NFL: Creamsicle Uniforms and Bucco Bruce Coming Back To Tampa Bay

[macro]

Well, at least for one game this season...

http://blogs.tampabay.com/bucs/2009/...acks-unis.html


Click on the link above for a much larger version of this photo.

Bucco Bruce returns as Buccaneers introduce throwbacks uniforms

They're back. The Buccaneers unveiled the result of a painstaking process of replicating their vintage orange, white and red uniforms when they showcased their throwbacks this morning at One Buc Place.

Linebacker Barrett Ruud, receiver Antonio Bryant, defensive end Gaines Adams and running back Earnest Graham served as models, each expressing excitement to wear the uniforms on Nov. 8 against the Packers.

It's a bit of a juxtaposition for the franchise, which largely unsuccessful during its two decades wearing the original uniforms. But the current players appear to have an appreciation for the feats accomplished wearing old orange and are eager to play the game.

"I've been preparing for this, I have the mouthpiece, I have the cleats. . . I've got a lot of things," Bryant said.

Graham said: "I definitely remember watching some of the guys I played with, Derrick Brooks and Mike Alstott, when football was really influential to me. . . I get to live it a little bit."

Ruud said: "I think Mike Alstott and Derrick (Brooks) were the only ones (I know) that wore them. I'm real excited. I've never played in a throwback game. I think they look cool and it's going to be fun."

The process of settling on the final version of the uniform was complicated, co-chairman Ed Glazer said. The first several versions of jerseys that came from the league were not the desired shade of orange, requiring much fine tuning.

"When people think of the orange jerseys, they think of just one color," Glazer said. "What we realized is that from 1976 to 1997, the jerseys changed dramatically. As soon as 1977, the jerseys started changing and getting darker. Things were changing rapidly."

I can't wait for this game and the return of one of the most awesome uniforms in the history of sports! You either loved them or hated them, but I knew of some people (myself included) who always rooted for the Buccs simply because of the uniforms. So, even though I was a Bengals fans, the Buccs were always my second team, at least until they changed uniforms.

Those of you old enough to remember the sitcom "What's Happening" may remember the episode when Raj placed a huge bet on a football game because Dwayne had been enjoying amazing accuracy at predicting the outcome of NFL games. When Raj lost all of his money by betting the Buccs to beat the Raiders, he asked Dwayne to explain his "system" to him. It turned out that the final tie-breaker in the system was his preference for one team's helmet over the other, and he loved the Buccs helmet.

Like Dwayne, I love that helmet and have a pretty nice collection of Bengals old logo and Bucco Bruce stuff to this day. That being said, I still don't have an official Buccs full-size throwback helmet. I may have to get in touch with Santa about that sometime between now and Christmas.

[Caveat Emperor]

I was born in Tampa, and I've been a Buccaneers fan all my life. I grew up watching these uniforms lose game, after game, after game. My nightmares were haunted by NFL Films highlight reels showing Barry Sanders somehow juke all 11 members of the defense, wearing these orange uniforms, and score touchdowns. They symbolize an era that was every bit as terrible as the current Bengals / Reds.

However, when Tampa won the Super Bowl a few years back, it exercised a lot of demons with the franchise. That was really the moment when I (and a lot of other Bucs fans I know) made peace with the Creamsicle unis. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them again, and I'll probably pick up a Josh Freeman orange uni to add to my jersey collection.

Oh -- and they picked a good year to wear these, the Bucs are going to be hideous this year.

[KronoRed]

It won't be the same unless then get Vinny Testaverde back

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

It won't be the same unless then get Vinny Testaverde back

VINNY: Hey, they brought back the Gray uniforms...

[durl]

If the Bucs lose a couple in a row early in the season, you'll never see those uniforms again.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by durl

If the Bucs lose a couple in a row early in the season, you'll never see those uniforms again.

The more likely outcome is they lose a lot of games but win this one. They're going to be hideous this year -- unless you think one of Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown and Josh Freeman can be anything other than an awful NFL quarterback this year.

