Editing Tampa Bay Buccaneers (section)

===1976===
[[File:Tampa Bay Buccaneers Uniforms 1976-1996.png|thumb|right|480px|There were four different versions of uniforms between 1976 and 1996.]]
Shortly after the franchise was awarded, in February 1975 the team name of "Buccaneers" was selected, along with proposed team colors of green, orange and white. The name was said to be reminiscent of [[José Gaspar]] and the [[Buccaneer]]s of the [[Caribbean Sea]], and the color orange representing the Florida [[citrus]] industry. Almost immediately, the nickname "Bucs" became popular, but the alternative "Bay Bucs" failed to gain traction.<ref name="TTpg23">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67933926/|title=Bay Bucs picked as NFL Tampa name|newspaper=The Tampa Times|page=23|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 17, 1975|access-date=January 18, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref>

A few months later, however, green was dropped from the color scheme. The artists' renditions were too similar to the [[Aqua (color)|aqua]] used by the [[Miami Dolphins]], as well as the green shades utilized by the [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami Hurricanes]] and [[Florida A&M Rattlers football|Florida A&M]]. While they desired to keep the primary color orange, which provided a popular visual link to the [[Florida Gators football|Gators]], Hurricanes, and Florida A&M, they sought to further distinguish themselves. The color red as an accent color was substituted, as a gesture to the former [[Tampa Spartans football|Tampa Spartans]] and loosely, to the [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State Seminoles]]. The orange/red/white combination was now a composite of all major college teams in the state at the time.<ref name="TTRIBpg55">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67936806/|title=Dashing Bucs Hoist Their Colors|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|page=55|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=June 15, 1975|access-date=January 18, 2021}}{{Open access}}</ref> Officially speaking, the club's colors during this time period were Florida orange, red, and white.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=Linking Decades: Bucs Throw Back to '76|url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/linking-decades-bucs-throw-back-to-76-2175249|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC|website=Buccaneers.com|date=July 31, 2009|access-date=December 15, 2020|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923030546/https://www.buccaneers.com/news/linking-decades-bucs-throw-back-to-76-2175249|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Please do not remove this URL reference. Thank you. -->

Long-time ''[[Tampa Tribune]]'' cartoonist and [[Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla]] member Lamar Sparkman designed the first team logo.<ref>Gershman, Rick. "101 Gasparilla". St. Petersburg Times. January 28, 2005</ref><ref name="Sentinel-04081997a"/> Faced with the challenge of designing a logo that did not closely resemble that of the other "[[Pirates in popular culture#Pirates in sports|pirates]]" in the league, the Raiders, Sparkman came up with a [[moustache]]d pirate wearing a [[Plume (feather)|plumed]] [[slouch hat]], with a large hoop [[earring]] in his left ear and clutching a [[dagger]] in his teeth.<ref name="TTRIBpg55"/> The pirate appeared to be winking. Sparkman decided to portray the character not as a "hairy-legged slob", but more of gallant, swashbuckling, and rakish, "classy" type. The eye wink was used rather than an [[eyepatch]], since the Raiders' logo already depicted a patch over one eye.<ref name="TTRIBpg55"/> For a very brief time he was referred to as "[[Henry Morgan|Morgan]]", and coach [[John McKay (American football)|John McKay]] called him "[[Errol Flynn]]".<ref name="Sentinel-04081997a"/> Local ''[[Tampa Bay Times|St. Petersburg Times]]'' sportswriter Hubert Mizell coined the somewhat belittling nickname "Bucco Bruce" in a February 1976 [[Column (periodical)|column]], noting almost immediately the mascot's unintimidating and "cavalier" appearance.<ref name="SPTimes02081976a">{{cite news|title=Bay Bucs better have a sense of humor (Part 1)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13449958/origin_of_bucco_bruce/|first=Hubert|last=Mizell|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|page=49|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 8, 1976|access-date=August 30, 2017|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831035759/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13449958/origin_of_bucco_bruce/|url-status=live}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="SPTimes02081976b">{{cite news|title=Bay Bucs better have a sense of humor (Part 2)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13450044/|first=Hubert|last=Mizell|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|page=61|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=February 8, 1976|access-date=August 30, 2017|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831035802/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13450044/|url-status=live}}{{Open access}}</ref> The nickname stuck,<ref name="SPTimes12231979">{{cite news|title=McKay's ugly turn to swans|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13450365/|first=Hubert|last=Mizell|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|page=182|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=December 23, 1979|access-date=August 30, 2017|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831002708/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13450365/|url-status=live}}{{Open access}}</ref> while the logo and the name "Bucco Bruce" became symbols and reminders of the club's ongoing futility.<ref name="Sentinel-04101997b"/> Sports writer and commentator [[Nick Bakay]] once said that Bucco Bruce was a pirate who "struck fear in the hearts of no one".

The original home uniforms featured orange jerseys with white numerals outlined in red, white trousers, and striped socks. These are the now-infamous "[[Popsicle (brand)|Creamsicle]] uniforms", so named from the perceived similarity of the uniform's appearance to the [[ice cream]] snack.<ref name="Tribune10051994">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67407087/|title=Losing to Tampa Bay simply the ultimate indignity for Lions|publisher=The Tampa Tribune|first=Mitch|last=Albom|date=October 5, 1994|access-date=January 11, 2020}}</ref> Road white jerseys had orange numerals outlined in red.<ref name="auto"/><!-- Please do not remove this URL reference. Thank you. --> During their first season in 1976, however, the orange jerseys were only utilized for preseason games. The Buccaneers wore their white jerseys for all 14 regular season games.<ref name="TTRIBpg55"/> After the 1976 season, the team would not see striped socks again until they began wearing them as throwback uniforms starting in 2009.