Does Steve Wisniewski have a Hall of Fame profile?

For a third straight year, the Hall of Fame committee bypassed former Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown for induction. There’s no denying he’s a hall of famer and will eventually get in…

But, when?

None of the six men elected; Curtis Martin, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf, Dermontti Dawson, and senior selection Jack Butler, were wide receivers. Cris Carter and Andre Reed, both who were on the finalist list, played the same position and deserve induction as well. So it could take some time before we see probably the most deserving Raider not in Canton, with a bronze bust in the hall of immortals.

I’ll take a look at the five Raiders that deserve induction into the NFL Hall of Fame:

Tim Brown – Wide Receiver 

Brown, the Silver & Black’s 6^th overall pick in the 1988 draft, played 16-years for the Raiders and currently holds the team record for games played (240), season’s active (16), touchdowns (104), all purpose yards (19,431) and yards from scrimmage (14,924). Brown also has the NFL record with 10-consecutive seasons with at least 75-catches and the mark for being the oldest player (35) to return a punt for a touchdown. Brown was a 9-time pro bowl selection, a second team all-pro in 1997 and was on the NFL’s all decade team for the ‘90s.

Ron Wolf – GM/Personnel

Wolf was an architect of great Silver & Black clubs, as he had a vital role in drafting future hall of fame performers such as, Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Howie Long and Marcus Allen. He also helped bring in Ken Stabler, Jack Tatum and Matt Millen. Wolf had two tenures with the Raiders, from 1963-to-1975 and again in 1978-1990.

With the Packers, his first major move was to hire Mike Holmgren, who eventually won Super Bowl XXXI, made a second big game appearance a year later against the Broncos while making the playoffs six-times as the general manager. Wolf inked Reggie White, the first marquee player in the league’s free-agent era.

Wolf remained a good friend of Al Davis throughout the years and Oakland consulted with the former executive on many occasions, just recently during their search for a new general manager.

Ray Guy – Punter

He was a major contributor on all three Raider championship teams, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a six-time All-Pro, the punter on the league’s storied 75^th Anniversary team and the first punter ever taken in the first-round of the draft. Guy never had a punt returned for a score, with his prowess being stuff of legends league wide.

The NFL has to recognize specialist and their contributions – it’s a travesty they don’t respect kickers and punters, especially since from year-to-year, the emphasis on special teams and how it can affect the outcome of games and ultimately, championship runs, is scrutinized by executives, coaches, players, media and fans.

If any special teamer deserves to get in first, it should be the greatest punter of all-time.

Cliff Branch – Wide Receiver 

Branch’s snubbing is mind-boggling. Especially when you consider that ‘Bullet’ Bob Hayes was inducted in 2009. Branch has been to one more Pro Bowl than Hayes, has two more First-Team All Pro selections, has two more Super Bowl rings and was a greater contributor to Oakland’s lore, than Hayes was to the Cowboys history.

Not only does Branch trump Hayes in awards, championships and highlights, but his stats are comparable. The Raider target played three-more seasons, but his 501-receptions for 8,685-yards and 67 touchdowns are just as impressive as Hayes’ 371-catches for 7,414-yards and 71 touchdowns.

Hayes was legendary due to his world class speed, but ask any cornerbacks who played against Branch in the 70s and ask them who much of a threat he was and they’ll tell you.

Steve Wisniewski – Guard

Yes, one of my all-time favorite players, but a guard who is truly deserving of Hall of Fame honors.

‘The Wiz’ was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection in 13-seasons. More impressive were the eight-times he was chosen as an All-Pro at his spot, including six straight recognitions from 1991-1996. Very few linemen in Raider history embodied what the team was about. He was tough, fiery and many accused him of being the dirtiest player in the league. Opponents hated lining up against him, but they all admired his grit in the trenches, as he was equally adept as a pass and run blocker.

THOUGHTS ON OTHERS…

Ken Stabler, George Blanda and Jim Plunkett

I’m not a big proponent for Tom Flores or Jim Plunkett’s inductions. Sorry Raider fans, but when I think of Hall of Fame, neither of those players come to mind.

Plunkett floundered for eight-years before his 1980 run with the Silver & Black. Undoubtedly, he did great things for the organization after that, winning two Super Bowls, but his credentials are not Canton worthy. Plunkett ended with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. What’s your argument; that his career started slow? Well, with Oakland/Los Angeles, he had 80 touchdowns and 81 interceptions. He did have a 38-19 record with the Silver & Black, but his 72-72-career mark is not inspiring.

As for Flores, yes… he was the man on the sideline of two Super Bowl victories and his contributions run deep, going back to his playing days with the Raiders. His 83-53 record with the Silver & Black as coach in nine-seasons were impressive, but he was never considered a mastermind, rarely do you ever remember him being a difference maker for his coaching analytics and was known more for being a caretaker to great Raider teams.

His three-years in Seattle in which he posted a 14-34 record really smudged his résumé. A 97-87 record is mediocre, but those two Super Bowl victories are headlights that should catch the attention of some voters. Unfortunately, and rightfully I think, shouldn’t blind people into voting for him.

Lester Hayes was a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time Super Bowl champion and the 1980 Defensive Player of the Year. Of the others mentioned in this section, he may be the one most deserving. I could’ve easily snuck him into my top-five, as his coverage ability and great nicknames; “the Judge” and “Lester the Molester” were indicative of his style pf play in bump and run coverage.

Ken Stabler in action during pre-game festivities.

