Did NFL Push Bucs To Change?
February 13th, 2020
Hidden motive to change?
So if you buy into the tease video by the Bucs yesterday, you likely have concluded the Bucs will be wearing something different in the not-so-distant future.
Either that, or the Bucs are adding a pirate ship to the south end zone patio area of the Den of Depression.
(Joe’s big takeaway from the video was that the Bucs believe newspapers are to be used for paint droppings.)
Now could the NFL have nudged — ordered? — the Bucs to change uniforms? Joe’s coming at it from a different angle.
Last weekend, during opening week of the XFL (if you watched that slop at the Oscars on Sunday over the XFL you really need to check your drawers to see if you still have a pair), there was a lot of chatter about the XFL featuring a small company logo of a sponsor on its uniforms.
Baseball and the NBA have also started this. And we all know NASCAR is nothing more than a giant billboard for products.
(Don’t get Joe started about foreign sports teams. “This Joe” is very much a jingoist when it comes to sports and doesn’t give a rat’s rear end about foreign sports.)
Of course, the chatter on XFL broadcasts was about how soon it will be before the NFL allows advertising on its jerseys? Teams already sell space on practice jerseys.
Now the concept of allowing sponsor logos of sponsors on jerseys was heresy in the NFL. It may still be. Remember: It wasn’t long ago that the NFL would have absolutely nothing to do with Las Vegas.
Standards tend to change when someone waves cash in another person’s face.
In the internet age, many national advertisers are squeamish about where they market online, especially advertising on social media. Why? Companies do not want their products associated with, well, damn near anything that can rile up a potential customer.
For example, if you were Proctor & Gamble, and your core target demographic is women, would you want your ad for Head & Shoulders or Tide right next to an explicit photo on an adult entertainment site?
Of if you are Ford, would you want your logo screenshotted next to the vilest of postings on Twitter or Facebook?
You see where Joe is going here?
Football fans in general, and many Bucs fans as well, are revolted by the current Bucs uniforms and never, ever warmed to them.
Twitter is constantly full of postings about how ugly the uniforms are with comments asking, “When are the Bucs going to change?” National columnists routinely mock the Bucs uniforms.
Joe even joked that before a ball is snapped at games, Bucs fans are already grouchy because those alarm clock font numbers remind fans of the worst time of the day: being awakened to the shrill noise of a loud beeping alarm so they can leave for work.
Could it be the NFL plans on renting jersey space to a national advertiser but said company wanted nothing to do with their logo being placed on a uniform (Bucs) repulsive to so many?
February 13th, 2020 at 12:17 am
yo…they are ushering in a new era…
new unis…
new quarterback…
it is really happening…
they’re gonna make a run at brady…
new unis and new qb to fill the seats…
they gotta do things to fill the seats…
that’s what this boils down to
February 13th, 2020 at 12:26 am
Adam
Agree 100%
Bucs need to do something to generate some much needed and very rare excitement in the fan base and media.
Starting the 2020 season with a new QB and new uniforms would be a huge step in the right direction
February 13th, 2020 at 12:31 am
@Adam
Or maybe a new vision? Winston’s new vision and a new vision for the Bucs? Or just realized after 5 seasons the uniforms really do suck and the players need to have something they believe in as well as the fans? Or like joe said? Or nothing but propaganda? Who knows? I do hope an aggressive uniform change that rivals 1997 is coming. That’s when everyone took notice (do to defense, kinda like now) and we became truly relevant for a while.
February 13th, 2020 at 12:33 am
No they don’t.
February 13th, 2020 at 12:48 am
Bucs are a very low market team. Nobody care about the jerseys. Ppl are gonna hate the new ones also. Now jerseys are gonna attract fans? Come on. It won’t even get you to go to the game lol
February 13th, 2020 at 12:48 am
I wouldn’t be surprised, but players openly saying they wanted new uniforms and a massive campaign to change them probably had more to do with it
February 13th, 2020 at 12:51 am
Man I’m just pissed because for the first time this year I threw down money for an NFL jersey, Chris Godwin. $100 to a broke college kid in Colorado is no joke.
