Buc logo creator, artist Lamar Sparkman dies at 88

From tbo.com:

 

TAMPA - When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers resurrected their orange uniforms and winking-pirate helmets during November's throwback game at Raymond James Stadium, it was an unforgettable afternoon for the franchise's longtime fans.

For Lamar Sparkman, the widely known sports cartoonist who designed the "Bucco Bruce'' logo, it became an emotional experience.

"I called him during the game and he was too choked up to speak,'' said Sparkman's grandson, Carter Toole. "He was an artist who took great pride in his work. To be able to see that, especially with the Bucs winning, he just loved it. He saw that his work was still remembered.''

How could it be forgotten?

Sparkman, whose popular cartoons appeared on the pages of the Tampa Times and Tampa Tribune for 40 years (1947-87), died Wednesday morning after complications from pneumonia. He was 88.

A private burial service is Friday. The funeral is Saturday morning at 11 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Tampa.

Sparkman is survived by two daughters, Rosemary McAteer of Brooksville and Lamar Toole of Charlottesville, Va., along with three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria, who passed away in 2005.

He was known for regular football cartoons about the University of Florida ("The Adventures of Alli-Gator''), Florida State ("Song of the Seminole'') and the Buccaneers (the "Buc Bomber'' – a World War I-style fighter plane that navigated treacherous surroundings in the franchise's early years).

He was a regular at the Masters – three of his paintings still hang at Augusta National – and a personal favorite of the legendary Arnold Palmer.

His drawings also captured notable accomplishments from local athletes – and many have been preserved as cherished keepsakes.

Sparkman, who attended Plant High School and UF, worked on despite health woes, including a near fatal cranial aneurysm and a cancer that forced the removal of his left eye shortly before his Tribune sports retirement to concentrate on painting portraits.

"If van Gogh can work with one ear, I can work with one eye,'' Sparkman said at the time.

"No other newspaper in America had a Lamar Sparkman,'' former Tribune sports editor and columnist Tom McEwen wrote in "The Cartoon World of Lamar Sparkman,'' a compilation of the artist's work that was published in 1994. "He entertains, informs and editorializes.''

The beginning of Sparkman's craft was modest.

"I always liked to doodle and draw things,'' he said.

Sparkman, a World War II veteran who was working as a salesman, produced his first cartoon for the afternoon Tampa Times on Aug. 21, 1947. The subject was Tampa's Broughton Williams, the former Florida Gator who was playing in the College All-Star Game against the defending NFL champion Chicago Bears.

His work caught on, and he became a fixture on the sports pages.

"He never made deadline,'' McEwen said. "But deadlines hold for someone who offers something so special as Lamar Sparkman has.''

Sparkman's most notable contribution occurred in 1975, when he was commissioned to design a logo for the Bucs.

On his first attempt, he produced a skull-and-crossbones design (ironically, very similar to the Bucs' new logo, which debuted in 1997), but it was rejected by the team's advisory board. Sparkman eventually submitted a winking Buccaneer, wearing a feather-plumed hat.

It was enthusiastically supported by the advisory board.

Initially described as a "high-class cutthroat'' with a "devil-may-care attitude,'' it was intended to be a cross between Errol Flynn, Robin Hood, Jean Lafitte and D'Artagnan (one of the Three Musketeers).

The logo fell out of favor when the Bucs suffered through 14 consecutive losing seasons. The current red-and-pewter look gained enormous traction in 1997 – perhaps because the Bucs then began a run of five playoff appearances in six seasons – but Sparkman's original logo enjoyed a nostalgic comeback this season.

"My grandfather got to see that and enjoy it,'' Toole said. "He was a very passionate person and he was passionate about the Gators, the Bucs, all the sports in the Tampa Bay area.''

In Sparkman's memorable corner of the world – cartoons and portraits – he made contributions that won't be forgotten.

Helmet Prototypes

Stumbled on these helmet prototypes the other day... what do you think? Are any of these better?

 

The Classic, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of NFL Uniforms

By Tim Joyce

Real Clear Sports

December 27, 2009

Running counter to our human instinct to fundamentally resist change, our society embraces it. Demands it, in fact. Whether it be apparel, technology, furniture or music, the updates and alterations to what we consume and enjoy are a constant. This obviously stems from a desire to avoid blandness and sameness, so we can expand our creative senses. Even though a common and often unintended result of trends and change is homogeneity. It's one of the seemingly endless ironies in our culture it would seem, that we both seek and fear stability.