Ken Stabler was clutch, a coach on the field and led the Raiders to victory in Superbowl XI. Two of his targets are in the Hall of Fame, but not the guy who got ‘em the ball?

‘The Snake’ had a career record of 96-49-1 and a masterful 69-26-1 run with the Raiders. He was a Hall of Fame finalist in 1990, 1991 and 2003. You have to think that as time passes, Stabler will be buried under an avalanche of great passers that will be inducted before him.

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Tim Brown vs. the San Diego Chargers in 2003.

Tim Brown, who was among 17 finalists to be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012, will have to wait another year to get into Canton.

Brown, the Silver & Black’s 6^th overall pick in the 1988 draft, played 16-years for the Raiders. He was a prolific wide receiver and a threat on special teams as a returner early in his career, coming out of Notre Dame where he won the 1987 Heisman Trophy.

He currently holds the team record for games played (240), season’s active (16), touchdowns (104), many other receiving marks along with marks for all purpose yards (19,431) and yards from scrimmage (14,924). Brown also has the NFL record with 10-consecutive seasons with at least 75-catches and the mark for being the oldest player (35) to return a punt for a touchdown.

Among other accolades, he was a 9-time pro bowl selection, a second team all-pro in 1997 and was on the NFL’s all decade team for the ‘90s.

In February of 2010, his former coach campaigned for his enshrinement. “He dominated the game. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, without a doubt,” said Jon Gruden.

On his official twitter account, Brown stated: “Raider nation!! Don’t bother to watch tonight they passed on me again!! In fact, no wrs made it again. Gotta get some of y’all in there!!”
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Brown, the Silver & Black’s 6^th overall pick in the 1988 draft, played 16-years for the Raiders. He was a prolific wide receiver and a threat on special teams as a returner early in his career, coming out of Notre Dame where he won the 1987 Heisman Trophy.

He currently holds the team record for games played (240), season’s active (16), touchdowns (104), many other receiving marks along with marks for all purpose yards (19,431) and yards from scrimmage (14,924). Brown also has the NFL record with 10-consecutive seasons with at least 75-catches and the mark for being the oldest player (35) to return a punt for a touchdown.

Among other accolades, he was a 9-time pro bowl selection, a second team all-pro in 1997 and was on the NFL’s all decade team for the ‘90s.

In February of 2010, his former coach campaigned for his enshrinement. “He dominated the game. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, without a doubt,” said Jon Gruden.

“What Tim Brown did with the quarterback position the way it was is quite amazing. The number of quarterbacks who threw him touchdown passes…

“He did not have a Joe Montana for eight years, a Peyton Manning, a Brett Favre. Not to be discriminatory against the quarterbacks he did have, but he played in different offenses and was great in any system.”

During his time as a Raider, his teams compiled a 134-122 record with 6 playoff appearances.

Here is fan reaction on twitter regarding his nomination:

“he’s one of the best wrs and punt returners of all time..over 1000 rec with some of the worst qbs ..should have been in last year” - brian fried

“Tim Brown was a Great WR, Returner, and stabilizing force in the locker room perrenially. Carter was a great DIVA WR, Brown Wins!” – Ray Shirey

“Brown deserves to be Saturday. 105 totally TDs, 19,000+ combined net yards (5th nfl), 14,934 receiving yards (second to only GOAT)”  “(cont’d) 1,094 career receptions (3rd nfl history) and not to mention everything he did as a punt and kickoff return man” - Chris McClain

“Brown. You consider he played a lot of special teams early on. To stay healthy enough to evolve into an elite WR is impressive” - Trent Hawkes

“Carter took a backseat when Randy Moss came in, Tim Brown still was a beast when Jerry Rice came in” - Ismael Cosio

“Timmy Brown you have to include his return TD’s and YDs” - The Raider Guy

“Carter and Brown’s stats aren’t all that different, and Carter had better quarterbacks and was on better teams. #JustSaying” “Tim Brown did it consistently with no real talent at QB. If he and Jerry Rice switched teams, he’d be looked at as the GOAT.” – Ronaldo Spettacolare

“Can’t see him getting in on Sat. Chris Carter is his competition, Tim likely gets in next year. Cant believe Tim almost was Bronco” – TheReverendJimNorton

“Look at Tim’s production. Then look at the QBs he played with over his career. The answer will be self-evident.” -Brad Bordyn

“Tim Brown deserves to be in the HOF because of the numbers he produced with a carousel of subpar QB’s. Numbers don’t lie.” - Jerry

“Brown was an all-time great Raider, but compared to his peers he was merely very good. Sorry, no HOF for #81.” - Chris Holmes

“Jim Plumkett should be going in, he got two superbowls. Tim brown got the big EGG, ZERO, NADA! Nuff Said” - Andrew Bill Ena

“any WR with 1000 catches DESERVES to make it into HOF, should be rule like baseballs 3000 hits” - doug

“the only reason I see why he doesn’t get a nod is lack of a SB title.” – JB

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Photo Credit: Darryl Bush (originally published in SF Chronicle)

January 19, 2003… the last time the Oakland Raiders participated in a conference championship game.

The Silver & Black advanced to the Super Bowl with a 41-24 home win versus the Tennessee Titans.

That was a daylong celebration for the Raider Nation. It began with the early tailgating, which then erupted onto a Network Coliseum parking lot concert featuring Metallica.

