Raiders

[Jahgee]

mod deleted

[Xero07]

OK, mind (all of you) this post will be a bit long,.....but I believe this does the thread justice....

“Same old Raiduhs” Y. Charles (Chet) Soda, a colorful businessman, had been interested in sports for much of his life when he was granted a charter franchise in the American Football League. Soda, who had previously sought a 25% stake in the Pittsburgh franchise and was denied, was still interested in the American Football League and was given a franchise to develop in Oakland. A "name the team" contest was held by the Oakland Tribune, and the winner was the Oakland Señors. The original team colors were black, gold and white. Soda, whose philosophy was who you knew mattered most, tried to make the team and the league a success. He formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally amongst the teams, known today as ‘revenue–sharing’. The franchise's first preseason game took place on August 6, 1960, against the St.Louis Injuns. The Señors kicked off to begin the game, and Injuns running back Abner Haynes returned the kick 105 yards for a touchdown. Oakland lost, 27-7. Three weeks later, playing at the Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland blocked a punt on the final play to win their first game in franchise history. In their fourth game, Oakland had a two-point lead when it fumbled with fifteen seconds left against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This set off a scramble for the ball, which the Señors recovered as time ran out. Viewers in Oakland were spared the harrowing ending; in a prelude to the infamous “Sound of Music” game eight years later, the local ABC station had switched to a Walt Disney Old Yeller special at 6:30 p.m. Many viewers called to complain. In 1961, the Señors won only one preseason game, before a crowd of 73,916 against the Minnesota Vikings at an exhibtion in Philadelphia – free tickets had been given to anyone who bought $10 in groceries at a local Acme Market. An Oakland Tribune columnist described the crowd as "presumably well-fed." Unfortunately, all of Soda’s efforts began to accrue debt as the Señors first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year. The franchise was sold for $1 million to a five man syndicate headed by F. Wayne Valley in February of 1963. Valley announced that the new name for his team, the Raiders, had been selected from among 500 candidates submitted by "friends, enemies, and advertising agencies". On April 15, 1963, the team named Al Davis as their head coach and general manager. At 33, he was the youngest person in professional football history to hold the positions. Davis immediately changed the team colors to silver and black, and began to implement what he termed the "vertical game," an aggressive offensive strategy based on the West Coast offense developed by Houston head coach Sid Gillman. Despite many offseason problems, Oakland contended for its first division title in a weak AFL West during the 1963 season. By early December, the Raiders had compiled a record of 5–5–1, but lost their last three games to finish 5-8-1. They finished with the same mark the following year. Enter one Daryle Pat Lamonica. In 1967, Lamonica threw a then-record 4,007 yards as the Raiders posted their first winning record, 8–5–1. In 1968, The Raiders under new coach Jon Rauch rose to the top of the AFL West; they had lost only two games by mid-November and built a three-game lead over second-place Carolina. Oakland’s next game was at Tampa Bay. In what became known as the ‘Sound of Music Game’, the Raiders took a 32–29 lead with 68 seconds left, only to have Tampa score two touchdowns to win the game. However, both touchdowns went unseen by the national TV audience, as NBC had switched at 7:10 p.m. to a TV movie of The Sound of Music. Oakland fans without radios did not learn the final score until ABC ran a station break at 8:30. Nevertheless, the Raiders won their remaining games to finish 11–3. In the playoffs, the Raiders defeated the Bucs, 27–23, a game in which Lamonica threw three touchdowns, including the game winner to Fred Biletnikoff with less than two minutes left.

