Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders by Peter RichmondHarper Collins, 2010ISBN-13: 978-0061834301
Love them or hate them, the 1970s Oakland Raiders under John Madden were certainly an entertaining cast of misfits in the guise of one the best professional football teams of their era. Here, Peter Richmond tells the story of this cast of characters, and characters they were.
The distinctive personality of this team that set it apart from all others of the 1970s was the perception that this was a group of outlaws and rebels who thumbed their noses at convention. Add to ...
After weeks of speculation, the fifth starter competition is finally over and the A’s have their rotation set heading into the final week of spring training. Injuries and ineffectiveness removed Rich Harden, Josh Outman and Bobby Cramer from the competition, leaving Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross to battle it out as the Cactus League came to a close. With one game left before the beginning of the Bay Bridge Series against the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants, manager Bob Geren finally declared McCarthy the winner and fifth starter. McCarthy experienced his only negative outing ...
On Friday, the Oakland Athletics optioned Chris Carter to Triple-A Sacramento, ending his quest to break camp part of the A's opening day roster. Carter was a long shot to make the team after the offseason acquisitions of Josh Willingham, David DeJesus and Hideki Matsui. Although Carter expected the move, he entered camp determined to make it a difficult decision for the Athletics management. Carter did not put together the spring numbers he had hoped, batting just .250 with two home runs through his Cactus League appearances. It was Carter's defense in the outfield that hurt him the most ...
The Raiders had a respectable team and look to be a team on the rise.Though the defense will probably be missing star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha next year, the defense on a whole is solid.The offense was also solid led by Darren McFadden, but there is no denying the fact that the Raiders must upgrade their offensive line.So, here is a seven round mock draft for the Raiders (includes compensatory pick):Begin Slideshow
Oakland Athletics (2010 record: 81-81)
The Oakland Athletics finished last season with a .500 record after three consecutive losing seasons. They were able to do so thanks largely to an excellent young rotation, a good bullpen and a solid defense. Little of what they accomplished was owed to their offense—which finished 11th in the league in runs scored.
In an effort to improve the offensive attack, the front office bid adieu to DH Jack Cust and outfielder Rajai Davis and replaced them with DH Hideki Matsui and outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham.
I’m not sure I would have cut ties with ...
As a devoted member of the Raider Nation, I, like many of you, have a love-hate relationship with the owner of the Oakland Raiders.Let me start by saying I have always had an incredible amount of respect for Al Davis. He created the Raiders as we know them today and played a major role in making the game of football what it is today.That being said, in recent years, many in the Nation have become frustrated by many of the moves Davis has made in an attempt to get this team back to the top of the NFL. Whether it ...
Yes, I have been reading articles about the lockout. Surely, some folks are uneasy with the process of getting clarity and equity in the affairs of the NFL. One thing that must be emphasized is that the players are still accountable for their personal conduct during the offseason. If violations occur, they are still subject to penalities or fines. So, the NFL players and our beloved Oakland Raiders are locked in to a code of ethics and behavior that must be adhered to. Now, so much depends on the successful negotiations during this lockout. So, in anticipation of the outcome ...
Over the years, the Oakland Raiders and their fellow coliseum residents, the Athletics, have brought home three Super Bowls (1976, 1980, 1983) and four World Series titles (72, 73, 74, 89).In addition to their triumphs, the A's and the Raiders have experienced quite a few not-so-great moments, but these five top them all.Enjoy.Begin Slideshow
Weeks of speculation have finally come to an end. The rotation shuffling that saw the A’s top four starters all in the running to make the opening night start over the past two weeks finally concluded when manager Bob Geren named Trevor Cahill his opening day starter this morning. Just last season, Cahill battled through spring for the fifth and final spot in the rotation before he finally found himself starting the season in Sacramento on a rehab assignment. Following his call-up Cahill was the A’s most consistent starter, earning himself an All Star ...
Recently, a couple of young Oakland Raiders showed signs of trouble in their lives. Do you wonder if these guys have older, wiser men in their social circle who could share wisdom with them? Or, is it that when young men are strong, rich, and gifted, they refuse to listen to wise counsel.
It seems that too many NFL players are experiencing legal problems. Would a stronger support system help this generation of NFL players avoid pitfalls and temptations?
After seeing the article reporting that Tony Dungy accompanied Michael Vick to a prison so that they could talk to the men in ...