One of the most colorful franchises in all of professional football is without a doubt the Oakland Raiders. Based out of Oakland, CA, the Raiders are yet another original AFL member that came into the NFL during the merger in 1970. As a member of the AFC West, the Raiders have been to 5 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them. Let's take a closer look at the history of the Oakland Raiders.
Al Davis has owned the Raiders since 1972. Originally founded in Oakland, the team played there until Davis moved them to Los Angeles in 1982. Later, the team moved back to Oakland in 1995 and remains there to this day.
The football team has had the colors of silver and black since Davis was general manager of the team in 1963. He used these colors originally because all TV's were available in black and white only and these colors showed up better than others.
John Madden became the head coach of the Raiders in 1969. He later guided the team to its first ever Super Bowl win in 1976. Madden stayed on as coach of the football team until 1979 when he left the team and the league, to go into TV broadcasting.
In 1982, Davis moved the team to Los Angeles, due in part to the refusal of the city of Oakland to remodel the football stadium. In their first year in Los Angeles, the team went to the Super Bowl and won. That has been the last time the Raiders have won a Super Bowl. In 1995, the team moved back to the city of Oakland.
The fans of the Oakland Raiders are some of the rowdiest fans in all of professional football. They arrive early for tailgate parties dressed in silver and black paint, masks and costumes. One of the more rowdy spots in the stadium is known as the "black hole". This part of the stadium is definitely not for the feint of heart.
Hall of Fame
The Oakland Raiders have 18 current members in the pro football Hall of Fame. They include: Marcus Allen Fred Biletnikoff George Blanda Bob Brown Willie Brown Dave Casper Al Davis Eric Dickerson Mike Haynes Ted Hendricks James Lofton Howie Long Ronnie Lott John Madden Ron Mix Jim Otto Art Shell Gene Upshaw
There have been many other notable players on the Raiders over the years including: Ray Guy Lyle Alzado Cliff Branch Bo Jackson Carl Weathers (later played Apollo Creed in "Rocky" movies) Jack Tatum Jerry Rice
The Raiders have been known as a franchise that has had more than its share of bad football drafts over the years. This, combined with the constant head coaching changes by Al Davis, has made winning sometimes difficult over the years. One of the more memorable draft day mistakes was the selection of troubled QB Todd Marinovich.
The Oakland Raiders have some of the storied rivalries among any NFL football team, with the fiercest being San Diego, Denver and Kansas City. Even when the Raiders are not as competitive, teams do not like playing them. That is one reason why the team will always remain as one of the more popular ones in the league.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Football
Written By: Michael Russell
