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tampa The Bay Buccaneers dropped the “Yukkaners” label decades ago.
They went 0-26 to become two-time Super Bowl champions and are currently the four-time defending NFC South champions. They are tied for first place entering the game against atlanta falcons on Thursday nights when they will wear their original Creamsicle uniforms.
long before tom brady Changed city to Tampa Bay and moved the franchise to another location nfl After winning the title, the team traded away Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, traded away eventual Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams and was turned down twice by Bo Jackson and Bill Parcells.
Those moments are among several franchise-altering decisions detailed in “Raise the Flags,” a new 10-part series that chronicles 50 years of Buccaneers football. The documentary, which debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, gives viewers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the organization’s journey from expansion to championship contender.
It celebrates the good times and highlights some of the biggest downfalls, highlighting the triumphs and missteps of five decades and two ownership groups.
“Raise the Flags” was commissioned and produced by Buccaneers co-owner Ed Glazer and directed by eight-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Trent Cooper, a lifelong Bucs fan.
“We tried to be as honest as possible,” Glazer told the AP. “A lot of people don’t always hear my family speak, so I think for a lot of people this will be a first. But I think we try to take an honest look at the things we’ve done well and the mistakes we’ve made as owners. You’ll hear us talk about doing this for the first time 25 years ago. So we’re learning along the way, and we’ve made mistakes that we wouldn’t make again today, we’ve made some bold moves.” We may not have done the work well enough that we would not have been able to make up for it today.
“As you get older you become a little cautious. And we’ve made some bold moves that we probably would regret staying away from, right? I think one of them is letting go of some players over the years that we would never let go today. Thinking that we can easily replace Hall of Fame players, and you can’t.”
The series includes footage of Hugh Culverhouse, who paid $16 million for the expansion team. After his death, the family sold the team to Malcolm Glazer in 1995 for a then-record $192 million.
One episode highlights the first draft under the Glazers – before the sale of the team became official – when general manager Rich McKay selected future Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in the first two rounds.
Another episode is dedicated to the hiring of Tony Dungy, a pivotal moment in 1996 that reshaped the culture and future of the franchise, and ultimately the difficult decision to fire him after the 2001 season.
Ed Glazer said, “Tony was probably the most important man ever in Buccaneer history.” “When he came in ’95, obviously the first 20 years weren’t very successful. And Tony brought stability to the team and it’s really lasted almost to this day. His leadership, his mentorship, the importance of community, I mean the things he brought were so important to him, they’re still with us today. The players may be gone, but we’re still there and I think we learned a lot for Tony as well about the importance of giving back and really mentoring young players. I think his legacy is still going strong in Tampa.
After Dungy was out, the Bucs chased Parcells for the second time. A decade earlier, Culverhouse had held a press conference to announce the hiring of Parcells, only to say that he had changed his mind.
The Glazers had a contract with Parcells but he did not sign it. They considered Nick Saban but he wanted too much money. Everyone was thinking they were hiring Steve Mariucci when they were working on a megadeal for an acquisition jon gruden From the Raiders for two first-rounders, two second-rounders and $8 million.
Gruden led the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title in his first season after replacing Dungy. They wouldn’t win again until Brady arrived in 2020.
And, they’re still winning with Baker Mayfield, although he’s still looking for a third ring.
Cooper said, “This series is filled with stories that lifelong fans may have never heard.” “The things Steve Young went through as our quarterback in the mid-’80s made me laugh out loud. The matchup between Keyshawn (Johnson) vs. Gruden made me a little uneasy. It was great to hear both of them so unfiltered. How the Bucs actually landed Tom Brady was very interesting.”
Brady, Dungy, Gruden, Sapp, Brooks, McKay, Bruce Arians, Mike Alstott and Rondae Barber are among 100 current and former players, coaches, executives, staff and media personalities interviewed for the documentary.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl