Las Vegas Raiders

• 1. The Señors That Never Were

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  On the 4th of April 1960, the Oakland Tribune announced that a local naming contest had selected "Oakland Señors" as the team's official name. The decision sparked immediate ridicule across Northern California and accusations of rigging within the business community. Chet Soda, the managing general partner who had called his friends "señor" for years, found himself at the center of the controversy. Within nine days, the owners reversed course and adopted the third-place finisher from the contest: the Raiders. This rapid change marked the beginning of a franchise defined by its willingness to discard tradition in favor of something bolder. The original colors were black, gold, and white, but these would soon be replaced by the silver and black scheme Al Davis would later install. The first home games took place at Kezar Stadium and Candlestick Park in San Francisco because the University of California refused to allow play at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Attendance numbers remained low during this initial period, with the team finishing their first campaign with a 6, 8 record and losing $500,000. Desperate for funds, F. Wayne Valley secured a $400,000 loan from Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson just to keep the operation running.

• 2. The Vertical Game And The Immaculate Reception

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  In 1963, Al Davis arrived as head coach and general manager at age 33, becoming the youngest person ever to hold that position in professional football history. He immediately implemented what he called the "vertical game," an aggressive offensive strategy derived from Sid Gillman's West Coast offense. Under Davis, the team improved to 10, 4, earning him AFL Coach of the Year honors. By 1972, the Raiders had developed a reputation for hard, sometimes dirty play that included future Hall of Famers like Jim Otto, Gene Upshaw, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks, Ben Davidson, Jack Tatum, George Atkinson, Skip Thomas, George Blanda, Dave Casper, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, and Ken Stabler. One of the most famous moments occurred on the 3rd of January 1973, when Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 13, 7 victory over Oakland in the AFC Divisional round. This loss became part of football lore and set the stage for years of playoff heartbreak against the Steelers. Despite these frustrations, the Raiders reached the AFC Championship in 1973 with a 9, 4, 1 record but lost 27, 10 to the Miami Dolphins. In 1974, quarterback Ken Stabler earned NFL MVP honors while the team posted a 12, 2 regular season record including a nine-game winning streak.

• 3. The Ghost To The Post And The Holy Roller

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  On the 10th of September 1978, during a matchup with the San Diego Chargers, quarterback Ken Stabler intentionally tossed the ball forward by under-handing it so a teammate could shovel it closer to the end zone. Tight end Dave Casper then kicked the ball to himself in the end zone for a touchdown that secured a 21, 20 win for the Raiders. This play, known as the "Holy Roller," led to an immediate NFL rule change prohibiting any player besides the fumbler from advancing the ball after the two-minute warning. Earlier that same decade, on the 6th of January 1980, the Raiders defeated the Baltimore Colts 37, 31 in double overtime when Errol Mann tied the game with a late field goal set up by a pass to Dave Casper. That play became known as the "Ghost to the Post." In the second overtime, Casper caught a touchdown pass to seal the victory. These moments highlighted the creative and sometimes controversial nature of Davis's teams. By 1980, the Raiders had already won their first Super Bowl championship in 1976 against the Minnesota Vikings with a 32, 14 score at the Rose Bowl. Fred Biletnikoff was named Super Bowl MVP after catching four passes for 79 yards and setting up three Oakland scores. Another key play involved Willie Brown returning an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

• 4. The Black Hole And The Move To Los Angeles

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  On the 1st of March 1980, Al Davis signed a memorandum of agreement to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles. League owners voted 22, 0 against the move, but Davis proceeded anyway and filed an antitrust lawsuit alongside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A second jury found in favor of Davis and the Coliseum in May 1982, clearing the way for the relocation. The team played its home games at the 93,000-seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1982 through 1994. During this period, the franchise featured future Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Howie Long, and Mike Haynes, as well as multisport sensation Bo Jackson. In 1983, the Raiders compiled a 12, 4 record and defeated the Washington Redskins 38, 9 in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium. Running back Marcus Allen set a Super Bowl record with 191 rushing yards and combined yards totaling 209 after reversing his route on a 74-yard touchdown run. Despite these successes, attendance declined sharply by the late 1980s due to aging facilities and dangerous neighborhoods surrounding the stadium. Many home games were blacked out on television because the Coliseum rarely filled all 100,000 seats.

• 5. The Coaching Carousel And The Tuck Rule

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  In 1995, Al Davis signed a letter of intent to move the Raiders back to Oakland, where they played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum until 2019. The return brought mixed results, including an 8, 2 start under coach Mike White before injuries derailed the season. Jon Gruden returned as head coach in January 2018 after a nine-year stint with ESPN, receiving a 10-year contract worth approximately $100 million. His tenure ended abruptly when emails revealed racist, misogynistic, and homophobic language used during his time at ESPN. Gruden resigned on the 11th of October 2021, following revelations published by The New York Times. Earlier controversies included the "Tuck Rule Game" in the 2001 playoffs against the New England Patriots, where Tom Brady's apparent fumble was ruled an incomplete pass after review. The game went into overtime and resulted in a 16, 13 Patriots victory. In 2004, Rich Gannon suffered a neck injury that ended his career, leading to a series of coaching changes including Art Shell's second stint and Lane Kiffin's brief leadership. By 2009, the Raiders became the first team in NFL history to lose at least 11 games in seven consecutive seasons.

• 6. The Sale To Private Equity And The Las Vegas Era

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  On the 29th of December 2019, the Raiders played their final game as a California-based franchise, losing 16, 15 to the Denver Broncos. Three years later, on the 22nd of January 2020, the team officially relocated to Las Vegas, playing home games at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. The stadium, a domed facility seating 65,000 fans, was shared with the UNLV Rebels football program. Ground had been broken for construction on the 13th of November 2017, following a $750 million public subsidy approved by Nevada's legislature. In December 2024, the Raiders sold 15% of the franchise to private equity investors including Tom Brady and Tom Wagner of Knighthead Capital for $220 million. This deal valued the team at $3.5 billion, significantly lower than previous estimates suggesting a value near $7.8 billion. Brady paid an additional 10% fee to league owners due to the favorable terms granted. Since moving to Las Vegas, the team has experienced continued instability with multiple head coaches including Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, and Pete Carroll, who was hired in January 2025 but fired after one season following a 3, 14 record.