Whether you call them the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or just refer to them as the Bucs, this professional football team knows how to dazzle the crowds. This NFL squad is a southern division member of the NFC. They became an official NFL team in 1976 and first played with the American Football Conference's western division. Florida fans sent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets sales soaring when they were first made public. Even when the team suffered 26 losses the fan support did not waver. The Tampa Bay Bucs rewarded this confidence by becoming strong contenders for titles and in 2002 they brought home the Super Bowl XXXVII crown.
The Beginning of the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay
In 1976 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were made an NFL team along with the Seattle Seahawks. A year later they were moved from the AFC West division to the NFC Central and Seattle took over their AFC slot. These allegiance switches were part of the expansion guidelines which made it possible for both of the new teams to play against each other twice and against every other NFL team once in just the first two years. Tom McCloskey was originally granted the Tampa Bay expansion franchise but lost it due to financial setbacks. The Tampa Bay franchise then ended up with a tax attorney by the name of Hugh Culverhouse. The name for the team was in honor of the Tampa's annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival and is also a testament to the spirit of the legendary buccaneers of the area. Today the team plays at the upgraded Tampa Stadium which holds almost 73, 000 fans. Football fever is rampant among fans in the Sunshine State, and from the opening day Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets have been sold in record numbers. This has made it possible for the team to thrive even with 2 additional pro football teams residing in the same southern state.
History Making Moments for the Tampa Bay Football Team
The Buccaneers had a 0-26 record during their first 2 years of play, but by 1979 things were beginning to show some improvement. Their 5 straight victories at the start of their 1979 season got them some much needed respect and admiration from the other teams. Fans were ecstatic and soon all available Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets were being claimed by people who wanted to enjoy the championship chase. The team even got selected by Sports Illustrated for the magazine's cover photo and feature story. Anticipating a playoff bid the Bucs management used STP oil on the goalposts to keep them from being toppled by over-eager fans. Tampa Bay was victorious against a 1-13 Kansas City Chiefs team and crowds swarmed the field. With a record of 10-6 the Buccaneers now had a winning season to brag about and they continued on to win the Central Division.
From the Edge of Failure to Outstanding Success
1996 heralded many changes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers championship rings[/url] and it began with the death of Culverhouse. Despite record Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets being sold it was revealed that the organization was teetering on bankruptcy. The team changed hands and was bought by Malcolm Glazer for a record amount of $192 million dollars. Glazer and his family committed themselves to turning the Bucs into a winning proposition and this turned the tide for the mighty Tampa football organization. The Buccaneers had a good shot at the playoffs in 2008 and were 9-3 with only 4 games left in their regular schedule when things got rocky. The announcement that defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin would be heading to the University of Tennessee came at the first of December and the Bucs lost their momentum and the final 4 games. This put them out of contention for a playoff spot. In 2009 the team is looking for a chance to get back on track and their chances for a championship bid look good. Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets are already scarce because the fans are anticipating another shot at that elusive Super Bowl crown.
