Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Raiders began play in 1960 as the eighth charter member of the American Football League (AFL), where they won one championship and three division titles. The team joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. Since joining the NFL the Raiders have won twelve division titles and three Super Bowls, and have appeared in two other Super Bowls. The team has thirteen enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

During their first three seasons, the Raiders struggled both on and off the field. In 1963, Al Davis was brought to the team as head coach and general manager. Davis immediately turned the Raiders into winners, and from 1963 until 2002 the team had only seven losing seasons. He also initiated the use of team slogans such as "Pride and Poise," "Commitment to Excellence," and "Just Win, Baby"—all of which are registered trademarks.^[1][2][3] Except for a brief term as AFL Commissioner in 1966, Davis has been with the team continually. Upon his return to Oakland in 1966, he became a managing partner of the franchise.

After a few years of legal battles, Davis moved the team from Oakland to Los Angeles, California in 1982. While in Los Angeles, the Raiders won their third Super Bowl, but made just two playoff appearances through the rest of the 1980s. In 1995, Davis moved the team back to Oakland. In 2000, head coach Jon Gruden led Oakland to their first division title since 1990, but left the team one season later. Under head coach Bill Callahan, Oakland faced Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, where they were beaten 48-21. Since the loss, the Raiders have posted four consecutive losing seasons. In January 2007, the team named 31-year-old Lane Kiffin their fourth head coach since Gruden's departure in 2002.

Franchise history

Early years (1960-1962)

A few months after the first AFL draft in 1959, the owners of the yet-unnamed Minneapolis franchise accepted an offer to join the established National Football League as an expansion team (now called the Minnesota Vikings) in 1961, sending the AFL scrambling for a replacement.^[4][5] At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely venue for a professional football team. The city had not asked for a team, there was no ownership group and there was no stadium in Oakland suitable for pro football (the closest stadiums were in Berkeley and San Francisco) and there was already a successful NFL franchise in the Bay Area in the San Francisco 49ers. However, the AFL owners selected Oakland after Los Angeles Chargers owner Barron Hilton threatened to forfeit his franchise unless a second team was placed on the West Coast.^[6] Accordingly, the city of Oakland was awarded the eighth AFL franchise on January 30, 1960, and the team inherited the Minneapolis club's draft picks.

Upon receiving the franchise, Oakland civic leaders found a number of businesspeople willing to invest in the new team. A limited partnership was formed to own the team headed by managing general partner Chet Soda, a local real estate developer, and included general partners Ed McGah, Robert Osborne, Wayne Valley, Harvey Binns, Don Blessing, and Charles Harney as well as numerous limited partners. A "name the team" contest was held by a local newspaper, and the winner was the Oakland Señors. After a few weeks of being the butt of local jokes the fledgling team (and its owners) changed the team's name to the Oakland Raiders, which had finished third in the naming contest.^[7] The original team colors were black, gold and white. The team emblem of a pirate (or "raider") wearing a football helmet was created, reportedly a rendition of actor Randolph Scott.^[8]

When the University of California refused to let the Raiders play home games at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, they chose Kezar Stadium in San Francisco as their home field. The team's first regular season home game was played on September 11, 1960, a 37-22 loss to the Houston Oilers. The Raiders finished their first campaign with a 6-8 record, and lost $500,000. Desperately in need of money to continue running the team, Valley received a $400,000 loan from Buffalo Bills founder Ralph C. Wilson Jr.^[9]

After the conclusion of the first season Soda dropped out of the partnership, and on January 17, 1961, Valley, McGah and Osborne bought out the remaining four general partners. Soon after, Valley and McGah purchased Osborne's interest, with Valley named as the managing general partner. That year the Raiders moved to Candlestick Park, where total attendance for the season was about 50,000, and finished 2-12. Valley threatened to move the Raiders out of the area unless a stadium was built in Oakland, but in 1962 the Raiders moved into 18,000-seat Frank Youell Field (later expanded to 22,000 seats), their first home in Oakland.^[10] It was a temporary home for the team while the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was under construction. Under Marty Feldman and Red Conkright—the team's second and third head coaches since entering the AFL—the Raiders finished 1-13 in 1962, losing their first 13 games before winning the season finale, and attendance remained low.