This also holds true for sports. More specifically, I'm referring to uniforms. Especially NFL garb. I don't know what it is but for some reason football fans seem to most passionately identify with their teams' look more than with the other major sports. Perhaps it's the compressed intensity of the season and the few times (only 16 most of the time) that a fan can witness their team in battlefield regalia. Whatever it is, the uniforms of football players are greater symbols of their teams than in other sports.

And interest in uniforms, both current and vintage, has never been higher. Over the last several years NFL fans have been treated to an eye-pleasing - or disturbing, depending on one's taste - parade of throwback uniforms of the original AFL teams. As a recent New York Times article pointed out, this is having a positive effect on those merchandising the classic outfits as their business is experiencing something of a boom even during this all-encompassing recession that has beset the country.

So I started thinking why have NFL teams changed their uniforms so frequently (and this obviously applies to not just the NFL as teams in all sports have frequently altered the look of their clothes)? Aren't logos supposed to be eternal identifiers?

After all don't most companies strive to maintain a standard image - think Coke or IBM or Apple. These are all iconic logos which have changed very little through the decades. We live in a country where instant brand recognition is one of the most highly sought after aspects of commerce. Isn't the goal to not confuse the consumer - or fan in this case? It's mystery that so many teams have significantly changed or altered their uniforms. That is, unless they were truly ugly to start with.

There are those teams that have had minor changes and then there are those who for some reason made wholesale alterations for the worse, much worse.

Two teams that I would have qualified for the classic category but now just merit inclusion in the good level are the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. The Dallas uniform was once the standard for the NFL. But the change to a brighter blue back in the 90's away from a duller blue/gray/silver look didn't enhance it. Also, the fabled away uniform (which teams used to force Dallas to play in on occasion back in the 70's) also went for a stronger color. Just remember how great those 70's Cowboys looked.

The 49ers had an even worse fashion moment. The Joe Montana-led Niners looked iconic in their red and gold, with thin numbers. But again, management disobeyed the axiom of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and decided to block the numbers and shine up the colors too much. Thankfully, this year's 49ers decided to return to something approximating their old threads and are now once again one of the better uniforms in the league.

Perhaps there was no worse disregard for esthetics when changing uniforms than with the two New York teams, the Giants and Jets. Though they don't' fit into the "classic" category, both teams did have solid uniforms before the late 70's. But in came the 80's - a bad decade for many things - and a futuristic, plain lettering and they looked awful. But to their credit, both squads returned to their vintage look and are now upstanding members of the good class. The San Diego Chargers have returned to their 1960's look as well but the Chargers' foray into change was not nearly as reprehensible as the Jets or Giants.

And then there were those teams that succumbed to what I call the "Raiderization" of sports uniforms. Black became the in color and teams like the Eagles and Falcons traded their bright colors - green and red, respectively - for the more menacing look of black tinges. But it doesn't look good. The Rams, while not going black, also exchanged a brighter color pattern for their new look and with it, took away a part of their identity.

But without question, the ugliest and most offensive change was that of the New England Patriots. Though their original uniform may not have been all that stellar - the patriot in a center position, ready to snap the ball on the helmet, with a red jersey - their current wardrobe choice is awful. In fact they are up for worst uniform with five other teams. All teams in the ugly category look like they're wearing homely college football or USFL jerseys and helmets.

So with all this in mind, here's one fan's categorizing of all 32 NFL teams. They fall into one of four classes -- Classic, Good, Bad and Ugly. Most everyone will take issue with some of these choices. Though I suspect that a few at the top and bottom can be universally agreed upon.

Classic: Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers.

Good: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers.

Bad: St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons.

Ugly: New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars.

For a League of the Past, the Uniforms Live On

By Ken Belson New York Times, December 6, 2009

It’s every retailer’s dream: a product so hot that demand outstrips supply. The Denver Broncos could not have guessed that this season’s hot product would be one of the ugliest sports socks ever created, the brown-and-yellow, vertically striped leggings that the team wore a half-century ago.

