The Bucs Uniform Debate
3 min read
TP_295752_WALL_Bucs_3 DANIEL WALLACE | Times (10/19/2008 Tampa) PHOTO 3: Mike Alstott (40) runs out onto the field before the game on Sunday during team introductions. STORY SUMMARY: FIRST HALF: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Seattle Seahawks at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, October 19, 2008. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were winning 17-0 at halftime.
Well, it’s another offseason, another coaching change, and once again we have too much time on our hands again. We are all waiting on the draft, the schedule dates, and to see Bruce start his first training camp.
I have noticed a huge topic of discussion lately, and that is the change of the Bucs’ uniforms. I have heard that “the numbers look like a bad clock, I don’t like helmets, and I think they look dumb.” I will keep it PG rated as I have heard worse, and I want to keep it clean.
Do you really hate the current uniform or the bad era of the current Bucs’ football that it represents? I believe the latter half of that sentence is the likely cause of such hate.
These uniforms have never been worn in a playoff game and rarely have been worn in any meaningful December games. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t hate the uniforms, and in fact, I really like the uniforms. I like our helmet as well with the modern oversized logo on it. I think they are really sharp. I think once you think about it with me, you will agree.
I hear so often people wishing that we could use our throwbacks and many wanting to see the orange again. I do miss the orange as well, but I also associate that with the many somber days at the old Tampa Stadium. Remember the double-digit losing seasons year, after year, after year? I can, and I can remember being outnumbered by visiting team fans, many times during those lovely orange uniform year’s. It was fun to see, but I have more bad than good memories of those uniforms.
I remember when they unveiled the new ones, back in the late ’90s at the convention center, and I fell in love with the red and pewter. It was like being reborn and finding freedom from the orange uniforms that caused so many solemn-football-Sundays.
I also hear that we should bring back those uniforms and wear them as throwbacks. I agree that we should, but you know what those uniforms are associated with? Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, Barber, and Gruden and An era of Bucs’ football that brought us so much joy. That’s why we like those uniforms because they remind us of that great day in San Diego, where we became world champs.
I am not in favor of changing the uniforms. I like what we have. With our current uniforms, I have seen variations utilized in the game that I think is really cool. I would like to see more all red in the stands at Raymond James and wouldn’t mind seeing the players wearing red tops and white pants in September as well. I can remember watching Dunn and A-Train running in those red jerseys and white pants, they were pretty to watch, and they looked great.
I tell so many of my die-hard Buccaholics like Captain Mooky Mike that winning cures all, and if we were winning, the uniform debate would be a non-issue, and more talk would be centered around winning more games or possibly even home-field advantage for the playoffs. As the name of the site I write for; all of us Bucs’ fans know, “It’s a Bucs’ Life!”