S.J. Green might be the spark the Vipers offense needs to claim its first win in team history. Did not play last week in the home opener loss, due to being traded from the Seattle Dragons for linebacker Korey Toomer a few days before the home opener. Coach Marc Trestman had Green on his 2017 CFL Grey Cup winning Toronto Argonauts, giving him a familiar face in a so far clunky offense.
Viper fans should welcome Green with open arms due to his USF ties. Green is a 3 time Grey Cup champion and a 10x CFL All Star. I know CFL isn’t like the cream of the crop but since Trestman is familiar with his play I am hopeful he can fit into our already stacked receiving core. Between Dan “Tha Threat” Williams, Reece Horn, Jalen Tolliver, there should be no reason why we can’t keep the points coming, attacking the other teams defense like a 5 headed snake.
If Aaron Murray isn’t healthy enough to get the start I feel it is best for fan and team moral for Quinton Flowers to get the start. With Nick Truesdell acting as his big security blanket and Horn acting as sort of a bail out slot receiver, Flowers can stay in the pocket without fear allowing him to make a play with his legs or throwing a 30 yard bomb to Williams or Green. Flowers ability to shake defenses allows our power backs Jacques Patrick and fan favorite De’Veon Smith to make big plays in the run game.
With a week of practice under his belt I am sure S.J. Green will fit smoothly into the offense regardless of which QB is at the helm. His accomplishments in other leagues and relationship with Trestman should be that final spark the Vipers are looking for on offense to finally sink their teeth into victory.
After reaching the NFC Championship game in the 1979 and again making a playoff run in the 1982 playoffs, the Buccaneers potentially left some titles on the table.
After three straight seasons the Bucs were able to pick up some key pieces that eventually would bring Coach John McKay to fruition. Although he would receive flack for taking Ricky Bell RB out of USC over Tony Dorsett, I still feel injuries and his illness hampered Bell’s success later in his career. During the 79 season Bell was able to pass the 1,000 yard mark which says a lot for what Tampa Bay was at the time. If Bell would have stayed healthy who knows how he could have impacted the Bucs offense going into the early eighties.
Doug Williams fell into the teams lap in the first round of the 78 Draft, even leading the team to a 5-11 record, which I’ll state again was pretty solid for a team that almost didn’t win a game for two straight seasons. After putting the organization on his back, the Buccaneers ownership had Williams under a contract for $120,000 which at the time was less than several back ups. Williams asked the Culverhouse ownership to bump him up to $600,000 which was solid at the time especially after bringing the fledgling franchise to the playoffs twice. Culverhouse was only willing to offer Williams $400,000, resulting in Williams leaving the team for the USFL’s Oklahoma Outlaws. Five years later Williams would lead the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl, the Bucs however would go on to have 12 consecutive seasons with 10 or more losses.
You would think if the team was so bad why didn’t they draft any good players? Under the Culverhouse regime the Bucs had one of the lowest salaries in the league which hindered free agents from joining the team, thus not helping an aging Lee Roy Selmon on defense resulted in the teams decline. The mishandling of Bo Jackson prior to drafting him was a franchise crushing blow for the team, and something I don’t think the Bucs have recovered from until recently. The trading of future Super Bowl winning QB Steve Young in favor of mediocre Vinny Testaverde was also a blunder for the team.
It was not until the death of Hugh Culverhouse in 1994 and Sam Wyche coming on board as coach that the tide would turn for the franchise after drafting John Lynch in 93 and both Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. All three would later become the cornerstones of Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin’s Tampa 2 defense that ultimately would bring championship gold to Tampa Bay.
Monte Kiffin has been selected has the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring Of Honor. He will be joining coaches John McKay, Jon Gruden, and Tony Dungy as well has some of his former defensive standout players that executed his innovative “Tampa Cover 2” defense.
In 1996 Monte Kiffin became the Buccaneers defensive coordinator along side Tony Dungy. The “Tampa Cover 2” defense is a 4-3 defensive alignment except the middle linebacker reads the QB with the hopes of an interception. With hall of fame players like Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, and Warren Sapp, this scheme was picture perfecting making the Buccaneers one of the most successful defenses during his tenure capturing a Super Bowl championship with Jon Gruden running the offense.
When you think Tampa Bay Buccaneers you instantly think of our great defense during the super bowl run which is mainly due to coach Kiffin and his scheme. Despite coming up short all those years with Dungy at the helm the one constant was Kiffin and the defense and Bucs fans can’t wait to immortalize him in Raymond James.
Although the Vipers where not able to pull out the win against the Houston Roughnecks at home, the team finally broke their red zone curse.
