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Oakland Raiders Sellout Every Home Game This Season: Fan’s View | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
And Sunday makes eight. Eight sellouts out of eight home games for the Oakland Raiders. The team announced the January 1 game against the San Diego Chargers is sold out, which makes 2011 the first season the team has gone without a television blackout since they returned to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995. Surface of an American football ball. While I think eight sellouts is great, and shows the support the team has from local fans, the issue of the stadium remains. The Raiders play in the Oakland Coliseum, now known as the O.co Coliseum after the stadium’s website sponsor, Overstock.com (which now also goes by o.co). Opened in 1966, the stadium is almost 50 years old and even the last renovation was seventeen years ago in 1995. The cash-strapped city of Oakland has been unable to build a new stadium and the team has been unwilling to share a stadium with the San Francisco 49ers. As the 49ers stadium project is moving forward, perhaps after the passing of Raiders’ longtime owner Al Davis, the new Raiders’ ownership (led by Davis’ son) will have a different view. I think the shared stadium makes sense for the Raiders if they want to stay in Northern California. I still wonder if the team will move back to Los Angeles to play in one of the two competing stadium projects, both vying for a team. AEG, the company behind the proposed Farmers Field project in downtown Los Angeles has already confirmed the Raiders were one of the five teams they’ve already met with about the move to L.A. While the team sold out all eight home games they didn’t win all eight, of the seven played as I write this article, the team is 3-4 at home, while doing much better on the road (5-3). Raiders coach Hue Jackson confirmed the power of Raider Nation and how he thinks the team needs the fans this week, a must-win for the Silver and Black. Commenting about the fans, Coach Jackson said: “They’ll bring the noise and the passion. I expect them to be as loud as they’ve ever been, and we need a true 12th man this week.” Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman More from this contributor: Oakland Raiders – Top 5 Reasons They’ll Be in Super Bowl XLVI Farmers Field Proposed Re-design is Too Expensive to Build: Fan’s Opinion Top 5 Greatest Oakland Raiders Hall of Famers Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Feel free to leave your comments below. Posted in 1, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers | Comments Off
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Raiders Coach Hue Jackson Breaks it Down: Fan’s View | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I like Oakland Raiders’ head coach Hue Jackson. He tells it like it is and doesn’t waste words or pull any punches. He’s a humble guy who used to watch the Raiders play in the Los Angeles Coliseum when he worked there as a security guard in the 1980s. 
An NFL football. I think he has really built the Raider team into something great since taking the helm and is doing a admirable job at continuing the legacy of long-time owner Al Davis and his “Commitment to Excellence.” In Mr. Davis’ memory, I really do believe the team will make it to the Super Bowl. The on-field play is supported by the Raider Nation, the community of fans (including myself) around the world who support the Silver and Black. Each Friday after the team practice, Coach Jackson speaks with the media and I think his interview is a great way to determine where the team is one day before the game. In this case the game is the must-win January 1 game against the San Diego Chargers to end the 2011 regular season and hopefully move into the playoffs. Here are some key highlights I took away from Coach Jackson’s Friday press conference on December 30: Injuries are still an issue Michael Huff and Jacoby Ford are still recovering but it looks like Coach Jackson will include them in the line-up. He doesn’t think Ford is quite back up to speed, but I think the Raiders need him in there returning kickoffs. Chemistry is another issue Not bad chemistry, but lack of it. I agree with the Coach’s assessment that the team just needs more time to really come together. They have great players but the late addition of Carson Palmer just takes some getting used to. I think the Raiders have shown great heart this season and will definitely have a strong 2012 season, regardless of their 2011 finish. Still not watching the scoreboard Coach Jackson makes it a policy to not look at the scoreboard during games and even though it’s a must win for the Raiders, he’ll concentrate on executing each play successfully and helping “this football team do everything it can to win.” Palmer can play under pressure In a must-win game like the San Diego game, I think it’s essential we have an experienced guy like Palmer in there. Coach Jackson agrees, saying “It’s very important. He’s not going to flinch. That’s what I love about him. We’ve had some things not go his way but one thing I know about him, he’s not sitting over there sulking about it, or worried about it, he’s on to the next play and that’s kind of the way I am.” I agree and think that’s the professional attitude that wins games and wins championships. Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman More from this contributor: Oakland Raiders – Top 5 Reasons They’ll Be in Super Bowl XLVI Farmers Field Proposed Re-design is Too Expensive to Build: Fan’s Opinion Top 5 Greatest Oakland Raiders Hall of Famers Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Subscribe to our feed!. Posted in 1, Jacoby Ford, Michael Huff, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers | Comments Off