Al Davis comes to Oakland (1963-1981)

After the 1962 season, Valley hired Al Davis, a former assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers, as head coach and general manager. At 33, he was the youngest person in professional football history to hold the positions.^[11] Davis immediately changed the team colors to silver and black, and began to implement what he termed the "vertical game," an aggressive offensive strategy based on the West Coast offense developed by Chargers head coach Sid Gillman.^[12] Under Davis the Raiders improved to 10-4, and he was named the AFL's Coach of the Year in 1963. Though the team slipped to 5-7-2 in 1964, it rebounded to an 8-5-1 record in 1965.

In April 1966, Davis left the Raiders after being named AFL Commissioner. Two months later, the league announced its merger with the NFL. With the merger, the position of commissioner was no longer needed, and Davis entered into discussions with Valley about returning to the Raiders. On July 25, 1966, Davis returned as part owner of the team. He purchased a 10 percent interest in the team for US $18,000, and became the team's third general partner — the partner in charge of football operations.^[13][14]

On the field, the team Davis had assembled and coached steadily improved. With John Rauch (Davis's hand-picked successor) as head coach, the Raiders won the 1967 AFL Championship, defeating the Houston Oilers 40-7. The win earned the team a trip to Super Bowl II, where they were beaten 33-14 by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. The following two years, the Raiders again won Western Division titles, only to lose the AFL Championship to the eventual Super Bowl winners—the New York Jets (1968) and Kansas City Chiefs (1969). In 1970, the AFL-NFL merger took place and the Raiders joined the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the newly merged NFL.

In 1969, John Madden became the team's sixth head coach, and under him the Raiders became one of the most successful franchises in the NFL, winning six division titles during the 1970s. The achievement was marred somewhat by three consecutive losses in AFC Championships from 1973–75, two against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then, after finishing 13-1 in 1976, the Raiders defeated the Steelers 24-7 in the AFC Championship game. Oakland then defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 32-14, in Super Bowl XI for the franchise's first NFL championship.

In 1972, with Wayne Valley out of the country for several weeks attending the Olympic Games in Munich, Davis's attorneys drafted a revised partnership agreement that gave him total control over all of the Raiders' operations. McGah, a supporter of Davis, signed the agreement. Under partnership law, by a 2-1 vote of the general partners, the new agreement was thus ratified. Valley was furious when he discovered this, and immediately filed suit to have the new agreement overturned, but the court sided with Davis and McGah. In January 1976, Valley sold his interest in the team, and Davis — who now owned only 25 percent of the Raiders — was firmly in charge.^[13][15]

After ten consecutive winning seasons and one Super Bowl championship, Madden left the Raiders (and coaching) in 1979 to pursue a career as a television football commentator. His replacement was former Raiders quarterback Tom Flores, the first Hispanic head coach in NFL history.^[16] In the fifth week of the 1980 season, starting quarterback Dan Pastorini broke his leg and was replaced by former number-one draft pick Jim Plunkett. Plunkett led Oakland to an 11-5 record and a wild card berth. After playoff victories against the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego Chargers, the Raiders clinched their second NFL championship in five years with a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. With the victory, the Raiders became the first ever wild card team to win a Super Bowl.^[17]

Move to Los Angeles (1982–1994)

