I saw something in the paper about a new documentary about the former Raiders receiver Warren Wells, a hardluck case.  I never saw him play but I saw Fred Biletnikoff and cliff branch catching balls thrown by Ken Stabler. Here is the detail of a 1979 promotional poster touting 20 years of raiderism ( it was before “raider nation”).

Also I found in my attic a book by Baron Wolman from 1975 Oakland Raiders: the good guys and I had about 20 autographs. In those days you could stand in the parking lot and catch the guys on their way home. Many of them had cars that advertised who they were:  I remember Alonzo skip Thomas had a Firebird with a cool paint job. I was just talking about this going to my first Raiders game in many years Christmas Eve  raiders versus Broncos. Here is a detail of a page that has side-by-side Jack Tatum Fred Biletnikoff and art shell.

I also remember writing a poem about the Raiders in fifth or sixth grade.  It goes like this: the Oakland Raiders team is fine, their  halfbacks and fullbacks burst through the line; the receivers have zing, they’ll catch anything; touchdowns they’ll make, on passes from snake; but the line is the key to the fame and galore; they’ll hit you and knock you and hit you some more; Just so the team can score, and score more.  I’m reciting that from memory.  could be my high point is a writer. certainly as a poet

and: Bruce Jenkins has a B1 article “tragic story of Ex-raider.”   It says that there is a funeral for Wells Saturday in Beaumont, Texas and that someone made a documentary about his life. “Split end”  by Ken Griggs a Hayward native who moved to New York to work for the networks .