(Article by Scott Smith)
The flag still flies over Tampa Bay, bigger and bolder than ever.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new-look logo and helmet – unveiled on NFL Network on Thursday night by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Hall of Fame Buccaneer Warren Sapp – and they enhanced everything Tampa Bay fans have come to love about the team’s hard-hitting look. The Buccaneer red of the flag is more vivid, the pewter of the helmet more distinctive, the skull-and-crossed-swords even more intimidating than before and – most strikingly, the logos on the helmet are much larger.
The Buccaneers’ new helmet will also feature a chrome facemask that is unique to professional football. It’s the first update of Tampa Bay’s look since the red-and-pewter uniforms replaced the original orange-and-white combination 17 years ago. The reveal on Thursday of the enhanced logo and helmet are a preview of a full uniform re-design that will be revealed on March 5 and put into action during the 2014 season.
“This is an exciting day for the entire Buccaneers organization as we begin the process of introducing our new look by revealing an enhanced logo and new helmet design,” said Buccaneers Co-Chairman Edward Glazer. “The logo is much larger and portrays a more intimidating presence, while the chrome facemask is the first used by an NFL team. This is the first alteration to our logo and helmet since the previous re-design 17 years ago and we believe it sets the stage for our transition into this new, exciting era of Buccaneers football.”
The new logo still features the team’s iconic, windswept red battle flag, while sporting a more menacing skull positioned over crossed swords and an orange football. The helmet retains its trademark pewter color and includes a larger logo on each side along with the revolutionary new chrome facemask. Also unique to the Buccaneers’ look will be a hand-painted shading technique that uses a darker pewter color running vertically from the front of the helmet to the crown and along the ear-holes, providing a one-of-a-kind custom look.
The re-design of the Buccaneers’ logo and helmet was the result of a rigorous and thorough process in conjunction with a design team at the National Football League. The aim of the project was to take the existing Bucs logo and update it with a new, refreshed, modernized approach, taking the toughness that was inherent in the existing mark and making it much louder. That can be seen in many of the details of the skull and crossed swords, most notably around the eye socket, the teeth, the mouth and the jaw. Every detail of that skull was looked at and very specific decisions were made to determine how far it could be taken to make it tougher but still be true to the Buccaneers’ original approach.
The far greater size of the helmet logo adds to the more powerful impact of Tampa Bay’s new look. The addition of the dark pewter shading and the new chrome facemask make it one of the more detailed and eye-catching helmet and, again, adds to the overall toughness of the uniform’s look.
McCoy, who had an opportunity to see the helmet before the reveal on Thursday night, was thrilled with the enhanced look and thinks his teammates will be, as well.
“The logo stands out, and that’s exactly what we want to do in the NFL. People will see us and say, ‘That’s the Bucs.’ There are so many unique things about this helmet, and that’s what we want to be as a team and as an organization. The skull is modernized and he looks meaner. And the vibrant red on the side is going to stand out and shine. I love it, and I’m sure my teammates are going to love it. We want to be us and we want to stand out as the Bucs. The huge logo and the chrome facemask, it does all of that.”
The team’s full uniform ensemble will be revealed at an introductory press conference held at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday, March 5, beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. New merchandise will be available to the general public in the coming weeks following an exclusive pre-order window for Buccaneers season pass members. Additional details regarding merchandise availability will be provided during the introductory press conference on March 5.