This past Sunday, our hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. The matchup has caused a lot of commotion in Tampa, as it will be hosted on the Bucs home field in Raymond James Stadium – however, this excitement is something fairly new.

   It is no secret that the Buccaneers franchise hasn’t been great for the past few years. Before the arrival of Tom Brady, Tampa has seen eight losing seasons out of the past 10 years – in fact, the last time the Bucs made the Super Bowl was in January of 2003. To put that in perspective, the entire Class of 2022 had not even been born at that point. 

   With this championship hiatus finally coming to an end, many find themselves asking the question, “What else did not exist in 2003?” Well, fear not, as we have curated a detailed list of these things that were not available to those way back when.

1. The iPhone

• While mobile phones had debuted in the 1970’s and became popular decades later, the iPhone was one of the first to be touch screen and the very first to provide unlimited access to the internet. It wasn’t introduced to the world until 2007, so we can only assume that the champs from 2003 were clutching their BlackBerry’s and Motorola’s.

1. The Elf on the Shelf

• This may come as a surprise, but this classic Christmas doll didn’t debut until 2005. While not as momentous or important as the creation of other things on this list, the Elf on the Shelf is a staple in many homes during the holiday season, and is essential to determine whether a child is on the naughty or nice list.

1. Montenegro and Serbia

• Both countries, located in the Balkans, gained independence after they split in 2006. Boasting a combined population of just under 8 million, they are known for their beautiful landscapes and being the home of tennis legend Novak Djokovic. What’s truly crazy about this is that these aren’t even the most recent countries to be founded – the nations of Kosovo and South Sudan have both declared independence since then. Looking at this, it puts in perspective the amount of time it’s been since Tampa has been crowned world champs – in fact, some students from the class of 2021 are older than these countries.

1. YouTube

• The ever-popular video streaming site was not invented until 2006. YouTube has since then become a staple of social media and video-sharing, and is home to almost all viral videos imaginable. This means that Bucs fans in 2003 were spared the pain of watching a YouTube Rewind every year.

1. 4G Networks

• Connection to 4G on phones and other devices seems like such a given in today’s day – however, it was not introduced until 2010. The idea of a phone connection dropping down to 3G can send a shudder down one’s spine, so the thought of having to deal with that 24/7 on a non-touchscreen device in 2003 is inconceivable.