New Tampa Bay Buccaneers Uniforms: The Good, The Bad and The Not-So-Ugly

Aug 16, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; An NFL Heads Up logo is affixed to the helmet of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers players prior to a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

As anyone reading this article may well know, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently revealed a completely new set of uniforms from the top down. New helmets, new uniforms, new logos, an entirely new look.

When everything was finally released, the reactions to the uniforms were mixed at best. I will admit that when the uniforms were released, I was shocked. I knew that the uniforms would change, but I don’t think that I prepared myself for how much the uniforms would actually change. After reading articles about them, I couldn’t get these two words out of my head: “alarm clock.”

However, after that initial confusion died down, I took a longer look at the uniforms. I am happy to say that they’ve grown on me and I’m excited to see them on the field.

Now, as far back as I can remember, the Buccaneers have had the same uniforms. Red tops, pewter pants, and white tops on the road. Was this a great uniform set? Of course. I got to see the team win a Super Bowl in these uniforms. With an offseason overhaul for the coaching staff and front office, was it time for a change? Definitely.

With Nike designing the uniforms, it should have come as no surprise that the uniforms would be different. Looking at recent re-brands of the Seattle Seahawks and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the new Buccaneers’ uniform is by no means out of place in the Nike NFL family. However, this sense of difference is exactly why I like the uniforms.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the actual uniforms, which you can find on the Buccaneers’ official website

As you can see in the above picture, these aren’t your father’s Buccaneers. This is a complete revamp. However, they retain the main color scheme and the orange accents call back to the old “creamsicle” uniforms, the first Buccaneers uniform set. This nod to the past is a cool touch that adds a bit of nostalgia to the newer generation of colors.

Even though the uniform as a whole is a new beast in itself, the quality lies in the smaller details. The uniform has many smaller touches that show that it is dedicated to incorporating every change that the Buccaneers have made this offseason.

Each shoulder pad comes with its own secondary logo to show that no stone was unturned in the design of this uniform. To me, this is easily the coolest aspect of the uniform. Catching glimpses of the pirate ship or the new “Bucs” typeface on TV is going to be fun this season as we get used to the new look.

Finally, the uniform has its own weirdly cool design aspect. After all, like I said, this IS Nike. Their newest eye-catching design is literally that. Eye-catching.

Yes. The numbers are apparently reflective. How cool is that?

I will honestly say that I was quick to judge the uniforms when I shouldn’t have. Yes, they’re drastic. Yes, they’re different. However, they look very cool. This is a new era for the Buccaneers. While I don’t know that I will get the term “alarm clock” out of my head (or off my Twitter feed) any time soon, one thing is certain — I was wrong about these uniforms.