TAMPA, Fla. — Decades ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers abandoned the Yuccaneers label.
They went from 0-26 to two-time Super Bowl champions and are currently four-time defending NFC South champions. They share first place game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night when they will be wearing their original cream uniforms.
Long before Tom Brady transformed the city into Tompa Bay and led the franchise to its second NFL title, the team traded Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, let future Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams walk and was twice snubbed by Bo Jackson and Bill Parcells.
Those moments are among the many franchise-changing decisions detailed in Raise the Flags, a new 10-part series chronicling the 50th anniversary of Buccaneers football. The docuseries, which debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, gives viewers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the organization's journey from belated expansion to championship contender.
It celebrates the good times and examines some of the biggest lows, highlighting the triumphs and mistakes over five decades and two ownership groups.
Raise the Flags was commissioned and produced by Buccaneers co-owner Ed Glazer and directed by eight-time Emmy Award-winning director Trent Cooper, a lifelong Bucs fan.
“We tried to be as honest as we could,” Glaser told the AP. “A lot of people don't always hear from my family, so I think this will be a first for a lot of people. But I think we're trying to take a really honest look at the things we've done well and the mistakes we've made as owners. You'll hear us talk about doing it ourselves for the first time, going back 25 years. So, we're learning along the way, and there are mistakes we've made and things we wouldn't do again today, some bold moves we did things that may not have worked out so well that we can't do today.
“You get a little cautious as you get older. And we made some bold moves that maybe we'll regret on the road too, right? I think one of them was letting go of some players that we would never let go today. Thinking we could easily replace Hall of Fame players and you can't.”
The series features footage of Hugh Culverhouse, who paid $16 million for the expansion team. After his death in 1995, the family sold the team to Malcolm Glaser for a then-record $192 million.
One episode recounts the first draft under the Glazers – before the sale of the team was official – when general manager Rich McKay selected future Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in the first two rounds.
Another episode focuses on the hiring of Tony Dungy, the turning point in 1996 that changed the culture and future of the franchise, and the eventual difficult decision to fire him after the 2001 season.
“Tony was probably the most important person in Buccaneer history,” Ed Glaser said. “When he came in '95, obviously the first 20 years weren't very successful. And Tony just brought stability to the team and that's really pretty much carried over to this day. His leadership, his mentorship, the importance of community, I mean all the things that he brought that were so important to him are still with us today. The players may have moved on, but we're still here and I think we've learned a lot from Tony and the importance of giving back and really mentoring young players. I think his legacy still continues very much in Tampa.”
After Dungey was fired, the Bucs pursued Parcell a second time. Ten years ago, Culverhouse scheduled a news conference to announce Purcell's hiring, but said he had changed his mind.
The Glazers had a contract with Parcells, but he did not sign it. They considered Nick Saban, but he wanted too much money. They tricked everyone into thinking they were hiring Steve Mariucci while they worked out a mega-deal to acquire Jon Gruden from the Raiders for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8 million.
Gruden led the Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl title in his first season after replacing Dungy. They won't win another one until Brady arrives in 2020.
And they're still winning with Baker Mayfield, although they're still looking for a third ring.
“This series is filled with stories that fans have never heard of,” Cooper said. “What Steve Young went through as our quarterback in the mid-'80s made me laugh out loud. The fight between Keyshawn (Johnson) and Gruden made me a little uncomfortable. Listening to both of them in such an unfiltered way was fantastic. The way the Bucs actually got Tom Brady was amazing.”
Brady, Dungy, Gruden, Sapp, Brooks, McKay, Bruce Arians, Mike Alstott and Ronde Barber are among 100 current and former players, coaches, executives, staff and media members interviewed for the documentaries.
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