NFL Draft: Parrot to Help Deliver Tampa Bay Bucs Picks

Sticking true to the team's pirate-themed name, a parrot will deliver some of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' NFL draft picks to the announcer this weekend.

The team announced Monday that Zsa Zsa, a parrot provided by the Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary, “will deliver Bucs’ third-day draft picks to an announcer on the pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium,” Tampa Bay Times writer Greg Auman tweeted.

The use of the parrot is an apparent attempt to help spike interest in the proceedings, which tend to become long and boring.

“You know you're from Florida when it's just not enough to announce your draft picks from a dang pirate ship built into your stadium,” said CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn. “Not nearly. You've got to go the extra mile and incorporate a parrot into the equation.”

Tampa bay isn’t the first team to go the extra mile to drum up interest, nor is it the first to use an animal.

Last year the Indianapolis Colts hired Rocky the orangutan to announce their picks during the final day of the draft, and it turned out that he did a pretty decent job.

Twitter users were amused by the NFL draft parrot.

Polly wants a draft pick. #Birdbrains

— Tweeter Formerly Known As Claireabell (@ClaireabellGatr) April 23, 2018

Not sure this is what fans meant by “Wanting more parody”

— Pipe (@pipejones88) April 23, 2018

Whose bird-brained idea was this?

— Joysonism (@Joysonism) April 23, 2018

So if the parrot doesn't deliver on a timely basis, the next team can swoop in with the pick? What if they give the parrot a cracker.. any NFL regs violated in feeding the parrot to sneak their pick in?

— 76ers Scribe NBA (@milroyigglesfan) April 23, 2018

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