Prior to the 1980 season, Al Davis attempted unsuccessfully to have improvements made to Oakland Coliseum, specifically the addition of luxury boxes. That year, he signed a Memorandum of Agreement to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles. The move, which required three-fourths approval by league owners, was defeated 22-0 (with five owners abstaining). When Davis tried to move the team anyway, he was blocked by an injunction. In response, the Raiders not only became an active partner in an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (who had recently lost the Los Angeles Rams), but filed an antitrust lawsuit of their own.^[18] After the first case was declared a mistrial, in May 1982 a second jury found in favor of Davis and the Los Angeles Coliseum, clearing the way for the move.^[19][20][21] With the ruling, the Raiders finally relocated to Los Angeles for the 1982 season to play their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The team finished 8-1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, first in the AFC, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the New York Jets. The following season, the team finished 12-4 and won convincingly against the Steelers and Seattle Seahawks in the AFC playoffs. Against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII, Los Angeles built a 21-3 halftime lead en route to a 38-9 victory and their third NFL championship. The next two seasons, the Raiders qualified for the playoffs but lost in the wild card round and the divisional round, respectively. From 1986 through 1989, Los Angeles finished no better than 8-8 and posted consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1961–62. After finishing 5-10 in 1987, Tom Flores moved to the front office and was replaced by Denver Broncos offensive assistant coach Mike Shanahan.

After starting the 1989 season with a 1-3 record, Shanahan was fired by Davis, which began a long-standing feud between the two.^[22] He was replaced by former Raider offensive lineman Art Shell, who had been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier in the year. With the hiring, Shell became the first African American head coach in the modern NFL era.^[23] In 1990, Shell led Los Angeles to a 12-4 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship, where they lost a lopsided affair to the Buffalo Bills, 51-3.

The team's fortunes faded after the loss. They made two other playoff appearances during the 1990s, and finished higher than third place only three times. This period was marked by the career-ending injury of two-sport athlete Bo Jackson in 1990, the failure of troubled quarterback Todd Marinovich, the acrimonious departure of Marcus Allen in 1993, and the retirement of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long after the 1993 season. Shell was fired after posting a 9-7 record in the 1994 season.

Shell's five-plus-year tenure as head coach in Los Angeles was marked particularly by a bitter dispute between star running back Marcus Allen and Al Davis. The exact source of the friction is unknown, but a contract dispute led Davis to refer to Allen as "a cancer on the team."^[24] By the late 1980s, injuries began to reduce Allen's role in the offense. This role was reduced further in 1987, when the Raiders drafted Bo Jackson—even though he originally decided to not play professional football in 1986 (when drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round).^[25] By 1990, Allen had dropped to fourth on the team's depth chart, leading to resentment on the part of his teammates. In late 1992 Allen lashed out publicly at Davis, and accused him of trying to ruin his career.^[26][27] In 1993, Allen left to play for the rival Kansas City Chiefs.

As early as 1987, Davis began to seek a new, more modern stadium away from the Coliseum and the dangerous neighborhood that surrounded it at the time. In addition to sharing the venue with the USC Trojans, the Coliseum was aging and still lacked the luxury suites and other amenities that Davis was promised when he moved the Raiders to Los Angeles.^[28] Numerous venues in California were considered, including one near Hollywood Park in Inglewood and another in Carson. In August 1987, it was announced that the city of Irwindale paid Davis USD $10 million as a good-faith deposit for a prospective stadium site.^[29] When the bid failed, Davis kept the non-refundable deposit.^[30][31]

In the summer of 1988, rumors of a Raiders return to Oakland intensified when a preseason game against the Houston Oilers was scheduled at Oakland Coliseum.^[32] Negotiations between Davis and Oakland commenced in January 1989, and on March 11, 1991, Davis announced his intention to bring the Raiders back to Oakland.^[33] By September 1991, however, numerous delays had prevented the completion of the deal between Davis and Oakland. On September 11, Davis announced a new deal to stay in Los Angeles, leading many fans in Oakland to burn Raiders paraphernalia in disgust.^[34][35]

Back to Oakland (1995–present)

On June 23, 1995, Davis signed a letter of intent to move the Raiders back to Oakland. The move was approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors the next month,^[36] as well as by the NFL. The move was greeted with much fanfare,^[37] and under new head coach Mike White the 1995 season started off well for the team. Oakland started 8-2, but injuries to starting quarterback Jeff Hostetler contributed to a six-game losing streak to end the season, and the Raiders failed to qualify for the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

