In a brand new summer time sequence, I’ll check out some Bucs subjects for the upcoming season – and discover them with a twist.
Our first subject is – what if the Bucs wore orange pants this yr for the throwback creamiscle recreation?
Impressed by Marvel’s “What If…?” comedian books and the Marvel animated sequence, let’s check out some doubtlessly completely different outcomes to a number of the extra intriguing storylines in Tampa Bay that no one sees coming. To be clear, this isn’t a sequence of subjects that Pewter Report believes will occur or essentially hopes will occur. Simply use your creativeness and prepare for some surprises, Tampa Bay followers.
The Background
Former Bucs LBs Hardy Nickerson and Derrick Brooks – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise started in 1976 when the group debuted within the NFL with distinctive Florida orange, purple and white uniforms. These uniforms got here full with white helmets and a emblem that includes a winking pirate with a dagger in his mouth named “Bucco Bruce.” The Bucco Bruce pirate was modeled after Australian actor Errol Flynn, who was well-known for portraying swashbuckling pirates in movies again within the Thirties and ’40s.
Tampa Bay’s uniforms featured orange jerseys, white jerseys and white pants till 1992 when head coach Sam Wyche arrived and ushered in a brand new look with orange pants. Because of the tropical local weather in Tampa, the Bucs typically wore white jerseys at residence till late within the season when the group would put on orange jerseys after the warmth and humidity decreased.
Because of this, Tampa Bay would largely put on white jerseys and white pants – even at residence – or the white jerseys and orange pants. Tampa Bay would sometimes don their orange jerseys for just some video games annually, and underneath Wyche, probably the most worn uniform mixture was white jerseys with the orange pants that he helped usher in.
What If The Bucs Wore Orange Pants For The Creamsicle Recreation?
Bucs DTs Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
When the Glazer household took over as homeowners of the group in 1995, they acknowledged that the orange and white look and the winking pirate emblem had grow to be synonymous with shedding. Tampa Bay had solely had three seasons with a successful file within the 21 years the franchise wore the creamsicle uniforms, and a type of seasons – 1982 – was a strike-shortened season. The Bucs completed 5-4 in 1982 and made the playoffs for simply the third time in franchise historical past. But Tampa Bay had a 1-4 file within the postseason with the orange and white look.
In 1997 the Glazers rebranded the Bucs with new purple and pewter uniforms, a brand new pewter helmet and a brand new emblem – a purple battle flag with a cranium, crossed swords and an orange soccer that paid homage to the previous look. Tampa Bay instantly gained that season, ending 10-6 and captured a house Wild Card playoff victory over Detroit.
The Bucs would win their first Tremendous Bowl a couple of years later in 2002, however in a nod to nostalgia, the Glazers launched a creamsicle throwback recreation in 2009 the place the group donned orange jerseys and white pants and the Bucco Bruce helmet for the primary time since 1996.
That grew to become successful with followers and the group continued its throwback custom yearly till the NFL established a brand new rule in 2013 that gamers can solely put on one helmet throughout the season to cut back the opportunity of concussions. The league rescinded that rule in 2022 and a decade later the Glazers introduced again the creamsicle recreation as soon as once more final yr.
But each time the group has had a throwback recreation the group has at all times worn orange jerseys and white pants. That was the case from 2009-12, along with final yr’s throwback recreation, which occurred in Week 6 towards Detroit.
What if the group had been to vary issues up and escape the previous orange pants for the throwback recreation? Tampa Bay legends like Mike Alstott, John Lynch, Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp started their careers carrying the white jerseys and orange pants extra typically than the uniform mixture of orange jerseys and white pants.
The Bucs have carried out a current picture shoot with the group’s star gamers in orange jerseys and white pants as soon as once more. So it definitely looks like the creamsicle recreation will include that mixture for at the very least yet another yr.
However what about future creamsicle video games? Would you wish to see the return of the orange pants, Pewter Individuals? Go away a remark under together with your opinion.
Different articles in Scott Reynolds’ What If? summer time sequence:
What If Joe Tryon-Shoyinka Led The Bucs In Sacks?