In the Super Bowl at the Miami Orange Bowl on January 12, 1969, the Raiders faced the Minnesota Vikings, who had dominated the NFL with a 13–1 record. In their 14 regular season games, Minnesota permitted only 144 points. Their sole loss had been to the Green Bay Packers, who they then defeated 34–0 in the 1968 NFL Championship Game. Bookie Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder proclaimed the Vikings as 17-point favorites. Sports Illustrated's top football writer, Tex Maule, predicted a 43–0 Vikings victory. The first two Super Bowls had been dominated by the NFL champion New York Giants and QB Fran Tarkenton; most journalists expected the Vikings to easily defeat Oakland. From his arrival in Miami, “Dandy Daryle” (so nicknamed for his playboy lifestyle) was very outspoken about the team’s chances in the Super Bowl. He alleged that there were five AFL quarterbacks better than Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp, who would be only the third-best on the Raiders. He was equally outspoken in a verbal confrontation with Vikings kicker Fred Cox in a Miami restaurant. Three days before the game, while accepting an award from the Miami Touchdown Club, Lamonica made the statement for which he would be remembered: "And we're going to win Sunday, I'll guarantee you." The game itself was a defensive struggle. At halftime, the Raiders led 7–0 on a Bill Brown touchdown run; Oakland’s defense frustrated Minnesota’s, and the Vikings were scoreless despite repeated opportunities. George Blanda added two field goals to make the score 13–0, and Vikings coach Bud Grant changed quarterbacks, to no avail, and Blanda gave the Raiders a 16–0 lead with his third field goal. After the Vikings finally got a touchdown with less than four minutes left, a second drive (after a successful onside kick) fell short, and the Raiders were able to run out the clock for a 16–7 victory, one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. This led to the merger of both the AFL and the NFL.

Unfortunately, success did not follow the team with the merger. They lost the first ever Monday Night Football game to the Green Bay Packers 31-21. Three weeks later, they played the Vikings for the first time since the Super Bowl. The Raiders lost both the game and Lamonica, who fractured his wrist and was lost for the season as the team fell to a record of 4–10, the worst mark yet of the Lamonica era. Despite moments of greatness, including Lamonica’s greatest game of his career in 1972 in which he completed 15 of 28 passes for 496 yards and six touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings, the Raiders would not have a winning record again until 1981. On May 12, 1977, Lamonica was cut from the roster, due to bad knees. He signed with the Miami Dolphins, but retired at season's end. Jon Rauch retired as the winningest coach in franchise history. That year’s draft however, engineered by new head coach John Madden, included seven players who started for them in the late 1970s and early 1980s, such as G Mickey Marvin, RB Terry Robiskie, and DB Lester Hayes, and LB Jeff Barnes — both who became part of a defensive unit known as the ‘Market Street Maulers’. Madden was named AFC Coach of the Year in 1978, even though the team finished 8-8. In 1981, the pressure to fire Madden’s successor Tom Flores didn’t stop when the Raiders lost the first three games of the season, but the team rebounded to finish 10-5-1. The Raiders lost in the wild-card round 31–27, as their potentially game-winning drive was stopped when a Marc Wilson pass near was intercepted in the closing minutes. One of the Raiders’ bright spots was their defensive line. John Matuszak and DT Johnny Robinson anchored the Maulers and combined for more than 40 quarterback sacks. The following year, the Raiders lost a crucial game to their cross-bridge rivals, the 49ers, when storms turned Candlestick Park into a mud pit. In what was dubbed the Mud Bowl, Oakland lost 14-0. On February 9, 1983, Flores announced his resignation. The Raiders then made a decision which would long be discussed and criticized. In the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Oakland selected C Doug Mosebar. In drafting Mosebar, they passed up Nebraska RB Roger Craig, who went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career with the 49ers, and would many times be a thorn in the Raiders’ side. Oakland had bad luck in the draft again in 1989 – this time having the second pick in the draft; the team selected star running back Doug Lloyd, from N. Dakota State, who was expected to have a strong career with the Raiders. Instead Lloyd played on the team for three injury-plagued, unproductive years and was cut before the 1992 season began. Art Shell was hired as the head coach in 1991, making him the first African-American head coach in the modern NFL. In the 1991 NFL Draft, the Raiders lost another opportunity to draft a star quarterback, as a draft-day deal with New Orleans that would have allowed them to select QB Brett Favre fell through. Instead, the team drafted QB Todd Marinovich. Marinovich lasted only three years in the league. The Raiders had a chance to exact some revenge at the end of the 1991 season: they built a 7–8 record with one game remaining, and needed a win against San Francisco to clinch a playoff berth. Oakland kicker Jeff Jaeger made one field goal to force overtime, and another to win in the extra period. The victory gave the Raiders their first playoff berth since 1986. In the wild card game, a Jay Schroeder pass into the end zone in the final seconds of the game was intercepted and the Jets lost to the Chargers, 17–10. In of the lowest points in franchise history happened in 1994. Going into a November home game against the 49ers, the Raiders were 6–5; a victory over San Fran would tie them for the division lead in the AFC West. The Raiders built leads of 17–0 and 24–6, but Steve Young and the 49ers cut the lead to 24–21 and got the ball for a final-minute drive. Young completed a pass deep into Oakland territory with just over a half minute remaining. With the clock running, the Niners acted like Young would spike the ball to stop the clock. However, Young faked the spike and tossed the ball to Jerry Rice in the end zone for the winning touchdown. The Raiders lost their four remaining games, completing another December collapse, leading to Shell being fired. In 1996, the Raiders brought in veteran quarterback Steve Bono, who had led Kansas City to Super Bowl XXX, to lead the offense. The Jets, for the first time since the league’s merger, were in possession of the first pick overall in the NFL Draft, which they used to select outspoken tight end Rickey Dudley. Bono proved injury-prone, and the Raiders suffered the worst season in their existence, going 1-15. Enter Jon Gruden. The Gruden era started with a 41–3 victory over Carolina. The Silver Horde were 9–6 in their first fifteen games and went into the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars needing a win to make the playoffs. Gruden, who was never fully confident of QB Jeff Hostetler, benched him in favor of Billy Joe Hobert after Hostetler threw an early interception. Hobert was ineffective as well, as the Raiders lost 13–10. Two years later, Gruden led the team to the AFC Championship Game and even led at the half 10-0, only to lose game 23-10. After an up-an-down decade of disappointment, the Raiders hired Tom Cable in 2009 who, along with QB JaMarcus Russell, and RB Darren McFadden, led them to back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship. However, they lost both trips, the last one a heart-breaking 24-19 loss in the final two minutes to the Kansas City Chiefs. Hope still springs eternal for this franchise as Raider Ray still leads the chants from the stands as he has for the past 35 years. Only time will tell if this group will finally put an end to the let-downs for good.

