By Paul Casey Gotham
Once was a time when football fans associated success with the Oakland Raiders. For more than two decades, the Silver and Black had a say in which team represented the AFC in the Super Bowl.
With Daryle Lamonica throwing to Fred Biletnikoff, the Raiders grabbed a spot in Super Bowl II. The John Rauch-coached team did not lose a game until they met Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers.
John Madden took the helm from Rauch and led the Raiders through the 70s. Guys like Kenny Stabler, Dave Casper, Ted Hendricks, Mark van Eeghen, Otis Sistrunk and Phil Vilipiano made the NFL post-season an annual event for the Raiders. The Silver and Black played in three consecutive AFC championship games before winning Super Bowl XI.
Madden passed the baton to Tom Flores. Oakland hardly skipped a beat. Jim Plunkett went under center and led the Raiders to a victory in Super Bowl XV. Three seasons later, the Raiders moved down the coast and brought the Super Bowl to Los Angeles.
Orchestrating the commitment to excellence, Raider owner, Al Davis crafted top draft class after top draft class. In 1968, he plucked Stabler in the second round and eventual hall-of-famer, Art Shell in the third. Jack Tatum, Vilipiano and Clarence Davis came in ’71. Cliff Branch was a fourth-round pick in ’72. Who would think of taking a punter in the first round? Davis did in ’73, and Ray Guy became the best punter the game has known. Casper and van Eeghen came in ’74. From there, Davis encouraged the troops with his mantra: “Just win, baby.”
But something happened along the way. The Raiders went six years without a playoff win. Then victory came only to suffer embarassment at the hands of the Buffalo Bills and the “K-Gun” offense – a 51-3 shellacking in the 1990 AFC championship game.
The Silver and Black won just one playoff game from 91-99. One year later, Tom Brady’s “tuck” eliminated Jon Gruden and the Raiders. Gruden left Oakland for more money.
He got the cash from Tampa Bay and some revenge. Davis left to swallow the bitterest pill. Oakland and Tampa met in Super Bowl XXXVII. Gruden led his new team past his old team.
Since then, Davis has gone through head coaches like Madonna goes through suitors. Bill Callahan could not motivate his guys to beat their former coach in the Super Bowl. Norv Turner got a chance. Shell came back for a return engagement. There was the Lane Kiffin incident. Then came Tom Cable.
Davis also seemed to lose his touch in assessing talent. The Raiders went four years without a 1,000 yard rusher. Quarterback has not been much better. There was the Daunte Culpepper experiment. That failed. Then, Davis drafted JaMarcus Russell first overall. That, too, failed.
But make no mistake. Davis has figured out how to have an impact on the outcome of the NFL season.
It started with the 2009 draft. With the seventh pick, Davis chose Darrius Heyward-Bey. Davis has made a habit of raising eyebrows in recent drafts, and this pick continued the trend. Davis added to the surprise by signing the wide receiver to a five-year contract that guaranteed $23.5 million.
No big deal right? Just some crazy old guy throwing around his cash. Who is he trying to impress.
Thing is, Davis set the trap for whoever or whichever team would take Michael Crabtree. Despite Crabtree’s above average college career, Davis wasn’t taking him. He drafted Heyward-Bey and gave him guaranteed money. A tall order to live up to.
Now, the 2009 San Francisco 49ers were no Super Bowl contenders. After limping out of the ’08 gate, the team fired Mike Nolan and named assistant Mike Singletary the head coach. San Fran went from 2-5 to 5-4 including wins in four of their last five. Pieces were in place. They needed a wide receiver.
They drafted Crabtree, and the battle began. By drafting Heyward-Bey instead of Crabtree, Davis hit Crabtree where it hurts: his ego. Crabtree demanded to be paid as the best wide receiver in the draft. Problem was the 49ers were not going to pay Al Davis money. How does one try to explain the schemes of Al Davis at the bargaining table?
