Cheating Is Encouraged : A Hard-Nosed History of the 1970s Raiders

Halftitle; Title Page; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Preface; First Half: 1970-1974; Al Davis: The Defiant Owner; John Madden: The Creative Coach; Training Camp: A Explosive Mix of Testosterone, Alcohol, and Insanity; Oakland Night Life: One for All and All for One; Rivals, Enemies, and Foes; Oakland Raiders Highlights, 1970-1974; Second Half: 1975-1980; A Colorful Cast of Misfits: Players, Nicknames, Superstitions, and the Two Coke Cups; That Incredible 1976 Season and Super Bowl XI; More Unforgettable Games: Sea of Hands, Ghost to the Post, and the Holy Roller.;Straight from the mouths of the legends of the Silver and Black, Cheating Is Encouraged recapitulates the many as infamous stories from the last team to play #x93;outlaw" football. Regardless of whether you loved or hated them, the Oakland Raiders of the 1970s were an amusing cast of outlaws, misfits, and anomalies that made up one of the greatest pro football teams of their era. The Raiders' roster consisted of a collection of mavericks and rebels, some with behavioral issues, such as John #x93;Tooz" Matuszak and Lyle Alzado, as well as castoffs like the aging George Blanda and the sandlot player Oti. Straight from the mouths of the legends of the Silver and Black, Cheating Is Encouraged recapitulates the many as infamous stories from the last team to play “outlaw” football. Regardless of whether you loved or hated them, the Oakland Raiders of the 1970s were an amusing cast of outlaws, misfits, and anomalies that made up one of the greatest pro football teams of their era. The Raiders’ roster consisted of a collection of mavericks and rebels, some with behavioral issues, such as John “Tooz” Matuszak and Lyle Alzado, as well as castoffs like the aging George Blanda and the sandlot player Otis Sistrunk, who were passed over or disregarded by other NFL teams. To say that this group of outlaws had “attitude” would be a gross understatement. They were the Oakland Raiders, the Silver and Black, and Al Davis’s dream of “Just win, baby.” Gridiron characters (such as the Snake, Foo, the Assassin, the Hit Man, Dr. Death, and many others) chronicle the notorious on- and off-the-field exploits, away-game adventures, and the party-hard attitudes that are reflected in the team’s intimidating and glorified mix of renegades. Cheating Is Encouraged defines an era that can only be considered the last days of “real football played by real men.” Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. Halftitle Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Preface First Half: 1970-1974 Al Davis: The Defiant Owner John Madden: The Creative Coach Training Camp: A Explosive Mix of Testosterone, Alcohol, and Insanity Oakland Night Life: One for All and All for One Rivals, Enemies, and Foes Oakland Raiders Highlights, 1970-1974 Second Half: 1975-1980 A Colorful Cast of Misfits: Players, Nicknames, Superstitions, and the Two Coke Cups That Incredible 1976 Season and Super Bowl XI More Unforgettable Games: Sea of Hands, Ghost to the Post, and the Holy Roller. Oakland Raiders Highlights, 1975-1979Beginning the New Decade on a High Note: Super Bowl XV Oakland Raiders of The 1970S In the Pro Football Hall of Fame Epilogue References.