That does not seem to bother Tim Kellond, who runs the Broncos’ team store in Denver. Kellond has sold more than 1,800 pairs of the high socks at $14.95 and receives about 250 calls a week from customers asking when more will arrive from the manufacturer who, he said, has run out of brown yarn.

“I thought I ordered a whole lot that would last until next year,” Kellond said. “My problem is deliveries. I get them in and sell them out in two hours.”

The socks have been an unexpected hit for the Broncos and the N.F.L., which is near the end of its season-long 50th-anniversary celebration of the American Football League. The original eight teams — the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, the Los Angeles Chargers (now the San Diego Chargers), the Boston Patriots (the New England Patriots), the Oakland Raiders, the Houston Oilers (the Tennessee Titans), the Dallas Texans (the Kansas City Chiefs) and the New York Titans (the Jets) — have been featured in legacy games that have included vintage uniforms.

The last of these 16 matchups will be Sunday when the Patriots play the Miami Dolphins, who joined the A.F.L. in 1966. The Cincinnati Bengals became the 10th team in 1968. The commemoration of the A.F.L. has provided a much-needed lift for the teams and the league, which were looking for ways to offset the effects of the recession on merchandise sales. More than two dozen licensees have been making about 100 A.F.L.-related products, which have produced tens of millions of dollars in sales, said Leo Kane, the N.F.L.’s vice president for consumer products.

“This economy has been challenging, so it’s been a great story for our clubs to have a positive story out there,” Kane said.

Sales of throwback goods are a small slice of the $3 billion worth of N.F.L. merchandise sold annually, but they are proving to be the biggest sellers this year.

In New England, sales of A.F.L. and 50th anniversary goods have made up 20 percent of overall sales, compared with 12 percent last year, said Stacey James, a spokesman for the Patriots. The best sellers have been 50th-anniversary T-shirts for $19.95 and red jerseys worn in 1963.

The Chiefs, who started in 1960 in Dallas, played the Dallas Cowboys this season in a contest billed as “the game that never was” because the teams never faced each other when they were both in Texas. Sales of red sweatshirts with the original Dallas Texans logo have been hot sellers.

“We didn’t have vertically striped socks, but it did very well,” said Jim Fisher, the manager of merchandise services for the Chiefs.

Russ Brand, the chief operating officer of the Bills, said 30 percent of all merchandise sales this year had been 50th anniversary or A.F.L. related.

“There was a lot of hype, and it’s certainly helped,” he said.

Bills fans have celebrated their team’s 50th anniversary at an exhibit at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, which has 900 team-related items, many of them from the collection of Greg Tranter, an avid fan.

The exhibit includes black-and-white photographs of players caked in mud at the old War Memorial Stadium, which had notoriously bad drainage. Tranter, who has 100,000 Bills-related items in all, is clearly fond of the team’s original, silver-and-blue uniform.

Few exist because old uniforms were given away to high schools at the end of the season, said Tranter, who grew up in Elmira, N.Y., and went to his first Bills game in 1965. His other favorites include a Johnny Hero doll in a 1965 Bills uniform and a straw hat that says “All the Way with O. J.”

The A.F.L. still resonates with fans not just because of the snazzy uniforms and innovative marketing, but because the league was a scrappy underdog derided as a Mickey Mouse league filled with N.F.L. rejects.

“The fans definitely felt that the A.F.L. represented something new,” said Angelo Coniglio, who runs RemembertheAFL.com. “The owners were rebels, and they acted the part.”

That spirit lives on in an HBO Sports documentary from 1995, “Rebels with a Cause: The Story of the American Football League.” The one-hour program will be rebroadcast on Dec. 31 and several times in January.

“There are a lot of 20-somethings looking at all these funny uniforms and do not dig any deeper,” said Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO Sports. “This truly was the first sports league that became a power on its own.”

Week 12's Monday Morning Throwback

 

Great week for some throwback action with five teams participating. Hands down, my favorite throwback are the Buffalo Bills' 1960s version.  It seems that so many dislike the Bills' regular uniforms... it wouldn't surprise me if the franchise decided to go with the throwbacks full-time.  The Atlanta Falcons are also a favorite of mine. I definitely think that all the throwbacks are an upgrade over the current versions. What do you think? Are the classic uniforms better?

