Some of you know how many yards Doug Williams threw for in the 1979 NFC divisional playoff game against the Rams. Or the score of that Bucs-Bears road game in 1984 (it was a 34-14 loss, by the way).

This is your place to wax nostalgic and share your best memories about the Bucs. Favorite games, performances, players.

If you’re one of those fans who actually misses Bucco Bruce, we want to hear from you.

I have two favorite moments as a Buc fan. 

First is of course the Super Bowl.  But to make it even more special was the fact that I was in a room full of Raiders fans.  In fact the only other Buc “fan” was a guy’s wife that thought their uniforms were nicer than the Raiders.

The second was Mike Alstott’s run against the Vikings.  All the true Buc fans no which one I’m talking about.  If you need a reminder it’s at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10AHmfP-qdU And just like the Super Bowl there was a little extra fun, because I was stationed in Nebraska at the time and was watching the game with a Vikings fan.  It was awesome.  The guy celebrated stopping Alstott and then saw the big #40 turn, run, and score.

As honorable mention is the fact that when I was younger I got to go to a few games back when the team was wearing creamsicle uniforms.  The team was horrible every year, but I never saw them lose when I went to a game.  Maybe I was good luck and should have gone to more games.

My favorite Bucs Memory and also my favorite game attended was the 1979 Playoff Win over the Dick Vermiel led and Ron Jaworski QB’d Philadelphia Eagles. I was a 25 year old Sergeant stationed at Macdill AFB then and that was the season I became a lifelong Bucs Fan.  I previously was a Cowboys Fan BTW.
Ricky Bell, Doug Williams, and Jimmy Giles were all phenomenal for the Bucs, While Ron Jaworski was at least very able in defeat as he brought the Eagles back from an early 17-0 deficit to make it a seven point game but the great Bucs Defense would let him do no more.
The atmosphere on that Saturday morning and afternoon was absolutely electric as the packed stadium ( well over 99% of attendees being loud Buc Fans) was truely the 12th man present on that cool,crisp, and yet sunny late December day.
Then we were proud of the Orange Uniforms, and the Pirate logo on their helmets wasn’t yet being referred to as “Buccaneer Bruce”.

Going back to an older memory would be when I was yougner and Hardy Nickerson was still playing for us. I remember a young Derrick Brooks and thinking how great I thought HArdy Nickerson was. Then always wondering .. “Are we ever going to have another guy like him on our defense?” Now to have watched D.B. work his way into Bucs lore...I get chills thinking about the early days. Also the nostalgia remains when I see Alstott’s many 2 yard run highlights. A more recent memory was being at the Bucs-Washington Playoff game...oddly enough, it’s Chris Simms pass to Edell Shephard that was ‘dropped’ in the end zone. I remember thinking how we got robbed and as we walked out of the stadium it ws killing me that we came SO close to movinbg on. I then stopped in my tracks. . . and thought back to the days of our SUper Bowl and thought..."Hell this loss feels a whole helluva lot better than the ones of the old days. We’re here. We’re JUST around the corner from making big things happen!”

I remeber calling into Q105 back in the mid-80’s (when it was a pop station) to try and win Bucs tickets, turns out I was the winner.  The person on the other end sounded surprised an bemused that anyone actually called in.

Second was the 1st play-off game in 97, I just returned from Korea and my parents got tickets in the end zone, highlight of the game we won and held Barry Sanders to something like 20 yards(dont kill me if I am off on that, just remember that he did very badly that day) and we were off to Green Bay.

I can’t believe I almost forgot abotu Barry Sanders. Not the man himself, but the fact that we used to be in the same division and had to play him twice a year. “Jiminy Christmas”, now we’ve got the second coming in Reggie Bush. Gee, thanks Lord, for allowing us a few years to catch our breath before unleashing another wrath on our defense!

Having a Dad who has been a season ticket holder since day 1 in 1976, most of my gameday memories have been of the great players on the opponents’ sidelines.  Payton, Montana, Sanders, etc.  But one of my greatest BUC memories, if not my all time favorite memory happened almost exactly 10 years ago.  On August 31, 1997 the perrenial media and fan favorite San Francisco 49ers came strutting into town ready for an easy opening day win.  Well if you, like me, was fortunate enough to be there, you saw one of the greatest beat downs in BUC history!  Young ..... Nickerson knee to the head ..... OUT!  Rice ...... Sapp facemask pulldown ...... OUT!!  It felt like years, or should I say decades of frustration was unloaded on the Niners that afternoon.  And as the Sports Illustrated cover stated that week, it truly was a “NINER NIGHTMARE!” To be totally honest, I felt like from that day on, our Defense would NEVER let us lose a close game.  Thank you Coach Wyche for drafting Sapp and Lynch!  And thank you Coach Dungy for giving us, the long-suffering true BUC fans one of the greatest Defenses in NFL history!

I watched this same game, except I was in Korea at the time, one $50 dollars off 2 seperate Niner fans.  If I am not mistaken though wasnt it Sapp that took out both Young and Rice?  And wasnt Rice pulled down from behind?

