TAMPA, Fla. — Two of the most iconic fans will be inside Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl LV on Sunday.
Keith Kunzig, aka "Big Nasty," and Janel Carbajo, aka "Puppet Lady," root for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs respectively.
Despite their obvious differences in team choice, Puppet Lady and Big Nasty have one big thing in common. Both were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this season. When they met, they became fast friends.
Which is why as soon as Puppet Lady knew she’d be in town, the two connected.
“We ended up reaching out to each other. She said, Hey, she's coming down to do a timeshare. I said, perfect. Hey, we'll get together for dinner. I knew it was gonna be a zoo this week. But we've been enjoying it. We've been having fun,” said Kunzig.
Unfortunately, that fun will come to a halt for one fan once the game ends on Sunday.
“Her dream already came true. It is over now. When you get to play in your own home, the first time in NFL history, the Bucs hosting the Super Bowl 55. It's gonna be epic baby. It's gonna be out of sight. It's gonna be total domination. And she's going home crying,” cheered Kunzig.
But Carbajo is convinced her Chiefs will pull out a back-to-back Super Bowl victory, “It's like a dream come true. It was a dream come true last year, but to have it, run and run it back. Come on. I can't get over it. It's awesome.”
And Kunzig is hoping for a win to share with all of Bucs Nation, and to share in spirit with his late brother.
“It isn't just my brother, ‘Little Nasty.’ There's a lot of buck fans that are feeling the angels coming down and they know who they are. Let them enjoy this, because this is what miracles are made of. And we're gonna get that miracle complete come Sunday,” Kunzig said.
But no matter what happens, these two will stay friends.
“That's what Hall of Fame Fans are. They’re class acts, they are brothers and sisters to the end. And I'll tell you what, that's why we represent our teams. And we represent Buc nation. She represents the Chief nation. And that's all we can say, Man, it's all about doing what's best in the community. And we love each other,” said Kunzig.
“We do,” Carbajo said in agreement.