Yes, with Bob Rock on bass, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich played Fuel, Master of Puppets, Sad, But True, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Seek & Destroy and Battery – as if the Raider faithful needed more adrenaline prior to the contest. (Yup, click on any of those songs to watch the performance on youTube)

League MVP Rich Gannon was 29-41 for 286-yards, three scores and no interceptions. His 2-yard scamper for a score early in the 4^th quarter ignited a crowd that was at a fever pitch all afternoon, but Zack Crockett’s 7-yard run with 3:25 remaining was the final nail in the Titans coffin.

“It’s amazing what you remember at funny times,” said Tim Brown after the game. “It’s just a great feeling to know that after watching this for 14-years, watching people play this game, to actually be on your way, it’s pushing a dream boat.”

Brown, 36 at the time, had nine catches for 73-yards.

Oakland only ran the ball 17-times that afternoon – a norm for that team, who were carried by an epic year-round performance from Gannon.

Tennessee ranked second in the league that year versus the run, but 25^th against the pass. Unfortunately for them, the Silver & Black were the leagues best passing club.

“Tennessee’s got a great defensive line, a good set of linebackers, but their defensive backs are kind of suspect,” stated starting left guard Frank Middleton. “We knew that going in. You have to take advantage of that.”

The attendance: 62,544. Not one person in that building will forget the on-field celebration, Bill Callahan hoisting the Lamar Hunt trophy and the melodic chants of “RAAAAAIDERS,” that rung loudly at the house of thrills.

Veterans like Brown and Gannon joined Bill Romanowski, Jerry Rice, Rod Woodson, Charlie Garner and Lincoln Kennedy on the field stage to celebrate their Super Bowl berth.

On that Sunday nine-years ago, Oakland felt right at home… as AFC champions.

GAME NOTES

• Anthony Dorsett, who played for the Titans on their 1999 Super Bowl team, recovered a fumble that eventually led to a score that gave the Raiders a 21-17 lead.
• The Titans fought hard that weekend. Steve McNair played a tough contest and with Joe Nedney declared out at halftime, it curtailed Jeff Fisher’s strategy throughout the game. A 50-yard field goal attempt was nixed, and when Craig Hentrich attempted a punt at a crucial spot in the contest, the Raiders special teams, featuring Crocket, Tim Johnson, Eric Johnson and Clarence Love tackled the punter at the Titans 16-yard line. A few plays later, Sebastian Janikowski booted a field goal to make it 27-17 with 4:29 left in the 3^rd quarter.
• Oakland ran only one running play over the first three quarters.
• “We were making a lot of dumb mistakes out there,” starting linebacker Eric Barton said. “Fortunately, we sucked it up and stopped it. That shows the character of this team.” The Raiders compiled 14 penalties for 127 yards, as they landed some vicious hits on McNair and battered the Eddie George, who ran the ball for 67-yards on 15-carries. “McNair played like a true warrior today,” said Callahan. “He had no quit in him, no die in him.”
• “We fought all year long,” Rice said after his 5-catches for 79-yards. “When we lost four straight games, this team stuck together and now we’re going to the Super Bowl.”
• Doug Jolley had 3-catches for 13-yards and a score. Jerry Porter had 4-receptions for 52-yards and a touchdown. Garner tallied 7-receptions for 55-yards and one touchdown.

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Tim Brown vs. the San Diego Chargers in 2003.

Former Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown is among 17 finalist to be considered for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012. The 44-member selection committee will meet on Feb. 4 in Indianapolis, the day before Super Bowl XLVI, to pick who will in inducted with other immortals in Canton.

Brown, the Silver & Black’s 6^th overall pick in the 1988 draft, played 16-years for the Raiders. He was a prolific wide receiver and a threat on special teams as a returner early in his career, coming out of Notre Dame where he won the 1987 Heisman Trophy.

He currently holds the team record for games played (240), season’s active (16), touchdowns (104), many other receiving marks along with marks for all purpose yards (19,431) and yards from scrimmage (14,924). Brown also has the NFL record with 10-consecutive seasons with at least 75-catches and the mark for being the oldest player (35) to return a punt for a touchdown.

Among other accolades, he was a 9-time pro bowl selection, a second team all-pro in 1997 and was on the NFL’s all decade team for the ‘90s.

Brown was eligible for enshrinement in 2010, however was not selected due to others like Jerry Rice, Andre Reed and Chris Carter on the ballot. That same year, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Carter and Reed are on the finalist list again with the ex-Raider.

Carter ranks fourth all-time with 1,101 receptions, while Brown is just behind him at fifth with 1,094 catches. Reed amassed 951, good for tenth all-time.

In February of 2010, his former coach campaigned for his enshrinement. “He dominated the game. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, without a doubt,” said Jon Gruden.

“What Tim Brown did with the quarterback position the way it was is quite amazing. The number of quarterbacks who threw him touchdown passes…

“He did not have a Joe Montana for eight years, a Peyton Manning, a Brett Favre. Not to be discriminatory against the quarterbacks he did have, but he played in different offenses and was great in any system.”

During his time as a Raider, his teams compiled a 134-122 record with 6 playoff appearances.

• First WR to win the Heisman Trophy
• Rookie-season record for most combined yards gained, with 2,317 yards (1988).
• NFL record for 10 consecutive seasons with at least 75 receptions.
• Raider Records: games played, touchdowns, receiving yards, catches and touchdowns, punt return yards, returns and touchdowns, all-purpose yards and yards from scrimmage.
• Brown caught his 100^th career TD versus the Raiders as a member of the Buccaneers.

