2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl XXXVII Championship Ring

THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING

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THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

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BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2002 season. The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders by the score of 48–21, tied with Super Bowl XXXV for the seventh largest Super Bowl margin of victory, and winning their first ever Super Bowl.

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THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

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BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING The game, played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, was the sixth Super Bowl to be held a week after the conference championship games (XVII, XXV, XXVIII, XXXIV, and XXXVI). It was also the last Super Bowl to have been played in the month of January. Super Bowl XXXVI was the first to be played in February, due to the NFL postponing games for a week after the September 11 attacks. Starting with Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, the Super Bowl has been permanently played in February. This was the last Super Bowl until Super Bowl 50 to take place in California.

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THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

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BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING It was the first time and last until Super Bowl XLVIII in Super Bowl history that the league's number top-ranked offense (Raiders) was pitted against the league's number one-ranked defense (Buccaneers). However, the game is sometimes referred to as the "Gruden Bowl", because the primary storyline surrounding the game revolved around Jon Gruden. Super Bowl XXXVII is also referred to as the "Pirate Bowl" due to both teams' pirate-themed names.[6] Gruden was the Raiders' head coach from 1998 to 2001, and then became the Buccaneers coach in 2002.

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THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

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BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING Tampa Bay, "Gruden's new team", entered their first Super Bowl in team history after posting a 12–4 regular season record. Oakland, "Gruden's old team", advanced to their fifth Super Bowl after posting an 11–5 regular-season record. This was also the first Super Bowl to feature two former division rivals, as the Buccaneers and Raiders both played in the AFC West in 1976.

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THE STORY OF 2003 SUPER BOWL XXXVII

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BUCCANEERS CHAMPIONSHIP RING The Raiders came into the game as four-point favorites. However, aided with Gruden's prior knowledge of his old team, the Tampa Bay defense dominated the contest. Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon threw a Super Bowl record five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. The Buccaneers also sacked Gannon five times, and scored 34 consecutive points to build a 34–3 lead late in the third quarter. Tampa Bay safety Dexter Jackson, who had two of those interceptions and returned them for 34 yards, was named Super Bowl MVP. Jackson became only the second safety and third defensive back to ever be named Super Bowl MVP.

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