The former linebacker played for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1985 to 1988 and has been with the Packers organization since 1994.

Hiring McKenzie, 48, would be the first major move for Oakland this off-season.

Mark Davis and Amy Trask will spearhead the movement to find a personnel staffer that will work hand-in-hand with Hue Jackson and ultimately, make the decisions needed to free up the coach to handle the team on the field.

Confidantes of Al Davis; John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock, will also help the Raiders come to a decision regarding their opening.
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SBReport.net was there to capture all the highlights of this historic afternoon in the Coliseum:

Ole’ number #26, Napoleon Kaufman was one of many Raider legends. He was the Raiders 1^st round draft pick in 1995. The diminutive rusher, who was known for his speed and quick strike ability, was right at home donning Silver & Black.

Bill Romanowski, who was a vital veteran free agent acquisition in 2002, providing leadership and grit to the team that claimed their third straight AFC West crown and a trip to Super Bowl XXXVII, seemed right at home, paying homage to Mr. Davis.

Tom Flores, who was the first Hispanic quarterback and head coach in the league, and one of only two people to win a Super Bowl as a head coach, assistant coach and player, graced the O.co Coliseum field.

Fans had their homemade banners, donned shirts with Al Davis’ name and face, and cheered on the Raiders towards victory.

“AL” emblem lit up the screen.

Raiders FS Michael Huff & Ice-Cube during pre-game festivities.

Ice-Cube, this time with one of the most devastating safeties to ever play the game, George Atkinson.

Henry Lawrence sang the National Anthem.

Oakland’s own, MC Hammer, represented and wore the Silver & Black with Pride and Poise.

Mark Davis took in all the action.

Raiders assistant Al Saunders, along with all the staffers, donned black shirts with the same logo Oakland Raider players have on their helmets.

The Raider Nation.

Rich Gannon and Greg Papa reminisce during pre-game.

Amy Trask was one of many to put together all the happenings on Sunday.

The legendary John Madden. “The fire that burns brightest in the Raiders organization is the will to win,” said Al Davis.

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Raiders late owner Al Davis

The Oakland Raiders will look for their fifth win during an emotional return home to O.Co Coliseum as they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Raiders CEO Amy Trask said that the team will “honor and pay tribute” to Raiders owner Al Davis who passed away last Saturday after spending 49 years of the organization’s 52 years of existence.

Just one day after the passing of Davis, the Raiders were able to hold on for a 25-20 victory on the road against the Houston Texans. Safety Michael Huff was able to secure the victory with a last-second interception in the end zone to end the game. It was later pointed out that the Raiders only had 10 men on the field.

The victory gave the Raiders a 3-2 record, making them above .500 for the first time since 2002, the year they made it to the Super Bowl. The Clevelend Browns are 2-2 and will surely be energized as they face the Raiders coming off of their bye week.

Oakland’s offense struggle last week, and didn’t earn a first down until late into the second quarter. The Raiders finished with a season-low 278 total yards of offense, including a season-low 51 yards for the NFL-leading rusher Darren McFadden.

Raiders head coach Hue Jackson will most likely look to get McFadden back on track after only averaging 63 yards per game over the last two weeks.

McFadden should be able to find some running room against a Browns defense that is giving up an average of 124.5 yards per game on the ground, 25th in the NFL.

Middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson has proven to be a solid middle linebacker for the Browns as he leads the team in tackles (40) and sacks (2.5). Jackson missed the two previous seasons due to a torn chest muscle. Jackson is flanked by two solid veteran linebacker, Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong who are California natives.

Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell

Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell will also look to get back on track against the Brown after finishing 15-35 for 190 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Campbell will face another tough test as the Browns boast the 4th-best pass defense in the league.

Veteran Sheldon Brown and second-year corner back Joe Haden make up a solid secondary that is only allowing 195.5 yards per game in the air.

Third year wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, a controversial draft pick made by Al Davis, will look to build on a solid game where he had 7 receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. Standout rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore and tight end Kevin Boss both finished with zero receptions and will surely look to be a factor in the passing game once again.

The Raiders defense will again look to get on track early in the game. Against the Texans last week, the Raiders defense struggled early but stiffened up in the second half to force field goals. In the end, Houston gained a total of 473 total yards of offense against the Raiders porous defense.

Oakland hopes to continue their run defense they had last week, as they held the NFL’s leading rusher of 2010, Arian Foster, to just 68 yards on the ground on 22 carries.

This week they will face Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who had a breakout year of his own last season while rushing for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first year with Cleveland, and third year in the NFL. This year, Hillis has had a hard time finding running room while he’s been on the field, rushing for only 197 yards on 54 carries thus far.