After three unsuccessful seasons under White and his successor, Joe Bugel, Davis selected a new head coach from outside the Raiders organization for only the second time when he hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Jon Gruden, who previously worked for the 49ers and Packers under head coach Mike Holmgren. Under Gruden, the Raiders posted consecutive 8-8 seasons in 1998 and 1999, and climbed out of last place in the AFC West. Oakland finished 12-4 in the 2000 season, the team's most successful in a decade. Led by veteran quarterback Rich Gannon, Oakland won their first division title since 1990, and advanced to the AFC Championship, where they lost 16-3 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

The Raiders acquired all-time leading receiver Jerry Rice prior to the 2001 season. They finished 10-6 and won a second straight AFC West title but lost their divisional-round playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, in a controversial game that became known as "The Tuck." The game was played in a heavy snowstorm, and late in the fourth quarter an apparent fumble by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was recovered by Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert. The recovery would have led to a Raiders victory, however the play was reviewed and determined to be an incomplete pass (it was ruled that Brady had pump faked and then "tucked" the ball into his body, which, by rule, cannot result in a fumble). The Patriots retained possession of the ball, and drove for a game-tying field goal. The game went into overtime and the Patriots won, 16-13.^[38]

Shortly after the season, the Raiders made an unusual move that involved releasing Gruden from his contract and allowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign him. In return, the Raiders received cash and future draft picks from the Buccaneers. The sudden move came after months of speculation in the media that Davis and Gruden had fallen out with each other both personally and professionally. Bill Callahan, who served as the team's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach during Gruden's tenure, was named head coach.^[39]

Under Callahan, the Raiders finished the 2002 season 11-5, won their third straight division title, and clinched the top seed in the playoffs. Rich Gannon was named MVP of the NFL after passing for a league-high 4,689 yards. After beating the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans by large margins in the playoffs, the Raiders made their fifth Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII. Their opponent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached by Gruden. The Raiders, who had not made significant changes to Gruden's offensive schemes, were intercepted five times by the Buccaneers en route to a 48-21 blowout. Some Tampa Bay players claimed that Gruden had given them so much information on Oakland's offense, they knew exactly what plays were being called.^[40][41]

Callahan's second season as head coach was considerably less successful. Oakland finished 4-12, their worst showing since 1997. After a late-season loss to the Denver Broncos, a visibly frustrated Callahan exclaimed, "We've got to be the dumbest team in America in terms of playing the game."^[42] At the end of the 2003 regular season Callahan was fired and replaced by former Washington Redskins head coach Norv Turner.

The team's fortunes did not improve in Turner's first year. Oakland finished the 2004 season 5-11, with only one divisional win (a one-point victory over the Broncos in Denver). During a Week 3 victory against the Buccaneers, Rich Gannon suffered a neck injury that ended his season. He never returned to the team and retired before the 2005 season.^[43] Kerry Collins, who led the New York Giants to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXV and signed with Oakland after the 2003 season, became the team's starting quarterback.

In an effort to bolster their offense, in early 2005 the Raiders acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss via trade with the Minnesota Vikings, and signed free agent running back Lamont Jordan of the New York Jets. After a 4-12 season and a second consecutive last place finish, Turner was fired as head coach. On February 11, 2006 the team announced the return of Art Shell as head coach. In announcing the move, Al Davis said that firing Shell in 1995 had been a mistake.^[44]

Under Shell, the Raiders lost their first five games in 2006 en route to a 2-14 finish, the team's worst record since 1962. Oakland's offense struggled greatly, scoring just 168 points (fewest in franchise history) and allowing a league-high 72 sacks. Wide receiver Jerry Porter was benched by Shell for most of the season in what many viewed as a personal, rather than football-related, decision.^[45] The Raiders also earned the right to the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft for the first time since 1962, by virtue of having the league's worst record.^[46]

One season into his second run as head coach, Shell was fired on January 4, 2007.^[47] On January 22, the team announced the hiring of 31-year-old USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, the youngest coach in franchise history and the youngest coach in the NFL.^[48]

Ownership structure

Legally, the club is a limited partnership operated by Al Davis, who serves as president of the team's general partner, A.D. Football, Inc. The partnership is comprised of heirs of the original eight team partners. Although exact ownership stakes are not known, it has been reported that Davis currently owns 67 percent of the team's shares and is the only partner with the authority to make decisions.^[49]