From the start the over 17,000 Vipers Pit fan base that came out to support the team in the home opener. After the 0-2 start fans seemed energized and ready to strike. Taylor Cornelius felt the “We want Flowers” chants instantly and was switched out by the 3rd drive in favor of the former USF QB. Flowers isn’t the greatest passer in the world but he still has enough play making ability to stay in the pocket. His running ability keeps the defense on their toes, opposed to Cornelius who they don’t take seriously as a passer. Flowers scored the first offensive touchdown in team history with a seven yard run. However Cornelius was able to throw a touchdown pass to one of my favs Dan “The Threat” Williams one of the league leaders in receiving.
Despite the 34-27 loss this team looks better each week and are on the cusp of a win. Getting over their red zone curse took a weight off the team and fans. Other than a few plays the defense played well and was able to contain two of the leagues top players Houston QB P.J. Walker and WR Cam Philips for most of the game. I feel it would be best to start Flowers this week keeping the offense more, even if Murray is able to start. With the addition of CFL All Star S.J. Green and the return of No.1 pick Nick Truesdell hopefully we can pick up our first win at home against the DC Defenders this Sunday.
From a fan aspect it was a successful home opener. The team did little to hype up the event, at least not as much as teams like Seattle and St.Louis, but one of the highlights of my year was taking a picture in the giant snake mouth. Instantly I knew it was profile pic worthy. The amount of snake rattlers and hssssing sounds that filled Raymond James maybe next proud to be a Vipers fan. Win or lose I will always love and support the team, even though it’s week 4 and we still don’t have a solid QB. It wouldn’t be a Tampa Bay sports team without a few bonehead plays and an 0-3 record to start the inaugural season.
Well not the start I wanted to see for the inaugural season of the Tampa Bay Vipers but with the teams home opener Saturday at Raymond James the team looks to turn the season around against the run and shoot offense Houston Roughnecks.
Although things are looking grim for the Vipers sitting at 0-2, Saturday’s loss 17-9 to the Dragons in the first ever “Reptile Bowl” was not a total loss. Besides terrible QB play and boneheaded penalties, the team looked much better even scoring the first touchdown in team history off a 78 yard int return by Taravus McFadden. Nikita Whitlock on the defensive line also made some big plays even hitting the snake pose. Coach Jerry Granville is definitely holding up his end of the team.
Coach Trestman needs to focus on finishing drives.The team so far has not been able to score one touchdown on offense with nine trips to the end zone. Trestman’s indecisiveness at the QB position is killing this team. Although Flowers threw a costly int back upped into his own end zone I still feel the offense runs better with him at the helm. Taylor Cornelius had a nice drive at the end but he constantly over threw his receivers missing out on big plays.
Not having one singular person running the offense is messing up the chemistry between QB and WR. We have studs like Reece Horn, Nick Truesdell, and Daniel “The Threat” Williams all three of which can make a big play at any time. If Murray can’t get the job done next week Flowers should get the 1st team reps this week. Truesdell should be used has his security blanket allowing Williams and Horn to make big plays. An increase in the passing game will open up more holes for not only RB De’Veon Smith, but also Quinton Flowers to make a big play.
Hopefully being in front of the home crowd can hype the team up. Getting a win against Houston would be big, giving us moment to make a run for one of two East playoff spots. Can the Vipers shed their skin at home, this die hard fan can only hope.
Today the Buccaneers released a video hyping up the 2020 season. Images sprinkled throughout the video might be hinting at new uniforms coming soon, hopefully before the upcoming draft so our No.14 pick can show it off.
Since the 2009 season the team rocks the creamsicle unis with the Bucco Bruce helmets during at least one home game a year, usually during the “Ring Of Honor” game. But unfortunately over the past few seasons the throwbacks haven’t been seen. In the past the jerseys gained a lot of hate but with throwback culture at its height fans of all teams have come to appreciate the creamsicles. With that being said I feel the Bucs should take advantage and give the fans what they want, creamsicles!!!
I feel the right move would be to basically mash up the current uniforms with the throwbacks, using the orange and white color scheme while modernizing the look. Maybe keep Bucco Bruce in the past keeping the skull and flag design.
If the team does not go the throwback root, I would be down for maybe a Tampa Bay Bandits esque Red,Silver, and black color way. Although the team uses these colors now, I feel they have never executed them in what could potentially be a dope looking jersey.
The all red out jerseys the team currently uses twice a year are probably the best jerseys we have now, rather than the poorly designed home and always, however I do dig the hits of orange sprinkled throughout the home jerseys and the red ship.
Which ever way the Bucs go I am super excited for this upcoming season. The jersey announcement is just what the team and fans needed to spark what should be a playoff bound season for the team. I’d probably be sold on season tickets if they went with the creamsicles though, just saying.
