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* On hearing about kicker Pete Rajecki's nervousness at playing in front of McKay: "That's unfortunate, as I plan on attending all the games".
* On hearing about kicker Pete Rajecki's nervousness at playing in front of McKay: "That's unfortunate, as I plan on attending all the games".
* At a postgame press conference: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a bunch of bananas."
* At a postgame press conference: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a bunch of bananas."
* At the following week's press conference, after a member of the media left a case of bananas at his door: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a Mercedes-Benz."<ref>http://www.bucpower.com/john-mckay2.html</ref>
* At the following week's press conference, after a member of the media left a case of bananas at his door: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a Mercedes-Benz."<ref>{{cite web|title=BUCPOWER.COM <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.bucpower.com/john-mckay2.html|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGiEWs6|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>
* On [[John Brodie]]'s comment that [[Steve Spurrier]] throws one of three passes into the ground: "That's OK, we'll just get shorter receivers."<ref>"AFC West". Sports Illustrated. 13 Sep 1976</ref>
* On [[John Brodie]]'s comment that [[Steve Spurrier]] throws one of three passes into the ground: "That's OK, we'll just get shorter receivers."<ref>"AFC West". Sports Illustrated. 13 Sep 1976</ref>
* "We've determined that we can't win at home and we can't win on the road. What we need is a neutral site."
* "We've determined that we can't win at home and we can't win on the road. What we need is a neutral site."
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|= [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]r
|= [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]r
|}
|}
As an expansion team, the Buccaneers were given extra picks in the 2nd-5th rounds. Their extra 2nd-round pick was traded to the [[San Francisco 49ers]] for quarterback [[Steve Spurrier]]. Their first 3rd-round pick was traded to Baltimore for cornerback [[Mike Washington]]. Their first 4th-round pick was traded to the [[Los Angeles Rams]] for linebacker Jim Peterson. Their 8th-round pick was traded to the [[New York Jets]] for linebacker Steve Reese.<ref>http://www.bucpower.com/1976draft.html</ref>
As an expansion team, the Buccaneers were given extra picks in the 2nd-5th rounds. Their extra 2nd-round pick was traded to the [[San Francisco 49ers]] for quarterback [[Steve Spurrier]]. Their first 3rd-round pick was traded to Baltimore for cornerback [[Mike Washington]]. Their first 4th-round pick was traded to the [[Los Angeles Rams]] for linebacker Jim Peterson. Their 8th-round pick was traded to the [[New York Jets]] for linebacker Steve Reese.<ref>{{cite web|title=BUCPOWER.COM <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.bucpower.com/1976draft.html|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGibcgF|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>


==Regular Season==
==Regular Season==
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|-style="background: #ffdddd;" align="center"
|-style="background: #ffdddd;" align="center"
| 14 || [[December 12|Dec 12]], [[1976]] || [[New England Patriots]] || '''L''' 31-14 || || [[Tampa Stadium]] || NBC || 41,517 || 0-14
| 14 || [[December 12|Dec 12]], [[1976]] || [[New England Patriots]] || '''L''' 31-14 || || [[Tampa Stadium]] || NBC || 41,517 || 0-14
|}<ref>http://www.buccaneers.com/team/results.aspx</ref>
|}<ref>{{cite web|title=Buccaneers.com &#124; History <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.buccaneers.com/team/results.aspx|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGkEJq8|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>


===1976 Roster===
===1976 Roster===
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''** = opening day starter''
''** = opening day starter''
|-
|-
|}<ref>http://bucpower.com/0176gamebook.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.buccaneers.com/team/playerroster.aspx</ref><ref>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1976_roster.htm</ref>
|}<ref>{{cite web|title=Title Unknown <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://bucpower.com/0176gamebook.pdf|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGj08cY|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Buccaneers.com &#124; History <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.buccaneers.com/team/playerroster.aspx|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGjRLa8|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Starters, Roster, &amp; Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/tam/1976_roster.htm|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5gYGjq9f4|archivedate=2009-05-05|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>


===Final standings===
===Final standings===

Revision as of 21:39, 5 May 2009

1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Head coachJohn McKay
Home fieldTampa Stadium
Results
Record0-14
Division place5th AFC West
Playoff finishdid not qualify

1976 was the debut season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who made NFL history as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. The team did not score until their third game, did not score a touchdown until their fourth game, and came within seven points on just three occasions. They were led by colorful former USC coach John McKay. It was the rookie season of Lee Roy Selmon, who as of 2009 is Buccaneers' only Hall of Fame representative.

