Interactive Experience

Hello there soccer fans! Jerm with some important FIFA World Cup News for ya!

In less than one week, FIFA is sending a six-person inspection team to the U.S. to evaluate our World Cup Bid up close and personal. I don't have to remind you about how huge of an  opportunity to make our best possible impression, so we need to go all out to show them just how much we want to host the FIFA World Cup.

Right now, we have over 62,600 votes for Tampa Bay. We want to make a big impression before the FIFA Delegation arrives in the United States, and we need your support to make it happen.

With your help, we would like to reach 75,000 votes before FIFA arrives. If everyone texts as many times as they can, and visits the website (www.GoUSABid.com/TampaBay) to vote, we know we can make this a reality. All you have to do is:

1)Text "TampaBay" to 22442 as many times as you can. Every text counts as a vote, so keep voting! (Standard messaging rates apply)
2) Sign the online petition at www.GoUSABid.com/TampaBay
3) Forward this email to all of your contacts.

And don't forget to forward this message along to everyone you know, as we need the all community support! With FIFA coming in less than one week, now is the most important moment to take action and show them what we're made of.

That's it for now, but be sure to check back for FIFA World Cup News from your Tampa Bay team!

Also, be sure to check out our latest World Cup Tampa Bay video...

Hello there everybody! Jerm back here again with a super sized update of epic monumental proportions! Wow, I guess you can tell by my gratuitous use of big words that I am really excited about this post! Well enough of me rambling, lets get to the point.

You may have heard a thing or two about this tiny little event (insert sarcasm here) we are trying to bring to Tampa called the FIFA World Cup! This has been an ongoing effort over the last few months! Its been a long road with plenty of milestones as we await the announcement from FIFA as to the host country on December 2nd.

We have had tons of fun promoting this great event with social media giveaways, text campaigns, websites, and anything else we could think of. This time though we outdid ourselves and put together a great promo video to demonstrate how ready Tampa is to host this great event, and more importantly how much passion there is for soccer in the Tampa Bay area. 

Special recognition goes out to Tampa Bay & Company's own Travis Claytor for being the lead on this project, as well as the amazing group of curatives at Tampa Digital Studios!

Take a look at the video below and let us know your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or on this blog! In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned in for updates on our FIFA World Cup Bid, and other updates on things to do in Tampa Bay!

Hello everyone! I know you guys are as excited about the upcoming football season as I am here, and apparently so are our friends over at the InterContinental Tampa!

Football fans are in a frenzy over InterContinental Tampa’s “Touchdown in Tampa” package. Starting at just $144*, fans can get in on the action with one-night accommodations just minutes from Raymond James Stadium. 

To sweeten the deal up a bit more, a Shula’s Steak House mug will also be included that can be taken down to the lobby’s “No Name Lounge” for one free domestic beer during the stay.

The package also includes a game-ready “snack pack,” including a take-home cooler, soda, water, chips, popcorn, pretzels and M&M’s, sunscreen and a disposable camera to capture the memories. Now folk's this is a deal if I have ever seen one!

To view a complete Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule, please visit www.buccaneers.com. For the University of South Florida Bulls football schedule, please visit www.gousfbulls.com.

“Touchdown in Tampa” is available weekends-only (Thur.-Sun.) from Aug.20-Dec.30, 2010.  Stay tuned for more Tampa Bay hotel updates and things to do in Tampa Bay!

Hello all! Jerm here with a reminder about this weekend at the Straz Center for Performing Arts where they are will have a plethora of shows going on!

Some of you were lucky enough to have won tickets to see The Sound of Music via Twitter yesterday, so congrats to Maria Mertens, Judy Conn and Lori Laquerre on winning tickets for opening night this Friday at 8pm at the Straz Center!

In addition to The Sound of Music, there is plenty going on this weekend at the Straz Center so I have taken the liberty of listing some of these for you guys! If you haven't been to see a show here, this weekend is a perfect time to get into the habit! Its a perfect example of the wide range of arts and culture in Tampa Bay is!

St. Peter Claver Catholic School Benefit - St. Peter Claver Catholic School Benefit concert features Gospel singing by various local artists and headliner Belinda Womack.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead - Good Grief! Teens struggling with sex, death and identity By Bert Royal Directed by David M. Jenkins

Respect: A Musical Journey of Women - From "Someone To Watch Over Me" to "I Will Survive," it's the journey of women, told through Top-40 music in the new musical production RESPECT: A Musical Journey of Women.

