(the Oakland Raiders are a professional American football franchise based in Oakland, California)
The team commenced operations in 1960 as a member of the American Football League (AFL);
they are currently members of the National Football League (NFL), which merged with the AFL in 1970. The Raiders currently compete in the NFL as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) West division and play their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. At the end of the NFL’s 2015 season, the Raiders boasted a lifetime regular season record of 444 wins, 397 losses, and 11 ties; their lifetime playoff record currently stands at 25 wins and 18 losses.
The Raiders’ on-field fortunes have varied considerably over the years. The team’s first three years of operation (1960–1962) were marred by poor on-field performance, financial difficulties, and spotty attendance. In 1963, however, the Raiders’ fortunes improved dramatically with the introduction of head coach (and eventual owner) Al Davis. In 1967, after several years of improvement, the Raiders reached the postseason for the first time. The team would go on to win its first (and only) AFL Championship that year; in doing so, the Raiders advanced to Super Bowl II, where they were soundly defeated by the Green Bay Packers.
The Raiders’ run of success intensified during the 1970s. From 1970 to 1977, the team won six division titles and reached the AFC Championship Game six times. In 1976, the team captured its first NFL Championship with a convincing victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. After narrowly losing the 1977 AFC Championship Game, the Raiders missed the playoffs in 1978 and 1979; in 1980, however, the team unexpectedly captured a second Super Bowl championship with an easy victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV.
In 1982, amidst much controversy, the Raiders relocated to Los Angeles. The team finished with the NFL’s best regular season record that year; one year later, the Raiders crushed the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII to capture their third (and, to date, last) Super Bowl championship. The Raiders’ fortunes declined considerably following the 1985 season; they would win just one division title (1990) and two playoff games from 1986 to 1994.
In 1995, the Raiders returned to Oakland. After several years of continued mediocrity, the team entered a brief period of pronounced success in the early 2000s. From 2000 to 2002, the Raiders won three consecutive division titles and four playoff games; their renaissance culminated with a lopsided 2002 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Super Bowl loss marked the beginning of a lengthy period of futility for the Raiders; from 2003 through 2015, the Raiders failed to post a single winning season or clinch a single playoff berth. In 2016, the Raiders finally ended their postseason drought with a victory over the division rival San Diego Chargers. At the end of the 2016 NFL season, the team finished with a 12–4 record and would lose to the Houston Texans 27–14 in the Wildcard round of the 2016–17 playoffs.
The Raiders are known for their extensive fan base and distinctive team culture. Since 1963, the team has won 15 division titles (three AFL and 12 NFL), three Super Bowl Championships (XI, XV, and XVIII), four AFC Championships (1976, 1980, 1983, and 2002), and one AFL Championship (1967).
(14 former members of the team have been enshrined in the ‘Pro Football Hall of Fame’)
.
.
.
*👨🔬🕵️♀️🙇♀️*SKETCHES*🙇♂️👩🔬🕵️♂️*
.
📚📖|/\-*WIKI-LINK*-/\|📖📚
.
.
.
.
💕💝💖💓🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤❤️💚💛🧡❣️💞💔💘❣️🧡💛💚❤️🖤💜🖤💙🖤💙🖤💗💖💝💘
.
.
*🌈✨ *TABLE OF CONTENTS* ✨🌷*
.
.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥*we won the war* 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