Joining Raider Nation in Vegas: Lifetime Memberships Now Available

Jump to another section by clicking below:
Intro: Joining Raider Nation in Vegas: Lifetime Memberships Now Available
Part 1: The Raider Nation – The Fans, The Black Hole, The Ownership, & Raiders Identity
Part 2: The Raiders History – The Players, Celebrities, & Cultural Impact of The Raiders
Part 3: The Raiders Today – The Team, Players, Front Office, Social Media, & Move to Vegas
Part 4: Becoming Part of Raider Nation: What You Need to Know

The Raiders History – The Players, Celebrities, & Cultural Impact of The Raiders

When a team is the most winning in the sport for three decades, the history books will be thick and the stories impossible to fully capture. The goal of this history will capture the essence and provide some of the best sources to understand the full history of The Raiders. We will focus on the Maverick owner, Al Davis, the iconic players and coaches, the celebrities in Raider Nation, and the cultural impact of one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports.

Al Davis: The Legend

Al Davis was a visionary, a maverick, a multiple world champion, a hall of famer, a general manager, a head coach, a commissioner and owner. While most team owners earned their fortune in oil, insurance, or inheritance, Al Davis earned his reputation on the football field.

Only one NFL owner started his career as the offensive line coach at Adelphi University (1950-51), became a scout for the Baltimore Colts (1954), was the O-Line coach for the Citadel (1955-56) and USC (1957-58) and the WR coach for the Chargers (1960-62), before taking over as head coach for the Raiders (1963-65), where he was the youngest coach in AFL history. That’s a lot of grinding in the football trenches, especially for someone who didn’t even play high school football.

In 1966, Davis was tapped as AFL commissioner to go toe-to-toe with the larger, more established NFL. In the end, during his one year as AFL commissioner, they merged with the NFL and, as they say, the rest is history. There are many colorful antidotes during this time that we won’t cover here, but if you’re interested in a great read, Just Win Baby: The Al Davis Story is a must read for every Raiders fan.

After the merger, Davis returned to the raiders and owned a 10% steak in the team. He was named head of football operations. The Al Davis midis touch started in full force with him taking over and success quickly followed. The Raiders won the 1867 AFL Championship (losing in the Super Bowl by Lombardi’s Packers) and won division titles the in 1968 and 1969 before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champions.

In 1969, Davis hired the most famous Raiders coach in history, John Madden to be the sixth head coach in the teams history and led the Raiders to 6 division titles in the 1970 and the 1976 Super Bowl.

In 1972, Davis took full control of the team operations after a bit of a coo and never turned back. It’s interesting to note that Davis didn’t own a majority interest in the Raiders until 2005, but as managing partner had nearly complete control over the franchise since. When Davis died in 2011, he owned about 67% of the team.

With Davis having full control, he was effectively the general manager from the time he took over until his death, the success followed and the Raiders became the most successful team in sports. From 1967 to 1985, the team won 13 division championships, one AFL championship (1967), three Super Bowls (XI, XV and XVIII) and made 15 playoff appearances.

Beyond the winning on the field, Al Davis will be remembered for the impact he had off the field. He helped current and former players in need, often times without fanfare, and believed in the mantra “Once a Raider, Always a Raider”. He didn’t see race, color, or gender, only qualities in a person that could help the Raiders win.

Al Davis pushed for inclusion and diversity when it was not popular, especially in the world of sports. Davis made Tom Flores the first Hispanic starting quarterback when he took over the Raiders head coaching position in 1963 and then the first minority coach in professional football to win a Super Bowl in 1980 and 1983.

In 1989, Al Davis hired former Raider great Art Shell as the first black coach in the modern era as well as becoming the first African-American coach to lead the team to the Conference Championship game. His hiring set the stage for more inclusive coaching staffs, even if it took more time than it should have.

In 1997, Amy Trask was named the CEO of The Raiders, the first women holding that title for an NFL team, and held the position for 16 years.

In 1992, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His legacy cemented, even as the Raiders struggled to maintain their success, Al Davis’s spirit is still at the heart of everything the Raiders do.