The Sound of Music - A heartwarming musical with a charming cast of characters, The Sound of Music will be one of your favorite things, too! Maria, a novitiate (“nun in training”), is sent from a nearby convent to act as governess to the seven children of widowed Austrian aristocrat, Captain von Trapp.

Demetri Martin - Called the “Voice of Generation Y,” Demetri Martin, is at the forefront of a new breed of young comics who get laughs with acerbic, relaxed observational humor. Voted one of the “25 Funniest People in America” by Entertainment Weekly, Martin left NYU Law School to pursue his career as a writer/comedian/artist/musician.

Einstein's Dreams - This adaptation by Ralf Remshardt and David Gardiner plays up the theatricality of dream imagery using a versatile ensemble with imagination to spare.

Jazz at the Straz Opening Night: Jazz Cellar Underground Orchestra and featured guests - Legendary local group returns from a 10-year hiatus to play Jazz Cellar favorites along with some smokin' new charts.

That's all I got for now folks, but be sure to check these shows out and get your tickets for these shows, or any upcoming shows! Until then, stay tuned in for more updates on Tampa Bay area events!

Hello there to all my lovers of arts and culture in Tampa Bay! Jerm here with yet another exciting event going on over at the David A Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, as the Sound of Music will be in town this weekend only!!

This heartwarming musical with a charming cast of characters,about the inspiring story of the Trapp Family Singers will be playing this weekend only at the Straz Center! Residents of Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas will have the chance to experience this magnificent show!

And yes of course, guess who is giving away two pairs of tickets! You guessed it, its Jerm! Same rules as always in our giveaways, but in case your memory is mush, check out the rules below.

Here is a refresher on the way the giveaway will work. Instead of re-tweeting, just answer the question(s) on Twitter. Once you do that you will be entered in to win, as we will randomly draw two names. For those of you playing on Twitter and who choose to re-tweet, it does indeed increase your chances of winning.

I draw 2 names from the first 10 correct answers, so make sure you get the correct answer to play! Around 6pm, I will announce the winners!

Let's hop right into it! All I need you to do is answer three questions:

1. The Sound of Music was the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein? True or False
   
2. The Real Von Trapp actually fled to this country, not Switzerland as the play depicts?
3. The Sound of Music opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, and closed on June 15, 1963 after how many performances?

That's all for now, but stay tuned later this afternoon as I announce the winner.

Stay tuned in for more updates on Tampa Bay area events from Jerm and the rest of the crew!

Hello there all, Jerm here and I think you guys know what time it is..., once again IT'S TRIVIA TIME!!! Just like yesterday, i am in the mod to giveaway some free tickets to  awesome Tampa Bay area events this week!

Once again today you will be playing for two tickets to Cats this Friday at the David A Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts!

Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory." And now residents of Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas will have the chance to experience this magnificent show!

Here is a refresher on the way the giveaway will work. Instead of re-tweeting, just answer the question(s) on Twitter. Once you do that you will be entered in to win, as we will randomly draw two names. For those of you playing on Twitter and who choose to re-tweet, it does indeed increase your chances of winning.

I draw names from the first 10 correct answers, so make sure you get the correct answer to play! Around 6pm, I will announce the winners!

Let's hop right into it! All I need you to do is answer three questions about the Cats. I promise I won't try and stump you today so don't worry:

1. Cats is the 2nd longest continuously running touring show in U.S. history? True or False
2. T.S. Eliot’s widow, Valerie, contributed the unpublished material about Grizabella that was the basis for Cats’ most famous song, “Memory”? True or False
3. “Memory” has been recorded by over 150 artists, from Barbra Streisand to Johnny Mathis to Liberace. Barry Manilow’s rendition was a Top 40 hit in the U.S. True or False

That's all for now, but stay tuned later this afternoon as I announce the winner.

Stay tuned in for more updates on arts and culture in Tampa Bay from Jerm and the rest of the crew!

Hello there all, Jerm here and I think you guys know what time it is... IT'S TRIVIA TIME!!! Yup you heard that right and I am in the mood to giveaway some free tickets to some awesome Tampa Bay area events this week!

What events you ask? Oh well let me tell you! If you haven't already heard, this Friday - Sunday, "Cats" will be playing at the David A Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts this weekend!

