| One of the most colorful franchises in all of | | | | fans in all of professional football. They |
| professional football is without a doubt the | | | | arrive early for tailgate parties dressed in |
| Oakland Raiders. Based out of Oakland, CA, | | | | silver and black paint, masks and costumes. |
| the Raiders are yet another original AFL | | | | One of the more rowdy spots in the stadium is |
| member that came into the NFL during the | | | | known as the "black hole". This part of the |
| merger in 1970. As a member of the AFC West, | | | | stadium is definitely not for the feint of |
| the Raiders have been to 5 Super Bowls, | | | | heart.Hall of FameThe Oakland Raiders have 18 |
| winning 3 of them. Let's take a closer look | | | | current members in the pro football Hall of |
| at the history of the Oakland Raiders.Al | | | | Fame. They include: Marcus Allen Fred |
| Davis has owned the Raiders since 1972. | | | | Biletnikoff George Blanda Bob Brown Willie |
| Originally founded in Oakland, the team | | | | Brown Dave Casper Al Davis Eric Dickerson |
| played there until Davis moved them to Los | | | | Mike Haynes Ted Hendricks James Lofton Howie |
| Angeles in 1982. Later, the team moved back | | | | Long Ronnie Lott John Madden Ron Mix Jim Otto |
| to Oakland in 1995 and remains there to this | | | | Art Shell Gene UpshawThere have been many |
| day.The football team has had the colors of | | | | other notable players on the Raiders over the |
| silver and black since Davis was general | | | | years including: Ray Guy Lyle Alzado Cliff |
| manager of the team in 1963. He used these | | | | Branch Bo Jackson Carl Weathers (later played |
| colors originally because all TV's were | | | | Apollo Creed in "Rocky" movies) Jack Tatum |
| available in black and white only and these | | | | Jerry RiceThe Raiders have been known as a |
| colors showed up better than others.John | | | | franchise that has had more than its share of |
| Madden became the head coach of the Raiders | | | | bad football drafts over the years. This, |
| in 1969. He later guided the team to its | | | | combined with the constant head coaching |
| first ever Super Bowl win in 1976. Madden | | | | changes by Al Davis, has made winning |
| stayed on as coach of the football team until | | | | sometimes difficult over the years. One of |
| 1979 when he left the team and the league, to | | | | the more memorable draft day mistakes was the |
| go into TV broadcasting.In 1982, Davis moved | | | | selection of troubled QB Todd Marinovich.The |
| the team to Los Angeles, due in part to the | | | | Oakland Raiders have some of the storied |
| refusal of the city of Oakland to remodel the | | | | rivalries among any NFL football team, with |
| football stadium. In their first year in Los | | | | the fiercest being San Diego, Denver and |
| Angeles, the team went to the Super Bowl and | | | | Kansas City. Even when the Raiders are not |
| won. That has been the last time the Raiders | | | | as competitive, teams do not like playing |
| have won a Super Bowl. In 1995, the team | | | | them. That is one reason why the team will |
| moved back to the city of Oakland.The fans of | | | | always remain as one of the more popular ones |
| the Oakland Raiders are some of the rowdiest | | | | in the league. |