Post by TheShadow on Nov 29, 2003 20:55:37 GMT -5
www.nflthrowbacks.com
1976
The late 60's to early 70's brought change and success to the Raider
organization. In 1969, managing general partner, Al Davis, brought in John
Madden to coach and continue Davis' handy work. In 1970, due in part to the
continued efforts of Al Davis, the AFL & NFL merge. Under coach Madden, the
Raiders continued to claw & scratch their way to victory, making the
playoffs every year of Madden's 1969-78 reign except one.
In 1976, Davis' and Madden's Raiders go a remarkable 15-1, beating all
comers except New England (who beat the Raiders 48-17 on what had to have
been an off day for the otherwise perfect Raiders). In the first round of
the playoffs, the Raiders met the Patriots again, and had to score two
unanswered touchdowns in the 4th quarter to eke out a 24-21 win.
A week later, they take on the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, the defending
Super Bowl champs. But Oakland's defence shuts down the vaunted Steelers
attack, and the Raiders knock off the Steelers 24-7 to advance to the Super
Bowl for the first time in their history.
Their opponents are the Minnesota Vikings, who dominated the regular season
in the NFC - going 11-2-1. The Vikings capture the NFC Championship by
beating the Redskins 35-20 and the LA Rams 24-13, and thus advance to the
Super Bowl for the 4th time in 8 seasons.
And as all good Raiders fans know, the Raiders pound the Vikings 32-14, in
front of over 100,000 people to win Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena. Sure handed Fred Biletnikoff is named the MVP of the game.
These HOME & ROAD uniforms, as worn by Super Bowl Champions Ken Stabler,
Fred Biletnikoff, Ray Guy, Mark van Eeghen, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, John
Matusak, Otis Sistrunk and Jack Tatum commemorate this spectacular season.
The black HOME jersey is quite similar to the '67 version. Note the addition
of a black belt, and zippered pant front, something the Raiders have kept
right up to the present day. We've shown a foam neck collar because so many
Raiders used them for protection.
The white ROAD uniform hasn't changed that drastically from the '63 version
except that the chest & sleeve numbers have gone from gold to black, and the
numbers now have a silver trim. If you look closely, you can see small
numbers on the back of the helmets, straddling the black stripe that runs
from front to back.
A final note: The Raiders under John Madden compiled a truly remarkable
record - from 1969 to 1978 the Raiders went 103-32-7, making the playoffs
every year but one (and in that 1971 season they went 8-4-2 but didn't make
the playoffs).
1980
Here we go again!
Tom Flores, who has previously been employed by the Raiders as a quarterback
and assistant coach, became the Raiders coach in 1979, and he leads to
Raiders to something that has never been accomplished before or since - read
on.
The 1980 Raiders go 11-5, but finish second to Dan Fouts' Chargers. Thus the
Raiders make the playoffs as a wild card team. In their first playoff game,
they beat the Houston Oilers 27-7 in Oakland. They then went to Cleveland
where they beat the Browns 14-12 on the strength of a Mark van Eeghen 4th
quarter touchdown. Next stop was San Diego and the high flying Chargers. In
a wild affair, the Raiders go out to a 21-7 lead, then hang on to win 34-27
and thus advance to Super Bowl XV.
And in Super Bowl XV, the Raiders down the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 at the
Superdome in New Orleans with QB Jim Plunkett earning MVP honors. Thus the
Raiders become the only Wild Card team ever to win the Super Bowl, and Tom
Flores becomes the first person to win a Super Bowl ring as a player (Kansas
City 1969), assistant coach (1976 Raiders) and head coach (1980 Raiders).
This ROAD white uniform, as worn by Raider stalwarts such as Jim Plunkett,
Art Shell and Ted Hendricks, is almost identical to the '76 version - with
the exception that the pants now sport a black belt. As we did research on
Oakland's uniforms through the years, we were surprised to see how often
players wore different colored belts - even in the same photo. Thus we have
tried to depict the most common belt color used in 1980, in this case it was
a black belt.
