HISTORY OF THE SILVER AND BLACK
         
          
              The Silver and Black were original members of the American Football League (AFL).  The AFL, formed in 1959 to rival the older National Football League (NFL). Three earlier organizations of the same name did not fare well, each surviving only one or two years (1926, 1936-37, and 1940-41). AFL teams in 1960, the first season of play, were the Boston Patriots (New England Patriots), Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers (Tennessee Oilers), New York Titans (New York Jets), Oakland Raiders, Dallas Texans (Kansas City Chiefs 1963), and Los Angeles Chargers (San Diego Chargers 1961).  The Miami Dolphins were added to the league in 1966
           
              At first the NFL refused to recognize the new league. The two competed in bidding for players, but plans for merger were announced in 1966 after meetings with the NFL commissionor Pete Rozelle and AFL commissioner Al Davis. In 1967 the first world championship game, the Super Bowl, was played between the two league champions Green Bay (NFL) defeated Kansas City (AFL), 35-10. That year the leagues engaged in a common draft of players, and in 1968 pre season inter league play was begun. In 1970 the old AFL teams, with Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh of the NFL, became the American Conference of a new 26 team National Football League.
           
            The current owner is Al Davis who also coached the team from 1963 to 1966. The Raiders record in the three years prior to Davis' arrive a meekly 9-33-0 with a 1-13 season in 1962. Under his direction the Raiders  went from that horrible '62 season to 10-4 in 1963. Davis was named coach of the year for his efforts. The Raiders won their only AFL championship in Davis' final year as head coach in 1967. Following that season Davis grudingly accepted the position of Commissioner of the AFL. Davis helped orchestrated the merger between the NFL and AFL in 1970. He then returned to Oakland and purchased the team in 1971.

              Since the Raiders conception in  they have have had 26 winning seasons, including  AFC West division championships, AFC Conference championships, and are 3 time World Champion Super Bowl winners. The Raiders are the only team to play Super Bowls in each decade of existence (1968, 1976, 1980, 1983)
           


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