Season "Highlights"

The expansion draft was largely made up of aging veterans, giving the Bucs little basis for success.. The tone was set for the season as the team got lost in the Houston Astrodome when leaving the locker room to take the field for their opening game. They spent 30 minutes trying to find their way out, and barely made it to the field in time for the opening kickoff. The team did not score a touchdown until cornerback Danny Reece returned a fumble 44 yards in the fourth game. Their first touchdown pass was thrown by running back Louis Carter in an "Expansion Bowl" loss to the Seattle Seahawks in which the two teams combined for 310 yards in penalties.[1] The season was marked by conflicts between McKay and quarterback Steve Spurrier. By the time the season ended, only four starters from the first game were still on the roster. They finished the season with 17 players on injured reserve. They were last in the league in points scored, touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.[2] They were outscored 412-125, allowed 6.7 yards per play, and allowed an average of 183 rushing yards per game.[3] After a 19-point 4th-quarter performance brought them within striking distance of a victory in week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs, they were blown out of every game the rest of the season. According to defensive end Pat Toomay, "By the time we got to the last game of the season, we had so many injuries that we didn't feel we had much of a chance. Everybody was so sick of the season that they showed up packed and ready to get out of town. It looked like a bunch of Okies fleeing the dust bowl."[4] The injury problems were at least partly the result of the teams having only been given hours to prepare for the expansion draft, with no medical information provided on the players.[5] The 2008 NFL Network program "10 Worst Teams of All Time" (produced prior to the 2008 Detroit Lions season) recognized the 1976 Buccaneers as the worst NFL team ever. Subsequent expansion teams were given a more generous allotment of draft picks and expansion draft opportunities, in part to avoid a repeat of the Buccaneers' difficulties.[6]

John McKay Quotes

Under the pressure of a long losing streak, Coach McKay became known for issuing notable, often hilarious, statements. Among them:

  • When asked about his offense's execution: "I'm in favor of it".
  • On hearing about kicker Pete Rajecki's nervousness at playing in front of McKay: "That's unfortunate, as I plan on attending all the games".
  • At a postgame press conference: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a bunch of bananas."
  • At the following week's press conference, after a member of the media left a case of bananas at his door: "You guys don't know the difference between a football and a Mercedes-Benz."[7]
  • On John Brodie's comment that Steve Spurrier throws one of three passes into the ground: "That's OK, we'll just get shorter receivers."[8]
  • "We've determined that we can't win at home and we can't win on the road. What we need is a neutral site."
  • "We didn't block real good, but we made up for it by not tackling."[9]
  • When asked how he compared coaching in Tampa to coaching at USC: "It's a three-hour time difference."[10]
  • "I thought all along that we would win 14 games. Right after the opening kickoff I said, "Well, I'll be damned".
  • "I've been telling the players, 'Let's have a good time.' (Pause) They took me literally".
  • "Mr. Culverhouse has been a great owner. He hasn't come to the dressing room yet to give me any suggestions. Well, I need some advice. I called the Baltimore owner, but he was busy".[11]
  • To players planning on staying in Tampa over the offseason: "Stop by my office tomorrow and pick up some fake noses and mustaches so no one recognizes your sorry asses".[12]
  • "We'll be back. Maybe not in this century, but we'll be back."[13]

Additionally, assistant coach Dennis Fryzel, when the team was penalized for having 12 players on the field, asked a referee, "Which one was it?"[14]

McKay's Comments on Coaching in the NFL

Coming off of four national chamionships at USC, McKay was prone to make cocky comments that earned him enemies in the league.[15] He said in one interview, "I don't know what this pro football mystique is. I've gone to the pro camps. They throw the ball, they catch the ball. Many of them are ex-USC players. I'm not amazed at what they do. I've watched the pros play. They run traps, they pitch the ball, they sweep. What else is there?"[16] According to linebacker Richard 'Batman' Wood, "It was a brand-new organization. Who cared about us? They wanted to devastate us, beat us in the ground. And with coach McKay coming from college, they wanted to maybe even play us a little harder."[17]

Other Winless Teams

Previous teams with a winless and tieless record are the 1934 Cincinnati Reds at 0-8, the 1942 Detroit Lions at 0-11, the 1943 Chicago Cardinals, and the 1944 Brooklyn Tigers, Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, all 0-10. The 0-14 record has since been matched by the 1980 New Orleans Saints, who won their second to last game to end the season 1-15, and by the 2008 Detroit Lions, the only winless team in the era of 16-game schedules. The 2001 Carolina Panthers lost fifteen straight games after winning their first, finishing with a 1-15 record. The 1990 New England Patriots had a 1-1 record when a female reporter was sexually harassed by several of their players. The fallout from the scandal contributed to the team finishing 0-14 in its final games.[18] Ten NFL teams in total have lost 15 games in a season following the 1976 Buccaneers' record.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Pick Round Player Position School
1 1 Lee Roy Selmon Defensive End Oklahoma
30 2 Jimmy Dubose Running Back Florida
60 2 Dewey Selmon Linebacker Oklahoma
61 3 Steve Young Tackle Colorado
91 3 Steve Maughan Linebacker Utah State
121 4 Richard Appleby Wide Receiver Georgia
124 4 Everett Little Guard Houston
125 5 Michael Kelson Defensive Back West Texas State
154 5 Steve Wilson Tackle Georgia
158 6 Curtis Jordan Defensive Back Texas Tech
183 7 Parnell Dickinson Quarterback Mississippi Valley State
238 9 Bruce Welch Guard Texas A&M
267 10 Sid Smith Linebacker Brigham Young
292 11 Melvin Washington Defensive Back Colorado State
321 12 George Ragsdale Running Back North Carolina A&T
348 13 Brad Jenkins Tight End Nebraska
377 14 Carl Roaches Wide Receiver Texas A&M
404 15 Bob Dzierzak Defensive Tackle Utah State
433 16 Tommy West Linebacker Tennessee
460 17 Jack Berry Quarterback Washington & Lee
= Pro Bowler = Hall of Famer