1983
The '82 season was a sad one for the citizens and fans of Oakland as owner
(and former coach) Al Davis moves the beloved franchise to Los Angeles,
giving LA two NFL franchises (the other being the LA Rams). The 'Raiders'
nickname and logo, however, remained the same, and thus you can't tell an
Oakland uniform from an LA one.
After going 8-1 in the strike shortened 1982 season, the '83 Raiders keep it
going with a 12-4 record. Once again Jim Plunkett lead the troops through
the playoffs and on to Super Bowl XVIII - crushing the Steelers 38-10 and
the Seahawks 30-14 along the way.
And Tom Flores' team wastes little time in giving their new fans in LA the
championship. In decisive fashion, the Raiders decimate Joe Theismann and
his Washington Redskins 38-9 to capture Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium.
This HOME uniform, as worn by such stars as Marcus Allen, Lyle Alzado and
Howie Long, is relatively similar to the classic, silver & black style shown
in '76. Look closely at the left hip, and you'll notice a Raiders' towel
tucked into the black belt. It was not uncommon to see players such as Cliff
Branch use them to help keep their hands dry. As mentioned earlier, it's
remarkable that the Raiders' logo on their helmet basically doesn't change
from when it was first introduced in the early 60's to the present.
We mentioned this earlier but it bears repeating: Beginning in 1965, the
Raiders had a winning record 19 of the next 20 seasons, and during that span
they won 12 division championships and Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. The
Raiders are the only team to play in the Super Bowl in the 1960's, 1970's
and 1980's. We're also told that in the 30-year period between 1963 and
1992, the Raiders' record 285-146-11 (.661) ranks as the best among all
major sports teams.
1991
Between 1986 and 1999, the Raiders only made the post-season 3 times. And
though the franchise had seen better days, their loyal, fanatic following
still made going to a Raiders' game an event beyond compare. Tailgating,
costumes and attitude have always made cheering for opponents a very
dangerous past time at Raiders' games! In '91, the Raiders did make the
playoffs, but came out on the short end of a 10-6 score vs. their fierce AFC
rival - the Kansas City Chiefs.
This HOME uniform, as worn by Tim Brown, Willie Gault and Ronnie Lott as a
Raider, features the classic silver & black look Raiders' fans have come to
know and love. One other note about the uniform: If you look closely at
almost all NFL uniforms worn from 1991 on, you'll note a small NFL shield
patch on the jersey's neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo patch
to the neck, and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991.
Note also the small foam collar depicted in this painting - it seems to be a
bit of a tradition with the Raiders that quite a few players were a foam
collar - much like that worn by Howie Long.
1994
This is the final season for the Raiders in Los Angeles before Al Davis
would relocate the team again, this time back to its original location in
Oakland (who says you can't go back!).
During the '94 season, the NFL and its franchises were showcasing 'throwback
' jerseys, or replicas of older uniforms to help commemorate the NFL's 75th
anniversary. The 75th anniversary was signified by the large, diamond patch
on the left shoulder. This uniform, a throwback to the look of the '63
Raiders, captured a similar jersey design feel all the while keeping the
team's modern 'silver & black' colour schematic. We're not sure, but it may
have been an oversight on the part of the NFL uniform design folks that saw
this 1994 throwback jersey, designed to honor the '63 Raiders, use silver
uniform numbers instead of gold. Oh well, we'll all far from perfect, and it
makes for a good discussion.
One other note about the uniform: If you look closely at almost all NFL
uniforms worn from 1991 on, you'll note a small NFL shield patch on the
jersey's neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo patch to the neck,
and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991. The only major
exception to this practice was in 1994 when the teams wore their throwback
uniforms - in almost all of these cases, the throwback jersey did not have
the small NFL patch. Yet once again, the Raiders jersey is a bit of an
anomaly - in their case the throwback jersey does in fact have the NFL patch
on the neck and upper left thigh. AS we said earlier, everyone loves a good
mystery.
