For most of the 30 and under generation, this will qualify as a history lesson. Be ready though, there will be a test at the end of class.
Back in the early 60s, the AFL was just starting out. It was a fun, open-field time, with high scoring games, great plays, and shoot-out-the-lights style games, that helped shake the NFL to it's collective core. Fans loved to see these games, because unlike the grind-it-out football of the Senior Circuit, the AFL seemed to give fans reason to pay attention to the other parts of the game, rather than the last 2 minutes of each half.
Oakland, to it's credit, had created quite the aerial show, with Tom Flores, Daryle Lamonica, Art Powell, and even Clem Daniels got into the TD game.
What was created, was a situation, with lots of offense, just enough defense, and the condition, that whoever held the ball last, usually won the game.
The risk, however with running an offense in this nature, is that if your offense goes down hurt, like a QB injury, you find yourself in a bad way. Oakland's achilles' heel, was exposed with Cotton Davidson, a washout that was pressed into duty on various occasions....and didn't perform well, in most cases.
However, about the mid 60s, the Raiders did start working on a defensive package, and with this experiment, you did also find Blanda, considered too old to play, joining a club, in a wonderful way. You see, Blanda could serve in 3 locations....punting, kicking, and even QBing....some would say, this last talent, helped cement his legend in the Hall of Fame.
The one thing, that made the Raiders unique though, was their inability to settle for the basic gameplan. Most teams, at the time, would run on first and second down, throw on 3rd down, and then kick or punt on 4th down.
Oakland, would come out throwing on first, second, and sometimes, even third down. The advantage, would be that on the first play of the game, the Raiders were ready to do this. It would force the other team to come ready to play, right off the bat.
And in doing so, it changed the belief, that football should be a slow, long, boring game.
comments (8) write a comment »
write a new comment
2 months ago
This is a good start to an article that should contrast todays Raiders and the still ever influential Al Davis.
Bill Walsh and Al tweaked the Sid Gillman offense. I am 34 and respect Mr .Davis. I feel all the negative media and hate from fans are from young ignorant portion of Raider nation and doesnt get that its Al's team.
2 months ago
I will always remember the first game between the Raiders and 9ers. Nobody thought the Raiders had a chance to beat the 9ers, but the game came down to the worst fumble in Raider history. Clem Daniels on the one yard line with little time left and the Raider would win the game but Clem laid it down, and the game was lost. It was a big deal in the bay area because of the hype coming from both teams. They had the coin toss on teasure island in the middle of the bay with Otto making the call heads or tails for the first game. It was more fun then to hate the 9ers then it is today, because in those days the AFL didn't get any respect from the NFL, so all AFL fans hated all NFL teams, because we knew how close we were to their equal.. It would interesting to read what happened in New York when the Jets and Giant first played each other. What was the rivialry like in New York between the two teams. Any one from the New York Jets reading this let us in Raider Nation know how it went for you guys the first game against the Giants. I think you were the NY Titans at the time. I had season ticket during those days and season ticket holders would go to Raider public relation meeting and the owner Wayne Valley told us that the AFL will buy every team in the NFL if they don't come around. The AFL had owners with business money not football team money, so they were loaded and the NfL knew it. The AFL started buying all the qb's, and the war was on. They brought the NFL to their knees, because they didn't have the money to compete on a dollar level. And Al Davis was directing a large part of the direction they were taking during those days.
2 months ago
I agree with you Eric. The young fans are the ones who do talk negative about Al. They dont know the history and they dont have a clue as to why they are Raider fans. The only thingn that I can suggest to those fans is to do some research about the Raiders. Learn somethingabout the team and then you can call yourself a Raiders fan. A has contributed alot to the NFL and for that I respect him. " WIN LOSE OR TIE I AM A RAIDERS FAN TILL I DIE ".
2 months ago
Luis, it's a condition called selective memory. I've known some fans, like patriot fans, who forget that Belicheck actually coached in Cleveland to start his career....or bronco fans who forget their team lost the super bowl 4 times, before finally learning the lessons of a well-balanced team.
Al's pride and joy, has always been a way to find wins, either with key draft picks, creative coaches, or if all else fails, finding ways to bend the rules, without breaking them.
