Kansas City fans flood Tampa airport with red and gold

TAMPA, Fla. - From wheels down to touchdown, the Super Bowl LV Host Committee is making sure everyone gets an enthusiastic welcome to Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay ambassadors lined up and cheered for every passenger arriving at the main terminal of Tampa International Airport.

"My goodness, thanks, what a greeting, all the people cheering, it’s pretty cool," said Jim Robertson from Kansas City. "You can’t see under a mask but I’m smiling all the time."

Kansas City fans decked out in red and gold flooded the airport Thursday. They may be crossing over enemy lines, but they definitely packed their team spirit.  Ready for a good game and a good time.

"We came to town because our daughter lives here, but we are gonna do all the festivities we can think of to take in and just enjoy the day, and hope for a win for the Chiefs, we feel pretty confident about it," said Bill Cielo from Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

Both Southwest and American Airlines added direct flights between Kansas City and TPA the days before and after the big game. Tampa native Brianna Mattox was on one of those planes, the lone Bucs fan.

"I sat between my boyfriend who’s a Chiefs fan and another woman who’s a Chiefs fan and I had Chiefs fans all around me, so it was rough," Mattox said.

Chiefs Kingdom has the tomahawk chop and the "Puppet Lady."

"Been a season ticket holder for 30-some-years, and I take my little puppets to the game and whoever we’re playing I have the opposing helmet," said Janel "The Puppet Lady" Carbajo.

This Kansas City superfan was one of three chosen nationwide last year for football’s highest honor. She was inducted into the Ford Hall of Fans at the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.

This year marks Carbajo’s second in a row cheering on her Chiefs from the stands at the Super Bowl.

"We had had tickets to come down here and stay to be in the atmosphere, but we didn’t know we were going to the game until Monday," she said. "We’re hoping to run it back and get another one!"

No matter who you are cheering for, official Super Bowl and NFL merchandise is for sale in the main terminal of TPA. As soon as the game ends Sunday, winning team swag will be unboxed and on shelves for folks heading back home or looking for a memento from the historic game.