Ask any Raider fan over the age of 40 what he most remembers of the Raiders, a tight group of names will come out.
Some will speak of Ken Stabler's ability to move on the fly. Some will speak of Tatum hitting a guy so hard, he was knocked out cold. Some might even mention players like Daryle Lamonica, Tom Flores, Warren Wells or Tony Teresa long ago.
The younger generation, might make mention of the names, of Marcus Allen, Jim Plunkett, Jeff Hostetler, Tim Brown, the first coaching time of Art Shell or the efforts of Terry McDaniel in the good ...
Raider Nation seems to be waiting in much anticipation for the 2010 off-season to begin, despite knowing that what Al Davis wants, Davis will get, and a kick in the teeth to everyone else.
Raider Nation has afforded Big Al his stubbornness for a few simple reasons: a) three Super Bowl wins, b) 40 years with the highest winning percentage in the NFL, c) he's won by his way in the past.
Alas, we still hope that old Al realizes that the NFL is not exactly the same as it was in the 1970s, when it was easier to outsmart the rulebook. ...
To me, John Madden was the larger than life football coach of my favorite team.
The Oakland Raiders of Kenny "The Snake" Stabler, Gene Upshaw, and Fred Biletnikoff were the team I rooted for as a kid growing up in the 1970's.
And then later, to others, he was the voice of the NFL.
But to many today, Madden is the name associated with the video game franchise that has not only changed the gaming industry, but according to a recent article in Wired Magazine , is changing the game of football altogether.
In the article, written by Chris Suellentrop, the author argues ...
This Off season the Raiders need to solidify some positions on both sides of the ball. Those include DT, DE, OT, OG, WR and even QB, but those don't need to come from free agency but from trades as well. Al in 2008 made a splash with Javon Walker, Tommy Kelly, and DeAngelo Hall and in 2009 with Jeff Garcia, Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour, so I expect Al to make another splash this off season with some key acquisitions.Begin Slideshow
The Raiders have needs to address this off season. They need help at OT, DT, MLB, OG, CB, QB. With the Burgess trade to the New England Patriots, the Raiders will have two picks in the third round and fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Some of these needs might be upgraded through free agency, but a team needs depth as well as competition so everyone is working to become better.
The Raiders do not have a sixth round pick because they traded that last year to draft Brandon Myers, the TE from Iowa.Begin Slideshow
Yes, the Raiders should seriously consider signing or trading for Michael Vick. It would greatly benifit all parties involved.
Contrary to popular belief, Vick was not neccesarily signed to a two year deal.
He was signed to a one year deal with a second year option. And it's becoming more and more likely that the Eagles are going to choose not to honor the 2nd year option. It's even more apparent he won't be in an Eagle uniform next year.
Even if he is, it would still be worth it to trade for him. The Raiders could easily offer up a third rounder, or a ...
California gold diggers were popular in 1849. Now it is 2010, almost 161 years later, and some of us are digging for historical nuggets to share with readers. NFL data is another type of gold.
I discovered another historical nugget earlier today. Imagine me with "gold pans and sluice boxes," comfortably dressed and bending and dragging through NFL databases to see what can be discovered.
Here is a nugget for you to value:
Of the 93 NFL players who have been recognized in the list of "NFL Year-by-Year Yards Per Reception Leaders," the Oakland Raiders had players listed in three different years: 1963, ...
The Raiders' 2009 season was one of the highest of highs and the most miserable of lows.
Wins against playoff teams like Cincinnati and Philadelphia fostered optimism from the Silver & Black faithful.
However, the losses to perennial cellar dwellers like Cleveland and rival Kansas City made Raider nation moan with disappointment.
The following is a list of some of the players that I believe failed to live up to their expectations and contributed to the ineptitude of the offense in 2009.Begin Slideshow
Many picks have come and gone from Oakland. Some left heartache to the fans, some were big let downs, and some turned out better than we could have imagined. There have been many great players drafted by the Raiders, and many busts as well. Trying to pick the ten best Raider Draft picks of all time isn't an easy task. What really makes a perfect draft choice? What does a draft pick have to do in his career?
An Ideal draft pick should achieve the following:
Play and Start the majority of their careers with their team
Make Probowls and All Pro Teams
Lead ...
For the Raiders, this is the time of year that other teams seem to take a breather on. Within Al's shrine, the Raiders start to look at pending free agents from around the league, take phone calls on prospective coaches, or even invite a kid or two down for a closer look.
Welcome to the Oakland Raiders offseason.
For the Raiders, the primary problems are pretty simple. In the last several years, Oakland has been stuck at double-digit losses. While the team has finally shed the veterans of 2002's glory days, they still are trying to find the right pieces to fill ...