Originally posted by Tangodnzr
I would like to inject a few comments here, in regard to this.
First of all, the changes the Broncos and Bucs both made, as you stated, were only "cosmetic" changes in uniforms and logo....not team name changes.
Secondly, I would venture to say John Elway and Mike Shanahan, were probably bigger reaons for championships in Denver, and Tony Dungy, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and John Gruden were probably bigger reasons in Tampa.
I started thumbing through my old Sporting News football annual issues in regard to Tampa...and stumbled across what to me were some interesting comments through the years, starting in 1995.
Bear with me here, even though this will be a little long:
1994 - record 6-10
1995 - Head coach=Sam Wyche
"During the off-season, the Bucs were sold for a pro franchise record $192 million. to Palm Beach, Fla., financier Malcolm Glazer, who promptly reduced ticket prices and opened the vault. The Bucs signed wide reciever Alvin Harper and several less glamorous free agents.
But the team's off-season moves were geared as much with an eye toward the future, when the Bucs shipped starting QB Craig Erickson to the Colts for a 1996 1st round pick. The deal opened the door for untested Trent Dilfer to take control of the offense this year."
They also had 2 first round draft picks that year:
"The first round selections of Miami defensive tackle Warren Sapp and Florida St. linebacker Derrick Brooks had General Manager Rich McKay's hand prints all over them."
...ending record = 7-9
(added from '96 issue) - "Sapp didn't exactly tear up the league as a rookie and often was frustrated by double-team blocking and the elaborate holding tricks employed by veteran linemen. The coaching staff expects him to improve"
1996 - Head Coach Tony Dungy
"When GM Rich McKay opened the search to replace the fired Sam Wyche last January, he originally set his sights on coaching heavyweights Jimmy Johnson and Steve Spurrier. But Johnson took the Dolphin's job after Don Schula retired and Spurrier opted to remain at the U. of Fla.
Where Johnson or Spurrier would have cast large shadows at One Buccaneer Place and likely turned things upside down, Dungy's low-key approach has been a tonic to the turbulence surrounding the Bucs. He realizes the challenge of trying to snap a string of 13 consectutive losing seasons while keeping the players focused between the lines and away from the off-field political maneuvering for a new stadium.
Under the guidance of McKay and Dungy, the Bucs re-signed several key free agents and upgraded the roster through a strong draft..."
...ending record 6-10
1997
In an otherwise quiet off-season, the Bucs did away with a much aligned veteran.
Cut loose was Bucco Bruce, the winking pirate whose knife-in-teeth visage served the team's logo since the club's inception in 1976. "He looked whimpy," QB Trent Dilfer said. "It grew tiresome".
Dilfer also used the word silly to describe the Buc's logo - a word that could be used to describe more than the team's appearance. While wearing their orange and white uniforms and helmets featuring Bucco Bruce, the Bucs have looked silly on the field for most of their existance. This team has suffered double digit losses in 13 of the past 14 seasons and is coming off a 6-10 performance.
But owner Malcolm Glazer, has promised to bury the past. A new stadium, scheduled to open in 1998, is being built a few hundred yards south of Houlihan's Stadium, and the team has new uniforms that don't look anything like the old ones.
Bucco Bruce has given way to a tattered flag with a skull and crossed swords, and the new colors are red, black, and pewter. The new look is meaner, and that's fine with the Bucs.
The change may be superficial, but the Bucs are billing it as one more sign that the tide is turning.
Combining the new look with a strong finish in 1996 and a draft that should boost the offense, the Bucs have hopes of righting a wayward ship. "We're going to sneak up on a lot of people," Hardy Nickerson said.
Despite a nearly disastrous 1-8 start in 1996, Tony Dungy never flinched. The first year coach stuck with his system and it paid dividends as the Bucs went 5-2 down the stretch. Although he has a low key personality, Dungy won the respect of his team and that should translate into continued improvement.
Dungy is big on having players with good character. His philosophy was obvious in the draft. Dungy also got rid of a few of Sam Wyche's left-overs who carried off-field baggage.
Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula was extremely conservative in his play-calling last year, but a lot of that had to do wit a loack of weapons. The draft brought speed to Shula's unit, and that should help as Tampa Bay tries to mold Dilfer into its franchise QB.
...Tackle Warren Sapp had moments last season when he was a dominant player....
....and Derrick Brooks could be an emerging star on the outside."
..ending record 10-6
1998
Last season's 10-6 record marked the team's winning season since 1982. And it was the Buc's first playoff appearance since '81. Tampa Bay sent a league-high 8 players to the Pro Bowl.
...Dungy and GM Rich McKay have assembled a talented roster and locked up most of the team's nucleus wit long-term contracts...Pro Bowlers Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Trent Dilfer, and Derrick Brooks have signed contract extensions within the last year. So did several other key contributers....and so did Dungy and McKay.
"You can win for a longer time developing your guys, getting a sense of family and trying to keep everybody together," Dungy said.
That one big happy family will be moving to a new stadium this year. . . By coninuing to look to the future,the Bucs finally have buried their dismal past.
ending record 8-8
1999
In the often shameful history of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, QBs have been like some of the world's greatest artists: Their talents aren't realized until long after they are gone.
Dough Williams, Steve Young, Vinny Testaverde, and Chris Chandler each went on to bigger and better things after exiting Tampa Bay. Could Trent Dilfer be next?
Hope is one thing,but reality is another. After leading the team to a 10-6 mark and a playoff berth in 97, Dilfer took a step back in '98 as the passing game and offense suffered mightily. Dilfer was hit with much of the blame for a season gone awry...
That may be why the Bucs spent the off-season preparing for the worst. The team traded for Eric Zeier and drafted Tulane's Shawn King in the 2nd round, providing Dilfer with the closest thing to legitimate competition he has seen in years.
...ending record 11-5
The Buc's defense was good last season. Good enough to carry the team to the NFC Central division title..... Good enough to come close, but not good enough to make the Super Bowl.
Tampa Bay's offense was as weak as the team's 3rd ranked defense was strong. The unit ranked 15th in rushing, 30th in passing, 27th in scoring and 31st in red zone efficiency. It's no wonder the team was dependent on its defense, especially after Shaun King took over at QB.
The Bucs changed offensive co-ordinators, replacing Mike Shula wit Les Steckel and they added 3 pro bowl players in center Jeff Christy, LG Randall McDaniel,a nd receiver Keyshawn Johnson. ..
If Dungy has a fault, it is that he tends to be a little stubborn and perhaps too loyal. After ignoring subtle suggestions from team executives, Dungy had to be shown film of how Shula's predictable offense was hurting the team before he agreed to change coordinators.
Dungy has been urged to open up his offense a little bit, but that's simply not going to happen. Dungy doesn't like to rely too much on his QBs or throw deep. He prefers to run a conservative ball-control offense,and that's the style Steckel has been instructed to install.
Dungy places high expectations on players and is demanding. But those demands seldom are expressed with a raised voice. That and his honesty have earned him a great deal of respect.
,,,Led by All-Pro Warren Sapp, the NFC's defensive player of the year, the DL returns intact.
....Derrick Brooks has become a much smarter player. He's not over pursuing the way he once did, and he's recognizing offenses more quickly."
ending record 10-6