I can't think of a better way to introduce your loved ones to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory." And now residents of Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas will have the chance to experience this magnificent show!

Here is a refresher on the way the giveaway will work. Instead of re-tweeting, just answer the question(s) on Twitter. Once you do that you will be entered in to win, as we will randomly draw two names. For those of you playing on Twitter and who choose to re-tweet, it does indeed increase your chances of winning.

I draw names from the first 10 correct answers, so make sure you get the correct answer to play! Around 6pm, I will announce the winners!

Let's hop right into it! All I need you to do is answer three questions about the Cats. I promise I won't try and stump you today so don't worry:

1. Cats is the largest single generator of ___________ in Broadway History?
2. Cats has been translated into how many languages?
3. Since its opening, Cats has been presented in how many countries?

Okay guys, I think I am going to stump most of you with these questions, but I invite you to prove me wrong! That's all for now, but stay tuned later this afternoon as I announce the winner.

Stay tuned in for more updates on arts and culture in Tampa Bay from Jerm and the rest of the crew!

Hey guys, Jerm back here with my second update for the day about another event going on here next week and I am hoping I can get your help in promoting a FUN McDonald’s event this Monday, August 9...

This one I am especially geeked out about as its a Tweet-Up here at one of the local nearby McDonald's restaurants! Not just any Tweet-Up though.

The folks over at Mickey D's is hosting a “First Taste” Tweetup from 5 to 7 p.m. at our Dakota store location (right off of Kennedy Blvd), where our social-savvy local residents will have a chance to sample the NEW Angus Snack Wrap before its national debut on August 10. 

Please feel free to promote this one to your friends and family and get some free grub! For more details on the event, be sure to check out the TweetVite invite and mark your calendars! http://twvt.us/McDFirstTaste

That's it for now, but be sure to check back for more Tweet-Up related Tampa Bay area events and Tampa Bay dining updates! 

Hello there folks! Jerm here with a special announcement about Tampa Bay's FIFA World Cup Bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018/2022!

As you guys know we have been kicking some serious tail in the latest petition counters online for bringing the FIFA World Cup to the United States and Tampa for the years either in 2018 or 2022. Back when we started all of this a few months ago, the original goal was to get our awesome city up to 50,000 votes, and we are sooooooooooo close now!

We need your help to push us over the edge with 50,000 and we want to do it all today folks, so make sure you visit the www.GoUSABid.com/Tampa site and sign the petition by entering your email address and zip code, or if you are not in front of a computer, pull out your mobile phone and please text Tampa Bay to 22442 to show your support as well!

IF you are following on Twitter, and you re-tweet our World Cup Related tweets today, then you enter yourselves in for a chance to win two tickets to Busch Gardens! I'll draw the winners at the end of the day so make sure you show your support for our FIFA World Cup Bid!

That's it for now, but stay tuned in for more updates on the 2018 FIFA World Cup Bid as well as the 2022 World Cup Bid!

Hey guys Jerm here and I just wanted to share some World Cup Soccer news in the form of a funny video that I found on YouTube. I think we really have hit FIFA World Cup fever in this country when the guys over at BlendTec get in on things!

Many of you may or may not have seen the "Will It Blend" YouTube videos where the Blendtec folks will take anything and drop it into one of their high powered blenders just so show how high quality and powerful their product is. I have seen these guys blend everything from marbles, to video cameras, a skis, and as much as it pained me to watch, an Apple IPad!

Well given all the hoo-hah we have been hearing from disgruntled fans about the Vuvuzela, the musical instrument on display at this years FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the gang over at BlendTec decided to test out there famous theory of "Will It Blend!" I won't spoil the surprise for you, as far as telling you whether it will blend or not, so you will just have to watch the video and find that out for yourself! Now me personally, I actually love the Vuvuzela, as to me its really been the soundtrack for this installment of the FIFA World Cup, and adds a level of rhythm to the play on the field.

One thing I don't want you to wait for though is signing the petition to help bring the 2018 FIFA World Cup to the United States or the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Tampa especially! So be sure to log onto www.GoUSABid.com/Tampa, and show your support for the World Cup United States bid!

Hey Tampa, It’s Jodi to tell you about a special World Cup Watch Party at Splitsville Lanes. The World Cup is winding to a close this weekend so don’t miss your last chance to be a part of this worldwide event.