Ed McGah, the last of the original eight general partners of the Raiders, died in September 1983. Upon his death, his interest was devised to a family trust, of which his son, E.J. McGah, was the trustee. The younger McGah was himself a part owner of the team, as a limited partner, and died in 2002. Several members of the McGah family filed suit against Davis in October 2003, alleging mismanagement of the team by Davis. The lawsuit sought to remove Davis as owner of the team, as well as monetary damages. Among their specific complaints, the McGahs alleged that Davis failed to provide them with detailed financial information previously provided to Ed and E.J. McGah. The Raiders countered that—under the terms of the partnership agreement as amended in 1972—upon the death of the elder McGah in 1983, his general partner interest converted to that of a limited partner. The team continued to provide the financial information to the younger McGah as a courtesy, though it was under no obligation to do so.^[50]

The majority of the lawsuit was dismissed in April 2004, when an Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled that the case lacked merit since none of the other partners took part in the lawsuit.^[51] In October 2005, the lawsuit was settled out of court. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but it was reported that under its terms Davis purchased the McGah family's interest in the Raiders (approximately 31 percent), and for the first time owns a majority interest, speculated to be approximately 67 percent of the team. As a result of the settlement, confidential details concerning Al Davis and the ownership of the Raiders were not released to the public.^[52]

Recently, Davis has been attempting to sell the 31 percent ownership stake in the team he obtained from the McGah family. He has been unsuccessful in this effort, reportedly because the sale would not give the purchaser any control of the Raiders, even in the event of Davis's death. Full control of the team will be assumed by Davis's wife, Carol, upon his death.^[49]

Financial operations

According to a 2006 report released by Forbes Magazine, the Raiders' overall team value of US $736 million ranks 28th out of 32 NFL teams.^[53] The team ranked in the bottom three in league attendance from 2003–2005, and failed to sell out a majority of their home games. One of the reasons cited for the poor attendance figures was the decision to issue costly Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) upon the Raiders' return to Oakland in 1995. The PSLs, which ranged in cost from $250 to $4,000, were meant to help repay the $200 million it cost the city of Oakland and Alameda County to expand Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. They were only valid for 10 years, however, while other teams issue them permanently. As a result, fewer than 31,000 PSLs were sold for a stadium that holds twice that amount. Since 1995, television blackouts of Raiders home games have been common.^[54]

In November 2005, the team announced that it was taking over ticket sales from the privately run Oakland Football Marketing Association (OFMA), and abolishing PSLs.^[54] In February 2006, the team also announced that it would lower ticket prices for most areas of McAfee Coliseum.^[55] Just prior to the start of the 2006 NFL season, the Raiders revealed that they had sold 37,000 season tickets, up from 29,000 the previous year.^[56] Despite the team's 2-14 record, they sold out six of their eight home games in 2006.^[57]

Legal battles

The Raiders and Al Davis have been involved in several lawsuits throughout their history, including ones against the NFL. When the NFL declined to approve the Raiders' move from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1980, the team joined the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission in a lawsuit against the league alleging a violation of antitrust laws.^[58] The Coliseum Commission received a settlement from the NFL of US $19.6 million in 1987.^[52] In 1986, Davis testified on behalf of the USFL in their unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. He was the only NFL owner to do so.^[59]

After relocating back to Oakland, the team sued the NFL for interfering with their negotiations to build a new stadium at Hollywood Park prior to the move. The Raiders' lawsuit further contended that they had the rights to the Los Angeles market, and thus were entitled to compensation from the league for giving up those rights by moving to Oakland. A jury found in favor of the NFL in 2001, but the verdict was overturned a year later due to alleged juror misconduct. In February 2005, a California Court of Appeal unanimously upheld the original verdict.^[60]

