Silver Minings: Happy Anniversary, coach John Madden

The photo in this post is one of the most iconic in Raiders’ history.

The greatest Raiders players all lifted the equally great John Madden to the sky at the conclusion of the team’s first Super Bowl victory in 1977 over the Minnesota Vikings.

I love the image and that’s probably because I love the 1970s Raiders and Madden himself.

This is a time of reflection for that group. Thursday marked the 52nd anniversary of the Raiders hiring Madden as head coach in 1969. It was one of the best moves Al Davis ever made.

It changed the Raiders forever. Madden, who was the Raiders’ linebackers coach the two previous seasons before he became head coach, was the right guy for the right team at the right time.

Let’s lift a glass to a vital day in Raiders’ history.

In other Raiders’ links:

• Carr trade talk: The Athletic’s podcast addressed the Derek Carr trade rumors.
• Flores Q&A: The Athletic talks to the great Tom Flores just before his HOF vote.
• Rugs’ bounce back year? The Draft Network looks at whether Raiders’ receiver Henry Ruggs III can have a better second season than he did as a rookie.