NFL Uniforms We Miss

via Josh H. Ellis cocktailsports.com (Nov 10th, 2009)

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wore their creamsicle throwback uniforms, possibly the most outlandish uniforms in modern day sports history. Personally, I love this uniform. It’s one of many uniforms I wish would make a return to sports. Here are the top 5 NFL uniforms, from my lifetime (1978-Present) I wish would make a comeback:

1.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976-1996 – Discussed above. I was 4 years old when I first saw this uniform and instantly fell in love with the helmet logo and color scheme. Somehow, it just fits Tampa Bay.

2.) Seattle Seahawks 1983-2001 – I am a huge fan of the way the Seahawks integrated three of my favorite colors: blue, silver and green, into a uniform. Plus, the Seahawk logo on the helmet was much more intimidating than their current logo.

3.) New England Patriots (merger-1992) - Though I hate the Patriots more than any other professional sports franchise, I love this uniform. The color scheme fits the name Patriot better as well.

4.) Denver Broncos (1968-1996) – This uniform, in part, gave rise to the nickname, “Orange Crush.” The Broncos have since opted to go with more muted shades of blue and orange.

5.) Houston Oilers – The NFL should have forced Bud Adams to release the Oilers name, uniform and history to Houston when they were awarded their new franchise. Instead, “Love Ya’ Blue” belongs to the folks up in Nashville. Pure blasphemy!

Retro Style: Knoxville apparel company gets boost from throwback jerseys

By J.J. KINDRED  knoxvillebiz.com 

Football fans following the NFL this season have noticed that the lightning bolt has returned to the San Diego Chargers. The Tennessee Titans have been spotted in baby blue uniforms and helmets emblazoned with an oil derrick, just like the former Houston Oilers.

Even pro baseball is getting in on the retro look now and then.

Throwback jerseys, pants, hats and helmets have mushroomed from a fun fad to a revenue river for pro sports organizations and apparel distributors.

And the popularity of throwback uniforms is a bonanza for Knoxville apparel company Volunteer Apparel Inc. and its manufacturing plant in Luttrell, Tenn.

In the NFL, eight teams have worn the vintage-style uniforms this season in honor of the 50-year anniversary of the launch of the American Football League.

As president of Volunteer Apparel, specializing in sports wear, athletic uniforms and throwback jerseys from most major sports, Dick Jacobstein has overseen an industry with ups and downs rivaling the stock market.

With its factory headquartered in Luttrell, Jacobstein describes Volunteer Apparel as a contract manufacturer of current and throwback athletic uniforms and active wear that makes apparel for major athletic clothing suppliers and shoe companies.

Volunteer makes uniforms for most major sports, including baseball, football and basketball. The company also makes uniforms for track and field, wrestling and lacrosse. The company's clients include high school and lower-division college teams as well as recreational league teams in different sports.

The number of uniforms made varies from season to season, with five percent of revenue attributed to throwback jerseys.

One of Volunteer Apparel's contract affiliates is another Knoxville company, Letrell Sports, a manufacturer of athletic uniforms with no involvement in anything throwback.

An exploding trend

But one of the most high-profile affiliates Volunteer Apparel has is Mitchell & Ness, an internationally known company based in Philadelphia that distributes throwback jerseys and memorabilia, featuring a clientele of well-known athletes and celebrities.

Jacobstein said the popularity of throwback jerseys had cooled off, but he noted the trend has heated up once again. He also described how Volunteer Apparel has remained in business since 1976, partially thanks to the efforts of Peter Capolino, Mitchell & Ness's founder and owner.

"The idea came up with throwback baseball uniforms, using Hall of Famers and other well-known players that went back over the years," Jacobstein said. "(Capolino) went to Major League Baseball and got the license to do throwback uniforms and started manufacturing them."

Capolino said the throwback trend exploded between 1999 and 2003, pointing out that nostalgia jerseys were a hit because they became a "fashion item, not just a fan item."

"For every one fan, there were 100 people who wanted to wear it as a fashion item," Capolino said.

Volunteer Apparel's production quota mirrors Capolino's statistic. The Knoxville company is filling contracts to the tune of up to 4,000 throwback items a month.

Capolino detailed how the trend died down from 2004 to 2007, but there has been a resurgence in demand since '07. The retro look has transcended other styles, including popular hoodies, T-shirts and warm-ups.