When the Raiders moved back from Los Angeles in 1995, the city of Oakland and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority agreed to sell Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) to help pay for the renovations to their stadium. But after games rarely sold out, the Raiders filed suit, claiming that they were misled by the city and the Coliseum Authority with the false promise that there would be sellouts. On November 2, 2005, a settlement was announced, part of which was the abolishment of PSLs as of the 2006 season.^[61]

In 2003, the team sued the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for infringing upon key trademark elements of the Raiders' brand, including the Panthers' silver and black color scheme and the Buccaneers' pirate logo. The Raiders wanted the court to bar the Panthers and Buccaneers from wearing their uniforms while playing in California. However, since the lawsuit was filed in a State of California court, the lawsuit was dismissed in April 2003 because only federal courts have jurisdiction on intellectual property issues.^[62]

Logo and uniforms

The original Raiders uniforms were black and gold, while the helmets were black with a white stripe and no logo. The team wore this design from 1960–1962.^[63] When Al Davis became head coach and general manager in 1963, he changed the team's color scheme to silver and black, and added a logo to the helmet.^[64] This logo is a shield that consists of the word "Raiders" at the top, crossed swords, and the head of a Raider wearing a football helmet. Over the years, it has undergone minor color modifications (such as changing the background from white to black in 1964), but it has essentially remained the same.

The Raiders' current silver and black uniform design has essentially remained the same since it debuted in 1963. It consists of silver helmets, silver pants, and either black or white jerseys. The black jerseys have silver numbers, while the white jerseys have black numbers. Originally, the white jerseys also had silver numbers with a black outline, but they were changed to black with a silver outline for the 1964 season. In 1970, the team reverted to the 1963 design with silver numerals for the season. However, in 1971 the team again displayed black numerals and with the exception of a handful of "throwback" games, have used this color scheme ever since.

Raiders helmet

Raiders script

Home uniform

Road uniform

Rivals

The Oakland Raiders have four primary rivals: their divisional rivals (Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers) and their geographic rival, the San Francisco 49ers. They also have rivalries with other teams that arose from playoff battles in the past. The most notable of these teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.

Divisional rivals

• The Denver Broncos and the Raiders have been divisional rivals since the two teams began play in the AFL in 1960. While the Raiders still hold a sizable advantage in the series (54-39-2), the Broncos have won seven of the last eight matchups (2003–2006). Current Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan coached the Raiders before being fired just four games into the 1989 season, which has only served to intensify this rivalry. Since Shanahan became head coach, Oakland is 6-18 against Denver. The Broncos won both games against the Raiders in 2006.
• The Kansas City Chiefs and the Raiders have had several memorable matches and have a bitter divisional rivalry. Oakland lost the 1969 AFL Championship against Kansas City, who appeared in the first Super Bowl. The Chiefs have won the last 8 matchups (2003-2006) against Oakland, and the Chiefs also lead the overall series 50-42-2.
• The San Diego Chargers' rivalry with Oakland dates to the 1963 season, when the up-and-coming Raiders defeated the heavily-favored Chargers twice, both come-from-behind fourth quarter victories. One of the most memorable games between these teams was the "Holy Roller" game in 1978, where the Raiders fumbled for a touchdown in a very controversial (and now illegal) play. The Chargers currently have a seven-game win streak against the Raiders, outscoring the Raiders 195 to 83 during the streak.

Geographic rival

• The San Francisco 49ers, located on the other side of San Francisco Bay, are the Raiders' geographic rivals. As a result, games between the two are referred to as a "Battle of the Bay."^[65][66] Since the two teams play in different conferences, regular-season matchups are infrequent. Fans and players of the winning team can claim "bragging rights" as the better team in the area.^[67] Oakland currently holds a 6-5 edge in the all-time series, although the 49ers won the last time the two teams played each other, on October 8, 2006 at Monster Park in San Francisco.

