to 9.

Schiano and GM Mark Dominik will conduct interviews from the field, and assistant coaches will use the stadium's video­boards to explain drills.

Admission and parking are free, and there will be discounted concessions as well as a fireworks display after practice. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Defensive players will be located mostly in the east concourse for autographs, with most of the offensive players seated in the west concourse. Some players will be in Clubs A-D and the pirate ship. Former Bucs players will be on hand, and the Super Bowl XXXVII trophy will be on display.

"I'm looking forward to (tonight); a lot of things," Schiano said. "No. 1, a chance to connect with our fans. We're going to be over there at 4 o'clock and sign autographs for a good two hours, which hopefully, everybody will get everything they want after that. Then the guys will go downstairs and get ready to go. In the meantime, we'll have some stuff going on. Then we'll have a practice, and it will be a legitimate practice.

"A lot like (Friday's), where we have a little bit of a scrimmage with our younger players where we let them get after it. But in between, I think one of the things our fans will enjoy is we have our coaches on the big board explaining what the drills are. 'We're in seven-on-seven now.' We'll have one offensive coach and one defensive coach kind of describe what we're trying to get accomplished. So I think it'll be a fun, interactive evening. I'm looking forward to it."

Rick Stroud, Times staff writer