Capolino said nearly every Major League Baseball team and most NFL teams are represented in throwback gear, noting that the jerseys of players from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson to Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken and Reggie Jackson are made. Mitchell & Ness and thus Volunteer Apparel are not licensed to make current wear.

"You're not going to see us doing Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada," Capolino said, laughing, giving a nod to his Philadelphia Phillies.

Capolino called the trend nationwide that has even spilled over to Europe, saying vintage looks in fashion are here to stay.

And Joanna Hunter, an NFL spokesperson, agreed.

Hunter said fans are buying the retro merchandise and appear excited about the AFL Legacy project.

"People love it," Hunter said. "There has been demand by fans, and with the popularity of the Legacy uniforms we'll see them again next year."

Jacobstein credited Capolino with making throwback wear as close to the original as he could.

"It became successful, people started to buy (the jerseys), he got distribution in sporting goods stores around the country and did some promotion and started to build his business around it. He'd get athletes and rappers coming in the store, and some guys started to collect these things. Mitchell & Ness got all this publicity as these athletes wore these things on MTV and other TV channels, as well as at appearances, shows and so forth."

As sales of retro sports apparel grew, Jacobstein said his business grew, too. Volunteer Apparel then began manufacturing throwbacks for Mitchell & Ness.

"We did basketball, baseball and actually did some football uniforms. As the business grew, (Capolino) started take some stuff offshore, and also did a little college stuff, particularly for local schools in Philadelphia. He never pursued the college end of the business more because he had his hands full with the rest of what he was doing."

A thriving business

Baseball throwback jerseys and uniforms are the top items that Volunteer Apparel makes for Mitchell & Ness, which was sold to Reebok years ago. The jerseys are made from wool, the main material that was used for baseball uniforms during the early part of the 20th century.

The wool jerseys, as well as others in select sports, range from $300 to $400, according to Jacobstein.

"There are not a whole lot of wool manufacturers left," he said. "Some of the wool comes from companies in the United States and some comes from Mexico. We sell the high-priced throwbacks, but we still continue to do wool jerseys. We manufacture them in Luttrell, and the lettering is mostly done elsewhere, so we never really see the finished product back here."

Volunteer Apparel made the old New York Giants baseball jerseys for the 50th anniversary of Bobby Thomson's 'Shot Heard Round the World,' said Al Horn, vice president of operations for Volunteer Apparel, referring to Thomson's home run that sent the Giants to the World Series in 1951.

Horn said the Giants jerseys were auctioned.

"It's still a thriving business," Jacobstein observed. "Collectors buy these jerseys and have them autographed by the player and they end up being mounted on the wall in somebody's office or somebody's home."

He said a number of players' jerseys continue to sell year after year. Also, if a former player is back in the news, their jerseys rise in popularity.

Horn said that Volunteer Apparel's Luttrell plant can produce 300 to 500 units a week using special textile equipment to put the products together.

According to Jacobstein, Volunteer Apparel isn't involved in determining the value of its products.

"Leagues set a rate of their fees," he said. "We don't know what the percentages are - whatever Mitchell & Ness and Reebok negotiate.

"Leagues have raised fees over the years. They have arrangements with the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. Organizations get a set percentage of the wholesale price. As those fees gone up, retail has gone up with it."

Then Jacobstein said with a laugh, "All we really are is a cut and sew shop."

Fantasy Football

By Daniel J. Flynn (American Spectator)

The 2-6 Oakland Raiders play the 1-7 Kansas City Chiefs this weekend in a game significant only in the fashion statements made by the gridiron combatants. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Football League, whose greatest success was its incorporation into the National Football League, the AFL's original eight teams are wearing throwback uniforms for select games this season.

The Chiefs, for instance, will wear Texans uniforms when they take on the Raiders. After winning the AFL championship game in 1962, the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. Given that there is currently another team called the Texans based in Houston, and that the Chiefs hail from Kansas City and not Texas, the Chiefs playing as the "Texans" might disorient the casual fan.

This was especially so in week five, when the Chiefs played in vintage Texans uniforms -- complete with an emblem of the state of Texas on their helmets -- against the Dallas Cowboys (the very team that forced Lamar Hunt to move the Texans to Kansas City). History's encroachment upon the present is confusing enough. The transient geography of NFL franchises has mucked up matters further.

