Greatest Raiders Moments at Oakland Coliseum
By Ian Anderson
The Raiders are departing Oakland for the second time in the franchise's history, this time moving to Las Vegas and leaving the Black Hole behind.
On this sad occasion, it's better to celebrate the good times, and with memorializing in mind, here is a list of the greatest Raiders moments that ever occurred at Oakland Coliseum, as an ode to their former place of residence.
6. 1976 AFC Championship Game
After losing three straight AFC Championship games, it seemed as if Oakland just could not get to the Super Bowl. This game silenced all the doubters. The game ended with quarterback Ken Stabler and the Raiders beating the Steelers 24-7 and earning their first ever Super Bowl berth, completely altering the franchise's lasting legacy.
5. The Inaugural Game
The Raiders and quarterback Tom Flores played their first ever game in the Coliseum on September 18, 1966 against the Kansas City Chiefs. While this game did not end how the Raiders wanted it to, it signaled the start of an era that would include two Super Bowl victories for the franchise.
4. The Inaugural Game Part 2
Out of the blue, Al Davis decided to move the franchise back to Oakland from Los Angeles after 13 years away. This was met with tears of joy from Oakland fans. There was a sellout crowd at the Coliseum in the team's first game back to witness a 17-7 win against the San Diego Chargers. Napoleon Kaufman sealed the game with a 16-yard touchdown run.
3. The "Sea of Hands" - 1974
A game that is considered one of the greatest in NFL history took place between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins in the Oakland Coliseum back in 1974. A playoff battle between the two-time defending champion Dolphins and the Raiders ended with Oakland edging out a 28-26 victory over Miami, thanks to Ken Stabler hitting running back Clarence Davis in the final seconds amid a sea of defenders. Davis grabbed the ball...somehow. Raiders win.
2. 2003 AFC Championship Game
The Coliseum was bouncing throughout this game, which sent the Raiders to their first Super Bowl since 1984, a season after the disastrous Tuck Rule game. The men in black came to play led by quarterback Rich Gannon as they steamrolled the Tennessee Titans 41-24. Sadly for the franchise, this was the last playoff game that they would ever win in Oakland.
1. The "Heidi" Game
Joe Namath and the New York Jets traveled to Oakland to take on the Raiders in one of the more infamous games in professional football history. During the fourth quarter in the closely-contested game, NBC decided to stop airing the contest, instead cueing up the film "Heidi" far too early. While the game was not being aired, the Raiders scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter in a come-from-behind win. If you were in the stadium, you saw it. If not, you had NO clue! That's the magic of being there, and we'll miss it everyday.