Highlights
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the National Football League's 24th franchise when league owners selected the Tampa region for one of two expansion teams in 1974. The Bucs made history with their futility, losing their first 26 games, including an 0-14 mark in '76 that remains the only winless record since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970. Yet in just their fourth year of existence, the Bucs reversed their losing ways and fell one game shy of reaching the Super Bowl by advancing to a conference championship quicker than any expansion team in league history. The club's 14-year run of losing seasons (including 13 straight with at least 10 defeats) remains a NFL record. A change in ownership -- fro...
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the National Football League's 24th franchise when league owners selected the Tampa region for one of two expansion teams in 1974. The Bucs made history with their futility, losing their first 26 games, including an 0-14 mark in '76 that remains the only winless record since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970. Yet in just their fourth year of existence, the Bucs reversed their losing ways and fell one game shy of reaching the Super Bowl by advancing to a conference championship quicker than any expansion team in league history. The club's 14-year run of losing seasons (including 13 straight with at least 10 defeats) remains a NFL record. A change in ownership -- from frugal tax attorney Hugh Culverhouse (who died in 1994) to corporate raider Malcolm Glazer in '95 -- was the first step toward erasing the franchise's laughingstock reputation. The hiring of Coach Tony Dungy in '96 was the second. With Dungy at the helm, the Bucs erased their previous reputation by reaching the playoffs four of five seasons until back-to-back first-round defeats in 2000-01 prompted Dungy's firing. Dungy was replaced by Jon Gruden, who the team bought out of his contract with the Oakland Raiders for an unprecedented package of four high draft choices and $8 million. Gruden took a championship-ready team and led it to the franchise's first world title in his first season, crushing his former team, the Raiders, 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII at San Diego on Jan. 26, 2003. Prominent players over the club's more than three decades include defensive end Lee Roy Selmon (the franchise's lone player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame), linebacker Derrick Brooks (10 straight Pro Bowls from '97-06) and quarterback Doug Williams (who played for the Bucs from '78-82, but left following a contract dispute and eventually became the first African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl as a member of the Washington Redskins in 1987).
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SPORTS WATCH: Triple coverage on Plax saga
neil.best@newsday.comOK, so it wasn't literally as fast as a New York minute, but Plaxico Burress still showed impressive speed in running through the cycle of local sports celebrity in less than a New York year. Super Bowl hero. Offseason grumbling. Big new contract. Eye of...Tags: Florida Panthers, ESPN, Multi-Sport Events, Miami Dolphins, Police
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Steelers should push around Cowboys in cold
ed.mcnamara@newsday.comWEEK 14; BEST BET: JETS All picks against the spread Marquee matchups COWBOYS (8-4) at STEELERS (9-3) Line: Steelers by 3 Over/Under: 39 1/2 TV: Ch. 5, 4:15 p.m. Millions live and die with these national teams, whose logos inspire more passion than...Tags: Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Derek Anderson
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Ravens tall in saddle for stretch
Four games from the end of an improbable regular season - and possibly the start of what once was an even more unlikely postseason - the Ravens still have all playoff options in front of them. Division title? Still attainable. As it stands, the Ravens...Tags: Florida Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN
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Cowboys move up in class by going to Pittsburgh after victories over 49ers and Seahawks
AP Football WriterThe Dallas Cowboys will find out Sunday whether Tony Romo, back from his broken pinkie, can be as effective against one of the NFL's elite teams as he has been against also-rans. Dallas has won three straight since Romo returned, but the last two have...Tags: Florida Panthers, Personal Weapon Control, Multi-Sport Events, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers
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NFL players need protection, but is carrying a gun the answer?
SENTINEL STAFF WRITERDennis Northcutt grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where the sounds of gunfire and sirens were an accepted part of life's soundtrack. So when Northcutt went to play football at the University of Arizona, he often walked the streets of Tucson with...Tags: Jacksonville Jaguars, ESPN, Jon Gruden, Multi-Sport Events, Miami Dolphins
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Manning learned of hiring with ``everybody else''
AP Sports WriterPeyton Manning says he still bleeds orange, and Albert Haynesworth hopes new coach Lane Kiffin works out at Tennessee. That doesn't mean the former Volunteers are ready to embrace the guy who replaced their close friend and former coach, Phillip Fulmer....Tags: Oakland Raiders, Football, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Colts, Peyton Manning
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Bucs-Panthers a riveting rivalry that one day might rank with the all-time greats
SENTINEL STAFF WRITEROn Sept. 14, 2003, mere hours after the defending world champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoisted their Super Bowl title banner for a rowdy home opener at Raymond James Stadium, Brad Johnson threw a touchdown pass to Keenan McCardell as time expired to tie an...Tags: Florida Panthers, Pete Rozelle, Multi-Sport Events, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins
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Cowboys go to Pittsburgh to see if Romo-led comeback will persist against good team.
AP Football WriterThe Dallas Cowboys will get a better idea Sunday what Tony Romo's return from a broken pinkie has done for their Super Bowl hopes. After beating the 49ers and Seahawks at home, Dallas goes to Pittsburgh for a game against a team it could face again if...Tags: Jacksonville Jaguars, Multi-Sport Events, New York Giants, Football, Pittsburgh Steelers
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NFL REPORT
Falcons 22, Chargers 16 The Falcons are very much alive in the playoff race. The Chargers, once considered Super Bowl contenders, are just about done after rookie Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes and Michael Turner ran for 120 yards against his...Tags: Multi-Sport Events, National Football League, Football, Kellen Winslow, Mike Smith
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Some aren't ready to jump aboard and talk of Subway Super Bowl
On The NflNew York-New York for all the marbles? Start spreadin' the news if you like, but not everyone in that city is gung-ho on the increasing chatter of the New York Giants and the New York Jets playing each other for the Lombardi Trophy. Giants great Harry...Tags: Multi-Sport Events, New York Giants, National Football League, Brett Favre, Football
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NFL power rankings: Dolphins climb despite lackluster win
Newsday1. Giants (11-1) (1): At some point, the Plaxico Burress situation has to have some effect on this team … or does it? Jints pound 'Skins a day after Burress shooting incident. 2. Titans (11-1) (3): After lay-up win over Lions on Turkey Day, Titans are...Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, National Football League, New York Giants, Football
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Smith's dazzling catch gives the Panthers a key road victory ahead of showdown with Bucs
AP Sports WriterCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) _ John Fox is no fan of lists and shies away from comparing things, so the question stumped him. The Carolina Panthers coach was asked Monday where Steve Smith's back-arching, over-the-head grab in the snow in Green Bay a day earlier...Tags: Florida Panthers, Al Harris, Ken Lucas, Football, Charles Woodson
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