The scene was even more surreal when the New York Jets played the Tennessee Titans in week three. In homage to their AFL incarnation as the Titans of New York, the Jets wore the blue and gold uniforms. Their opponents, the Tennessee Titans, paid tribute to their history as the Houston Oilers by sporting the old powder-blue with the derrick helmet insignia. In other words, the Jets, masquerading as the AFL's Titans, played the current Titans, who masqueraded as the Houston Oilers. Comprende?

The New York Jets ditching their Big Green Machine imagery for blue and gold, or the Orange Crush sporting brown and yellow -- Throwback uniforms for the San Diego Padres or Denver Broncos? -- is enough to make viewers adjust their television sets. Nine times out of ten, a throwback conjures up tradition. This one undermines it. The throwback gimmick is less about honoring yesterday's AFL than it is about today's NFL merchandising.

The simplicity of static "home" and "away" jerseys have been overrun by a confusing array of alternate jerseys, old-time uniforms, and alterations to team apparel so frequent that have fans rushing to stores to update their almost-perennially out-of-date duds. It started innocently enough in 1994 as a way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NFL. The first sight of the Pittsburgh Steelers donning blue-and-yellow striped jerseys with tiny numbers on the shoulder was arresting. But by the time appearances of such variations on the primary uniform had hit the double figure mark, the novelty had long worn off.

The popularity of vintage sporting apparel in rap videos, the booming business of Philadelphia's Mitchell & Ness that specializes in such nostalgic garb, and the demand by stadium fanatics for more diverse gear than the traditional "home" and "away" has resulted in a market for uniforms that aren't very uniform. But in the era of free agency -- with players, coaches, and even teams departing their familiar haunts -- what fans could really use is stability. Familiar color schemes, logos, and even names rooted in the hometown -- think Packers, Steelers, 49ers -- give them that.

One football team that seems to understand this is the Chiefs' opponents this week, the Oakland Raiders. In the inaugural AFL season, Raider team colors were black and, gasp, gold. Rather than field a Raider team wearing colors that would strike its fan base as unnatural, Oakland opted to stick with the same silver and black -- with a few tweaks -- to which Raider Nation has grown accustomed.

"You've seen our uniforms," Mike Taylor, a team spokesman, explained. "They're essentially the same as they've always been." The Yankees wear pinstripes. The Montreal Canadiens wear the "Hockey Club" logo. The Raiders wear silver and black. Some things in sports are sacrosanct, or at least should be.

The Raiders have transitioned from an elite NFL franchise into perennial cellar dwellers. They've changed head coaches five times in the last eight years. The quarterback position has been a revolving door of journeymen (Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walters, Josh McCown, etc.) since Rich Gannon led them to a Super Bowl to conclude the 2002 season. They even moved from Oakland to Los Angeles before moving back to Oakland. But trade in the silver-and-black for a gold-and-black marketing gimmick? Perish the thought.

The uniforms donned by the Oakland Raiders this weekend may not conjure up images of the early days of the AFL. But maintaining silver-and-black continuity, in an era of cheap marketing gimmicks, is certainly a throwback mentality.

Bucs Honored To Sport Throwbacks

Jim Flynn (the Pewter Report)

The Bucs will sport their 1979 throwback uniforms for their home game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The players have mixed reviews on the old orange and white colors, but all feel privileged to honor Lee Roy Selmon and the 1979 Bucs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the practice field Tuesday to get an extra workout in for their next opponent - the 4-3 Green Bay Packers.

The 0-7 Buccaneers still are looking for their first win of the 2009 regular season. Ironically, the team's next opportunity comes Sunday when Tampa Bay is scheduled to wear its throwback uniforms for the first time since retiring the orange and white colors in 1997.

None of the players on Tampa Bay's 53-man roster played for the Bucs during the Bucco Bruce days. In fact, some Bucs players weren't even teenagers when the team last sported the Bucco Bruce logo. However, the players understand the magnitude and importance of Sunday's contest.

"We're honoring the past and working on our future," said Bucs rookie receiver Sammie Stroughter, who was 11 the last time Tampa Bay wore orange and white uniforms. "I think it's special and I think guys are treating it that way."

There are mixed reviews in Tampa Bay's locker room in terms of how the players feel about the Bucco Bruce logo and creamsicle colors.