1976
The late 60's to early 70's brought change and success to the Raider
organization. In 1969, managing general partner, Al Davis, brought in John
Madden to coach and continue Davis' handy work. In 1970, due in part to the
continued efforts of Al Davis, the AFL & NFL merge. Under coach Madden, the
Raiders continued to claw & scratch their way to victory, making the
playoffs every year of Madden's 1969-78 reign except one.
In 1976, Davis' and Madden's Raiders go a remarkable 15-1, beating all
comers except New England (who beat the Raiders 48-17 on what had to have
been an off day for the otherwise perfect Raiders). In the first round of
the playoffs, the Raiders met the Patriots again, and had to score two
unanswered touchdowns in the 4th quarter to eke out a 24-21 win.
A week later, they take on the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, the defending
Super Bowl champs. But Oakland's defence shuts down the vaunted Steelers
attack, and the Raiders knock off the Steelers 24-7 to advance to the Super
Bowl for the first time in their history.
Their opponents are the Minnesota Vikings, who dominated the regular season
in the NFC - going 11-2-1. The Vikings capture the NFC Championship by
beating the Redskins 35-20 and the LA Rams 24-13, and thus advance to the
Super Bowl for the 4th time in 8 seasons.
And as all good Raiders fans know, the Raiders pound the Vikings 32-14, in
front of over 100,000 people to win Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena. Sure handed Fred Biletnikoff is named the MVP of the game.
These HOME & ROAD uniforms, as worn by Super Bowl Champions Ken Stabler,
Fred Biletnikoff, Ray Guy, Mark van Eeghen, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, John
Matusak, Otis Sistrunk and Jack Tatum commemorate this spectacular season.
The black HOME jersey is quite similar to the '67 version. Note the addition
of a black belt, and zippered pant front, something the Raiders have kept
right up to the present day. We've shown a foam neck collar because so many
Raiders used them for protection.
The white ROAD uniform hasn't changed that drastically from the '63 version
except that the chest & sleeve numbers have gone from gold to black, and the
numbers now have a silver trim. If you look closely, you can see small
numbers on the back of the helmets, straddling the black stripe that runs
from front to back.
A final note: The Raiders under John Madden compiled a truly remarkable
record - from 1969 to 1978 the Raiders went 103-32-7, making the playoffs
every year but one (and in that 1971 season they went 8-4-2 but didn't make
the playoffs).
1980
Here we go again!
Tom Flores, who has previously been employed by the Raiders as a quarterback
and assistant coach, became the Raiders coach in 1979, and he leads to
Raiders to something that has never been accomplished before or since - read
on.
The 1980 Raiders go 11-5, but finish second to Dan Fouts' Chargers. Thus the
Raiders make the playoffs as a wild card team. In their first playoff game,
they beat the Houston Oilers 27-7 in Oakland. They then went to Cleveland
where they beat the Browns 14-12 on the strength of a Mark van Eeghen 4th
quarter touchdown. Next stop was San Diego and the high flying Chargers. In
a wild affair, the Raiders go out to a 21-7 lead, then hang on to win 34-27
and thus advance to Super Bowl XV.
And in Super Bowl XV, the Raiders down the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 at the
Superdome in New Orleans with QB Jim Plunkett earning MVP honors. Thus the
Raiders become the only Wild Card team ever to win the Super Bowl, and Tom
Flores becomes the first person to win a Super Bowl ring as a player (Kansas
City 1969), assistant coach (1976 Raiders) and head coach (1980 Raiders).
This ROAD white uniform, as worn by Raider stalwarts such as Jim Plunkett,
Art Shell and Ted Hendricks, is almost identical to the '76 version - with
the exception that the pants now sport a black belt. As we did research on
Oakland's uniforms through the years, we were surprised to see how often
players wore different colored belts - even in the same photo. Thus we have
tried to depict the most common belt color used in 1980, in this case it was
a black belt.
