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Pirate Bowl Of Bucs
In the National Football League, everything seems to get a nickname eventually. From the Ice Bowl in the 1960s to the Steel Curtain defense in the 1970s, the tendency to define players, plays, teams, and events via the use of colorful monikers has been seemingly irresistible. With that in mind, it was perhaps inevitable that Super Bowl XXXVII in January of 2003 would be labeled too. Featuring the Tampa Bay Bucs plus the Oakland Raiders – both of whom employ symbols and imager evocative of a pirate motif, it had been only natural that the game would earn the apt nickname “the Pirate Bowl”.
The pirate deal
The stage was set for this game the moment how the Buccaneers executed a trade for former Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden in 2002. Because Gruden’s contract with the Raiders was still in impact, Oakland was able to use their parley with the Bucs to force Tampa Bay into giving up four valuable draft selections in exchange for the proper to hire the coach. As steep as the price seemed, no 1 need to have been surprised that the Raiders exacted such a high cost. They're, after all, pirates. The League later banned any such future draft choice trading when it comes to hiring coaches, but the pirate swap made by the two teams remained in effect because there was no rule prohibiting it at the time. For Gruden and also the Bucs, the trade would reap huge dividends instantly.
The Pirate King
Gruden’s arrival in Tampa Bay left no time for celebration. Even though the Buccaneers’ previous coach, Tony Dungy, had left the team with one particular of the finest defenses inside League, Tampa Bay’s offense was dismal at very best. And, as everyone knows, should you can’t score, you can’t win. Taking over the Bucs’ ship and readying it for a campaign of plunder would very first require Gruden and his staff to ensure that the ship’s cannons were all in working order and how the crew could follow the plan of attack. He was successful in his efforts as the Bucs went on to dominate the NFC South division, posting the most effective record the team had ever enjoyed: twelve wins and only four losses. Behind their initial within the NFL defensive unit, the Bucs stormed into the thirty-seventh Super Bowl.
The Pirate Bowl
The team’s opponent, the Oakland Raiders, had managed to compile their own fine set of statistics during the 2002 campaign. As they looted the League, their offense earned the number one spot among all in the NFL’s teams. With Rich Gannon as their quarterback, the Raiders had been favored by four coming into the Pirate Bowl. From the end, their ship would lie in smoking ruin, sunk by the offense and defense from the Buccaneers in a 48-21 contest.
Pirate controversy
As is fitting for a contest between pirates, the meeting had its share of controversy – primarily centered on Gruden. As the Raiders’ former coach, Gruden knew their entire offensive and defensive schemes and put it to great use in preparing his squad for the matchup. It had been later learned how the Raiders had failed to make any substantial changes to their game strategy, even though they have been well aware that Gruden had inside knowledge of their battle plans – a mistake that several now call the largest blunder in Super Bowl history.
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