Tale of the Tuck: Why the Oakland Raiders Haven't Forgotten the Tuck Rule

There are two things you just never say when walking down the street in Oakland Raider territory.

1. “I’m a 49er fan this season!”

2. “What? You guys still haven’t gotten over the Tuck Rule?!”

It might have been a decade ago that the New England Patriots beat the Raiders 16-13 in the 2002 Divisional Round battle, but the sting is as fresh as ever. And while coach Bill Belichick and the Patriot pack might look back on the so-called “Snow Bowl” with a smile, the Raiders and their fanbase still look back on that game and wince.

Let’s face it: There is more than one reason why the Raiders might never get over “The Tuck Game.”

That Foxborough fête marked the beginning of an incredible downward spiral for the Raiders. Despite making it to the Super Bowl the following year, Oakland lost to Tampa Bay and followed up the 2003 season with eight years of loss and dysfunction.

 Losing the Bowl to former coach Jon “Chucky” Gruden—Oakland’s head coach in 2002—probably didn’t help either.

“The Terrible Tuck” was also the end of the Raiders’ run of good coaches. Gruden was a celebrated man perched up on a Silver and Black pedestal. Heck, even Bill Callahan got Oakland to Super Bowl XXXVII.

But following the 02-03 season, the Raiders have had unsuccessful coaches to pair with their losing records. There was a Charger-bound Norv Turner, an uninspired Lane Kiffin, a nearly-unknown Art Shell and a bar-fighting Tom Cable. And now the newly departed Hugh Jackson, whose choice to throw his team under the bus probably didn’t do much to help him keep his job.

There are hopes that the Raiders' new general manager Reggie McKenzie can lock in a new head coach that’ll give the team “The Harbaugh Treatment.” But that might still not be enough to bandage the decade-old “Tuck Rule” wounds.

 And then, there’s that Tom Brady fellow.

The only person that might despise Brady more than the entire Raider Nation is Drew Bledsoe, who might have regained his starting QB position had the Patriots not gone on to win the Super Bowl that year. And while Oakland fans might have been secretly smiling on the inside last weekend when the Pats kicked the snot out of Tim Tebow, there’s doubt that any true-blue Raider fan will ever outwardly cheer for Tom Brady.

Unless the Patriots want to motion to get Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2 permanently removed from the NFL rulebooks, the Oakland Raiders probably won’t be forgiving him—or anyone else associated with that 2002 playoff game—for “The Terrible Tuck Rule” any time soon.