Working a job trying to save up money for the Bucs-Broncos game in Denver next season, and I won’t have a matching jersey to go along with it. First Bucs game I’m going to since 2016 at the Chargers in Qualcomm.
February 13th, 2020 at 12:57 am
Solid Blood red with 2″ black/creamsicle orange/black leg and side jersey stripes
white Arial font numbers trimmed with 1/2″ pewter and black piping
February 13th, 2020 at 1:03 am
Lol @ people saying “fill the seats”… Its tampa guys. Aint nobody coming to the games. And dont tell me nothing about winning games. I remember 2016 when the bucs were 7-5 fresh on a 4 game winning streak, in the 6th seed and taking on a division rival at HOME against the saints. And the only thing in the stands was a bunch of black and gold yelling who dat who dat. Tampa bay fan base aint coming with Jameis, they aint coming with Brady, they aint coming with Joe Burrow. Uniforms dont matter, the coaches dont matter. Fans will be quick to say, “its too hot” We need a new stadium blah blah blah. thats whats coming next.
February 13th, 2020 at 1:30 am
New Era!
New Unis!!
New Jameis!!!
Cheers!!!!
February 13th, 2020 at 1:37 am
Dumbest thing I’ve read in a long time.
adam from ny Says:
February 13th, 2020 at 12:17 am
yo…they are ushering in a new era…
new unis…
new quarterback…
it is really happening…
they’re gonna make a run at brady…
new unis and new qb to fill the seats…
they gotta do things to fill the seats…
that’s what this boils down to
February 13th, 2020 at 1:40 am
JC Cornell
@CornellNFL
This Buccaneers jersey was shown today on Sean Murphy-Bunting’s video. Is this the new design? I would personally hope not.
February 13th, 2020 at 2:26 am
Ardnagy- I just saw that video. It looks exactly like last years jerseys but with white numbers. It even had the same style font. I’m thinking/hoping those are definitely not them.
February 13th, 2020 at 2:50 am
Adrnagy,
Alaskan Abdominal Snowman,
The SMB video is not the new uniforms. Those are cheap knockoffs from a store where you can choose which color you want each part of the uniform to be, e.g. getting an orange uniform with red lettering.
One example of this not being the correct uniform is that on January 29th, before the SMB video or the uniform announcement, Pro Football Focus tweeted out a silly little gif “where will Phillip Rivers land next year?” In that gif, which rapidly cycles through photoshops of Rivers wearing different NFL jerseys, the Buccaneers one is that white-on-white combination.
No one is giving PFF insider info, and even if they did have that uniform info, no way are they making it into a photoshop job on twitter to get 20 likes.
February 13th, 2020 at 3:32 am
You guys act like the Bucs win games and the stadium was full before Jameis arrived. Attendance has been down across the league for years. The working class has been priced out of the NFL since the 90s. It’s also a better experience watching games at home on the big screens than it use to be. Acting like it’s Jameis fault just makes you’ll look petty. If they start winning people will return to the games. Maybe not like it use to be with a huge waiting list but they’ll fill the stadium.
February 13th, 2020 at 5:17 am
And Joe is wrong. That is, oh yes the seats do have to be filled! We simply cannot be near the last in the league in attendance year over year. And whoever it is who says the Glazers like a buzz–you are half right. ONLY positive buzz is good. So do not think that since seat revenue and even concessions and parking as not being the biggest revenue that they are not important. That is so far off the mark. They are critical indicators along with gear sales, advertisers, and media coverage of how fans and businesses think of us, locally and even internationlly. Showing a 1/3 empty stadium with our team brand not drawing as desired, a QB the team and the face has been built around over the last five and a half years that has brought embarrasment for things on and off the field, and the uniforms saga after putting $175 million of ownership money into it…is not good, not acceptable. It’s time for a uniform adjustment but don’t expect a major overhaul. THAT is not the biggest issue but it will be addressed. But let it be understood. The Bucs brand will not be about all things embarassing. While things like lower attendance reflect competition for thinks like fan attention, being in the bottom five points to many other things that cannot stand…like losing and players that seem to hang around losing.