Honestly, as I was writing this, I didn't think that the Jets and Raiders had a lot in common, but from horrible draft picks, issues with team home games, etc. there are quite a few parallels between the two clubs. Robbman, I hope I have done you proud with this look into the Alternate NFL.

[robbman21]

I appreciate the effort that you put into all of this...I really do, but this was "my" thing, just wished you would have asked first. Thanks anyway.

[Fox]

This is kind of a late post, but after all in one night going through your entire alternate universe NFL and MLB concepts, I have to say that you are the best concept-maker that I have ever seen on these boards. And althought I wasn't on these boards at the time, I'm so sorry for those trolls who ruined your alternate universe's NFL, the best series I have ever seen.

Do you still have plans to do an alternate universe NBA / continue the MLB series?

That would be really awesome and if so, I can't wait to see it.

And of course, this concept was awesome. I loved the logo the most.

[robbman21]

Wow Fox...thank you SO MUCH for the kind words!! I have to say that I really do appreciate it. As far as "Best" concept maker, that's an amazing compliment but very subjective...maybe "most original thread creator", considering all the "alternate series" clones that have popped-up since, but "Best overall" is hard to say considering all the amazing talent that's on these boards...I'm just honored to be a part of it.

Consider this the official announcement: I plan to resume the NFL Alternate Series as soon as the NFL lockout ends

Once the lockout ends I will post the player templates and "proper" alternate history for the Raiders in an all-new thread: "An Alternate Universe's AFC". It will have updated player personnel, updated alternates and uniform variations, and also the unused ideas and concepts that didn't make the cut. All of that will be packaged together so hopefully you guys can comment on the entire body of work and the thread will actually (hopefully) survive this time.

I'm working on the next treatment for the MLB series now and it will be posted very, very soon...maybe as soon as during the All-Star break.

The NBA series has been fleshed-out and all teams are set, and I'm just working on putting together new templates as well as looking over the photoshop experts who've offered their help to make this one just as (as you all say) great as the other two.

I have alternate universe series also planned for the NHL, again once I have completed the proper "next level" templates neccessary to properly pull off such an under-taking.

Thank you all...thanks SO MUCH to all of my CCSLC brethren, for it's because of all of you and your requests for me to finish that has brought me back to the drawing board.

[DeFrank]

HUZZAH!

With the Rookie Wage Scale now being reported as the FINAL barrier between a deal, we should see more of this next week! When I'm at camp.

