Oakland Origins
Since their inception, the Oakland Raiders have been riddled with controversy. After the Minneapolis-St. Paul franchise in the AFL defected to become the organization now known as the Minnesota Vikings, the gap in the AFL led to an Oakland group grabbing the spot – inheriting the team’s draft spot. Eddie Erdelatz served as the Raiders first head coach, but experienced a rough beginning due to the lack of an adequate stadium and crippling fan base.
For their initial name, the Oakland Tribune – a local newspaper company – held a name-the-team contest, which resulted in the handle The Oakland Señors. Considering Oakland hosted a large Hispanic community, the name seemed fitting until speculations came about that the principal owner, Chet Soda, fixed the contest. The organization would later scrap the Señors alias, opting for the third-place winner in the contest – The Oakland Raiders.
The Team of Decades
The Men in Black are currently a part of the NFL’s American Football Conference West alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and San Diego Chargers. Appearing in the Super Bowl a total of five times, the Raiders captured their first Lombardi Trophy in the 1976-77 season after downing the Minnesota Vikings (32-14). Two subsequent championship victories would follow – first in the 1980-81 season against the Philadelphia Eagles (27-10) and again in the 1983-84 season during their time in Los Angeles.
This Oakland-based squad is known for recruiting some of the league’s top talent to their all-time roster. Franchise greats such as Ken Stabler and Marcus Allen have left their mark on the Raiders as the all-time passing and rushing leaders, respectively. John Madden spent his entire 10-year coaching career leading the team to success. Under the direction of the franchise’s most winningest coach (103-32-7), the Madden-led Raiders acquired their first Super Bowl victory.
Read on to see how the #RaiderNation has modified their iconic Raider logo throughout the past 57 seasons in the NFL.
Notable Logo Changes
The Raiders have used a total of five logos throughout their time in the NFL, with three logos remaining the same when the franchise transferred between cities – Oakland to Los Angeles and back to Oakland. Team colors are represented by a black, white, and silver color palette. The team’s famed emblem consists of a raider, or pirate, wearing a football helmet with two cutlasses crossed behind him. The raider head was reportedly modeled after American film actor Randolph Scott’s face. For over 50 years, the iconic Raiders head would experience minor modifications and remain consistent with the original design.
1960–1962: For their first logo, the team features a black, white, and gold colorway. The design displays the franchise’s iconic raider head overlaid on a gold football. Two crossed swords with gold handles are placed behind the football, outlined by black trim.
1963: The Raiders ditch the gold color, opting for a silver hue. This season’s logo features the Raider head with two swords crossed behind it and is placed on top of a black-and-silver shield. “The Oakland Raiders” wordmark sits above the raider’s head in a block-style font.
1964–1981: During this time period, the team simplifies their logo. The shield is modified and only utilizes black. The raider head and crossed swords undergo a significant facelift, and the wordmark ditches the city’s name – only featuring “Raiders” in white font.
1982–1994: The team relocates to Los Angeles but maintains the same brand image – staying loyal to their initial fan base. The Raiders move from the Oakland Coliseum to the Los Angeles Coliseum – a more spacious arena. After just 12 seasons, the team moves back to Oakland, abandoning their Southern California lifestyle.
1995–2016: Back in Oakland, the Raiders find a place to call home in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum – which seats approximately 63,000 fans in full attendance. The franchise’s logo remains untouched with their famed raider head and crossed cutlasses sitting inside a black shield with white wordmark.
Road to Raiders
The Raiders are currently dominating the AFC West and are shaping up to be quite the playoff team. Are you a part of the #RaiderNation? Pledge your support to the silver and black by rockin’ the latest fan gear and merchandise. Head over to Fanatics.com – they’ve got you covered from either end of the field with the hottest jerseys and memorabilia in the game!
Oakland Raiders WinCraft Deluxe 3′ x 5′ Logo Flag
Sources
- http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/163/Oakland_Raiders
- http://www.oaklandmofo.com/blog/oakland-coliseum-stadium
- http://www.profootballhof.com/teams/oakland-raiders/team-history/
- http://sportsteamhistory.com/oakland-raiders-logo-history
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rai/
- http://raidernationtimes.com/article.php?id=9020