Add to it a defense devoid of any true stud performers, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

[macro]

Originally Posted by durl

If the Bucs lose a couple in a row early in the season, you'll never see those uniforms again.

They won't debut until the Packers game on November 8 and that is the only time they're scheduled to be worn this season. NFL teams are only allowed to wear alternate/throwback jerseys twice per regular season, and they are required to notify the league before the season starts as to which dates that will be.

I'm not certain, but I think they have to set their jersey schedule for the entire season ahead-of-time.

[Unassisted]

I used to know a guy who lived in the heart of Packer country and sported a huge Bucco Bruce tattoo. I'm sure that wherever he is today, he is thrilled by this news.

[Yachtzee]

Growing up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, we used to see a guy driving around town in a creamsicle orange Pontiac Trans Am with a fat white stripe down the middle and Bucco Bruce on the front quarter panels. Real professional custom job.

[HotCorner]

I love the Bucs throwbacks! The Patriots too!

[WVRed]

Rocky Top, you'll always be Home Sweet Home to me...

[macro]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

The more likely outcome is they lose a lot of games but win this one. They're going to be hideous this year -- unless you think one of Byron Leftwich, Luke McCown and Josh Freeman can be anything other than an awful NFL quarterback this year.

Add to it a defense devoid of any true stud performers, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Good call, Caveat.

In honor of the 1976-77 Buccaneers that started the franchise off at 0-26, the 2009 Buccs have started the season 0-7.

Maybe they'll win the Creamsicle game big and decide to go back to them full-time.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by macro

Good call, Caveat.

In honor of the 1976-77 Buccaneers that started the franchise off at 0-26, the 2009 Buccs have started the season 0-7.

Maybe they'll win the Creamsicle game big and decide to go back to them full-time.

Oh, this wasn't a tough call. Most Buccaneers fans could smell this season coming a mile away.

The team is some $30m under the cap this season, with most fans speculating that the Glazers are funneling cash from the Bucs to service the massive amount of debt they took on purchasing Manchester United. Thus, you see cost-cutting at the HC position (where Raheem Morris is proving to be a terrible, reactionary hire), GM position, and on-field product. The team had to re-sign a god-awful Michael Clayton and throw money at Derrick Ward just to get to the NFL salary-floor.

Old man Glazer used to take pride in the Buccaneers being a first-class franchise and the "toast" of Tampa. The kids, who've been running the show for a few years, are businessmen first concerned with bottom line and total portfolio.

I've watched all 7 brutal games, and it's been even worse than the record indicates. For the past 4 weeks, they've been starting a kid at QB (Josh Johnson), who played D-2 ball at San Diego University (not to be confused with San Diego State) and has closely resembled a deer in the headlights for most of that time. Fortunately for his psyche, though, the team WRs seem hell-bent on deflecting criticism to themselves as they drop pass after pass. They struggle to run the ball with any consistency as well, just to add to the misery. On defense, they get run-on at will (see Carolina staging an 18 play, 17 rush drive to close out last week's game) and give up at least 2-3 big pass plays per week.

But, there are a few bright spots. GM Mark Dominick somehow conned the Bears into giving up a 2nd round pick for Gaines Adams -- who some Bucs fans consider a worse 1st round pick than Bo Jackson (who refused to sign) since Jackson at least never collected a check when he did nothing for the team. This means, in all likelihood, the team will have 4 of the first 70 picks in the 2010 draft.

Plus, the team is finally looking to make the switch to Josh Freeman -- which will give him a full 9 starts this season and hopefully help the team learn quickly that he was an awful pick as well.

Ahh, life as a Bucs fan. Kill me now. At least there's baseball season to look forward to.

Oh....wait....I'm a Reds fan too.

Go Man U!

[MWM]

The only NFL game I've been to was in Tampa in 1990 when they still had those old uniforms. They lost to the Jets.

[traderumor]

I'm not crazy about the throwbacks. Too often they make the team playing unrecognizable, like the Jets yesterday, wearing yellow. While I'm sure some 80 year old codger might have had a nostalgic moment back to the AFL days, it does nothing but mess with my head. And the orange AFL ref uniforms are just butt ugly.