February 13th, 2020 at 5:21 am
^^That $185 millon is owner investment into all of it, especially including a five year stadium makeover.
February 13th, 2020 at 5:23 am
Stanglassman … Your last line … “Maybe not like it use to be with a huge waiting list but they’ll fill the stadium” … got me thinking. I’d moved back to Tampa in 1995 and re-fell in love with the ‘new Bucs’. New owners, new stadium, new coach, many new players, new uniforms, tickets were reasonably priced, etc, etc. Lots & lots of NEW surrounding the Bucs that the media & Bucs marketing played up big-time , and that was accompanied by lots & lots of NEW fans. Yes, even a lengthy waiting list as you said.
Most significantly though, Malcolm Glazer & Tony Dungy delivered. Rocky start to the 1996 season, but they finished strong & the excitement built. First winning season in 15 years in 1997, followed by a meh break-even 1998 season then 3 more winning seasons before Malcolm launched Tony in favor of Jon Gruden. We sold our soul to hire him IMO, but Chucky delivered … at first … with our only SB championship (more specifically IMO, the Bucs’ DEFENSE delivered). And yes, 2002’s championship was based on DEFENSE, not offense. In the 17 years since then, we’ve come full circle (12 losing seasons versus 5 winning seasons, and most of those were 9-7 seasons with no playoffs).
I personally equate 2019 with 1996. We got ‘back to our defensive roots’. Took about half a season to get things going in both cases, but once they did we became COMPETITIVE. I agree with you that “If they start winning people will return to the games” but I think that’s always the case with every team.
The challenge now is to STAY COMPETITIVE but that won’t be easy. Licht tried to lead us down the ‘Dominant Offense’ path, but IMO that’s proven to be fool’s gold. As a minimum it takes a BALANCED TEAM to win championships (people focus on KC’s Patrick Mahomes & their #5 offense, but reality is that the Chief’s didn’t win diddly UNTIL their DEFENSE became respectable & finished #7 this past year, allowing only 308 points). HOPEFULLY the Bucs are on a similar improvement path, a path that started in 2019 but can now pick up steam as this TEAM matures.
February 13th, 2020 at 5:26 am
“…oe even joked that before a ball is snapped at games, Bucs fans are already grouchy because those alarm clock font numbers remind fans of the worst time of the day: being awakened to the shrill noise of a loud beeping alarm so they can leave for work.
Could it be the NFL plans on renting jersey space to a national advertiser but said company wanted nothing to do with their logo being placed on a uniform (Bucs) repulsive to so many?”
This is a head shaker. Joe gets some of it, but the alarm clock stressor is a bit stupid. But being on the subject since Joe brought it up, renting jersey space…how bad does it look to have a QB that seems to have no interesest from national level advertisers to sell their products. Consider THAT one. For the other, the NFL doesn’t want to go NASCAR on the ads..at least for now.
February 13th, 2020 at 6:29 am
The most ridiculous thing you said this offseason but it’s early so I’m sure more is to come. You do realize how much the franchise is worth and how popular the sport is right? You talk as if 100% of the population share your opinion on the uniforms.
February 13th, 2020 at 6:48 am
I would hope that the Bucs choose a light uniform. The dark colors are really hot as hell in them early games of the beginning of the season. After all the NFL screws us over every year by putting our games in the hottest damn part of the day. 1 p.m. Sucks.
February 13th, 2020 at 6:59 am
Could any of these helmets end up being what we use on the new uniforms? They were in the running way back in 1997 when we changed uniforms to our Super Bowl Era Uni’s…..
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/71/6f/97/716f9718f0a29bebb0d2ec8f30312fe7.png
February 13th, 2020 at 7:51 am
I gotta ask, what is everyone’s issue with the uniforms? I know a lot of people hate them but I don’t really have a problem. That said, I am color blind (combination of type 2 & 3) so perhaps that’s why I don’t have an issue.