[YessSir32]

That's great your almost back to posting these. It was so unfortunate that some people had to ruin the work of art in the other thread. I'm excited that you've decided to continue with this. I looking forward to see what this can turn into.

[bigcoyotes]

Thank you all...thanks SO MUCH to all of my CCSLC brethren, for it's because of all of you and your requests for me to finish that has brought me back to the drawing board.

When I signed up for this board as a 14 year old who loved sports, what made me stay was the professionalism and the brotherhood and sisterhood that everyone displayed. I am glad that its back and hopefully here to stay

[Xero07]

Wow Fox...thank you SO MUCH for the kind words!! I have to say that I really do appreciate it. As far as "Best" concept maker, that's an amazing compliment but very subjective...maybe "most original thread creator", considering all the "alternate series" clones that have popped-up since, but "Best overall" is hard to say considering all the amazing talent that's on these boards...I'm just honored to be a part of it.

Consider this the official announcement: I plan to resume the NFL Alternate Series as soon as the NFL lockout ends

Once the lockout ends I will post the player templates and "proper" alternate history for the Raiders in an all-new thread: "An Alternate Universe's AFC". It will have updated player personnel, updated alternates and uniform variations, and also the unused ideas and concepts that didn't make the cut. All of that will be packaged together so hopefully you guys can comment on the entire body of work and the thread will actually (hopefully) survive this time.

I'm working on the next treatment for the MLB series now and it will be posted very, very soon...maybe as soon as during the All-Star break.

The NBA series has been fleshed-out and all teams are set, and I'm just working on putting together new templates as well as looking over the photoshop experts who've offered their help to make this one just as (as you all say) great as the other two.

I have alternate universe series also planned for the NHL, again once I have completed the proper "next level" templates neccessary to properly pull off such an under-taking.

Thank you all...thanks SO MUCH to all of my CCSLC brethren, for it's because of all of you and your requests for me to finish that has brought me back to the drawing board.

First the lock-out ends in a week (hopefully) and now we resume the Alt. NFL again -

welcome back man!

[robbman21]

Thanks so much man!! I bet you have a healthy respect for the team histories now after taking the time to write and research all of that! hahaha...can't wait to get this back going again

[mbannon92]

Great to hear you're going to start this back up, man! Even more reason to root for the lockout to end!

[Xero07]

Thanks so much man!! I bet you have a healthy respect for the team histories now after taking the time to write and research all of that! hahaha...can't wait to get this back going again

Dude, I can honestly say (after writing mine) it was very eerie putting this together, MUCH props for how long (and how Many!) you did. Never realized until doing this just how much both teams had in common: two clubs in same market, names changes, some very HORRIBLE draft choices, last-second goof plays against them (Immaculate Recpetion, and the Fake Spike) and even big, fat, talkative head-coaches in trouble, etc. Truth be told, me being a die-hard Jets fan made this a lot easier to write than if I had to do this totally from scratch. Feel free to pilfer from mine whatever you like.

[ninersdd]

Was that certain person(erict22) banned at all? If he isn't and posts a penis thing again then that should be it for him there.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

glad to see you continue this and under take other league projects. can't wait to see what you do with the NHL and NBA.

[Kiltman]

So happy this is back, still don't fully understand what happened in the original thread. Great job, as usual.

I really hope you get to finish the league, I for one really want to see it, let's hope people can just sit back and enjoy this time. Instead of jacking the thread with their own made-up stuff and unneeded comments.

[athleticsfan2k8]

robbman21, great work can't wait to see Miami Dolphins to San Francisco 49ers, etc.

[JH42XCC]

A little late for this but I love how you styled the Oakland Raiders as the New York Jets.

This could lead to a relaunch of the NFL Alternate Universe series.

[robbman21]

I'm actually working on a reboot of it now. Since the AFC is finished - and to keep from having one massive thread - I'm re-doing it in two threads, one for each conference. The complete AFC will be posted soon in an updated form, with updated player models and any uni changes/tweaks/additions that have happened over the past 2 1/2 seasons since the original Colts/Saints crossover was done back in '09. Stay tuned...

[9erShark]

Thats great news Robbman. Was sad to see the series die now Im excited to see what you have done for my 49ers.

[Crash]

robbman, I can't wait for the resurrection. I watched the old series like a hawk for a few year and I'm sad that it got smashed. I can't wait to see the new presentation.