Mark Davis: The Heir

Mark Davis will never be confused for his father, but he has been around the Raiders for his entire life. Davis and his mother, Carol, own 47% of the Raiders, but maintain controlling interest and day-to-day control of the team. He focuses on the business side of the Raiders and has seeded contol of the football side to previous GM Reggie McKenzie and now GM Mike Mayock and Coach Jon Gruden.

Mark Davis’s legacy will revolved around the move to Vegas, as he brokered and completed the deal despite long-shot odds. He went head to head with the Vegas big shots and won, getting financing for a 2.0B shrine that is Allegiant Stadium and increased the value of the team an estimated $1.5B. Whether that is a legacy that is positive or negative will likely depend on who you ask.

John Madden: The Coach

For most NFL fans, John Madden was a legendary color commentator and namesake for the most successful NFL video game title ever created. From 1979 to 2008, John Madden was the voice of the NFL, calling the featured games in his folksy, simple style.

But for Raider Nation, John Madden is the Hall of Fame coach, starting as the youngest coach in the history of the team in 1969 and leading them to their first NFL championship. He became the youngest coach to ever reach 100 career wins. He still has the most wins by any Raider head coach, never had a losing season and finished his coaching career with a record of 103-32-7, a winning percentage of .763. His team made the playoffs in 8 of his 10 seasons and went the AFC championship game 6 times in 10 years.

Madden is a Raider legend.

Jon Gruden: The Past & Future

Jon Gruden was hired in 1998 as the youngest coach in the NFL, taking a team that had struggled to back to back 8-8 seasons to start his coaching career. From 2000 to 2002, Gruden ushered in the most successful run of Raiders football since the 1980s, with two straight division championships before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the 2002 season. In that year, the Raiders won the conference championship and met their former coach Super Bowl XXXVII before falling 48-21 to the Gruden led Buccaneers.

After 7 seasons in Tampa Bay, he was fired. Shortly after, he was hired by ESPN to serve as color analyst on Monday Night Football, where he stayed until being lured back to the sideline by an offer he couldn’t refuse.

After nine years away from coaching, the Raiders announced that Gruden was back, hiring him as head coach on January 6, 2018. The commitment was overwhelming, a 10-year, $100 million contract that included a no-trade clause this time. He quickly put his stamp on the team, trading away Khlil Mack and Amari Cooper for draft capital and helping to hire Mike Mayock as General Manager in 2019.

His first two years have no had the success on the field, but his moves and draft capital have set the Raiders up for the move to Las Vegas with a core of young, talented players and a boatload of cap space to fill in the wholes. In his first time with the Raiders, year 3 was the tipping point and that’s what Raider Nation expects this time around.

The Players: Raiders for Life

Twenty-six Raiders have been selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, including Owner Al Davis. WR Randy Moss was the latest. He was inducted in August 2018.

Name	Position	Seasons	Inducted
Ron Mix	T	1971	1979
Jim Otto	C	1960-1974	1980
George Blanda	QB/K	1967-1975	1981
Willie Brown	CB	1967-1978	1984
Gene Upshaw	G	1967-1982	1987
Fred Biletnikoff	WR	1965-1978	1988
Art Shell	T	1968-1982	1989
Ted Hendricks	LB	1975-1983	1990
Al Davis	Owner	1963-2011	1992
Mike Haynes	CB	1983-1989	1997
Eric Dickerson	RB	1992	1999
Howie Long	DE	1981-1993	2000
Ronnie Lott	S	1991-1992	2000
Dave Casper	TE	1974-1980, 1984	2002
Marcus Allen	RB	1982-1992	2003
James Lofton	WR	1987-1988	2003
Bob Brown	T	1971-1973	2004
John Madden	Head Coach	1969-1978	2006
Rod Woodson	S	2002-2003	2009
Jerry Rice	WR	2001-2004	2010
Warren Sapp	DL	2004-2007	2013
Ray Guy	P	1973-1986	2014
Tim Brown	WR	1988-2003	2015
Ron Wolf	Executive	1963-1974, 1979-1989	2015
Ken Stabler	QB	1970-1979	2016
Randy Moss	WR	2005-2006	2018

But the love for Raiders players goes beyond those in the Hall of Fame. Players like Charles Woodson, Bo Jackson, Kenny King, and Cliff Branch hold a special place in Raiders history.

