For those like myself who look forward every year to seeing the Old School Bucco Bruce Orange uniforms on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the date chosen this year will be earlier than ever, and has a significant historical link.
On September 29th, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Arizona Cardinals, and will wear the Throwback Orange Uniforms they wore from inception in 1976 until 1996 with several exceptions.
The game vs the Cardinals is signifiant historically, because the Bucs beat the Cardinals for Tampa Bay's first ever home win. Sure it was the St. Louis Cardinals back then, not the Phoenix Cardinals or Arizona Cardinals, as they are known now.
Tickets go on sale July 17th.
HISTORICAL NOTES!!
It was December 18th 1977 that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first home game over the St. Louis Cardinals. However, the franchises first EVER win was the week before, at New Orleans! The team that was known for going 0-14 in 1976, and 0-12 in '77 with two games left to go (total of 0-26), won their last two games of the year.
Back then, the NFL had only 14 game schedules, not 16 like today. The 16 game NFL schedule came about the following season, in 1978.
The Bucs had a horrible team in 1976, but by 1977 had already had a respectable defense. The price for that was an almost total neglect of the offense. The Bucs had not scored one single offensive touchdown at home in 1977, until that season finale against the Cardinals, who were a disapointment that year led by head coach Don Coryell, as in, Air Coryell, the architect of the early 80s San Diego Chargers Dan Fouts led passing attack. The Bucs would beat the Cardinals 17-7, including a 61 yard TD bomb, the year BEFORE Doug Williams was drafted.
AFTER the game, the Tampa Stadium crowd went nuts, tore down the Goal Posts, and celebrated for hours after the game. That footage is caught here in a small video of my copy of the game. Anyone interested in a copy of this game in it's entirety can contact me via the site.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
