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The
Oakland Raiders are a National Football
League team based in Oakland, California.
Currently the Oakland Raiders are one of
four teams in the Western Division of the
American Football Conference. For a while,
the new American Football League team was
known as the Senors but by the time the 1960
season started, the Oakland team was known
as the Raiders. It is most likely the name
was chosen by principal owner Chet Soda and
his partners, since it is doubtful a fan
contest would have been staged in Oakland
since the first team would have to play in
San Francisco. |
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The Raiders began play in the American
Football League in 1960.Al Davis, a
former assistant coach for the San Diego
Chargers, was hired as head coach and
general manager in 1963. He reorganized
the Raiders, and the team improved to a
10-4 win-loss record. By 1965, the team
established itself as one of the
dominating forces in professional
sports.The Raiders captured the 1967 AFL
title under head coach John Rauch.
Quarterback Daryle Lamonica won the
first of his two passing titles as
Oakland advanced to the Super Bowl to
face the NFL-champion Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay won 33-14, but the Raiders had
established themselves as an AFL power.
The Raiders reached the AFL Championship
Game under Rauch in 1968 and again in
1969, this time under former Raiders
assistant coach John Madden, who had
taken over the head coaching duties. |
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Madden was named AFL coach of the year
in 1969 when, at age 32, he was the
AFL’s youngest coach.Oakland joined the
NFL in 1970 when the NFL and AFL
completed their merger. The Raiders were
professional football’s most consistent
team from the mid-1960s through the
mid-1980s. |
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From 1965 season, the Raiders would
go on to make winning records in 19
of the next 20 seasons. They reached
the playoffs 15 times and earned
four National Football League (NFL)
or American Football League (AFL)
titles in 19 seasons.From 1980 to
1993 the team reached the postseason
eight times, winning the Super Bowl
in 1981 and 1984.In 1987, the
Raiders drafted dual-sport athlete
Bo Jackson after he originally
decided to not play professional
football in 1986 (when drafted by
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the
first round). The Raiders are the
only team that appeared in at least
one Super Bowl each decade during
the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. |
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In
1982 the Raiders played in Los Angeles,
until the 1994 season.Over the years,
the Raiders have qualified for the
post-season often and captured three
Super Bowls championships – XI ( January
9, 1977), XV(January 25, 1981), and
XVIII (January 22, 1984).Legally, the
team is a limited partnership operated
by Al Davis, who serves as President of
the team's general partner, A.D.
Football, Inc. The Raiders Hall of Fame
inductees include Ron Mix (1979) - 1971,
Jim Otto (1980) - 1960-1974, George
Blanda (1981) - 1967-1975,Gene Upshaw
(1987) - 1967-1981, Willie Brown (1984)
- 1967-1978, Fred Bilentnikoff (1988) -
1965-1978, Art Shell (1989) -
1968-1982,Ted Hendricks (1990) -
1975-1983, Al Davis (1992) - 1963-1965,
1966-Present,Mike Haynes (1997) -
1983-1989,Eric Dickerson (1999) -
1992,Ronnie Lott (2000) - 1991-1992,
Howie Long (2000) - 1981-1993, Dave
Casper (2002) - 1974-1980, 1984,James
Lofton (2003) - 1987-1988, Marcus Allen
(2003) - 1982-1992 and Bob Brown (2004)
- 1971-1973. The Oakland Raiders have no
retired numbers because they do not
retire jerseys of former players. The
Raiders play their home games at Network
Associates Coliseum, which opened
September 18, 1966 and seats 63,026. |
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