A Super Bowl championship won't come to Tampa this season, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can take pride in a different kind of title: A Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people doing sit-ups simultaneously at a single venue.
Three-hundred and nineteen fans set the mark Sunday in Lot 14 near Raymond James Stadium as part of the third annual Buccaneers Fitness Challenge presented by Florida Hospital. The display broke the previous record of 263, achieved on Oct. 19, 2013, in Japan.
"The Buccaneers have the best fans in the NFL, and Sunday's Fitness Challenge was a great demonstration of their passion for physical fitness and health," Buccaneers chief operating officer Brian Ford said in a statement. "To cap it off by setting a Guinness World Record is outstanding, and with the support from our partners at Florida Hospital, we've reset the bar for this unique event."
More than 200 competitors took part in the fitness challenge, which according to a team release "followed a callisthenic-based, elimination-style format to determine those who were ultimately crowned the team's fittest fans." Afterward, participants and onlookers attended the Bucs' 27-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, a result that dropped Tampa Bay to 1-8.
Yes, the Bucs waved bye-bye to the Lombardi Trophy long ago. But thanks to their fit fans, their season will include some reward.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
