Twas The Night Before Christmas: Buccaneers Edition
By James Yarcho
We take a moment this Christmas Eve – before all the madness of NFL football begins – to have a little fun with a Christmas classic and our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s right around the corner. Well, yes, the Buccaneers taking on the Saints, but I mean that holiday that so many of us love, fear, adore, and loathe simultaneously. Christmas.
Now, I realize some of you don’t observe Christmas. For those that don’t, I wish you all a joyous holiday – whichever you may celebrate – and a happy, healthy new year. I hope you enjoy this little parody nonetheless.
With that, I present to you, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Buccaneers Edition.
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Buccaneers Edition
(With apologies to Clement C. Moore)
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all ’round the Bay,
Not a creature was stirring, the lights dimmed at Ray Jay.
The Stockings were hung on the goalpost with care,
With hopes that a playoff berth soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of touchdown drives danced in their heads.
And Mom in her kerchief, I in my Bucs cap,
Had just settled down for a brief halftime nap.
When out on the field there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of a new-fallen snow,
Gave luster of midday to the end zone below.
When what to my wandering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than blitzers his courses they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name.
“Now Lee Roy! Now Tony! Now Brooks and McKay!
On Jameis! On Warren! On Lynch and Ronde!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now blitz away! Bomb away! Dash away all!”
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The blocking and stunting of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney he came, both feet in bounds.
He was dressed all in pewter, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with grass stain and soot.
A bundle of footballs he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, then turned and looked back,
He grinned then he paused while restocking his sack.
“I still have the note you sent to the North Pole,
Asking to please bring a Bucs’ Super Bowl.”
“I will keep trying, I promise my best,
I assure you I won’t let your Christmas wish rest.
But for now let’s enjoy this, its been quite a while,”
Then he readied his sleigh, gave a nod and a smile.
Jameis barked signals, the reindeer took flight,
And they shot-off the rooftop in the morning moonlight.
But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
“Merry Christmas, Bucs fans! And to all, a good night!”
I hope you all enjoyed this fun little seasonal parody. And a very sincere thank you to my father, Al Yarcho, for helping me in putting this together.
I wish you all a wonderful, safe, joyous holiday.
Thank you.
-James