Hostile
The Duke
- Messages
- 119,565
- Reaction score
- 4,544
In 1960 when Lamar Hunt and 7 other entrepreneurs were creating the AFL, one of the franchises was awarded to the Oakland Raiders. They almost didn't exist. One of the original eight AFL franchises was supposed to be the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota backed out of the AFL when they instead accepted an offer to join the more established NFL as the 14th franchise.
Oakland wasn't even on the AFL radar. There was no ownership group in place. Paris Hilton's grandpa, Barron Hilton, was the owner of the Los Angeles Chargers. He threatened to back out if the AFL didn't put another team on the West Coast. So you see, she comes by her drama queen genes naturally. Thus the 8th AFL franchise was awarded to the City of Oakland, California.
Oakland then sought some investors to get the team rolling. The managing General Partner was Real Estate magnate Charles Soda. He had an affinity for calling people "Señor." Thus the original name for the team was to be the Oakland Señors. Are there jokes rattling around in your head? You aren't alone. Nine days of jokes resulted in a change to Raiders.
Charles Soda only lasted one year. Wayne Valley took over as Managing General Partner in 1961. In 1963 the Raiders hired Al Davis to be their Head Coach and General Manager. In 1966 he left those posts to be the AFL Commissioner.
In 1967 Al returned to the Raiders as part of the ownership group. He owned a 10% share and was one of three principle owners. The other two partners made him Head of Football Operations. In 1972 Al Davis forced Wayne Valley out of the role as Managing General Partner of the ownership group by getting fellow minority owner Ed McGah to sign a revised partnership agreement that gave him total control. He has had a stranglehold on that position since then. Wayne Valley bowed out of ownership in 1976. Al Davis never possessed a majority ownership in the Raiders until 2005.
When the NFL and AFL were in secret meetings to discuss a merger, Al Davis was the only AFL owner left in the dark about the meetings. During his brief term as AFL Commissioner he had waged an all out war with the NFL to acquire the best talents for the AFL. His animosity and competitiveness were legendary. Davis was against the merger. He felt the AFL could beat out the more popular and more established NFL.
With total control of the football operations at his disposal Al Davis has been a shrewd operator. He has been compared to Darth Vader and looks like the Crypt Keeper, but in football circles he has always been respected as a force.
When the Chargers vacated Los Angeles for San Diego Al Davis began to covet that TV Market. In 1980 he sought to move the Raiders to LA and was blocked by an injunction. He filed a lawsuit against the NFL and won. In 1982 the Raiders moved to Los Angeles.
Al Davis is the only NFL owner who sided with the upstart USFL in their antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. No surprise given his open animosity towards the NFL. Davis sued the NFL once again in 1995. He felt they submarined his efforts to secure a state of the art stadium while the Raiders were in Los Angeles. As he began that lawsuit he also moved the Raiders back to Oakland.
The Raiders won the AFL Championship in 1967 and the right to play the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers in the second ever Super Bowl. The Raiders returned to the Super Bowl and won it on three different occasions. They were Super Bowl Champions for Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV, and Super Bowl XVIII. They made one other trip to the Super Bowl in a losing effort, losing to the Buccaneers and former Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden in Super Bowl XXXVII.
The Cowboys and Raiders have a brief head to head History. They couldn't face each other until after the 1970 AFL - NFL Merger. The Raiders lead the all time series 6-3. The Cowboys have never defeated the Raiders in Dallas. They are one of only 2 teams the Cowboys have never defeated at home. The other is the Baltimore Ravens whom the Cowboys have never beaten at all.
The Cowboys are 26-14-1 all time on Thanksgiving. They are 2-0 in the Wade Phillips era. 8-3 anyone?
Oakland wasn't even on the AFL radar. There was no ownership group in place. Paris Hilton's grandpa, Barron Hilton, was the owner of the Los Angeles Chargers. He threatened to back out if the AFL didn't put another team on the West Coast. So you see, she comes by her drama queen genes naturally. Thus the 8th AFL franchise was awarded to the City of Oakland, California.
Oakland then sought some investors to get the team rolling. The managing General Partner was Real Estate magnate Charles Soda. He had an affinity for calling people "Señor." Thus the original name for the team was to be the Oakland Señors. Are there jokes rattling around in your head? You aren't alone. Nine days of jokes resulted in a change to Raiders.
Charles Soda only lasted one year. Wayne Valley took over as Managing General Partner in 1961. In 1963 the Raiders hired Al Davis to be their Head Coach and General Manager. In 1966 he left those posts to be the AFL Commissioner.
In 1967 Al returned to the Raiders as part of the ownership group. He owned a 10% share and was one of three principle owners. The other two partners made him Head of Football Operations. In 1972 Al Davis forced Wayne Valley out of the role as Managing General Partner of the ownership group by getting fellow minority owner Ed McGah to sign a revised partnership agreement that gave him total control. He has had a stranglehold on that position since then. Wayne Valley bowed out of ownership in 1976. Al Davis never possessed a majority ownership in the Raiders until 2005.
When the NFL and AFL were in secret meetings to discuss a merger, Al Davis was the only AFL owner left in the dark about the meetings. During his brief term as AFL Commissioner he had waged an all out war with the NFL to acquire the best talents for the AFL. His animosity and competitiveness were legendary. Davis was against the merger. He felt the AFL could beat out the more popular and more established NFL.
With total control of the football operations at his disposal Al Davis has been a shrewd operator. He has been compared to Darth Vader and looks like the Crypt Keeper, but in football circles he has always been respected as a force.
When the Chargers vacated Los Angeles for San Diego Al Davis began to covet that TV Market. In 1980 he sought to move the Raiders to LA and was blocked by an injunction. He filed a lawsuit against the NFL and won. In 1982 the Raiders moved to Los Angeles.
Al Davis is the only NFL owner who sided with the upstart USFL in their antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. No surprise given his open animosity towards the NFL. Davis sued the NFL once again in 1995. He felt they submarined his efforts to secure a state of the art stadium while the Raiders were in Los Angeles. As he began that lawsuit he also moved the Raiders back to Oakland.
The Raiders won the AFL Championship in 1967 and the right to play the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers in the second ever Super Bowl. The Raiders returned to the Super Bowl and won it on three different occasions. They were Super Bowl Champions for Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV, and Super Bowl XVIII. They made one other trip to the Super Bowl in a losing effort, losing to the Buccaneers and former Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden in Super Bowl XXXVII.
The Cowboys and Raiders have a brief head to head History. They couldn't face each other until after the 1970 AFL - NFL Merger. The Raiders lead the all time series 6-3. The Cowboys have never defeated the Raiders in Dallas. They are one of only 2 teams the Cowboys have never defeated at home. The other is the Baltimore Ravens whom the Cowboys have never beaten at all.
The Cowboys are 26-14-1 all time on Thanksgiving. They are 2-0 in the Wade Phillips era. 8-3 anyone?
Besides, facts are facts. The Raiders have beat good football teams and the Cowboys tend to play down (or up depending on ones prospective) to the level of the opponent.