The Browns also possess a young passing game that the Raiders secondary will be tested by. Quarterback Colt McCoy is starting his second season in the NFL, after playing eight games last season and 1,576 yards, six touchdowns but nine interceptions. This year, McCoy has thrown for 984 yards, six touchdowns and just three interceptions in four weeks.

The Browns also have young wide receivers that they hope McCoy can grow to succeed with. McCoy has proven to spread the ball around to his receivers, with the top five receivers all having 12-16 receptions on the year. Tight ends Evan Moore and Ben Watson are his favorite targets in the red zone, while he targets young wide receivers

Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski will look to keep the ball out of Joshua Cribbs' hands on kickoff returns

On their official web-site it states:

Please be sure to join us at this Sunday’s game between The Oakland Raiders and the Cleveland Browns at O.com Coliseum in Oakland as we honor and celebrate the life of Al Davis. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT.

CEO Amy Trask and the Raider organization gave complimentary tickets to season-ticket holders, stating in an e-mail, “Your guests, will be our guests.”

A who’s who of ex-Raiders will likely be there, as they pay their respects to Davis.

JANO RECOGNIZED

Sebastian Janikowski has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the week after his NFL tying three field goals from 50-yards and beyond versus Houston in week-five.

It’s the second time this season he has been given this distinction, the first being in week-one after he got into the record books with a 63-yard field goal.

The all-time Raiders leading scorer was Special teams Player of the Month, for September.

ONLY 10…1 IN SPIRIT

Yes, on the decisive play of Sunday’s victory at Houston, the Silver & Black only had 10-men on the field.

Oakland’s Michael Huff intercepted Matt Schaub’s pass as time expired, preserving a Raider win. The scramble and pass attempt was shut-down by the Raider defense, adding to the already growing lore of the game, the fact that they came away with a victory and they played one-man short.

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Earlier this week, the Raiders continued giving back to the community by donating approximately 20 televisions to the Oakland Joint Unified School District.

The donated televisions will be distributed to various schools within the school district to help better the education of Oakland youth.

“We are delighted to assist the Oakland Unified School District with its efforts to enhance the learning experience for students in our community,” said Raiders CEO Amy Trask in a press release.

The Oakland Raiders have a history of donating to the community and the education system, not just in their hometown of Oakland.

Earlier this month, the Oakland Raiders also donated computers, printers and other electronic equipment to an organization called Computers for Classrooms, or CFC. CFC takes the equipment and refurbishes it to distribute to low-income families and schools around California.

The TV donation this week is part of the Raiders community initiatives in which the Raiders give back to the youth and community. The donation by the Raiders was made with help from Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith, Chief Financial Officer Vernon Hal and Deputy Superintendent Maria Santos.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is once again making untrue statements about The Oakland Raiders, this time regarding Matt Leinart. The Raiders have never discussed trading for Leinart.

The Raiders are very happy about their quarterback situation.

The Silver & Black has had a history with ESPN and their reporters, with the club vehemently denying information that has been disseminated by the likes of Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

In January of 2009, Mortensen reported on ‘NFL Countdown’ that the team was negotiating to sell a major percentage over to a billionaire investor who had interest in moving the franchise to Los Angeles.

Raiders chief executive Amy Trask stated after the report: “Chris contacted no one with the Raiders to ascertain if there was any truth to his report. There is not.”

Mortensen responded with an email to The Associated Press commenting, “The Raiders have lost the privilege with me of running stories past them for comment. This stems from their history of denials to most stories I have reported — as well as others in the media — when those stories have eventually proven to be true.”

Owner Al Davis has even shot back at Mortensen, calling him “a professional liar,” during the Lane Kiffin fiasco.

Schefter reported this morning that three teams showed interest in Leinart and that the Raiders were one of those clubs actively looking into acquiring his services.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

The Oakland Raiders are pleased to announce that Wendy’s will be the presenting sponsor of the new “Small Fries of the Game” promotion during the Raiders’ 2010 season.

The promotion features a new youth themed “Wendy’s Small Fries” section inside the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum for Raiders games. Fans can obtain information on how to win tickets and become a “Small Fry” by visiting any of Wendy’s 42 Bay Area locations. The promotion will run from July 19th to August 17th.

“We are delighted with our new relationship with Wendy’s and with the opportunity to bring more family friendly programs like the Small Fries of the Game to Raiders games in 2010. This program, along with our other youth initiatives, will help provide access to the Silver & Black to the next generation of Raider fans,” said Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask.

