Quick History: What Every New Raiders Fan Needs to Know
With so many teams in the NFL, it can be difficult to know the history and records of all of them. When you become a new fan of the Raiders, it can be almost like trying to learn the history of a new country to I wanted to learn more about my new team, and I figured my fellow new fans might be interested as well.
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The Raiders became a team in 1960; playing their first game on September 11, 1960. Interestingly—to me—they were originally a member of the American Football League. Though I’ve read before that the AFL existed, it’s something I always forget about until I’m reminded. When the AFL and NFL merged, the Raiders became part of the AFC West division, where they play today.
The Raiders, of course, have recently been in the news a lot because of the team’s decision to move to Las Vegas in the next several years. What I didn’t know until I started my research was that even before this decision, the team wasn’t always known as the Oakland Raiders. From 1982 to 1994, the team played in Los Angeles and was known as the Los Angeles Raiders. Football wasn’t really on my radar until 1995, when I was ten, so this was new to me.
At the end of last year’s season, our lifetime regular season record was 456 wins, 401 losses, and 11 ties. Our playoff record is 25 wins and 19 losses. We’ve also captured three Super Bowl titles—1976, 1980, and 1983. A lot of the research I did indicated that our record has been spotty; however, I personally believe we’re about due for an upswing, especially with the crew we have ready to take the field for 2017-2018 season.
The Raiders were the first team in the entire league to have a first female CEO, Amy Trask. She served from 1997-2013. Her hire exemplified the Raiders’ attitude have toward diversity, one of the things that made me want to support the team.
During my research, I learned that the Raiders large fanbase remains the envy of many teams. Now, to many people reading this, that’s no surprise. But, for a new fan, it’s an amazing surprise. I’ve only been part of Raiders Nation since May, and I’ve already had some amazing interactions with people based on our shared love for the team.
Many regard the Silver and Black as one of the more interesting teams in the NFL. As a result, both within the team culture and fanbase became globally known. I even found an article talking about Hunter S. Thompson’s fondness for the team.
And, finally, one little fun bit of information I found—we have a fight song!Former NFL Films President Steve Sabol penned it.
I can’t wait to see the Raiders write more history—starting with this season.
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