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Oakland’s new team settles in

The Raiders were originally in the American Football League, which started in 1960 with eight franchises. The Raiders franchise was the eighth of these franchises, and was originally slated to play in Minnesota before their deal fell through there.

On Jan. 20, 1960 a group in Oakland was awarded the Raiders which brought them to the Bay Area instead of Minnesota. At this point in time, the franchise did not have a name yet and decided to hold a contest in the Oakland Tribune to come up with a name. The winning name of this contest was the Oakland Señors, thus giving the franchise their first name.

Accusations arose that Charles “Chet” Soda, the first general partner of the franchise, rigged the contest to get the name Señors. Soda was an Oakland businessman that was known for calling his acquaintances “señor”. A combination of these accusations and jokes from locals forced the franchise’s decision to change their name to the Oakland Raiders, which finished third in the contest. The change occurred nine days after deciding on their original name.

After finally coming up with the Oakland Raiders as the franchise’s name and naming Eddie Erdelatz the first head coach in franchise history,  the team still needed to find a place to play.

The Raiders opened up their inaugural season at home on Sept. 11, 1960 against the Houston Oilers at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, losing 37-22. For their first season, the Raiders split their home games between Kezar Stadium and Candlestick, finishing 8-6.

After spending their first two years in San Francisco, the Raiders moved to their new home stadium — Frank Youell Field — a converted high school field that held 18,000 people. The Raiders followed up their 2-12 season with a 1-13 record in their third season.

F. Wayne Valley, then the Raiders general partner, decided they needed a new coach going into the 1963 season. On Jan. 15, 1963 Valley hired Al Davis as the franchise’s fourth head coach and also the general manager. Davis was previously working as an assistant for the San Diego Chargers.

One of the first moves Davis made was to change the Oakland Raider uniforms to silver & black, still the colors of the franchise today. Before this move, the Raiders wore jerseys that were black, gold and white.

The Raiders finished 10-4 in the first season Davis coached the squad, finishing one game out of the playoffs and earning Davis the AFL Coach of the Year award. The Raiders would finish the next two seasons a combined 13-12-3 under Davis.

On April 8, 1966, Davis is named the new commissioner of the AFL, making John Rauch the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Davis takes seat as AFL commissioner

Up until Al Davis took the job of commissioner of the AFL, the NFL and the AFL were rival leagues and had nothing to do with each other.

The NFL started in 1920, 40 years before the AFL. The AFL was originally started by a millionaire by the name of Lamar Hunt, who had inherited money from his father who was an oil businessman. Hunt wanted to start an expansion team in his home state of Dallas, but the NFL was not interested in expanding at that time. So, instead, Hunt took his money and helped found a rival league, the AFL.

The NFL and AFL both held different drafts, different championships and also had different rules. Having different drafts, the AFL and NFL were often fighting for the same draft picks. Although they were rival leagues, there was a supposed unwritten rule to not go after players that were under contract in the other leagues.

This all changed when Al Davis took office as the commissioner for the AFL. Quickly after taking office, Davis started a bidding war for players with the NFL and got eight of the NFL’s top quarterbacks to join the AFL.

Davis’ bidding war worried the NFL and they contacted the AFL in hopes of being able to work out a deal. Two months after Davis had taken the job of commissioner, the AFL and NFL decided to merge and keep the NFL name on June 8, 1966.

With this deal, the two leagues would have a common draft, while maintaining separate schedules but having an AFL vs NFL Championship game, which would eventually be called the Super Bowl. It wouldn’t be until 1970 that the two leagues would officially merge into one league that has two different conferences.

The Oakland Coliseum, built in 1966, is still home to the Oakland Raiders today

With the merger in place, Davis resigned as the AFL commissioner in July of 1966, just three months into his tenure, and bought 10 percent of the Oakland Raiders for $18,000, and became the general manager again. It was during the 1966 season that the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was finished being built, giving the Raiders their new permanent home.

Raiders reach their first Super Bowl

Before the 1967 season began, Davis made a trade to swap quarterbacks with the Buffalo Bills — the Raiders getting Daryle Lamonica and the Bills getting Tom Flores.

Lamonica lead the Raiders to a 13-1 season en route to earning the AFL Player of the Year awards. Lamonica thew for 3,228 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning himself the nickname of “Mad Bomber”. The Raiders outscored their opponents 468-233 throughout the 1967 season.

The Raiders’ 13-1 record earned them a berth in the AFL Championship game against the Houston Oilers, in which they dominated the game and beat the Oilers 40-7. Beating the Oilers gave the Raiders the opportunity to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. The Raiders lost the game 33-14.

In the 1967 season, Fred Biletnikoff became a favorite target of Lamonica and finished with 876 yards and five touchdowns. Corner back Willie Brown anchored the defense with seven interceptions on the season.

The “Heidi” Game

On Nov. 17, 1968 the Oakland Raiders took on the New York Jets at home in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The Raiders fell behind, as the Jets scored a field goal with 1:05 left in the game to take a 32-29 lead. But then, with only a minute left to play and a chance for Lamonica and the Raiders to either tie or win the game, NBC stopped its coverage of the game to show “Heidi”, a made-for-TV movie about an orphan girl living in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather.

Lamonica quickly drove the Raiders down the field, throwing a touchdown pass to Charlie Smith that gave the Raiders a 36-32 lead with :44 remaining on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders forced a fumble that they recovered for another touchdown, bringing the score to 43-32.

