The Tampa Bay storm lost to the Chicago Rush, 70-48.
While everyone was busy watching college basketball, the Lightning or the Rays on Saturday night, the Storm opened the 2012 campaign in Chicago with their new logo and uniform. Unfortunately, the new look was not enough to help an offense that finished last in the league last year.
QB Stephen Wasil got the starting nod over former USF Bull Matt Grothe, and he had a decent debut, completing 26/44 passes for 328 yards and 4 TDs. He did add 16 rushing yards and 3 TDs on the ground, but he also threw 2 interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. Not a good start to the season. Prechae Rodriguez added 12 catches for 187 yards and 3 TDs, but it was not enough.
Despite the rough start, the game was tied at 35 all at halftime. But the Storm were outscored 35-13 in the second half, and Tampa Bay fell to 0-1.
The Storm's home opener at the Tampa Bay Times Forum is next week on Friday, March 16th at 8 PM. They take on the Georgia Force.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
An idea for new Buccaneers uniforms
In April, the NFL will make a switch in jersey manufacturer from Reebok to Nike, who will finally bring their Pro Combat system to the pros (as opposed to college football). NFL officials have said that the change will not bring any dramatic uniform design changes, as logos and uniforms are controlled by the individual teams, who need to apply to the league to approve any uniform changes. Nike will supposedly only be bringing their advanced clothing material, and not their...creative side (see: Oregon Ducks).
However, some teams may decide that a modification could good for the team. Generally, unless a logo and jersey is historically significant (Packers, Steelers, etc.), it can be a good idea to keep things fresh every 10 or 15 years. If anything, it can serve as motivation to get fans to buy new merchandise. I feel that the Bucs could use a change.
They last changed their image in 1997, going from the creamsicles and Bucco Bruce to red, black, pewter, and orange with the Skulls and Swords. The Bucs won a Super Bowl in these uniforms, but they have also have had many rough seasons, including a 3-13 and 4-12 season the last three years. With a new coaching staff and hopefully a new direction, new Nikes, and an increasingly outdated jersey, a fresh look seems appropriate.
With that, here is my proposal for a new logo and uniform.
LOGO:
The new helmet will have a black base with a white facemask. The side logo will be the secondary TB logo. The center stripe is based on a stripe system that will be consistant throughout the uniform, which is seen on the current uniforms' numbers and pants. The stripe order is white-black-orange-red-orange-black-white.
HOME JERSEY:
The primary home jersey will have a red base, white shoulders with the primary logo, and black and white paneling down the side. The sleeves, part of the new Pro Combat system, add an extension to the uniform and use the same stripe system seen on the helmet. The numbers also tap into this format. The design of the numbers comes from the Buccaneers font, and these numbers were used on the Buccaneers practice uniforms from a few seasons ago. I have always liked these numbers and thought they fit the theme well, so they are used here.
AWAY JERSEY:
The away uniform uses basically the same design as the homes, but with some colors inverted. I debated making the shoulders red, but that would not flow as well with the sleeves or with the logo.
PANTS:
However, some teams may decide that a modification could good for the team. Generally, unless a logo and jersey is historically significant (Packers, Steelers, etc.), it can be a good idea to keep things fresh every 10 or 15 years. If anything, it can serve as motivation to get fans to buy new merchandise. I feel that the Bucs could use a change.
They last changed their image in 1997, going from the creamsicles and Bucco Bruce to red, black, pewter, and orange with the Skulls and Swords. The Bucs won a Super Bowl in these uniforms, but they have also have had many rough seasons, including a 3-13 and 4-12 season the last three years. With a new coaching staff and hopefully a new direction, new Nikes, and an increasingly outdated jersey, a fresh look seems appropriate.
With that, here is my proposal for a new logo and uniform.
LOGO:
The logo is an adaptation of the current secondary logo, the pirate ship. I feel this logo has a much sharper feel to it, providing the feeling of sleekness and speed. The logo is also more linear, providing for that feeling of moving forward. This represents progress and a new direction, much like the angle in the new Lightning logo. The logo in the center sail is also the secondary logo, a "TB" standing for Tampa Bay and based off of the current Buccaneers font, which will be retained.
HELMET:
HOME JERSEY:
The primary home jersey will have a red base, white shoulders with the primary logo, and black and white paneling down the side. The sleeves, part of the new Pro Combat system, add an extension to the uniform and use the same stripe system seen on the helmet. The numbers also tap into this format. The design of the numbers comes from the Buccaneers font, and these numbers were used on the Buccaneers practice uniforms from a few seasons ago. I have always liked these numbers and thought they fit the theme well, so they are used here.
AWAY JERSEY:
The away uniform uses basically the same design as the homes, but with some colors inverted. I debated making the shoulders red, but that would not flow as well with the sleeves or with the logo.
PANTS:
The pants are the exact same as the current secondary pants. These pants are my favorite part of the current uniform set, and they utilize the striping system, so no change is needed.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of my designs is the lack of pewter. Honestly, I never have cared for pewter; it's such an irregular color that is hard to match and not very cohesive with other colors. Red and black have a sharp contrast, but pewter really muddies the water in my opinion. I think that limiting the color scheme to red, black and white with some orange highlights really sharpens the uniform.
I apologize for not having properly photoshopped pictures, but these designs were made by scanning sketches I made freehand and touching the up using Paint (I know, so advanced!). These took quite a bit of time, so I would appreciate any feedback.
A new internet meme: the Trolling Ref
Coming after last night's atrocious goalie interference call against Steven Stamkos that lead to the put-away power play goal for the Senators, I wanted to vent my frustration through a creative avenue. To do this, I decided to develop my own meme: the Trolling Ref.
The Trolling Ref is based on when referees make such bad calls that the only possible explanation is that they're simply trying to troll the team and their fanbase. This seems to occur often for all teams from the Tampa Bay area, so it seems appropriate. To create a Trolling Ref, take a picture of a ref talking to an enraged player or coach, and place a Troll Face over the head of the referee. Then add a "U MAD ____? caption, filling in the blank with the name of the team or player. Here are some examples:
The Trolling Ref is based on when referees make such bad calls that the only possible explanation is that they're simply trying to troll the team and their fanbase. This seems to occur often for all teams from the Tampa Bay area, so it seems appropriate. To create a Trolling Ref, take a picture of a ref talking to an enraged player or coach, and place a Troll Face over the head of the referee. Then add a "U MAD ____? caption, filling in the blank with the name of the team or player. Here are some examples:
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