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Top 5 Greatest Oakland Raiders Seasons: Fan’s Opinion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It’s shaping up to be a great season for the Raider Nation as the Oakland Raiders lead the AFC West and look good to continue the momentum right into Super Bowl XLVI. While I really think the 2011 season may end up being a truly great one for the team, I thought it was a good time to also look back into Raider history at some of the team’s greatest seasons, and here are my picks for the Raiders’ top five greatest seasons: Surface of an American football ball. 1963 – First season with Al Davis as coach 1963 was an incredible season for the Oakland Raiders, then part of the upstart American Football League (AFL), created as its own stand-alone league, separate from the NFL. Al Davis came on-board as a coach for the 1963 season and led the Raiders to a 10-4-0 record. This is considered one of the greatest coaching accomplishments in pro football history as the Raiders went 1-13 the season before, and 2-12 in 1961. 1976 – 13-1 record and Super Bowl XI win The Super Bowl was played in January 1977, but it was the 1976 season that took the team there. Under the leadership of super-coach John Madden, the team dominated the league, going 13-1, the best record in the NFL. I grew up in Philadelphia and remember when the Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles to clinch the Western Division Championship that November. 1980 – Super Bowl XV win Living in Philly, this season’s ending was really tough as the Raiders beat the Eagles to win Super Bowl XV. John Madden was gone, replaced by Tom Flores, another great Raiders coach, who led the team to a 11-5 record. With that record, the Raiders became the first team in NFL history to have 16 consecutive winning seasons. 1983 – Super Bowl XVIII win The 1983 season was a great one, the team had moved to Los Angeles, where they were playing in front of a new group of crazed fans. It was a season of controversy with lawsuits surrounding the move to Los Angeles, but they didn’t affect the team’s on-field play. The Raiders rolled into Super Bowl XVIII in Tampa where with the strength of QB Jim Plunkett and RB Marcus Allen, they beat the Washington Redskins 38-9. 1967 – 13-1 season To me, this was the first year of modern football, with the AFL and NFL merged and playing together in one league. The Raiders powered through the season to finish 13-1, the best record in AFL history. When they played in Super Bowl II they were beaten by the Green Bay Packers 33-14 in a crushing loss. Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman More from this contributor: Oakland Raiders – Top 5 Reasons They’ll Be in Super Bowl XLVI Farmers Field Proposed Re-design is Too Expensive to Build: Fan’s Opinion Top 5 Greatest Oakland Raiders Hall of Famers Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Gotta run!. |
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Raiders Vs. Chargers: Sebastian Janikowski Expected To Kick In Thursday Night Football Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Read More: Sebastian Janikowski (K – OAK), San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders might be without Darren McFadden tonight against the San Diego Chargers, but they will at least have their offensive security blanket in place. Adam Schefter has good news for Raider Nation (and a good deal of fantasy football owners out there). If Janikowski wouldn’t have been able to go, that would’ve probably meant free agent Dave Rayner or backup punter Shane Lechler would’ve been forced to kick in his place. This sort of arrangement would have negated the kicking advantage the Raiders generally enjoy on gameday. Now that Janikowski is here, it slightly eases the pressure off of Carson Palmer and Michael Bush to carry the offensive load, knowing they won’t necessarily have to drive the entire field to be assured of putting points on the board. Of course, the Raiders can’t be going on trading touchdowns for field goals, but it’s important to have a reliable kicker out there who can give them field goals when they can’t hit the end zone. For more on the Raiders, head on over to Silver and Black Pride. For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts from the Blue. That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in 1, Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders, raiders-news, San Diego Chargers, Sebastian Janikowski, Shane Lechler | Comments Off
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Oakland Raiders: Like Aretha Franklin Says, "You Better Think" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Oakland Raiders better “think.”There was a time the lyrics in popular music inspired us to “think” and to ask for “respect.” That’s what the Oakland Raiders want us to do as they also do it: think and get a little respect. As always I am looking at the data. On the Football Outsiders website, I noticed that the Raiders are ranked below the Jacksonville Jaguars in several categories. On another site, it reports that the Raiders are ranked third in the NFLÂ with 150 rushing yards. The Jaguars are ranked slightly higher with 151 rushing yards. They rank second. Many of us in the Raider Nation have unwavering support of the Oakland Raiders. Yet, I was surprised when I perused this data:
 The Oakland Raiders have had more total wins per season only four times since 1995. In 2008, the Raiders and the Jaguars tied in the total number of wins with five. It is imperative that the Raiders win on Dec. 12, since this, too, would demonstrate more consistency and confirm that the team is moving up. One B/R writer commented, “Please no more graphs.” On the contrary, there must be a visual way to see the consistency and inconsistency, the efficiency or lack thereof. As one person said to me, “the truth shall set you free.” Don’t you agree? After all, if you deal with the reality of the situation, you just may muster up the strength and fortitude to shift to a more positive situation. If you remember the old television show, To Tell the Truth, then you must realize that by dealing with the reality of the Raiders’ challenge, the young players just might be convinced to play hard and play smart to get their “house in order.” Go Raiders! Think smart, play smart and win!  This article is
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