A few years back I remember seeing #MLS2STPETE stuff flooding the down town area. I’ve never been a big soccer fan but the idea of the Tampa Bay Rowdies moving up from the USL Championship to the MLS could be just what the city needs to make the Tampa Bay Area soccers next hot bed. With plans of making the Rowdies home Al Lang Stadium into a 18,000 seat soccer specific stadium, it seemed like only a matter of time until the Rowdies would be named as the newest MLS expansion franchise. But that was a few years back and now it seems steamed has died down after Bill Edwards sold the team to the Rays in late 2018. With new expansion teams popping up in Miami, Austin, and Charlotte it seems the Tampa Bay Area might have missed out on major league soccer. But with the league sitting at a total of 30 teams the Rowdies and the Phoenix Rising might be the final two spots left to make up the league. With die hard supporters Ralph’s Mob might be able to build up steam and finally prove the Rowdies are ready for the big leagues.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have a storied history in the Bay Area. The team originally played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) winning the Soccer Bowl championship in their inaugural season 1975. The team was able to hold an average of 20,000 fans for their first run at one point even averaging 28,000 fans during the 1980 season. Eventually the NASL fell apart leading to the end of the Rowdies, but that was not the end of pro soccer in the Bay Area.
With America’s hosting of the World Cup soccer fever was in the air leading to the creation of the MLS in 1993. Tampa Bay was given an inaugural franchise in the league the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The team was a flop from the start never, being able to gain ownership and having the lamest colors and crest in the league. The fans of Tampa had supported the Rowdies for years so why would they want to support this new trash team. Eventually the team folded in 2002, leaving a pro soccer drought for Tampa Bay fans until 2009.
In 2009 a ownership group showed interest in bringing an expansion team of the newly reborn NASL back to the Tampa Bay Area. Due to a licensing agreement the team was not able to use the “Tampa Bay Rowdies” name until 2012 rebranding themselves but still keeping the history and tradition of the original NASL team.
The two stars on the top of the logo represent the two soccer bowl championships in 1975 and 2012.
The 2012 season also saw the team win their second Soccer Bowl Championship against the Minnesota Stars which is now in the MLS under the name Minnesota FC. With players like team all time leading scorer Georgi Hristov upping the play on the field the team eventually moved up to the USL Championship the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. In their three seasons so far in the USL the team has made the playoffs twice and is looking to be contenders for USL Championship in the upcoming 2020 season.
The team currently plays at Al Lang Stadium on the waterfront of Down Town St.Petersburg. The prospect of a water front stadium intrigued the MLS with the only issue being its 7,000 seat capacity.
Bill Edwards proposed renovation of the stadium to a 18,000 seat soccer stadium seemed like the only thing keeping the Club out of MLS and in May 2017 a local referendum was passed authorizing the city of St.Petersburg to work our a deal with the team to make the dream of MLS soccer coming to St.Pete. But it seems like after the sale of the team to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 it seems the project has slowed down. Maybe out of spite because they can’t get a new baseball stadium funded with the city so why would they help bring a soccer one here. More me this is a missed opportunity on the part of the Rays. They should build of the Rowdies to show the Tampa Bay fans that they actually care about the area, instead of pissing us off by saying they are moving their team to Montreal.
With the referendum being approved I feel if the team puts up its end of the bargain the Rowdies could see a huge spike in fans. With lowered ticket prices and a new standing room only supporters section. There is no reason why the Rowdies can’t be in the MLS. Backed by two rapid fan bases on both sides of the Sky Way Bridge, the rowdies supporters Ralph’s Mob and the Skyway Casuals play a crucial role in bringing a face to the club and the fan base making Rowdies fans some of the most rabid soccer fans in the country.
On the St.Petersburg side Ralph’s Mob has been holding it down in their supporters section for years banging drums and waiving flags. The fan experience is really what helps connect the fans with the team. Both feed off each other’s energy win or lose.
If the Rays Ownership can get their act together and get the stadium renovated into one of the top soccer fields in the country I feel it would lure more fans out to the games. Once they get a whiff of the atmosphere and feed of the mob ties of Ralph’s Mob they may one day become members themselves expanding the love of soccer throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Finding a team local team I was passionate about was really all I needed to start getting into soccer and now that I support the Rowdies I am hooked. Let’s show the country what the city has to say and keep #MLS2STPETE alive.
With pro teams in 3 of the 4 major sports in American is it time for the Tampa Bay Area to finally get an NBA franchise. The area is the last major market in Florida not to have pro basketball. Teams like Orlando Magic and Miami Heat where born to rivals with Tampa.
