Oakland Raiders "High Five"
There's been a lot of fun discussion about Pro Football Talk's "Mt. Rushmore" series, whereby you choose the four top titans of your favorite football team through history.
Of course, the fun part is being forced to limit it to four, which is challenging.
So I'm going to poach PFT's game and make it (slightly) easier by calling it Oakland Raiders High Five--ie: your top five Raiders icons through history.
There are no criteria, such as most talented or most valuable or best stats or anything like that. It's just the High Five for whatever reasons you want to state.
Here's my High Five:
1. Al Davis
No explanation needed. Outlaw. Groundbreaker. Visionary. Coach. Commissioner. Owner. Three Lombardi trophies. A legacy like no other...
2. John Madden
Just a truly epic figure and the embodiment of the rollicking 1970s heyday. The perfect captain for an eccentric and intimidating band of misfit pirates.
3. Ken Stabler
Iconic and clutch, and next to Madden, the face of the sensational Raiders of the 1970s. Just too cool to leave off this list.
4. Howie Long
Now that he's goofing around with Terry Bradshaw on Sunday mornings, it's easy to forget what a force Howie Long was... Watch this video to the end to jog your memory.
5. Jack Tatum
This is a sentimental pick. The name. The look. The epic hits. The durability (10+ starts in nine out of 10 seasons). The embodiment of a true "Raider."
This was a hard list to build...Otto, Blanda, Hendricks, Willie Brown, Tim Brown, Upshaw, Shell, Biletnikoff, Gannon...So hard to whittle it down. But there you have it.
Now, what's your High Five?
Of course, the fun part is being forced to limit it to four, which is challenging.
So I'm going to poach PFT's game and make it (slightly) easier by calling it Oakland Raiders High Five--ie: your top five Raiders icons through history.
There are no criteria, such as most talented or most valuable or best stats or anything like that. It's just the High Five for whatever reasons you want to state.
Here's my High Five:
1. Al Davis
No explanation needed. Outlaw. Groundbreaker. Visionary. Coach. Commissioner. Owner. Three Lombardi trophies. A legacy like no other...
2. John Madden
Just a truly epic figure and the embodiment of the rollicking 1970s heyday. The perfect captain for an eccentric and intimidating band of misfit pirates.
3. Ken Stabler
Iconic and clutch, and next to Madden, the face of the sensational Raiders of the 1970s. Just too cool to leave off this list.
4. Howie Long
Now that he's goofing around with Terry Bradshaw on Sunday mornings, it's easy to forget what a force Howie Long was... Watch this video to the end to jog your memory.
5. Jack Tatum
This is a sentimental pick. The name. The look. The epic hits. The durability (10+ starts in nine out of 10 seasons). The embodiment of a true "Raider."
This was a hard list to build...Otto, Blanda, Hendricks, Willie Brown, Tim Brown, Upshaw, Shell, Biletnikoff, Gannon...So hard to whittle it down. But there you have it.
Now, what's your High Five?
posted by Raider Take at 10:34 AM
19 Comments:
1. Al Davis
2. Tom Flores
3. Jim Plunkett
4. Marcus Allen
5. Lester Hayes
It's the 80's Mr Miyagi!!!
Thanks for the take, RT.
I posted my top 4 in the last thread:
1. Al Davis (see Marcus Allen)
2. Marcus Allen (these two belong together in eternity)
3. John Madden (because he's John Madden)
4. Freddie B (my sentimental pick)
5. Jim Plunkett (like Stabler, it's tough to leave him out)
My Final 4 Mount Rushmore was based on the criteria of being a Raider-lifer and HOF inductee;
1. Al Davis
2. John Madden
3. Jim Otto
4. Howie Long
My High Five Iconic Figures;
1. Al Davis
2. John Madden
3. Jack Tatum
4. Lester Hayes
5. Freddie B
My High 5:
1. Al Davis, how can you leave the guy off. Love him or hate him, he changed the game of football and made the Raiders winners.
2. John Madden. Another no brainer, the guy is an icon who could've coached anywhere in the League after Oakland, but remained in the family.
3. Ken Stabler. To me the guy was ahead of his time. He was a running QB with a strong arm, and the finese to run a lethal WC-Long ball hybrid offense. He is the example that Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, and Michael Vick should pattern after. Unfortunately, I think the guy who is most like him today is Tom Brady.
4. Tom Flores. Can't leave off the guy who brought 2 of the 3 trophies.
5. Howie Long. I'm really torn between Howie and Marcus Allen here, but Howie still does things with the Raiders, and is more vocal on their behalf. Marcus has only recently come back; so I went with Howie.
BTW, Profootball has an article done by Ron Jaworski, slamming Flynn's armstrength. The last QB we had where the mediots did that was Rich Gannon. I'll take it as a compliment.
I think most of the mediots (especially at ESPN) are scared of the Raiders, and they hate the fact that they are turning the corner and are close to being more than competitive. Guys like Jaws, who truly hates the Raiders because they made him look bad in the Super Bowl, will never give them good credit. They will look for ways to tear them down.
