Exclusive "Badasses" Author Interview

Okay, Raider Nation, we have a doozy here: an exclusive interview with Peter Richmond, author of the awesome new book Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders.

Trust me, don't think twice, just go out and buy the book. It belongs on the bookshelf of every Raiders fan. Please forward this take to every Raiders fan you know, we need to reward Mr. Richmond for adding a remarkable new chapter to the lore of the Oakland Raiders.

Without further ado...

What prompted you to write this book?

My last book was The Glory Game, with Frank Gifford, about the 1958 NFL championship between the Colts and the Giants. It was totally cool to immerse myself in the days before football grew into such a corporate, high-money machine, with so many rules protecting the players. Back then, these guys played for the love of the game and the love of their teammates – definitely not money, because there wasn’t any. So when I was done with that one, I asked myself: What was the last team to play for all the right reasons? That played with wild abandon? That played for each other, and a coach who was one of the guys? It’s a no-brainer: Ken Stabler’s Oakland Raiders, whom I used to watch back east in college on the Sunday late games. I became a total Raider addict, from Davis on down, because they were so damned fun to watch. Then, as I began to cover the game in the 80s, and America’s Team emerged, and the money began to breed a whole new kind of athlete -- I realized that the ‘70s Raiders were special. And so I went back to rediscover that pure, elemental joy.

What surprised you most about what you discovered when researching the book?

How incredibly smart they were. I’ve interviewed thousands of athletes. I didn’t expect that most of the guys I talked to were not only smarter than most football players, but smarter than most people. Not just Davis and Madden, of course. But Hendricks wanted to talk about ancient civilization. Gerald Irons found out he was cut when he was taking a masters class in macroeconomics. Duane Benson was a state senator. George Atkinson and I talked more about zen philosophy and the nature of the universe than we did about football. Kelvin Korver owns three navigational patents. Bob Moore is a cerebral lawyer. George Buehler is a madman genius. Villapiano, when he isn’t using the word “fuckin’,” could be the best motivational speaker on the planet (come to think of it, he should use the word..) And that’s just off the top of my head. No wonder they won: Madden didn’t have to drill them endlessly; they picked it all up the first time around.

How much of the early Raiders culture was by design, and how much of it was just serendipity or alchemy?

Great question. The serendipity came first: the name Raiders; being a last-second addition to the league, playing in the shadows of Tony Bennett’s fantasy-town for an underdog city. The pieces were in place. Then, when Davis came in, the sinister/rebellious culture became more by design, reflecting his personality: us against them. Win with players other people discarded. Win any way you can, at any cost – and other than that, there are no rules. The partying was not only a reflection of the players – loose, oblivious to meaningless (NFL) authority – but the collective vibe of the team: have fun all the time, especially on Sunday. When other teams were tight, the Raiders were having fun. And when they realized that the collective image of being Badasses helped them win games, they fed off it.

Can you tell us something about a Raiders legend that we might not know?

That Jack Tatum would have been a farmer if he hadn’t been a football player. That George Atkinson collects Egyptology. That it was Willie Brown’s bed that Bob Brown fired his pistol into. That Ken Stabler is the most modest, self-deprecating star I’ve ever talked to. That John Madden’s ego-less office doesn’t have a single thing in it that celebrates his triumphs. That Al Davis is still as sharp as a tack. That Freddy Biletnikoff doesn’t leave any Stickum on your hand when you shake his. Dave Dalby was the nicest guy on the team, by universal acclaim. Ted Hendricks is no longer the wild and crazy guy who would lie on the floor of the Notre Dame bus, spit to the top of the bus, and catch it in his mouth on the way down. On the other hand, Villapino is as wild and crazy as he was in 1976. No, crazier.

Thank you, Peter! Let's show our appreciation and share our own memories in the comments section.