The only pro basketball in the Tampa Bay Area is the Tampa Bay Titans out of the newly founded The Basketball League. This is a new upstart league but I would hardly even call it semi pro.
For team names I was thinking the Tampa Bay Tropics paying homage to the sunny weather and already built in fan base of the Will Ferrell film “Semi-Pro”. The Secondary logo could be similar to the Heat’s MH logo featuring a TB.
The second name I was thinking could be the Tampa Bay Gasporillas paying homage to the pirate history of Tampa Bay. The area could House a giant pirate ship, and after every 3-pointer a pirate “Argh” would go off.
A Tampa could come to Tampa one of two ways. Tampa could be given an expansion franchise by the league, or a current team could relocate to Tampa. If the New Orleans Pelicans were to relocate Zion Williamson could be the face of our franchise. We could even keep the Pelicans name since it’s the official bird of St.Petersburg.
Amalie Area is a possibility to play all the home games at with a future stadium maybe being built to house both the Rays and the Tropics. A majority of basketball fans are forced to either attend Heat or Magic games to get their NBA fix but with the Tropics in Tampa Bay they won’t have to travel an hour plus. I definitely think the Bay Area is ready for pro basketball and would be open to bringing basketball to the Bay Area. “Let’s get Tropical Tampa Bay!”
As I mentioned in my previous article on Toy Pizza, the company Unbox Industries out of Hong Kong is my favorite designer toy production company. Mainly due to their collaborations with Retroband and Fern Toy.
Little is known about the production company Fern Toy but they are by far my favorite designers in the game. Their first piece the FRN001 is the Angry Mother by Japanese artist Hiroki Tsukda is reminiscent of Ancient Mayan drawings. FRN002 the Mindseye Trooper comes in collaboration with UK sci-fi artist Will Sweeney with serval variants of the character. Finally FRN003 ZZAPS is a creation of the LA based company Brain Dead bring a sort of Adult Swim vibe to the line. As of now no word on what FRN004 will be.
The work that Unbox and Retorband have done was definitely brought to a new level last year with their Splatter House line of figures all sculpted by Retroband and The Last Zectron. Together the duo makes up one half of the Deadly Delivery collective. Along with Vilesore and David Arshawsky the Deadly Delivery team brought a new twist on the blind box or mystery box format with the “Who Goes There?” series. The line features a group of gruesome figures that one can get at random or if you buy a case you receive them all.
The group is now focused on a new wave of larger scale “ Who Goes There?” figures with the first being “GENESIIS” designed by Vilesore.
A major project that Unbox has been apart of the last few years is the “Unbox & Friends” project bringing together different designers from across the globe with Too Natthspong giving his mini take on various characters such as Retroband’s “Meats” who even got his own multicolored set.
With a whole new year of product up Unbox’s sleeve I am sure the collaborations will be even better than last years. We have Unbox and Friends Wave 3 as well whatever else is under wraps.
The Tampa Bay Tornadoes look to bring Arena Football back to the Bay Area. After the folding of the once 5 time Arena Bowl champion Tampa Bay Storm, the Bay Area as been missing an alternate to the standard NFL and XFL products. Although the AFL is not defunct as of 2019, a new league called the AAL ( American Arena League) has given Tampa Bay it’s newest franchise.
I recall the storm being pretty popular around the area, with their gear being sold at Champs Sports a sponsor of the AFL at the time. Everyone loves football and along with the Vipers I feel the area will be able to handle a new area football product in the area. Arena football has a different rule set than traditional football. The field is only 50 yards and a wall surrounds the perimeter, allowing for harder hits and a faster paced game.
The inaugural season for the Tornadoes will be played at the Florida Fair Grounds Expo Hall on Saturday Nights during the summer starting at 7 p.m. The 11 week regular season will pit the Tornadoes against some of the toughest competition in the AAL like the Pennsylvania Copperheads and the Maryland Warriors. Players in the league have prior experience in the AFL as well as other arena league the IFL (Indoor Football League). As of now the QB is Brion Carnes out of the University of Northern Iowa. The coaching staff features Stevie Thomas a former Storm and other former Arena League players and coaches giving the franchise a little experience. Team owner Alton Walker seems like he is up for the challenge of running a first class organization.
As of now season tickets start at $50 and that’s for the nose bleeds. I am definitely interested in wall seats so I can be as close to the action as possible. A cool perk of being a season ticket holder is the inaugural season ring each ticket holder receives adding to the fan experience. If the team can get a few good years under their belt who knows maybe they can advance to the IFL, brining even tougher competition to Tampa when the 2020 inaugural season kicks off 4/11 against the Warriors.