The Raiders had won the game by scoring two touchdowns in the last minute, all while NBC was showing “Heidi” instead of the game. This game is forever known as the “Heidi Game”, or the “Heidi Bowl”. Now, broadcasters’ policy is to not cut away from a football game until it is over, putting regular TV programs on hold.

The Raiders would finish the season 12-2 and find themselves in a rematch with the Jets in the AFL Championship game. The Raiders took the lead late but found themselves falling victim to a late drive by quarterback Joe Namath, and lost the game 27-23.

Head Coach John Rauch would leave for the Buffalo Bills after the game, and the Raiders would hire 33-year-old John Madden to coach the team.

The Madden Era

John Madden would become head coach of the Raiders beginning in the 1969 season, and quickly kept the Raiders playing at a high level.

On Oct. 19, 1969, Lamonica set a pro record by throwing six touchdown passes in the first half en route to a 50-21 win over the Buffalo Bills.

In the 1970 season, Madden put in their kicker George Blanda, who was a quarterback in college, to replace the injured Lamonica. At the age of 43, Blanda led the Raiders to last second wins during a 4-0-1 five-game stretch that he started as the Raiders quarterback and kicker. Blanda went on to become the first pro football player in history to score 2,000 points in 1975.

Madden would lead the Raiders to a 10-3-1 record in 1971 and earned them a spot in the AFC divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 10-3-1 record also earned the Raiders their fifth AFC Western Division title in six years, and the winningest record from 1963-1972 (94-36-10).

The playoff game between the Raiders and Steelers has forever been remembered as the game in which the “Immaculate Reception” occurred.

Oakland’s quarterback Ken Stabler scored on a 30-yard touchdown run to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead with 1:17 left in the game. On the ensuing drive, the Raiders forced a 4th and 10 from the Steelers 40-yard line with :22 remaining.

There, Raiders lineman Horace Jones and Tony Cline pressured Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw who thew the ball to his halfback John Fuqua. As the ball reached Fuqua, Raiders safety Jack “The Assassin” Tatum also reached Fuqua, hitting him and causing the ball to sail in the air. Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught the ball and was able to score the game-winning touchdown.

This was the first of five consecutive postseasons in which the Raiders and Steelers would meet, with the last in 1976. The Raiders defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in 1976 to reach their Super Bowl XI

Raiders win their first Super Bowl

The Raiders used a solid offense to succeed in 1976. The offense all started with a solid offensive line that was anchored by Art Shell, Gene Upshaw and Dave Dalby who dominated in the trenches.

The 1976 Raiders were led on offense by quarterback Ken Stabler, wide receivers Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff, and tight end Dave Casper. Stabler finished with 2,737 yards and 27 touchdowns. Branch led the receiving corps 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns. Biletnikoff and Casper scored seven, and 10 touchdowns each, respectively. Fullback Mark van Eeghan led the Raiders on the ground, rushing for 1,012 yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, the Raiders possessed a solid linebacker corps in Otis Sistrunk, Ted Hendricks, and Phil Villapiano. The secondary was also aggressive and dominant with Jack Tatum and George Atkinson as the safeties, and Willie Brown and Skip Thomas as the corners.

On Jan. 9, 1977 the Raiders took on the Minnesota Vikings in Pasadena, Calif. in front of a record 103,424 people, mostly Raiders fans. The Raiders looked to be giving up

Former Raiders corner back Willie Brown coaching up former Raider Nnamdi Asomugha

the lead after a blocked punt in the first quarter, but the defense was able to force a fumble on their own goal line to keep the 1st quarter scoreless.

The Raiders would dominate the second quarter and take a 16-0 lead going into the second half. Leading 26-7 in the fourth quarter, corner back Willie Brown intercepted Vikings quarter back Fran Tarkenton and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown that all but sealed the victory.

After a final minute touchdown by the Vikings, the Oakland Raiders had won their first Super Bowl by a final score of 32-14. Stabler finished 12-19 for 180 yards, Casper had four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Biletnikoff finished with four catches for 79 yards and was named the Super Bowl XI MVP.

Madden retires

Following their Super Bowl XI victory, Madden would return the Raiders to the AFC Championship game where they met the Denver Broncos. But this time, the Raiders would fall short of the Super Bowl as they fell to the Broncos 20-17.

The 1978 season would turn out to be the last season the Raiders would be under John Maddens coaching, and it was an eventful one.

In the preseason, the Oakland Raiders took on the New England Patriots. The Patriots ran an inside slant route to wide receiver Darryl Stingley who leaped up to catch the pass and came down into a collision with Raiders safety Jack Tatum. The hit damaged Stingley’s spinal cord and paralyzed him from the chest down.

The Raiders would continue the season and find themselves needing a 27-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings for a 9-7 record to ensure their 14th consecutive winning season.

Included in the 9-7 record is a victory against the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 10, 1978. With the Raiders trailing 20-14 on the Chargers 12-yard line and 10 second remaining in the game, Stabler dropped back for a pass but was sacked and fumbled the ball. Raiders running back Pete Banaszak attempted to recover the fumble but lost

Raider all-time winningest head coach John Madden gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

his footing and kicked the ball forward to the goal line where Dave Casper was able to recover the ball for the game-tying touchdown. After the extra point, the Raiders left San Diego with a shocking 21-20 victory. The play has been dubbed the name “Holy Roller”.

Following the season, John Madden retired after 10 years of being the Raiders head coach. Madden finished with a 103-32-7 and leading the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory in 1977.