Is it color or just the design that people don’t like?
February 13th, 2020 at 7:57 am
I cringe everytime I see the Bucs in the all red pajamas. I am a jersey man for games and I NEVER purchased a single one since the alarm change. And so many more options with all the alternates. The old days had 2 choices, home and away. It is way overdue for a jersey change. Another thing that Lovie did to attempt to ruin this franchise.
February 13th, 2020 at 8:19 am
No. To answer your question JBF. NFL has nothing to do with changing the unis. If so they would have said no to the OG unis. Plus your theory on advertising is missing a big fact. You would have to assure every player that wears that brand acts correctly not only on the field, but off too. Think proctor and gamble would be cool with Myles banging a helmet on another players head represents that company to a T? Too much risk. Easier to spend the money elsewhere, where it is already working without a NFL beating on his old lady or girlfriend. (No, not many do. But some do)
February 13th, 2020 at 8:20 am
If the Glazers cared about filling the seats they could drastically cut prices across the board including parking and concessions. This would also be a nice gesture considering the garbage we’ve been force fed for this lost decade. The money is in the TV contracts. If they want us back in the stadium, first of all try winning, secondly make it cost effective for the customer (fan).
February 13th, 2020 at 10:56 am
the bucs promised brady new blue, white and red uniforms if he comes to tampa….
so he can still think he’s playing for the patriots…
also a air conditioned personal tent on the sidelines so he feels nice and cool all the time…
and his own personal locker room within the locker room…like barry bonds used to have in san fran…
but brady might still have to wear those new nfl tights they make all players wear
#AreRedWhiteAndBlueUnisComingToTampa ???
February 13th, 2020 at 11:05 am
yes we all know the money comes from tv revenue…
but…
every owner, and i mean ever owner…
wants their stadium sold out and there team to be the hottest ticket in town…
when people are fiending for a seat to the game it makes others crave a seat too…
humans are simpletons…they all want what they can’t have…
an empty stadium oozes no interest…and no interest oozes that lackadaisical attitude that rubs off on everyone and everything…all the way down to the players on the field…
maybe some of you don’t remember when the floor was shaking in the stadium, and hitting the richter scale, when the bucs came back to beat the rams on monday night football 38-35 with shaun king and warrick dunn…the floor of the stadium was literally moving…i remember…bounce baby bounce
February 13th, 2020 at 5:01 pm
Put an add on a jersey, and I ain’t buying it. And btw we have awesome jerseys minus of course the number font.
February 13th, 2020 at 10:40 pm
Jameis has a contract with Ford. 🤷♂️
February 13th, 2020 at 11:03 pm
Changing the uniform. I hope it isn’t about advertisers wanting to be on NFL jerseys. It would really cheapen the sport. The only sport it works for is auto racing. Otherwise its just an abominable horrible greedy money grab.
As far as changing the uniforms because reasons I’m all for reasons.
Reasons
1. Fans don’t like them and when I say fans don’t like them I mean fans hate them with a loathing passion.
2. God doesn’t like them. God is incapable of hate so he just stops at not liking them.
3. My mother thinks she could have designed better uniforms in her sleep so she dislikes them too. My mother is also incapable of hate. I repeatedly proved that growing up.
4. Jersey sales. Since no one likes them or at least not many people do and so many more hate them, they don’t sell. That lost revenue is felt by the team and the NFL. Help the NFL make more money. Change the danged uniforms already.
5. We have Bucco Bock Choy Bruce back, so we can use the Creamsicles.
6. Ryan Jensen likes them. Did I ever tell you that Ryan Jensen is my favorite current Buc. I found out today that he is.
7. Jameis will automatically play much better in either of the older uniforms. Really, he will.
8. I hated these uniforms and not only did I hate the uniforms as much or more than anyone else, I also had a witch doctor put a root on the Bucs so they would never win a Super Bowl in these hideously monstrous abominations of uniforms.
So please change these uniforms so the root can be lifted and we can at least have a shot at going to a Super Bowl again without the team buying tickets.