Their record says “powderpuff.” Their new helmet screams “mean.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers unveiled their new helmets on Thursday. They’re a lot like the old ones. The pirate-flag logo appears supersized on the new brain buckets. The skull inside that logo looks less Halloweenish and more evil.
Though the new helmet appears as a tweaked version of the one it replaces, the visage on it looks as scary as the swishy, aristocratic pirate face on the first Buccaneers’ helmet looked funny. Given the NFL’s new restrictions on teams using different helmets in the same season, prospects of Darrelle Revis donning the red-and-orange-on-white Bucco Bruce throwback helmet this season seems bleak because the new color scheme would preclude painting over it with the old color scheme.
The team’s new image follows its hiring of a new coach. Lovie Smith made his presence known on Thursday by noting disappointment in receiver Mike Williams, who faces criminal mischief and trespassing charges, for exhibiting “disturbing” behavior and expressing a willingness to select a quarterback with the seventh pick in the draft or sign a veteran passer to compete with second-year player Mike Glennon.