The Tom Flores era begins

To replace Madden, Al Davis brought in a familiar face in Tom Flores to coach the team. Davis had traded Flores in 1967 to get quarterback Daryle Lamonica. Flores and the Raiders struggled in his first year, but was still able to pull of a 9-7 winning record. 

Prior to the second season of Flores coaching the Raiders, Al Davis announced that he would be moving the Raiders to Los Angeles. Before the 1980 season, Davis sought improvements to be made to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum but was unsuccessful, so Davis attempted to move the team to Los Angeles.

Davis’ plan was shot down by the league. Needing ¾ of the league to approve it, Davis lost 22-0. Davis proceeded to try and move the team anyways but was stopped by an injunction my NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. This began the start of two antitrust lawsuits in which Al Davis was a part of against the NFL to get the approval to move to Los Angeles. The lawsuits wouldn’t be settled until 1982.

With the lawsuit still in the courts, the Raiders continued to play in Oakland. After trading Ken Stabler for Dan Pastorini in the offseason, Pastorini was injured and replaced by Jim Plunkett. Plunkett inherited a 2-3 record but was able to drive the Raiders to an 11-5 record and a wild card berth.

The Raiders were able to take that wild card berth to the AFC Championship game where they took on the Cleveland Browns. In a game played well below freezing temperature, the Raiders won 14-12 to give them a ticket to Super Bowl XV.

Raiders win their second Super Bowl

On Jan. 25, 1981 the Raiders took on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA.

On the opening pass play of the game, Raiders linebacker Rod Martin intercepted Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski to give the Raiders the ball in Philadelphia territory. The Raiders would convert on a pass from Plunkett to wide receiver Cliff Branch. Plunkett would also complete an 80-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny King to take a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The 14-point deficit proved to be too much for the Eagles to overcome. With the score 27-10, the Raiders defense buckled down and forced turnovers on the Eagles’ last two drives, with one being a Rod Martin interception. That was Martin’s third interception on Jaworski, setting a Super Bowl record.

With a lawsuit between Al Davis and the NFL still in the courts, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle was forced to hand the Lombardi Trophy over to Al Davis, the very man he was being sued by.

Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP, finishing 13-21 for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

With an injury to Plunkett the following year, the Raiders ended the season with a 7-9 record, ending a streak of 16-consecutive seasons with a winning record. The Dallas Cowboys would later break this record with a streak of 20-consecutive seasons.

Al Davis wins lawsuit, Raiders move to L.A.

After two years of being in the courts, the jury favored on the side of Al Davis, allowing the Raiders to be moved to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Prior to the season, the Raiders drafted USC running back Marcus Allen in the draft.

It wouldn’t be until December 12 — after a 57-day strike — that the Raiders would make their Los Angeles debut, beating the San Diego Chargers 28-24. The Raiders would finish the shortened season with the league-best 8-1 record, but would fall short losing to the Jets in the playoffs.

Raiders win their third Super Bowl

In their second season in LA, Tom Flores and the Raiders were able to get back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time.

Jim Plunkett led the offense finishing with 2,935 yards and 20 touchdowns. Tight end Todd Christensen became a favorite of Plunkett’s, catching 92 passes for 1,247 and 12 touchdowns. Second-year running back Marcus Allen proved to be an integral part of the offense, finishing with 1,604 total yards and 11 touchdowns.

On defense, the Raiders were led by pro-bowlers Howie Long, Lyle Alzado, Rod Martin, Matt Millen, and corner backs Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes, who were widely considered the best corner back tandem in the NFL.

Going into Super Bowl XVIII, the Raiders were underdogs to the Washington Redskins because of their solid rushing attack and stifling defense.

After taking a 21-3 lead going into halftime, the Raiders turned to their. Allen simply took over the game from there, including a 74-yard scamper for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Allen finished with 191 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 20 carries and earned the Super Bowl MVP trophy as the Raiders dominated the Redskins. The Raiders won by a final score of 38-9.

This Super Bowl is known as “Black Friday” because of the dominating victory the Raiders had against a favored Washington Redskins team.

Al Davis feuds with Marcus Allen

After winning the Super Bowl MVP, Raiders running back Marcus Allen would go on to continue his dominance in the NFL. In 1985, Allen rushed for 1,759 yards and added 555 yards in receptions to earn him both the NFL Offensive Play of the Year and NFL MVP awards.

In the 1986 season, Allen would be plagued by injuries and attempted to play through them. The injuries quickly became controversial when owner Al Davis publicly stated that Allen was faking the injuries.

The next season, the Raiders selected running back Bo Jackson in the draft, further agitating Allen. Jackson would become an integral part of the backfield as Allen and Jackson found themselves sharing carries.

Head coach Tom Flores would retire after a 5-10 season in 1987. Flores left after leading the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories and winning 83 games, second in franchise history to only John Madden.

Al Davis would bring in Mike Shanahan to coach the franchise. After a 7-9 season followed by a 1-3 start in 1989, Davis fired Shanahan and hired former Raiders offensive linemen Art Shell, making him the first African-American head coach in the NFL. In 1989, Marcus Allen only carried the ball 69 times for the Raiders.

The next season, the Raiders would make Allen a potent part of their offense again. Using Jackson and Allen as a solid 1-2 punch, the Raiders finished 12-4 and made it to the AFC Championship game. In that game, Bo Jackson’s career was cut short in the 3rd quarter when he suffered a career-ending hip injury. The Raiders would be blown out 51-3 by the Buffalo Bills.

