Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (sometimes abbreviated as the Bucs) are a National Football League team based in Tampa, Florida, currently owned by Malcom Glazer and coached by head coach 1976 as an NFL expansion team
- Home stadium: Raymond James Stadium formerly at the adjacent Houlihan's Stadium (previously known as Tampa Stadium)
- Uniform colors: Red, Pewter, Black, and White; some Orange
- Helmet design: Pewter helmet, a tattered red flag hanging from a saber, on the flag a skull, crossed sabers, and a football
- League championships won: 1 (Super Bowl XXXVII)
Franchise History
Started out in AFC West in 1976; moved to NFC Central in 1977. Tampa Bay went 0-14 in their inaugural season, and started their second season 0-12 before recording their first win. The club also did not win a game in which the temperature at kickoff time was below 40°F until the last week of the 2002 regular season, having lost 20 consecutive such games prior.
The team made a habit of losing. The Buccaneers lost at least ten games in 17 of their first 21 seasons, including 12 straight from 1983 to 1994. Besides their poor performance the team's bright orange uniform and logo (pictured right) were often mocked. Coincidentally, the team's performance dramatically improved when they changed their colors, although most credit coach Tony Dungy with turning around the francise.
With league realignment in 2002, team moved into new NFC South division, along with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. They are 1-0 in Super Bowls, having defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in January, 2003, and they are 1-2 in NFC Championship games, having defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in 2002 (game actually played on January 18, 2003), and losing to the Rams twice, in 1979 to the Los Angeles Rams at home, and in 1999 to the St. Louis Rams on the road.
The 2002 Buccaneers became the first team ever to win the Super Bowl after not having made selections in either of the first two rounds of the previous spring's college draft (having traded these selections to the Oakland Raiders for the rights to head coach Jon Gruden), the first team ever to win the Super Bowl after having lost at home on opening day, the first team ever to win the Super Bowl after having gained less than 100 yards rushing per game during the regular season, and the first team ever to win the Super Bowl after having been eliminated in the wild-card round of the prior season's playoffs.
Players of Note
Current stars
- Mike Alstott
- Ronde Barber
- Derrick Brooks
- Joey Galloway
- Martin Gramatica
- Brad Johnson
- Simeon Rice
Retired numbers
Not to be forgotten
Head Coaches
- John McKay (1976-1984)
- Leeman Bennett (1985-1986)
- Ray Perkins (1987-1990)
- Richard Williamson (1990-1991)
- Sam Wyche (1992-1995)
- Tony Dungy (1996-2001)
- National Football League
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