Historic rivals

• The rivalry between the Raiders and the New England Patriots dates to their time in the AFL, but was intensified during a 1978 preseason game, when Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley was permanently paralyzed after a vicious hit delivered by Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum. The two teams met in a divisional-round playoff game in 2002, which became known as "The Tuck." Late in the game, a fumble by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was overturned, and New England went on to win in overtime.^[68] In their most recent matchup, the two teams opened the 2005 season in Gillette Stadium, a game won 30-20 by the Patriots.
• The New York Jets began a strong rivalry with the Raiders in the AFL during the 1960s that continued through much of the 1970s, fueled in part by Raider Ike Lassiter breaking star quarterback Joe Namath's jaw during a 1967 game (though Ben Davidson wrongly got the blame),^[69] the famous Heidi Game during the 1968 season, and the Raiders' bitter loss to the Jets in the AFL Championship later that season. The rivalry waned in later years, but saw a minor resurgence due to some late-season and playoff meetings.^[70][71] The Jets won the most recent matchup, 23-3, on December 31, 2006.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers' rivalry with the Raiders was extremely intense during the 1970s. The Steelers denied the Raiders a trip to the Super Bowl in three of four consecutive seasons in the early 1970s (the first loss was the "Immaculate Reception" game) until the Raiders finally beat the Steelers in the 1976 AFC Championship (and went on to win Super Bowl XI). During the game, Raiders cornerback George Atkinson delivered a hit on Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann that gave him a concussion. When the two teams met in the 1976 season opener, Atkinson hit Swann again and gave him another concussion. After the second incident, Steelers head coach Chuck Noll referred to Atkinson as part of the "criminal element" in the NFL. Atkinson subsequently filed a $2 million defamation lawsuit against Noll and the Steelers, which he lost.^[72] Most recently, Oakland recorded a 20-13 win over Pittsburgh on October 29, 2006.

Raider Nation

Main article: Raider Nation

The nickname Raider Nation refers to the die hard fans of the team spread throughout the United States and the world.^[73] Members of the Raider Nation who attend home games are known for arriving to the stadium early, tailgating, dressing up in face masks, and black outfits. The Raider Nation is also known for the "Black Hole", a specific area of McAfee Coliseum (sections 104, 105, 106, and 107) frequented by the team's rowdiest and most fervent fans.^[74][75][76] Notable Raider fans include Metallica frontman James Hetfield, Carlos Santana, Tom Hanks,^[77] Tiger Woods,^[9][78] James Garner,^[79] Snoop Dogg,^[80] Ice Cube,^[81] Hunter S. Thompson,^[82] and heavy metal band Slayer (known for adorning their equipment with Raiders logos).^[83] On January 19, 2003, Metallica performed a free concert in the parking lot of Network Associates Coliseum before the 2002-2003 AFC Championship, which the Raiders won against the Titans.^[84]

Raiders in popular culture

In 1974, Steve Sabol of NFL Films composed a poem entitled "The Autumn Wind" (sample (info)). The poem, with its vivid personification of the autumn season as a pirate, is synonymous with the Raiders.^[85][86] It was recorded as a orchestral piece by NFL Films (with narration by John Facenda), and is played at Raiders home games. Two additional songs about the Raiders have been released by NFL Films—"The Raiders" and "Raider Might," the former of which is played at home games after Oakland scores.

Watched in 46.4 percent of all American households, the Raiders' victory over the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII ranks as the 13th-most watched network telecast ever in the United States, according to the Nielsen Ratings system. The team's two other Super Bowl wins are tied for 29th place, each attracting 44.4 percent. Oakland's appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII was viewed by 88.6 million people.^[87]

In a 1992 episode of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons ("Lisa the Greek"), Lisa Simpson picks the Raiders to win a game because "they always cheat." The Raiders end up winning after "an extremely suspicious play."^[88]

The 1996 feature film That Thing You Do! features a character named Villapiano. The character and his pizza restaurant (Villapiano's) are named after former Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano. Tom Hanks, who wrote and directed the film, is a Raiders fan.^[89]

An episode of the FOX television series Sliders ("The Prince of Wails") featured an alternate universe where the British won the American Revolutionary War, and although San Francisco was still a large city, Oakland was still an undeveloped, forested area (with the same geographical name). A militia of American freedom fighters based in the region took the name "The Oakland Raiders."^[90]

Season-by-season records

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

+ = Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.

Players of note

Current roster