Instead of turning to Allen to carry the load, Davis went out and signed free agent Roger Craig, thus keeping Allen on the bench and making infuriating him more. Upon being relegated to being just a backup player, Allen became frustrated and demanded a trade. Finally, after the 1992 season in which Allen accused Davis of trying to ruin his career, Allen was finally able to leave the team via free agency.

The team returns to Oakland

After 13 years and two Super Bowl victories in L.A., Al Davis decided to move back to Oakland. The move back to Oakland occurred with a great amount of fanfare.

Then head coach, Mike White, led quarterback Jeff Hostetler and the Raider to an 8-2 start, but the Raiders would drop their last six games to end the season a disappointing 8-8.

The Raiders would struggle in 1996 also, their second season back in Oakland. The 7-9 record was enough for Davis to fire White after just two years and hire Joe Bugel. Bugel only lasted one season as he was fired when the Raiders finished 4-12 in 1997.

The Jon Gruden era

Al Davis hired Jon Gruden in 1998 and made him the youngest NFL head coach at the age of 34. Gruden came into the league and instantly became a fan favorite because of his fiery attitude and demeanor on the sideline.

After the team finished 8-8 in Gruden’s first two seasons, the Raiders went out and signed free agent quarterback Rich Gannon. Gannon led the Raiders to a 12-4 start while passing for a career high 3,430 yards in his first year with the Raiders. The 12-4 record was good enough to give the Raiders their first divisional title in 10 years.

The Raiders would make it to the AFC Championship game before losing to the Baltimore Ravens 16-3 in a game that Gannon suffered a rib injury on the first series of the game.

Following the 2000 season, the Raiders acquired all-time great Jerry Rice to start opposite of Raider-great Tim Brown at wide receiver. Gannon, Rice, and Brown led an explosive offense all season long as the Raiders started 10-3 but dropped the last three games to finish 10-6. Gannon finished the season with 3,828 yards and 27 touchdowns; Rice and Brown both had 1,000-plus yard receiving for the season, as they had 1,139 and 1,165 yards receiving, respectively.

After beating the Jets in the wild card game, the Raiders took on the New England Patriots in a divisional playoff showdown.

On a snowy day in New England with the Raiders up 13-10 with under a minute left to play, Raiders corner back Charles Woodson blitzed and sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, causing an apparent fumble that was recovered by Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert and seemingly ended the game.

Officials reviewed the play and determined that Brady’s arm was moving forward and ruled the play an incomplete pass, with New England keeping the ball. This allowed the Patriots to drive down the field for a game-tying Adam Vinatieri field goal to send the game into overtime. Vinatieri would then hit the game-winning field goal in overtime, with the Raiders losing 16-13.

Following the loss, Al Davis attempted to sign Gruden to a contract extension but was unable to. Instead, Davis traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for draft picks.

Gruden trade comes back to haunt Davis

After trading Gruden to the Bucs, Al Davis promoted Bill Callahan from offensive coordinator to the new head coach of the Raiders. Under Callahan, the Raiders offense didn’t skip a beat as the Raiders continued to use their high-powered offense to reach the playoffs again.

Rich Gannon finished the season with 4,689 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to be awarded the NFL’s MVP award.

The Raiders finished the 2002 season 11-5, earning themselves home-field advantage. Oakland than preceded to beat the Jets again and then rout the Tennessee Titans to earn a chance in Super Bowl XXXVII.

The Raiders would be taking on none other than Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only was it a match up of Gruden’s old team versus his new, it was also a match up of the league’s first-ranked offense (Raiders) against the first-ranked defense (Buccaneers).

To make matters worse for the Raiders, their all-pro center Barret Robbins went missing the day before the Super Bowl was to be played in San Diego. Robbins returned the day of the Super Bowl after what he later said was a long night of drinking in Tijuana, Mexico.

The Raiders were able to get on the scoreboard first with a Sebastian Janikowski field goal, but the Buccaneers dominated the rest of the game.

Gruden’s Buccaneers took a 20-3 halftime lead, and built on it with a long time-eating touchdown drive to start the third quarter.

Gruden’s knowledge of the Raiders offense proved to be a deciding factor as Gruden’s defense was seemingly one step ahead of Callahan’s offense. Gannon finished 24-44 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and a Super Bowl record five interceptions as the Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21.

Post-Super Bowl XXXVII era

Upon losing Super Bowl XXXVII, the Raiders got off to a slow start in 2003 and lost Gannon to a season-ending shoulder injury in week 8. The Raiders would eventually

An Oakland Raiders fan expresses their love for Gruden during the tough years following the Super Bowl XXXVII loss

finish the season with a disappointing 4-12 record, tied for worst in the NFL. Following the season, the Raiders fired Callahan and hired Norv Turner as head coach.

The team also released their all-time leading receiver veteran Tim Brown. They also picked up former Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

Under Turner, the Raiders started 2004 2-1 but lost Gannon to a career-ending neck injury, forcing the Raiders to turn to newly acquired Kerry Collins. The Raiders would finish 5-11.

Since the loss of Rich Gannon in 2004, the Raiders have started 14 different quarterbacks and have had five head coaches in the seven-year span.

After losing the Super Bowl, the Raiders posted seven consecutive losing seasons from 2003-2009, with a 29-83. In 2010, the Raiders were able to snap that streak finishing 8-8 under head coach Tom Cable.

Instead of keeping Cable as the head coach, Al Davis decided to instead promote offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to the role of head coach.

Raiders history by the numbers:

The former 6^th overall choice in the 1988 draft played 16-campaigns for the Silver & Black and during that illustrious career, he tallied 1,094 receptions (4^th in league history), 14,934 receiving yards (4^th all-time) and 100 touchdown grabs (6^th).

