Buccaneers Named Worst Uniform In The NFL?
3 min read
The Sporting News just came out with their list of NFL uniforms ranked from worst to best, and while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t rank as the worst uniform in the league, they were ranked towards the bottom at #26. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the uniforms, and oddly the passion they argue with at times rivals the fury one might find if they were battling the New Orleans Saints for the top of the division. Some love the current uniforms, while others prefer the previous design. Some want to go back to the days of the beloved creamsicle, and others want a completely new design that we’ve never seen, but no matter how one leans towards the uniforms, everyone seems to know exactly what they want.
When talking about the Buccaneers current uniforms, the Sporting News had this to say:
“These uniforms are bad, but at least they’re unique. The Bucs have some of the best helmets in the NFL, with the chrome face-masks looking great against the pewter helmets and red logo.
The biggest problem with Tampa Bay’s look is the number font, which tries to be pirate-scratch styled but instead comes off looking like a Casio digital clock. The team also needs to do one of two things with the creamsicle: Either lose it from the color scheme completely, or go all-in with new creamsicle uniforms. While the Bucs’ all-red Color Rush uniforms are not great, they are a step in the right direction in terms of simplicity. Picture those threads with a better number font, and Tampa would have a solid look.”
While I agree that the Buccaneers do have one of the best looking helmets in the league, I can’t say that we have one of the worst uniforms in the league, it’s not as if we have the prison design of the Pittsburgh Steelers or whatever that new mess is the Chicago Bears have come out with, but much like the Panthers, the Bucs have the ability with the color scheme to create some of the best jerseys in the NFL.
The NFL already restricts teams way too much when it comes to uniforms and the accessories. Teams must submit all uniform designs to the league office for prior approval, which is a good thing as it prevents a player such as Antonio Brown from showing up with orange cleats and a green mouthpiece while the team is dressed in all black and silver, but they go too far with it as well. Teams can’t swap out face guards on the helmets, they can’t swap out helmet designs mid season, special cause cleats can only be work on certain weeks, and teams are limited to the number of designs at their disposal.
If the league would remove a few of these restrictions, we could realistically see the Bucs with a red based uniform, a pewter or black based uniform, a white based uniform, a throw back to the creamsicle uniform, and they could even do a white out or black out design. Not only would this give fans the option of having their preferred design, but it would create more revenue for the teams as they could increase the number of jerseys, hats, and shirts that they carry and sell.
There have been a lot of rumors about what changes are coming, and while everything involving the new uniforms will remain top secret until they’re announced publicly, the one thing we do know, is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be getting a new uniform design for next season. Personally, I want to see a throwback to the creamsicle as they are truly unique and stand out among the various teams, and they take us back to the days of players like Alstott, Selmon, Nickerson, and Ricky Bell among other Buccaneer greats.
Just as long as we start winning, ultimately the uniforms don’t matter, but with the money we invest as fans in various articles of clothing and merchandise from hats and jerseys to shirts and posters, perhaps we should get a say on what design they go with, since after all, it’s our money that they’re ultimately after.
