Tampa Bay Bandits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tampa Bay Bandits | |
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| Founded | 1983 |
| Folded | 1986 |
| Based in | Tampa, Florida, United States |
| Home field | Tampa Stadium |
| League | USFL |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Central (1983) Southern (1984) |
| Team History | 35-19 overall record |
| Team Colors | Red, Black, Silver, White
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| Head coaches | Steve Spurrier |
| Owner(s) | John Bassett Stephen Arky Burt Reynolds |
| Mascot(s) | Smokey |
| Fan Website | http://www.usfl.info/bandits/ |
The Tampa Bay Bandits were a franchise in the United States Football League. They were a charter member of the USFL and folded along with the league after the 1985 season.
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[edit] History
[edit] Preparing to play
The Tampa Bay Bandits' majority owner were Canadian businessman John Bassett and Miami attorney Steve Arky, and minority owners included Hollywood mainstay Burt Reynolds, at that time one of the most popular motion picture actors in the world. The team was named the Bandits due to Reynold's then-recent appearance in the hit Smokey and the Bandit movies, and his connection helped build local interest. Also building interest was the hiring of former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Steve Spurrier to be the team coach. Spurrier had been serving as the offensive coordinator at Duke University before coming to Tampa to take his first head coaching job.
[edit] Bandit Ball
The Bandits began play in 1983 in Tampa Stadium, and were immediately more successful than the area's NFL franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom they shared a home field (though the Bucs played in the fall and early winter while the Bandits played in the spring and early summer). The Bandits narrowly missed the playoffs in their first season and made the postseason the next two years. While their offense under Spurrier was usually one of the best in the league, an average defense kept them from serious championship contention.
The Bandits were also successful off the field. They drew the highest average attendance over the three-year history of the USFL, coming in 2nd in attendance in 1983 and leading the league in that category in 1984 and 1985 with over 40,000 fans per game. Also, their memorabilia outsold that of the Buccaneers in the Tampa Bay area during the time of the team's existence. A fan-friendly atmosphere (including a theme song, "Bandit Ball", penned and sung by Reynold's friend Jerry Reed[1]) was one factor, and the Buc's futility during the period (they went 10-38 from 1983 to 1985) also helped the Bandits' success. Due to broad local support, the Bandits were one of a very few USFL teams with a stable home and steady finances - they were the only USFL franchise to have the same coach, owner, and home city throughout the league's three year existence[2]. Due to these factors, the Bandits are considered one of the few USFL teams that had the potential to be a viable venture had the USFL been better run.
[edit] The end of the USFL
Bassett was a strong proponent of the spring football concept. When the USFL decided to switch to fall play for the 1986 season, he declared his intention to organize a new spring football league that would include the Bandits [3]. However, failing health forced Bassett to cancel his plans and sell the team (he died from cancer in May 1986), and neither the Bandits nor the USFL would take the field again.
[edit] Prominent Tampa Bay Bandits
[edit] Single season leaders
Rushing Yards: 1206 (1985), Gary Anderson (running back)
Receiving Yards: 1146 (1983), Danny Buggs
Passing Yards: 4183 (1985), John Reaves
[edit] Season-by-season
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 3rd Central | -- |
| 1984 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2nd EC Southern | Lost Quarterfinal (Birmingham) |
| 1985 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 5th EC | Lost Quarterfinal (Oakland) |
| Totals | 35 | 21 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| United States Football League Coaches | Players (All-Time Team) | Radio coverage | Seasons: 1983, 1984, 1985 | Television coverage | Venues | New USFL |
| Arizona Wranglers (1983-84) | Birmingham Stallions (1983-85) | Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers (1983-85) | Chicago Blitz (1983-84) | Denver Gold (1983-85) | Los Angeles Express (1983-85) | Michigan Panthers (1983-84) | New Jersey Generals (1983-85) | Oakland Invaders (1983-85) | Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (1983-85) | Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85) | Washington Federals/Orlando Renegades (1983-85) | Houston Gamblers (1984-85) | Jacksonville Bulls (1984-85) | Memphis Showboats (1984-85) | Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws (1984-85) | Pittsburgh Maulers (1984) | San Antonio Gunslingers (1984-85) |