If I remember it right, Young went down in the first series.  Nickerson gave him the knee to the helmet after he was partially down.  They then put Drukenmiller in for the majority of the game, till Young came back late in the game.  Why, I have no idea.  On the Rice play, I remember him trying to run a reverse late in the 2nd quarter and Sapp got thru the line and grabbed the only thing he could, his facemask.  His head jerked back, knee popped and that was it for Rice.  I do remember seeing him on the sideline with crutches in black street clothes late in the second half.

I don’t know if it is my favorite memory, but it was memorable.  I was a kid and the Miinnisota Vikings were in town, an old NFC Central rival.  Vinnie Testaverde was the QB for Tampa, in his first or second year.  Not the fastest guy in the world, but could scramble if the conditions were right.  In any case, the Bucs had the ball somewhere around their 10 yard line, and Testaverde rolled to his left.  Then, seeing an opening, started down field at an angle.  Running from the left sideline to the right while moving forward, he ran something like 70 or 80 yards to the Minnisota 10 yard line where he was tackled from behind.  Although it was funny seeing this lumbering guy running down the field, the crowd went crazy seeing the big QB run the length of the field.  I think the team scored a TD a few plays later - but that was the most surprising play I have ever seen on a football field.  Now living in NY I have to say I have never seen anything like that to this day.

Testaverde had his problems, interceptions being one of them, but on that day he was heroic in his efforts.  I don’t think anyone thinks the guy did not try hard, he just found the wrong team too often.  Oh, and by the way, as of today (Oct. 10, 2007), the 44 year old is now signed by the Carolina Panthers and may start this weekend if Carr cannot play.  This is a guy drafted by the Bucs 20 years ago - durable he is.

This goes way way back but my favorite Bucs memory is still the 3-0 win in a pouring-down rain at the Sombrero against Kansas City in 1979 to clinch our first playoff spot after our previous years of total ineptitude. Second best is the win over Minnesota in the playoffs, the year we lost to the Rams in the NFC championship game. That one was special because we had little offense and Minnesota had the best offense in the league so nobody (including me I’m afraid) gave us much of a chance. Our defense just absolutely stuffed ‘em. Actually it’s hard to pick a favorite, despite the years of creamsickle uniforms and coaches like Leeman Bennett, Richard Williamson, Ray Perkins, et al I have a lot of great Bucs memories.

In 1983 John Mckay cuts the place kicker prior to the season finally in Detroit due to ineffectiveness and replaces him with Mr everythinlg OG George Yarno. Imagine a 290lb OG kicking fg and xp and making them. It was the only fun moment in a very dismal season and thankfully McKays last.

Hey guys.  Good stuff all around.  One of my favorite moments as a bucs fan came on opening day in 1997, much like Swyche.  I was in high school at the time and both my brothers were in town.  We went to the game with smiles on our faces, hoping the old boys could give us a show since we’re so rarely afforded time together.  We were not disappointed.  The highlight for us was the first appearance of something that fans have come to know and love.  As we were cheering for a first down, we noticed red flags being raised behind us.  Then the jolly roger danced on the screen saying “The red zone is our attack zone!” We were so fired up, we couldnt help but laugh like small children.  Both of us looked to the other, wondering what was happening.  Neither of us expected it, and to say the least we were impressed.  It was one of the cooler things I have been a part of.  Great game.  Thanks Bucs.

Oh and incidentally, the orange and white will always be my favorite.  Bucco Bruce, we miss you

Perhaps some of the more senior members can help me with this.....I was fairly young when this happened (probably somewhere between 8 and 10 years old).....

We’re facing the cowboys and we’ve never beaten them. We’re within a score close to the end of the game....Giles runs a post across the middle deep and Williams (I think) tosses the ball over his head.....had Giles been two yards further up the field the pass would have been PERFECT, but it fell short.......rolled over Jimmie’s fingertips for an incompletion. We lost. One of the earliest and most memorable moments for me.....and I’m serious, if anyone recalls the play I’m talking about, I’d love to know which game it was....I have the picture of THAT play implanted in my mind, but not much else....

Obviously Alstott goal line in Minnesota I think it was don’t remember what year. Bounced off like four defenders. Rumbling to 6

Barbers interception in Philly to seal the deal. Final nail in the coffin for the VET

and the catch Jurevicious made in Tampa when he tipped the ball to himself spun around a defender to score 6

to name but a few

Here is a second memorable moment that even today you hear replays of on ESPN radio:

After a particularly bad loss to another team in 1976 when the Bucs were on the verge of going 0-14 which would hold as a record season of futility until this year’s Dolphins went 1-15, John McKay was asked the now classic question, “What did you think of the team’s execution?” In this case, the reporter was alluding to the mishandled ball - which had happened numerous times during the game (steve spurrier and gang had a number of bad plays).

To this question, McKay answered, “I am all for it.” McKay, being known for quips just zinged the reporter with a humorous answer off of the top of his head.  You never knew what the guy would say.  Until Dungy came along, McKay was the best coach the team ever had amazingly enough.  At least during losing he always kept a sense of humor, which I am sure was useful during those trying times (put another way, I was only 8 years old when he made that comment - and I still remember it).