Splitsville will be hosting a unique World Cup Watch Party Saturday, July 10 at 2 p.m., for all of Tampa’s soccer fans and the Crew of the Uruguayan Tall Ship the Capitan Miranda. Uruguay will facing off in the semi-final match that day.

This watch party is a great opportunity to get the true global feel of the World Cup and to celebrate the arrival of the Tall Ships to Tampa. The Tall Ship festivities kick-off on Saturday and continue through the week.

Along with Uruguay’s Capitan Miranda, there are two other Tall Ships: Colombia’s Gloria and the United States Coast Guard’s Eagle. All of the ships are open for tours but a ticket is required for the Gloria and the Capitan Miranda.

If you haven’t attended a World Cup Watch Party, this is your chance to see a truly dynamic match with all the international charm the World Cup is renowned for. If soccer is not your thing make sure you come out to see the beautiful, historic Tall Ships; they are truly spectacular.

They will be available for viewing and tours at Channelside (for the U.S.C.G. Eagle) and the Tampa Convention Center (for the Gloria and Capitan Miranda). For the crew and cadets of the Capitan Miranda, Splitsville will be offering specials including free billiards in the billiards room.

For more information on the Tall Ships go to www.yachtstarship.com/SailTampaBay or www.SailTampaBay2010.com

Also don't forget to show your support for the USA World Cup Bid in 2018 or 2022 by signing the petition at www.GoUSABid.com/TampaBay! That's all for now, but stay tuned in for more updates on the World Cup in USA!

Hello all my travel/technology fans! Jerm here with an IPhone app update for you from one of our Tampa Bay & Company partners! For those off you who didn't know, I spent about 12 hours yesterday at the Apple Store at International Plaza waiting in line to get the new IPhone 4, so I was super excited to see that one of our local partners jumped on the App bandwagon with me!

Ever been in need of a lift? With the new SuperShuttle App, that task of getting a ride to and from Tampa International airport just got much easier. Whether you need a ride from you’re home, at the office, in your hotel room, or at your airline’s gate, with the SuperShuttle App you can now easily get a fare quote, book, and or cancel your airport ride from your iPhone. 

This awesome new App also provides you with the location of your assigned vehicle by incorporating the SuperShuttle “Where’s My Van?” Google map locator function.  So whether you need a pick from the beautiful Westshore District, or a ride from one of our famed local Tampa Florida attractions, they got you covered.

What you can do with the SuperShuttle App you may ask:

• Get A Fare Quote
• Book reservations for SuperShuttle and ExecuCar airport rides
• Cancel reservations
• Locate your Vehicle – “Where’s My Van?”
• Earn Airline Miles* *with select airline partners

There is an extra benefit for us IPhone users as we can also participate in the Summer Lift program featuring family discounts with five dollar rides and double airline miles on SuperShuttle.  Sounds like a pretty cool app to me, and with all of the travel I do, it will definitely come in handy!

That's it for now, but be sure to stay tuned in for updates from Jerm and the the Tampa Bay team!

Hey guys, Jerm here with an update on the USA's FIFA World Cup Bid! The heat is on for the bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022, and Tampa Bay has made a move.

Of 18 potential host cities throughout the United States who are vying for signatures for the World Cup petition, Tampa Bay has moved to No. 6 with 24,431 votes. But more help is needed!

There are still plenty of ways to cast your vote for Tampa Bay, and a goal of 50,000 votes is still set:

• Go to www.GoUSABid.com/Tampa and sign the online petition to support the bid,
• Go back and enter your other e-mails, then
• Text TampaBay to 22442 to cast your vote in support of our bid.
• Repeat this step as many times as you'd like...standard data and messaging rates may apply (but go crazy if you have an unlimited text plan).

Then we need your help in spreading the news about the petition to friends, family, colleagues, coworkers, employees, soccer fans and others. Let everyone in Tampa Bay, and beyond, know about the petition and how important it is to our area.

Stay tuned in for more World Cup United States related news from your Tampa Bay team!

Hey guys Jerm here with today's giveaway! You just never know when we are gonna have tickets to amazing events like when we have two Grammy award winning artists on display at the St. Pete Times Forum!

If you didn't catch my post yesterday, once again shame on you for not checking with us on a regular basis, and here is the deal!

I have two sets of 4 tickets to give away today for the Maxwell and Jill Scott concert tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum at 7pm! Nice huh!

