On Tuesday, September 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted 'Raise The Flags,' A Buccaneers 50th Season Documentary Premiere and Legends Conversation presented by Ticketmaster, an exclusive event for Krewe Members. The event was designed to honor unforgettable moments in Buccaneers history and provide an opportunity to hear from legends that experienced them first-hand, including Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Jimmie Giles, Jon Gruden, Brad Johnson, Jason Licht, Ali Marpet and Doug Williams.
The night featured excerpts from the documentary commemorating the first 50 years of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization, as the team went from 'Worst to First' in 1979, made a franchise-altering move in trading for Jon Gruden, drafted generational talents like Mike Evans, and hoisted two Super Bowl trophies. Directed by Trent Cooper, an eight-time Emmy-winning sports director, the film featured never-before-seen footage and sound bites captured throughout the team's history. Special guests and attendees walked the red carpet starting at 6:00 p.m. and the program began at 7:00 p.m., concluded by a final panel discussion.
One of the clips unveiled in the documentary showed a behind-the-scenes look of legendary receiver Mike Evans when he eclipsed 1,000 yards for the 11th consecutive season in 2024, tying Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. When asked what that monumental moment encapsulated as Evans made history at Raymond James Stadium, General Manager Jason Licht expressed what that singular pinnacle meant to him personally.
"We are witnessing one of the best to play at his position of all time in real time and to set a record is a special moment and it is rare," said Licht. "You watch sporting events and you see people set records and you are happy to witness it and it is great but sometimes you are not really happy for the person. You are happy that you watched it. In this event, it could not be any better. You are so happy for Mike."