JUST WIN, BABY!
1. Bobby Hoying
2. Philip Buchanon
3. James Jett
4. Todd Marinovich
5. Run Run Jones
Okay, I know what you're thinking: Run Run should be number one one.
Honorable Mention:
Bo Jackson (Oh what could have been!)
Phil Villapiano (His storytelling makes every documentary better!)
Sebastian Janikowski (A bright spot in an otherwise painful decade -- oh, and top scorer of all time)
High 5,
1), Al Davis. college coach, scout, asst. coach, head coach, commish, owner/GM. Winner. One of a kind. There will never be another.
2), Jim Otto. Never won a SB, but c'mon. Otto never missed a game. Tough as nails.
3), Jim Plunkett. I loved the Snake, but til this day, I've still never seen a QB with a better arm than Plunk. Oh, and getting off the junk pile to win 2 SB's...Not bad.
4), Howie Long. They tried to block him with, one, two, three, guys, but Howie kept on stormin into the backfield. Unstoppable.
5), Jack Tatum. The original Ronnie Lott. Still a mystery why Jack is not in Hall of Fame.
Who is your list of the Wall of Shame for the Raiders (top 5), this list should have players that played for a season or more:
1. JaMarcus Russell
2. Todd Marinovich
3. DeAngelo Hall
4. Harvey Williams
5. Terdell Sands
Honorable Mention: Andre Rison, Stuart Schweigart, Anthony Dorsett, Stanford Routt, Randy Moss, Josh McCown, Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter, Rusty Hilger, Billy Joe Hobert, Jay Schroeder, Richard Seymour, and Thomas Mayo.
For Wall of Shame I'd include Jeff George. He might've had a great arm, but lousy attitude. I remembered him blaming every one else but himself for losses.
So PFT released began releasing their Pre-Season Power Rankings starting with #32.
Who did they pick to be the worst in the League before the season starts? That's right, the Oakland Raiders. Really? Based on what? The lack of a "big name" like Richard "Needs to do more" Seymour? Come on really?
For some reason that made me angry. I don't think the Raiders are the worst in the League. I think the Browns, Dolphins, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, and Jets, will have worse seasons than the Raiders this year.
I hope Dennis Allen puts this on the wall in the Locker Room as motivation to excel. JUST WIN, BABY!
#32 is actually a fair assessment for a team carrying the longest streak of futility in NFL history. It's a roster of nobody's, and their most venerable QB has like three NFL starts. Hopefully, the Raiders are pissed off too and plan to do something about it.
BTW, the Hall of Shame has to also include Rolando McClain... who may also qualify for the Ravens Hall.
Wow, only 4 . . .
1 - Al Davis - the architect
2 - John Madden - the passionate leader
3 - Ken Stabler - the embodiment of the offensive philosophy - do what it takes
4 - Ted Hendricks - the embodiment of the defensive philosophy - do what it takes
Honorable mention -
Bo Jackson - he'd be #5
Art Shell
Fred Biletnikoff
Daryl LaMonica
Howie Long
Peter aka ConchRepublican
So let's get this right...the talent on Defense is better, the coaching has had a year to put in place the Scheme....Offense has better coaching, the team overall has a new 'culture' that isn't carrying the anchor of the past...and now the team is supposed to be worse than last year and the worst team in the league? Something isn't adding up here and wait till they play the games.
These predictors have no faith what is going on in Oakland and some Raider fans too. But they are usually the ones who think blog writers/columnists know best. And they also pine for Hue and the players of malcontent and overpayment.
JONES
Personally, I'm really looking forward to this season. Call it whatever you want to call it ... a rebuilding year, a year to overcome low expectations, a prove it year for McFadden, DA, Flynn, etc., whatever.
Plenty of unknowns and questions yet I find myself intrigued by what is going on in Oakland.
With the overall talent level and depth in question, the BIG question to me is whether or not this team can play sound, spirited, winning football ... can the players execute and the coaching staff put them in the best position to win?
From play to play, quarter to quarter, and game to game. can this team, the 2013 Raiders, find a way to win?
I'm going to enjoy this rebuilding phase and let the play on field determine my outlook for this year and beyond.
In a true rebuilding year, the brand of football (competitiveness, effort, and TEAM spirit de corps) will be the key to my overall outlook.
Again, I think #32 is a fair assessment for right now based on the Raiders recent history and dismantling of the roster (even though we as Raiders fans are biased and think we deserve a better ranking).
In a QB driven league, we don't have a QB with more than 3 starts. That, by itself, is enough to get ranked last. When you consider too that we have dumped most of the vets and we will rely heavily on young and inexperienced players to fill the roster, start and provide depth.
Clearly, it's a wait and see situation.
I like the Raiders chances, and I like being the underdog. I think it makes the team work harder to earn respect.
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Pre-Season rankings, IMO, are meaningless.
The 2013 Raiders, with wide-spread national expectations VERY low, will need to have an excellent training camp to prove people wrong.
1 Al Davis
2 The Tooz
3 Art Shell
4 Cliff Branch
5 Lester Hayes
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