Charles Woodson: The Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t have to buy drinks in Ann Arbor, but he may even be more popular across Raider Nation. Woodson is everything that Raiders fans love; talented, engaging, and a leader of men. He was drafted 4th overall by the Raiders in 1998 and was named defensive rookie of the year. He was a 9 time Pro Bowler, 4 time First Team All-Pro, 4 time Second Team All-Pro, NFL Defensive Player of the year, National Champion & Super Bowl Champion. He has 13 defensive touchdowns (tied for most of all time), 1,105 tackles, 20 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, 65 interceptions and 155 passes defensed in one of the most storied careers in NFL history.

After spending his first 8 years in Oakland, he signed a 7-year contract with the Green Bay Packers, winning a Super Bowl in 2010. In 2013, he returned to Oakland to finish his illustrious career and cement himself as one of the most beloved Raiders of all time. His loyalty to the Silver & Black still shines through, as he is an avid supporter of the team to this day. woodso

Woodson will be the next Raider enshrined in the Hall of Fame, as he will likely be a first ballot in 2021 with Peyton Manning, the man he beat out for the Heisman Trophy in 1997. As a commentator on ESPN, he continues the tradition of former Raiders stars and coaches staying part of the game after their playing days are over.

Howie Long: Howie Long spent his entire 13 year career with the Raiders, winning a Super Bowl, Defensive Player of the Year, 8x pro bowler, 3x first team all pro, and 2x second team all pro. He was named to the NFL 1980’s all decade team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. Most importantly, Long helped win Super Bowl XVIII and brought the LA Raiders another championship.

With all the success on the field, it’s obvious why Long is one of the most beloved Raiders of all time and his after football career has only continued to elevate his status. He won a sports Emmy in 1997 as Outstanding Sports Personality/Analyst for his work on Fox, carrying on the Raiders tradition of loving the game even after they are done playing it.

Bo Jackson: He was a flash in the pan, a career cut short because of injury, but from 1987-1990, everyone was watching Bo Jackson. His career was one of brilliance and he was the only athlete in history to be named an all-star in both the MLB and NFL. His career stats don’t do justice to the sensation that was Bo Jackson, running for 2,782 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and scoring 16 rushing touchdowns.

But when Bo touched the ball, only few in the NFL has ever been so electric. In a game where big, athletic men are the norm, Bo was the baddest, the fastest, and the one who flashed. This lead to one of the most famous and successful commercials of all time, the “Bo Knows” Nike campaign.

It also helped the legend of Bo Jackson that the most popular game in the 90’s for the Nintendo (Super Techmo Bowl) made Jackson into a real life super hero, where he was all but un-tacklable. Players would start drives at their own 1 yard line just so Bo could run for 99 yard touchdowns, bouncing off tackles and leaving death and distruction in his wake.

If you ask any 90’s kid who their favorite player is, there’s a good chance it will be Bo Jackson, whether they were a Raiders fan or not. He is the myth, the legend, and the cautionary tale of football being a brutal sport that can end a career way before it should.

Lyle Alzado: When I asked my Twitter followers what I should tell new Vegas fans here’s my favorite answer:

Tell them to google “Lyle Alzado”. That sums it up. Done.

@father_cali

Good advice, because Alzado was the bad boy that epidimizes the bad boy Raider image. “He’s the first man to sack Joe Namath and smack Muhammad Ali.” And he was a Raider through and through.

If you ask 100 Raiders fans their top 5 players, you’ll get 100 different answers. That may be true for most fan-bases, but the passion and vigor that they defend their answer can only be from Raider Nation. Players mean something here and the mantra “Once a Raider, Always a Raider” stands the test of time.

The Culture: Celebrities

Few teams have amassed the eclictic celebrity following of the Raiders franchise. From sports stars Tiger Woods, CC Sabathia & Magic Johnson to rap icons Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and MC Hammer to musical legends Carlos Santana, Billie Joe Armstrong, James Hetfield & Axl Rose to film stars Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio & Jessica Alba to food guy Guy Fieri & tv guy Carson Daly, the Raiders have some of the most loyal and passionate celebrity fans.

CONTINUE TO THE RAIDERS TODAY: 2020 OUTLOOK, THE TEAM, PLAYERS, FRONT OFFICE, SOCIAL MEDIA, & MOVE TO VEGAS BY CLICKING NEXT BELOW