TAMPA, FL – SEPTEMBER 14: The pirate ship of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates a score with canon fire against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on September 14, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Bucs finally got a chance to open their 2017 NFL season on Sunday after having their Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins postponed due to Hurricane Irma. When fans returned to Raymond James Stadium to watch their Bucs pick up a win against the Chicago Bears, there was something different about the gameday experience. The cannons that are used to celebrate touchdowns was out of action on Sunday, but it will be heard again this season.

According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times says the electrical system used to manage the stadium’s cannons was damaged by the recent storm moving its way through the city. Fortunately, repairs can be made and the Bucs say the cannons will be back in working condition in time for the next home game. The Bucs host the New York Giants on October 1.

This will put to rest any thought the Bucs were responding to concerns raised by Washington’s Josh Norman. The NFL is taking a more relaxed approach to player celebrations, but there are still restrictions. Norman had asked why his “bow-and-arrow” celebration (which has been used by multiple players in multiple sports) was being outlawed by the league but the Bucs could still fire off a canon. Norman, for some reason, suggested the Bucs’ cannons were a “hostile act” and believed the NFL should include such a celebration in with the league’s prohibited celebration antics. In other words, Norman was really reaching to make sense of the NFL’s stance on celebrations because he wants to pull an imaginary arrow out of an imaginary quiver and pretend to shoot it into the air.

But that’s another story entirely. The focus here is on the signature canon that adds a unique feature to a gameday atmosphere in Tampa.

FOX is also using that October 1 matchup between the Bucs and Giants to pair up brothers Tiki and Ronde Barber for the broadcast. Ronde Barber previously played for the Bucs and Tiki was a running back for the Giants.

[TampaBay.com]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.