Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders
Based in the city of Oakland, California, The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Began in 1960 as the eighth charter member of the American Football League (AFL), they won one championship and three division titles. The team joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. Since than Raiders have won twelve division titles and three Super Bowls, and appeared in two other Super Bowls. The team has thirteen preserves in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

During their first three seasons, the Raiders resisted both on and off the field. In 1963, Al Davis was the team as head coach and general manager, who turned it to winners from 1963 until 2002, and had only seven losing seasons. He also started the use of slogans such as "Pride and Poise," "Commitment to Excellence," and "Just Win, Baby" are registered trademarks now.

Davis moved the team from Oakland to Los Angeles, California in 1982. While there, the Raiders won third Super Bowl, but made just two playoff appearances through the rest of the 1980s. In 1995, Davis moved the team back to Oakland. In 2000, head coach Jon Gruden led Oakland to their first division title since 1990, but left the team one season later. Under head coach Bill Callahan, Oakland faced Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, where they were beaten 48-21. In January 2007, the team named 31-year-old Lane Kiffin their fourth head coach since Gruden's departure in 2002.

Upon receiving the license, businesspeople were willing to invest in Oakland civic, the new team. A limited partnership was formed headed by managing general partner Chet Soda, a local real estate developer, and included general partners Ed McGah, Robert Osborne, Wayne Valley, Harvey Binns, Don Blessing, and Charles Harney as well as numerous limited partners. The owners changed the team's name to the Oakland Raiders, which had finished third in the naming contest. The original team colors were black, gold and white. The team sign of a pirate ("raider") wearing a football helmet was created, reportedly a version of actor Randolph Scott.

The team's first regular season home game was played on September 11, 1960, a 37-22 loss to the Houston Oilers at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, as their home field. The Raiders finished their first campaign with a 6-8 record, and lost $500,000. In need of money to continue running the team, Valley received a $400,000 loan from Buffalo Bills founder Ralph C. Wilson Jr.

After the conclusion of the first season Soda dropped out of the partnership, and on January 17, 1961, Valley, McGah and Osborne bought out the remaining four general partners. That year the Raiders moved to Candlestick Park, where they finished with 2-12. Valley threatened to move the Raiders out of the area unless a stadium was built in Oakland, but in 1962 the Raiders moved into 22,000 -seat Frank Youell Field, their first home in Oakland. It was a temporary home for the team while the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum was under construction. Under Marty Feldman and Red Conkright, the team's second and third head coaches since entering the AFL, the Raiders finished 1-13 in 1962, losing their first 13 games before winning the season finale.

Back to Oakland (1995 present)
On June 23, 1995, Davis signed a letter of plan to move Raiders back to Oakland. The NFL approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors the next month, as well as the move. The move was greeted under new head coach Mike White the 1995 season started off well for the team. Oakland started 8-2, but injuries to starting quarterback Jeff Hostetler contributed to a six-game losing streak to end the season, and the Raiders failed to qualify for the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

After Joe Bugel, Davis selected a new head coach from outside the Raiders organization for only the second time when he hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Jon Gruden. The Raiders posted consecutive 8-8 seasons in 1998 and 1999, and climbed out of last place in the AFC West under Gruden. Oakland finished 12-4 in the 2000 season, the team's most successful in a decade. Led by veteran quarterback Rich Gannon, Oakland won their first division title since 1990, and advanced to the AFC Championship, where they lost 16-3 to the ultimate Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

The Raiders acquired all-time leading receiver Jerry Rice prior to the 2001 season. They finished 10-6 and won a second straight AFC West title but lost their divisional-round playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, in a game known as "The Tuck played in a heavy snowstorm, and late in the fourth quarter Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert recovered a fumble by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. However the play was evaluated to be an incomplete.

Shortly after the season, the Raiders released Gruden from his contract and allowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign, and received cash and future draft picks from the Buccaneers. Bill Callahan, who served as the team's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach during Gruden's tenure, was named head coach.