"I didn't think the uniforms fit that well back then, but now that they are a tighter fit I think they look better," said Bucs safety Sabby Piscitelli. "I wasn't a fan then, but I like these helmets. I don't know about wearing them for every game, but maybe for a few."

Added Bucs right defensive end Stylez G. White: "I like the idea and think we should wear them at least four times per year. Win or lose, it's still tradition and it's important to pay respect to what started it all."

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, their orange and white colors are oftentimes associated with losing, and for good reason.

Tampa Bay sported its orange and white uniforms from 1976-96. During that time, the Bucs had 18 losing seasons, including a 0-26 start from 1976-77.

However, the Bucs have brought back Bucco Bruce for the first time since 1996 in an effort to honor the 1979 team that made the NFC Championship Game, as well as Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, who will be the first Buc inducted in to the team's Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium.

For the players that aren't crazy about trading in Tampa Bay's red and pewter colors for orange and white this week, the tradition will help them adjust to the temporary uniform change.

"It was changed for a reason," said Bucs center Jeff Faine. "I'm not a huge fan of it, but it's part of the legacy of the Buccaneers. We're going to do it and honor Lee Roy Selmon by wearing the uniform he wore."

Since undergoing a uniform change in '97, the Bucs have suffered through just three losing seasons and won Super Bowl XXXVII. The '09 season is dangerously close to being Tampa Bay's fourth losing season during a 13-year span.

The Bucs are the only winless team in the NFL. Ending that dreadful streak would be huge for Tampa Bay, but the Bucs admit a win in the throwback uniforms would be even more special.

"We're honoring the legendary Buc, the guy that started it off," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said of Selmon. "Whatever uniform they put on us, we need to go out there and get our first win and represent this man they're putting in the Ring of Honor. There's a lot to play for."

It worked: AFL throwback items selling like crazy

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Vintage Photos for the Week & HOF Artifact

Vintage Photos for the Week & Pro Football Hall of Fame Artifact

Johnny Unitas played in the NFL from 1955-1973. His career actually began with the Steelers when he was drafted in '55, but did not officially begin until the following year when the Baltimore Colts signed him. He eventually finished his career with the San Diego Chargers in '73. His classic and iconic high top cleats are a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame collection in Canton, Ohio.  Here they are along with a photo from his playing days with the Colts and Chargers.

 

 

Great shots.

Awesome Look at the 1964 NFL Yearbook Cover

1964 NFL Yearbook

Here is a look at life in the NFL during 1964. Just goes to show you that if a classic design is picked, I will stay relevant and look fantastic in any era. The only helmet that radically different is the Washington Redskins. Others have been tweaked, but the design principle remains the same.

This Weekend's AFL Legacy Game: Dolphins vs. Jets (Titans)

This weekend's Legacy Game:

The New York Jets' throwback version of the 1960 New York Titans is becoming a very familiar site. This will be the third time the team has worn the retro uniforms this year. Last week we got our first glimpse of the road version of the throwback they first recovered last season.

The Miami Dolphins are just now jumping on the throwback train and will suit up in the 1972 undefeated version of their classic uniform.

Monday Night Football Fantasy Throwback Match-up: Eagles vs. Redskins

Fantasy Throwback Match-up: Eagles vs. Redskins

The Eagles and Redskins will be wearing their normal jerseys tonight, but I thought it would be fun to create a fantasy uniform throwback match-up.  The histories behind both of these teams have provided great games and great uniform match-ups.

The first fantasy throwback match-up would be this 1971 match-up:

The Eagles wore these uniforms with these helmets from 1969-1973. I just think the white on white is a clean and classic look. These Redskin uniforms were used for the 1970 and '71 seasons.

The second fantasy throwback match-up would be from this early 60s match-up:

This is probably my favorite of the "match-ups that actually happened." I love the Redskins' feather helmet, and would love to see that developed again. The Redskins wore these uniforms up until 1964 when they switched for a helmet logo that we now familiarize with the Florida State Seminoles. The sames uniforms that the Redskins wore during their 2002 campaign honoring their 70th anniversary.

But I think the ultimate fantasy match-up for tonight's Monday Night Football game would be those early 1960s Washington Redskins uniforms against the late '70s - early '80s Philadelphia Eagles:

1961 Washington Redskins vs. 1980 Philadelphia Eagles