Here is a refresher on the way the giveaway will work. Instead of re-tweeting like I used to make you do, just answer the question on Twitter and Facebook.

Once you do that you will be entered in to win, as we will randomly draw. For those of you playing on Twitter and who choose to re-tweet, it does indeed increase your chances of winning.

I draw names from the first 10 correct answers, so make sure you get the correct answer to play! Around 2pm, I will announce the winners! Let's hop right into it! All I need you to do is answer two questions about Maxwell and Jill Scott. I promise I won't try and stump you today so don't worry

1. We all know him by his mononym "Maxwell," but what is his full given name?
2. A two time Grammy award winning artist, Jill Scott was awarded the her first Grammy award in 2005 when she won the for "Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance." Name the song/performance for which she won that award.

Okay guys, those are pretty easy ones, so be sure to play along and you will have a chance to see these two tremendous performers live tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum.

If you are playing on Twitter, just reply to us with the answer, and if you are on Facebook, just reply to the post link thread with your answer!

Stay tuned in for more fun giveaways and Tampa Bay area events, and things to do in Tampa Bay!

Hello there all of my soccer fanatic friends! Boy what a weekend it was for the world as after it seems like FOREVER, the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicked off in South Africa!

Now you guys know that Jerm is a huge soccer fan, having played the game since I was 9 years old, so I have been waiting for this for a very long time. Not just for sporting reasons either, as you could imagine, but also for the significance of the game being held on the African continent for the first time in the tournaments history!

For many people in the USA, the game that we were all anticipating the most was the USA vs England Group C match to be held at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg S. Africa. Plenty of reasons for fans to be pumped about this match, with the most notable having been that the last time we played England in the World Cup was back in 1950 when a squad of American amateurs walked away with a 1-0 victory over one of the world's then super power of soccer!

In front of a crowd of just over 38,000 fans, the majority of which seem to be pulling the the Three Lions, the American team earned a hard fought draw over one of the teams many have picked to win the tournament!

Of the many talking points you will hear about this game, the one that won't be going away anytime soon will be the once in a lifetime error by England net-minder Robert Green. Green fumbled what was thought to be a routine save on a Clint Dempsey shot from just outside the box. This leveled the score at 1-1 canceling out a Steven Gerrard goal four minutes into the game. 

From my view, it was a hard fought game with chances created by both sides, but in the end the play of the goalkeepers played a significant role in the outcome, with USA goalkeeper Tim Howard making a number of key saves, while his counterpart in the English net didn't have as good a performance.

Goalkeeping errors seemed to be a theme in this group however as Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi had his own issues in coming up with a tame effort from Slovenian Robert Koren from just outside the box. The results from this weekend leave the Slovenian team in pole position in group see with the full three points, followed by England and USA locked up at second place with Algeria at the bottom of the group.

The USA's World Cup will continue play on Friday (June 18) vs Slovenia at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, and then on June 23 against Algeria in Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. England will play Algeria this Friday as well.

It doesn't get much more exciting than this folks! Or can it? Imagine what it would be like for the Tampa Bay area to host a FIFA World Cup game, or possibly even 3-5 of those games. Well that is a real possibly as the USA is one of a host of countries vying to be the FIFA World Cup 2018 host countries or possibly the 2022 games!

We will find out this December 2 if that is the case, but in the mean time, we need everyone to show their support for our bid and go to www.GoUSABid.com/Tampa!

That's all I got for now, but be sure to check back early and often for more updates and FIFA World Cup soccer news from jerm and the Tampa Bay team of bloggers!

Hello soccer fans! Fresh off of watching the opening game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Jerm is here with an update for ya!

The USA Bid Committee just recently re-launched their website! Its got a ton more features now, allot of which have to do with the games going on in South Africa right now! Here are just a few of the new features that I noticed:

• Upcoming game schedule for all matches
• Team pages
• latest news and photos about the S. Africa games
• Twitter feeds and updates
• Photo sharing uploads from watch parties

I am sure there are plenty of other features on the new site you can take advantage, so be sure to go and check it out for yourself at www.GoUSABid.com! While your there, please do not forget to show your support for Tampa Bay's FIFA World Cup Bid!

Also, to vote for Tampa Bay to host the World Cup, text TAMPABAY to 22442 (message and data rates apply). Then, spread the word to friends, family, colleagues, coworkers and others to let them know how important this is to our destination!