Crabtree eventually came around in October, but it was too late. San Fran finished 8-8.
Toying with the 49ers was just practice.
Rex Ryan’s New York Jets have earned that burdensome title of pre-season favorites. The Jets have become the sexy pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
There is a problem. The Jets did it with defense last year. Darrelle Revis, the Jets shutdown corner, was a big reason for that success. Revis wants to be paid as the best defensive back in the league.
Who is the defensive back with the biggest contract? Nnamdi Asomugha has a three-year $45.3 million deal of which it is reported $28 million is guaranteed.
And yes, that deal is with the Oakland Raiders. As Revis continues to hold out, the Jets chances of winning the AFC title game dwindle.
Make no mistake. The Oakland Raiders will not make it to the Super Bowl, but Al Davis will have an impact on which team from the AFC goes to Texas for the last game of the season. Rex Ryan can make jokes through his press conferences. He can play it off like he feels no pressure. But it is there. While all this is going on, Davis is plotting his next point in the scheme. It’s all part of the swindle.
The many intricacies of Al Davis. A couple things you might like to point out in the future. the Raiders were in the Super Bowl in 2002. Since the Raiders last appearance in the Super Bowl, only 9 NFL teams have played in the Super Bowl. While it has been a terribly rough stretch for the Raiders they were pretty good, not that long ago.
One other note, it was Super Bowl II the Raiders played in and lost to the Green Bay Packers 33- 14. They went 13 – 1 that year losing to the New York Jets 27 – 14 in week 4.
Biletnikoff, Billy Miller and former Heisman winner Billy Cannon made for quite a combination of receivers for Lamonica.
Casey —
Thanks for penning this blog on the Raiders … a good reminder of how great this franchise was in the past. I have fond memories of Kenny Stabler battling hangovers while hobbling around to find time to throw darts to Dave Casper, Freddy B and Cliff Branch … not to mention the cast of characters on defense and that great O-line.
Interesting … seems a lot of the pundits on the sports talk shows are talking up this year’s Raiders. Al Davis aside, I’d like to see this team get back to some level of excellence soon. THE RAAAAAIDUZZ, as Chris Berman says. 😉
Paul – welcome to the Pine. Thanks for the close read. Correction made.
Davis was once one of the best judges of football talent, or at least talent that would succeed in Oakland. He has always been a sly fox, even when it looked to most like dumbness. Guy as a first rounder and vanEeghen from Colgate are among the shrewdest draft picks I have ever seen! All that said, I do not like the bum!
I think the Raiders really hit bottom in those Bill Callahan years. During the Super Bowl the Raiders had the audacity to run the same plays that Gruden had put in place the year before. When asked later, John Lynch even stated, ” they were running the same plays we were practicing against” . Davis didn’t do his homework.
Davis wanted Russell, Lane Kiffin didn’t want him. Hmmmmmm.
There was a time when everyone wanted to be a Raider and it was all about the Silver and Black. Will it ever happen again?
Great article Casey!
The Super Bowl against the Buccaneers was difficult to swallow as a Raider fan but there was a reason the offense was as predictable as Lynch stated. Barrett Robbins. The Raider game plan the week leading up to the game was to use the power running of Tyrone Weatley at the undersized defensive line of the Bucs behind Barrett Robbins, Frank Middleton and Mo Collins.
Once Robbins went on his Tijuana bender the Raiders were forced to replace a 6′ 3″ 320 lb monster All Pro Center with Adam Treu, a 6′ 5″ 300 lb career backup and long snapper.
Treu was a very good center in the passing attack the Raiders used, but expecting him to handle warren Sapp in a running attack was simply beyond his ability. Once Robbins was removed from the playing roster the Raiders were forced to return to the short passing attack Gruden and Callahan had created the previous 4 years Gruden was the Head Coach in Oakland and that they had used so effectively the entire year.
Would Robbins had made a difference in the game? No one knows.
Hey Paul, Go Canes!!!