There is no purchase necessary for the “Wendy’s Small Fries” promotion and 50 tickets per game are allotted for one “Small Fry” and one parent or guardian to attend. Fans sitting in the Wendy’s Small Fries section will be recognized on game day via public address announcement and the Diamond Vision scoreboard.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

OAKLAND — An always smiling Jailen Cooper must have been in Seventh Heaven as Wednesday’s Oakland Raiders’ VIP guest along with his proud family from North Carolina. Jailen was chosen by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to participate in an Oakland Raiders practice session. He is also recovering from a tumor on his pituitary gland and the subsequent treatments, but you would never guess that in a million years judging by his exuberance.

Raiders’ CEO Amy Trask and the rest of the Oakland Raiders rolled out the red carpet for Jailen as they gave him his own locker complete with his own personalized jersey and cap. The Raiders also gave him Carte blanche of the practice field as he got a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the team warmups alongside the team trainer, assist the assistant coaches during positional drills, and even watched the more intensive team drills alongside Raider Head Coach Tom Cable! Never once looking overwhelmed; Jailen looked curiously like a seasoned veteran as if her were made to do this. Jailen was totally in his element.

At the end of practice, the team typically comes together on the field for a group huddle before they hit the lockerrom. This time it was a little different. Jailen was in the center of the team huddle. All of a sudden a chant breaks out, “Jai-len…Jai-len…Jai-len!” from all the players. All of a sudden, the team splits off in two columns; making a gauntlet (it’s sort of like a Soul Train Dance line), but with football players and no music.

At one end of the gauntlet stood Darren McFadden, (Jailen’s favorite football player), with the ball in the ready position and at the other end stood Jailen in his best defensive lineman stance. Then all of a sudden Jailen runs full speed, hits, wraps up (proper technique too), and tackles McFadden to the ground. The team erupts in euphoria as they cheer on Jailen and briefly hoists him in the air in celebration.

Then for kicks and giggles, Jailen stole the show as he headed the coach’s pres conference by fielding questions from the media before coach Cable took over. The kid was AWESOME!!! Did I mention that he’s only 10 years old?!

*ESPN will be airing Jailen’s visit and other Make-A-Wish recipients July 18-27.

Per a press release disseminated on Friday, the non-profit Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation organization will receive a $200,000 National Football League Grassroots Program grant, facilitated by the Oakland Raiders. This award brings the amount of youth related grants facilitated by the Silver and Black in less than a decade to over $1 million.

Stated in the document:

The grant, awarded by the Raiders, the NFL Youth Football Fund, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year. It will be used to install a synthetic turf field and drainage system at Sobrante Park, a multi-purpose field located in East Oakland, designed to serve more than 14,000 young people in the area. Once completed, the new field will offer a range of athletic programming for the community including NFL PLAY 60 activities and tackle and flag football leagues. It will also serve as a physical education site for Sobrante Elementary School and James Madison Middle School. Matching funds will be provided by the City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District.

“It is always our pleasure to work with the NFL Grassroots Program and LISC and we are delighted to participate in this exciting project, which will enhance the community and provide an improved venue for the enjoyment of outdoor activities,” said Chief Executive Amy Trask. “It has been our pleasure to facilitate the award of grants of this nature throughout the region for the last decade.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Willie Brown working with Nnamdi Asomugha last summer

Oakland Raiders legend Willie Brown retired on Wednesday.

He commented to reporters outside the team’s facility, “I’m retiring,” and then stated “Yep,” as he went on his way when he was asked if he was serious.

Oakland has not made an official announcement, but per beat writer Steve Corkran, Raiders CEO Amy Trask stated, “Willie shall be remembered as one of the, if not the, greatest Raiders players of all time. We will honor Willie in the coming months.”

Brown just finished his 39^th year of service to the Silver & Black and the 15^th as the Director of Squad Development and defensive backs assistant. He was the secondary coach from 1979-88 and during that span, the team won Super Bowls XV and XVIII.

He played for the Raiders from 1967-1978 and tallied 54 interceptions during his illustrious 16-year career. In one of the most iconic moments in Super Bowl history, Brown returned a Fran Tarkenton interception 75-yards for a score during the Raiders 32-14 mauling of the Minnesota Vikings.

His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame came on July 28, 1984.

Brown stated on his way out on Wednesday that he had no knowledge of Tom Cable’s status with the Raiders and that all other coaches are still employed by Al Davis.

Michael Huff was reminded everyday of the importance Oakland places in solid secondary play.

“I’m wearing the number 24″ he said a few years back. “Willie Brown follows me around every day.”

And that legacy at cornerback that is rich in tradition in Oakland was also carried by another no. 24 that just won a defensive player of the year for the Green Bay Packers – Charles Woodson – who always praised Brown for aiding his development.

Current Raiders Pro-Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha stated once, “You’ve got to be able to play man if you play for the Raiders. It’s that simple.”

Not too many did it better, nor taught it as well as Brown.