Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers is an NFL team based in Tampa, Florida, playing in the NFC South division. They first joined the NFL in 1976 as one of the expansion teams. The club is currently under the ownership of the Glazer family and the team play their home games at the Raymond James Stadium. They won their only Super Bowl to date in 2002 after beating the Oakland Raiders 48–21.

History of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It was thirteen weeks into their second season before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first game. Up until 2008 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only team to go without a win for a whole season.

The team’s performance improved for a while and they got to the playoffs for the first time in 1979, doing so again in 1981 and 1982. They reached the NFC Championship game in 1979 only to lose 0-9 to the St. Louis Rams.

The 1983 season, which they finished 2-13, ushered in a sequence of twelve consecutive seasons with at least ten losses.

Despite their struggles, the Buccaneers proved one of the most profitable teams in the NFL in the 1980s.  This was partly as a result of low salaries which led to an inability to attract good players.  The lack of talented players led to smaller crowds which in time had an impact on the team’s finances.

A golden era

The team started building a good side in the mid-1990s, acquiring future Hall of Fame players Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp in the 1995 NFL Draft but by then it was close to bankruptcy. It was bought by businessman Malcolm Glazer for $192 million, at that time the highest price ever paid for a sporting franchise. The Glazer sons, who had been put in charge, hired Tony Dungy as coach and he transformed the team, even changing the uniform.

Under Dungy, the Bucs (as they are known) got to the playoffs a few times.  In the 1999 NFC Championship game, they lost out to the eventual champions of the Super Bowl, the St. Louis Rams. The team finally reached its first Super Bowl in 2002, under the leadership of then head coach, Jon Gruden. The team destroyed Gruden’s former team, the Oakland Raiders, in the big game.

Since that Super Bowl win, the Buccaneers have only got to the playoffs twice more, in 2005 and 2007. Following the end of the 2019 season, legendary quarterback Tom Brady agreed to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Both Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown joined at the same time.

Support of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played their home games at the Raymond James Stadium since 1998. Before that, they played at Tampa Stadium. The team has been known for its great defence over the years, particularly in the lead-up to its Super Bowl win.

The team’s current colours, first adopted in 1997, are buccaneer red, pewter, orange and black.

The Raymond James Stadium was initially known as the Tampa Community Stadium.  It was built to replace the old Tampa stadium (declared inadequate by new owner Glazer) and cost £168.5 million to complete. It was opened in September 1998 and in the first football game played there the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chicago Bears 27-15.

Notable Tampa Bay Buccaneers players

There have been many great players to pull on the Buccaneers uniform over the years. Many of these players were key members of transforming the team’s fortunes in the 1990s and into the new century.

Some of the names included in the Hall of Fame are Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and Lee Roy Selmon, each of whom had their numbers retired. Coach Tony Dungy is also a Hall of Famer.

Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the must-watch teams these days since a lot of big names came on board. As they look to win a second Super Bowl, the games present plenty of great betting opportunities. There are plenty of leading online betting sites that you can use to place these wagers. You can check out the best options for your needs at Roger.com.

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