As an expansion team, the Buccaneers were given extra picks in the 2nd-5th rounds. Their extra 2nd-round pick was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Steve Spurrier. Their first 3rd-round pick was traded to Baltimore for cornerback Mike Washington. Their first 4th-round pick was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for linebacker Jim Peterson. Their 8th-round pick was traded to the New York Jets for linebacker Steve Reese.[19]

Regular Season

Schedule

Regular season
Week Date Opponent Result Kickoff Game site TV Attendance Record
1 Sep 12, 1976 Houston Oilers L 20-0 The Astrodome NBC 42,228 0-1
2 Sep 19, 1976 San Diego Chargers L 23-0 Tampa Stadium NBC 39,558 0-2
3 Sep 26, 1976 Buffalo Bills L 14-9 Tampa Stadium NBC 44,505 0-3
4 Oct 3, 1976 Baltimore Colts L 42-17 Memorial Stadium NBC 40,053 0-4
5 Oct 10, 1976 Cincinnati Bengals L 21-0 Riverfront Stadium NBC 40,700 0-5
6 Oct 17, 1976 Seattle Seahawks L 13-10 Tampa Stadium CBS 43,458 0-6
7 Oct 24, 1976 Miami Dolphins L 23-20 Tampa Stadium NBC 61,437 0-7
8 Oct 31, 1976 Kansas City Chiefs L 28-19 Tampa Stadium NBC 41,779 0-8
9 Nov 7, 1976 Denver Broncos L 48-13 Mile High Stadium NBC 61,703 0-9
10 Nov 14, 1976 New York Jets L 34-0 Shea Stadium NBC 46,427 0-10
11 Nov 21, 1976 Cleveland Browns L 24-7 Tampa Stadium NBC 36,930 0-11
12 Nov 28, 1976 Oakland Raiders L 49-16 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum NBC 49,590 0-12
13 Dec 5, 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers L 42-0 Three Rivers Stadium NBC 43,385 0-13
14 Dec 12, 1976 New England Patriots L 31-14 Tampa Stadium NBC 41,517 0-14

[20]

1976 Roster

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976 roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists


Rookies in italics
* = starter
** = opening day starter

[21][22][23]

Final standings

AFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
Oakland Raiders 13 1 0 .929 350 237
Denver Broncos 9 5 0 .643 315 206
San Diego Chargers 6 8 0 .429 248 285
Kansas City Chiefs 5 9 0 .357 290 376
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0 14 0 .000 125 412

References

  1. ^ Marshall, Joe. "Yes, We Now Have a Winner". Sports Illustrated, 25 Oct 1976 http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091713/index.htm
  2. ^ Martz, Ron. "30 Seasons: 1976-2005. From Sinking Ship to World-Class Cruise." St. Petersburg Times: Sep. 11, 2005
  3. ^ http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/articles/20071128/966060-p.html
  4. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/wires/12/26/2020.ap.fbn.1976.bucs.0983/index.html
  5. ^ Romano, John. "The Glory in Being the Worst". St. Petersburg Times. 5 Nov 2002
  6. ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank. "Super-Charged at Birth: Panthers, Jaguars Got Head Start with New Expansion Rules." Los Angeles Daily News, 10 Jan 1997
  7. ^ "BUCPOWER.COM". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "AFC West". Sports Illustrated. 13 Sep 1976
  9. ^ http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/ps3265/129551/
  10. ^ Underwood, John. "A Three Hour Time Difference". Sports Illustrated. 23 Aug 1976. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091458/2/index.htm
  11. ^ Marshall, Joe. "Yes, We Now Have a Winner". Sports Illustrated, 25 Oct 1976 http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091713/index.htm
  12. ^ Romano, John. "The Glory in Being the Worst". St. Petersburg Times. 5 Nov 2002
  13. ^ Martz, Ron. "30 Seasons: 1976-2005. From Sinking Ship to World-Class Cruise." St. Petersburg Times: Sep. 11, 2005
  14. ^ Creamer, Robert W., ed. "They Said It". Sports Illustrated. 15 Nov. 1976 http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091777/index.htm
  15. ^ Henderson, Joe. "'76 Bucs Sympathize With Winless Lions". The Tampa Tribune. 30 Dec 2008. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/30/76-bucs-sympathize-winless-lions/
  16. ^ Underwood, John. "A Three Hour Time Difference". Sports Illustrated. 23 Aug 1976. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091458/2/index.htm
  17. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/wires/12/26/2020.ap.fbn.1976.bucs.0983/index.html
  18. ^ Sando, Mike. "'07 Dolphins Have Plenty of Company in Recent Football Futility". http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=3159938
  19. ^ "BUCPOWER.COM". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ "Buccaneers.com | History". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Title Unknown". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Buccaneers.com | History". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Starters, Roster, & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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