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The Lost Raider Way (Sports)

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        Whether it’s Vegas, Oakland, or Los Angeles the name Raiders use to represent something real. Something tangible. It’s been almost a quarter century since the Raiders last were in the big game. The AFC Championship prior to that Super Bowl whooping at the hands of former Raider Jon Gruden is the last time the Raiders won a playoff game. 

There is a generation of fans that only know mediocrity at best when it comes to the Raiders. A generation of fans who only know the revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks. A long fall from grace for one of the NFL’s most important franchises. 


If you're not up on your NFL history here's a crash course. In the early days of the Super Bowl era NFL the league was popping but it needed a villain and who better than the team with the pirate on its helmet that wore silver and black. The Raiders of those days followed one rule, “cheating is encouraged” this for many Raiders of the day meant literal cheating but it also meant win at all costs.


The Raiders couldn’t be the villains alone; they needed the players to fulfill the image. Insert some of the greatest players with names of all time: Kenny “The Snake” Stabler, Ted “The Mad Stork” Hendricks, “Old man” Willie Brown, Jack Tatum “The Assassin”, and so many more. They were all led by the man who only wore Raider colors Al Davis. 


Al Davis was a coach, general manager, owner, and even commissioner of the AFL. Davis was known for his no nonsense demeanor and his famous sayings like, “just win baby.” The Owner was famous for taking chances on the players others had discarded and it resulted in 3 super bowls and damn near constant contention for over 30 years. 


This puts us back to the crushing Super Bowl defeat it seems since then nothing has been the same. Davis passed away a few years after and his son now helms the team. The Raiders have become less of the villain and more a piece of ruptured iconography, it’s cool to like the Raiders of old but the Raiders of now well it’s not so cool to root for a team that picks in the top 10 of the draft damn near every year.


The Raiders lack of success really boils down to lack of patience and rotten luck. Busts like Jamarcus Russell and big swing free agents like the old days have all failed. With this comes losing and with losing comes coaches fired year after year. Even bringing back old pal Jon Gruden flamed out.


So what do the Raiders do now? You build back the culture brick by brick. You keep guys like Mad Maxx Crosby, a guy who seemed like he could have been on those teams of old. You bring in Pete Carroll, an enthusiastic players coach, maybe he won’t be around forever but he might just put them back on firm ground. Maybe you traded for the qb just a few years ago that no one wanted. Maybe with all this you can return to the Raider way that,  “Commitment to excellence” that Al Davis always talked about, maybe just maybe. 


One thing for sure is rain and shine, good or bad. The Raider faithful who dress in the silver and black every week will be there screaming their heads off. Never letting the Raider heart truly die and just like Al Davis’s flame the fire in those fans, the Raider way, the black hole, will live forever.

Kaleb Unger


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