Under Callahan, the Raiders finished the 2002 season 11-5, won their third straight division title, and sealed the top seed in the playoffs. Rich Gannon was named MVP of the NFL after passing for a league-high 4,689 yards. After beating the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans by large margins in the playoffs, the Raiders made their fifth Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII. Their rival was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached by Gruden. The Raiders, who had not made significant changes to Gruden's offensive schemes, were interrupted five times by the Buccaneers en route to a 48-21 blowout.

Callahan's second season as head coach was considerably less successful. Oakland finished 4-12, they're worst showing since 1997. At the end of the 2003 regular season Callahan was fired and replaced by former Washington Redskins head coach Norv Turner.

Oakland finished the 2004 season 5-11 with only one divisional wins. During a Week 3 victory against the Buccaneers, Rich Gannon suffered a neck injury that ended his season, and got retired before the 2005 season. Kerry Collins signed with Oakland after the 2003 season and became the team's starting quarterback.

In early 2005 the Raiders acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver Randy Moss via trade with the Minnesota Vikings, and signed free agent running back Lamont Jordan of the New York Jets. After a 4-12 season and a second following last place finish, Turner was fired as head coach. On February 11, 2006 the team announced the return of Art Shell as head coach.

Under Shell, the Raiders lost their first five games in 2006 en route to a 2-14 finish, the team's worst record since 1962. Oakland's offense struggled greatly, scoring just 168 points and allowing league-high 72 sacks. The Raiders also earned the right to the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft for the first time since 1962, having the league's worst record.

One season into his second run as head coach, Shell was fired on January 4, 2007. On January 22, the team announced the hiring of 31-year-old USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, the youngest coach in franchise history and the youngest coach in the NFL. In the 2007 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Louisiana State quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the #1 overall pick as their foundation for the team's future.

Ownership structure
Legally, the club is a limited partnership operated by Al Davis, who serves as president of the team's general partner, A.D. Football, Inc. The partnership is comprised of heirs of the original eight-team partners. It has been reported that Davis currently owns 67 percent of the team's shares and is the only partner with the authority to make decisions.

Ed McGah, the last of the original eight general partners of the Raiders, died in September 1983. His interest was invented to a family trust, his son, E.J. McGah, was the trustee. The younger McGah was himself a part owner of the team, as a limited partner, and died in 2002. Several members of the McGah family filed suit against Davis in October 2003, alleging mismanagement of the team by Davis. Among their specific complaints, the McGahs alleged that Davis failed to provide them with detailed financial information previously provided to Ed and E.J. McGah. The Raiders countered that under the terms of the partnership agreement as amended in 1972 upon the death of the elder McGah in 1983, his general partner interest converted to that of a limited partner. The team continued to provide the financial information to the younger McGah as a courtesy, though it was under no obligation.

Legal battles
The Raiders and Al Davis have been involved in several lawsuits throughout their history, including ones against the NFL. When the NFL declined to approve the Raiders' move from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1980, the team joined the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission in a lawsuit against the league alleging a violation of antitrust laws. The Coliseum Commission received a settlement from the NFL of US $19.6 million in 1987. In 1986, Davis testified on behalf of the USFL in their unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against the NFL.

After moving back to Oakland, the team sued the NFL for snooping with their negotiations to build a new stadium at Hollywood Park prior to the move. The Raiders' lawsuit further contended that they had the rights to the Los Angeles market, and thus were entitled to recompense from the league for giving up those rights by moving to Oakland. A jury found in favor of the NFL in 2001, but overturned a year later due to alleged juror misbehavior.

In February 2005, a California Court of Appeal collectively upheld the original judgment.

When the Raiders moved back from Los Angeles in 1995, the city of Oakland and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority agreed to sell Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) to help pay for the renovations to their stadium. But after games rarely sold out, the Raiders filed suit, claiming that the city and the Coliseum Authority with the false promise that there would be sellouts misled them. On November 2, 2005, a settlement was announced, part of which was the abolishment of PSLs as of the 2006 season.