Brown’s former coach, Jon Gruden, campaigned on his behalf during the week stating, “He dominated the game. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, without a doubt.

“What Tim Brown did with the quarterback position the way it was is quite amazing. The number of quarterbacks who threw him touchdown passes…

“He did not have a Joe Montana for eight years, a Peyton Manning, a Brett Favre. Not to be discriminatory against the quarterbacks he did have, but he played in different offenses and was great in any system.”

During his time as a Raider, his teams compiled a 134-122 record with 6 playoff appearances.

What probably hurt Brown was that the greatest receiver in league history was eligible as well. Jerry Rice was a lock to be inducted with running back Emmitt Smith, and that tilt may have cut-down any opportunity for Brown to get his bust in Canton in his first year of eligibility.

Brown did not reach the games grandest stage until 2002, when the Tampa Buccaneers defeated Oakland 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Earlier in his career, Brown was as dominant as any receiver in the league, compiling 80 or more catches in 9 out 10-years from 1993 to 2002.

His prowess as a return man also made him a threat to hit paydirt upon entering the NFL, but in 2001, Brown made history by returning a punt 88-yards for a score making him the oldest player in league history to achieve that feat.

Brown was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, was on the NFLs all decade team of the 1990s and holds nearly all the receiving marks for the Silver & Black.

He ended his career as a member of the Buccaneers after Oakland released him before the 2004 season.

At Notre Dame, Brown won the 1987 Heisman Trophy.

Earlier in the week, he acknowledged that his induction may not happen, “It wouldn’t be the worst thing,” he said, “to happen in Dallas next year.”

“You understand it’s a vote,” stated Brown. “I’m pretty certain one day it will happen.”

It should have been today.

NOTES

• First WR to win the Heisman Trophy
• Rookie-season record for most combined yards gained, with 2,317 yards (1988).
• NFL record for 10 consecutive seasons with at least 75 receptions.
• Raider Records: games played, touchdowns, receiving yards, catches and touchdowns, punt return yards, returns and touchdowns, all-purpose yards and yards from scrimmage.
• Brown caught his 100^th career TD versus the Raiders.

Porter told officials that someone took his jewelry from his vehicle while he went for a facial at a Bay Area salon.

According to staff writer Peter Hegarty, Porter was going to speak to the Alameda police about the happening this afternoon. Porter did not show up for the meeting and officials are still sorting out the details of the robbery.

The 31-year old still resides in Oakland.

He was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of the 2009 campaign after signing a six-year, $30 million contract with them in 2008.

Porter’s best season came in 2003 when he tallied 688-yards and 9 touchdowns, being a key cog in Rich Gannon’s league MVP campaign. He teamed up with hall of fame bound targets Jerry Rice and Tim Brown to form the most prolific offense of that season in reaching Super Bowl XXVII.

In 2004 an 2005, Porter compiled 140 catches for 1,940 yards and 14 touchdowns. But in 2006, he publicly feuded with Art Shell and demanded to be traded. He was deactivated and inactive for most of the season even suspended without pay for conduct detrimental to the club for four games.

“There’s guys every year that might not want to be on a team, but, hey, part of this business is you play with who you’ve got,” Shell stated that season. “If we have somebody on this team that’s here, whether he said he wants to be here or not, if he’s doing what he’s supposed to do, then we’ll go to work.”

The NFLPA intervened and the suspension was dropped to two games.

Porter was drafted in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft.

OTHER NEWS

• Steve Corkran confirmed a story that had the Raiders interested in rehiring defensive line coach Mike Waufle.
• Earlier in the day, Jon Condo was added to the Pro Bowl roster.

Tim Brown, the Silver & Black’s 6^th overall pick in the 1988 draft, played 16-years for the Raiders. He was a prolific wide receiver and a threat on special teams as a returner early in his career coming out of Notre Dame where he won the 1987 Heisman Trophy.

He currently holds the team record for games played (240), season’s active (16), touchdowns (104), many other receiving marks along with marks for all purpose yards (19,431) and yards from scrimmage (14,924). Brown also has the NFL record with 10-consecutive seasons with at least 75-catches and the mark for being the oldest player (35) to return a punt for a touchdown.

Among other accolades, he was a 9-time pro bowl selection, a second team all-pro in 1997 and was on the NFL’s all decade team for the ‘90s.

Jerry Rice, who is arguably the games greatest player and the wide receiver that is known as the greatest of all-time will also be up for consideration on February 6, the day before the Super Bowl, when the next class of inductees are traditionally announced.

In three seasons with the Silver & Black, Rice tallied 238 receptions, 3,219 yards and 18 touchdowns before being traded to Seattle six games into the 2004 campaign. At that point, Rice only had five receptions, had his streak of 274 games with a catch halted with a diminished role in the twilight of his career. His arrival in Oakland boosted the Raiders offense and helped them to Super Bowl XXXVII.

Like Rice, Roger Craig gained prominence with the San Francisco 49ers, but the versatile rusher did play for the Silver & Black one season compiling 590-yards rushing and 136-receiving in 1991.

He was the first running back in the history of the NFL to run for over 1,000 yards in a season and tally 1,000 yards receiving during the same campaign.

Ray Guy and Lester Hayes were two players that did not make the final cut.

For a look at the other candidates, here is a link to the story at the official Hall of Fame web site: http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2010/1/8/one-step-closer/