I talked to one devotee, today, who said do you think Al will ever apologize for his antics?
I told him, sure, just as soon as Pete Rozelle admits he was an idiot. Al's living proof, that the NFL needs a black cat, just to balance out everything else that has happened....and for all his actions, they must have not been too bad....they won 3 titles, right?
2 months ago
I agree with all the comments that are made. But let me put this out for you all to read. The biggest key to the AFL days was the owners wanted to join the "BIG BOYS CLUB" called the NFL. They needed some one to lead. Well Al was determined to build a winner. And he went after some big names, like Billy Cannon. He went after NFL big draft picks as well as a lot of the draft picks each year. If Al is so hated he was needed more. In fact the Raiders were in financial straits. That Ralph Wilson of the Bills lent money to the team to keep them going. This was the beginning of the feud between Al and Rozelle. Alot of the old guard owe Al big time and they know it.Just like they blame Al foe being the first team to move it's franchise but in fact it would have happened sooner that later. They always needed Al Davis to do their dirty work. Trailblaze where others dared not too.
2 months ago
I've been a fan for a long long time... In fact, baring a few stragglers, all of my family are Raider fans and even a few of my friends because of me. I have earned my stripes my friends. I chose this team. I wasn't born into it.
If you gave me a magic wand that would allow me to pick the best NFL owner of all time? I would chose Al Davis... Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and the next day, Al Davis, HANDS DOWN!!!
Nevertheless, my praise & appreciation of the man doesn't exclude me from seeing things that have been going on with the Raider Organization as less than positive!
I mean some of you people seem to see Al in the same light as some of the most orthodox and fervent, hard nosed Catholics see the Pope?!?!?!
Something akin to a deity, (with Infallible judgment who can do no wrong) and fellow citizens of the Raider Nation please!!! There is only one God and AL Davis ain't him.
Nobody's perfect, No NOT ONE!!! (And especially ME!!!!)
Can I be wrong YES!!! Most defiantly but the facts say as Kiffin said;
"Where there is smoke there is fire"
Like him or not? One thing with Kiffin, he is as straight forward and fricken honest as anyone I have ever heard in this business of professional Football.... Lane is refreshing to hear and I trust him and what he says.
Al was and still is a great man, were lucky to have'm. Plus he's shown the world he's still viable here with everything that he's been doing but expressing ones displeasure my friends... Is not a vise!
One Nation, The only Nation... Raider Nation!!!
from 2 months ago
Nothing to worry about Snoopy....like every family, you'll always have some, for example, that like turkey, or chicken.....there's always some fans who hate Davis, who hate the fact he won't hand over control to a younger generation, or that he doesn't understand the NFL in today's terms.
That's all perfectly fine and dandy.
At Raidercast last week, I remember there is a lot of people who are unhappy with the McFadden deal, and thought we should have gone with Glenn Dorsey, addressing a more pressing need.
Thing i'm wondering about, with Davis, is if he just isn't comfortable finding a suitable replacement.....he's afraid to turn his baby over to someone else. I've heard that someone in his bloodline is slated to take over when he finally moves on, but there's the standard worry.
Plus, he's not shied away, on the fact, he'd like 2 more rings.
Some of his recent actions, I'll admit, have been oddly thought out. I still have to wonder, if we had kept Gruden for one more year, if we would have had the 4th ring.....I think we would have.
But, hindsight is always 20/20, and we can't do anything about that. Same with the draft. It's happened, it's in the books.
And I doubt if we called KC and asked for Glenn Dorsey, they'd do nothing less but laugh at us.
I keep my faith with my team, and look forward to seeing what McFadden can do.
Raider On,
RCA
29 days ago
For a life-long resident of North Carolina, this article is as close as possible to answering the question I always get, "why did you become a Raider fan"?
In the mid to late 60's, the place I lived only got a few TV channels. On one network, we saw NFL games. On another, we saw AFL games.
When you watch the NFL games, the majority of plays were runs up the middle BORING!
The Raiders were an offensive powerhouse and they threw the ball a lot. They were exciting, fun, and energetic on both sides of the ball.
I became hooked on the Silver and Black, and have NEVER changed.
write a new comment