1983
The '82 season was a sad one for the citizens and fans of Oakland as owner
(and former coach) Al Davis moves the beloved franchise to Los Angeles,
giving LA two NFL franchises (the other being the LA Rams). The 'Raiders'
nickname and logo, however, remained the same, and thus you can't tell an
Oakland uniform from an LA one.
After going 8-1 in the strike shortened 1982 season, the '83 Raiders keep it
going with a 12-4 record. Once again Jim Plunkett lead the troops through
the playoffs and on to Super Bowl XVIII - crushing the Steelers 38-10 and
the Seahawks 30-14 along the way.
And Tom Flores' team wastes little time in giving their new fans in LA the
championship. In decisive fashion, the Raiders decimate Joe Theismann and
his Washington Redskins 38-9 to capture Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium.
This HOME uniform, as worn by such stars as Marcus Allen, Lyle Alzado and
Howie Long, is relatively similar to the classic, silver & black style shown
in '76. Look closely at the left hip, and you'll notice a Raiders' towel
tucked into the black belt. It was not uncommon to see players such as Cliff
Branch use them to help keep their hands dry. As mentioned earlier, it's
remarkable that the Raiders' logo on their helmet basically doesn't change
from when it was first introduced in the early 60's to the present.
We mentioned this earlier but it bears repeating: Beginning in 1965, the
Raiders had a winning record 19 of the next 20 seasons, and during that span
they won 12 division championships and Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. The
Raiders are the only team to play in the Super Bowl in the 1960's, 1970's
and 1980's. We're also told that in the 30-year period between 1963 and
1992, the Raiders' record 285-146-11 (.661) ranks as the best among all
major sports teams.
1991
Between 1986 and 1999, the Raiders only made the post-season 3 times. And
though the franchise had seen better days, their loyal, fanatic following
still made going to a Raiders' game an event beyond compare. Tailgating,
costumes and attitude have always made cheering for opponents a very
dangerous past time at Raiders' games! In '91, the Raiders did make the
playoffs, but came out on the short end of a 10-6 score vs. their fierce AFC
rival - the Kansas City Chiefs.
This HOME uniform, as worn by Tim Brown, Willie Gault and Ronnie Lott as a
Raider, features the classic silver & black look Raiders' fans have come to
know and love. One other note about the uniform: If you look closely at
almost all NFL uniforms worn from 1991 on, you'll note a small NFL shield
patch on the jersey's neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo patch
to the neck, and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991.
Note also the small foam collar depicted in this painting - it seems to be a
bit of a tradition with the Raiders that quite a few players were a foam
collar - much like that worn by Howie Long.
1994
This is the final season for the Raiders in Los Angeles before Al Davis
would relocate the team again, this time back to its original location in
Oakland (who says you can't go back!).
During the '94 season, the NFL and its franchises were showcasing 'throwback
' jerseys, or replicas of older uniforms to help commemorate the NFL's 75th
anniversary. The 75th anniversary was signified by the large, diamond patch
on the left shoulder. This uniform, a throwback to the look of the '63
Raiders, captured a similar jersey design feel all the while keeping the
team's modern 'silver & black' colour schematic. We're not sure, but it may
have been an oversight on the part of the NFL uniform design folks that saw
this 1994 throwback jersey, designed to honor the '63 Raiders, use silver
uniform numbers instead of gold. Oh well, we'll all far from perfect, and it
makes for a good discussion.
One other note about the uniform: If you look closely at almost all NFL
uniforms worn from 1991 on, you'll note a small NFL shield patch on the
jersey's neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo patch to the neck,
and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991. The only major
exception to this practice was in 1994 when the teams wore their throwback
uniforms - in almost all of these cases, the throwback jersey did not have
the small NFL patch. Yet once again, the Raiders jersey is a bit of an
anomaly - in their case the throwback jersey does in fact have the NFL patch
on the neck and upper left thigh. AS we said earlier, everyone loves a good
mystery.