That's it for now folks, so stay tuned in for more USA World Cup Bid updates from Jerm and the rest of the crew!

Hello out there to all of my peeps! Jerm here to give away some tickets for Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating and Marriage debuting tonight at the David A Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts!

Now if you read my blog post from Monday, I did promise to do this giveaway yesterday, so please forgive me for that. Had a bit of an allergy/sinus issue that kept me out of the office yesterday, so again one thousand apologies for that. Onward to today's giveaway though!

Since I woke-up on the right side of the bed this morning, that puts Jerm in a good mood and when Jerm is in a good mood, the tickets are a flowin! So having said that  I will be giving away two sets of ticket to tomorrow night and Friday's shows!

On to the giveaway now! Here is a refresher on the way the contest will work, as remember, we have changed things up a bit from the original format. Instead of re-tweeting, just answer the question on Twitter. Once you do that you will be entered in to win, as we will randomly draw. For those of you who choose to re-tweet, it does indeed increase your chances of winning.

I will draw names from the first 10 correct answers, so make sure you get it right! Around 530 I will TwitVid the name of the winner! Let's not waste any time and hop right into it!

So here are the rules again, just in case you forgot...

• You have to be following us on Twitter...
• Answer 2 questions about Miss Abigail...

1. What is Miss Abigail's day job?
2. Name this "high profile" publication that Miss Abigail writes a weekly column for?

Okay folks there you have it, your arts and culture in Tampa Bay trivia giveaway for the day! Get to answering and I will announce the winners today around 530pm! Until then check back all day long for more updates from Jerm and the rest of your Tampa Bay team of blog folk!

Oh boy! The moment we soccer fans have all been waiting for is almost upon us! Yup you guessed it, as I am referring to the kickoff of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa!

Jerm here as I wanted to do a quick little blog post to talk about 3 of the coolest Iphone apps to help keep you up to date on all of the scores and news with regards to your host country or whichever teams you are following. Now there are plenty of apps out there you can check out, but I have tried these three out and they are the best to me:

AP 2010 World Cup Coverage - News and the Associated Press go hand in hand, so this one was a given. With personalize able skins, up to the minute updates from 100+ journalists from around the world, and language controls, you can't go wrong with this.

ESPN 2010 FIFA World Cup - My favorite app of these three. There is a free version as well as a paid, and I opted for the extra $5 to have all of the bells and whistles, and believe me there are plenty of those!

FOX Soccer - Another app filled with news, roster updates, and plenty of things to keep you in the loop as you try to stay up to date with the tournament

Now myself personally, I try and go into every tournament with at least three teams that I am supporting:

• United States of America - Okay, like you didn't see this one coming! Of course I gotta root for the home team baby! Feeling really good with this years tournament and the guys we have on the roster.
• Netherlands - How can you not root for "Total Football" and the dutch attack! Any team with Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder potentially all on the field at once is going to have a great chance to lift the trophy!
• Spain - Defending 2008 European Champions Spain are easily the deepest team in the tournament in Jerm's opinion. Anytime you have Cesc Fabregas and Jose "Pepe" Reina coming off of the bench for you, that might be an indicator of how powerful your team is.

Well there you have it folks, Jerm's favorite apps along with his pick of teams he'll be following during the tournament. Who are you picking to go far in this years tourney?

Also be sure to support the United States 2018 World Cup Bid as well as our 2022 World Cup Bid by visiting the USA Bid Committee website at www.GoUSABid.com/TampaBay!

Hello there FIFA World Cup fans, Jerm here with a quick update! How many of you were watching the game this past weekend when in front of a crowd of over 50,000 screaming fans, the USA fought back against a tough Turkish opponent to take a deserved 2-1 victory in the second game of their official send-off series!

Well if you weren't watching it then let me say... shame on you as you missed a great game! Makes me even more excited for this summers FIFA World Cup in South Africa! One of the many things that made me excited about that game was the new ad that the USA Bid Committee ran during the game. I saw it around halftime I believe and it re-inforces the point about how amazing it would be for the showpiece event for the worlds game to be held here in the United States!

It would be even more amazing if Tampa Bay was selected to host a few games for FIFA World Cup 2018, or four years later for FIFA World Cup 2022! That is a possibility folks as we approach December 2 of this year when FIFA will select the host countries for 2018 and 2022!

Check out the video below and tell me what you think, and also where you saw the ad!