Greatest Losses in Raider history, in order:

1. The Greatest Loss in all Raider history is XXXVII.

2. The next most devastating defeat in all S&B times is the 1968 AFL Championship, at Shea. Rookie Charlie Smith failed to cover a backward screen on the Jet 12, 1:50 to go. We'd'a killed the Colts, we'd'a been that Team of Destiny, first AFL'er to win IT. Close, back and forth affair, like Heidi a month before. We dominated Q3: a rookie CB Atkinson (playing for injured Kent McCloughan) int and long return to the 5, followed by TD Pete Banaszak's 5 yard burst, gave us a small lead. But Joe Willie answered with the greatest pass ever thrown by an enemy QB, 55 yards thru Shea's gusts, perfectly placed on Maynard's outside shoulder, just beating Atkinson's right-there coverage: Broadway hit a flying target the size of a hubcap in the equal of a wind tunnel. A few plays later, Namath escaped L, threw back R, and Maynard beat Atkinson by a whisker, for winning points. That's when we drove fast---to the 12.

3. The 1969 AFL Championship. KC shouln't even have been here---the AFL Changed its Rules for 69 only, allowed 2nd place each Division a ticket, 1969 only. We swept Stram, were 5 of the last 6. In the famous 69 finale, the West on the line, also in OK---Red Vest smartly surrendered, elected to KO twice to open both Halves, and more to the point, refused to let stiff kneed Dawson throw---only 6 attempts, 3 of em sacked. We'd'a murdered MN, Purple woulda had no chance. And the pointed, painful fact that it was Stram---ouch. Lamonica smacked his hand on DE Aaron Brown's helmet, refused to come out, threw 3 picks. Already Old got a series, threw another. Still, it was as low scoring as almost all Raider/Chief games of that era, Stram's neanderthal O and HOF D. And we were almost as conservative, D minded, ourselves. This tragic game turned on a Q3 bomb, Lenny the Cool standing in vs coming Angry, hands up, in the middle of the Black Hole--somehow got the ball outta there, had to be half blind---deep R sideline, 35 yards, an incredible pass, Otis Taylor, just between Young Man Willie and coming over, now SS, Atkinson. Yet--the great Chief WR landed with possession full outta bounds, not close, at least a foot, foot and half---straight in front of Dapper's bench. No one knows it, but super key in that bad game---Warren Wells, hands down our best player, badly separated a shoulder vs HU last week in the abruptly invented first round. Wells played vs KC, a shadow. Surely the dif. Even with Bomber's bruised mitt. We owned KC those years.

4. 1974 AFC Championship, vs PT, in OK. A week after S of H's, billed as THE SB. Madden got carried off the field after MI, big mistake, as whispily combed-over Al Locasale whoop-de-ddo'd the Raider sideline. PT really dominated. But Bradshaw choked 3 times in our red zone in H1, got just a FG. And Stabler/Branch kept us in it. But Curtain, greatest D all time, was immovable, holding CD to 0-yards-per all day. And finally getting to the silver southpaw, who characteristically threw picks. PT's breakout play on O was a COUNTER (Split Backs, you understand), Rocky Bleier for like 30 yards. After that, Noll ran at will. Run D was our weakness that year---Cline, Thoms, Mars, Horace Jones, and the great Dan Conners' last game.

5. Snow Job, 01. Never forget. Remember the refs' blatant ripoff on our opening drive, edge of FG range, 3rd and 3, Timmer slant, R side, +3.5, well past the glowing yellow line on TV, not close---when the stalinists ran in so eagerly from the side, pointing so decisively, I knew. Gru challenged, won. They respotted the ball, still making sure to ROB us. Tried to take a TO, had to give it back as they had, after all, moved the ball. And the giveaway: that PLAYOFF game was scheduled to START in MASSACHUSETTS in JANUARY in a BLIZZARD at 9:00 pm LOCAL TIME. For a west coast team! No possible justification for making us the nite game. When Charles Woodson blitzed Brady's front-side and forced that missed FG or whatever the hell pravda called it, which Greg Biekert recovered, or threw, or drop kicked---IT WAS ONE O'CLOCK IN THE FREAKIN MORNING, there. Oh, they hyperventilate over St Adam's greatest ever kick in the history of pigskin. But Jano's equally 45 yarder 14:00 into Q3 did not barely clear like the Anointed's. No, Jano's was halfway up the uprights, perfect down the middle, strong and true. And Jano's not even any good (except in the playoffs, where our drama queen K'er is 14 of 16 lifetime, with one of those misses coming from 58). Had the Snow Job not been so tucked up, we'd'a gone to PT next, Kordell Stewart's big year. After that, a matchup with the Rams woulda been problematical.

Coming soon---part 2!

Professor Eyepatch